Chapter 16

Sixteen

"An unlived life is the only thing that should make you fear death." — Sayings of the Blessed Crow.

Mara had never been inside a hospital and wasn’t sure she would enjoy the experience much more than Augustus.

Saints didn’t die of things that medicine could cure, and from all the stories she had heard from customers, she imagined hospitals to be the most unpleasant places in the world.

Mara risked a glance up at Augustus’s stern gray eyes. She knew deep down she had only agreed to go with him because she had been so worried about him. Even deeper down, she didn’t want to let him walk away from her again.

Mara had wanted to give him space after dredging up such painful memories and had gone to the gallery to clear her head. She had decided to go and see him in Albert Street, and there he was like she had wished it.

Why do we keep on finding each other?

She needed to go over her books again and see if there was any mention of such a thing occurring before.

Augustus paused in front of the automatic doors leading inside the hospital. Patients and visitors were hanging about, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee.

"We need to get to the Intensive Care section of the hospital. They are usually restricted, so can I make you invisible? It will make everything a lot easier," he said.

"Do it. Just don’t forget to take it off when we leave," Mara replied, turning to face him.

"Really? No arguing?" His eyes flashed with mischief. "Oh, dear, whatever would your precious Saint Anea think of you letting a sorcerer put a spell on you."

"What can I say? I’m a weak woman who trusts sorcerers far too easily."

"Especially the handsome ones," Augustus replied with a smile that heated her insides.

Mara cocked a brow and looked around. "Are we meeting another sorcerer that I don’t know about?"

"Very funny," he scoffed and gently pulled her out of the way of a man with a walking frame. Mara could feel the warmth of his palms through her jacket, and she suddenly wanted him to pull her closer.

It’s just because it’s so cold today, she lied to herself.

Augustus let her go. "Are you ready? It won’t hurt."

Mara nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Augustus’s power rose between them, and she tasted lightning on her tongue. His fingertips went to her forehead, sketching a sigil that tingled against her skin.

"Is it working?" she asked.

"It is. Don’t wander off, little saint," he said, reaching for her hand. "I wouldn’t want to lose you."

Augustus’s long fingers tangled with hers, and Mara felt the strange miracle that had been growing inside of her move dangerously along her ribs.

It was combined with another feeling that she knew she couldn’t fight off anymore. She was falling in love with him, and her heart refused to accept how terrible an idea it was.

Inside, the harsh fluorescent lights and smell of cleaning products were overwhelming. There were people everywhere, the corridors of rooms making everything seem like an overwhelming maze.

Augustus didn’t let her go for a second, moving like he knew exactly where he was going. People seemed to feel his power in the air and instinctively got out of his way. Mara used him as a human shield so she didn’t get knocked about. She could feel the grief in the air and clinging to the walls.

This was a bad idea.

As a saint, her instinct was to try and fix things, to alleviate the suffering.

"Are you okay? You’ve got quite the grip," Augustus said.

Mara dodged a doctor with a clipboard. "I’m a little overwhelmed, that’s all. All I feel is heartache."

"It’s why I hate hospitals. All I feel is ghosts," he replied.

"Can you see them?"

"Sometimes. It’s better if I don’t look for them. They all think I can help them move on when I can’t. The sooner we get out of here, the better. Ah, here we are." Augustus pointed to the sign leading to the Intensive Care Unit. He placed his palm over a keypad, and the glass doors slid open.

Mara’s ears buzzed at the sudden hush that descended over them. Machines hummed and beeped, but everyone was speaking in low voices. There were tired people in the small waiting room, some asleep on couches and others nervously pacing.

August frowned at them before checking the rooms, stopping when he saw a nun. Mara had met a few good nuns in her lifetime, but this one felt wrong. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, the woman had wispy skeletal wings rising from her back.

"Do you want to live? It is but a simple yes or no. Yes, I give you years collected from the loved ones weeping in the other room. So few, they would barely miss them…" the nun was whispering.

"Yeah, I wouldn’t count on it," Augustus said, leaning against the doorframe.

The nun turned away from the man on the bed, face twisting in anger before smoothing out and smiling when she saw who it was.

She was stunningly beautiful, with pale blue eyes, a wide mouth, and glossy black curls spilling around her shoulders under her veil. Her smile was warm and electric and all for him.

"Vance. It’s been too long," she purred.

"Angelica. Have you been a naughty little sin eater?" Augustus chided.

Blue eyes went wide. "Why would you ever think that?"

"The letters I keep getting, my dear. You need to be careful that the people you are making deals with don’t tell their families that the only reason they made such miraculous recoveries is because they’ve stolen their time." Augustus crossed his arms. "Well? Why are you hunting so aggressively here?"

"You know I’m called to where people are most desperate, Augie. It’s not my fault they can’t keep their mouths shut."

Mara’s eyes narrowed at the pet name. Suddenly she wanted to smack the sin eater in her perfect face. It was an irrational sort of anger she had never felt before, and her hand on Augustus tightened.

Angelica seemed to notice her for the first time. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? You got yourself a new pet. Hello, pretty." She reached for Mara, and Augustus smacked her hand away.

"She’s mine, creature. So keep that glamour in check, or I’ll get upset," Augustus said, slowly moving in front of Mara.

"You’re really no fun. What are you even doing here? You know you can’t stop me, Judge," Angelica mocked.

"I’m not here to stop you. If the humans are dumb enough to make a deal with you, then that’s on them. The problem is you not hunting wide enough not to get noticed. I have people writing in complaints, and I’m tired of getting them."

Angelica made an exasperated sound. "Fine! I’ll move on. No one would want you to be inconvenienced by a few letters."

"Maybe you should stop being so greedy."

"The humans are so chock-full of sin and secrets haunting them by the time they reach their death beds that I offer a service, that’s all," Angelica argued, and her voice went soft. "But I’ll do as you say, Augie. You’re the last person I would want to upset."

"You’ve always been smart like that. Move on, and do circuits of the hospitals, for fuck’s sake. There’s enough of them in the city."

"Yes, Augie. I will." Angelica looked up at him from under her lashes. "I don’t suppose I’ll see you at the Blood Moon? It’s in two days."

"I might make an appearance. You take care, Angelica. I would hate to banish you," Augustus said, tempering his threat with a smile. Without a goodbye, he turned and walked out the way they came in. "Let’s get out of here. This place is making my skin itch."

Once they were back outside, both of them took deep breaths of clean air. With a snap of his fingers, the invisibility dropped away from them. Mara’s skin was going to be tingling with his magic for days.

"What happens on the Blood Moon, Augie?" Mara asked, fluttering her lashes at him.

"Please, for the love of God, don’t call me that. You really don’t know about the party?" Augustus raised a brow at her. "Wow, you really haven’t been social. There’s a bar that only appears on a Blood Moon. All the supernaturals in Melbourne are welcome. It’s truly neutral ground for one night only. No glamours can be held in this space either. Everyone dresses up and hits the ambrosia hard."

"It sounds like it would be an interesting night," she replied as they walked. She felt the teashop calling her, and the red door appeared, wedged between a cafe and a dry cleaner.

Augustus’s shoulders slumped a little when he saw it. "Would you want to check it out? The Blood Moon Bar, I mean."

"You want me to go with you?" she asked, smiling awkwardly.

"I usually stick my head in to make sure nobody forgets I’m still alive and they better behave and then get out of there before it gets too wild." Augustus rubbed at his neck. "I would like company. Your company? Please?"

Mara stepped up on the stairs in front of the red door. She was just as tall as him, so she didn’t miss the flash of green in his eyes when she asked, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Maybe? If that’s something you would want? Otherwise, we can go as friends?"

Mara had never seen a man squirm so adorably. "I would like that."

"You would? Okay, then it’s a date," he replied. He spotted Athanasius in the window, glaring at them. He flipped the cat off. "She said yes, puss!"

Mara laughed loudly. "You better bring him some of the fancy catnip, or he won’t let me leave the store."

"I will." Augustus unexpectedly gave her a slight bow and kissed her hand. "I’ll see you then." And he was gone with a wink and a grin.

Athanasius wasn’t about to let Mara off without a scolding. His hair and tail stood on end, hissing at her the instant she came through the door.

"Are you crazy? It’s bad enough you’ve been making him tea. You’re now going to let him court you? He’s a fucking sorcerer, Mara!"

"I’ve noticed. And I don’t think I care anymore." Mara hung up her coat and went to boil water. She touched the back of her hand where he had kissed it, the feel of his lips still there.

Athanasius prowled along the wooden bar toward her. "Tell me why? Why him of all the men in this city? You know saints and sorcerers shouldn’t mix."

Mara’s temper flared. "Oh, I’ve been told, but no one wants to tell me why. Augustus is…"

"If you say ’he’s different! He’s not like other sorcerers’ I will cough up a hairball on this counter, I swear to Anea."

"Until he does something worthy of hostility, I’m not going to treat him any differently as I would anyone else."

Athanasius glared at her. "And what of the miracle?"

"What miracle?" Mara asked.

"The one you feel building inside of you. The weird one."

Mara dropped the spoon she was holding. "How do you know about that?"

"I can feel the energy in the air. You’re just about glowing with it. I’ve…seen it before," the cat admitted, licking his paw.

"With whom? What are you hiding?" she demanded.

"Nothing. All I know is that you need to be careful. Corvos have their usual miracles they dispense on the daily, but they are given one big miracle too. It’s their special task. The reason they are born. If you feel it building, then it means you are getting closer to whatever it needs to be used for." Athanasius rubbed his face against her arm.

"Be careful, cioară. After your grandmother performed her miracle, all that remained was feathers. When your aunty performed hers, it killed all the enemy soldiers in a mile radius. Miracles are dangerous. Never forget that. Both times a sorcerer was involved. Saints and sorcerers are just too much magic in one place, so it becomes volatile. I know you like him but look after yourself first."

"I will be careful, grandfather. I promise." Mara patted his head to reassure him and maybe herself. If she really was getting close to her one extraordinary miracle, how would she know it when she saw it?