Chapter 26

Twenty-Six

"There is no greater mistake a sorcerer can make than to think that they understand magic. Even in this most enlightened time of scientific reasoning and logic, magic is there to remind us that it defies both, existing in a realm apart and by rules, we will never know." — Sorcery in the Age of Reason.

Augustus couldn’t breathe. The wind and magic in the cave were clenching him like he was caught in a fist.

Mara was glowing like she had a sun inside of her. Augustus fought against the power gripping him, but he wasn’t strong enough. He reached her, panic and desperation overriding all reason. He lunged, and all he caught was crow feathers.

"Mara!" he shouted, trying to follow her into the pillar of gray smoke and wild magic.

A bolt of magic struck him hard in the chest, and he screamed, his heart burning as it knitted together. He clutched the handfuls of feathers, his last thought of his saint, and magic slammed him back into darkness.

Augustus woke, his whole body aching and a cat pawing at his face. He groaned, trying to sit up and finding it difficult.

The sun was rising outside the cave mouth, the gully heavy with mist.

"Augustus? Are you alive," Athanasius asked, pawing him again.

"In a manner of speaking." Augustus pulled himself upright and tried to get his bearings. He was lying in a pile of crow feathers. "No."

"Augustus…"

"No. No. No. She can’t be gone. She can’t…" Augustus sobbed, holding the feathers to his chest.

"She released her miracle. It’s rare that a Corvo can handle such divine power. She saved you, saved magic," Athanasius said softly. "All magic demands a price, a sacrifice. You know this better than most."

"It was meant to be me!" Augustus cried out. "I was meant to be the sacrifice. I can’t do this. I can’t be the one who survives, not again…" His voice broke, and he held the feathers to his face and shouted in rage and despair. "Mara. My darling. Why did you go into the magic?"

"She did it because she loved you. Don’t waste it again. I refuse to let you die in this place, so get the fuck up, sorcerer, and take me the hell out of here," Athanasius growled, swiping at him with his paw.

Augustus had done many hard things in his long life, but dragging his heavy body upright was the hardest. Augustus put three black feathers into his breast pocket before he picked up the damp cat with shaking hands and carried it out into the dawn.

Augustus walked along the road and out of the national park in a numb daze. Cars were starting to fill the streets, one stopping to help a silent and stunned Augustus in.

He thanked the man when he was dropped off at Lavers Hill Station, and he got into a taxi back to the city.

It was gray and raining heavily when they got to Albert Street like Melbourne was crying for the saint that it had lost.

Augustus was no longer tied to magic, and it was like a great hollow had been carved out of him. He placed Athanasius down and lit the fire. His magic was as shaky as he was, the flames sputtering before catching.

Augustus didn’t feel like he was in his body. He was so numb and cold that he didn’t know what to do. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen and grabbed a small saucer from a cupboard.

He placed the saucer down beside the cat and filled it with whiskey without a word. They both stared at the fire and drank in silence. Tears rolled down Augustus’s cheeks until he lay down on the rug and passed out.

* * *

Augustus woke to a cat poking him for the second time that day.

"Fuck off," he moaned, pushing the cat away.

"Wake up! Someone is here!" Athanasius hissed.

Augustus rolled over. "I don’t care. They can fuck off too." A loud bang echoed through the house. And then another. "What in all the hells! If it’s the fucking Druids, I am going to build a wicker man and light the fuckers on fire."

"It’s coming from upstairs, sorcerer," Athanasius said.

"Upstairs?" Augustus went from drowsy to alert. No one could break into his house. No one could get through his wards, even if they did have magic.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Stay here, puss." Augustus climbed to his feet and stumbled to the staircase. Gripping the banister, he went up into the darkness.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Someone was knocking, but that was impossible.

Augustus froze when he realized the heavy banging was coming from the door covered in golden sigils.

"What in the actual fuck," Augustus muttered. His current housekeeper, Judith, knew to always call him if there was a problem. She would never knock on the door leading to Melbourne.

Augustus activated the symbols, and the wood lit up with magic. He grabbed the doorknob and summoned his power to blast whoever it was into oblivion.

He pulled the door open and almost got hit in the head with a bust of Plato, wielded by a woman with hair as black as crow’s wings.

"What the fuck—" Augustus began. The bust dropped away, and Mara smiled up at him.

"It’s about time! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been banging on this damn door?" she demanded. Augustus plowed into her, pulling her up into his arms.

"How? How?" he cried, kissing her face all over. "What happened to your hair?"

"I don’t know!" Mara kissed him back. Augustus carried her to one of the leather couches and sat down, keeping her in his lap. He brushed the dark hair from her face and checked her all over.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Any blood?"

Mara shook her head. "No, I’m okay. I’m fine."

"I saw you turn into a cloud of feathers, Mara. You are not fine. I am not fine," Augustus babbled.

"Breathe, my love. You are starting to panic. Are you drunk?"

Augustus let out a relieved laugh. "Not drunk enough. What happened to you?"

"I met Gwen. She was in the heart of magic. Or her spirit was," Mara tried to explain what had happened to her. She reached into her jeans and pulled out a silver pocket watch. "She told me to give you this."

Augustus started crying again as he took the watch. It had been his father’s, and it had a stag crowned with stars on it. Gwen had stolen it from him the first time they had met.

"She told me to give you hell for making us wait for you for so long," Mara said, and he laughed despite his tears.

"Yeah, that sounds like Gwen. Maybe wait a day or two before you start? I thought you died." Augustus reached into his pocket and pulled out the black feathers. "These were all that were left."

"It’s okay, love. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere." Mara put his arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "The new hair will definitely take some getting used to, and I don’t think I have any miracles left."

"You are here, in my arms, and that’s miracle enough for me." Augustus put the feathers and watch down on the table beside them and pulled her into a fierce embrace. "I’m never letting you out of my sight again."

Mara laughed, and the sound filled him with a mad kind of joy. "My possessive and obsessive sorcerer. I missed you."

Augustus frowned. "Don’t leave me again, and you will never have to miss me. I’m serious. Never do that to me again."

"Kiss me, sorcerer, and tell me you love me," Mara demanded, her smile crooked.

"I do love you, little crow saint." Augustus kissed her hard and deep. His hands went under the hem of her shirt, and he pressed his palm over her thrumming heart just to feel it beat.

"You are my miracle, Mara. With or without your magic." Augustus shifted, pulling her down onto the lounge and settling between her thighs. "And now I’m going to…"

The door to the library blew open, and a gray-haired woman charged in and aimed a shotgun at them.

"Master Vance! I thought you were a burglar," she said, lowering her gun.

"Hello, Judith," Augustus greeted, and Mara stifled a giggle. "I’m… I’m finally home." He leaned down and kissed his saint, knowing it was true. They were both still breathing, and he had a lot of living to make up for.