Chapter 44
Quinn
A steady beeping cut through the hum of lights and machinery. The sharp scent of antiseptic stung my nose.
“Quinn,” a familiar voice called.
I forced my eyes open, squinting into the surgical light. Doctor Oz’s lined face hovered above me—mask matching his scrubs, tiny magnifiers clipped beneath his glasses.
“Stay with me, Quinn.”
I tried to blink, but even that felt heavy. Doctor Oz adjusted the light. Above the glass, my dad waved, smiling and safe. Tears burned my eyes.
“Dad?” I croaked.
Doctor Oz chuckled. “You two are inseparable. Don’t sound so surprised.”
I tried to look at him, but something held my head still. “What?”
“This is brain surgery, sweetie,” a nurse said gently from the other side. “Stay awake, remember? Keep naming the cards.”
She lifted a flashcard—a painfully familiar castle.
“The Architect’s Castle,” I said before I could stop myself.
She blinked, confused.
I tried to move, but a cold brace locked my head in place. The beeping sped up.
“Relax,” the nurse said. “Breathe. Not a wrong answer, just a castle. I’m not a history professor.”
Ezra’s voice brushed my mind. Breathe, Quinn. I obeyed, and the beeping steadied.
“Edinburgh Castle. Top of the Royal Mile. Scotland.” The facts spilled out before I could stop them.
The nurse beamed. “A castle buff, huh?” She flashed Doctor Oz a thumbs-up. “Okay, next one.” A picture of a horse filled my vision.
A drill whirred to life. Metal spun in my peripheral vision, its tip glowing cerulean blue.
The beeping spiked. My magic. My friends. The world I’d built flickered behind my eyes.
“Time to fix this brain of yours,” Doctor Oz said.
The drill bit into bone. Its pitch dropped, and a hungry, grinding scream filled the room. Hot tears slipped down my temples as the sound swallowed everything.