Chapter 56
Felix balled his fists as August explained what had happened at the house in Haverglen, keeping his muscles tight and body perfectly still as he fought to keep the rage from bubbling over.
Benjamin had betrayed them. It had taken Felix so long to finally trust the man, and it turned out his initial instinct was right after all. But he couldn’t have been working for Ashcroft while they were in Bedwyck. He’d helped them.
No, this was recent. This was a coward making a play to save his own pathetic life. And it had gotten not only him killed, but everyone else in that place.
Felix was glad he was dead. He hoped he was burning in the lower hell.
He glanced back down at the token. “So, what does this do, then?”
August shrugged, then winced at the pain it clearly caused him. He still looked like a corpse, curled on his side, the black tendrils creeping up his face. Had they retreated a little? They were only halfway up his jawline now. He could’ve sworn that they were nearly to his eyes only hours ago.
Not that he’d been paying attention to August’s face.
Felix turned the object over in his palm. “Mar?”
“Dunno,” she answered, fiddling with a button on her jacket as she eyed the token. “It has an arcane glyph, so it definitely does something. I just haven’t a clue what, or how to get it going. Sometimes you need a phrase or something.”
A flicker of frustration. “You knew how to work the finding token.”
“Because Ciaran used the things. Never seen one like this before, though. Maybe it’s some ministry yoke.” She pursed her lips, then said, “Try pressing on the symbol.”
Felix pressed his thumb flat to the engraving, and the token took on a soft orange glow, like molten steel.
A smooth, feminine voice came suddenly, impossibly, from the token.
“Benjamin Clarke,” it said, clearly irritated. “I expect a compelling explanation as to why, despite your assurances, he was not at the specified location.”
Felix frowned. That wasn’t Ashcroft. Who was Benjamin working for? He was debating whether to respond to the voice when August beat him to it.
“Mother?”
The word sent a jolt through Felix, and he nearly dropped the token.
Solach.