Chapter 12 · Rust and Relic - Chapter 12: Not the Second Shard

"He's dying."

Greta said it flat, like she was reading inventory. The kid on the ground wasn't moving anymore. His chest still went up and down but the intervals were getting longer.

"How long?" Liv didn't look up from Aiden. He was slumped against the wagon wheel, eyes half-open, breath coming in shallow drags. The shard burn on his palm was spreading up his wrist now, black veins crawling under the skin.

"Kid? Maybe an hour. Your engineer? Less."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I've got." Greta crouched next to the boy, pressed two fingers to his neck. "Poison's in his blood. Same stuff Bonewalker's priests use on their blades. You don't have the antidote and neither do I."

Liv's jaw locked. She looked at Aiden. He was trying to say something but his lips barely moved.

"What?"

He swallowed. "Leave me."

"Shut up."

"Liv—"

"I said shut up." She turned to Greta. "The kid. You said Bonewalker wants him alive."

"Wants him breathing," Greta corrected. "Didn't say anything about healthy."

"So Bonewalker has the antidote."

Greta's face didn't change but her hand stopped moving.