Conner rises and kicks Ash in the stomach. I wince and want to yell at him to stop, but I know it will only make things worse. Ash coughs and Conner kicks him again, harder. Ash groans and opens his eyes.

I start talking fast, trying to bring the focus back to me. “No. Nothing. He didn’t mention you once. I mean, I don’t really blame him. I wouldn’t mention you, either.”

Conner hurls the vial of salts and it smashes against the wall next to me, spraying me with the pungent liquid and burning my cuts so badly that my eyes tear up. I look at the glass from the broken vial on the floor and Conner follows my line of sight. He nods at Felix.

Felix walks up to me but still won’t look me in the eyes. Nevertheless, his right arm twitches, and I brace myself as he punches me in the stomach. The impact is so hard that I gasp for breath.

“November?” Ash mumbles, and his eyes widen.

“Now,” Conner says in a calmer tone, and smooths his hair, like he didn’t just have a freak-out. “As I was saying before. Location or Ash?”

Ash looks from me to the glass bottle in Conner’s hand, and the realization of what’s happening shows on his face. “Don’t do it, November,” Ash says, and I can tell by his voice that he’s in pain. “Whatever you do, whatever he does to me, don’t tell him what he wants to know.”

Conner nods like this is all playing out beautifully. “Are you really going to let someone who cares about you so much die?”

I take in a ragged breath. “Ash…”

“No,” Ash says resolutely. “This was my fault. I screwed up, and he’s playing us both. Just look at him. It’s all over his—”

Conner kicks Ash again, and he coils in on himself in pain.

“It’s a simple choice,” Conner says as he uncorks the poison.

I open my mouth but no sound comes out. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I let Ash die. But if I tell Conner about Pembrook, who’s to say they won’t find Dad or kill the people I love as revenge?

“I can’t hear you—” Conner starts, but stops abruptly because there’s a scratching sound that seems to be coming from the door.

Felix slaps his hand over my mouth and nose, making it impossible for me to scream.

“You breathe a word, and he dies,” Conner hisses. “Do you understand?”

I nod and Felix lets go of my mouth.

There’s another scratch, almost like a cat asking to be let in.

“Go handle it,” Conner says, and Felix makes his way to the door.

He opens it just a crack and peers out. “There’s no one out here,” he says in a confused voice, and closes the door again. But the second it clicks into place, there’s another scratch.

Felix opens the door a little wider and a hand reaches into the room, grabbing Felix by the collar and slamming his head into the side of the doorway. Conner’s eyes widen as Felix collapses on the floor.