"Eve, open the door," Jake ordered. His voice trembled and he could barely get the words out. Ezekiel was dead weight in his arms. Cold blood dripped between their chests and he could feel the violent gasps for air against his neck.

Ezekiel was dying.

Jake had never been more thankful for their magic door than at that moment.

Eve flung it open and charged in with the passion of a bull.

"Ah, you're back," Jenkin's voice called. He had his back to them as he fiddled with something on the desk. Cassandra was next to him; scribbling notes faster than Jake could follow.

"Did you get the orb-" her smile fell as she turned around and her words stopped in her throat. "Ezekiel."

Eve rushed forward, throwing them both aside. She flung herself at the desk, swiping everything to the floor. Papers fluttered, heavy book ends were sent flying, and something very fragile smashed to pieces at her feet.

Jenkins said not a word until Jake had set Ezekiel down gently.

"What happened?"

"We got separated. The towns people, they weren't... possessed, but angry?" Jake was struggling to explain. There'd been masses of them in the tunnels. People who they'd met the day before, who'd been all too happy to show them around and explain the most exciting occurrence since JF Kennedy had made a wrong turn during election year and ended up in their sleepy little town for a night. They still had a plaque in the hotel.

Three nights ago, a couple residents have come across some tunnels deep in the hills. Ever since, the unstable shafts had become a public spectacle. Everyone and their mother had been clamoring to take a look inside.

Then that morning the riots had started.

Nothing was more dangerous than a group of very angry locals with guns.

"That would be the orb at work. Pure energy has that effect on people. I thought you'd have more time but... well, never mind," Jenkins shook his head, darting from here to there around the office, pulling potions and books and tiny vials off the shelves. Cassandra followed him like a humming bird, zipping between pulling books to muttering equations. Whatever they were doing, they moved in sync.

"We have to slow the bleeding," Eve murmured. Jake was startled away from his thoughts and back to Ezekiel.

He looked terrible. The color had faded away from his cheeks. Blood was dripping down his front... there was so much of it. Jake didn't even know someone could lose that much blood and still be alive. He himself was sticky with it. It clung to his clothes, wet and cold against his skin.

Wordlessly he shook his jacket off, bundled it up, and pressed it against Ezekiel's abdomen.

"Don't we have bandages?" he asked, frowning at the red creeping into the cloth.

"No... no I used them already. For Flynn, when he was stabbed." The panic in her voice set a cold weight of dread in Jake's stomach.

If Eve was panicking then things were dire.

Ezekiel really did not look good.

"What about the magic potion he gave you when you were hurt?"

The blood was already soaked into the jacket and Jake could feel the blood beneath his hands.

"It's gone. I took the rest..."

"Then what the hell are we doing!" Jake all but screamed. Ezekiel was dying. "We need a hospital, an ambulance-"

Suddenly Cassandra was there, gripping his arm. He was grounded again, the panic that'd been threatening to drown him was abated. Now it lapped at his brain, waves against a cliff, fierce and wild.

She looked him in the eyes and smiled weakly. "I think we can replicate the magic potion Flynn and Eve used." Her eyes flickered to Ezekiel and Jake could almost see what she was seeing. He was pale, barely breathing, not moving, and when Cassie took his pulse, her eyes went dark. He didn't have to do that math to know they didn't have a lot of time. "We just need him to hold on a little more," she whispered.

"Some master thief," he whispered back. As if they were afraid of waking Ezekiel up. As if they could. "Taken down by a little bullet... Going on about how indestructible he is all the time." Jake's voice was rough and the words caught in his throat. He'd have been ashamed at the tears pricking at his eyes, except Cassandra's eyes were filled with those same tears. "If he dies, I'm going to kill him."

Cassandra laughed, and then she sobbed.

Her fingers were in Ezekiel's hair, stroking the locks away from his face gently. Her thumb gently traced his cheek.

They watched him together, as his breathing became weaker, as his face was leached of color. Behind them Jenkins and Eve worked furiously.

Then he was barely breathing at all. His lips were parted and his chest was barely rising.

Then he stopped breathing altogether.

It took a moment for Jake to start moving.

"Cass-" he choked out. He was frozen in place, hands pressing his jacket into Ezekiel's still body.

She lurched forward, fumbling for a pulse.

"He.. he's..." That was all she could get out before tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Jenkins. Eve," Jake called. His voice sounded far away and his eyes were trained on Ezekiel's face. He was still. So still.

"We've got it! We're coming," Jenkins called. There was relief in his voice. Jake could barely understand his words before he noticed the small glass cup in his hands.

"He's gone."

Eve and Jenkins froze just a few steps away. When they looked at Ezekiel, it was as if for the first time. Comprehension dawned on their faces.

"Maybe... maybe it'll still work. Maybe..." Eve was stuttering, her eyes wide and frantic. She snatched the vial away from Jenkins and put it to Ezekiel's lips.

Jake couldn't watch. He took a step back, releasing his jacket.

The cloth fell to the floor with a slup sound. It was bright red and soaked with blood. A pool of it trickled at his feet.

Ezekiel was gone.

There was movement in his peripheral vision. Eve trying to force the potion down his throat. Jenkins holding onto the body like he could force life into it somehow.

"It worked for Eve and she was close..." Cassie whispered beside him.

They both knew it wouldn't.

Ezekiel was dead.