Chapter 27 · Mom Didn't Come Back

The core door swings open and I see her.

Mom.

Standing there. Breathing. Her hair's the same dark mess I remember, pulled back in that half-assed bun she always wore when she worked late. She's wearing the jacket I used to steal when I was twelve. The leather one with the torn pocket.

She looks exactly like she did the night she disappeared.

"Mara." Her voice cracks. "Baby, you shouldn't be here."

I can't move. Can't breathe. Nox is pressed against my ribs, cold and sharp, whispering something I can't hear over the roar in my head.

Sloane's hand closes on my wrist. "That's not—"

"Shut up." I shake her off. My legs are moving. I'm walking toward the glass partition that separates us from the core chamber. Mom's on the other side, and she's real. She has to be real.

Behind her, the Crown pulses. It's bigger than I thought. Taller. The throne sits in the center of the room, all black stone and carved sigils that hurt to look at. Wires run from its base into the floor, into the walls, into everything.

Mom steps closer to the glass. Her hand comes up, palm flat against the surface.