Chapter 14 · Three Beams

"Move!" Cade's hand closed around her wrist so hard it hurt, and Mika's feet left the ground before her brain caught up.

The beam behind them wasn't fire, wasn't light exactly — it was white and it hummed, low, like something clearing its throat before it screamed. It hit the spot where she'd been standing half a second earlier and the pavement just wasn't there anymore. A clean circle. Gone.

"What is that," she said, not really a question, more like her mouth needed something to do besides scream.

"Arbiter beam. Retrieval class." Cade didn't slow down. "It's not aiming at the city. It's aiming at you."

"Me specifically, or me generally?"

"Does it matter right now?"

It did, actually, but she didn't get to say so, because the mark on her collarbone lit up like someone had dragged a lit match under her skin. She gasped and her knees buckled and Cade caught her weight without breaking stride, which should have been impressive if it wasn't also terrifying.

"Mika." His voice dropped, flat and fast. "Talk to me."

"It's — the mark, it's doing something, it's —