Chapter 13 · Stay awake

The captain fired.

Raven moved first. He shoved Seraphina behind him and drove his dagger into the floor.

Ash exploded outward.

The bolt hit the black wave and stopped in midair. The metal screamed as the ash crawled over it, stripping the bolt into gray dust.

The backlash hit Raven's chest.

He dropped to one knee.

Seraphina dropped with him.

She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "Stay awake."

"Bossy."

"You just swallowed a siege bolt."

"Technically, the ash did."

"Your pulse is skipping."

"You counted?"

"I can feel it through the tether."

Her thumb pressed beneath his jaw. Her face was close enough that he could see the tiny cut under her lower lip, the one he had given her during their first fight. Blood had dried there.

Raven's fingers closed around her wrist.

"You should move," he said.

"Why?"

"You're standing too close."

"We have to stay close."

"That's not what I meant."

For one sharp second, her gaze dropped to his mouth.

Then she shoved his hand away.

"Survive first. Be insufferable later."

"You noticed."

"I notice threats."

"You keep staring at my mouth."

"I was checking for blood."

"Was there any?"

"No."