Chapter 30 · Bones Under the Floor

"Leave the bones," Julian said. "You can't carry both."

I tightened my arm around his waist and dragged him another step.

"Watch me."

His boots scraped over the stone. Blood had soaked through his shirt and warmed my hand beneath his ribs. He was heavy, all hard muscle and dead weight, but I wasn't dropping him in a tunnel that had already tried to seal us in.

Behind us, something knocked three times.

Not pipes. Not loose stone.

Three slow hits from the other side of the dark wall.

Julian's hand clamped around my wrist. His palm was hot. His fingers dug hard enough to hurt, even with his breathing going thin.

"Mara. Stop."

"No."

"The chamber's collapsing."

"Then keep walking."

"You're bleeding too."

"Not enough to complain about it."

His mouth pulled tight. "You always this stupid?"

"Only when men tell me to leave my family behind."

That shut him up for half a second.

The tunnel floor split beneath my boot.

I jerked back, hauling Julian with me. His shoulder slammed into the wall. A rough sound tore out of him, and his grip slipped from my wrist.

"Damn it. Stay up."

"I am up.