Chapter 22 · The Last Page

"Don't touch that lock."

Adrian's hand closed over Mara's wrist before her fingers reached the door. His palm was still warm from the reforge, and she could feel his pulse hammering against her skin.

"Let go," she said.

"Not until you tell me you're not about to do something stupid."

"Stupid?" She twisted free and stepped closer, close enough that he had to tilt his head back to keep her eyes locked. "My mother's prints are on that door. Her voice is in the key you just bled to fix. You think I'm walking away now?"

"I think if you open it without knowing what's on the other side, we're both dead."

"Then we're dead."

She reached again. This time he didn't grab her wrist—he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, slamming her back against the tunnel wall. Not hard enough to hurt. Hard enough that the breath left her lungs and she had to look at him.

"Listen to me." His voice dropped, rough and low. "That key isn't just your mother's work. It's a seal. The breach we've been chasing? It's not random.