Chapter 25 · Don't Let Her Wake

"Adrian." Mara's voice came out flat, like she was reading off a grocery list. "You need to let go."

I didn't let go. Her wrist was cold under my palm, pulse barely there, and the breach behind us was screaming so loud I could taste copper.

"Not happening," I said.

"The seal's failing. You know what comes next."

"Yeah. I pick you."

She tried to pull free. I tightened my grip. The black mark on her forearm was crawling up past her elbow now, branching like frost on glass, and every time it moved she flinched. She wasn't hiding it well.

"Adrian, listen to me—"

"No. You listen." I stepped in close, close enough to see the white ring around her irises. "You don't get to do this. Not after what you just did. Not after you synced your heartbeat to mine and shut that thing down."

"For one breath," she said. "It lasted one breath. That's not a solution, that's a countdown."

"Then we buy another breath."

"With what?" Her voice cracked. "You're out of keys. I'm out of time. The breach is open again and it's pulling twice as hard.