Chapter 21 · Black Mark Hunt

The rift screamed.

Evira was still on her knees, blood on her hands, when the air above the dead thing's body split open. Not a clean cut. More like something tore through from the other side, jagged edges glowing that same sick purple she'd seen in the summoning chamber.

Marcus grabbed her arm. "Move."

She didn't. Couldn't. Because the rift wasn't spitting out another monster. It was pulling. She could feel it in her chest, in her blood, a hook dragging her forward.

"Evira." His grip tightened. "We need to go. Now."

"There's people in there." Her voice came out flat. She didn't know how she knew. She just did. The same way she'd known her blood could open doors it shouldn't. "I can hear them."

Marcus went still. Then he let go of her arm and stepped in front of her, one hand on his blade. "How many."

"I don't know. Two? Three?" The pull got stronger. Her mark burned. "They're alive. Marcus, they're still alive."

"That doesn't mean we can get them out." But he was looking at the rift now, calculating. She knew that look. He was going to try.

She stood. Her legs shook.