Chapter 48 · Walked Right Into His Trap

"Don't move." Julian's hand locked around my wrist before I could touch the security door. "That panel is rigged."

"Then take your hand off me and let me die with dignity."

His fingers tightened. Heat pressed through my sleeve, annoyingly steady against the sharp pulse of the soul-bind. "You don't get dignity tonight. You get survival."

I looked at the black panel, then at him. "You said this was an abandoned relay station."

"It was supposed to be."

"That answer gets worse every time you use it."

Julian pulled me back just as a thin red line flashed under the door. A bolt of blue energy snapped across the corridor and punched into the wall where my chest had been. Stone burst outward. Dust slapped my face.

He shoved me behind him.

I grabbed the back of his coat and yanked him sideways. "Hero League golden boy, remember? You don't have to pose for me."

"I'm not posing."

"You're blocking the blast. That's worse."

Another pulse cracked through the corridor. Julian raised one hand. A gold shield unfolded from his palm, bright enough to burn spots across my vision.