Chapter 13 · I can pull you —

"I can pull you —" I reach back. My hand finds empty air. The sigil flares and lights up the wet walls for a second. Just long enough to see his face.

He's not angry anymore. He just looks... old. And scared. For me.

"I love you, kid," he says. Quiet. So quiet I almost don't hear it over the alarms. "Now go."

And he slams his palm against the emergency lever on the wall.

The pipe shudders. A rusted iron shutter drops between us.

CLANG.

No. No no no.

"BRAM!" I pound on the shutter. It doesn't move. It's solid. It's locked. "BRAM, OPEN IT! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"

I hit it with my shoulder. Nothing. I hit it with the sigil hand and it sparks, useless.

"Milo! Go!" His voice is muffled through the metal. "They're coming! GO!"

I hear boots dropping down behind him. Voices shouting. "Contact! Hands up! On your knees!"

"Don't you touch him!" I scream at the shutter like they can hear me. Like it matters.

"Milo — run!" Bram yells one last time. Then a thud. And a grunt. Like someone hit him.

My whole body goes cold. Then hot.