Chapter 11 · Hollowborn - Chapter 11: The Purge List

The claw scraped stone. I heard it even over the blood pounding in my ears.

I grabbed Cole's wrist. His skin was cold. Too cold. "We need to move."

"The archives." His voice barely made it past his lips. "You have to go now."

I shoved the folded map into my jacket pocket and pulled him toward the side door. He didn't fight me but he didn't help either. His legs moved like someone had cut the strings.

"I'm not leaving you here."

"Ivy—"

"Shut up." I kicked the door open. The alley outside smelled like piss and old rain. Better than the church. Better than whatever was coming through that crack. "You gave me the memory. You don't get to disappear before I figure out what it means."

He leaned against the brick wall. His eyes were unfocused. "The seal I used that first night. It's eating what's left."

"Then we find a way to stop it."

"There is no way." He said it flat. Like he was telling me the weather. "I burned through my core to lock myself inside your dreams. That kind of anchor doesn't reverse."

I wanted to hit him.