Chapter 21 · Solar Blindfire

"Cut the feed, Captain, or the hull comes apart with me in it!" Lyra shouted.

Cassian slammed one hand over the control ring and the other around her wrist. Blue-white light crawled beneath the black metal, flashing through the seams like a trapped star. Every flash made Lyra jerk.

"You want the feed cut?" he snapped. "Say it again without lying."

"I'm not lying!"

"Your pulse says otherwise."

Her blind eyes fixed on his face anyway. They always did that when the resonance took hold. It made his skin crawl. It also made him keep looking.

The deck kicked hard beneath them. Cassian caught Lyra around the waist before she hit the bulkhead. Her shoulder struck first. A sharp breath left her, and warm blood ran from the corner of her mouth.

"Cassian—"

"Stay on your feet."

"I am on my feet. You're holding me up."

"Then stop shaking."

"Tell the ship to stop trying to kill us."

Another impact punched through the ironclad. Bolts rattled overhead. Somewhere behind the wall, a pipe burst with a shriek, spraying steam into the lower passage.

Brant's voice cracked over the speaking tube. "Captain!