Chapter 20 · The Council's Heart

"Eli. Get up. Now."

Rachel's nails bite into my arm as she drags me away from the rubble. Dust pours from the collapsed tunnel, coating my tongue. The place where Maya vanished is buried under tons of broken rock.

"Let go of me." I wrench against Rachel's grip. "She's still down there."

"She told us to run."

"She was hurt."

"And she still saved us. Move."

Marcus limps toward us, blood running from his temple. One of his men has a rifle trained on me. The guy's finger rests beside the trigger, but not far enough beside it.

"Tell him to lower that," I snap.

Marcus glances at the rifle. "Lower it."

The weapon dips an inch.

"Not enough."

"Eli," Rachel says, "your light's spiking."

Heat crawls beneath my skin. I look down. Thin white lines pulse along my wrists, then fade.

The guy with the rifle raises it again. "He's going to blow."

"I'm standing right here," I say. "Try saying that again."

Marcus steps between us. "Nobody shoots anybody unless I give the word."

"Then give us a reason not to go back," I say.

Marcus wipes blood from his eye.