Chapter 32 · Midnight Wedding, Blood Grid

"You're not trading yourself for the city." I grabbed Kane's wrist before he could walk into that sick golden light Marcus had built around Eli's chair.

"Evie." Kane's voice was low, careful. Like he was talking me off a ledge. "Your brother—"

"Is bait." I dug my nails in. "You walk in there, Marcus gets both of you. And the grid. And every person down here."

Kane turned. His eyes were more gold than green now, fractured at the edges. The beast was close. Too close. "Then what do you want me to do? Let him die?"

"I want you to let me help." I stepped in front of him. "You said the bond goes both ways. So use it."

"I'm not putting you in the rig."

"I'm already in it." I shoved my wrist up between us. The mark was glowing, black lines branching under my skin like roots looking for soil. "This thing's been burning since we got here. It knows something. Let it work."

Kane stared at the mark. Then at me. Something shifted in his face—not softer, but sharper. Like he'd just made a call he couldn't take back.

"Fine," he said.