Chapter 16 · Ghost in the Trap

"Get your head down! Now!"

Kael’s voice slammed into my ear just as the first sonic pulse ripped through the corridor. I didn't think; I dove. My shoulder hit the cold plating of the floor with a jarring thud, and a split second later, a shimmering wave of distorted air tore through the space where my neck had been.

I didn't need to see the damage to know what happened. The reinforced concrete wall behind us didn't just crack—it disintegrated into a fine gray powder.

"What the hell is this?" I hissed, pressing my cheek against the floor. My lungs felt like they were vibrating, a lingering aftershock of the blast. "You said this was a low-security retrieval!"

"Plans change," Kael snapped. He was pinned against the opposite wall, his expensive suit jacket coated in dust, but his eyes were still scanning the hallway with that predatory precision. "And you're not exactly gliding through the shadows, Vesper. You're loud."

"Loud? I'm the one who just saved us from being turned into confetti!"

I tried to shift my weight, but a sharp, high-pitched whine began to build in the air.