Chapter 27 · Break Into Heaven

"Take your hand off the door, Lex." Cael's palm closed around my wrist before I could palm the access panel.

"Move it."

"That panel is biometric. It will read your pulse, flag the ghost-tag, and seal the floor." His fingers tightened. Not enough to hurt. Enough to remind me he could.

I looked at the black glass under my hand. Red lines crawled across it.

ACCESS DENIED.

Then another line appeared.

GHOST ENTITY DETECTED.

"Cute," I said. "The building knows my name."

"The building knows your status. Dead people don't get inside the Spire."

"Good thing I'm not dead."

Cael stepped closer. His shoulder brushed mine as he reached past me. Heat pressed through the thin fabric of my jacket. His breath touched the side of my face, calm and steady while mine came too fast.

"You're about to make us both very dead."

"You said that three floors ago."

"And you ignored me three floors ago."

"You keep saying useful things too late."

His eyes dropped to my mouth for half a second.

Then he looked back at the panel. "You want answers? Stop trying to break the door like an angry delivery rat."

"You want me cooperative?