Chapter 26 · Lethal Empathy

"Get your hands off me!"

Sloane’s voice cracked, but her grip on Julian’s wrist was a steel vice. She slammed him back against the cold obsidian wall of the corridor. Her chest heaved, eyes darting toward the shimmering void where the intruders had just vanished.

Julian winced, air leaving his lungs in a sharp hiss. "Sloane, listen. If we don't move now, the Lord is gonna tear this entire wing apart."

"You don't get it," she spat. She was inches from his face. He could smell the ozone and bitter iron of her magic, feel the heat radiating off her skin. "Those things... they weren't just monsters. They knew who you were. They called you by a name that doesn't belong in this world."

Julian didn't flinch. He leaned into her space, locking eyes. "Names are just labels, Sloane. What matters is they're here. Which means my past isn't a memory—it's a target."

Sloane’s rage shifted. Something jagged. Raw terror. Her fingers dug deeper into his skin. "You're a liability. I should've left you in the dirt the moment you woke up."

"But you didn't," Julian whispered. His voice dropped an octave.