Chapter 7 · The Drowning Gate

Chapter 7: The Drowning Gate

"Don't." I got my fist around Vance's bag strap before he cleared the doorway. "You don't get to walk on this."

He froze, shoulders up around his ears like I'd put a blade to his spine. "Let go, Calder."

"Whose seal is that?" My voice came out flat, which scared me more than yelling would've. "You knew. You stood there and let me think my dad ran."

"I didn't know whose signature—"

"Bullshit." I yanked the strap and he staggered back a step, right into the locker frame. "You handed Kane that drive like it was a live wire. You knew exactly what was on it."

Kane hadn't moved. He was still staring at the screen, the Voss crest glowing in that cold blue light, and the warning in the corner kept blinking — 4%, 3% — ticking down like it had somewhere to be.

"That's my father's authorization code," he said again, quieter this time, like saying it twice might make it less true. "I'm not — I don't know what that means yet."

"It means your family locked gate twelve." My throat burned saying it out loud.