Chapter 33 · The Last Page Bites Back

Noah's chest was already on fire before Orin even opened his mouth.

The rift gate hung in the air like a wound, pale light spilling through the crack. He could see the other side. Concrete. Fluorescent buzz. The edge of a subway platform. Home. His sister was over there, probably staring at another hospital bill she couldn't pay, wondering where the hell he'd gone.

Mira stood three feet to his left, blood soaking through the wrap on her side. She wasn't looking at the gate. She was looking at Orin.

Orin smiled. The kind of smile that came with a price tag.

"You've done well, Lucan," he said, and the name felt wrong in Noah's ears now, like a coat that didn't fit anymore. "The Ledger responded. The gate opened. All that's left is a simple choice."

Noah's hand went to his ribs, where the bone tablet sat under his shirt. It was warm. Too warm. The edges hummed against his skin like it was waiting for something.

"What choice," he said. His voice came out flat.

Orin gestured, one hand toward the gate, the other toward Mira. "You go home. Right now.