Chapter 20 · Day Thirty Isn't an Execution

"Get your hands off me, Kael!"

I shoved his chest. Hard. He didn't budge. It was like hitting a brick wall. Before I could recoil, he stepped in, boots grinding into the rift-station grit, and slammed my wrists back against the cold metal of the console.

"Listen to me for once," he growled. His voice vibrated right against my ear, low and dangerous. "The Council isn't coming to arrest you. They're coming to harvest you."

I twisted, fighting the grip. "Harvest? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The living seal," Kael snapped. He tightened his hold—not to hurt, but to keep me from bolting. "Your mother didn't just leave a message. She left a blueprint. They don't want you dead, Mara. They want to turn you into a permanent battery for the first rift. A human plug to keep the city from sinking."

I froze. The air suddenly felt too thin to breathe. "You're lying."

"Am I?" Kael leaned in. I could feel the heat of his breath on my neck. "Check the ledger. Check the fine print of the bond. Why do you think they gave us thirty days? It wasn't for the hunt.