Chapter 25 · The Proof Inside the Core

“Get your hands off me!”

I didn't even finish the scream before black fire slammed me backward.

I hit the obsidian floor with a bone-jarring thud. My lungs burned. The air tasted like ozone and old blood. Before I could blink, a pair of heavy boots stopped inches from my face.

“Welcome home, Mara.”

Cyrus Grant’s voice was smooth. Poisonous. “I must thank you for the delivery. Bringing Kael right to my doorstep was a thoughtful touch.”

I scrambled up, palms slipping on the slick floor. Kael was five feet away, collapsed on his side. He looked like a ghost—pale, shaking, his breath coming in ragged hitches. Between us, the Black Ledger Bond pulsed a violent, angry crimson. The energy chain was straining, dragging him toward the center of the room where a massive, humming crystal spire tore through the floor.

“Kael!”

I lunged. A shimmering barrier of force snapped into place, throwing me back.

“Don’t touch him,” Cyrus warned. He wasn't shouting. He didn't need to. He stood there in a tailored suit, looking like he’d just stepped out of a boardroom instead of a torture chamber. “The Core is hungry, Mara.