Chapter 20 · Phase Two

"Give me your hand, Sera. Now."

Eli caught her wrist before she could close her fingers around the stolen seal.

The black metal disk had already started to burn. A thin red line crawled across its surface and climbed toward her knuckles.

Sera drove her elbow into his ribs.

He grunted, but he didn't let go. His shoulder hit the core's control rail, and a burst of blue sparks snapped past his cheek.

"Let go of me."

"Not while that thing is feeding on you."

"You don't get to order me around."

"Funny. You do it every time we're about to die."

She twisted hard. The seal cut into her palm. Eli tightened his grip, forcing her fingers open one by one.

The chamber shook beneath them.

Somewhere below the old power station, gears the size of buildings slammed into motion. The floor tilted. Sera's boots slid across the metal grate, and Eli caught her around the waist before she went over the broken edge.

His hand locked against her side.

Heat pushed through her coat.