Chapter 17 · Don't Touch That Door

Micah slammed both palms against the dead station screen hard enough to crack it.

His name was still there in red.

MICAH VANE.

Under it, new words crawled across the black glass.

USE HER.

"Get away from him," I said.

Vera had one hand on the knife at her thigh. Elias was on one knee beside the ticket machines, blood running from his nose and dripping onto the filthy tile. The ring on his finger looked too bright in the dark. Not glowing. Burning.

Micah turned around slowly.

His eyes were open, but nobody was home behind them.

"Nora," he said.

My whole body locked up.

It was his voice. My brother's voice. Same rough little scrape at the end, like he needed water. But it came out wrong. Flat. Patient.

Like something had practiced saying my name.

"Micah," I said. "Hey. Look at me. Come on. It's me."

His mouth twitched.

"It knows you now."

Elias shoved himself upright against the ticket machine. His face had gone gray under the station's emergency lights.

"Don't let him touch you," he said.

I shot him a look. "You think?"

"Nora."

"Don't." My voice came out sharp enough to cut.