Chapter 26 · The Brass Oath - Chapter 26: The Vault Under the City

“Get away from the core, Cain.”

Cain stood inside the brass circle with one hand pressed to the black metal housing. Blue-white light crawled up his arm. His jaw was locked, but the oath burned through Mara’s chest hard enough to buckle her knees.

“Stay behind the line,” he said. “That’s an order.”

“Try giving me one I care about.”

“Mara.”

She shoved herself upright and crossed the painted warning stripe.

The vault punched back.

A force like a hammer slammed into her ribs. Cain’s head snapped toward her. The brass oath around her wrist flashed, and the matching mark under his collar answered with a sharp burst of gold.

“Stop!” He ripped his hand off the core. “Get out.”

“You first.”

“This thing is feeding on the oath. If I stay connected, it’ll drain the charge through me.”

“And kill you.”

“That’s the plan.”

Mara laughed once. It came out thin and ugly. “You always make dying sound so noble.”

Cain stepped toward her. The circle flashed under his boots, throwing him back against one of the vault pillars. Metal groaned behind his shoulders.

“Don’t make me drag you out,” he said.

“You can barely stand.”

“I said—