Chapter 14 · The City's Blind Spot

"Step back, Mara. Now."

Cael’s blade was out. Cold steel humming inches from my throat. He wasn't looking at me—his eyes were locked on the black maw of the sewer entrance. From the depths, that voice echoed. Leo’s voice. It sounded like a prayer and a threat wrapped into one.

"It's him, Cael. I know it's him," I whispered.

I tried to push past. He didn't budge. Instead, he slammed his shoulder into mine, pinning me hard against the damp stone wall. The air left my lungs in a sharp gasp. The world blurred for a second.

"It's a trap. You know it's a trap," he snapped.

He was too close. I could smell the metallic tang of old blood and rain clinging to his cloak. His eyes were hard, scanning the dark for whatever was waiting to eat us alive.

"How do you know?" I spat, struggling against his grip. "You don't know anything about him!"

"I know that thing down there knows my name," Cael said, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "And I know whatever is wearing your brother's voice doesn't want a family reunion. It wants a key.