Chapter 22 · The Boy in the Bell

"Get back from the edge, Mara! Now!"

Cael’s hand clamped around my wrist—a vice grip—wrenching me back just as a slab of limestone smashed where I’d been standing. Dust exploded. Gray, choking, thick. The crypt wasn't just collapsing; it was screaming. Grinding stone. Shifting earth. The ceiling was coming down.

"Let go of me!" I thrashed, boots sliding on the grit. "He’s in there! Ian is right there!"

"It’s a trap, you idiot!"

Cael shoved me hard, pinning my back against a crumbling pillar. He was breathing fast, his chest heaving against mine. He smelled of ozone and old blood. His eyes were frantic, scanning the roof. "Look up! The whole place is falling. You step one foot closer to that bell, we both get buried."

"He called me!" I screamed. I tried to shove past him, but Cael slammed his palm against the stone beside my head. Locked. He was too close. I could feel the heat radiating off him, an oppressive wall of skin and muscle. "I heard him, Cael. He said he's the key. He's inside the bell!"

"Seline is playing with your head!" Cael’s voice dropped to a low growl. His face was inches from mine.