Chapter 11 · The Black Core Bites Back

"Get the hell away from the grate, Mara!"

Noah’s voice wasn't a call—it was a scream, raw and jagged, echoing through the damp tunnel. I didn't move. I couldn't. I slammed my palms against the iron bars of the drainage grate, the cold metal biting into my skin.

"Noah! Where are you? I'm right here!"

"You have to leave!" he shrieked, his voice sounding smaller now, receding into the dark. "They fed it! Sera... she fed it something, and now it’s awake! Get out before—"

Something slammed into the grate from the other side. A heavy, wet thud that vibrated through my bones. Noah’s voice cut off with a sharp gasp, followed by the sound of something sliding across stone.

"Noah!" I roared, gripping the bars so hard my knuckles turned white.

"Move, Mara."

Lucan’s hand clamped around my shoulder, pulling me back with a force that nearly knocked me off my feet. He wasn't asking. His grip was like a vice, his fingers digging into the leather of my jacket. He was shaking—not with fear, but with a violent, rhythmic tremor that seemed to pulse from his chest.

"Let go of me!