Chapter 13 · The Prison on the Core

"Get your hands off me!"

Mara shoved Lucan’s chest, but he didn't budge. He had her pinned against the cold, vibrating wall of the Core’s inner sanctum, his arm locked beside her head. The air here tasted like ozone and old blood, humming with a frequency that made her teeth ache.

"Look at the monitor, Mara," Lucan hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "Look at it and tell me you're still thinking about walking out of here with just your brother."

Mara glanced sideways. The holographic display was flickering red. It showed the city’s magical grid—a sprawling web of light—and right in the center, a black hole was eating it alive. That was the Core. And right on top of it, a tiny, pulsing dot of blue light.

"Noah," she whispered.

"He's not just in a cell," Lucan said, stepping closer. His chest was almost touching hers, the heat radiating off him in waves. He smelled like rain and something burnt. "He’s the anchor. Sera didn't just put him there to hold you on a leash. He’s the only thing keeping that curse from detonating the entire district right now.