Chapter 9 · The Cage Is Empty

"Step back, Mara. Now."

Lucan’s hand clamped around my wrist, his grip like a vice. He didn't just stop me; he yanked me backward, pulling my spine flush against his chest. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the sharp, jagged rhythm of his heartbeat hammering against my shoulder blades.

"Let go of me!" I snarled, twisting in his hold. "He’s right there. I can hear him!"

"That’s exactly why you don't just walk in," Lucan hissed into my ear. His voice was a low, dangerous vibration that sent a chill straight down my spine. "Look at the floor. You see those scratches? Those aren't from a kid trying to get out. Those are from something trying to get in."

I stopped fighting him for a second and looked. The stone floor leading to the cage was gouged, deep silver furrows ripped into the rock. It looked like a beast had been dragged through the corridor.

"It’s a trap," Lucan said, his breath warm against my neck. "Sera doesn't leave her favorite toys in the open. She leaves bait."

"My brother isn't bait," I snapped, ripping my arm away.