Chapter 20 · The Vault's Heart

The steel door is still warm when I touch it.

Evan screamed on the other side thirty seconds ago. Now there's nothing. Just the hum of something mechanical deep in the walls and the sound of Sera yelling downstairs that the Court's breaking through the front.

Julian's leaning against the doorframe. The black veins have crawled past his jaw and into his cheek. He's not bleeding yet but his breathing sounds wrong. Shallow. Like his lungs are running out of room.

"Nia." His voice is hoarse. "If you can't pick it in two minutes we leave him."

I don't answer. I'm already on my knees. The lock on this door isn't like the ones downstairs. It's new. Custom. The keyhole is narrow and there's a second panel beneath it, smooth black glass that looks like a thumbprint reader.

But there's blood smeared across the glass. Evan's blood. And the lock mechanism underneath is still clicking, which means he got it partway open before something went wrong.

"Nia." Julian again. Closer. "Two minutes."

"Shut up."

I pull my picks out. My hands are shaking but I shove the tension wrench in anyway and feel for the pins. Four of them.