Chapter 19 · Take Off the Ring

Caden’s hand was two inches from my ring when the woman behind the seal screamed my name.

“Nora!”

The sound hit me harder than the heat. My burned fingers locked around the metal knife in my palm. The blade shook. The ring on my finger flared so hot that skin popped beneath it.

Milo dragged himself up on one elbow. Black cable marks cut across his neck, and blood soaked through the sleeve of his jacket. He stared at the sealed opening behind us like he could see through the stone.

“Mom?” His voice cracked. “Was that Mom?”

Caden didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

I shoved his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Nora, listen—”

“No. You’ve had ten years to talk.” I backed away from him, knife raised between us. “You opened that door. You left my mother behind it. You knew what Milo and I were, and you dragged us into this anyway.”

His jaw tightened. “I brought you here because the Council would have found you first.”

“Right. Very noble. You lied, married me, and put a target on my back. But hey, at least you got there before the other murderers.