Chapter 14 · Only One Key

"Don't touch her."

Rafe's voice cracked across the altar chamber just as the blackstone hand clamped around my wrist.

The fingers had been carved into the floor. Now they moved like living things.

Cold stone bit into my skin. Red light crawled through the cracks and climbed toward my elbow.

The throne at the far end of the chamber answered with a deep, grinding groan.

Rafe shoved past the broken pillars.

"Helen!"

"I'm fine," I snapped.

The stone hand tightened.

My knees slammed into the floor.

"That didn't sound fine."

"Then stop staring and cut it off."

He drew his blade and crossed the chamber in three hard strides. The old altar waited between us, wide and black, its surface split by a line of glowing blood.

Rafe swung.

The blade struck the hand and bounced away with a sharp clang.

The impact threw him backward.

"Rafe!"

"Stay down."

"You first."

He planted one boot against the floor and forced himself upright. Blood ran from his palm where the hilt had torn it open.

The throne groaned again.

A chain of red symbols flared across the blackstone.