Chapter 22 · The Day They Erased

"Put it down, Kade. Right now."

The black core hovered over his open palm, turning without spinning. Thin red lines crawled across its surface and climbed into his wrist.

Kade's jaw locked. "You said it was dead."

"I said it was contained. There's a difference." Ayla shoved the archive door shut with her shoulder. Metal slammed into metal. "If that thing wakes up in here, every ward in the building goes with it."

"Then get back."

"You don't get to order me around."

He looked at her over his shoulder. His eyes had gone almost silver, bright enough to make the old archive lamps flicker. "Ayla. Back."

That voice hit harder than the warning. Low. Controlled. Too calm for a man with a forbidden heart-core chewing through his veins.

Ayla stepped closer instead.

The core pulsed.

Every locked cabinet in the room rattled.

"You want me to leave you alone with the thing that's killing you?" she asked. "Try again."

Kade's fingers curled around empty air. The core sank halfway into his palm. His breath caught, sharp and ugly.

Ayla grabbed his wrist.

Heat snapped up her arm.