She drove her marked palm against Kade's chest.
"Take the debt," he said.
"I am not agreeing to anything."
"Ayla."
"I said I am not agreeing."
The silver mark pulled at her hand.
She tried to rip it away, but Kade caught her around the waist and held her against him. His arm locked across her back. His heat wrapped around her, and his heartbeat slammed against her palm.
"Let me go!"
"Not until it closes."
"You are not allowed to make that decision for me."
"Then make it yourself."
"I am trying!"
"Say no."
"What?"
"Say no, and I will let the core break."
The challenge cut through the panic.
Ayla looked into his eyes.
He meant it.
He would rather die than force the lock on her. Or maybe he knew she would never say no while her brother's life hung in the balance.
Either way, he had put the blade in her hand.
"You are a bastard," she said.
"Probably."
"A dangerous, arrogant bastard."
"Still probably."
"If I survive this, I am going to make you pay."
"You already collect debts."
"I will collect yours first."
His hold tightened for one second.
"Then live."
The mark on her hand flashed.
A ring of blue fire shot around both their wrists. The enforcers shouted and stumbled back. The rupture charge shrieked, its red light turning white.
Ayla felt Kade's fear slam into her.
She felt his pain.
She felt the locked thing inside his chest turn toward her.
And beneath it all, she felt a second heartbeat.
Her heartbeat.
"What the hell is happening?" she cried.
Kade's face went pale. "Do not pull away."
"You said this would control the core!"
"It is trying to recognize you."
"Recognize me as what?"
"I do not know."
"You always say that when you are about to ruin my life!"
"Ayla, hold still!"
"Do not order me around!"
"Then stop fighting the lock!"
The blue ring tightened.
Pain flashed through her wrist, then vanished. The mark beneath her skin shifted, drawing itself into a perfect circle. A matching circle appeared over Kade's heart.
The core gave one deep pulse.
Every light in the shaft went dark.
The enforcers froze.
The rupture charge fell from the lead man's hand and struck the floor.
Kade pulled Ayla against him as the device began to count down.
"What did you do?" she demanded.
"I did not do it."
"The mark is on my skin!"
"It chose you."
"I never said yes."
"I know."
The charge beeped once.
Ayla shoved against his chest. "Break it."
"I cannot."
"You said you could control the core."
"I said maybe."
"I am going to kill you."
"Get in line."
The second beep sounded.
The door behind the enforcers slammed shut by itself.
Ayla raised her glowing hand. The soul-mark on her wrist answered Kade's heartbeat, one pulse for one pulse.
Blue light ran up her arm and across his chest.
A symbol appeared between them, sharp and complete.
A lock.
A heartlock.
Kade stared at it.
"No," he said.
Ayla felt the word inside him before he spoke it. Not fear this time. Shock. Recognition. A memory trying to claw its way up.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You."
"That is not an answer."
"It is the only one I have."
The third beep never came.
The rupture charge went silent.
So did the core.
For one breath, Ayla and Kade stood locked together, her palm against his chest, his arm around her waist, their marks burning as one.
Then the maintenance shaft lights snapped back on.
The enforcers were gone.
Not unconscious. Gone.
Only the lead man's gold Meridian badge remained on the floor, split cleanly down the middle.
Ayla slowly lifted her hand from Kade's chest.
A thin blue thread stayed between their marks.
It stretched with her movement and tugged him forward.
Kade looked down at it. "That is bad."
"You think?"
"Do not get more than ten feet away."
"You do not get to set the distance."
She took one step back.
The thread yanked tight.
Pain struck both of them at once.
Ayla gasped. Kade hit the wall with his shoulder.
"Ten feet," he said through his teeth. "Maybe less."
"I hate you."
"That makes two of us."
"You dragged me into this."
"You put your hand on me."
"You grabbed my wrist."
"You threatened to break my fingers."
"You threatened to trap me."
"I did trap you."
Ayla snatched the debt knife from the floor and held it against the glowing thread.
Kade's eyes widened. "Do not cut that."
"You said you wanted me to live."
"I want both of us to live."
"Then give me one good reason not to sever it."
He stepped closer. The thread shortened. His hand came up, stopping just beside her face without touching her.
His voice dropped. "Because if you cut the heartlock, the core will choose a new anchor."
"And who will it choose?"
Kade looked at the blue mark on her wrist.
"The nearest living soul."
Ayla's eyes narrowed. "You mean one of those enforcers."
"No."
"Then who?"
He did not answer.
The building groaned around them. Somewhere beyond the sealed door, a heavy weapon charged with a rising electric whine.
Ayla turned toward the sound.
Kade caught her shoulder. "Do not open that door."
"Why?"
"Because Meridian is not the only thing hunting me."
"You have more enemies?"
"I have a long list."
"You are getting less attractive every time you talk."
His mouth twitched. "You were attracted before?"
"I was considering whether your face would sell for parts."
"That is not a no."
"It is absolutely a no."
The weapon outside finished charging.
Ayla tightened her grip on the knife. "Tell me what is on the other side."
Kade moved in front of her, placing his body between her and the door.
"Someone who knows what the heartlock means."
"Meridian knows."
"Meridian thinks it is a power circuit. The person outside knows who built it."
"You remember now?"
"No. But my body does."
The door handle began to turn.
Ayla's blue mark pulsed against Kade's silver one.
The thread pulled them shoulder to shoulder.
Kade lowered his voice. "When the door opens, stay behind me."
"You are wounded."
"I am still taller."
"That is your defense?"
"It has worked before."
"You are unbelievable."
"You are shaking again."
"I am holding a knife."
"You are afraid."
"And you are enjoying it."
His expression changed.
The denial never came.
Ayla felt his fear answer hers through the heartlock, sharp and immediate. He was afraid of the person outside. Afraid of what they would say. Afraid Ayla would believe them.
The door opened one inch.
Ayla raised her knife.
"Kade," she whispered, "what did you do before you lost your memories?"
His eyes stayed on the widening gap.
"I think I killed a district."
The door opened another inch.
Ayla's breath caught. "You think?"
"I remember the fire. I remember your voice."
"My voice?"
"You were telling me to run."
"I have never met you before tonight."
"That is what the lock wants you to believe."
The door flew inward.
A figure stood beyond it in a black coat and a smooth porcelain mask. One gloved hand held a compact pistol. The muzzle lifted, passing over Kade's chest before stopping on Ayla's forehead.
Kade stepped forward.
The heartlock yanked him back against her.
The masked figure's gun clicked into firing position.
"Do not move," the stranger said. "Unless you want to learn which one of you the lock—"