Chapter 18 · The Anchor

"Don't touch that lever, Cael." Tessa caught his wrist inches before his fingers reached the black control bar. The tower bucked. Cael slammed into the wall, and she crashed into him a second later, her palm striking his chest. His heartbeat punched against her hand. One hard beat. Three jagged ones. Then nothing.

"Stay back." Cael grabbed her elbow and shoved her behind him.

"You keep saying that like I listen."

"One day, you will."

"Keep dreaming." A red pulse ripped through the control room. The glass panels flashed white. Somewhere below, metal shrieked as another section of the tower split apart. Tessa tightened her grip on the tool hidden inside her sleeve.

"You said the tower was dying. You didn't say it was full of people." Through the glass floor, the lower levels spun beneath them. Narrow chambers circled the central shaft. Wardens stood in some of them, armored and motionless. Most held civilians strapped into iron frames, their hands locked around glowing cables. Gray faces pressed against the glass. Mouths moved. Begging. Cael stared down. His jaw went tight.

"Tell me what you did."

"Not now."

"No. Right now. You want to pull the core back online? Fine.