Chapter 10 · She noticed. Of course she noticed. "Careful," she

She noticed.

Of course she noticed.

"Careful," she said. "Whatever you're thinking, it won't save us."

"I wasn't thinking anything."

"You are a terrible liar."

"You keep saying that."

"Because you keep proving me right."

The door buckled again.

I lifted our joined hands between us. "The pact responds to contact. More contact, stronger signal."

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"I know enough."

"We touch the core line in the wall. Push the resonance through the old Foundry grid. The hounds follow the surge instead of us."

Her forearm pressed harder into my chest. "And the cost?"

"I don't know."

"There it is. The answer you save for when we're already trapped."

"You want the truth? Fine. It could stop my heart. It could stop yours. It could burn out the pact."

"Which means?"

"Which means we might get free."

"Or we both drop dead in a sewer."

"You said it better."

She stared at me. Her face was inches from mine now. I could feel the heat of her breath against my lips.

The door screamed behind her.

"If you betray me," she whispered, "I'll find a way to haunt you.