Chapter 10 · The Judge's Mark

The explosion throws Mara forward. Her shoulder slams into Julian's back and they both go down hard on the tunnel floor. Stone dust rains over them, choking the air, and somewhere behind her Elias is yelling something she can't make out over the roar.

Julian's already moving. He grabs her wrist and hauls her up, his grip bruising even through the pulse bond screaming between them. "Run."

She runs.

The tunnel's collapsing. Chunks of ceiling crash down behind them, closer each time, and the air tastes like burnt metal and old blood. Her lungs burn. The key's still fused to her palm, hot enough to blister, and every time her hand brushes the wall it leaves a glowing scratch that fades too slow.

Julian pulls her left at a fork she didn't even see. His breathing's ragged but he doesn't slow down. Doesn't look back.

"Where are we going?" She can barely get the words out.

"Anywhere that's not buried."

Another explosion rocks the passage. This one's closer. The floor buckles under her feet and she goes down on one knee, catching herself on the wall with her marked hand. The stone hisses where she touches it.