Chapter 25 · Untitled Chapter

"Get away from that." Samuel's voice cracked behind Evelyn. One hand clamped over the hole in his side. Blood soaked through his coat and tapped onto the brass floor.

Evelyn didn't look back. One gloved hand rested on the master switch. The other held a thin silver key between two fingers.

Nora hit the control-room floor on both knees.

The reactor answered with a second heartbeat.

Boom.

The metal jumped beneath her palms. Pain shot up her arms and punched through her chest. Her heart stuttered. Then the other one followed—slow, deep, and huge, like something knocking from under the sea.

Tarin stumbled in behind Samuel, a cracked lockpick dangling from his fingers. He stared at the switch.

"That seems bad," he said. "Is this where we all die?"

"Not all of you," Evelyn said.

Nora tried to stand. Her knees folded. Blue sparks snapped between her fingers and the floor.

Evelyn watched them and smiled.

"You opened the public channels," she said. "Exactly as I expected."

Samuel stepped between them. His pistol stayed trained on Evelyn, though the barrel dipped every time he breathed.

"You sent the automaton after her."

"I sent it to bring her here.