Chapter 31 · The Severed Heir

"Mara, move!"

Adrian caught my wrist and yanked me through the narrowing door.

"Now!"

The metal slab crashed down behind us. The impact shook the floor and slammed my shoulder into Adrian's chest.

His arms closed around me. He was hot, shaking, and breathing hard against my hair. The contract burned beneath my skin.

"Let go." I shoved at him. "I can stand."

"You can barely breathe."

"And whose fault is that?"

His jaw tightened. He released me, but not before his fingers dragged across the inside of my wrist.

The contract line flashed red.

Our pulse readings snapped together.

Pain tore through both of us.

Adrian swore and braced one hand against the wall. "The circuit's still linked."

"I noticed."

The corridor split ahead of us. One passage glowed blue. The other pulsed with the ugly white light of an active purge route.

Behind the sealed door, the witness screamed.

Not a recording. Not a memory fragment.

Live.

"V-17 is this way," I said.

Adrian grabbed my arm again. "No. The purge route's bait."

"There's a person in there."

"There are six automated locks between us and that person, and Marlow owns every one.