Chapter 9 · The Memory Needle

"Open the door, Mara, or Adrian loses one memory every minute."

Marlow's voice came through the sealed suite wall. Calm. Almost bored.

My hands shook anyway.

Adrian stood three feet away with one palm pressed to his chest. Blood had soaked through his black shirt.

"Don't listen to him," he said.

"You're bleeding through your clothes."

"I've had worse."

"You say that like it's supposed to help."

The silver stabilizer between us pulsed.

A hot line snapped from the device into my wrist, then jumped to Adrian's.

He sucked in a breath and caught the table before his knees gave out.

I grabbed his arm. His skin burned under my fingers. For half a second, his hand closed around mine.

Then he shoved me back.

"Stay away from me."

"You don't get to order me around while Marlow is stealing your memories through the door."

"He isn't stealing them yet."

Another pulse slammed through the room.

Adrian dropped to one knee.

The stabilizer screamed.

I hit the release switch. Nothing.

The suite had sealed itself from the inside.