Chapter 19 · One Hour Left

"Your friend's upstairs." The voice came through Jace's phone before he could pocket it. "Alive. For now."

Jace froze in the hallway outside Nia's apartment. The blood on the doorframe was still wet. Mara's hand went to her gun.

"Who is this?" Jace said.

"You know who. And you know what I want." The voice was smooth, controlled. Silas Wren. "The depot on Harrow and Ninth. You have one hour before the next reset. Bring the investigator. Come alone, and I'll know."

The line cut.

Mara was already moving, pulling him back toward the stairs. "It's a trap."

"I know."

"Then we call it in. Get backup. Surround the place."

Jace yanked his arm free. "He'll kill her the second he sees a badge that isn't yours."

"You don't know that."

"I know he's had Nia for less than an hour and he's already bleeding her for leverage." Jace shoved past her, hitting the stairwell. "I know he built a machine that resets the whole damn city every night, and we're the only two people who remember. You think he's worried about backup?"

Mara caught up at the landing, blocked his path. "What's he offering?"

"A trade.