Chapter 24 · The First Entry

"You're bleeding through the wrap."

Mara's voice cut through the hum of the server room. Jace didn't look down. He kept his eyes on the screen, watching the core's pulse pattern flatten into something almost stable.

"I'm fine."

"You're leaking on the floor."

"Then don't slip."

She crossed the distance between them in three steps and yanked his arm away from the keyboard. The bandage Nia had tied around his forearm was soaked black-red, the edges peeling where the core's frost had crept under the gauze.

"Jace."

"I said I'm fine." He pulled his arm back, but she didn't let go. Her fingers were warm against his wrist, her grip tight enough to feel his pulse.

"You're not." Her voice dropped. "And if you go down before we get those witnesses out, we're done."

"Then I don't go down."

She stared at him. He stared back. The server fans cycled louder, throwing cold air across the room, and somewhere in the tunnels below them, the frozen witnesses were still waiting in cryo pods with their mouths half-open and their eyes stuck mid-blink.

Mara let go.

"How long do we have?"

Jace checked the clock on the wall. 11:34. "Twenty-six minutes."