Chapter 28 · The Second Mark

The floor dropped under my boots.

Water exploded through a crack in the far wall.

Ronan grabbed my waist and threw me behind him as the pressure blasted loose stone across the tunnel.

"Ronan!"

He raised one arm. A shard sliced through his forearm, opening a bright red line.

I reached for him.

"Don't touch me!" he snapped.

I froze. "Excuse me?"

"If the lock's reading contact, it could transfer more pain."

"You don't get to order me around after throwing yourself in front of me."

"Mara, listen."

"No. You listen." I shoved wet hair out of my face. "If you die in this tunnel, I die with you because of the covenant. So stop acting like this is noble. You're saving your own life, too."

His face went blank.

That was worse than anger.

Then he pulled a narrow blade from inside his boot.

The moon-shaped edge caught the silver light.

My stomach twisted. "You brought that?"

"I brought it for you."

"Of course you did."

He pressed the blade against the silver mark beneath his collarbone.

The mark lit up.

I stepped in front of him. "No."

"Move."

"You cut that, the covenant could take something else.