Chapter 58 · The First Burden

"Get away from the seal, Mara!"

Ronan slammed into me hard enough to crack my shoulder against the tower wall.

Silver claws punched through the ward where my head had been.

Dust rained from the ceiling. Ronan's arm locked across my chest, trapping me against him while the tide-hunter snarled on the other side of the broken barrier.

"You want me away from it?" I shoved at his forearm. "Then stop dragging me away from the only door that can stop the purge."

"That isn't a door. It's a blood lock."

"Good." I bared my teeth. "I brought blood."

His grip tightened.

Heat pushed through both our coats. His breath scraped my temple, rough and fast, but he didn't let me go.

Behind us, the central tide tower groaned. Blue light crawled through the cracks in the floor. Somewhere below, harbor sirens started screaming.

Another silver claw tore through the ward.

Ronan shoved me aside and turned. "Stay behind me."

"You don't get to order me around because you finally remembered I'm useful."

His eyes cut to mine. "I never forgot."

"Really?" I laughed once, sharp and ugly. "You rejected me on live television.