Chapter 62 · The Heart's Price

"If you pull that core, every tide gate in Briarport opens." My hand clamped around Ronan's wrist before he could reach into the flood chamber.

The living core beat between us.

Not like a machine. Like a heart trapped in a cage of black metal and moon-glass. Every pulse shook the platform beneath our boots. Hot water sprayed through the seams, stinging my face. Salt and blood burned at the back of my throat.

Ronan looked down at my fingers.

"Let go, Mara."

"No."

"You don't know what you're touching."

"I know exactly what I'm touching." I tightened my grip. "The thing keeping the gates closed. The thing you told me was dead."

His jaw locked. The silver mark at his throat flashed with every pulse from the chamber.

Behind us, Dax threw both hands against the emergency wheel.

"You two done fighting over the murder-heart?" he shouted. "Because this blast gate is trying to kill me."

Metal screamed beneath his boots.

Ronan didn't look away from me. "Dax. How long?"

"Two minutes if the axle holds." Dax grunted as the wheel jerked under his palms. "Thirty seconds if you keep talking."

"Then stop listening.