Chapter 29 · Don't Trust Kael

"That wasn't me."

Kael's hand was already on his blade. He didn't pull it. Not yet. But I could see the shift in his stance, the way his weight settled on his back foot, ready to move.

"I know," he said.

Mira stood frozen by the radio, her fingers still on the dial. The static hissed between us, filling the silence where my voice had just been. My voice. Warning them about him.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?" I asked.

His eyes didn't leave mine. "Because whoever's wearing your face is already inside."

The words hit like a punch. I pushed myself up, ignoring the way my arms shook. The altar was still warm under my palms, the runes fading to dull gray. My chest ached where the anchor had split, like something had cracked open inside me and hadn't finished knitting back together.

"How long?" Mira's voice cut through. She was moving now, crossing the chamber toward us. Her hand was on her sidearm. "How long has someone been using her voice?"

"Long enough to get past the outer checkpoints," Kael said. He straightened, and I saw him wince.