Chapter 15 · You could've warned me!

She looked past the floating metal. A thin spell mark glowed beneath the machine, fed by the hunters' rifles. It was a containment seal. If it finished charging, it would pin both of them to the floor.

Mara ran.

The bond yanked Rhys after her. He fought the pull for half a second, then swore and followed. A steel plate spun between them. Mara ducked. Rhys caught the plate with one hand and shoved it aside.

"You could've warned me!"

"I did."

"You yelled my name!"

"That was the warning!"

"You need better warnings!"

They reached the press together.

Mara dropped to her knees and pressed her palm over the red line. The mark bit into her skin. Heat tore through her hand.

She cried out.

Rhys grabbed her shoulder. "Pull back."

"I can't."

"Mara, pull back."

"It has my hand locked."

The hunters were closing in. One lifted his rifle. Another limped around the machine, helmet cracked but weapon steady.

Rhys crouched beside her and wrapped his hand over hers.

His skin burned against her palm.

"What are you doing?"

"Sharing the load."

"You don't even know if that works."

"You said you could use the floor. Use me."