Chapter 21 · You are enjoying this

He gave her a sharp look. "You are enjoying this."

"I am enjoying not dying. There is a difference."

The tunnel shook again. Dust rained down. Something screamed behind them, and the sound came from every direction at once.

Mara pressed her shoulder to the door and searched the red symbol with her unfocused eyes. Three lines crossed a black square. A lock mark. Not a normal lock. A command lock.

Her spell marks were built for repairs. She could patch a broken ward, redirect a cheap tracking charm, make a corporate seal misread a forged signature. But the command lock needed a live source.

Rhys was a live source. Too much of one.

"Put your hand on the seal," she said.

"No."

"You want to breathe?"

"I want to know what you are doing before you use me as a battery."

"You do not have time to be difficult."

"I always have time to be difficult."

"You have seventeen seconds."

His eyes narrowed. "You counted?"

"I can see it."

"What can you see?"

"The contract timer. My lungs closing. Your power crawling up your throat. Pick one problem.