Chapter 8 · The Other Me in the Black Box

The corpse was still pointing when Xia Lan dropped through the broken grate.

Its silver eyes burned above her in the dark, two cold coins caught in the blue fire of the rune. Static crawled over its exposed ribs. Every spark made the metal core in its chest click against bone.

“Xia Lan,” it said again.

Not a voice. A command dragged through a throat that had already forgotten how to breathe.

Nolan landed behind her with one knee striking the stone. His wounded shoulder slammed into the wall, and he swallowed whatever curse tried to escape. Above them, boots thundered across the iron bridge. Men shouted. Ivra Kohn’s voice cut through the noise like a silver knife.

“Commander Vey! Step away from the prisoner!”

Nolan looked up at the grate, then at Xia Lan.

“Still time to go back,” he said.

The corpse’s fingers spasmed. Blue light spilled through the cracks in its chest.

Xia Lan touched the rune carved into the floor. It was warm beneath her fingertips, almost alive. Her injured palm began to tremble.

“No,” she said. “The way back is exactly what they want.”

Nolan’s jaw tightened. “And the way down?”

“I don’t know.