Chapter 22 · Don't Follow the Dead

The dead don't walk like people.

Elara saw it the second Cade turned away from her. His shoulders were too stiff. His steps landed wrong, like someone was pulling strings from above. He wasn't the only one. All down the emergency ward, the bodies that had been cooling on gurneys were sitting up, swinging their legs over the sides, standing.

Every single one of them had a black token in their hand.

"Elara." Kane's voice cut through the chaos. He was already moving, one hand on her arm, the other reaching for the spell baton clipped to his belt. "We're sealing the transit line. Now."

She yanked her arm free. "They're going somewhere."

"I don't care."

"Look at them." She pointed at Cade's back as he walked toward the exit, his gait mechanical, purposeful. Two other bodies followed him in a neat line. "They're not attacking anyone. They're just walking."

"For now." Kane stepped between her and the door. His jaw was tight, his eyes hard. "You want to follow your brother's corpse into whatever the hell is calling them? Fine. But I'm not letting you do it alone."

"I'm not asking for permission."

"Good. Because I'm not giving it."