Chapter 35 · You like having leverage

She looked at his hand around her wrist. His thumb rested over her pulse. He could feel how fast it was beating. He knew exactly how close she was to firing.

"You like having leverage," she said.

"I like staying alive."

"Same thing, with you."

"Not always."

The door opened another inch. Cold pressure rolled out of the gap and pushed against Nora's chest. Her knees weakened.

Elias pulled her behind him.

"Stay back," he ordered.

"Don't order me around."

"Fine. Stand behind me because I said so."

"That is still an order."

"You can complain after we survive."

Something struck the other side of the door.

Once.

Twice.

On the third hit, the metal teeth bent outward. A shape pushed through, made of loose wires, broken runes, and scraps of stolen memory. Faces flashed across its surface—people laughing, crying, screaming, then vanishing before Nora could recognize them.

The dead grid had made itself a body.

Elias raised one hand. "Nora, don't let it touch you."

"I wasn't planning to hug it."

The thing lunged.

Elias caught it with a wall of black fire. The impact shoved him back several feet. His boots scraped over the stone. The fire buckled.