Chapter 56 · The Blood Gate

"Move! We've got less than a minute before the vault seals us in!"

Lucas slammed his shoulder into the inner door.

Blood had soaked through his shirt beneath the ribs. His palm pressed hard against the wound, but his fingers kept slipping red.

I grabbed his arm. "You can barely stand."

"And you can barely walk. We're both having a great night."

"You took a bullet for a door."

His eyes cut to mine. "I took it for you. Don't make that sound stupid."

Above the archive exit, the countdown burned red.

00:41.

Outside, defense drones hammered the vault doors. Every blast shook dust from the ceiling and sent pain slicing through my side.

I still had his family crest clenched in my bloody hand. The Vale insignia had been carved deep into the metal. Blood had heated it until it burned my palm.

Lucas noticed.

"Give that back."

I closed my fingers tighter. "So you can hand it to command and tell them exactly where I am?"

"Command already knows where you are."

"Then what's your excuse?"

His jaw tightened. "The tower."

"Try again."

"Nora can get the broadcast system online, but only from the central tower.