Chapter 6 · The Seal Is Real

"Don't touch the page." Cade's hand closed around my wrist before my fingers reached the black strip of paper.

The archive snapped shut.

A sharp crack ran through the buried clock vault. The shelves shuddered. Loose records flew from their slots and spun around us like thrown knives.

I yanked against Cade's grip. "Let go."

"You heard the warning."

"I heard the vault lie. There's a difference."

His fingers tightened. Warm skin. Hard grip. Too close. His chest nearly brushed my shoulder, and his breath touched the side of my face when he leaned in.

"You want to test that theory?" he asked.

"I want the order."

"You want to put your hand in a machine that's already eaten three years of your life."

"It ate three years because you stood there and watched it happen."

His jaw flexed. "I was keeping it from taking the rest."

Behind him, Nora stumbled into a stack of iron drawers. She caught herself with one hand, then stared at the blood on her palm like she couldn't remember where it came from.

"Nora," I said. "Stay back."

She blinked at me.