Chapter 25 · The Empty Cradle

"Don't touch the cradle." Kael's hand closed around my wrist before my fingers reached the silver latch.

His grip was hard enough to hurt. Not hard enough to stop me.

I twisted, drove my elbow toward his ribs, and felt him catch the strike against his forearm. The ward beneath our boots flashed white. Pain snapped up my arm and threw me against the stone wall.

Kael stepped between me and the cradle.

"You heard me," he said.

"I heard you being stupid. Move."

The chamber shook. Dust dropped from the ceiling. Behind Kael, the empty-looking cradle pulsed under its cage of black iron, and something inside it whispered my name.

Sera.

Not aloud. Not exactly.

My curse answered anyway. Heat crawled beneath my skin, dragging silver light through the veins in my hand.

Kael saw it. His jaw tightened.

"Keep that buried."

"Take your hand off me."

"Not until you stop reaching for the thing that killed three hunters."

"It didn't kill them. The Council did."

His fingers tightened around my wrist. "You don't get to blame the Council for everything."

"I was the Saint of Neon City for six years. I know exactly who gives the orders.