Chapter 11 · The Shard Was Never His

"Don't." Kieran's voice cracks behind me. "Whatever's down there, she didn't want you to find it."

I'm halfway down the stairs. He grabs my wrist and I yank free.

"She left a message. For me."

"She left a warning." He blocks the passage, one hand braced against stone. The bond hums between us, tight and frantic. "Mara, I'm serious. Turn around."

"Why?" I step closer. Blood's still wet on my palm, still warm. "What are you so afraid I'll see?"

He doesn't answer. Just stares at me like he's watching me walk off a cliff.

I duck under his arm and keep going.

The stairs spiral down forever. Cold air rises to meet me, thick with old metal and something sharp I can't name. The walls are smooth under my fingertips. No dust. No cobwebs. Like someone's been keeping this place clean.

Kieran follows. I hear his footsteps, the hitch in his breathing.

"She called you that night," I say without turning. "You said she asked for help."

"Yeah."

"So why didn't you get there in time?"

Silence. Then: "I tried."

"Not hard enough."

The words hang in the dark.