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He roars at the ceiling of the tunnel and splays out his arms. This time, the ground quakes like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The tunnel walls start to shake. Dust and brick crumble to the floor.

Zephyra darts to one side as a piece of ceiling crashes to the floor in front of her.

“Climb.” Kole tells Miranda.

Without hesitating, she starts to ascend the ladder, looking back to cast a shield between Kole and Zephyra.

Zephyra charges at it, but cannot pass.

She screams, raising her eyes to the crumbling ceiling.

“Kim!” I shout over the noise. My wings have faded. Zephrya is no longer burning.

“Go,” Kim chokes out as the Venatrix tightens its grip. “I’ll see Kaitlin again. I want to see her again.”

I am still resisting when Kole wraps his arms around my waist and throws me over his shoulder.

As he starts to climb, I watch Zephyra pacing back and forth in front of the shield like a caged animal. She batters it with her fists. She roars and yells.

The vamps behind her start to run.

A crack appears in the ceiling.

Rubble falls to the floor.

A huge chunk of concrete. Another. And another.

Miranda has reached the hatch. She pulls it open and climbs through.

Daylight streams down into the tunnels. Daylight and rain.

Kole heaves me up through the hole in the ceiling. I grip the sides, trying to stop him from forcing me into the light.

But as he peels my hands free and forces me to let go, there is an almighty crash.

We emerge into the daylight in time to witness the tunnels collapsing in on themselves.

The ground caves in.

Earth and concrete and grass disappear, leaving a huge, gaping hole.

I crawl along the floor. Visions of Sam and Nico disappearing the exact same way dance viciously in my head. I stare into the hole.

There is nothing but chaos below us.

Chaos, and no sign of Kim, or Zephyra, or her vampires.

30

TANNER

“He’s worse.” Sam is pacing like a caged animal. “And Nova’s missing. Successful trip so far.”

I tilt my head from side to side, rubbing the tension at the back of my neck. His emotions are so strong they’re building in the base of my skull and making me nauseous. I got better at blocking them out. After drinking Nova’s blood, everything got better.

But here, somehow, it’s starting to become hard again.

Maybe we’re all like Mack and Snow now — maybe our powers become weaker when we’re separated from her.