The scream still rang in Adrian's ears as his heart pounded with the pulse of Core residue in his chest. One, then another.Seraphine lunged to her knees, grabbing the edge of the table. "That voice."Adrian turned to her. She wasn't looking at him, but at the floor."It's not calling me," she said.He listened. The scream echoed off of the walls before abruptly stopping."It's calling itself,"Vaelric's expression darkened."What does that mean?" Adrian finally asked."It means we leave,""Why?""Whatever is underneath that hospital knows your voice.""And you're sure that running away will stop it?""No." Vaelric gave a measured look toward the sealed passage. "But I'm certain it wants you to come."They both turned back to the map with a grim realization. The road to Vale Medical Center still glowed. He turned to face the photograph laying on the table - two children and one whose name was left blank."That's exactly why we're going,""Explain it to me,""I cannot.Adrian's usually

The word settled in the chamber. Brother.Adrian's gaze locked onto the child on the table. The boy studied him just as carefully, dark hair, golden eyes, the nearly imperceptible scar along his left brow - identical features save one unique marking on his cheekbone, and the space between his eyebrows. A sense of foreboding coiled in Adrian's gut.Seraphine took a place at his side. "Adrian...""I understand.""You're looking at yourself.""No," he murmured, feeling the words in a deeper place. "I'm looking at someone who wants me to believe that"Golden eyes crinkled with amusement. "And you believe him?"Vaelric wheeled around. "Everyone back.""Why?""Because that isn't a child."The smile vanished from the boy's lips. A deafening silence stretched between them before he turned his head, regarding the old man with an almost inquisitive expression."Vaelric."The man's lower lip twitched. "You remember me.""I remember everyone." the boy said, turning his gaze on Adrian. "Especially

"Not yet."The sentence sounded from below. Adrian stopped at the top of the stairs.It was his voice, but not the damaged one that came from the speakers. This one was maddeningly calm and slightly amused.The golden-eyed boy had gripped his hand. 'Don't listen to it.''You've heard it before.''It talks when the Gate is hungry.'Seraphine climbed up beside them. 'Hungry for what?''Blood.'The stairs shuddered. Along the wall, the red lights blinked out once, twice, three times then burned gold. Adrian's Dragon Sight whirred on before he summoned it. The stone in the floor was not stone. Hundreds of tiny script scurried all over the surface - old Dravaryn script overprinted with newer Orion script. Which meant that, rather than build the Gate, they'd found it and grafted their machines on.He took one step down. Somewhere below, there was something breathing. Slow, and deep, and very, very big.'We turn back,' Vaelric decided.'You told me there isn't a safe exit.''There isn't but

The voice was gone. The echo of it was not.I REMEMBER YOU.It had not sounded like a threat. That was what scared Adrian. It had sounded like recognition.The lab shook again. A crack split the floor between him and Seraphine."Move!"He took her hand and yanked her back as the tiles collapsed. Vaelric got the golden eyed child out of the way just as he fell. The boy's eyes were still black."Don't look down," Vaelric said.Adrian did.It was not a basement. It was not another lab. A huge circular chamber was under the floor encased in black veins that pulsed like living roots. The broken crown hung at its center. And beneath it the eye was open.It looked straight at him.Dragon Sight went crazy. Gold flooded his vision and then silver and then black. And for less than a second he saw a man standing next to the Gate.The man had his face. Older. Scarred. Blood running down one side of itFuture Adrian.The figure raised a hand. Not towards Adrian but Seraphine. His lips moved. No so

The silver pendant lay on the floor, the inscription catching the dying light from the emergency bulbs.SECOND TRANSFER: BEGINNING NOW.Seraphine took a step forwards. Adrian's grabbed her wrist.'Don't.''Why not?''Because the first transfer nearly killed us.'She turned to him, nodded. 'You heard what she said. If we want to know what the second one is...''We will find out. Not by grabbing something that falls out a Gate.'She looked away, sighed. 'Fine.'She never gave in that easily. It was more worrying than if she had.He crouched, switched on Dragon sight, careful not to touch anything. Silver energy, thin line of gold running through it. A black line through the middle, not energy. A crack.'It's damaged.''Of course it is,' Seraphine's mother said.He looked up at her. 'You know why?''No... but I know who made it. Elysra.''This adds two things to the list tied to your daughter.''This wasn't for you.' She nodded at Seraphine. 'It was for her.'That was the last part of th