Page 38 of Twist of Fate

The lines beneath Luke flashed. Connal shoved him clear and stepped into the marked space before Luke could stop him. The air above Connal warped. His body jolted, his shoulders driven downward as one knee struck the concrete. The impact shuddered through the floor beneath Luke’s feet.

“Connal.”

“I am fine.”

“You keep saying that like it makes it true.”

Connal pushed himself upright, but the movement lacked his usual control. This was the second time he had placed himself between Luke and the trap. Neither had been accidental. Seeing Connal hurt felt far too personal. Luke ignored the reaction. Getting him out mattered more than understanding it.

Luke grabbed Connal’s arm. “Can you still tell where the next strike is coming from?”

“Yes.”

“Then warn me. Don’t step in front of it.”

Connal’s expression made it clear he had no intention of obeying. Of course he didn’t. Luke had known Connal for less than a day, but he already understood that Connal would keep stepping into danger if Luke gave him the opportunity. Frustration flared, tangled with a fear far too sharp for someone he had met only hours ago.

Arguing would waste time. Luke would have to plan around him.

They moved again. Luke watched the floor while Connal tracked whatever gathered in the air around them. The arrangement should have worked, but the grid continued tightening. Every route Luke considered disappeared before they could reach it.

They weren’t going to outrun the trap.

Luke searched for another way out. The entrance had sealed behind them, and every path through the glowing grid was closing. His looked toward the concrete walls. If the trap controlled the exits, they would have to make one of their own.

A heavy impact shook the far wall.

Luke turned toward the sound as cracks spread through the concrete. The glowing lines flickered nearest the damage, breaking apart before reforming.

Another impact struck the same spot. Through the widening fracture, Luke caught sight of three familiar figures outside. Connal’s brothers had followed them.

The crack in the wall was disrupting the trap.

“There.” Luke pointed toward the damaged section. “That’s our exit.”

The light beneath them brightened.

Connal caught Luke’s arm. “Move.”

This time Luke followed his lead. They ran toward the wall as another impact landed from outside. Concrete broke away, and the lines nearest the fracture vanished again.

The gap still wasn’t wide enough.

Luke looked at Connal. “Think you can help them?”

Outside, Connal’s brothers struck the damaged wall again. Connal hit it from inside at the same instant, driving his shoulder into the web of cracks. The weakened section collapsed outward in a burst of dust and broken concrete.

Luke followed Connal through the opening. The moment they cleared the wall, the glowing lines raced back across the warehouse floor.

Open air and city noise rushed around him. Luke kept moving until the warehouse was several yards behind them, his backpack knocking against his spine with every step. Connal’s brothers closed around them, turning outward to watch for pursuit.

None came.

The building stood silent behind them, its broken wall offering only a glimpse of the glowing lines inside.

Luke checked the familiar weight at his waistband. The drive remained secure in its hidden pocket. Someone had known where Hale would redirect him. They had prepared the warehouse before Luke arrived, but he still didn’t know whether the trap had been intended for him, the drive, or anyone magical who accompanied him.

A problem for later—assuming Connal remained on his feet. He was still standing, but only because stubbornness appeared to be holding him upright.