“Gravdammit,” he curses. “Ada, help me.” His eyes are wet.

I run to his side and help support Hypatia as he positions the gun carefully. But he doesn’t pull the trigger. He looks at me, his eyes full of fear. I didn’t think it was possible for Rafe Vanguard to be afraid.

“A magneto gun shouldn’t harm anything besides antimatter,” he explains to me, though it sounds more like he’s reassuring himself.

“You’ve got this,” I whisper.

There’s an unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching from the direction we came. We need to hurry. I consult Georgie’s map on my phone for an alternate exit. A door slams. Heavy steps are coming our way. Fast.

“Rafe,” I prompt, as calmly and reassuringly as I can.

He pulls the trigger.

The collar falls away, and the flesh beneath is red and swollen. With the antimatter off her body, Hypatia sighs deeply, and I watch as the skin heals itself, leaving only a thin pink ring of scar tissue behind.

“Thank the Conductor,” Rafe breathes. “It must not have been on for too long.” I remember what Michael had said when he’d rescued me from the gloves, that prolonged exposure to antimatter can make a Sire lose their ability to conduct. “Are you okay?” Rafe asks Hypatia.

“I’m thirsty,” she rasps weakly.

“You’re safe now. I promise.” Rafe chokes on his words as he returns the magneto gun to his bag.

According to Georgie’s map, the only other way out without going back down the hall is up. There’s a window in the cell, but it’s too far to climb, and even if it weren’t, we couldn’t make it in time.

“I can make that climb,” Rafe says. “I’ll bring up Hypatia, then come back down for you.”

“Are you crazy? There’s no way you can do that, never mind holding us and your bag!”

“I can.” He flexes his arms, and I see the rippling muscle and the throbbing veins in his neck. I remember the stolen blood running through him. I look away.

“Take Hypatia and go. There’s no time for you to come back for me, but I’ll be fine. They won’t hurt me. I’ll meet you at the boat.”

“Are you sure you’ll be safe? I can outrun them, even holding both of you.”

“Go. I need to find out what’s really going on here before I leave.”