Kane grabbed Cael's arm and hauled him back up the stairs as the seal's dark light surged brighter.
"Move, all of you, now!" Kane shouted.
They scrambled up the narrow stairwell, the resonant voice growing louder behind them, no longer just words but something closer to a physical pressure pushing against the back of Kane's skull.
*Do not run, Ashbourne blood. There is nowhere your bloodline can hide from a promise made in desperation.*
Kane reached the nave first, spinning to help Talyn up the last few steps, and behind him, Cael stumbled, catching himself against the collapsed altar.
"Keep moving!" Ottilie shouted, bringing up the rear.
They burst out of the chapel's ruined entrance into the cool night air, and Kane didn't stop until they'd cleared a hundred feet, putting real dist
