Chapter 23
The blisters on her hands stung as she pulled the daggers out from under her skirt. The skin that bordered the chunks of gold stuck to her chest flaked away, leaving black sooty patches beneath.
Maggie held the tip of the dagger to the largest chunk, ready to pry it away. But magic crackled from her fingertips, unhindered by the worthless flecks of gold. Every heartbeat she wasted was an eternity to those still trapped in pods, feeding the purra’s beast.
She reached toward the door, her fingers finding smooth glass where a handle should have been.
“Of course you don’t want to let me out.” Maggie’s voice crackled. “Smart.”
Pressing her palm to the glass, she trickled her magic through the door. The metal dripped to the floor in the hall beyond, forming a pool of gold.
The h
