The gate trembled again. This time it wasn't just a groan of stone or the whisper of dust. It was a living sound, something that crawled down Zane's spine and made the hairs on his arms rise. The carvings across the black surface lit faintly, one by one, a slow chain of crimson veins that pulsed like blood moving through arteries.
The battlefield went quiet.
No one shouted. No one moved. Even the veterans standing at the front of their factions fell still, watching the gate as though daring it to show them what waited on the other side.
Zane's instincts were louder than ever. His pulse hammered in his ears, his thoughts screamed at him to leave, to melt into shadow right now and vanish before anything crossed through. He clenched his jaw until his teeth ached. No. Not yet. He and Mia had a plan. Leaving early would ruin everything.
"Don't," Mia whispered beside him.
