Chapter 17

Aurelia POV

The suffocating silence inside the sealed containment vault didn’t last. The life-support generators died with a metallic clunk, and the iron blast shutters groaned as they locked into place, sealing us in pitch-black darkness lit only by the eerie, violet hum of Cassian’s containment dome.

A harsh clatter of boots followed as Ronan’s squad forced their way through the ruined doorway right before the heavy iron barrier slammed down behind them. Panic flared instantly in the gloom. Safety catches clicked off, and rifles were leveled in the dim purple light.

“Life support is offline!” Ronan shouted, his sidearm trembling as he and his three remaining guards aimed straight at Draven. “The blast seals are locked from the outside!”

For a fraction of a second, Draven stood rigid, the wild, murderous heat of his obsession flickering out as the heavy reality of the sealed vault set in. His eyes darted from the smoking console to my pale, shuddering