The sound came first a distant rumble that shook the floor beneath them, like thunder trapped underground.
Sebastian stiffened instantly, his body going still in that way she'd come to recognize soldier stillness, predator stillness. He turned his head slightly, listening. His jaw set. "They're coming."
Isabella's eyes fluttered open, still half-dazed from the light and power that had coursed through her body moments before. "Who?"
He looked toward the main corridor. "The extraction unit. Evelyn's security force or what's left of them."
"Her people survived?" she whispered.
"No," Sebastian said grimly. "They adapted."
He rose, pulling her gently to her feet, one arm wrapped protectively around her waist. She winced but let him steady her. The chamber lights flickered, casting them in pulses of white and shadow.
"Can you walk?"
"I can run," she said softly, even though her knees trembled.
He almost smiled. "That's my girl."
