The Obsidian Clause
"Iris, take the book. Run through the vent in the back. It leads to the old cliff path."
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You have to!" Silas shouted. "That book is the only thing that can stop them. If they get it, Julian dies for nothing. I’ll hold them off here."
The door to the server room began to glow a bright, searing red as a thermal torch started to cut through the thick steel.
"Go! Now!" Silas commanded.
Iris hugged the heavy ledger to her chest. She scrambled into the narrow, dark air vent. As she disappeared into the shadows, she heard the server room door explode. She heard the sounds of gunfire and Silas's voice one last time, shouting a final, desperate command.