Nour still hadn't answered.
The gate pulsed. 47% now. The hum had gotten loud enough to feel in Yuuji's back teeth.
Seraine was looking at the gate like a man doing math he didn't want the answer to. Kael had Gerald pulled close, the dark flame burning tight and controlled. Elira was watching Yuuji with the expression she used when she'd already figured out what he was going to do and was deciding how she felt about it.
Yuuji looked at Nour.
"You're not going to tell me," he said.
"It's complicated," Nour said.
"Is it a 'you might die' complicated or a 'you definitely die' complicated."
A pause.
"Neither," Nour said carefully.
"Then what—"
