The chain rasped across Jade's palm. The Angelic collar hauled toward the wheel-cut rib in Dimitri's custody, pulling Ty's chest toward the notch. She braced him against her shoulder and guided his right hand to the ridge.
Nessa held the recovered West Four finger in her left fist. Her right arm stayed against her side while the lower fitting dragged at its glove. The shoulder still turned; the wrist kept following the track.
"Tell me where the pull changes before you touch that collar," Nessa said.
Jade answered, "Below the second fitting. This line has taken the weight the others lost."
Nessa marked the pulse cage with her thumb. Three channels had gone slack at different times. A fourth stayed tight around the fitting.
The ridge shifted under Jade's heel. She widened her stance and moved Ty's weight higher against her shoulder. His right palm stayed on the stone; the grooved rib sat in the crosscut beneath them, slipping toward the narrow track.
