Chapter 20 · He lowered his gaze to her hand. “If

He lowered his gaze to her hand. “If I pull too much, I may take something else with it.”

“Like what?”

“Memories. Strength. Maybe the part of you that still knows friend from enemy.”

“Then take the poison and leave the rest.”

“You don’t get to choose how this works.”

“Neither do you.”

She caught his chin and forced his face toward hers.

“Do it,” she said. “Or I’ll make sure you never get the chance.”

Raven’s fingers closed around her wrist.

“Hold still.”

“Don’t tell me—”

Ash burst from his palm.

It crawled over her skin in thin gray threads, slipping beneath the black veins. Seraphina sucked in a breath and struck him across the face.

Raven’s head snapped sideways.

“Was that necessary?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Glad we cleared that up.”

The ash pulled.

A dark thread rose from her wrist and curled into Raven’s hand. It fought him like a living thing. His system flashed across his vision in broken red letters.

[Foreign toxin detected.]

[Holy corruption: 31%.]

[Extraction available.]

[Warning: Soul-link interference.]

Raven clenched his teeth. “Come on.”

Seraphina bent over him, one hand braced on his shoulder. “What is it?”

“Your poison has teeth.”

“Then bite harder.”