Chapter 19 · Untitled Chapter

"Drop the seal, Mara." Julian caught my wrist before I could reach the vault door.

His fingers locked around me, hot and hard even through my glove. The black iron seal sat in my other hand. One squeeze from him, and my bones would crack. One squeeze from me, and the blade under his ribs would slide in.

"Take your hand off me."

"Not until you drop it."

"You want the seal? Come get it."

His eyes dropped to my knife, then came back to my face. He stood close enough that his breath brushed my cheek. Smoke crawled under the vault door behind him. Somewhere outside, alarms screamed over the crackle of burning cars.

Julian leaned in. "Nia is in that van. Celeste's people locked her inside. The fuel line is already burning. You have maybe thirty seconds."

My grip tightened around the seal.

"You're lying."

"I watched them put her there."

"And you waited until now to mention it?"

"I was busy keeping you from getting shot."

"You call putting a gun to my head protection?"

"You were about to open a door with six armed guards behind it. So, yes."

I twisted my wrist.