Chapter 15 · I wasn't planning to

"I wasn't planning to."

"Mara."

"If you say my name like that again, I'm charging you."

"For what?"

"Emotional damages. Your face is exhausting."

His breath caught. The blade trembled harder.

"You talk too much."

"You notice."

I drove the repair knife into the stone beside his bleeding wrist.

The oath thread snapped toward the blade.

Dax's arm jerked free of its path.

The black blade dropped from his hand and struck the ground.

I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him down with me as the silver ring exploded overhead.

The Bureau agents shouted.

A bolt punched through the pillar.

Another struck the masked man's staff and knocked it sideways.

The lock screamed.

Every torch in the passage went out.

For three heartbeats, there was only Dax's body over mine and the hard press of stone under my back.

His hand was braced beside my head. His face hovered close enough that I felt each uneven breath.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"You tell me. You landed on me."

"That wasn't an answer."

"My shoulder's angry. My ribs hate you. My patience died ten minutes ago."

"So you're fine."

"I didn't say that."

"You never do."

"Move.