Chapter 23 · The Traitor in Their Vows

The blood was still floating when the alarms cut out.

I stared at the red droplets hanging in the air like broken glass, and all I could think was: I did that. I made that happen. My hand was steady on the knife handle, but my insides were screaming.

Kane grabbed my wrist. "We need to move."

The guards were down but not dead. One of them groaned, trying to push himself up. The blood I'd somehow thrown at them was already soaking into their uniforms, leaving dark stains that looked too much like the marks on Leo's skin.

"Evelyn." Kane's voice was sharp. He was pale, leaning against the filing cabinet like it was the only thing keeping him upright. Without the beasts, he looked smaller. Human. Breakable.

I shoved my mother's file inside my jacket and pulled him toward the door. "Can you run?"

"Can you not do that again?" He nodded at the blood still dripping from my blade.

I didn't have an answer. I didn't even know what I'd done.