Chapter 19 · Break Into the Vault

"Your hand or mine?" Kael had the blade out before I answered.

The vault door waited. Silver inlay, old pack script, and a palm-sized indentation that still looked wet from the last time someone bled on it. Fifteen years ago. My family's blood.

"Mine." I pushed his wrist down. "It's keyed to the bloodline. Yours won't work."

"They branded you a fugitive ten minutes ago." He didn't let go of the knife. "The second your blood touches that lock, every ward in this building knows you're here."

"Then we move fast."

"Sienna—"

"Give me the knife."

He handed it over. Didn't argue. Didn't try to do it for me. Just stepped back and watched while I pressed my palm to the blade and sliced clean across.

Blood welled up, hot and dark. I turned my hand over and let it drip into the indentation. Three drops. The script flared white, then red, then the door made a sound like a bone snapping and swung inward.

Kael moved first. He slipped through the gap with his shoulder against the frame, scanning the room before I even got my hand wrapped. "Clear. No tripwires.