Chapter 26 · My Mother's Last File

"You want the truth?" Kael dropped a folder on the table between us. "Read it."

I didn't move. We were still in the safehouse basement, air thick with smoke residue and the copper tang of his blood. The silver I'd ripped out of his chest sat on the floor in a dark puddle. He'd healed enough to stand, but his shirt was still shredded, skin pale.

"I don't need your files," I said.

"Yeah, you do." He pushed it closer. "You want to know why Asher's got you on a leash? It's all in there."

I stared at the folder. Plain manila, no markings. My hands stayed flat on the table.

"What is it?"

"My mother's case file." His voice went flat. "The one they buried with her."

That made me look up. His face was stone, but his jaw was tight, the muscle jumping. Whatever was in that folder, it cost him to bring it here.

"Why would I care about your mother's case?"

"Because she died investigating yours."

The room tilted. I gripped the table edge.

"What?"

"Open it," he said. "Or I will."

I grabbed the folder before he could touch it. My fingers shook.