Chapter 26 · Don't Make Me Kill You

The chains burned into Kade's throat. Silver. I could smell it from where I stood, that sharp chemical stink that made my stomach turn. He didn't scream. That was worse. He just dropped to one knee, fingers clawing at the links digging into his skin, and his eyes found mine through the dark.

"Run," he choked out.

I didn't move. Couldn't. My legs felt like they'd grown roots into the stone floor. Theron stepped out from behind the altar, casual as hell, one hand loose at his side. The other held the chain. He gave it a lazy tug and Kade's head jerked forward.

"She's not going anywhere," Theron said. His voice echoed off the walls. "Not when we're so close."

I forced my feet to move. One step. Two. My hands were shaking but I balled them into fists. "Let him go."

Theron laughed. It wasn't a villain laugh. It was the kind of laugh you hear at a bar when someone tells a joke that's only funny if you're drunk. "You still think you get to make demands? Even now?"

Kade's blood was running down the front of his shirt. The silver burned where it touched him.