Chapter 22 · I don't know how

I stared at him. "I don't know how."

"You broke the League barrier three years ago. You can break this."

"That was a shield. This is a soul contract."

"It's still a system. Find the weak point."

"My weak point is currently holding a knife and wearing your face."

His eyes dropped to my mouth for one dangerous second.

Then he looked away.

"You talk too much," he said.

"You keep noticing."

The bond shuddered.

This time, the pain didn't stop at my chest. It dragged through my nerves like a wire being pulled tight. My fingers went numb. My lungs locked.

Julian swore and pressed his forehead to mine.

"Stay with me."

"Don't order me around."

"Vesper."

"I said—"

"Look at me."

I did.

His pupils had gone silver around the edges. Power gathered beneath his skin, fighting the command. The League's golden boy was cracking right in front of me.

Rook's voice came from the other side of the column. "Last chance. Kill her, or I activate the failsafe."

Julian's face went cold. "You won't."

"Want to test it?"

"If you activate it, the contract burns through both of us."

"Correct."

"Silas didn't authorize that."

"Silas authorized everything."