Chapter 53 · I keep the knife because you keep putting me in rooms with men like him

"I keep the knife because you keep putting me in rooms with men like him."

"You came with me."

"You dragged me."

"You followed."

"Because you had my power in your hand!"

The words hit the room harder than the rifle blast.

Julian went quiet.

Silas watched us with open amusement. "There. That's the truth you keep circling. She doesn't trust you. She thinks you stole what belongs to her."

"Did I?" Julian asked.

I stared at him. "You tell me."

His gaze dropped to the seal glowing under my skin. The mark curved from my wrist toward my elbow, silver and red, alive with every beat of his pulse.

"I found your power locked inside the League vault," he said.

"You found it after you helped them take it."

"I didn't know what they were doing."

"You stood there."

His mouth opened, then closed.

Silas's expression changed. Just a little.

I caught it.

"You did know," I said.

"Vesper—"

"You knew they were going to strip me. You knew, and you let them."

"I knew they were going to test the seal."

"That's a pretty word for torture."

"I didn't know they would use your mother’s design.