Chapter 22 · Bound to the Executioner: Leveling Up With My Enemy - Chapter 22: Shared Fire

"Get your hands off me, Vance!" Soren’s voice didn't sound like his own. It was a guttural snarl, raw and jagged, like he was speaking through a throat full of broken glass.

He slammed me back against the cold stone wall of the corridor. The impact knocked the wind out of me, but he didn't let go. His fingers dug into my shoulders, pinning me with a strength that felt less like a man and more like a starving predator. His eyes—usually that cold, judgmental imperial gold—were swirling with a toxic, flickering crimson. Rift-fire.

"You're losing it," I gasped, trying to wedge my forearm between us to push him back. "The bond is spiking. Your brain is literally frying in its own juice. Let. Me. Help."

"I don't need help from a fugitive medic who smells like illegal stims and desperation," he spat. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my cheek. The smell of ozone and burning metal clung to him. "I can feel it. Your filth. Your chaos. It's crawling under my skin like maggots."

I didn't flinch.