Chapter 12 · The Seal in His Hand

"Put him down before he bleeds all over me."

Rafe's shoulder slammed into Vera's ribs as his knees gave out.

She caught him badly. His full weight drove her into the safehouse door, rattling the old wood. His breath scraped hot against her neck. Uneven. Wrong.

"Rafe." She hooked an arm around his waist. "Stay on your feet."

"Still giving orders?" His voice was rough, but the bite was still there. "I thought you liked watching me suffer."

"I do. I just want you conscious when I insult you."

"Then stop touching me."

"Gladly."

She tried to let go.

His grip locked around her wrist.

Vera looked down at his hand, then back at his face. His pupils were blown wide. Silver poison threaded beneath his skin, gray veins crawling from his throat toward his jaw.

"You're holding me," she said.

"I'm stopping you from doing something stupid."

"You can't even stand."

"I can stand."

"Do it."

His jaw tightened.

For one stubborn second, Rafe held himself upright on nothing but rage. Then his legs folded again.

Vera dragged him across the room and shoved him into the chair beside the cold hearth. His boots scraped over stone.