Chapter 16 · Tethered by Blood

"Get your teeth off my neck, Vira."

Ronin’s voice broke against my mouth, rough and low. His burned hand locked around my waist while his other arm shoved the sparking conduit away from my back.

I bit harder.

The mark under my teeth flared hot enough to make my vision jump. His blood hit my tongue—metallic, bitter, alive. The new scar at my throat answered with a pulse that slammed through my chest and down between my legs.

Ronin jerked me against him.

"Damn it." His forehead struck mine. "You don’t know what you just did."

"You warned me." I dragged my mouth from his neck, breathing hard. "You said I couldn’t go back. I’m not going back."

Behind us, Kellan made a broken sound from the floor.

I twisted toward him, but Ronin caught my face and forced my eyes back to his.

"Look at me."

"My brother—"

"Is alive. For now. If you run to him like this, you’ll collapse before you reach the tunnel."

"Move your hand."

"No."

The word landed harder than the gunfire hammering the far side of the steel door.

His palm covered my ribs. Heat poured from him, too much and too fast.