Chapter 29 · Bloodied Crown, Infinite Bond

The bridge slammed into the mountain, and Ronin’s arm locked around my waist before the floor vanished beneath us.

“Don’t let go,” he snapped.

“I’m the one holding the damn data drive.” I shoved the black case against my ribs. “You don’t get to give orders.”

“Vira.” His grip tightened. “Let go of me, and you’ll drop with it.”

“Then catch both.”

The bridge groaned. Stone split under our boots. Behind us, the tyrant’s fortress shook as the avalanche swallowed the lower road and the last of his armored convoy.

Ronin dragged me across the broken span. His body hit the mountain wall first. I crashed into him, hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. His coat smelled like smoke, iron, and the sharp pine oil he used after training. His hand stayed on my hip for one beat too long.

Then he shoved me away.

“You’re bleeding.”

“So are you.”

“Mine can wait.”

“Mine isn’t stopping me.”

His eyes dropped to the blood running beneath my sleeve. The old bond-mark at my wrist burned in answer, hot and deep, like it had teeth.

Ronin caught my hand before I could hide it.

“Don’t touch that.