Chapter 16 · Don't Take His Deal

"Don't answer him." Sila pressed two fingers against Kael's throat and shoved him back from the console. "Not one word."

Kael's hand caught her wrist before she could pull away. Her pulse jumped against his palm. His own fingers were still shaking from the code surge, hot metal under synthetic skin.

"You think I was going to thank him?" Kael asked.

"I think Viktor knows exactly what to say when you're scared." She leaned closer, close enough for his cheek to catch the heat of her breath. "And right now, you're scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Your hand is burning through my glove."

He looked down.

Thin gold lines crawled beneath the plates in his wrist. The light flickered once, then vanished under his skin.

Kael released her. "That doesn't mean anything."

"It means your broken code just woke up again. It means the man outside knows you're here. And it means I have about thirty seconds before he turns this whole station into a grave."

The comm unit on the wall clicked. Viktor's voice came through, smooth and calm, like he was calling from a room where nobody had ever screamed.

"Sila. You can still walk away from this.