Chapter 21 · Blood Ties, Dark Lies

"Stop pretending you're doing this for me, Nora. It's fucking pathetic."

Sera didn't just say it; she spat it. She slammed her back against the cold stone wall of the vault, her chest heaving. The air in the underground chamber was thick with the smell of ozone and old dampness, but all she could smell was Nora’s expensive, citrusy perfume—the scent of a saint who liked to play in the dirt.

Nora didn't flinch. She stepped closer, her white gown trailing over the grime of the floor, a stark contrast to the darkness swirling around her fingertips. She reached out, her hand hovering just inches from Sera’s jaw. The heat radiating from Nora’s palm was oppressive, a physical weight that demanded submission.

"Pathetic?" Nora whispered, her voice a low, dangerous purr. "I'm the only reason you're not rotting in a Solis dungeon right now. I'm the one keeping your little secret, Sera. Don't forget who holds the leash."

Sera laughed, a jagged, ugly sound. She leaned forward, closing the gap until their noses almost touched. She could see the golden flecks in Nora's eyes—the fake light of a goddess masking the void beneath.

"The leash is getting tight, isn't it?"