Chapter 16 · Blood-Bound Pact

"Hold still, or I'll carve the wrong rune into your skin," Sloane snapped, her voice shaking despite the command.

She had Kaelen pinned against the damp stone wall of the cellar. Her fingers were clamped tight around his wrist, pulling his arm across the altar. A jagged piece of obsidian flickered in her other hand, the edge hungry and sharp.

Kaelen didn't flinch. He looked down at her, his eyes swirling with a gold light that didn't belong to a human. "You're trembling, Sloane. Is it fear, or are you just happy to see me bleed?"

"Shut up," she hissed. "This isn't a game. If this bond doesn't take, Varis will have us both in chains by sunrise. Give me your hand. Now."

He let out a low, dry chuckle and shifted his weight. The movement was sudden, a predatory blur that brought his chest inches from hers. Sloane gasped, her back hitting the cold stone. He didn't let go of the wrist she was holding; instead, he leaned in, his breath warm against her ear, smelling of ozone and something ancient.

"You created me to be your shield," he whispered, his voice vibrating in her own chest.