Chapter 19 · The Buyer on the Silver Chain

The thing behind the black door said Ronan’s name again, and every torch in the ruin went out.

Nia grabbed my coat. “Mara, don’t let him go in.”

Too late. Ronan took one step toward the doorway, black fire crawling under the skin of his chest. Drake’s soldiers raised their weapons behind us. The cracked royal seal burned in my palm, and the silver pendant at my throat had started pulling toward the dark like it wanted to rip itself off.

I shoved the seal into my pocket. “Ronan!”

He didn’t answer.

His shoulders shook once. Then his head snapped toward me. His eyes weren’t gray anymore. They were full moon-white, with a thin ring of black around each pupil.

“Back up,” he said.

It came out rough. Not quite his voice.

“Sure,” I said. “You first.”

Drake laughed from the broken steps. “Let him enter. The throne has chosen.”

Ronan’s claws punched through his gloves. “You helped kill my father.”

“And you still want to waste time talking?” Drake spread his hands. “The court is waiting for a king. If you die here, they’ll crown me before sunset.”

Nia coughed behind me.