Chapter 16 · The Broken Pact

"Stop pretending this is a partnership, Kai." Eve’s voice was a blade, cold and precise. She didn't just stand in front of me; she owned the space, her presence pressing against me like a physical weight.

I didn't move. I leaned back against the cold metal of the bulkhead, crossing my arms. "Funny. I remember a deal. I keep your system from crashing, you keep me from getting my head blown off. Seems like a partnership to me."

"A deal made in desperation isn't a pact. It's a leash," she snapped. She stepped closer, the click of her boots echoing in the cramped corridor. She stopped inches from me, her scent—something like ozone and expensive sterile chemicals—filling my lungs. She reached up, her gloved fingers gripping my chin, forcing me to look her in the eye.

Her eyes were scanning me, not like a person, but like a piece of hardware she was deciding whether to keep or scrap. "You're getting arrogant. You think because I need your blood, I can't find a way to synthesize it?"

I let out a sharp, dry laugh. "Try it.