Chapter 22 · Ghost's Real Name

"Who the hell is Elias?" Lilith's forearm slammed into my chest and pinned me to the pipes.

The service closet was maybe four feet wide. Hot. Stinking of ozone and old coolant. Her knee was jammed against my thigh so I couldn't move.

"Get off me," I said.

"Not until you answer." Her knife was already at my throat. Not touching. Almost. I could feel the cold coming off the blade. "That voice on your comm. It said Elias. Loud and clear. So who is he?"

"Nobody. Wrong number."

"Bullshit." She pressed harder. The pipe behind my back burned through my shirt. "You went white, Kai. Like you'd seen a ghost. So tell me. Who's Elias?"

I couldn't breathe right. Not because of her arm. Because that name had hit something in my head that wasn't supposed to be there.

"I don't know," I said. "I've never heard it before."

"You're lying." Her eyes were right there. An inch away. Gold and furious. "You flinched. You know that name."

"I said I don't!"

"Then why did your plugin spike?" She tapped my temple with her free hand. Hard. "I saw it. Red all over your vision.