Chapter 12 · The Dead Name

"Take your hand off the trigger," I said. "You’re shaking. That’s embarrassing."

Vala’s pistol stayed pressed against my forehead.

Her finger didn’t move. Her hand did.

Just a little. A tiny tremor under the black glove. Most people wouldn’t catch it. I wasn’t most people anymore. The Void had turned every twitch into a warning flare.

The cable around my wrists cut into my skin as I shifted against the chair. Metal scraped concrete. Vala stepped closer, boots stopping between my knees.

"You want to keep talking?" she asked.

"You want me quiet?"

"I want the key."

"Then stop pointing a gun at my brain. It makes me feel unappreciated."

Her jaw tightened. "You’re in no position to be funny."

"I’m tied to a chair with a gun in my face. If I wait for a better position, I might die waiting."

She leaned down until the muzzle pushed harder against my skin. The cold metal dug into the spot above my eyebrow. I could feel the heat of her body through the narrow gap between us.