Chapter 29 · You knew I could activate it

He stopped.

That should have felt like a win. It did for half a second. Then I noticed the way his eyes tracked the blue light moving from my palm to my wrist, then up toward my neck.

He wasn't afraid of me.

He was afraid of what the key might unlock.

"You knew I could activate it," I said.

"I suspected."

"You brought me here to test it."

"I brought you here because a Ghost Code stole the key from one of my relay stations."

"And you expected me to touch it."

"I expected it to reject you."

"That would have been disappointing."

"For you, maybe."

The whisper returned inside my collar.

Don't trust him.

I flinched.

Silas moved.

He crossed the space in two strides and caught both my wrists. My back hit the table. The key slammed between us, trapped against my palm.

"What is it saying?"

"Get off me."

"Tell me."

"Take your hands off me."

"You first."

"I'm not the one who grabbed someone."

"You're holding a device that can erase half the city's security net."

"Then maybe don't grab me while I'm holding it."

His face was inches from mine.