Chapter 24 · The Bone Lock

"Kneel, Sera Vaughn, or the lock takes your spine apart."

The envoy held the bone key against my throat.

It was a thin white shard, carved with old pack runes. His gloves were clean. Mine were soaked in mud and blood from the ridge fight. Behind him, Cole's soldiers formed a half circle across the battlefield, rifles raised, silver tips catching the weak light.

Rayne stood three steps away, one hand pressed to his side.

Silver poisoning had turned his skin gray around the wound. Blood ran between his fingers. He still looked dangerous enough to tear the envoy's heart out.

The envoy smiled at him. "Commander Carter, you should control your recruit."

"Touch her again," Rayne said, "and I'll break your hand."

"You already tried that trick with three of my scouts."

"I didn't try."

Rayne moved.

The envoy barely had time to lift his arm. Rayne caught his wrist, twisted, and drove him face-first into the frozen ground. Bone cracked under the impact.

The key scraped across my throat.

I grabbed the envoy's collar.