Chapter 10 · The Price of a Shortcut

"Put the key on the table, Mara. Now."

Nico didn't even look up. He was hunched over a mess of salvaged wires and flickering monitors, fingers flying across a cracked keyboard. The air tasted like ozone and old grease.

I didn't move. Cael was right behind me. He wasn't touching me, but I could feel the heat radiating off him—maybe three inches of air between us. His breath hitched, a low, rough sound that made the hair on my arms stand up.

"I'm not giving it to him," I snapped.

Nico spun around in his swivel chair, face flat. "Not giving it to me? Sweetheart, I'm the only one who can tell you if that key opens a treasure chest or a meat grinder. You're on a seventy-two hour clock. It's ticking louder than a bomb. Stop being stubborn."

"He's a royal traitor, Nico," I said, gesturing to Cael. "He's a liability. Why the hell is he even here?"

Cael stepped forward, closing the gap. His shoulder brushed mine, the heavy fabric of his coat sparking against my sleeve. "Because I'm the only one who knows which corridors in the lower districts don't lead to a dead end—