Chapter 26 · Cracks in the Contract

"Open the damn door, Ivy!"

Cain’s voice didn't just shake the wood—it rattled my teeth. I didn't move. I couldn't. I just stood there, clutching the letter from Silas until the paper groaned. *A fatal flaw.* That phrase was on a loop in my head. The Regent, the man who treated the empire like a game of chess, had a weakness. And apparently, I was the only plug for the leak.

"I'm not in the mood for your tantrums, Cain!" I yelled back. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

*Thud.*

He didn't knock. He struck. The frame groaned under the force.

"You think this is a game?" His voice dropped. That low, dangerous vibration. The one that usually meant someone was about to lose a limb. "You mentioned the Eclipse. You think you can throw that name into the air and then lock yourself away? Open the door. Now."

I took a breath, smoothed my dress, and yanked the handle open.

He didn't wait. He surged forward, his massive frame swallowing the doorway. He smelled of ozone and cold rain. His hand clamped around my wrist—