Chapter 15 · Price of the Blood Bond

"You think you're in a position to negotiate?" Silas's voice was a low vibration that I felt in my chest before I heard it.

He didn't just walk toward me; he hunted me. Before I could even blink, his hand slammed into the stone wall right next to my ear, the impact echoing through the vaulted chamber. I was pinned, my back pressed against the cold rock and my front inches away from the heat radiating off his chest.

"I'm not negotiating," I snapped, though my heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "I'm offering a deal. Klaus is coming. His army is at the gates. If you let me go, if you give me the leverage I need, I can make him turn around. You save your city, and I get my freedom."

Silas let out a sharp, mocking huff of laughter. He leaned in closer, his scent—sandalwood, rain, and something metallic like old blood—filling my senses. His eyes were glowing, the amber iris bleeding into a predatory gold.

"Freedom," he whispered, his lips almost brushing my temple. "You still don't get it, do you, Ivy?