Chapter 27 · Lockdown Lessons

"Still thinking about running?"

Silas didn't just speak; he invaded. Before I could even blink, his hand clamped around my wrist, jerking me backward. My spine hit the cold stone wall of the training chamber with a thud that knocked the air right out of my lungs.

"I wasn't—" I started, but he was already there, his chest pressing against mine, pinning me into the rock. He smelled like cedar and something sharp, like ozone before a storm.

"Liar," he whispered. His voice was a low vibration I felt in my own ribs. "You were calculating the distance to the door. You were wondering if the guards were too lazy to stop you this time."

I glared up at him, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "Maybe I just don't like being kept like a pet. Do you even know what that feels like?"

Silas leaned closer. His eyes weren't just dark; they were predatory, scanning my face for a crack. He didn't move his hand from my wrist, and the pressure was just a fraction away from bruising. "A pet? No. Pets are useless.