Chapter 20 · The Price of a Ghost

"Don't let her wake up."

Dax had written those words in my palm, the ink still searing into my skin. But as he shoved me toward the vault exit, the warning wasn't what haunted me. It was the blood on his hands in that vision. The way he’d kissed my dead lips like they were the only thing keeping him anchored to the earth.

"Stop staring at me like I'm a monster, Mara. We're leaving. Now."

He didn't look back. His hand clamped around my wrist, grip just a fraction too tight, dragging me through the sterile white corridor. I tried to yank my arm away, but he spun me around, pinning me against the cold metallic wall.

The air between us vanished. I could feel the heat radiating off his chest, smell the sharp scent of rain and old gunpowder that always clung to him.

"Who is she?" I spat, my voice shaking. "Who the hell are you protecting?"

Dax leaned in, his face inches from mine. His eyes were dark, swirling with something that looked like grief but felt like a threat. "Some things are better left buried.