Chapter 16 · Traitor in the Ledger

The rift snapped shut behind him and Lucan hit the floor of his room hard enough to taste copper. His hands were shaking. Not from the crossing. From the way his sister's eyes had slid right past him like he was vapor, like fifteen years of scraped knees and shared takeout had been written over by a stranger's face.

And Orin. Standing on the other side of the glass. Watching.

Lucan pushed himself up and the bone tablet in his pocket burned hot enough to sear through fabric. He yanked it out. New marks crawled across the surface, still smoking, and the characters twisted into something he could almost read. Almost. The script looked like it was deciding whether to stay or bolt.

Someone pounded on his door.

"Lucan Vey." The voice was flat, official, and way too loud for this hour. "Open. Now."

He shoved the tablet under his mattress and crossed the room. His ribs still ached from the duel two days ago, the kind of ache that reminded him this body had a history of losing. He cracked the door.

Three blade officers stood in the hall.