Chapter 24 · The Ledger Bites Back

"Get your hand off me before I break it!"

My voice sounded like I’d swallowed a handful of gravel. Kael didn’t flinch. He didn't let go. His grip on my wrist was a vice, fingers digging into the skin right where the Black Ledger’s ink pulsed a warning red.

He hauled me back from the ledge, slamming me hard against a wall of obsidian glass. Below us, the rift roared—a swirling vortex of violet and ash that wanted to swallow Glasshaven whole.

"You’re not going anywhere," Kael hissed.

He was too close. I could feel the heat radiating off his chest, the sharp scent of ozone and burnt metal clinging to his gear.

"The signature is in there, Mara. The one piece of evidence that puts Cyrus in a cell instead of a throne. You’re the only one who can unlock the core."

"And you’re the one who’s supposed to kill me in a week," I shot back. I tried to twist my arm. Nothing. He shifted his weight, pinning me tighter against the cold glass. His eyes scanned my face, dark and intense. "Why do you even care? Hand me to the Council and collect your damn promotion.