Chapter 14 · The Brass Oath - Chapter 14: Black Market Bargain

"Don't touch her head!" Cain slammed the gunman's wrist into the brick wall before the trigger finished moving.

The shot cracked past Mara's ear.

Her knees buckled anyway. The brass sigil under her ribs flared hot, then cold. For half a second, the tunnel vanished. Cain's hand. Her brother's voice. A red door. Someone screaming her name.

Then Cain dragged her behind him.

"Mara. Look at me."

"I'm looking at the man trying to kill us. Move."

"You can't stand."

"I can shoot. That's close enough."

The hitman twisted hard. Cain drove his elbow into the man's throat and kicked the pistol away. It skidded across the wet stone, stopping beneath a rusted pipe.

Mara reached for it.

Cain caught her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest.

"No."

"Take your hand off me."

"You reach for that gun, and the sigil spikes again."

"You don't know that."

"I felt it." His mouth was close to her ear. His breath hit the side of her neck, warm and sharp. "You want to test me?"

She hated that he was right.