Chapter 26 · Burn It Into Bone

"Don't touch it." Mara's hand slams down on mine before I can flip the ledger closed.

I freeze. The page is still glowing, still bleeding that sick red ink across the line that says I own her life now.

"I'm not—"

"You are." She's standing too close, her knuckles white where they're pressed against the back of my hand. "You're going to try and refuse it. Don't."

The ledger hums under our hands. I can feel the heat coming off it, the same sick pulse I felt when it first carved itself into my chest on that rooftop. My ribs ache with the memory.

"Mara, I didn't ask for this."

"Neither did I." She pulls her hand back, but she doesn't step away. "But here we are. First collection. My life. What are you going to do about it?"

I look at her. Really look. There's blood on her collar from the fight in the last safe house, and her hair's still tied back with the same torn strip of fabric she used three hours ago when we were running.