Chapter 7 · The Lie in the Blood

"Tell me you didn't do it."

Nora didn't wait for an answer. She lunged, slamming Kane against the damp stone wall of the prison. The impact rattled his weakened frame, but she didn't let go. She wanted to rip the truth out of his chest.

Kane didn't fight back. He barely had the strength to stay upright. His skin looked like old parchment, eyes sunken from the life-force he’d burned to get them through the barrier. A ghost of a smirk touched his lips, even as blood leaked from his nose.

"Do what, exactly?" he rasped. "Be specific, Nora. I've done a lot of bad things. Which one are we obsessing over today?"

"Don't play with me!" Nora gripped his collar, hauling him close. She could smell the metallic tang of his blood and the sharp ozone sparking off her own fingertips. "Milo just told me. You handed him over. You sold your own friend to Silas—the man who turned this place into a slaughterhouse!"

Kane’s gaze didn't flicker. He looked at her—really looked at her—and for a second, the power shifted.