Chapter 7 · She glared at him. “I don’t need you.”

She glared at him. “I don’t need you.”

The chain tightened until pain snapped through her shoulder.

Calder pulled her against him. “The seal disagrees.”

“Take your hand off me.”

“Not until you stop lying.”

“About what?”

“About Shaw.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping. “You want her innocent so badly you’re willing to ignore a strike team, a stolen rune, and the fact that she knew exactly where we’d be.”

Mara’s jaw clenched. “Evelyn trained me. She found me when no one else would.”

“And then she let the council exile you.”

“You don’t know what happened.”

“I know the order was signed before your hearing.”

The tunnel seemed to shrink around them.

Mara pulled free, but he kept hold of her wrist. “You’re lying.”

“I saw the order.”

“You forged it.”

“I can’t forge a city seal.”

“You can steal one.”

“Not that one.”

She shoved a finger into his chest. “You expect me to believe you over Evelyn?”

“No. I expect you to believe the evidence when it starts shooting at you.”

A metallic click echoed from the tunnel behind them.

Calder’s grip tightened.