Chapter 15 · What did you do?

She slapped one hand over the mark at his neck.

The pain cut off.

Not faded. Stopped.

Kael sucked in a breath and stared at her. Her palm covered the burning symbol through his collar. Her face was close again, eyes fixed on his as if she could force the pain back into place by sheer will.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"You were about to scream."

"You felt it."

"Of course I felt it. We’re bound, remember?"

"That wasn’t the pact."

For the first time, she hesitated.

Kael caught her wrist. "What did you do?"

Her pulse jumped beneath his fingers.

"Let go."

"Answer me."

"You’re hurting me."

He loosened his grip, but he didn’t release her. The tight space gave him nowhere to put his arm. Her wrist stayed trapped between them, warm against his palm.

"You stopped the mark," he said.

"I interrupted the feedback."

"How?"

"My badge is keyed to the city’s resonance grid."

"That isn’t what I asked."

Sloane’s gaze dropped to his mouth, then snapped back up.

"You ask too many questions."

"You answer too few."

"That’s because you’re terrible at earning answers."

"I saved you from a collapsing vault.