Chapter 10 · Bought Blade

"You're shaking, Quinn. Either you're terrified or you're about to puke on my boots. Which is it?"

Kaela didn't move her hand from her hilt, but her gaze cut deeper than any blade. We were crouched in the damp shadows of the Lower Ward. The air tasted of rotting fish and old grease. My palm still tingled—the Ledger had sucked the oxygen right out of the alley to seal that sick deal for my life.

"I'm fine," I lied. My voice sounded like wet paper.

"Liar."

She stepped in. Not just close—she invaded. She stopped inches from me, her body heat cutting through the chill. I could smell the metallic tang of her armor and something like crushed pine.

"You looked like you saw a ghost," she whispered, her breath warm against my skin. "Or like you just sold your soul to the devil. Which was it?"

I couldn't look her in the eye. How do I tell her the Ledger didn't just take a fee? It took *her*. Not her life, but her loyalty. The trust she had in me wasn't a choice anymore.