Chapter 26 · Half a Ledger

"Get your hands off her!"

I lunged. The chain snapped tight around Kaela’s throat with a sickening metallic *clink*, jerking her backward.

She didn't scream. She couldn't. She just gasped, boots scraping the cobblestones as the lead Auditor hauled her back like a dog on a leash. Her eyes locked onto mine—wide, furious, and shimmering with a betrayal that cut deeper than any blade.

"Stay back, Silas!" she choked out, her voice a strained rasp. "I told you... I don't want your damn charity!"

"It's not charity, you idiot!"

I tried to move again, but a second Auditor stepped in. His armored gauntlet slammed into my chest.

I hit the ground hard. Air left my lungs in a sharp wheeze. I lay there, staring up at the gray sky, feeling the unnatural cold of my own skin. I’d sold my luck. I’d sold my future. And now, I couldn't even stand up to save the one person who actually hated me for the right reasons.

"Pathetic," the lead Auditor droned. His voice sounded like grinding stones.

He tightened the chain, pulling Kaela flush against his chest. It wasn't lust—it was worse.