Chapter 6 · Ten Steps, No More

"Tell me what you did to me." Riven's hand clamped around my wrist before I could reach the door.

His fingers were hot enough to hurt. Not normal hot. Black heat crawled under his skin in thin, angry lines, lighting his knuckles from beneath.

I looked at his grip. Then at his face.

"Let go."

"You touched me, and now I can't breathe unless you're standing close." His voice came rough, each word dragged through pain. "So try again. What did you do?"

"I saved your life."

"You stole something."

"Both can be true."

His grip tightened.

The room was barely big enough for the two of us, which meant I had nowhere to run and he knew it. A broken chair blocked one side of the door. A rusted sink took up the other. Riven stood between me and the only exit, dressed in a black coat burned open at the shoulder. Blood had dried along his collar. More of it had soaked into the bandage I had slapped over his ribs.

He looked like death with better cheekbones.

That was irritating. I had enough problems without noticing his face.

"You have three seconds to release me," I said.