Chapter 12 · Don't say anything you don't mean

He held my hand harder.

The contact made the curse crawl toward my fingers. His blood had dried against my glove, but the door had tied us together somehow. I could feel a second pulse beneath my own.

"Don't say anything you don't mean," he said.

"You first."

"I didn't sign your death order."

The ward flickered.

Not red.

White.

My stomach dropped.

Lucan's eyes shut for one short second.

"That sounded like a lie," I said.

"It wasn't."

"The ward disagrees."

"The ward reads intent, not words."

"Then what did you intend when you said it?"

He looked down at our joined hands.

"I intended to stop it."

"Did you?"

"I tried."

The white light turned gray.

A drawer unlocked with a soft click.

I moved toward it.

Lucan pulled me back.

"Wait."

"No."

"The ward is still active."

"Then stand behind me."

"If the file carries a blood trap—"

"You can drag me out. You seem to enjoy that."

His fingers slid up my wrist.

"You keep making it difficult to protect you."

"I didn't ask for protection."

"You asked for my blood. That's close enough.