Chapter 26 · You do. You were an oath auditor

"You do. You were an oath auditor."

"I lost my license, remember? In front of half the city?"

"You didn't lose the skill."

Another blast hit the vault door. Metal shrieked behind us.

The guards were coming in.

I looked down. A thin blue line opened along the center of the core.

"Tell me what to do."

Adrian caught my hand and pressed my thumb against the seal.

His chest touched my shoulder. His breath warmed the side of my neck.

"Say your legal name."

"Mara Voss."

The core stayed dark.

"Your full name."

"Mara Elise Voss."

Nothing.

"Your contract name," he said.

My stomach dropped. "No."

"Mara Rook."

"I am not calling myself that."

"The vault doesn't care what you want."

"It should."

"Mara."

His voice roughened. Not commanding. Pleading.

The guards slammed into the door again.

I felt his heartbeat through his shirt. Fast. Strong. Alive.

"Say it," he whispered. "Please."

That word from Adrian Rook nearly broke me worse than the blood on his hands.

I swallowed.

"Mara Rook."

The core opened.

Blue light flooded our joined hands.