Chapter 45 · No One Gets Sacrificed

Calian caught my wrist before I could pull the oath-ring from the stone.

"Don't touch it."

His fingers locked around me, hot against the mark burned into my skin. The ring sat half-buried in the pillar between us, its black metal pulsing with the same red light crawling over Calian's throat.

Behind him, Noah hit the floor on one knee.

"Let go of me," I snapped.

"Not until you tell me what you're planning."

"I'm planning to keep your oath from draining him dry. Move."

Calian's grip tightened. His face had gone pale, but he still looked like the man who could order an entire guard unit into a burning street without blinking.

"You don't know what that ring does."

"I know what your oath does." I yanked against his hand. "It takes from whoever stands closest to the core. Right now, that's Noah."

Noah coughed behind us. A thin line of blood ran from his nose to his mouth.

"Lia," he rasped, "this is a terrible time for couple problems.