Chapter 10 · The Blood Ink

"Get away from me, Mara. Now." Calder caught her by the front of her coat and slammed her against the brick wall.

The impact knocked the air out of her. His forearm pressed across her collarbones. His face was inches from hers, pale under the grime, his gray eyes gone sharp and wild.

"You dragged me through three locked gates," she rasped. "You don't get to dump me at the finish line."

"I said move."

"And I said no. Funny how this keeps happening."

His fingers tightened in her coat. Heat rolled off his palm, but his skin felt wrong. Too hot in some places. Ice-cold in others.

Mara glanced down.

Blood had soaked through the side of his shirt. Not a small cut. A dark line ran from beneath his ribs to his belt, dripping onto the cracked floor.

She shoved at his chest. "You're bleeding."

"I'm aware."

"Then stop pretending you can stand."

"I can stand long enough to put you somewhere safe."

"There is nowhere safe. The whole damn city wants us dead."

"They want you." His mouth pulled tight. "I'm the reason they haven't reached you yet.