Chapter 20 · Red Marks

“Nessa.”

My brother said my name like he hadn’t been gone four years.

Like he hadn’t vanished the night the Guild dragged me through an alley with iron cuffs on my wrists and a death warrant in my pocket.

He stood in the third vault doorway with one hand braced against the stone. Same crooked mouth. Same black hair falling in his eyes. Same old leather coat with the left sleeve patched twice because he never threw anything away.

For one stupid second, I almost ran to him.

Then I saw the blood under his nails.

“Elias,” I said.

Dorian moved in front of me fast enough to knock my shoulder back against the table of purge lists.

“Stay behind me.”

“Oh, screw that.” My voice came out thin. “That’s my brother.”

Elias looked at Dorian and smiled a little.

“Still doing that?” he asked. “Standing in front of people like it fixes what you did?”

Dorian’s hand went to the knife at his belt. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“That’s funny.” Elias stepped into the room. His boots scraped through old dust and broken wax seals. “I was about to say the same thing.