Chapter 61 · The Blood Lock

"Tell me what I said to Noah."

Carson's hand clamped around my wrist before I could reach the recording crystal.

His palm burned through my skin. Blood had soaked the bandage beneath his coat, spreading across his ribs in a dark, ugly stain.

I jerked against him. "Let go."

"Not until you answer me."

"I don't remember making that recording."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I expect you to stop bleeding on the floor and listen when I speak."

His jaw locked.

Behind him, his father stood with two council guards and a pistol aimed at my chest. Carson's sister hovered on the stairs, pale with fury, one hand gripping the railing.

Nobody moved.

Then the crystal crackled.

Noah's voice leaked into the room, thin and rough. "Ivy, if he brings you to the vault, don't let him—"

The recording snapped dead.

Carson spun toward the wall. The movement pulled at his wound. His face drained white, but he stayed upright.

His father lifted his chin. "You heard enough. Hand her over, Carson. The council will handle the rest."