Chapter 63 · The Price of Noah

"Take your hand off the core, Carson."

Black metal had locked around his wrist. Red lines crawled up his arm, stopping beneath his sleeve like veins made of fire.

He didn't look at me. "If I pull away, it seals."

"Then let it seal."

"And Noah dies in whatever hole they've buried him in."

That shut me up.

The vault shook hard enough to knock dust from the ceiling. Behind Carson, the open doorway slammed shut. Guards. Throne agents. Every exit we'd had five seconds ago—gone.

Carson finally turned his head. His jaw was tight. Blood slipped from beneath the cuff and disappeared into his palm.

"You brought me here to read the core," I said. "Not to let it put a leash on you."

"I brought you here because it won't open for anyone else."

"It opened for both of us."

"No." His gaze dropped to my hand. "It opened when you touched me."

The words landed harder than they should've.

The marriage contract still burned beneath my skin.