Chapter 14 · The Price of a Name

"Get your hands off me!"

Mara shoved hard, but the man who looked exactly like her brother didn't budge.

Fake Eli stepped in, his grip tightening on her wrist like a vice. His eyes weren't just cold—they were predatory. He leaned in, his breath smelling of sterile ozone and old blood.

"You're confused, Mara," he whispered. A jagged smile cut across his face. "The boy in the pit is a ghost. I'm the one with the keys. Now, give me the contract, or I start taking fingers."

Beside them, Riven groaned. He was slumped against the damp stone wall, blood leaking from a gash on his forehead in thick, crimson streaks. He looked ruined. His gaze flickered between the two Elis, haunted and vacant.

"Riven!" Mara yelled, struggling against the grip. "Help me!"

Riven’s head snapped toward her. For a second, the fog cleared. He didn't remember her name—he couldn't—but his body remembered the feel of her. He lunged. Boots skidding on the wet floor, he slammed his shoulder into Fake Eli’s ribs.

Mara went sprawling. She hit the ground hard, air leaving her lungs in a sharp gasp.

"Still playing the hero?" Fake Eli spat.