Chapter 12 · Then ask me what I remember

"Then ask me what I remember."

His eyes hardened. "What do you remember?"

"You kneeling in front of me."

A sharp silence fell.

Sable whispered, "Lia..."

"You were hurt," Lia continued. "You called me something. I don't know what. Then I saw my mother's name, and the plate broke the memory before I could see the rest."

Cael's face pulled tight. "You remember enough."

"No. I remember a picture. That's not the same thing."

"You expect me to trust that?"

"I expect you to notice I'm standing here with a gun against my head and still trying to keep you from turning into a monster."

His eyes dropped to her mouth for one dangerous second.

Lia felt it. The pause. The heat. The way his attention caught and refused to let go.

Then he looked away like the moment had burned him.

Rowan raised two fingers. The warden holding Sable shoved her to her knees.

"Enough," Rowan said. "Lia, walk to the truth plate. Touch it. Read the clause. If you refuse, Quinn dies first. Rook dies second."

"You can't kill him that easily."

"Silver can."

A warden drew a narrow silver blade.