Chapter 16 · The Eclipse Comes Early

"Don't touch anything else." Rafe grabbed Nia's wrist and yanked her back from the counter so hard the stool clattered over. "Not the notebook. Not the safe. Not—"

"Jonah's alive." She twisted free. "You saw him. He's in that white room and she's got silver on him and I'm not leaving—"

"You can't go after him."

"Watch me."

Rafe stepped between her and the counter. His eyes were still gold but the edges flickered. She'd seen that flicker twice before. Once when the blood-fever spiked. Once when the hunters cornered them in the stairwell and he'd torn through three of them before she could blink.

"Nia. Listen." He put both hands on her shoulders. Not rough. Careful. Like she might break. "Celia showed you Jonah because she wants you to run straight into her tower. That's the trap."

"I don't care."

"I care."

She shoved his chest. He didn't budge. "You don't get to care. You were supposed to take me six years ago and you didn't. Jonah traded my name because you wouldn't sign the deal. So don't stand there and tell me what I can't do when you're the reason he's in that room."

Rafe's jaw tightened.