Chapter 13 · The Warrant in My Hand

"Give me the warrant, Caelan. Now."

Caelan's hand closed around my throat before I could reach the papers.

His back hit the iron door. Mine hit his chest. The bond between us snapped tight, hot as a wire pulled through my ribs.

"You want this?" His voice scraped against my ear. "After you lied about the command?"

"I didn't lie. I left out the part that would make you kill me before I could fix it. Different thing."

His fingers tightened.

Not enough to crush. Enough to remind me that he could.

Behind us, something slammed into the tower stairs. Claws dragged over stone. The hounds had found the lower gate, and the black chain around my wrist jerked toward them every time they pulled.

If that chain broke, the bond would tear with it.

The bond was the only thing keeping Caelan's curse from swallowing his mind. It was also the only thing keeping the hounds from tracking him through the city.

Lose it, and we both died.