Chapter 19 · The Archive Knows Who's Alive

“Put the knife down, Lyra.”

Mira’s voice came from behind the iron gate, thin and breathless. A black cord was tight around her throat. One of the Court hunters held the other end like a leash.

Lyra kept her blade against the hunter’s wrist. “Tell your friend to let her go.”

The hunter smiled. “Tell your wolf to stop scratching at the door.”

Behind Lyra, something slammed into the archive entrance. Metal bent inward. Caelan hit the other side again, and the old stone walls shook with it.

His voice came through the door, rough and low. “Lyra.”

“I hear you.”

“Move away from the gate.”

“Not until Mira’s breathing.”

The hunter tightened the cord. Mira’s boots dragged across the floor.

“Bad choice,” he said. “Your wolf can’t get in. Your friend can’t get out. And you’re holding the only weapon that won’t break against Court steel.”

Lyra pressed her knife harder. A bead of blood slipped down his wrist.

“You talk too much for someone standing this close to losing a hand.”

“Your badge says otherwise.”

His eyes dropped to the silver hunter’s badge clipped inside her coat.