Chapter 10 · Cracks in the Bond

"Don't you dare move," Lyra snapped, her boot pinning my shadow-edge firmly against the cold stone floor. "I can feel it. You're hiding something, you little parasite."

I pulsed a wave of feigned confusion, vibrating my form beneath her sole. I couldn't exactly tell her that I was currently rewriting the Tower's basic combat logic in my head. If she knew I could potentially override her own commands, this 'partnership' would turn into a dissection real fast.

"I'm just a pet, remember?" I projected the thought, making it sound as pathetic as possible. "Your cute, spikey little shadow-dog."

Lyra scoffed, but she didn't lift her foot. She leaned down, her face inches from mine. I could smell the metallic tang of dried blood and something like ozone clinging to her leather armor. Her eyes were narrowed, scanning my shifting mass for any sign of a lie. The heat radiating from her skin was a stark contrast to the freezing void I'd become.

"Pets don't evolve that fast," she whispered, her voice dropping to a dangerous low. "And pets don't look at me like they're calculating the best way to rip my throat out.