Chapter 34 · You do when you're pretending to be alive

"You do when you're pretending to be alive."

Her fingers touched the side of my throat.

Just two fingers. Barely there.

Still, my whole body locked around the contact.

Her gaze flicked from my eyes to her hand. She felt the hard jump beneath my skin.

"Interesting," she murmured.

"Remove your fingers."

"Why?"

"Because I'm asking."

"You don't ask. You grow claws and scare people."

"You want to test that?"

Her mouth curved, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

"Maybe."

The dead stalker groaned.

Lyra turned back and shoved her knife under his jaw.

"Where is the rest of your group?"

"You killed the rest."

"There were five?"

"Seven."

My head turned toward the corridor.

"How many outside?"

The stalker laughed again.

"Enough."

Lyra's knife pressed harder.

"Give me a number."

"Four at the east stairs. Two at the lift. One waiting above."

"And the one who sent you?"

The man's smile vanished.

That was answer enough.

"He came himself," I said.

The stalker looked at me.

"You really don't know?"

Lyra's eyes sharpened.

"Know what?"

I drove my palm into the man's chest.

The shadow pushed through my hand in a narrow spike and pierced the leather