Chapter 24 · The Accomplice's Vow

"You’re not saving me, Kael. Stop pretending you give a damn about my soul," I spat, my voice raw. I didn't move as he grabbed my wrist, his grip tight enough to bruise. He slammed me back against the cold, rain-slicked brick of the alleyway, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs.

"Shut up," he hissed. His face was inches from mine, eyes blazing with a kind of desperation that didn't fit the 'Golden Boy' image he sold to the world. "I'm the only reason you're not in a body bag right now. Do you think Silas is just going to let you wander off with a piece of your core?"

I laughed, a jagged sound that turned into a cough. Rain drenched my clothes, clinging to my skin like a second, colder layer of grief. "Oh, I'm sorry. Does it hurt your conscience to help a monster? Does it make you feel like a saint?"

Kael didn't flinch. He leaned closer, his chest pressing against mine, pinning me to the wall. I could feel the heat radiating off him, a sharp contrast to the freezing downpour.