Chapter 27 · The Accomplice Pact

"Stop pretending you're the victim, Nova. It doesn't suit you."

Kael’s hand clamped around my wrist, pinning it against the cold, blood-streaked wall of the safehouse. He didn't slam me—he didn't have to. The sheer pressure of his grip, the way his body crowded mine into the concrete, was enough to make my lungs seize.

I glared up at him, my breath hitching. "Victim? I'm the one who just took a blade to the ribs for your precious 'justice'. Maybe you should thank me before you start playing the interrogator."

"Thank you?" Kael leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous, velvet whisper. He was so close I could smell the ozone and sterile mint on his skin. His eyes weren't the bright, hopeful gold the public saw on the news. They were dark. Hungry. "I should be thanking the person who betrayed you, because it brought you right into my lap, broken and desperate."

I tried to wrench my arm away, but he only tightened his hold. The friction of his palm against my skin sent a spark of something traitorous through my nerves. I hated it. I hated how he looked at me—