Chapter 30 · Broken Gambit

"You’re shaking, Nova. Is it fear, or are you just cold?"

Kael’s voice was a low vibration against my ear, his chest pressing into my back. We were crammed into a ventilation shaft that smelled of old zinc and desperation. Every time I tried to shift, my shoulder scraped the metal, and the sound felt like a gunshot in the silence.

"Get your face out of my hair," I hissed, trying to elbow him in the ribs. He didn't budge. He had me pinned, his arms locking me into the narrow space, his heat seeping through my thin shirt.

"We can't move until the patrol passes," he whispered. His breath hitched, grazing my neck. "And if you keep squirming, I might have to find a way to keep you still."

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't see him. "Save the hero act for the press, Kael. We're in a vent. Not exactly the place for a romantic comedy."

"Who said anything about romance?" He tightened his grip, his hand sliding up to the small of my back, pulling me flush against him. The power dynamic shifted in a heartbeat.