Chapter 10 · The Shard Bites Back

"Get your hands off me, Kael!" I screamed, though it sounded more like a wheeze.

He didn't listen. He slammed me back against the peeling wallpaper of the hallway, his grip on my wrists like iron manacles. The air between us vanished, replaced by the scent of rain-soaked leather and that sharp, metallic tang of his monster-hunting gear.

"Shut up and breathe," he snapped. His voice was a low grate, vibrating right against my collarbone. "You're burning up. If you don't stop fighting me, you're going to incinerate this entire floor."

I tried to jerk away, but my muscles were betraying me. A jagged heat was ripping through my veins, starting from the base of my spine and clawing its way up to my chest. It wasn't just pain; it was a hunger. The Saint Shard embedded in my shoulder was pulsing, a rhythmic, violent throb that felt like a second heartbeat.

"I can... I can handle it," I gasped, my head lolling back. I glared at him, my vision blurring into a haze of gold and red. "I used to rule this city. I don't need a glorified dog-catcher to tell me how to—