Chapter 30 · Shadow Allies

"Put the shard down, Sera."

Kael's hand locked around my wrist before my fingers touched the silver case. His other hand stayed near the knife under his coat, close enough that I could feel the threat without seeing the blade.

I looked at his grip, then at his face. "Take your hand off me."

"Not until you tell me why you came within six feet of a Council auction."

"Because I enjoy bad decisions."

"You enjoy making them for everyone else."

His thumb pressed against my pulse. Not hard enough to hurt. Hard enough to remind me that he could.

The auction floor buzzed behind us. Buyers in dark masks crowded around the old theater's lower level, bidding on relics stolen from dead saints, condemned monsters, and people unlucky enough to own the wrong bloodline. Above the stage, a crystal display held the Saint Shard we needed.

The shard was small. Pale. Almost pretty.

It could bring back a piece of my divinity.

It could also turn every hunter in Neon City against us.

"You said we were here to steal it," I said. "Now you're acting like a guard dog."

"I said we were here to identify the buyer."