Chapter 15 · Neon District Intel

"Sit. Now."

Lilith didn’t look up from her tablet, but the tip of her combat boot was already planted firmly on my shin, pinning me to the velvet lounge chair. I didn't sit—I collapsed, my muscles still screaming from the fight with Silas. Every breath felt like I was inhaling powdered glass.

"You look like shit, Kane," she said, finally glancing at me. Her eyes scanned my face, lingering on the dark, jagged veins creeping up my neck. "The Void marks are getting deeper. How many memories did you burn to get this far?"

"Not your business," I spat, trying to shift my leg. She didn't budge. The power dynamic in this room was a joke, and I was the punchline.

"Everything in the Neon District is my business," Lilith replied, leaning forward. The scent of expensive ozone and vanilla hit me—a sharp contrast to the metallic tang of blood still coating my tongue. She reached out, her gloved finger tracing the edge of the black mark on my collarbone. I flinched, but she didn't pull away. "Silas doesn't send people to me unless they're either dead or about to become very interesting.