Chapter 16 · You're insane

Kane didn't thank him. He didn't even look back. He steered Lyra toward the basement, his hand still firm on her wrist. As they descended the stairs, the air grew colder, smelling of ozone and ancient rot. The walls were lined with weeping pipes and flickering conduits that looked like exposed nerves.

"You're insane," Lyra said, though there was no heat in it. She leaned into him as they walked, the narrow corridor forcing them into a tight, friction-filled proximity. "You can't just go around breaking people's legs in every shop we visit."

"He was disrespectful," Kane said simply.

"Disrespectful? He was trying to sell me!" she countered, stopping abruptly and turning to face him. The space was so small that her chest was inches from his. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his vacant, golden gaze. "Why do you care? You don't even remember who you are. Why does it matter if some scrap-dealer thinks I'm a bounty?"

Kane paused. He looked down at her, his expression unreadable. He reached out, his fingers hovering just a fraction of an inch from her cheek, the air between them humming with static.