Draco stared at Patrick for a long moment, his chest heaving from the earlier clash.
Patrick’s words hung in the air.
Draco narrowed his eyes. “You talk like a man with a plan,” he said slowly, suspicion threading his voice.
Patrick tilted his head, the corner of his lips twitching into a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “You could say that.” He reached into the inside pocket of his coat and drew something out—a dagger, slim and wickedly curved, its blade catching the pale light. The metal gleamed faintly, but there was something off about it. The closer Draco looked, the more the sheen seemed… unnatural.
“What’s that?” Draco asked, his tone wary.
Patrick turned the dagger over in his hand like it was something precious. “Forged with pure silver,” he said quietly. “And tainted with wo
