Chapter 17 · The Thing Beneath

"You hid my brother's records."

I grabbed Dorian's coat and yanked him down until our faces were inches apart. His breath brushed my lips, hot and uneven. The fabric twisted beneath my fists.

"You rejected me in front of the council," I said. "You let them believe I was dangerous. Now someone is using your voice to put my head on a block."

His eyes dropped to my mouth.

This time, he didn't pretend I hadn't seen it.

"You're building a terrible list of reasons to trust me," he murmured.

"I'm not trying to trust you. I'm deciding whether to break your nose before or after I open that gate."

"Before would be a waste of time."

"Don't test me."

"I'm not."

"Then tell me about Elias."

His throat moved beneath my fist.

For the first time since the speaker announced my execution, Dorian looked afraid.

Not for himself.

For what I might do with the truth.

"He wasn't just hiding records," Dorian said.

My grip tightened. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Elias found the first breach beneath Hollowmere."