Chapter 35 · Untitled Chapter

"Mara, get your hand off the key."

Dorian caught my wrist before I could rip the black shard free.

The corrupted key burned under my palm. Not like metal. Like a living thing had sunk its teeth into me and refused to let go.

"Take your hand off me."

His fingers tightened. "That key is locked to my command seal. Pull it out, and the shield will read you as an intruder."

"Good. Maybe it'll stop listening to you."

We stood on opposite sides of the shattered control dais, but Dorian blocked the only path to the key. Blood slid down my wrist and disappeared beneath his glove.

His eyes dropped to it.

Then came back to my face.

"You're already marked hostile," he said. "Don't make this worse."

I jerked against his grip. "You rejected me in front of the entire council. I think we passed worse ten minutes ago."

His jaw locked.

There. That tiny pause he thought nobody noticed.

I noticed everything when it came to him.

He'd pressed his mouth to mine beneath the midnight moon.