Chapter 45 · The Voice Behind the Door

"Don't touch that door."

Dorian caught my wrist an inch before my palm hit the black metal.

The shield slammed through the tunnel again.

My knees buckled. Blue-white light ripped across the walls, and the temporary mark beneath my collarbone flared hot enough to steal my breath.

"Let go."

"Want your arm burned off? Keep fighting me."

"You rejected me in front of half the city." I shoved at his hand. "You don't get to play protector now."

His jaw tightened. "This isn't a game, Mara."

"No. It's your command room. Your shield. Your council. Your mess."

Another pulse cracked through the tunnel.

The door flashed red.

Pain answered beneath my skin. Dorian shoved me against the wall before I hit the floor. His arm braced beside my head. His other hand locked around my waist, holding me against the heat pouring off his body.

His coat was damp beneath my palms. His breath brushed my cheek.

"Stop pushing away from me," he said. "The bond's already unstable.