Chapter 15 · The Empty Blood Vault

The black door slammed shut behind Nessa, and Dorian hit it hard enough to crack his shoulder.

“Open it,” Colin shouted from the other side. “Nessa, don’t let him—”

The door swallowed his voice.

Nessa spun on Dorian. “You knew he was alive.”

His back stayed against the metal. His face had gone gray, but the black veins crawling over his cheek didn’t fade. They had reached his eye now, thin lines cutting through the white.

“I told you,” he said.

“No. You confessed because Sable was about to cut us open.” Nessa grabbed the front of his coat. “You took my brother to her.”

“I took him to get the key.”

“You traded him.”

Dorian’s jaw tightened. “I was going to get him back.”

“After she finished using him?”

A sharp bang shook the door behind them.

Sable’s voice came through the metal, calm and clear. “Nessa. Step away from Dorian. He’s lying to you again.”

Dorian pushed Nessa aside and drew the short blade from his belt. His fingers were shaking. Not from fear. The curse had climbed into his hand, turning the skin around his knuckles dark and hard.

“Sable,” he called. “Still giving orders from outside?”