Chapter 27 · The Door Below

"Easy," Dorian said from the doorway.

Kieran moved before I could. One second, his hand was around my wrist. The next, he had me behind him, his body blocking the exit and the shard burning against my palm.

"Move," Kieran said.

Dorian kept both hands raised. "I'm not here to fight."

"Then get out of the way."

Dorian's gaze slid past him and locked on me. "Miss Venn. You've seen it now. The whole picture."

I tightened my fingers around the shard. Heat bit into my skin. "You mean the part where the Registry used my sister?"

"Your sister understood what the Registry really was."

"She understood you were using her."

His mouth pulled into a tired smile. "She understood power. She also understood the city is dying. The doors are failing. When the seals break, everything we've kept out comes through."

Kieran shifted in front of me. "Save the speech."

"You saw the projections."

"I saw what you wanted me to see."

"Then look for yourself." Dorian stepped aside and pointed down the hall. "The projection room is two floors below. I'll give you the key."

Kieran didn't move.

Neither did I.

Dorian reached into his coat.