Witch Born - LJ Swallow Page 0,75

they should be fucking terrified of.”

“Dorian, I can’t help you.”

“Yes, you can!” He steps back and drags both hands into his hair. I take a deep breath and for a moment, he’s quiet before he speaks quietly. “If this is life or death for me, I’ll take your blood.”

“I don’t think so.”

He narrows his eyes. “Don’t you believe me?” I shrink back as Dorian moves into my face again. “Join me in tearing this place apart, Eloise.”

“I can’t.”

I flinch as he slams a hand on the door again. “Because you’re fucking scared.”

I moisten my lips as my heart sounds in my ears. The fear I had around Ethan is nothing compared to how I feel now—and neither is the attraction. “I’m scared that you’ll kill me.”

“I won’t kill you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He laughs, low in his throat. “You’re a powerful ally for the future.”

I take a ragged breath and fight against the effect his heated anger has, the enhanced hybrid energy reaching out to the witch. “When will you understand that I can’t ever forgive the person you are?”

“And when will you understand that if you don’t join me, you’re dead?”

“Are you threatening to kill me? That was a quick change of mind.”

“Not me!” He steps back and throws his hands in the air. “Do you honestly think they want you? You're as big a danger as I am. They’re using you. They tried to use Zeke too, but sounds like he’s out of control.”

I shake my head, but his words sharpen the suspicion I voiced before.

“Eloise. Fine. You hate me and I’m your enemy because I killed your uncle.” I swallow. “But they are your real enemies.” He moves forward again. “Give me the power to get us out of this place and when we do, I’ll let you go.”

“For you to murder again,” I say hoarsely. “To terrorise people.”

Dorian lifts his hand and rubs my cheek with the back, eyes softening as he looks into mine. “You’d sacrifice your life for people you don't know?”

My skin heats at his touch and I clench my jaw at his change of tack. “Maybe that’s for the best.”

“Are you that brainwashed?” he whispers, and his fingers brush my skin as he pushes hair from my neck.

Moistening my lips, I stare back into the eyes that I avoid meeting because they scare me. Not because I’m scared of Dorian, but because I can see the person I could be if I gave into the darker, hidden desire to kill and control people.

“No. But I think you’ll kill me first,” I whisper. “If I won't help, you’ll take my blood and kill me.”

Dorian’s thumb skims where my vein pulses against my neck and the slight shiver from before electrifies my blood. “Say yes,” he says, cajoling and keeping his eyes on mine.

My mind fuzzes again, but this time not because of the spaced-out response to Marcus’s request. “Dorian.”

“Eloise.”

I close my eyes and pull together the strands of magic in my mind before channelling the mental spell at Dorian.

“Fuck!” He breaks his seductive moves as a sharp pain hits him, and he grabs my shoulders, holding me against the wall.

“You don't hurt girls, remember?” I say, half in fear.

“I don't want to hurt you, but I want to save my own fucking life!” he half-shouts.

My lips part. “You would kill me to get what you need.”

Dorian dips his head, breaths coming rapidly as his hands shake on my shoulders. “I’m conditioned to kill, Eloise. I’m already somebody’s construct.” He lifts his blazing eyes to mine. “Even if you did reanimate my dead body, you'd never control what I am.”

I place a hand over his shaking one. “The world would be better without us both.”

“Don't talk bullshit,” he says. “We can make this world ours.”

“Not with you.”

“I’ve asked you before and I’ll ask you again—can’t you feel this?” He rests his forehead on mine, another shift in mood that takes me by surprise.

I know exactly what Dorian means, because the shared desire roars through and between us. Allowing Dorian to take my blood would unite the dark energy that flows between us.

Dorian could make me as powerful as him.

“No,” I say, more to myself than him.

“Why?” His arms shake against me still and my legs tremble. Neither of us can fully control what’s happening now we touch, and our barriers are down. “Save yourself from Ravenhold, Eloise. Give me your blood.”

Dorian moves his face and I shake more as I wait for the inevitable, the