Page 102 of Chain Me

The man who had lied to me.

Tears spilled from my sore, bloodshot eyes, streaming down my cheeks before I could keep them at bay. Despite the roaring fire, my teeth chattered. Tremors racked my hollow frame, yet all I could manage to rasp was, “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” He spun on his heel, aiming for the door, “I’ll get Dmitri—”

“No.” I shook my head until he stopped, his back partially to me. “It’s not the poison.”

Just horror.

Just anger.

The worst part? I didn’t know whether to direct it all at him or myself.

“Dmitri,” Dublin hissed, this time without concern. Suspicion laced every uttered syllable. “What did he say?”

Anxiety clawed through my blood, sowing bitter regret. How funny that my demand for answers had come back to bite me—after weeks of questions and unintended answers, I doubted I could withstand any more revelations.

“Did… When Raphael bit me…” I closed my eyes as the memory threatened to unfold in painful clarity. “Did you try…t-to turn me?”

“That sly fucking bastard.” His voice was a low rasp. “What did he tell you?”

And for some insane reason, I found myself laughing. “That I am destined by blood to destroy you.”

“Is that all?”

I bit my lip. His tone was all wrong, suddenly neutral. Confused, I opened my eyes, gaping as he shrugged.

“Frankly, Eleanor, I’d like to think that my doom lies in something a little more formidable than you.” He crossed over to my position and stroked his chin, eyeing me with a sweep of his gaze.

“Don’t lie to me,” I countered. “Is it true?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is what true?”

“The curse.” I ran my fingers through my hair, parting the curls. His reaction didn’t fit the morbid, somber tale Dmitri had told. If anything…God, his lack of concern made it all sound so silly when put into perspective.

So silly. So morbid. So very much like Dublin.

“That my family’s bloodline wascursedby a witch so that one of us would ultimately result in your destruction. Is that ringing a bell?”

“Not particularly?” Dublin frowned as though seriously mulling it over, hunting for that obscure detail among the centuries clouding his ancient brain. “Eleanor, I get damned to Hell on a weekly basis. You can’t really expect me to rememberonewitch from—”

“There’s more.” I stared at my bare toes rather than face him. “That the reason why you could feed from me had nothing to do with venom. No other vampire can. That’s why Raphael’s bite killed.”

“Raphael killed you because he grows more sadistic with every year he’s aged.” His upper lip curled from his teeth in disgust. “Toying with mortal lives is a game to him. Think of it as a child ripping the wings off a butterfly merely to watch it squirm.”

“Then…why are you drawn to me?” I wondered helplessly. Magic would certainly explain it.

“Why?” He raised a golden eyebrow as though I were a simpleton asking why the sky was blue. “Honestly, for the same reason a lion might be drawn to a psychotic, bold, fearless little lamb who acted so peculiarly from the rest of the sheep. I think I’d have to be blindnotto notice you merrily skipping into danger.”

“But…” Doubt returned, planting itself firmly in my chest.

“In fact”—he swiped his finger along the length of one of my curls and then snatched my wrist, inspecting the ring glinting on my finger—“I’d say you are the very opposite of what a curse might conjure to tempt me. I’ve always despised the color green.” He peered into my eyes with a frown. “I also prefer skin that has some definition to it. As well as sun-kissed hair—”

“You mean like Georgie?” I was too stunned to feel offended.

“Yes,” he mused, the corner of his mouth lifting. “If some witch designed one of you Grays to ‘doom’ me, as you put it, it would beGeorgianawho’d fit the bill. Beautiful, sane, agreeable. A cliched, whirlwind love affair would commence, I suspect.”

“Do you know where she is?” My eyes stung. Blinking didn’t banish the sensation. His ring threatened to crush my finger. It suddenly felt so heavy. “Have you both just been toying with me this entire—”