I couldn't stand the silence anymore. Dorian had told me part of the truth, but not all of it. I needed answers, and I needed them now.
"You knew about the organization," I said. "You knew they were after me. And you didn't tell me."
Dorian didn't flinch, but he didn't deny it either. He stood there, his jaw clenched. I wasn't waiting for some emotional response. I needed facts.
"You were going to let them take me, weren't you?" I pushed.
"No," Dorian said, his voice tight. "I didn't want you involved."
"Well, I'm already involved," I snapped. "You should've told me from the beginning."
He sighed. "I thought I could protect you from this."
I shook my head. "You don't get to make that choice. Not anymore."
He met my gaze, his expression hardening. "You don't understand the danger you're in."
I didn't care about the danger. I wanted the truth. "Who are they? Who are you really working with?"
Dorian hesitated. His eyes flicked to the door, like he was weighing his options. Then he spoke, his words low. "The organization is older than you can imagine. They've been watching you—your family—for generations. They know who you are."
I took a step back. "What do you mean, 'who I am'?"
He didn't answer right away, but his silence spoke louder than words. "You're not just a witch," he finally said. "You're connected to them. To everything."
The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut. "What does that mean?"
He looked at me with a mix of guilt and something else. "I didn't want to pull you into this. But you're already part of it. And so am I."
I stepped away from him, trying to process everything. "You've been working with them this whole time? The people who want me dead?"
Dorian nodded. "I didn't have a choice."
I laughed, bitterly. "That's not good enough."
"You don't get it," Dorian said, his voice rising. "They've been controlling things for a long time. The power they hold—it's not something I could just walk away from."
"You expect me to trust you after everything you've kept from me?" I demanded.
"I never wanted to lie to you," he said. "But you don't understand what's at stake."
I didn't care about the stakes. I cared about what I was being dragged into. "I need to know where your loyalties lie. Because I don't know if I can trust you anymore."
Dorian opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. "If I'm going to fight this, I need to know if you're with me. Or if you're still playing both sides."
His eyes narrowed. "I'm not playing both sides. I'm doing what I can to keep you safe."
I didn't buy it. "By lying to me? By keeping secrets?"
He didn't answer right away. He knew I was right. The truth was, I didn't know if I could trust him anymore. But I couldn't back out now. Whatever was happening, it wasn't just about Dorian. It was about me, too. And I needed to make sure I was making the right choice.
"I'm done with secrets," I said, my voice steady but firm. "From now on, no more lies. No more hiding the truth."
Dorian gave a slow nod. "You'll have the truth. I promise."
I wasn't sure I believed him. But right now, I didn't have a choice. The path ahead was uncertain, and the people who were after me weren't going to wait for me to figure things out. They'd be coming for me. And I needed to be ready....