by LJ Swallow
He cocks his head. “Tiger boy and dragon dude.”
“Ethan and Zeke?” I blink. “How would they know the number?”
With a smirk, Dorian replies. “Oh for when I know to sever no-one free.” I look blankly. “I gave them a cryptic note. Call it an intelligence test. Phone number: 0419 027013.”
I snatch the phone, increasingly infuriated by him. “Whatever. The missed calls must be from them. Call the number!”
“Unknown caller. I expect they’ll try again.” He takes the phone from my hand and places it on the table. “How did you sleep?”
“Not well and you know that. You kept me awake half the night.”
Dorian chuckles. “I didn’t hear any complaints.”
Self-consciously, I touch the place he fed after killing Ivan, and Dorian moistens his lips. “The sex is awesome, Eloise, but I want more blood.”
“Whoa. Blunt much?”
His eyes gleam bluer. “I’ll need more. Once the guys find us, I have plans. Some research. A little investigating. A death or two to send a warning.”
I hate how casually Dorian talks about killing. “Lure people to your lair?” I ask sarcastically.
“I wish I could see people’s worried faces, now they know I’m free.” He chuckles. “They can’t hide.”
“You are.”
“No. I’m having a romantic getaway.”
I sigh and look the other way. The phone rings and we both straighten and stare. “Answer it!”
Dorian casually accepts the call. “Did you figure out my puzzle? Aren’t you a clever little shifter?” He pauses for the caller to reply. “You know who. And yes, she’s safe. Where are you?”
“Who is it?” I ask.
“Ezekiel.”
“Let me speak to him!” I hold out a hand, but Dorian shifts away from me.
“We can collect you, but you’ll need to head somewhere me or Eloise knows for the spell to work. Are you far from Eloise’s place?” He pauses for the reply. “Hmm.” Dorian holds out the phone. “Eloise, sweetest girl, discuss this with your... whatever he is. We’ll use the spell and retrieve them, but this will be the last time. The Blackwoods will sense their magic each time I use it and could find us.”
Gritting my teeth at his pet name, I take the phone. “Zeke?”
His reply is sudden and vehement. “Fuck, Eloise! Where are you? Has Dorian hurt you? Is Ivan there?”
“No. We’re at Dorian’s place.”
“His parents' estate? No way. Has he killed them?”
Dorian snickers beside me as he picks up on the conversation.
“No. His ‘secret lair’,” I say and pointedly look at the perpetually amused Dorian. “Are you near my family’s place?”
“Nah. We travelled to the next town. No way were we hanging around where witches could find us.”
“Bridgeton? Okay. This evening, go out of the town to Herne Hill. It’s a tourist place and closed at night, but you can find your way in. Wait near the benches outside the car park.” I’ve no idea why I hurry the words, as if worried he might end the call. “Are you both safe?”
“Ethan’s with me, yeah. He’s freaking out because he thought that the witches still had you, so hopefully he’ll calm the fuck down now.”
Ethan says something inaudible.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened,” I say.
Dorian arches a brow. “Are you sure about that, Eloise?”
“How did you get out?” asks Zeke.
“The same way we’re coming for you, dumbass,” calls out Dorian. “Wait where Eloise told you and we’ll find you after sunset.”
“Ethan still doesn’t trust him,” says Zeke.
“I can hear you,” Dorian retorts. “Ethan can stay alone if he wants, but if he’s caught, they’ll sling him in Nighthold and not back to Ravenhold.”
As the bickering continues, the prospect of the four of us in Dorian’s small bolt hole suddenly seems unappealing.
If I don’t pull them into line, the bloodshed will start at home before Dorian’s plans spread death elsewhere.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
ETHAN
I’m happier in the dark. We’re close to the small car park at the location Eloise asked us to wait, and relieved there’s nobody around. Partly because the less people who see me, the better, and partly because Dorian arrives soon. Does Dorian attack humans? There are so many stories about him, it’s hard to know which ones are true.
The humans come here to visit some old stones stuck halfway up a hill. Seems a pointless exercise to me, but humans do a lot of pointless shit. Across the tiny car park, there’s a small building used as a visitors’ centre. I scouted around the unlit, single storey building but didn’t see or sense anyone. Zeke did the same.
I’m suspicious of the pair he met. I can understand why other supernaturals might watch the Thornbrook estate, and that their meeting Zeke may be a coincidence, but they claim no affiliation with either Confederacy or Dominion. Who are the shifter and witch—and this Alaric guy they mentioned? Zeke didn’t recognise them as ex-Ravenhold and they didn’t have Welsh accents. What if their curiosity sends them after us? Especially since dumbass Zeke told them he knew Dorian Blackwood.
The night is warmer here than on the island and the air still; Ravenhold feels a lifetime away already. I’ve not had time to catch up and consider where I’ll go, and I’m begrudgingly realising that my immediate future might be with Dorian. Zeke’s right—Eloise won’t leave him anytime soon, otherwise she would’ve by now.
Maybe Dorian can help me take down Ivan.
Then we can move on to others who are a threat.
I shake my head. I’m as bad as Dorian.
“Are you sure that shifter and witch didn’t follow us?” I ask as we stay to the shadows, beneath the bows of a large oak tree.
“I can’t detect them, can you?” Zeke asks. “I’ll scout around again if you’re that bloody worried.”
I bite my lip. “Are your senses sharp enough after Ravenhold’s influence?”
“Yeah,” he snaps back.
Before waiting for an answer, Zeke stomps away and I sigh. We’re both stressed about this, and as life is one long chain of stress right now, this doesn’t help our relationship. I smile to myself, imagining Eloise pulling us into line, but that smile disappears when I think of her and Dorian. I have to trust that his actions with Ivan wasn’t a betrayal. Trust Dorian? Yeah, right.
The sun dropped behind the nearby hills a while ago and as the minutes pass, I become more anxious about the situation. No. If Eloise said that she’s coming to us, she’ll come, but I wish I knew the exact location. Hopefully not in the middle of the car park, even if there aren’t any humans around.
Zeke reappears a couple of minutes later and shakes his head at me. “Nobody. If anybody approaches, they’ll have a long walk up that track.” He points at the narrow roadway leading back to the main road. “Or will need to drive up. I’ll see them.”
With a sigh, I rest back against the tree and fold my arms. “Bloody hurry up,” I mutter. Zeke flashes me a look. “Not you.”
“What do we look for? A flash of magic light or do they just appear?” he asks.
I shrug. I’m confused how the whole thing works—I never knew teleporting with magic is possible. But, until I met Eloise, I didn’t think necromancy is possible, either.
I’m on alert at each sound and movement, tricked by rabbits in the shadows and the breeze in the autumn leaves. Zeke gets pissed off when I repeatedly ask if he can detect anyone, so I shut up.
My stomach is in knots as I picture Eloise again. Until I have her in my arms, I won’t believe she’s safe. I’ll need to fight hard not to take her and run from the others—and she’d probably fight me if I did.
“Ethan,” whispers Zeke, and he grabs my forearm. “Over there.”
I squint into the darkened car park and across to visitors centre, cursing that my sight doesn’t match Zeke’s. I can
sense heat though, and there’re definitely people close by.
“How many?” I whisper back. “Eloise and Dorian?”
Zeke sets off across the car park and takes big strides until he reaches the corner of the building. I catch up to him before he disappears out of sight.
Around the back, close to another tree, Dorian crouches beside a prone figure—Eloise. She lies on her front with hair splayed around her head, unmoving. With a growl, I instinctively run at Dorian.
Dorian deftly sidesteps me and I half-trip. “Ethan. Don’t piss me off. I’m stronger now.”
His teeth and eyes shine in the dark and I look down at Eloise in horror. “What have you done to her?”
Zeke joins me in confronting the hybrid. “Did you attack Eloise and take her blood?”
As he steps forward, Dorian holds a palm out and Zeke halts and winces as if he walked into an electric fence. “She’s unconscious because of the spell that brought us here, that’s all.”
Scowling, I walk by and crouch by Eloise. Her back moves with shallow breaths and I place a hand on her. “What happened?”
“Well, first we had breakfast with the Thornbrooks. Oh, and I met Nikolai Blackwood.” He pulls a face. “He’s a bit of a wanker.”
“I mean between you and her!” I retort.
I pull myself full height as Dorian takes slow steps towards me. He needs to look up in order to meet my eyes, but there’s nothing weak about this guy. His new energy hums around and there’s a glow to his skin, subtle but noticeable.
He’s taken Eloise’s blood.
If he assaulted her, I’ll rip the arsehole to shreds—or try.
“I can read your thoughts,” he says softly. “I haven’t assaulted Eloise. I stopped Ivan’s assault—he tried to rape her.”
“What the fuck?” I yell as my dragon flares to life. “Is he still at that fucking house? Zeke. We’re going back.”
“Calm down and don’t interrupt my story.” Dorian clears his throat. “Let me continue. Next, I ripped Ivan’s throat open and smashed his skull. Obviously, hanging around the witches’ estate became a little problematic after I killed the bastard, so we left.”
I gawk at him, unable to respond.
“Left to go to your house?” Zeke asks. “Are we nearby?”
“No,” Dorian says like a frustrated parent. “My ‘evil lair’ is hidden.”
“Then what happened?” I ask.
Nearby, Eloise groans softly and she moves to sit up, and I rush over and crouch down. She grips my sleeve and her confused look brightens into relief. “We found you!”
“Then what happened?” repeats Zeke.
“Oh. Well, a boy shouldn’t kiss and tell.” Dorian smirks.
I take a sharp breath and help Eloise to her feet. Dorian’s arrogance and condescension hasn’t changed, but is that what bothers me the most? Or that he’s implying something happened between them?
“Yes, Ethan. We did,” says Dorian.
“Did what?” demands Zeke.
“Fucked.”
“Dorian!” exclaims Eloise, and she pulls from my grip. “That’s disgusting.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine. We made sweet, beautiful love.”
“This isn’t a joke!” I snarl. “Don’t disrespect Eloise.”
Eloise smiles at me. “Dorian knows his place.”
The shock that flickers across Dorian’s features amuses me enough to wipe away my disgust at his attitude to sex with Eloise. “Sure, sweetest girl.”
I glance at Zeke. There’s more between the pair than we realised, but for the first time, my eyes are open to how Eloise has the upper hand.
Dorian killed Ivan for her.
I’d like to be the one who tore the life from him, but Dorian killing him makes life easier for me. If I had another death on my hands, I’d face more problems with the authorities if I’m found.
If or when?
“Much as I’d like a happy reunion, can we get the fuck out of here?” I ask.
Dorian nods at Eloise and my mouth drops open in horror as he drags his teeth across his palm and begins to daub runes on the pavers behind the building. “I’m getting better at the whole spell thing,” he says and smirks up from beneath his hair.
That fucking smirk.
The ground in front of Dorian rumbles, and he steadies himself on the ground with one hand and frowns. The pavers crack and earth pushes upwards, sending chunks into the air. I pull Eloise to one side, away from flying pavers, in case a fissure appears. The ground undulates, the grass and weeds between us sinking into a hole, but this doesn’t grow into a deep fissure.
“What the fuck?” asks Dorian as the paver with his runes disappears into the earth.
Zeke spins around to face the building, eyes following the cracked line towards the edge. He steps forward but almost trips as a rock juts from the ground.
Three figures appear from the shadows, one a small female who lifts her hands arms outstretched. The earth follows this elemental witch’s commands, and the pavers and soil rise. She flicks her fingers. The jagged pieces aim straight for Dorian, who swears loudly as they hit his chest and send him careening backwards onto the shaking ground. He leaps back to his feet with a snarl.
I shove Eloise behind me and step forward.
“Fuck,” Zeke says and drags a hand through his hair. “Saul and Izzy.”
The earth continues to undulate, and Eloise pulls her hand away to stand between the rock-throwing girl and Dorian.
“You said they didn’t follow!” I snap.
“Who are they?” demands Dorian, then he sighs. “Never mind. I’ll deal with this.” Eloise catches his arm as he lifts his bleeding hand upwards, and he frowns. “What? I need to dispose of them.”
The third figure steps forward from between the witch and shifter. He isn’t as tall and broad as Saul, but solidly built. Curls frame his face, which is alight with triumph. “Izzy,” he says.
With a nod, Izzy lifts both hands and tears the ground from beneath Dorian’s feet, who roars in anger as he lands on his arse and the earth piles around him.
The man strides over and looks down. “In the dirt, where you belong, Dorian Blackwood,” he spits out.
“Who the fuck are you?” Dorian attempts to stand but the ground shakes again.
“I’m Alaric.”
Dorian stands and brushes at his dirty clothes. “Well, Alaric, I’d love to stay for a chat, but we’re leaving.”
“The fuck you are,” snarls Alaric.
“Excuse me?” Dorian cups his ear with a hand. “Did you say you’d try to stop me?”
“Alaric?” puts in Eloise, her voice barely a whisper.
Sensibly, Alaric doesn’t turn his back on Dorian as he replies, “Eloise. You’re safe now. Come with us.”
“Who the hell is he?” I ask, twisting my head from side to side in confusion.
“Alaric’s my cousin,” she says quietly. “Dorian murdered his father.”
Dorian gasps. “Oh! That’s who you are. No wonder you look pissed off. Sorry, I didn’t know he had a son.” Alaric lunges at Dorian, but he hits a barrier the way Zeke did. “Don’t fuck with me, Alaric. Things wouldn’t end well for you.”
Alaric looks at Dorian as if he’s the dirt covering his clothes, then steps away, muttering beneath his breath. He’s distracted as Eloise runs to him and he hugs her tight in the weirdest family reunion I’ve seen. “You left. Nobody knew where you’d gone, Alaric,” she exclaims.
What the fuck is happening?
He holds Eloise by the shoulders and looks at her. “Never mind that. Leave with me. Now. I can’t take on the hybrid bastard, but I can slow him down.”
Eloise’s eyes glisten and she looks between the dishevelled Dorian and the group surrounding us. “No.”
He murdered Eloise’s cousin’s father and she says no? What the hell is wrong with her?
As she moves over to Dorian, he winds an arm around her waist and their unified aura sh
ines. “I think you’ll find we make the decisions now,” he says.
We.
“Fuck,” mutters Zeke.
Ravenhold: Blood Legacy is the last book in the Ravenhold series and is available for preorder.
As usual, I have a long preorder but intend to publish before the date listed on Amazon.
Preorder Ravenhold: Blood Legacy
I wrote a short story from Dorian’s point of view about the night he arrived at Ravenhold. You can download a free copy if you visit the link below:
Free short story: Dorian’s Arrival at Ravenhold
Have you read the Nightworld Academy series?
The series is part of the same world as Ravenhold but they can be read separately with no spoilers.
Nightworld Academy: Term One
OTHER BOOKS BY LJ SWALLOW
The Four Horsemen Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
(COMPLETE series available now)
Legacy
Bound
Hunted
Guardians
Chaos
Descent
Reckoning
or as two box sets
Books 1-3
Books 4-7
Nightworld Academy
Reverse Harem Paranormal series
Term One
Term Two
Term Three
Term Four
Term Five
Term Six
Winterfall Magic
Blackwood Magic
Ravenhold Supernatural Reform Academy
Reverse Harem Dark Academy
Witch Born
Magic Forged
Blood Legacy (coming soon)
Daughter of Shadow series
Reverse Harem Fantasy romance
Dragon Soul
Silvercrest Guardians
Ebon Queen
www.ljswallow.com
LJ Swallow is the pen name for USA Today bestselling author Lisa Swallow… if you like contemporary romance then read on!