Page 107 of Deadly Alliances

Understanding formed a sad frown on Char’s face, and she nodded. “Okay. Tobias, let’s shift and get the hell out of here.”

The two of them transformed into a pair of matching navy blue dragons, and the non-flyers began pairing off.

Arya let out her gossamer white wings, and damn, they were so beautiful. She looked like something out of a fairytale.

“Wow,” Alex said, his mouth hanging open as he slowly approached his older sister. “Are you an angel?”

She giggled and knelt down to his level. “No, I’m a harpy. Would you like to touch them?”

He nodded eagerly, and she moved one of her wings closer to him. He raised a tentative hand and gently caressed one of her feathers, and she shivered like the touch tickled, making him giggle.

“Okay, Alex, we’re going to go on a little trip now,” she said.

His eyes narrowed, and he took a step back. “Where are we going? When will we be back?”

“Uh, we–er,” Arya stumbled, looking to me and Julian for help.

Alex stepped back further, shaking his head as his eyes darted from creature to creature around him. “Shifters killed my parents. I don’t want to go anywhere with them. They’re bad.”

Arya skittered toward him, putting her hands on his shoulders. “No, sweetie. They’re not bad. These guys are my friends, and they’re just good people like you and me.”

Before she finished speaking, the red dragon snapped at the auburn-haired soldier who attempted to climb on its back, a feral growl rumbling up its throat, and Alex gasped in fright.

“No! You’re all monsters, and I’m not going anywhere with you. Dad!” He took off running back into the building faster than Arya could grab his arm to stop him.

“Alex!” she called, running after him.

“Ah, hell,” I muttered, then ran in after both of them. I was okay with letting the boy go, but I would die before I left Arya here.

As soon as we entered through the opening in the wall, we both came to a dead stop. Alex was a few feet down the hall, desperately clinging to the last person I ever wanted to see again.

Marguerite.

The blonde demoness patted his hair soothingly, not removing her eyes from me as she said to him, “It’s alright now, Alex. Go get your father and tell him what’s happening. I’ll deal with them.”

The boy took off running down the hall and disappearing down the stairs.

“No!” Arya cried, starting after him, but I grabbed her upper arm and yanked her backward.

“Arya, you can’t,” I cautioned, darting my glance back to Marguerite, who began a slow, seductive prowl toward us.

“That’s right, Arya,” Marguerite purred, looking more like a demure debutant in her slinky red gown than the evil succubitch I knew her to be. “Daddy doesn’t need you anymore. And once he finds out that you tried to abduct his son, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me killing you.”

In a flash, she was across the hall, blurring toward Arya. I shouted out the snaring spell in a rush, using all the magic I could pull within me, and in the next heartbeat, Marguerite was frozen in place right in front of Arya, her exposed fangs only a breath away from Arya’s throat.

Arya stumbled backward, falling onto her butt on the floor and panting heavily.

“What the hell did you do to me?” Marguerite shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut with effort, then snarling when she couldn’t move despite her struggle. “Let me go this instant!”

“No,” I said with all the fury and hatred I felt toward her. “You will never hurt someone I love ever again. I’m going to end you.”

I opened my mouth to speak the darkest spell I knew, not caring what the magical repercussions would be, but Julian was suddenly beside me, his hand on my shoulder.

“No,” he said.

My rage bubbled over at him stopping me once more, and I was going to chew him out.

He turned to me, that dark, predatory gleam in his eyes. “She’s my demon to slay. Let me have this.”

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