Page 99 of Deadly Alliances

We all rose and reluctantly followed him out of the office, one by one. I stole a glance at Niko, and we shared an instant of relief at how horribly this allcouldhave gone. I didn’t care about our punishment. Yes, it would suck, but it was far more lenient than it would’ve been if our true agenda had been exposed.

We just had to be more careful in the future. Because, come hell or high water, we needed to get that fucking psycho out of here.

Chapter 37

Arya

Today was the big day. My stomach had been in knots all night and all morning. But I’d had to put up a good front, smiling and playing with Alex, watching the clock the whole time. I had never been one for praying before, but my every thought since last night was a plea to the heavens to let this plan succeed. We couldn’t afford to fail.

I used the same method of escaping my guards as last time, letting them think I was eating lunch with Alex only to escape through the servants’ access. I only had to use my siren voice on one servant in the hidden stairwell as the woman was heading up to find out what Alex wanted for lunch just as I was coming down.

Once safely through the kitchen, I walked across the lobby like I belonged there, grateful that Hadrian hadn’t made an appearance. So far, so good.

As I made my way down the stairs to the Initiate quarters, Shea was on her way up. We shared a knowing, encouraging glance as we passed one another without saying a word. I had no idea what she’d done to secure herself entrance to the higher vampire towers, but I trusted her, and that realization alone gave me the greatest sense of peace I’d known in a long time. Knowing that I could trustanyonewithout question or hesitation was a beautiful gift.

I continued down the levels of human housing and into the bowels of the citadel, regulating my breathing to keep my heart from hammering against my ribs. I had to be invisible to thevampires lurking in the shadows, and the only way to do that was to keep my pulse as steady as possible.

The guards that stood at each section of the dungeons were the same, making my job easy. My siren abilities still worked their magic, allowing me to come and go unnoticed.

I kept my eyes averted as I strode past other prisoners. I couldn’t afford to add anyone else to our plan, and I knew I would break if I made eye contact with any of them. As it was, I still had doubts about bringing Piper with us. But Shea had insisted on it, so it was out of my hands.

Tobias and Char shifted in their weakened, huddled positions when they saw me, their eyes lighting with both hope and hesitation.

“Arya?” Tobias asked cautiously.

I went up to their cell, crouching in front of the bars before remembering that they were lead and rescinding my hands from touching them.

“We’re leaving now,” I whispered to them.

Tobias blinked, and Char’s mouth hung open. Char glanced around the room, her eyes lingering warily on the guard that stood against the wall, staring blankly forward as if he saw nothing. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “No time to explain, but I have a plan. We’re going to get to the roof and then fly out.”

Tobias quirked a brow at me. “And how are we supposed to do that? There’s no way Char and I can fly in our current state.”

He shrugged his shoulders, wincing at the pain the motion caused in both of his broken arms. The movement revealed the places along his sides where his scales had been pried off, thehuman flesh there an angry red and choppy.

“That’s why I brought this.” I pulled a lighter out of the front pocket of my jeans.

Char balked at it. “A lighter? How’s that supposed to help?”

“I’m going to heal you,” I said, but the confusion on her face only intensified; clearly Tobias hadn’t told her I was also a harpy, but there was no time to get into that right now.

I stood and went up to the guard, summoning my melodic voice, and said, “Unlock the dragons’ cell and release their bonds. You will not see them leave or notice once they’re gone.”

The guard nodded, a vacant look in his eyes as he proceeded to open their cell door. I squeezed in as soon as the metal parted enough and knelt down before the wounded and disheveled pair. I flicked the lighter a few times before it finally ignited, the glow illuminating the dim space. Tobias and Char blinked away from the brightness that obviously stung their deprived eyes, but I ignored their discomfort and pushed forward.

My harpy instantly connected with the small flame, and I tugged on the light, pulling it from the lighter’s head and gathering it into my waiting palm. Setting down the lighter, I divided the light between both hands, then scooted closer to Tobias.

His eyes were alight with hope as he looked into my eyes, though his expression said he was afraid to hope. I gave him a reassuring nod, then put my hands oh-so gently on both of his arms. I willed the light in my hands to flow into him and work its healing magic on his broken bones. The glow absorbed into his skin and lit his arms from within, and the relief that smoothed the tight features on his face almost made me want to cry with joy.

He flexed both arms, a smile of gratitude forming on hishandsome face as he tested their mobility. I flicked the lighter again, gathering the light from the flame to attend to the wounds on his sides.

“Do you think healing them will renew your stolen scales?” I asked as the light sunk into the gaps of his smart suit.

He didn’t respond, but the sorrow that dragged at his features was answer enough. The wound would heal, but those scales would never grow back. Hadrian had disfigured Tobias’s dragon for life. My throat tightened, hatred for my father bubbling in my veins, but I had to subdue it for my light manipulation to work.

Once Tobias was fully healed, I went to Char and did the same for her, tending to each wound.

---