Page 100 of Deadly Alliances

“Thank you for doing this,” she said softly as I worked on the last one.

I looked up and met her gaze, finding a storm of vulnerability there and something else. Envy perhaps? Or was it sad acceptance?

I shoved down my sympathy for her and offered a smile. “You’re welcome.”

Then I stood and regarded both of them. “Let’s get out of this cell and make sure you use your powers again?”

The two followed me out into the wider space of the dungeon, and the absence of lead no longer surrounding us was palpable.

Tobias looked at Char with a smirk. “Shall we?”

Char nodded, and they both held out their hands. Their eyes glowed a luminous blue as they used their powers to summon blazes that burned bright.

Victory spread a smile across my face. “Perfect. Now put them out before anyone sees.”

Both fires extinguished, but a gleam remained in their eyes. A spark of jealousy flared in my chest, and I turned away. Even after everything I’d heard—and what Tobias had directly told me—I couldn’t help but wonder what that relationship held. They obviously had history. Their parents had planned their marriage, for fuck’s sake. But I couldn’t let those questions and doubts distract me now.

I took a deep breath. “I know Tobias can make himself invisible as a dragon, which I know isn’t common, but I’m hoping you can too, Char?”

Char shook her head, her eyes wide like the question was ludicrous. “No. Not possible.”

“Actually, now I can make myself invisible as a human, too. I don’t have to be shifted to access it,” Tobias interjected, the smirk on his face making my heart catch.

I nodded in appreciation of that information. “Okay, well that makes sneaking you around a little easier.” I turned to Char. “But we’ll have to take you to Shea’s room and clean you up. If you blend in, it’ll be easier to try to sneak you out. We’ll just have to stay away from vampires. But we’ll have to do that anyway, since I don’t think invisibility masks your scent.”

“Wait,” Tobias said, his face advertising deep concentration. “Maybe I can make Char invisible, too? I discovered by accident that I can disappear in human form. I’ve never tried making anyone else invisible before—shielding them, sure, but not making them disappear—but it’s worth a shot.”

“Okay, give it a try,” I encouraged, but not daring to hope on it. “If that doesn’t work, then we’ll go with a disguise for Char.”

Tobias walked over to Char and placed a hand on her shoulder, then closed his eyes. After a few moments, Tobias disappeared,and as if in slow motion, invisibility enveloped Char.

My mouth fell open as I stared at the emptiness. Not even a glimmer of their forms gave their location away. If I hadn’t just seen them disappear, I would think that space was completely vacant. “That’s amazing! Do you think you can keep that up? We just need to get to one of the elevators.”

“Yes, I think so.” Tobias’s disembodied voice floated from where I’d last seen him, and goosebumps prickled my arms.So weird.

I wrapped my arms around myself to rub the chill away. “What happens if you let go of each other?”

Char materialized, stepping away from where I had last seen her as if walking through a portal.

“And touch her again?” I said.

Part of Char’s hand disappeared as Tobias took it, and after a few tense moments, Char disappeared, too.

“I can touch her while invisible, but it doesn’t pass on unless I push the invisibility onto her,” Tobias’s voice replied.

I gave a nervous giggle. “That’s going to take some getting used to. Okay. Let’s go.”

Nodding to the guards, I left, assuming Tobias and Char were following. Not like I could see them. We moved quietly, but every now and then I could hear shuffling against the cold concrete. I cringed as I thought about their bare feet having to walk across the freezing floor, but there was nothing I could do about it right now, and the lack of shoes was the least of our worries.

At least their fire had been restored. Hopefully, that would keep them warm. They’d need it, especially once they got outside.

In my angst, the dungeon seemed to have tripled in length, so I was relieved when we finally reached the stairs leading out.

But the vampire with way too much hair gel helmeting his hair was coming down the stairs, blocking our path—heading to torment Tobias and Char more, no doubt. I instinctively stepped aside and pressed my back to the wall just in time for him to pass by the two guards I’d already compelled to let us through.

Just keep walking. Just keep walking.

He paused, turning to the guards with his brows creased. “Does anybody else smell that?”

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