Page 23 of The Alliance

I’d almost forgotten Blaze was there until he spoke. He had that same kind of magic wrapped around him that Gramps had, the one that made him sort of fade into the background until he spoke. I’d studied it on Gramps until I worked out what it was, and now I was trying to replicate it. I hadn’t managed it yet but I was getting better at it. The magic was created by Nana, and it meant nobody could see her mate until he chose to reveal himself.

For Nana, it was a way of protecting her mate, probably done instinctively.

For me, it was a fun challenge.

For Dum it was a potential way he could sneak around and creep people out.

Hey, he might be a pain in the ass but he wasmypain in the ass and I wanted him to enjoy himself.

Dimpy stepped in. Spoilsport.

“Why don’t you shift back, Alfie, and we’ll go back to the castle and get a drink? Anthony can tellyou what sort of tests he has in mind and you and Blaze can decide together whether you’d be willing to do any of them.”

Dum pouted, and I could see it from here. He was disappointed they were going inside and he wouldn’t be able to poke the bear, as it were.

Dimpy knew exactly what he was doing, and he got all of them inside without any further incident.

Dee and Dum tried to sneak off with them.

I folded my arms again.

“Hold it, you two. I want a word.”

Chapter 9

Dum

Iwas in trouble. Matty said, “I know what you’ve been doing in the castle all morning.”

“Howdid you know?” I asked, and then realised belatedly that I’d sort of confessed. Oops.

“Because I’m magic, Dum.”

And he was. Matty was so powerful that even Nana admitted he could be useful to the clan, and she hardly said that about anyone. It made me feel incredibly proud and also, at times like this, a bit frustrated that Matty was so cool and badass. How was I meant to do my thing if he always knew about it and stopped me?

“I was just—” I began to explain, but Mattycut me off.

“You know we’re meant to be making an alliance here.”

“And we are,” I protested.

“No thanks to you.”

“I just wanted to see,” I muttered.

I’d wanted to know what theridirewould do when provoked. I wanted to know what kind of power he had so we’d know how to protect ourselves from it. I wanted to know whether he was volatile or staid.

It made my flesh creep to have aridirein our midst and my dragon was going all sorts of crazy feeling protective ofeveryone. It had been easier to follow theridirearound than to be everywhere at once making sure our family was okay.

Unfortunately, my mate was a magical little genius and he knew about it. He stood before me, his arms folded and his dark eyes glaring at me.

“What were you thinking, Dum?”

From somewhere behind me, I heard Dee’s voice, filled with delight at the prospect of me getting told off. Again.

“Yeah, Dum, what were you thinking?”

I twisted round to glare at her. She knew exactly what I’d been thinking because, firstly, she knewme better than I knew myself and always knew what I was doing and, secondly, this particular plan had beenheridea.

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