“Technicalities,” Samson said gruffly. “Are we going?”
“We’ll head out first and clear the way,” Jordan told the others. “Give us a minute to take down the guards before you follow.”
When the rest of them nodded, Jordan reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand. Almost immediately she felt a tingling sensation and her vision turned slightly blurry as his gift took effect. Only Jordan remained perfectly clear, since he was transcended along with her. But he looked paler than usual, and almost like he was in pain.
“Are you all right?” Alex asked as they hurried towards the door to the dungeons.
“Tired,” he said, and Alex knew he didn’t just mean physically. “Keeping my gift active the whole time Kaiden and I were in the military compound took it out of me. I tried to get out of the cell earlier, but it’s reinforced against gifts, just like our dorms at the academy. The effort drained me even more. But I can keep it up for a while longer.”
“Jordan, really, maybe you should go back with the others,” Alex tried again.
“I’m not leaving you on your own,” he told her. “We’re in this together, remember? You’re stuck with me, Alex. Deal with it.”
She squeezed his hand, knowing she didn’t have to say anything for him to understand how relieved she was to have him with her.
“Here,” she said, handing him the Stabiliser as they approached the entry to the dungeons. “I’ve shot enough people today. Can you…?”
“I’ve got this,” Jordan assured her.
“Just one shot, remember?”
Jordan snorted. “As if I’d forget. I don’t relish the idea of becoming a murderer.”
She nodded in agreement and reached out with the guard’s ID, pressing it against the door panel until the lock clicked open.
“It’s about time you—Hey, what’s going on? Kerway, did you open the door?”
The guards looked at the doorway with confusion as Alex and Jordan snuck through unseen. Jordan quickly raised the weapon and released the quiet burst of energy into Stibbins and then Kerway. They collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Jordan turned the weapon over in his hands. “Make a note, Alex. I want one of these for my next birthday.”
She shook her head at him and waited for their companions to catch up.
When they did, Jordan said, “We’ll escort you all to the front door and help with the guard, but then you’ll be on your own.”
“We’ll be fine,” Tom said. “Just get us outside.”
. 1D;
Eighteen
They hurried up the stairs with the transcended Alex and Jordan taking point. When they reached the front of the mansion, the guard was still there, along with another man in place of the one who had escorted Alex and Skyla to the dungeon. Jordan didn’t hesitate in shooting them both, and they fell to the ground with a quiet thud. Declan and Blink moved the unconscious men outside and around the corner of the mansion until they were out of sight.
“We’ll see you in a bit,” Tom said, and he ushered the others out the door.
“Wait,” Alex called, taking the Stabiliser from Jordan and asking him to release her from his gift.
“What?” Tom asked her when she was visible again.
She offered him the weapon and said, “Here.” At his repulsed grimace, she passed it to Kaiden, who took it from her and held it confidently.
“What if you need it?” he asked.
“There are two of us and seven of you. You need it more,” Alex said. “And besides, no one will be able to see us.”
“And you have my juggling balls,” Samson pointed out, although Alex didn’t find that to be much of a reassurance.
“Go,” she told them. “We’ll see you soon.”
She felt proud that she’d managed to refrain from adding a ‘hopefully’ at the end of her sentence.
“Be careful,” Kaiden whispered to her as the others started sneaking away.
“You too,” she replied, just as quietly.
“We need to move, Alex,” Jordan said.
With that, Kaiden took off after the others and Jordan grabbed Alex’s arm, sharing his gift once more.
“I can’t wait until we finish this task and get back to the academy,” she muttered, leading the way up the main staircase to the party.
“I know,” Jordan said, his voice sounding strained. “It’s not so much fun anymore. I think I’ll sleep for a week once we’re back.”
Alex could feel him trembling from the effort of maintaining his gift, but she knew it would make things worse if she tried to mother him. And besides, his transcendence was needed to get them in and out of the party unnoticed.
“We’ll just grab the bag and bail, yeah?” she said as they neared the dining hall.
“Nice and simple,” Jordan said. “Love it.”
When they entered the room though, Alex knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as they’d hoped. Because standing on the staircase leading down into the hall was Sir Oswald—the real one—with the only difference being his new outfit. Beside him was Quinn, who looked to be extremely dazed from the relaxant Alex had nearly suffocated him with.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Sir Oswald called out, before wincing and pressing a hand to his stomach where Alex had shot him. “I apologise for my absence, but unfortunately I was assaulted and left unconscious in my own home.”
Shocked exclamations spread around the guests and Alex dug her fingers into Jordan’s hand, pulling him towards the other side of the room where the stage was located.
“Alas, the young woman responsible for my attack is yet to be apprehended, but rest assured that my security team is searching for her as we speak. Due to her actions, I feel that for your own safety I must end the night earlier than planned. I thank you for your attendance and I look forward to the next time we all meet.”
There were murmurs of lingering alarm as well as disappointment, but Sir Oswald’s guests followed his instructions and began to leave. Alex and Jordan had to press themselves up against the wall to avoid anyone bumping into them. Just because Jordan’s gift could move them through solid objects didn’t mean Alex wanted to step through another human being. That was just… Eww.
The room cleared quickly, but there were about fifteen or so people who remained in place. Alex wondered what they were hanging around for, but she didn’t have to wait long before the doors to the room slammed shut and Sir Oswald’s previously kind expression morphed into one of hatred.
“I want to know who that girl was, the one posing as Larissa Rolar’s daughter,” he spat as he stormed down the stairs. “Someone better have answers for me! Who was she and what was she doing in my house?”
“I don’t know who she was, Sir Oswald,” said a security guard who had just entered the room, “but I might know why she was here. It looks like the performer has escaped, along with the other intruders we detained earlier tonight.”
Sir Oswald cursed savagely. “Security? What a load of rubbish. I want you and the rest of your incompetent team gone from my residence immediately, or I’ll be locking the lot of you in my dungeon. And don’t for a moment think that you’ll be compensated for your work tonight. I should be charging you after the mess you’ve all made.”
With gritted teeth, the guard nodded obediently, grabbed the arm of the dazed Quinn and left the room.
When the door was closed behind him, Sir Oswald shouted, “Conference!” and the remaining guests moved to sit at the long, narrow table close to where Jordan and Alex stood like statues.
“Come on,” Jordan whispered, barely moving his lips as he tugged on her hand.
But Alex was frozen to the spot because, as the people stepped closer and sat down, she realised she recognised some of them. She couldn’t identify anyone by name, but she’d definitely seen them before. As she tried to put the puzzle together, she noticed Sir Oswald speaking through a ComTCD to someone before he abruptly ended the call.
“Are they coming?” a woman asked S
ir Oswald, motioning to the Device in his hand.
“Any minute now,” the host answered tersely.
Something about his words caused uneasiness to swirl in Alex’s stomach.
“Jordan, we need to leave. Right now.”
Prompted by her urgency, they edged along the wall until they were beside the fake plant. Just as Alex spotted the juggler’s bag, a Bubbledoor opened in the centre of the room, diverting her attention.
Three people stepped out, and Alex barely held back a gasp when she identified them as Calista Maine, the tattooed Gerald and, bizarrely enough, Signa, the mind reader from the military Only then did Alex figure out why the people seated at the table seemed so familiar.
“Jordan!” she whispered, her already uneasy stomach now churning with dread. “These people—I recognise them from the file Darrius showed me. He thinks they’re all Claimed by Aven!”
Jordan gripped her hand tighter in response and she followed his gaze to where Signa was standing—and staring straight at them. Signa might not be able to read her, but he’d sensed Jordan and Kaiden earlier that day, even in their transcended state.
Their situation had just worsened exponentially.
Sir Oswald was busy informing the new arrivals of the night’s events, and he snapped at Signa for not paying attention. The mind reader smirked darkly at the place where Alex and Jordan stood before he slowly turned to the older man.
“Hurry!” Jordan urged.
She reached behind the plant for Samson’s bag, handing it to Jordan who slung it over his shoulder. He spun them both around, seemingly intent on running straight through the wall to get them out of there.
They took three steps before their progress was halted. As in, literally. It was as if they’d stepped onto a patch of superglue, since neither of them could move their feet so much as an inch. While that was a distinct problem, Alex was more concerned when she felt Jordan’s transcendence dissolve around them, bringing her vision into clarity and leaving them visible to everyone else in the room.
“It’s impolite to leave a party without saying goodbye,” purred a voice that sent shivers of trepidation down her spine.
Alex and Jordan found themselves being physically turned around as if on invisible rotating platforms until they faced the entire group of people. Alex’s focus was solely on one person, though. She had no idea where he’d come from, but she was certain he hadn’t been there a moment ago.
“I’d say it’s good to see you again, Aven, but I’d be lying.”
“It’s unfortunate you feel that way, Alexandra,” he replied. “I, however, am pleasantly surprised by your unexpected appearance. And you’ve even brought a little friend with you. Would you care to introduce us?”
Alex didn’t respond. She looked around the room, trying to figure out who was responsible for their current state of immobility. But with all the potentially gifted—not to mention, potentially Claimed—people in the room, she didn’t know where to begin guessing.
“His name is Jordan Sparker,” Signa informed Aven. “He’s a student at the academy. He has an impressive gift, as we all just witnessed for ourselves. But his thoughts are scattered. He’s very difficult to read.”
Alex glared at the mind reader who turned his gaze upon her.
“I knew you were lying,” Signa said arrogantly. “Those military idiots played right into your hands, didn’t they, Princess? I was so disappointed that I didn’t get to listen to you scream for mercy while they tortured you for information. But it looks like the tables have turned now.”
“Silence, Signa,” Aven ordered, and the other man quieted immediately.
The Meyarin sauntered slowly across the room, with Calista, Gerald, Signa, Sir Oswald, and another woman following. They stopped directly in front of Alex and Jordan. She felt incredibly vulnerable in her immobilised state, and she wondered why her gift wasn’t protecting her. Shouldn’t her willpower allow her to decide who could use their powers on her? Why wasn’t it working?
Signa sniggered. “It seems that the all-powerful Alexandra Jennings is second-guessing her ability.”
Her eyes widened. How could he read her mind now? Something must have changed. She looked around the room and locked eyes with Jordan, specifically where their hands remained linked.
“Are you still trying to keep us transcended?”
A silent nod told her all she needed to know. Someone in the room was interfering with his gift, and because she remained connected to him, somehow her willpower was being nullified as well. She yanked their fingers apart and immediately she felt her feet unstick from the floor, but she remained in position. It was one thing for them to know she was once again mentally protected; she didn’t want to reveal her newfound physical freedom just yet.
Signa was staring at her with frustration, evidently unable to read her again. He took a threatening step towards her but Aven speared him with a glance and he retreated hastily. Alex wondered if he’d been following a blood-bonded mental order or if he’d reacted purely out of self-preservation.
“You don’t need to know her thoughts to understand her motives, Signa,” Aven told the other man. “Her face reads like an open book.” He reached out a hand and tenderly stroked her cheek. Feeling violated, Alex shuddered, but somehow managed to remain glued to the spot.
“What are you doing here, Aven?” she asked, trying for nonchalance. “You don’t seem like the partying type.”
“You’re one to talk,” spat Sir Oswald. “Who, exactly, are you, Alexandra Jennings?”
Alex sent him a look. “You just answered your own question, genius. I guess you’re still recovering from your, ahem, ‘power nap’, huh?” She managed a taunting smile just to annoy him further.
“Why, you little—”
“Enough, Oswald,” Aven said. “Go and see to the others.”
Sir Oswald clearly didn’t like being ordered around in his own home, but he stormed back to his seat at the table where the other people Claimed by Aven waited.
“You have them all wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?” Alex said to Aven. “What did it take to get them on your side? Did you just steal their will from them like you tried with me? Or did you offer them riches and glory in return for their services?”
Aven smiled at her. “What makes you think they didn’t come to me of their own volition?”
Alex shook her head in response, knowing he was a first-class deceiver and that there was nothing he could say that she would believe. “Whatever.”
“Aren’t you curious about your immobility?” he asked. “Perhaps you’ll be enlightened if I introduce you to some of my closer associates.”
Associates. That was a word Alex had heard Aven use before, and she shuddered at the possibility of it being the term he used for all those he Claimed.
“You already know Gerald Togen,” Aven said, gesturing to the tattooed menace crackling his knuckles and sneering at Alex.
“We still have unfinished business, girlie.”
Alex wasn’t sure whether to snort or cringe, so she kept her face blank and turned her attention back to the much more dangerous Aven.
The Meyarin next indicated to the tall, blond woman who Alex already sort of knew. “This is Calista Maine. You can thank her for your current physical stasis. She has a very useful, very powerful gift of telekinesis, which is keeping you fastened securely to the floor.”
“So nice to meet you, Calista,” Alex said, her voice sugar-coated with sarcasm. “How do you feel about letting us go now?”
The woman just stared at Alex with her scarily empty eyes.
“Oh, Alexandra, how amusing you are,” Aven said, without the slightest trace of humour. He turned to the final woman, who had bright ginger hair that fanned around her face like waves of fire. “This is Lena Morrow. Her gift allows her to neutralise the abilities of others, as I’m sure your friend Jordan can verify. Judging by Signa’s displeasure, it seems her gift doesn’t work against yo
ur own mental fortitude.”
“Such a shame,” Alex said. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I want to be stripped of my will again. We all had a great time that day, didn’t we?”
“Yes, I certainly remember the joy I felt when my dagger pierced your flesh,” Aven recounted, looking at her thoughtfully. “Speaking of which, I’d like my weapon returned to me.”
She was startled by his demand but she answered him anyway—sort of. “Finders, keepers.”
He narrowed his eyes. “That dagger was never meant for someone of mortal blood. It won’t yield to you.”
What a peculiar thing for him to say. “It’s a weapon, not a person,” Alex said.
“You’d do well to—”
“My prince!” Signa blurted out, with a shocked expression on his face. The mind reader quivered at the look the Meyarin sent him but he continued anyway. “I need a word in private. I believe it’s something you’ll want to hear.”
Aven glared at the man but led him away from the group to the other side of the room. Alex could see Signa whispering urgently, with Aven’s expression turning more and more livid by the second. He looked back in their direction with blazing eyes before nodding his head at Signa and striding back over. But instead of speaking with Alex, Aven turned to Jordan.
“Signa tells me you have some colourful thoughts, Jordan Sparker, scattered as they are,” Aven said. “I’m curious, did you enjoy your visit to my city? Was Meya everything you expected it to be?”
Alex felt the blood drain from her face as she looked at Jordan. To his credit, he didn’t react to the Meyarin’s words. But the damage was done.
“How is my family, Alexandra?” Aven asked, turning to her. “Do they miss me?”
“You’re disinherited,” she reminded him. “I know it’s a big word, but FYI, it means they’re not your family anymore. Buy yourself a dictionary.”
Aven’s glorious face darkened and he stepped so close that she almost moved backwards until she remembered that she was meant to be stuck to the spot.
“Do not speak to me that way,” he hissed.
She stared straight into his eyes. “I’ll do whatever I want, Aven. Because. I. Can.”