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Alex tried to rein in her frustration. It wasn’t Skyla’s fault they were stuck in such a dangerous situation, but Alex wished the other girl would be a little more willing to help.

“Fine,” she agreed, anxious to get moving. “Skyla, you go with the others. I’ll find Samson’s bag and meet you all back where we started.”

“You’re not going on your own,” Jordan told her sternly.

“Apparently I am,” she replied, with just as much attitude. “None of you can be seen.”

“I won’t be seen,” Jordan said pointedly. “And I’m coming with you, so don’t argue.”

She frowned at him, but if he was adamant about going with her, then she might as well take advantage of it. “Can you use your gift on me, too? That’ll hopefully speed things along.”

He nodded, relieved by her easy acceptance.

“Here, take these,” Samson said, handing over three juggling balls. “If you need to make a quick escape, throw them as hard as you can at the ground, and run like there’s a fire-breathing draekon on your tail.”

Wondering what the heck a draekon was but deciding now was not the time to ask, Alex took the balls and handed them to Jordan for safekeeping before she turned back to the performer. “Why didn’t you use whatever these are when you were captured?”

“You have the element of surprise,” he said. “I was ambushed in the middle of a performance. I didn’t have the chance to activate them.”

“I heard you spilled wine all over Sir Oswald,” Declan said. “Wasn’t that enough of a distraction to use whatever is in those juggling balls?”

“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 andI 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.”