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“More of your friends, Alexandra?” Aven said, his golden eyes glinting with malice.

She didn’t respond; she was too busy realising that their situation had worsened yet again—if that was possible. She needed an escape plan, and fast.

Samson made eye contact with her, giving her an idea.

“Thanks for your hospitality, Sir Oswald,” Alex called out to the elderly man who was glaring at her from the other side of the room. “Great party. But I think my friends and I have overstayed our welcome.”

She shrank her weapon into a dagger, flipped it around so that she held the blade, drew back her arm, and launched it into the air. Her aim was perfect and the pommel end of the weapon slammed into the side of Calista’s head. Stunned by the blow, the woman staggered and fell. She wasn’t knocked unconscious but she was dazed enough that Alex’s companions were instantly freed from her telekinetic hold.

“Jordan!” Alex screamed, ducking as Aven swung his blade furiously in her direction. “Samson’s balls!”

That wasdefinitelysomething she never wanted to say again.

“My prince!” Signa cried. But he was too late to warn Aven about whatever thoughts he’d just read, because Jordan hadpulled the juggling balls out of his coat and thrown them onto the floor. Dark smoke instantly rose up around them, clogging the air to a near-suffocating point and hiding everything—and everyone—from sight.

“Run!” Samson’s grisly voice called out from somewhere in the darkness.

Alex hoped the others were following his order and she spun around in the direction of the exit. But she wasn’t quick enough to escape the hand that grabbed her upper arm and yanked her backwards.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Aven hissed into her ear. “Not until you take me to my city.”

She couldn’t see him and could barely breathe. The polluted air burned her lungs and she started coughing as she struggled uselessly against his unyielding grip. She fought him in the murky darkness but he wouldn’t let her go.

Alex began to feel faint from the lack of oxygen. Just when it seemed her legs would not be able to hold her weight any longer, she heard Aven grunt in surprise and he released his iron-clad grip on her arm. She collapsed to the floor, but just before she blacked out, she felt a pair of warm arms scoop her up and sprint her off towards the door.

compound.

Nineteen

“Alex, please, you have to wake up.”

A gentle hand stroked the side of her face and she released a pain-filled groan with her return to consciousness. The following inhalation of clean air sent her into a violent coughing fit. She sat up, gasping for oxygen, and tried to clear her lungs of the noxious smoke. All the while, her rescuer ran a comforting hand up and down her back.

“Just take a few deep breaths. In and out. In and out. That’s it.”

Alex did as she was told until she was able to breathe normally again. She turned her head to see Kaiden kneeling beside her.

“Where are we?” she asked, wincing at the raspy sound of her voice.

“In the gardens at the back of the mansion,” he said. “I tried to get us up to our meeting spot on the hill, but Sir Oswald and some of the others nearly caught us when I made a break for it. I thought it best to hide until you woke.”

“How long was I out?”

“Less than five minutes,” he said. “But you had me worried since your breathing was so ragged. And after your fight…”

Alex looked away to avoid the question in his eyes. She wasn’t ready to answer what she was sure he would ask. But he surprised her, and rather than beginning an interrogationsession, he stood and offered her his hand. She took hold and he pulled her effortlessly to her feet. He steadied her until she was able to stand unassisted.

“Did the others make it out okay?” she asked as they began to walk back around the mansion, staying hidden behind the hedges and statues.

“Yeah, they’re all fine. Samson’s chemical cocktail made it almost too easy for everyone to escape,” he assured her. “Hopefully they’re waiting for us and not planning some kind of suicide rescue mission.”

“Unlike what you did,” Alex said. “Twice. Care to explain yourself?”

“What’s to explain?” Kaiden asked as he ducked under a statue’s arm. “The first time you and Jordan took way too long to get back to us that it was obvious something must have gone wrong, so Declan and I decided to investigate. We bypassed stealth and went for the surprise approach. Not that it did us any good. Whowerethose people?”

Alex figured his comment was rhetorical—or at least that’s how she took it—and she pressed for his continued explanation. “And the second time? How did you know Aven had me trapped in the smoke?”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shrug. “It wasn’t that hard to guess,” he said. “Everyone else made it out and said you were right behind us but I couldn’t see you anywhere.”