Deadly Alliances (Dark Shifter Academy #5)

Chapter 26 Julian

Minutes felt like days as I lay in this room. Though I greatly appreciated the chunks of Marguerite’s absence, they left me feeling chaotic, groundless. Without some form of interaction, I had no way of marking the passage of time, and it was slowly chipping away at my sanity.

Whatever strength I had garnered from Shea’s blood had already abandoned me, leaving me defenseless to the poisonous copper that corroded my veins. And in this monotonous void of consciousness, I couldn’t escape my guilt. I had taken too much blood from Shea. I could’ve hurt her. Would she ever forgive me for pushing her so far? For being so weak?

And it wasn’t just that. She had come here for me. Because of my own foolish pride, I’d landed myself in this prison and had dragged Shea right down with me. I couldn’t protect her here. And Caesar…where was he? How could he let her come here by herself? He was supposed to protect her when I couldn’t. That was how this arrangement was supposed to work. Had he abandoned her after all? Had he abandoned me?

No. No, I didn’t believe he would do that. I knew how deeply Caesar loved our girl. This somehow must all be part of their plan. He had to be around here somewhere, out of sight. I only hoped he didn’t get caught like the pair of foolish dragons.

The door opened and voices spilled into the room, and I rolled my head in that direction.

“Yes, I think red would be a lovely color for you,” Marguerite was saying to someone. “Although, maybe green would be more flattering. What do you think?”

My vision blurred, and I strained to focus on the shapes that had entered.

“Oh, um, I guess, green.”

Shea. My pulse began to skitter with cautious anticipation. No, stay away from Marguerite!

“Hmm,” Marguerite hummed in response, darting to her closet.

My vision finally focused as I followed the two women in the room. Shea cast a longing, worried glance at me while Marguerite flipped through items on hangers, and it broke my heart to see the pain in her green eyes. God only knew what horrors she had faced in the time she’d been here.

“Ah, this one should do.” Marguerite pulled a long green gown off the rack, and Shea walked meekly to her side, letting Marguerite hold it against her and critique the selection. “Yes, you’ll look lovely. Well, as lovely as you can, anyway.”

Anger burned in my chest at the slight. Shea was more beautiful than Marguerite could ever hope to be, and I had to bite my tongue against voicing as much.

“Well, go ahead,” Marguerite insisted with a wave of her hand.

“Er, sorry?” Shea murmured, shrinking slightly under Marguerite’s impatience gaze.

“Ugh, get changed,” Marguerite scoffed. “We haven’t got all night.”

“Oh, uh, right here?” The hesitation in Shea’s voice was potent, stabbing into me and mixing with my own possessive jealousy.

“Yes. Is there a problem?” She expected Shea to disrobe right here, in front of both of us. And as her keen eyes flicked to me, I understood.

This was a test. She knew that Shea and I had known each other in Chicago, and her possessive jealousy was far stronger and less rational than mine. She was fishing for some reaction, some betrayal of emotion. I lolled my head to the side, away from her little show. The only way to protect Shea in this moment was to ignore her, and to trust that she would play her part with equal disinterest.

“Okay,” Shea said uncertainly, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see her pulling her shirt over her head.

I closed my eyes, feigning exhaustion as the rustle of fabric told me she was stripping further. I couldn’t watch her, couldn’t let my eyes wander to her naked body without risking exposing some sign of intimacy to Marguerite, but it was extremely difficult knowing Shea was so incredibly vulnerable in front of her.

“Wait,” Marguerite said, and I cracked my eyelids enough to see her hold the dress away from Shea’s waiting hands.

Her eyes scanned Shea’s exposed body up and down, and rage seethed through me at the hungry appreciation I saw on her face.

“I think now is the perfect time for me to get a taste, don’t you?” And swift as lightning, she lowered her head and bit into Shea’s breast!

Shea gasped in pain, terror blanching her face as Marguerite swept her arms behind her and cradled her body while she drank.

My entire being was an inferno of fury, my eyes bulging as I watched her defile my mate! And I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Damn these fucking cuffs! Damn the copper crippling my strength! And damn Marguerite!

I couldn’t even dare react. Not now. If I made any signal of distress, there would be nothing stopping Marguerite from crushing Shea in her embrace and draining her dry. I had to act like I didn’t care, which meant denying every instinct I had.

The instant Marguerite pulled away, I averted my gaze, willing my features to remain neutral, which was incredibly difficult as murderous rage was coursing through my body, bunching and tensing every single muscle.

“Mmm, delicious,” Marguerite purred, smacking her lips audibly. “Okay, get dressed. We don’t want to keep Hadrian waiting.” She brushed her hands together in a gesture of finality.

Without a word, Shea slipped into the dress, the clamor of feet slapping the floor telling me she tripped in the process. But I didn’t dare turn my head in her direction. For the moment, she was no longer in imminent danger. Though, in reality, every second she spent in this compound was a devastating threat to her life.

“Beautiful.” Marguerite clapped. “Doesn’t she look beautiful?”

I ignored her, staring blankly at the black curtain that hung over the window.

“Julian?” Marguerite snapped her fingers several times until I finally rolled my head in her direction. “Doesn’t Shea look beautiful?”

I finally let my eyes fall on my beloved witch, and she did, indeed, look stunning. The green satin hugged her figure, flattering and accentuating her curves before dropping into a shimmering cascade at her waist. The thin straps that held the gown on her shoulders left her smooth flesh on display, from the top of her neck to the deep V of her breasts.

To my credit, I managed to keep my expression deadpan and completely devoid of interest. I tried to shrug, but the gesture must’ve looked like an awkward flop of my shoulders, which ached at the effort.

Marguerite giggled. “Don’t mind him. But I’m sure you know how pissy he can be.”

“Oh, I’m not surprised,” Shea said in a catty tone. “He never had much interest in me beyond my magic, and I prefer it that way, honestly.”

“Indeed,” Marguerite mused. “Well, come along.”

“Actually,” Shea interrupted as Marguerite began to tote her out of the room. “I need to use the ladies room. You know, human bladder and all that.” She inclined toward Marguerite in a confiding gesture and whispered loudly. “And between you and me, the food here isn’t the easiest on the digestive system, if you know what I mean.”

Marguerite grimaced, and in any other circumstance, I would’ve barked a knee-slapping laugh at the contortion of her deceptively pretty face. “Eww. Spare me the details of your disgusting human habits.” She shooed Shea away as she took a large step sideways. “Fine. Do your business and then return promptly downstairs.”

And she swept out of the room like a ghost, slamming the door behind her.

Shea hovered on the spot for a moment, craning her neck as if to listen to the hall outside. Decided it was safe, she ran to my side, dropping to her knees to kneel beside the bed.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, slipping her delicate hand into mine. “Can you ever forgive me?” The deep love flowing from her gorgeous green eyes took my breath away.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” I whispered, squeezing her hand though it was little more than a flinch.

“You don’t understand,” she whimpered softly. “Hadrian—he—he made me—I opened the roof of the Sunroom.” She sucked her lips between her teeth as soon as the confession left them.

I looked at her for a long moment as the meaning of her words sunk in, and my heart cracked. Not for whatever perceived betrayal she imagined, but for her . Of course, Hadrian would make her do something to prove her obedience and loyalty. I couldn’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for her, how hard it must still be now.

“It’s okay, Shea,” I whispered. “It changes nothing.”

She shook her head, a tear dropping. “But that’s not it. My bargaining chip for entering the school was making Hadrian a daywalker. That’s why they’re having this ridiculous party. The spell worked.”

Dread oozed across my chest. That was a problem. Hadrian was already a formidable threat as it was. Without the restriction of the sun, he’d be unstoppable.

“He expects me to create an army of daywalkers,” she said, biting her lip. “We have to leave before that happens.”

“But how?” I asked.

“Caesar, Kai, and my aunt are waiting in the forest,” she informed in an even tighter whisper. “As soon as I give them the signal, they’ll help us get out. But I have to coordinate with Tobias and the other dragon, and Arya is refusing to listen to reason.”

“Wait, we’re getting all of them out?” I balked. “That’s impossible.”

Challenge sparked in her eyes, washing away the sadness like a strong wind to a storm. “Nothing is impossible for us. Despite all odds, I came back from the dead and found you. Despite all odds, I formed a friendship with the one person who is destined to destroy Hadrian. Fate is on our side, and it will not abandon us now.”

Hope ignited in my chest at her words. She had a point, several in fact. Fate had led us this far, and I had faith that its ultimate design wasn’t our doom.

“Meow.”

Shea snapped her head to the floor on her right, surprise widening her eyes. “Rainbow?”

The cat hopped onto the bed and, after circling and pawing at my shirt a few times, curled up on top of my chest.

“There you are, boy,” I said. “I was beginning to worry about you.”

Shea breathed a small laugh. “I don’t understand how it happened, but I’m glad he’s here for you.” She lifted her hand and ruffled the cat’s fur, which snorted irritably in response.

She shot an anxious look at the door, then back down to me. “I can’t stay much longer, but I will come back as soon as it’s safe. I love you, Julian.”

She arched over me and pressed her lips to mine. I eagerly opened my mouth, inviting her in and savoring this brief taste of her.

But all too soon, she pulled away. “Stay strong,” she whispered, then scurried out of the room.

Rainbow’s purring filled the empty silence, the sound lulling me into a strange sort of peace. I was glad Caesar was waiting somewhere to jump at Shea’s call, glad we had some kind of reinforcements when the time came. And though I couldn’t see how we’d actually accomplish it, I had to hold onto faith that all of us would make it out.

I just hoped it happened before Shea was forced to shift the balance of this war beyond repair.