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Julian looked away, wincing. “When they realized I was the double agent, they began slowly draining me. They use vampire blood for experimentation.”

“Julian,” I breathed, imagining him strapped to a table as tubes drained him of his precious life force.

“They left me alive enough to try and get information from me. I suppose until they found you. Now there is no reason to keep me alive.” He caressed my cheek again, and I leaned into his touch.

“They aren’t finishing off either of us or getting any information. Get behind me.” It felt strange to be the one protecting him. Gods knew I hadn’t done a great job at being a spy so far, but at least I’d accomplished both of my objectives. Sort of. I’d found out the psychic was fake, or at least already working for MorningStar, and I’d found Julian. Now I just had to get us out of here.

Before I could jerk the door back with my mind, it opened.

Tabitha stood in the doorway, hand outstretched. “Why aren’t you dead?” she asked, but it was curiosity not shock that laced her words.

“Let us go,” I said, putting power behind the words as I tugged Julian along behind me.

“That’s why I’m here. I saw myself releasing you in my vision earlier. I kind of left that part out.”

“Why?” I asked, keeping Julian behind me.

Tabitha shrugged. “I don’t want to be here. But I’d rather be on this side of the cell than the one you’re on.”

“Come with us,” I said without thinking. Julian hissed in my ear, but I ignored him.

Tabitha laughed, but it was humorless. “And get killed by SHADE? No thanks.”

“We won’t kill you,” I said. “Not if you helped me.”

“You are new to this, aren’t you?” She shook her head. “No way you could be doing this for any amount of time and still be such an optimist.”

A heavy door scraped the ground down the hall, and we all looked toward the darkness, straining to see anything in the dim green glow of the end of the corridor.

“Well shit, looks like you talked too much and lost your chance,” Tabitha whispered and made a slamming motion with her hand.

I stopped the door halfway then pushed hard enough to send her flying back. We dashed by her only to stop short in front of the two goons from earlier. The vampire grinned at Julian as his fangs elongated, and the shifter’s body moved in an unnatural way, telling me he was shifting into whatever his other form was.

The vamp lunged, and I shrieked, “Stop!” He ended up still as a statue with his throat in Julian’s fingers.

It distracted me long enough to be startled by an enormous black grizzly that leaped over me and pinned Julian to the ground.

Oh sure, ignore the barefoot woman. I’m no threat.

“Freeze and shift back,” I commanded, ignoring the growing pain behind my eyes that came with using too much power.

The naked man lying on Julian made an awkward picture, but my vampire wasted no time flipping him over and sinking fangs into his neck.

I looked away, trying to ignore the sounds of Julian feeding. It was important he regain his strength and what better target than one of the bad guys? Still, it disturbed me as the sounds of bones crunching accompanied the greedy swallows. When I glanced back, Julian had crushed the were-bear’s arms in his grip.

“That’s nasty,” Tabitha said from the side.

Julian’s head shot up, eyes glowing their normal deep indigo and blood coating his mouth and chin. His usual elegant grace had flown out the window after being nearly drained.

“Don’t,” I warned, seeing the look in his eye. It wasn’t a command. I knew he’d listen to me.

“All of you, freeze.” The Major’s southern accent surprised me, but I couldn’t turn to see her as my limbs stuck in place at her command. Clearly, she was a mind-bender too. She passed by me, turning to take in my face, then she glared at Tabitha. “Helping the prisoners?”

Tabitha’s eyes grew wider as the major approached her. “Since you’re on their side, you should get a good taste of what that means. Get in the cell.”

Tabitha strode past her into the cell we’d previously occupied. The major glanced at the vampire I’d frozen, and he came back to life. How had she done that without speaking?

“Give our wayward friend a dose of the suppressant, then enjoy a snack before locking her in. I’ll let you know when and if I feel like letting her out.”