Shadow Taking Over

16- How could he be of service?

Rather than hours of walking, Talia offered to drive Ace and Eve back to civilization. They gladly accepted, though Eve grew bored of the drive after realizing that shadow travel was much faster. She dozed off in the back seat, knees curled up to her chin. Talia ranted about the safety of the seat cushions. However, they soon found out that unconscious Eve could not produce enough heat to burn anything. Just enough heat to make the whole vehicle hotter than this summer's morning. Ace blasted cool air over the AC.

Once they were close to their destination, Ace instructed Talia to park a sort ways away as to not alert Lance. He was first out of the jeep, circling the vehicle to retrieve the sleeping Eve. Eve groaned loudly as she peeled off the seat. Her boots crunched tiny pebbles on the pavement. Even her shadows were groggy. They danced drunkenly on her skin underneath her clothes.

Ace leaned into the window to say goodbye to Talia. He lightly kissed her forehead when she sniffed worriedly. "It's going to be alright, Tal." He pat the side of her jeep twice before she drove off in the opposite direction.

"This the place?" Ace asked Eve.

"Mhm," Eve hummed. "Y'know that old saying, 'home is where the heart is?'"

"Yeah?"

"Think I dropped my heart a couple dozen miles back there," she joked with sarcasm.

Ace chuckled. He grew serious once they reached the house. They previously prepped a neat little act to make this kidnapping seem legit. With one last look at Eve, he rang the doorbell.

Eve melted into his shadow. She wasn't expecting it to be so cold. It soothed her unlike other shadows she had traversed. Her eyes fluttered shut. As she began to relax, the space around her widened. She wasn't restricted right up against the barrier to the over world. His shadow became more like a small boxed room. Claustrophobia should have kicked in by now, but she felt okay. There was a sense of safety that warmed her. Eve reached out into the endless black. An invisible, frigid wall welcomed her hand. She took a step back and looked up at the world.

The door cracked before swinging open. Alice stood in its way, not caring to conceal her chain weapon. She eyed him from bottom to top. An incredulous scoff at his appearance caused Ace to smirk. He looked nice and tidy, not at all like a victim.

"Oh, a visitor for me?" Alice bat her eyelashes as she mimicked a sweetheart voice.

Her fore fingers dragged down the length of his chest, pressed down hard, only to stop at the rim of his pants. Alice thinned her lips into a seductive smile, but he saw through this. In truth, she was feeling for any sort of wired device or weapon that may be planted upon his torso. Even still, Ace smacked her arm aside.

"That's a very personal way of greeting a guest," he commented.

"I'm sorry. It's just procedure." She apologized without sincerity. Alice side stepped and beckoned him inside. The door seemingly shut on its own. "Also procedural," she continued in a less playful tone.

Without care, she forced his arms up high so she could pat him down from behind. She knelt on one knee, hands traveling as she lowered. There was a weapon stowed horizontal on the inside of his belt, resting on the small of his back. Her hands drew nearer to it. It was time to signal Eve. Ace brought his heels together.

She spotted the signal almost immediately. Eve readied herself to climb out, but the floor abruptly began to rise. She crouched instinctively to avoid being crushed by the roof. Something in the back of her mind urged her to stand. To trust that nothing bad would happen.