by G. K. DeRosa
Vander slowly dipped his head. “Thanks for apologizing. And regarding Vessa, I’m sure she did something to deserve it.”
I nearly spit out the water. “What?”
“Don’t get me wrong, Azara. I love my sister and I in no way want any harm to come to her, but she can be a little bitch. With things up in the air with you and Talon and her crazy possessiveness over him, I can only imagine what she might have said to rile up your demon.”
“Yeah, she wasn’t nice that’s for sure. But no excuses. I can’t keep blaming everything on my demon. I’m in charge, and I need to take responsibility. It doesn’t matter what she said, I never should’ve attacked her.”
“I’ll be sure to send her your apologies.” He smirked.
“Thanks.” I drew in a breath and steeled my nerves. “That’s not the only thing I need to apologize for.”
Vander’s lips pressed together, and a twinge of crimson coated his cheeks.
Memories of our drunken boneyard liaison had recently resurfaced, and while I’d already apologized once, I felt it was worth repeating now that I actually remembered what had happened. I reached for his hand tentatively and was surprised when he let me take it. Oh no, he still had feelings for me, in spite of everything. It would only make this discussion harder. Spit it out, Azara. “I let my demon take advantage of you that night in the boneyard, and I’m so sorry. It was easier for me to hide out and let her take the wheel than face my issues. I never should’ve let her get so out of control.” I squeezed his hand and met his gentle eyes, flecks of amber lighting up the hazel. “I care about you a lot, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you but—”
His free hand came up, stopping me mid-sentence. “But I’m not Talon.”
I nodded. “I really screwed things up with him, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to fix it, but I have to try.”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one.” He grunted.
“Looks like we both have some groveling to do.”
“At least Talon talks to you.” He twisted his head over his shoulder to look back at the looming dragon and grimaced. “He still won’t even look at me.”
“He’ll get over it eventually.”
He shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. I may have been drunk, but I knew what I was doing. I knew Talon wasn’t really over you no matter what he claimed.”
A pang of hurt sliced my chest, but I shoved it down, reminding myself how I’d acted. It was a miracle Talon still wanted to be my friend.
Heavy footfalls spun my head toward the dragon stalking toward us. A deep line furrowed his brow, his jaw clenched so tight I could practically hear his teeth grinding.
Vander shot to his feet. “And that’s my cue to leave.”
I grabbed his hand and forced him to stop. “Stay, Vander. Maybe you guys can finally talk it out.”
“No, not yet. I know my brother, and he’s not in a forgiving mood.” He squirmed free of my grasp and spun toward the door. “See you soon, Azara.”
I wiggled my fingers in goodbye a second before Talon slid into the seat beside me. Tension radiated from his shoulders, the strain evident when his bicep brushed against my arm.
“Everything okay?” he gritted out.
“Yup. Peachy. How about you?” I grabbed my pencil and crossed out Vander’s name.
The tense set of his shoulders diminished a tad as I dragged the lead across the letters. “What’s that?”
“Just something Dr. Ollie suggested I work on for my therapy.”
His gaze trailed down the list of names. I moved my forearm, trying to cover his, but I was sure he’d already seen it. “You ready for another workout session?” he asked.
“I was born ready.” My demon was antsy to burn some energy.
“Let’s do it then.”
I followed Talon to the basement, my pulse ratcheting up in anticipation with each step. I’d come to relish these moments of sweaty abandon. It was the only time I didn’t have to think. My brain could shut off, and I could focus on the physical. I’d wanted my memories back for so long, I hadn’t stopped to consider how draining they’d be once they showed up.
“You’re oddly quiet,” Talon muttered as he swung the door open to the training room.
“Just have a lot going on up here.” I motioned to my temple and scowled.
“I know exactly how to fix that.” A mischievous grin lit up his silver irises and set them ablaze.
I hurried to the duffle bag I kept behind the counter and stripped out of my jumpsuit. That was one thing I had not missed at all while in psych. Talon averted his gaze as I slipped on a tank top and yoga pants. Much better. Lacing up my sneakers, I watched Talon’s jumpsuit fall from his shoulders and hang low on his hips. A sharp V disappeared into the waistband of his boxers, sending my heart hurtling against my ribs. I still couldn’t believe we’d had sex, and I couldn’t even remember it. So not fair.
The swirling heat in my core from the mere thought of it convinced me it had to have been amazing. I shoved the lusty thoughts to the back of my mind where they belonged. Friends, we were just friends.
I popped out from behind the counter as Talon pulled up his jersey shorts. With his thumbs hitched in the waistband, he leaned against the wall. How could he make something so mundane look so sexy? As I approached, his eyes raked over me appreciatively, leaving a scorching trail in their wake.
I swallowed hard and fidgeted with the hem of my tank. “So you had something in mind?”
A flash of silver streaked across his pupils, and a low growl vibrated his chest. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he cleared his throat, blinking quickly. “Um, yes.” He pushed off the wall, and the suffocating tension simmered a notch. Until he bent down to grab something from his bag and revealed the brilliant red sparring gloves. “I figured we could do some one-on-one. It’s been a while, but I think you’re ready.”
So far my training had consisted of the punching bag, endless squats, push-ups, pull-ups, miles of jogging and minimal weapons but nothing that called for touching. Excitement swirled with anxiety, like two venomous snakes twisting my insides.
Talon beckoned me forward with his index finger, and monster butterflies joined the battling reptiles in my gut. He reached for my hand when I didn’t offer it and helped me into the snug glove. As he tightened the Velcro straps, I couldn’t help my gaze from drifting up to meet his. We were less than a foot apart now, and the intense silver of his irises shone like a million burning stars.
He grabbed my other hand and repeated the procedure, all the while my gaze locked on his. The flecks of molten steel lighting up those blazing orbs pierced my insides, leaving me cracked open, exposed. His fiery gaze alone was enough to unravel me.
“Ready?” His rough voice only accelerated my thundering heartbeats.
“Umhmm,” I murmured.
He stepped back and I drew in a much-needed breath, one untainted by his distracting scent. He lifted his hands and took on a fighting stance. “Come at me.”
Gnawing on my lower lip, I lunged forward and took a swing. Talon easily avoided my blow with a quick sidestep.
“Come on, Azara. You can do better than that.”
My demon flickered to life from the depths of my core at his taunting tone. With the mystical cuffs off, she wasn’t far from the surface. I tamped down on her fiery urges and focused on Talon.
I can do this. I’m in charge. Not her. Bumping my fists together, I charged. A quick one-two combo had my trainer staggering back.
“Nice,” he called out as he backed into the wall.
I kept hitting, throwing punches into his chiseled abs, his arm, I even got a jab in on the side of his face. He never hit back, just kept taking my quickening blows.
Beads of sweat accumulated on my brow as I danced back and forth across the mat. He was taking it easy on me and I was already panting, my breaths coming h
ard and fast. I was so out of shape it was embarrassing.
“Are you going to hit me back or what?” I asked as I wiped sweat off my brow.
The hint of a smile lifted his lip. “Do you think you’re ready for that?”
Oh, I’m ready. I gulped as my she-demon’s voice echoed in my mind. Clenching my fingers into tight fists, I nodded.
“You promise you won’t try to suck out my soul?” The teasing grin still curled his lips, and his irises sparkled with mischief.
“No promises, dragon douche canoe.” I smirked. Two could play this game.
He crushed his fists together, and the smack resonated across the training room. “Let’s do this then.” He lunged for me, his wings snapping out and propelling him right over my head.
“Hey, that’s not fair!” I squealed.
Talon was on the other side of the room by the time I spun around.
“Why not? If your demon is in the game, then why shouldn’t my dragon be?”
I rolled my eyes and sprinted for him. I got in exactly one hit before he countered. His fists moved so fast I could barely keep up. Block, block, hit, duck. Ow! He nailed me in the gut, and all the air siphoned from my lungs.
I staggered back and hit the wall as he stalked forward. Trapped. He swung his fists and blocked the first few hits, but with the sleek obsidian pressing into my shoulder blades I was stuck. Kicking my leg out, I tried to sweep his feet out from under him, but he was unmovable.
“Come on, Azara, fight me.”
“I’m trying!” I shoved him back, but he barely budged an inch.
He yanked his gloves off and slapped his hands on the wall on either side of my head, caging me in. “I’m Thax, and I’m back for you. I’m going to drag you to the Underworld and take you prisoner. What are you going to do?”
“Stop!” I screamed. Ripping my gloves off, I smacked his chest again. He only pressed closer, trapping me against the wall. Darkness edged into my vision as my demon bubbled to the surface. No. No. No.
Talon’s warm breath ghosted over my face as he leaned closer, his teeth lengthening to fangs. His pupils thinned to narrow reptilian slits. “What are you going to do?” he hissed, his voice more beast than man.
My own beast was getting harder to shove down. She wanted a crack at the dragon—or maybe a taste was more accurate. Hunger clawed at my insides as my pulse accelerated. The thundering of my frantic heartbeats roared across my eardrums until it was all I could hear. Talon faded to black, the entire room going with him.
“Don’t you let her win, Azara.” The familiar voice tugged at my insides, and I blinked rapidly.
Just a taste. A little taste to show him who’s in charge.
My jaw unlocked and a whisper of blue energy streamed forth, dancing along Talon’s lips. His eyes widened, the silver nearly eclipsing the thin reptilian slits. My hand closed around the back of his neck and drew him closer. He didn’t even try to resist. I pressed my mouth to his and inhaled a long breath. Mmm. Yummy. He tasted like freshly fallen snow and charred wood. His familiar scent snapped me from the darkness, and I blinked back the curtain of black.
I recalled my demon energy, and it curled back into the murky depths of my core. A tidal wave of guilt slammed into me as Talon’s features unblurred, and his face took shape inches from my own. “I—I’m so sorry.” I tried to spin away, but I was still trapped between the wall and his impassable chest.
He captured my chin and forced my eyes to meet his. “Don’t apologize. You did great.”
My head snapped back so hard I almost gave myself whiplash. “What are you talking about? I almost sucked out your soul. Again.”
“You weren’t even close,” he muttered, inching dangerously close to my lips. “I barely felt a tickle. And you stopped yourself. That’s all that matters.”
My jaw unhinged as realization hit me. “You were testing me? You provoked me on purpose!” I slapped him across the cheek. Hard. Because he totally deserved it.
And he barely flinched.
“I’m sorry, but I had to, Azara. You remember what I told you when I first started training you? Don’t be afraid of your powers. Burying them is the worst thing you can do. You have to let them out, fight them, learn about them and finally control them. And today, you did just that.”
A small smile melted across my face. “I don’t remember you being so wise.”
He leaned closer, his soft lips nearly brushing mine. “There are a lot of things you don’t remember about me, Azara.”
A chill skirted up my spine, and it was all I could do to keep from crushing my lips against his. Just friends. Just friends. I repeated the mantra in my head hoping it would sink in.
For now. Talon’s voice reverberated in my skull, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Did you hear me?” A tidal wave of embarrassment rolled over me. I’d forgotten about that weird mental connection we occasionally shared.
He nodded slowly.
“How?” From my limited understanding, my telepathic abilities only worked when I initiated the connection.
“I’m not sure. Maybe some leftover effect of the blood bond mixed with your freaky warlock powers.”
When had he gotten so close? His breath ghosted over my lips. My heartrate spiked, and my ribcage suddenly felt too small for my raging organ. “For now?” I muttered.
His lips brushed against mine, so softly they felt like butterfly wings dancing along my skin. He pulled back a second later, but my hand snaked around the back of his neck, holding his mouth to mine.
I pried his teeth apart with my tongue, and his mouth quickly yielded to my will. His tongue caressed mine with slow, languid strokes. Wrapping my arms tighter around his neck, I drew him closer until he pressed me into the wall. The cool obsidian chilled my heated flesh, the contrast sending chills spilling up and down my spine.
“I don’t want to wait,” I whispered against his ear as his lips moved to my collarbone. “We’ve already lost so much time.”
“Neither do I,” he growled into my skin. He nipped at my flesh, running his tongue over the hollow of my neck. “But we have to.”
I pushed him out to arm’s length even though every cell in my body screamed at the absence of his. “Why?” I rasped out.
“Because you need to focus on getting full control of your demon, and I need to focus on keeping you safe. Once I make you mine, which believe me I will, I’ll be too consumed in you to care about anything else.”
His words were like a steamy caress, sending heat swirling from my chest all the way down to my tiptoes. I opened my mouth to object because why couldn’t he do both? But the door of the training room slammed open, tearing me away from my protestations.
Hayden barreled in, and his eyes darted between Talon and me and our disheveled appearance. He kept his face neutral, but amusement danced across his sparkling azure irises. “Hope I’m not intruding, but you’ve got some visitors, Azara.”
“Visitors?” I squeaked as I ran a hand through my ruffled locks.
“Yup. They’re with Logan and from what I heard, they’re super VIPs so I wouldn’t keep them waiting.”
“So no shower then?” I was covered in sweat, my workout clothes stinky for sure.
“No shower,” said Talon. “Thanks, Hayden. I’ll take her up.”
Our angel roommate scanned the training room. “That’s what we need down here by the way, our own private shower. Don’t you think, guys?” He winked as he sauntered out.
Heat blossomed along my cheeks, but I grabbed a towel and covered my face, pretending to wipe the sweat off. No one ever made me blush like these guys. It was silly really. They all knew Talon and I had been a thing, but now that we were supposed to be just friends there was so much more pressure to behave.
Talon tossed me a water bottle, and the heat subsided. I gulped down the cool, crisp liquid as my mind whirled. Who could these mysterious guests be?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“D
o you know who the visitors are?” I glanced at my dragon escort as we walked the halls in silence. He’d been oddly quiet, an unexpected tension rolling over his broad shoulders since Hayden had appeared in the training room.
“Maybe.”
“What?” I cried and jabbed my elbow into his side. “Why didn’t you tell me someone was coming to see me?”
He shrugged. “Because it was supposed to be a surprise.”
My pulse accelerated and anxiety twisted my insides as the warden’s office came to view. Could it be… No.
Talon’s hand closed around the antique knob, and his eyes met mine. A jumble of emotions swirled through the glimmering silver surface. “Ready?”
“I hope so.”
He yanked the door open, and my jaw dropped.
“Mom? Dad?” Hot tears filled my vision as my parents’ familiar forms raced toward me. Warm, strong arms reached me first and I buried my head in my dad’s chest. Tears spilled over as my mom wrapped her arms around my back.
“Oh gods, Azara, thank the realms you’re okay.” My mom’s choked words elicited another sob to break free.
“I’m so sorry, Mom.” I bawled into my dad’s chest as my mom rubbed my back. “I messed up big time, Dad.”
They hugged me for what felt like forever, and my heart swelled. I wanted to disappear in their arms, to pretend none of the awful things had happened since I arrived at Darkblood Prison nearly six months ago. A flood of memories assaulted my skull as I breathed them in, as they hugged and kissed me, while whispering soothing reassurances.
Finally, my dad released me, holding me out to arm’s length. “We were so worried about you, kid. When Logan told us what happened, I wanted to murder him.” He shot the warden a dark glare, and a twinge of guilt pierced my chest.
“Why didn’t you come to us from the beginning?” Mom’s eyes nailed me, and more guilt poured through my insides.
“I was embarrassed. I didn’t want you guys finding out what I’d done.” I suddenly felt like I was five years old again.
“What Thax had made you do, apparently,” Dad hissed.
“This is all our fault, Azara.” Mom took my hand and ushered me to the couch. She sat down beside me, squeezing my palm. “We started this with Thax’s mother, Luxora, decades ago. You shouldn’t have had to fight our battle.”