“I have a new offer for you,” he said with a smirk.
“I told you, I’m not interested,” I said firmly.
“And as I told you, friend, you won’t have a choice eventually. Twenty five years?” He whistled a long note. “You’ll be in here longer than me, better to start working yourself up the ranks now.”
“I’m not inter-“ I started but he cut over me.
“Yeah, yeah, you can’t be bought and blah blah blah. But listen…” He slid his arm up and over my shoulders. We were about the same height, but the gesture said he was trying to make me feel like the smaller man. A tactic which was entirely fucking pointless. “I can get you something you can’t refuse.”
I remained quiet as he eyed me hopefully, expecting me to get curious and beg to know what it was. But he could have been offering me a key to my damn magic blocking cuffs and I still wouldn’t have been interested.
“I’ve got a guy who can help with this.” His hand landed on the crook of my elbow and he twisted my arm out to look at the Leo marking that bound me to Darius.
I snarled, yanking my arm away and glaring at him to back off.
“I’ve heard those bonds can be a bitch,” he said lightly. “It must be driving you insane not being able to go and guard your little Dragon ward.”
Insane didn’t even cut it. I had dreams about Darius almost as often as I did about Blue. And they weren’t all PG fucking thirteen either. It didn’t help that Darius punched himself in the face every time he remembered to be pissed at me. It felt like his actual fist ramming into my cheek. I’d been mid-way through my breakfast the last time and had fallen off my fucking chair. Sin Wilder had thought that was hilarious while everyone else close by scattered like they didn’t want to catch my brand of crazy.
Ethan went on as we headed into the showers and I hung my towel up beside his as we stripped off. “I’ve got a guy who can get these pills, numbs all kinds of emotions. Might be good for all that rage you’re carrying too.”
I rounded on him with a dark glare. “I don’t want your pills. I don’t want your friendship. I don’t want to be a part of your gang. If I haven’t made that clear yet, I must be speaking in tongues. Because it’s really fucking obvious to me.” I strode past him into the showers, moving to the far end where none of the other inmates had gathered yet. Ethan joined his pack and they started washing each other, lathering up in the soap like it was perfectly acceptable to start an orgy when other people were present.
I didn’t waste time, washing and heading out to change into my jumpsuit for the day before making my way to breakfast upstairs. The Mess Hall was a sea of orange jumpsuits and ravenous beasts tucking into their food. The only reason I had any appetite at all these days was to keep myself strong. I spent every hour I could in the gymnasium downstairs to ensure I was strong enough to fight off the other convicts hand to hand. It had taken me four beatings, twelve broken bones and a punctured lung to remind me that I didn’t want to die in here.
The first few weeks had been a special kind of hell where I’d had little will to do anything at all. My instincts had been to drink the pain into oblivion. But getting your hands on alcohol here was both difficult and fucking stupid. If I found a way to drink, I’d soon find myself weakened and forced to the bottom of the pecking order. And no matter how bad life was, how bleak and worthless it had all become, I still had my instincts. And fighting for position was always going to be ingrained in me.
I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that when I left this place at the ripe old age of fifty one, I’d still be power shamed in society for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t be allowed to fight for position. I’d be stripped of everything, forced to live on the outskirts of society. And somehow, I thought that would be even worse than Darkmore Penitentiary. At least in here, I could be Fae. Beyond these walls, the little life left that awaited me was going to take a fundamental part of my existence away. I guessed I still had twenty four years and nine months to get used to the idea…
As I queued up for my breakfast, the inmate caterers conveniently ran out of fresh food so I was left with the only option of porridge. Again. It happened every day. No matter what time I came here. And I had the stars to thank for that. It was the thing that was causing me the greatest issue in here; I was facing the wrath of the stars for breaking the promise me and Blue had made to do whatever it took to stay together. So bad luck plagued me around every corner. Every move I made to keep myself off the radar was countered by gang leaders showing up at the worst moments, like when I was talking with their rivals or casting magic in the Compound that they could take as a threat. It was why I’d been in so many fights since I’d been here. It was why my lung had been punctured when a punch from some Dragon asshole called Christopher in the Compound had me landing on a trident some prick had been casting out of wood behind me. It was why Cain had been assigned to me, the guard I was forced to fight against because of my nature. And in return, I was punished repeatedly for it.
The stars had it in for me, but I couldn’t even find it in myself to care. Because I deserved this bad luck for the hurt I was putting Blue through. I could weather it out for her sake. In time, she’d move on from me. Maybe she already had. And all of this hell would be worth it for that. I’d be out of her life for good soon enough. Then slowly forgotten.
A broken heart was the most painful thing I’d ever endured. But I’d never deserved to own the heart of Darcy Vega. And I’d had to give it back in the most brutal way possible. It was the only way I could see to save her. And it would be worth it when she rose to power and led the life she was meant to lead. If my own life had to be a casualty for that to happen, I was more than willing to sacrifice it. Even if I was going to pine for her for the rest of my days. Miss her with the very essence of my soul and ache for her until the world stopped spinning. I would stay here and I would suffer willingly to do what was best for her. And someday she’d understand why.
I sat on an empty table with my porridge, ignoring the looks thrown my way. I was still a subject of discussion around here. My trial had been well televised and the details had spread quickly after I’d arrived. Though most of the rumours had gotten out of hand. To some, I was an outright rapist while to others I was a hero.
Ethan Shadowbrook had decided how he felt about me within a week of me entering Darkmore after I’d beaten the life out of anyone who had made so much as a passing remark about Darcy. He’d announced I was too pretty to be a pervert and it was obvious I was in love with her. I hadn’t bothered to try and convince him otherwise. It didn’t really matter if people figured out the truth in here, it was the rest of the world that mattered. And apparently his statement was enough for more of the prisoners to start believing it too. Roary Night had walked right up to me and called Darcy a slut just to see my reaction for himself and I’d nearly disembowelled him for it. Which had cost me severely in my flying under the radar tactic. In fact, that tactic had been pretty fucking futile anyway when I thought about it. I’d garnered the attention of the most powerful Fae in this place, including the asshole guard who monitored me. I might as well have had a target painted on my head.
Maybe Ethan’s right. Maybe I will have to choose soon enough.
Cain shot to my side in a burst of Vampire speed and I looked up at him with a scowl as he interrupted my train of dark thoughts.
“Guess what, One-Fifty?” he said with a smirk. “Your Mommy’s here to see you. Only took her three months to bother.”
I stood abruptly, knocking him back a step with my shoulder and he snatched his baton from his hip with a snarl.
“Watch it, One-Fifty,” he warned. “If you wanna see your mommy then you’d better behave yourself all the way to visitation.”
I released a dry breath of amusement. “I’d rather cut my tongue off and swallow it whole than see my mother, so feel free to tell her that when you ask her to fuck off.”
Cain caught my arm with his eyes glittering darkly. �
��Even better,” he growled. “I’ll personally make sure you get to see her then.”
My jaw clenched as he tugged me across the room to the exit and we were soon heading down the corridors to visitation where my flesh and blood was apparently waiting for me. My gut threaded with razor wire as Cain led me to the security doors, waiting there to make sure I couldn’t turn back. The second I was on the other side of them, standing in the corridor full of doors that led to the visitation rooms, all I could think about was Blue.
I’d thought the most painful moment of my life was being dragged from the court room, but I’d been wrong. It was her coming here, seeing the hollowness of her cheeks, the broken look in her eyes, the thinness of her frame. I’d known this would hurt her, but I’d never expected her to fall apart so severely.
The most agonising part was, I hadn’t been able to drag her into my arms and give in to the desperate, clawing ache inside me at seeing her. I wanted to fall to my knees and beg for her forgiveness and promise I’d banish that hurt in her eyes if it took me the rest of my life to heal it. Instead, I’d done the only thing I could do and forced her away, broken her harder. I could never show her an ounce of warmth again. Never give her hope for us. Because she needed to move on from me and live the life she was meant to before I’d ever come along to fuck it up.
Three months later, I still couldn’t bear to ask Darius whenever he came here if she’d moved on. We had an agreement that he wouldn’t mention her unless I asked. But asking could open myself up to a world of destruction I wasn’t ready for. Because if Blue was moving on, I was going to have to accept that. And despite the fact that it was what I knew needed to happen, I was still terrified of the day when it was confirmed. Because I knew it was going to destroy me.
He’d told me Honey Highspell had taken over my class and how she’d taken a dislike to the twins and that made me want to decapitate her with my bare hands. The woman had been clingy as fuck during our teacher training and apparently she was now spreading lies that we were friends and she had come here to get the ‘real’ story about me. Of all the teachers in the world to take my position, Elaine couldn’t have picked a worse one than her.
I was directed into room nine and steeled myself as I headed inside, wondering why Stella would bother coming here. Maybe to gloat or laugh or to make up some story she wanted to splash all over the press for the fame. I didn’t know and frankly I didn’t care.
She stood on the other side of the room in a smart navy dress and high heels, her dark hair styled into sharp points just below her chin.
“Lance!” she gasped, rushing forward and putting on a show for the cameras as she wrapped her arms around me and released a dramatic sob against my chest.
I didn’t hug her back, in fact, I didn’t move at all. “Stella,” I said coolly. “What do you want?”
She stepped back then slapped me across the face with the force of her air magic, hard enough to imprint her fucking hand there. Great.
“How could you do such a thing to that poor girl?”
“Be careful what you say,” I growled in a deadly tone.
She glanced at the cameras as if that was what I’d meant, flicking her fingers and casting some spell on them before she recomposed herself and slumped dramatically down into a seat at the table.
I slowly lowered myself into the one opposite, figuring I had nothing to lose by listening to the ramblings of my compulsive liar of a mother. Except a healthy few minutes of my life. But I supposed I had plenty of those to spare these days.
“How could you be so stupid?” she hissed, accusation filling her tone and pouring from her eyes. “A Vega?” she spat. “Have you lost your mind?”
Of course, Stella cared more about the fact that I’d wanted a Vega than she did about the world believing I’d Dark Coerced a student into my bed. And worse than that, she didn’t even question the lie. She believed wholeheartedly that I’d be capable of such a thing. I guessed she thought the apple didn’t fall that far from the tree. But little did she know, I was in an orchard on the other side of the fucking planet.
I remained quiet, weighing my options here. I wasn’t going to waste my breath telling her the truth. If she and Lionel believed I really had Coerced Darcy then that meant they still thought I wasn’t actively going against them. Not that I could do a whole lot in here now, but I would help Darius with anything I could to beat his father.
Stella sighed, dabbing under her eyes at invisible tears. “It’s just so hard to see you here like this, bringing shame on the family name.”
“Oh come on mother, I brought plenty of shame on the family name before they slapped the shackles on me,” I taunted and her eyes sharpened, her teary act forgotten in an instant.
“I see not even prison has changed your attitude, Lance. It hurts me that you’d put your mother through so much stress. The press have been hounding me for interviews, do you have any idea of the pressure I’m under?”
“No, I reckon you lap up all the attention actually,” I said, knowing exactly how much she’d enjoy playing the victim in this shitshow. The poor mother who never saw how troubled her son truly was, who’d offered him the world only to have it thrown back in her face. Classic Stella.
“Not at all! I have to try and explain why my boy would be disturbed enough to target a Vega princess,” she lamented. “Do you have any idea how humiliating that is? That you, a guardian of Lionel Acrux’s son, has been cavorting with a girl they say has an already addled mind-”
“That’s a lie,” I snapped, my voice ringing harshly through the room. She could say whatever the fuck she wanted about me, but I wasn’t going to let her cast shade on Blue. “The newspapers are full of bullshit and you know it.”
Stella rolled her eyes. “Whatever makes you feel better, baby boy.”
I ground my teeth until they were turning to sawdust in my mouth. “What are you here for?”
“I…I’m trying to talk Lionel around to getting you out of here.”
“No,” I said dismissively. I didn’t want to be transferred to some locked down house where Lionel could keep tabs on me twenty four seven. That was worse than being in this hell.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Stella cried. “You need to be somewhere more accessible to Darius. It is your duty."
I tsked, sitting back in my seat. “And what good will I be as a Guardian locked up in some house somewhere?” The idea of seeing Darius more regularly was sorely tempting, but I’d die before I gave my soul to good ol’ Uncle Lionel on a silver platter. He’d own me for twenty five years. No fucking thank you.
Stella didn’t have an answer for that, instead turning her gaze to the diamond encrusted bracelet around her wrist. “Clara’s return has been difficult,” she changed the subject so fast I almost got whiplash.
“How is she?” My voice dropped an octave as I thought of my sister, hoping maybe that the shadows had loosened their grip on her.
“She has practically replaced me as Lionel’s right hand w-woman,” Stella stammered, real tears shining in her eyes. This was what my mother cared about most. Power. And she’d always been willing to do whatever it took to get it. Even if she had to degrade herself in the process.
I cringed, looking away from her. It had been bad enough when she’d fallen into Lionel’s bed on a regular basis, let alone Clara. I could hardly stomach it.
“You’re just a pawn, Stella,” I growled. “You’re as dispensable as a fucking snot-ridden tissue. It’s been as clear as day to me for years, so excuse me if I don’t cry you a river.”
“Your father would be furious if he heard you talking to me like that,” she exclaimed.
“My father would be ashamed of the woman sitting before me if he was here today,” I snapped.
It was arguable that my mother had lost her mind the day my father died. I knew she’d loved him, but whenever she spoke of him these days it was with false adoration and overly sweet recollections that didn’t sound anything like the
man who’d raised me as a kid. She’d made up some picture of him in her mind and decided it was true. But it wasn’t my truth.
“Don’t you dare try to use him against me,” she demanded. “If he was still alive, he would be standing right at my side today as fiercely disappointed in you as I am.”
I tried to ignore the dig, but it sliced right through bone and sinew in my chest, leaving a gaping wound behind. My father’s love was something I quietly coveted, kept in a sealed box in my mind. It was untouched and unspoiled by everything that had happened since his death. But the possibility that my love of him had been a farce, that he’d been as cruel a Fae as my mother outside of the untarnished childhood memories I had of him was unbearable to consider. What if I loved a lie?
“He was a good man,” I snarled, determined to believe it. “He would have understood why I was here.”
“Oh what do you know? He died when you were a child,” she said dismissively. “His blood ran darker than mine.”
“I’d happily cut you open to prove yours is as black as tar,” I said grimly and her eyes narrowed, anger twisting through her gaze.
“Well that might be impossible soon enough,” she said with a smugness about her that made me frown.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She stood up and I rose with her, stepping around the table as I expected her to try and run away without finishing that sentence. That was the kind of shit she liked to pull to make herself seem important. To leave me here with unanswered questions was one of her favourite kinds of mindfuck.
I caught her arm and felt the shadows stirring beneath my skin, reaching out to try and caress those living beneath hers. I’d kept them locked down since I’d arrived here, knowing that if the guards found out about them, I would be dragged before another judge, forced to spill the truth to the world through Cyclops interrogation and no doubt executed within the same fucking day.
“Well I suppose it doesn’t matter if you know,” she mused, batting her lashes at me innocently. “It’s not like it makes any difference to you in here anyway.”
Zodiac Academy 5: Cursed Fates: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts) Page 70