by G. K. DeRosa
My blood was his blood, and his blood was mine. We belonged to each other. I could feel it from deep within my bones.
I yanked on the zipper of his jumpsuit, revealing the beautiful silver dragon on his muscled chest and my breath hitched. Damn, he was perfect. His body was like a work of art, crafted by the gods themselves.
He continued his assault on my lips as his hand slid down to unzipper my suit. My black scrubs slipped down to my waist, but my tank top still stood between our heated flesh.
I want her right here, right now…But this is so wrong.
I jumped back as Talon’s deep timbre reverberated in my mind. “What did you just say?” I choked out, my voice a raspy pant.
He was breathing hard too, and a lusty haze clouded his eyes. “I didn’t say anything.”
I smacked my palm to his chest, and he released me. My knees wobbled when I hit the ground, but I managed to cling onto the wall for support. “Yes, you did. In my head.” I pointed at my temple as my brows knitted.
Even in the dim lighting, I noticed his cheeks flush. “Can’t be.” He whipped his head back and forth.
“I know what I heard, Talon. It was just like when you were in your dragon form.”
“But I wasn’t talking to you. I was barely even thinking clearly.”
“Well, you projected something into my mind, and I heard it loud and clear. Something about wanting me right—”
His hand shot up, and a horrified expression twisted his swollen lips. The same lips that were trailing my flesh a hot second ago. “No, it’s not possible.”
“You already said that.” A streak of embarrassment flooded my cheeks. “Wait, could you hear me?”
He shook his head, the crease between his brows deepening to the size of a small crater. “No, and there’s no way you should’ve been able to hear me, not with a simple blood bond. Only dragon mates can hear each other’s thoughts.” He dug his fingers through his mussed-up hair and tugged at the ends.
“Well, it can’t be that because I’m not a dragon. And we’re definitely not mates.”
“You don’t have to be.” His words were so quiet I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly.
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to be a dragon to be another dragon’s mate. It’s unlikely, but sometimes it happens across different supernatural species.”
Duh, I knew that. My human aunt was mated to a dragon.
A vein across his forehead pulsated, and I could almost see the gears grinding in his brain. “But it doesn’t make any sense. We didn’t even… Kissing couldn’t have triggered the bond.” He continued mumbling to himself as I pulled my jumpsuit back up. “It has to be something else—anything else.”
A pang of hurt scorched through my insides. A second ago, this guy was mauling me, but the idea of being mated to me was too despicable to consider. I mentally cursed myself for letting my she-demon get the better of me. “Screw you, Talon.” I took off down the tunnel, leaving the dragon douche to figure out our newest drama.
I never should’ve let this happen. Not today of all days. If I wanted to get into the SIA I needed to bring my A-game, and this was not it.
“Azara, wait. Azara, please wait.” Talon sprinted behind me, but I ignored him and broke into a run.
Pumping my arms back and forth, I didn’t look back once. With the slight head start I had, I hoped I could outrun my bulky shadow and avoid another awkward conversation, for now at least.
The archway of sunlight and pristine snow appeared at a short distance, and I sprinted the last few yards. Right before I leapt across the end of the tunnel, thick fingers curled around my upper arm.
“I said wait!” Talon growled and spun me toward him.
I clapped my palms against his chest, but his hold on me only tightened. “Let go!”
“Everything okay?” An unfamiliar voice echoed from just beyond the tunnel exit.
I whipped my head toward the sound to find a tall, young guy with a spikey bright blue mohawk.
“Yes, everything’s fine, Dash.” Talon’s hold on my arm loosened before it fell away all together.
The warlock tugged at the collar of his coat and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. “You ready to get on with this then? It’s colder than a Winter Fae’s cooter out here.”
Talon threw me a sidelong glance which I ignored. “Yes, let’s do this,” I interjected. “I’m with the warlock, it’s cold as eff out here.”
Dash muttered a few words, and the charred scent of magic filled my nostrils. As if called to life with the incantation, my demon’s mark blinked to life. A faint hue leaked from the end of my sleeve. I quickly crossed my arms over my chest to conceal the magical glow. I didn’t know who this warlock was, but I definitely didn’t want him to know who I was.
The whirling winds of the portal spun to life, sending strands of dark hair lashing across my face.
“All set, Talon.” Dash motioned at the surging vortex. “First stop, SIA headquarters.”
“Great, thanks, man. I’ll give you a jingle when we’re ready to come back.”
He nodded and tucked his hands in his jacket. “Enjoy your trip.” He tossed me a smile, and I gave him the best one I could muster. I hoped he hadn’t heard our little fight in the tunnel.
Talon’s big hand closed around mine, and he dragged me through the glowing portal before I could break free from his iron grasp.
Chapter Eight
“Azara, Azara, come on, please stop.” Talon’s heavy footfalls smacked on the pavement leading to SIA headquarters.
I quickened my pace, hoping he wouldn’t make a scene in front of the agents manning the guard station only a few yards away. If I made it to the sleek silver structure, I’d be safe from whatever lame excuse Talon was about to throw at me.
The small guardhouse was situated at the foot of the sprawling compound in the snow-covered valley nestled between the soaring peaks of Draeko. If I weren’t so pissed, I might have taken a second to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
I could just make out a few dark shadows through the thick glass. A few more steps, and surely, the guard would come out to check our credentials. A blast of frigid wind pushed me forward, and a loud thud shook the ground right behind me.
Craptastic.
Talon’s mountain-fresh scent wrapped around me a second before his hand did. “I said: stop.”
I whirled at him, debating whether or not to make a scene in front of the guards. Maybe they couldn’t hear everything from their little enclosure, but they’d definitely hear me if I screamed. I chased the stupid thought from my mind and tried to get a grip on my raging temper. Talon hurt me like no one else could, and it drove me nuts. “What?” I finally snapped.
“You need to get a hold of yourself, Azara. Whatever happened back there doesn’t matter right now, do you understand me? This—what happens today is what you need to focus on.”
I gulped in a breath of frosty air, hoping to cool my insides. I knew he was right, but it only infuriated me more that he could be so logical.
His hold on my upper arm loosened, but he didn’t release me. Silver orbs bored into mine, and I was trapped. “I’m sorry. And I’m not blowing off what happened in the tunnel, I just need you to let it go for now. You don’t deserve to be locked up at Darkblood for ten years, and this is your only way out. I promise we’ll discuss it later, and I’ll even let you get a free hit in next time we train.” The hint of a smile hitched up the corner of his lip.
“Pshaw. Let me?” The fury waned at his feeble attempt to distract me. And maybe a hint of his rational line of thinking was bleeding through our bond.
“We both know it’s the only way you’d land a punch on me.”
“We’ll see about that.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and pivoted back toward the entrance. This time he released my arm and followed in step beside me.
A familiar blonde poked her head through the crack in the door of the modern structure. “I thought
that was you guys,” said Ella. She spun back to speak to a burly shadow behind her. “These two are good to go. I’ll bring them in.”
A sharp buzzer sounded, and the outline of an entryway appeared on the cement wall. A lock clicked, and a silver door glided open with a whoosh. Pretty cool. Last time we’d come, Talon had flown us in through the back—the way I imagined most of the agents did. I hadn’t gotten a chance to see the main entrance, and it was definitely impressive.
Slabs of gray stone stretched out as far as I could see from left to right and up toward the towering peaks. From the bird’s eye view I’d gotten last time, I realized it was big, but seeing it up close was something else.
The door led to a sterile corridor with white walls and halogen lights. We didn’t get far before we crossed a security checkpoint. Two guards in navy uniforms patted us down then sent us through a scanner. As I went through the high-tech contraption, the 3D image of my naked body flashed before me. Hello… Heat seeped up my neck, and I hoped I wasn’t bright red when I emerged from the x-ray box.
Ella took the lead, turning us down one barren corridor after another. Talon walked beside her, and I trudged a few steps behind. The blind rage had dissipated, but I still didn’t feel like being super chummy with Mr. Mood Swings. Plus, I had to pretend not to know Ella which made things extra difficult.
“Anything new on Vander?” Ella asked Talon, and my ears perked up.
He shook his head and grunted. “The Gargoyle Guardian Council is trying to find a way into the castle. Logan’s contact thought they’d lost him for a day, then they discovered he’s moved every few nights.”
“Wow, that’s really tight security. Any idea why they’d want him in the first place?”
“No. None of it makes any sense.” He glanced back at me, his dark brows furrowed.
Whatever it was, it had something to do with me. I’d cost Talon his best friend and I didn’t think he’d ever get over that, even if Vander was brought home safe and sound.
Ella stopped in front of a door marked Development and pivoted to me. “I’ll bring her into the locker room to change into something more suitable. She’ll need to be comfortable for the physical assessment.”
I gulped. What the hades would that entail?
Talon nodded and Ella escorted us into a sitting area, where she motioned for him to wait. Then she ticked her head at me, and I followed her into the changing area. Ella’s sharp eyes scanned the large locker room before fixing on me. “No cameras in here so you can talk freely.”
“Oh, right, thanks.”
She led me to a locker, typed in a code and pulled out a duffle bag. “I got you the same size as me since my clothes fit you so well last time.”
“Thank you.” For someone that didn’t know me well and could get into a lot of trouble for lying about that, she was being awfully nice. I hung my coat in the cubby and tugged off my prison-issued boots, then checked out the new clothes: a tank top, yoga pants, and sneakers. Just what I needed.
As I squirmed into my new workout gear, Ella pulled her long hair into a high ponytail and stared at her reflection. “Is everything okay? You seem quieter today.”
I shrugged as I laced up my sneakers. “Guess I’m a little nervous.”
“Don’t be. You’ll do fine.” She waved a nonchalant hand as she continued to primp in the mirror. “I thought maybe it had something to do with whatever you and Talon were arguing about when you walked up.”
Freakin’ faeries, she had heard. I kept my gaze trained to my shoes and mumbled a reply. “Nope, just Talon being a dick.”
I glanced up to see her lilac eyes widen through the mirror.
“Sorry. I know he trained you and all, but I had a different experience with him.”
She stopped fidgeting with her hair and turned to face me. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for him, living with the worst criminals in all of Azar for all these months.”
“Yeah, it’s no picnic.”
Ella clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. It must be horrible for you too. I only meant that you just got there, and you did end up with Talon and Hayden so things can’t be that bad, right?”
I was lucky to have ended up with SIA secret agents, but I hadn’t exactly had an easy time either. “Nope, not too bad.” I didn’t feel like sharing my boneyard drama with my cousin. And now it was time for a subject change. “So what exactly will I be doing today?”
Ella tugged a small tablet from her back pocket and scrolled through the screen. “You’re scheduled for a physical assessment followed by a supernatural one. They’ll examine your powers, both demon and mystical. The written test won’t be until your next session, so you’ve had time to review the manual.”
I nodded, hoping I’d kept my expression neutral while my insides churned. A magical assessment? I had zero control over my burgeoning warlock powers.
“Ready?”
“Yup.” Nope.
I followed her back out into the foyer where Talon waited, pacing the length of the small sitting room.
“T, you can wait here while I escort Azara to the trials.”
He stopped his manic trudging and whirled at her. “I’d like to watch them actually.”
“Okay, sure. You can come wait with me then.”
“Perfect.” A big smile lit up his stupid face, and I repressed the snarl in my throat. Why was he so nice to her?
She tapped out a quick message on her tablet and pointed to a door at the end of the hall. “They’re ready for you. Just head right through there.”
Here goes nothing. I trudged across the long corridor, each step harder than the last. It was like I had a pygmy giant strapped to each of my legs.
“Good luck, Azara,” Talon called out when I finally reached the door.
Every bone in my body compelled me to turn around, but somehow my brain won the raging inner battle. My fingers closed around the doorknob, and I yanked it open.
Chapter Nine
Inky darkness coated my vision. I took another step into the room and chilled air wafted over me. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. “Hello? Anyone in here?” Maybe Ella had sent me to the wrong room?
I blinked rapidly, waiting for my supernatural sight to kick in to at least make out a shadow. Nothing. I glanced at my demon mark, but not a flicker lit up my arm. Turning my focus inward, I searched for my she-demon. She was gone—just like when I wore the magic zapping cuffs.
A spotlight flashed on. I squeezed my eyes shut at the sudden brilliance. Once my eyes adjusted, my gaze landed on a splotch of black markings on the far wall. I squinted to make out the small text.
Rules:
Defeat your opponent in five minutes or less.
No supernatural abilities allowed.
Move on to the next challenge.
What opponent?
A faint snarl rumbled across the room, and a wave of goose bumps prickled my skin. I spun toward the sound, but I still couldn’t make out a thing in the pitch black. “Hello?”
The overhead lights flashed on, and a female in a familiar green jumpsuit crouched against the wall. Seriously?
A digital timer blinked to life over our heads, the hovering red digits set at five minutes. A buzzer sounded, and the shifter pounced as my heart rammed against my ribcage.
She yanked her arm back and delivered a resounding upper cut straight to my jaw. I was so shocked I didn’t even have time to block the hit. Stars exploded across my vision, and a warm metallic taste coated my tongue. Bleh. I spat out the blood and snarled at the grinning female.
I was going to wipe that smile right off her face. I lunged, throwing my best one-two combination and nailed both hits. My knuckles crunched against her cheekbone, but I gritted through the pain.
She jumped back and swiped at a bloody gash across her cheek. “You’re tougher than you look, pretty thing.”
“I am,” I growled.
“Guess I’m really going to h
ave to fight for my freedom.” She circled me, like a lion stalking a gazelle.
“What does that mean?”
“All I have to do is beat you, and my twenty-five-year sentence at Darkblood Prison comes to an early end.”
Damn, the SIA didn’t mess around with testing. But would they really release a convict?
“Enough talking, girl. Let’s do this. I want out of that hell hole.” She beckoned me closer with a long fingernail.
So do I. The rules flashed across my mind as we circled each other. They didn’t exactly specify how we were supposed to defeat our opponent. Would a knockout do or were we talking fight to the death here?
“Quit stalling,” she shouted as she inched closer.
I kicked out my leg, landing a solid hit to her head with a roundhouse. She staggered back and I took the opening, throwing a few more punches to her gut. Her abs were nearly as hard as Talon’s.
Resisting the urge to wince, I continued my assault until I backed her against a wall. My hand ached, but I kept punching, even when she started to block my hits. I was already getting tired and sloppy. I hazarded a quick glance at the clock—less than two minutes left.
She raked her fingernails across my face, her sharp nails breaking my skin. “Ow!” I shrieked and shoved her back. Her head smacked against the wall, and her eyes glazed over for a second.
“You bitch!” She charged and somehow my feet got tangled, and I fell back.
I hit the floor with a smack, and all the air siphoned from my lungs. When my eyes snapped open, a body hurtled toward me.
Son of a shifter!
I splayed my hand out, but nothing happened. Not an ounce of magic hid within my veins. Whatever mystical spell lined this room, it was more potent than my grandfather, Garrix.
The shifter landed on top of me and squeezed the last remaining ounce of oxygen from my lungs. Darkness crept into my vision as she straddled me, her gleaming emerald eyes twinkling in victory.