by J. N. Colon
“He’s not my boyfriend. I barely know him.” My head tilted back as his words sunk in. “And what do you mean kiss them better?”
He smirked. “Seelies can heal others by sharing energy through kissing.” He licked his lips while studying my body. “Sex would heal you even faster.”
“I… What?” Heat slithered up my neck and into my face. Was he serious? Did I have that ability since I was half-seelie? “Can unseelies do that too?” Ugh. Why did I ask that? It sounded like I was asking specifically about sex with him.
Was I?
He stepped closer, sucking on his bottom lip. My skin grew too hot. “Sex with an unseelie would leave you broken and satisfied, little seelie-dae. Not healed and whole.”
I couldn’t catch my breath. My gaze dropped to his mouth. I’d rather be satisfied than healed. A nervous laugh slipped out. “I need a tutor with all this Fae stuff. The books Officer Farren gave me haven’t mentioned anything like that yet.”
A hard edge suddenly sliced his features, wiping away any playfulness. “Go to the damn library for that. I’m not a teacher.” He bared his clenched teeth, and pure contempt radiated from him. “Like I’d want to spend more time with you.”
His quick mood change threw me so much it took a moment for my brain to catch up. I grabbed the end of the sheet, choking back another wince. “You think I like spending time with you and your ego? I’m suffocating on it as we speak.”
Viktor’s mocking laugh bounced against the cinderblock walls. “You didn’t seem to mind my ego last night.”
“I had a head injury. I wasn’t myself.” I tugged on the sheet so I could finish folding it without stepping any closer.
Viktor wasn’t having it, and his grip tightened on the freshly laundered material. “Your little heart goes pitter-patter every time I’m near. I’ve seen you staring at me, seelie-dae and it’s okay. Most inmates are dying to get into my bed.”
“You should talk, prince.” My fingers twisted in the corners of the sheet, refusing to give up. “You’re the one with a staring problem. You can’t keep your eyes off me. I think it’s you who wants to take a tumble in my bed.”
“Don’t kid yourself, sweetheart. If I wanted you, I’d have you.” Viktor yanked the sheet, and I stumbled forward, slamming into his body.
Air rushed out of my lungs as his overwhelming presence surrounded me. His hard chest heaved rapidly, his heart pounding within. Electric tingles radiated down my spine. I looked up. Big mistake.
Viktor’s face tilted toward mine, his eyes two pools of molten silver holding me captive. My pulse thundered and I knew by the slight twitch of his lips that he felt it.
Some space would be good right now.
I released the sheet, thinking he’d take that as a sign of my surrender. He took it as my surrender all right.
Before I could move away, Viktor maneuvered the sheet behind my back, imprisoning me within his arms. Blood rushed to my head. Shit. Now that he had me trapped, what did the unseelie prince intend to do?
Chapter 15
The air between us swirled, electric and sultry like the atmosphere before a summer storm. This should have scared me for so many reasons, but Viktor Hale had turned my fears upside down. He became the sole center of my focus.
And that was worse than anything.
“You’re different than I thought,” he muttered so quietly I almost missed it. His gaze traced over my features, a line forming between his brows. “You’re not like the others.”
“No shit,” I breathed. “I was raised by humans. Of course I’m not like the other Fae.”
His head tilted and stared at me for so long the heat of his body completely soaked into mine. “I meant what I said.”
“About what?” I couldn’t think. His fresh, intoxicating aroma mixed with the juniper sticks sent me spiraling. I imagined running my tongue over the vein pulsating in the long column of his neck. Shit. I was losing it. I could only imagine what would happen if two layers of clothing didn’t separate us.
“If I wanted you, I’d have you.” His voice dipped to that low, husky rumble, shooting sparks through my stomach.
He was toying with me. Any moment he’d shove me away, leaving me embarrassed. And wanting. “You don’t want me so let me go.” I held back a gasp as his hold tightened. “Or are you planning on throwing me against a wall? I know how much you like that.”
A predatory gleam crossed Viktor’s features as he forced me backward until the cinderblock wall pressed into my back. Viktor dropped the sheet and planted his hands on either side of my shoulders. “You really like to annoy me, don’t you?”
“It’s my favorite pastime.” I really should shut up. This was a dangerous game, and Viktor liked to win. Always.
My quick intake of air ricocheted between us as his palms slid down and brushed my arms. The noise seemed to spur him on.
He closed the distance between us to align our bodies. “You know I could crush you with my bare hands.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second. “So why don’t you?”
“I’m not sure.” He shook his head as if he really didn’t know. “You just… There’s something I don’t understand…” Viktor trailed off as his gaze dipped to my lips. I licked them and a deep rumble vibrated in his throat.
What in the hell was happening right now?
His face lowered and his nose brushed mine. “I’m curious enough, though,” he mumbled.
My heart treated my ribcage like a battering ram. I would never catch my breath while these flames ignited every spot we touched. Would he kiss me?
A firm grip wrapped around my hip. “You’re shaking like a leaf, seelie-dae. Are you afraid of me?”
“No.” Yes. I was terrified he would kiss me. And terrified he wouldn’t.
Viktor dipped forward to graze his lips over mine. A burst of electricity stole through my lower abdomen, and my soft moan was met with a growl.
The door opened, suddenly shattering the heated moment. “Oh, um, sorry.”
Viktor cursed and checked over his shoulder. “Balfour. Perfect timing.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.
The fact that he referred to the warden by only his name and no title wasn’t lost on me. Neither was that kiss.
The unseelie prince stepped away and peeled me from the wall. When my knees gave out from the unexpected movement, his quick reflexes went into action and he caught me by my hips. He smirked.
Oh, yeah. He knew he had an effect on me.
Viktor released me and turned back to Warden Balfour. “What brings you down here today?”
The warden stared between us for several seconds before speaking. “You have a visitor, Viktor.”
The unseelie prince’s hard exterior melted to reveal a broad, genuine smile that could make the Wicked Witch feel loved. I clenched my jaw to keep it from dropping. I had no idea he was capable of any genuinely happy emotion. My heart gave several hard thumps.
And then ice wrapped around it. Did a visit from some girl bring on such a joyous change?
Viktor didn’t even spare me a glance as he followed the warden out of the door. A lump rose in my throat, choking my airways. We just shared a kiss—kind of—and the jerk forgot me the next second.
I should be used to getting tossed away like yesterday’s trash, but for some reason, having Viktor do it sent a punch to my gut I hadn’t ever experienced. And I hated it.
Fae crowded the rec room, but I noticed the absence of a certain icy prince. I brushed a finger over my lips, remembering the barely-there feel of his. Could it even be considered a kiss? Either way, a heady rush had encased my body when we connected for those mere seconds.
I clenched my teeth and returned to the card game. I needed to stop thinking about Viktor unless it was to plot his demise.
“Why are you making that face?” Kimber held her cards to her chest as she spoke. She was teaching me to play some Fae game similar to Go-Fish. “And who are you thinking about? I can feel some good and hot vibes
coming off you.”
Shit. I had to be careful around my succubus roommate because she had a sixth sense when it came to lust and desire. “I’m not thinking about anyone.”
She snorted. “You’ve totally got Viktor on the brain.”
“I do not.” My denial came too quickly and heat swirled into my cheeks. Right when I opened my mouth to make up some excuse, my chair was yanked out from under me. I crashed to the ground, fire shooting up my ass as I hit the concrete floor.
Laughter exploded in the room, coming from none other than Helena and her bestie Gemma. I should have known. The two guards, Gildafor and Torrance, ignored the harassment unfolding in this corner of the rec room. “Do you two seriously have nothing better to do than irritate me?” I slowly stood, choking back a wince. “What did you do before I came to Wayward Fae Pen?”
“We didn’t have to share air with you,” Helena sneered while giving her blonde curls a dramatic toss.
She had that prissy persona down pat. Could someone remind her she was in prison like the rest of us? “Viktor doesn’t mind sharing air with me.” On occasion.
A bright glow overtook the unseelie’s eyes, and a wind kicked up. “You’re a fool for throwing yourself at him.” She stepped forward but Isla appeared.
“Don’t let her get to you, Hel.” Isla slinked forward with her hard gaze trained on me. “She’s a pathetic mutt who’s been thrown away even by her own parents.”
“Woah, bitch.” Kimber stood and threw her cards on the table. “That’s too far even for you.”
“Stay out of this, succubus. The only reason you’re not on my shit list is because my brother likes you so much.” A feral smile twisted her lips. “I might forget that one day, though.”
I held my hand out. “It’s okay, Kim. I can handle this.” I didn’t want anyone getting hurt because of me, least of all Kimber. I walked around the table, stopping a few inches from Isla. “You don’t know shit about me, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut.” Isla was older and more dangerous than Helena. This wasn’t some immature game. The dark-haired unseelie seriously wanted to rip my heart out just for being born.
Had another seelie-dae done her wrong in the past, or did she simply hate my kind because we were different?
“I’ll keep my mouth shut when every drop of your tainted blood has been spilled, seelie-dae.” Isla’s fingers tangled in my hair and yanked my head to the side. The cold, sharp blade of a knife pressed into my neck. “If you were a faeling, no one in here would even look twice at you. Too bad, huh?”
If I’d been born a faeling without magic, I wouldn’t be in prison.
My pulse throbbed against the edge of her knife. I hadn’t expected Isla to be this lethal. “Are you going to kill me in front of all these witnesses?”
“What witnesses? None of these people would rat me out over you,” her mocking laugh made my blood boil, “not even the guards. They hate you as much as everyone else. They’d prefer it if you die.”
“Isla,” Helena hissed, “are you crazy? If the warden finds out, he’ll send you to the hole for this. Or worse.”
Her lips pulled into a sneer. “Ridding the world of another seelie-dae would be worth it.”
“What about what Viktor said?” Helena’s voice turned high-pitched and shrill.
Just what did good ol’ Vik say about me?
While Isla was distracted by the mention of the prince, I slammed my fist into her side and shoved her knife-wielding hand away. She stumbled into a table, knocking over a game of checkers. The Fae scrambled from their chairs as black and red chips went flying.
“You should have never been born. You’re an abomination.” Isla lunged, the blade headed straight for my chest.
I grabbed the first makeshift weapon I could. Good thing the chairs weren’t nailed down. I whipped it across her side, snapping the wooden legs off.
Chaos unfurled in the room and large hands clutched my wrists, ripping them behind my back.
“Wrong move, seelie-dae.” Officer Torrance’s hot breath barreled down my nape. “You know the rules. No fighting.”
I struggled in his grasp, choking on the panic trying to take over. I didn’t like being detained with my hands behind my back. “Get the hell off me,” I snarled. “She started it. She has a knife!”
He slapped a pair of handcuffs on me. Luckily they weren’t iron. “I didn’t see a knife. Did you, Gildafor?”
The female C.O. that had it out for me smirked. “Nope. I just saw this unruly inmate attacking Isla for no reason.”
I jerked toward her and bared my teeth. “One day I’m going to rip that smile off your face.”
Officer Gildafor yanked the sizzle stick off of her belt and powered it on. Purple sparks flew from the end as she held it so close that I could feel the hot magic through my shirt. “Please give me a reason to use this on you, seelie-dae.”
Cold fear seeped through my veins as a memory pulled at my mind. Lightning flashed across a dark sky. A metal fence surrounded me. I was trapped. Thunder shook the wet ground I crouched on.
“Come on, inmate.” Officer Torrance whipped my body around, bringing me back to the present. His bland brown hair was shaved close to the scalp, reminding me of an army drill sergeant. “You’re going on lockdown in your cell for a while.”
I seethed all the way to my cellblock while Officer Gildafor taunted me. She opened my cell door as her partner removed the handcuffs.
“You should really learn to be more obedient,” she said and then grabbed the sizzle stick again. “Or not. I’ve been dreaming of using this on you.”
My molars ground. “You are seriously—”
Officer Torrance shoved me into the cell so hard I stumbled onto my bed.
“Enjoy your solitary confinement for the rest of the day and maybe even tomorrow.” The daemon’s emerald eyes twinkled. “I’ll make sure no one brings you any meals. And just for one extra precaution…” He laid his hand over the lock and muttered under his breath. Magic shimmered through the air. “Have a good afternoon.”
A sinking feeling descended through my body. As soon as the guards were gone, I ran to the barred door and whispered the magic word to release the lock. Nothing happened.
“Unicorn,” I barked out for the twentieth time. The door wouldn’t budge.
Son of a bitch. I slapped the bars. That bastard locked me in my cell for real. I leaned against the door, groaning. Maybe I should have been born a faeling with no magic. The seelie and daemon power should have canceled each other out. Most of the Fae world wouldn’t hate me. Maybe my parents wouldn’t have thrown me away either.
My sister's face materialized in my mind. But then Jilly would be all alone in this savage life. I wouldn’t have been there to protect her from the evil things in our path.
I shook my head. I’d give up any amount of normalcy, any kind of happiness, to keep her safe.
After three hours of pacing the concrete floor, wearing my boots out, a figure finally came into view. Hopefully, Kimber would be able to release the magic lock. But the wide shoulders and intimating aura didn’t belong to my cellmate.
Viktor stopped in front of my cell, his arms crossed against his chest and brows lowered.
“Vik!” I ran toward the door and curled my fingers around the bars. “Get me out of here. That asshole guard Torrance used magic on the lock.”
“I heard what happened with Isla.” He rubbed the five o’clock shadow on his jaw. “Did you really hit her with a chair?”
“Yes.” Helena’s words came rushing back. What had Viktor said to them about me? Did he want to be the one to murder me? Was he saving a special kind of torment just for me?
A half-smile curled his lips. “You seem a little wound up. Do you want to fight tonight?”
“Hell yes.” I needed to get this pent-up energy out and spending more time with Viktor would be a plus.
Part of me knew it had nothing to do with my evil plot to murder him. I wanted to be around
him.
I ignored that part.
Viktor nodded and lifted his hand, whispering a few words in a strange language. The air shimmered and a pop echoed. He pulled the door open.
I barreled out, but his hands lifted to halt me. “What the hell?”
He scoffed. “The fight isn’t for another few hours. Just relax in the cell. If Torrance or Gildafor catch you out, they’ll lock you in again.”
I grumbled and stomped back into my cell. “You run this whole place. Can’t you just tell them you let me out?”
His low, playful chuckle sent butterflies through my belly. This was the first time I’d seen him since the kiss, and I suddenly couldn’t stop the memories of our bodies pressed together from crowding my mind.
“I’ll see you in a little bit, seelie-dae.” As he backed away, those eyes seared into mine, hotter than the sun.
Air whooshed out of my lungs as a thought rushed to me. What if I wasn’t the only one with a hidden agenda? Why else would Viktor Hale suddenly seem so intrigued by me?
Chapter 16
Viktor sauntered into the medical room with a bottle of sparkling liquid dangling from his hand. Moonberry wine. Marco had just finished applying a butterfly stitch over my left eyebrow. My fight with an elf named Poppy had gone well. I won.
My legs swung with nervous energy as they dangled off the edge of the table. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Marco winked before turning to Viktor. “Anything I can do for you?”
“Yeah, you can leave.” Viktor bumped his fist. “No one else is fighting so you’re done for the night.”
Marco smirked as he glanced between the two of us. “Sure thing, boss.” He marched out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Why did Viktor want to be alone with me again? And why did he have a bottle of moonberry wine?
His fingers gently touched my chin, turning it toward him to examine the bruise forming. “Why didn’t Marco give you an ice pack for that?”
I pulled out of his grasp. “Because I didn’t want one.”