Crimes of Fire (Wayward Fae Paranormal Prison Book 1)

by J. N. Colon

  He stomped toward a cabinet. “You need one.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He returned with a small ice pack, using his powers to freeze the liquid inside. He held it to my chin when I wouldn’t take it. “Want some moonberry wine?”

  “Yeah.” I tried to reach for the bottle, but he smacked my hand away. “Hey! You just offered.”

  “Take this damn ice pack first.”

  I sighed and grabbed it from him, holding it in place. Viktor opened the bottle and took a swig before handing it to me.

  So we were sharing now?

  I downed a gulp and then licked my lips. “This is so good. Sweet and tangy.”

  “The best.” Viktor slipped the bottle out of my hand and tilted it to his mouth.

  “You’re not afraid to get seelie-dae cooties?” I wiggled my fingers for the wine. At first, he didn’t even want to touch me.

  He smirked and leaned so close his body warmed my side. “Nah. The wine kills any germs on contact so I’m safe.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Cute.”

  “I’ve been called many things, but no one would dare call me cute.”

  “I like living on the edge.” I stole the bottle and chugged the tart, sugary wine. I sighed as a warm buzz settled in my chest. “How much of this can I drink before getting hammered?”

  “Let’s find out.” He flicked the glass, daring me to take another sip.

  I did and then passed it back. “Are you gonna let me get drunk alone?”

  “And let you have all the fun, seelie-dae? Not a chance.” He took the bottle. “But we’re going to need more.”

  “Yeah, you weigh like a thousand pounds. Your tolerance is probably sky high.”

  Viktor chuckled. “Moonberry wine is magic. One day you can get toasted off three sips. The next it could take three bottles.”

  I shook my head and let the ice pack fall to my lap. My cheek was numb now. “Magic is weird. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”

  “You will.” His gaze dropped to my goblin cuff. “How did you wind up here in the first place?”

  I shot him a narrowed glare. “Like you don’t know.”

  He shrugged. “Just that you used elemental fire magic and hurt some humans. That’s all.”

  Frank’s image materialized in my head and my stomach soured. I took a deep breath, trying to shake the memories off. He was a bad guy. He would have hurt Jilly, and Leanne was no better. She knew what Frank liked to do. “I killed two humans.”

  Viktor didn’t even flinch. Why would he? He was a murderer too.

  “It was an accident. I was trying to protect myself and…” I shook my head and snatched the bottle right out of his hand. “They were bad people, especially him.”

  Viktor’s heavy stare seared my skin. “You couldn’t control your magic, could you?”

  My humorless laugh bounced sharply through the room. “I didn’t even know I had magic. It just happened, and the basement caught fire before I could stop it. I almost died. I would have if I hadn’t…” My throat tightened, shutting off the words.

  “Hadn’t what?” Viktor was closer now, pressing against my thigh. When had he moved?

  “I shadowmelded or whatever it’s called.” I rubbed the center of my forehead to push away the toxic thoughts. “I was trapped moments away from passing out, and then I was in my neighbor’s lawn.”

  “That’s a daemon thing.” Viktor pulled a box of juniper sticks from his pocket. “It’s rare for a seelie-dae to inherit that particular power. That’s probably why it’s not mentioned in your file.” He mumbled that last part under his breath.

  “You read my file?” I shouldn’t be surprised. He was on a first-name basis with the warden.

  “Who were they,” Viktor asked, ignoring my own question. Crackling of fire sounded before the spicy scent of the juniper stick churned between us.

  Haunting images of the day Jilly and I had been dropped off at the Belton’s bubbled to the surface. From the way Frank’s muddy eyes lingered over me, my chest in particular, I knew what kind of hell we’d been tossed into.

  I tipped the bottle to my lips, chugging until nothing remained. I’d chased away the waking nightmares with alcohol before, but when I fell asleep, they returned full force. And I could never let myself get beyond a certain point. I had to look out for my sister.

  “Who were they?” Viktor repeated in a voice much softer than his usual husky tenor.

  The gentle sound caught me off guard. “They were my current foster parents. They were bad people, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.” I shoved the bottle into his hard chest with a hollow thunk. “It’s empty.”

  He remained silent and still, leaning into my side. When I wouldn’t meet his eyes, his fingers grasped my chin again to force my head up. I choked back the pain and terror, hiding them behind a thick steel wall, but something about Viktor Hale stripped away all of my armor. He saw right past the barrier, inside the dark place where the remaining shreds of my soul resided.

  Without a word, he released me and stood, marching toward the back. He stamped out the juniper stick in the sink, yanked the fridge open, and grabbed another bottle of moonberry wine. His massive hand twisted the top off with ease and tossed it into the trash can before making his way back. “I think we need more.” He passed it to me after taking a sip.

  Viktor didn’t know what happened, but he understood pain. Maybe his past was just as murky as mine.

  “Thanks,” I muttered and tipped the bottle up. A haze began to descend over me, numbing some of the anguish, emotional and physical.

  Viktor took out another juniper stick. The crackle of fire sizzled through the air as he lit the end. “You want to try it? They aren’t bad for you.”

  I took it from his tattooed fingers. “What’s in it?”

  “Magic.” He winked.

  I shook my head. “I had a feeling you were going to say that.” Why the hell not? I put the green stick to my lips and inhaled. Something warm and fuzzy filled my body, making my toes tingle. Honey and sugar coated my tongue. When I exhaled, the misty smoke turned a swirling purple. “Is it supposed to be that color?” It had been a faint pink for Viktor.

  A smile curled his lips. “There’s magic in it so different things can happen.”

  I examined the leaf-wrapped stick, rolling it between my fingers. The inside felt gelatinous. “Why does it smell like pine and taste like sugar?”

  “Magic, remember?” He chuckled at my frown.

  I inhaled again, savoring the sweet taste. This time the mist morphed into a vibrant hunter green, like a forest under the moonlight. A laugh escaped my lips. “This is so weird.” And I wasn’t only referring to the juniper stick.

  “Maybe.” He swiped the stick from my hand. When he exhaled, his entire body slumped as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  As the silence stretched, my pulse began to rise. He could probably hear it and likely noticed the warmth spilling across my skin. Was it from the moonberry wine or him?

  I cleared my throat, playing with my unraveling braid. “Why are you at Wayward Fae Pen?”

  Viktor shot me a sideways glance. “Don’t play coy with me. You know why I’m here. Everyone does.”

  The unseelie prince was terrifying. No denying that. He’d tossed me against a couple of walls and joined in on my torment. And now we were alone, sharing alcohol. I wasn’t sure what to make of the guy next to me. “There are two sides to every story.”

  Viktor didn’t seem the type to snap so hard that he’d kill two random people, let alone his parents. I didn’t know anything about the former king and queen, but the prince must have had his reasons. Maybe they were bad people. Maybe they tried to kill him first.

  “It’s complicated.” He looked away and took a sip of the wine as the walls around the subject of his parents slammed down. Trying to figure out Viktor was like trying to put together a thousand blank puzzle pieces.

  I
reached for the juniper stick, our hands brushing and shooting a rush of tingles through my veins. I wanted to touch him a whole lot more. “Who visited you the other day? A girlfriend on the outside?” Shit. Why did I bring that up?

  Viktor’s head swiveled in my direction. “Are you jealous?”

  “Why would I be jealous?” My voice rose a few octaves, shooting heat into my cheeks. “I’m sure you have at least ten of them on the outside and a couple in here.” They probably allowed the unseelie prince conjugal visits.

  Viktor snagged the juniper stick, inhaling one last time before dropping the remainder into the empty bottle of moonberry wine. He moved, angling his body in front of mine, my knees brushing his thighs. He leaned down while a wicked smile split his lips. “Are you jealous, Sloane?”

  Air emptied from my lungs as he said my name for only the second time ever. Why did the sound of it in that rough voice of his make me tremble? “I don’t care who you hop into bed with as long as it’s not me.”

  A dark chuckle slipped out of him. “Your mouth says one thing, but your body says the opposite.”

  To prove his point, his hands curled under my knees, and then he yanked me forward. I didn’t fight him, not even when his hips settled in between my legs. My body went haywire, my nerve endings exposed and raw. Flames crawled over my flesh. If it weren’t for this goblin cuff, real flames would be sprouting everywhere.

  He leaned down, his fingers brushing over my hips. “You were saying?”

  It took me several moments to remember how to speak. “I think you’re drunk.” I licked my lips, tasting moonberry wine mixed with the juniper stick.

  A rough hum vibrated his chest as he watched the movement. “I think we’re both drunk.”

  That was a strong possibility.

  “I should probably get away from you before I do something stupid.” Viktor’s gaze lowered to trace my lips again.

  “Like what?” My fingers curled into his t-shirt. Damn. He smelled so good.

  “Do I really need to say it, Sloane?” His voice came out as a husky growl that sent my stomach cartwheeling.

  And he’d said my name again.

  “Yes.” I shivered. He noticed and pulled me closer, like he wanted to feel the shaking he was responsible for.

  “Maybe I should just show you instead.” His head dipped, his mouth coming for mine.

  The sudden opening of the door registered, but before anyone could enter, Viktor’s hand shot out to stop the intrusion with air magic. A feminine squeak echoed from the hall.

  “I said I wanted to be left alone.” His voice wasn’t loud, but the power behind it was enough to toss someone back another few feet. A luminescent glow highlighted his irises, which remained locked on mine.

  “Sorry, Viktor, but the daemons and shifters are riling up the pixies. They’re going to start fighting, and you know what happened the last time all that pixie dust was released.”

  Viktor’s head tilted to the ceiling as a string of curses tumbled out of his mouth. “I’m going to kill Faolan.”

  “Can I watch?”

  He glanced down at me, the edges of his lips twitching. “I’ll make sure you get a front-row seat when I do.” He pulled away, the loss of his body heat sending chills over me. “I’ll see you in the winner’s area. And don’t bring that tool Tristan this time.” He pivoted and marched out of the door, leaving me staring after him.

  I tried to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. He’d almost kissed me. Again.

  My hands trembled as I unraveled my braids. I probably looked like a ragged mess. Surprisingly, the unseelie prince didn’t seem to mind.

  “Viktor’s only using you.”

  I whipped around to find the girl who warned Viktor of the pixie fights still loitering in the room. “Using me for what?”

  She sauntered forward, swaying her curvaceous hips. Something about her reminded me of Kimber. Maybe she was a succubus.

  “I haven’t quite figured that out yet.” Her lips curled with disdain as she surveyed me. “He would never slum so low to get with a half-breed seelie-dae.” A mocking laugh slipped out. “He may be in prison, but Viktor is still the unseelie prince. He has standards.”

  I hopped from the table. “I have standards too, and I’d rather not associate with a skank like you.” I choked back the waves of confusion, keeping my face set in a hard mask. “You can go grovel to the unseelie prince now.” I shooed her away.

  “You are pathetic.” She spun and darted back into the hall.

  My breath came in shallow pants. Was there any truth to her words? Was Viktor using me? Hate had seethed from him the moment he spotted me in the cafeteria my first day. He’d been a grade-A bully and made my life hell when I first arrived. Things quickly changed after I fought Maria.

  Was there a reason behind Viktor’s sudden shift in behavior?

  I grabbed the bottle of moonberry wine, chugging the rest of it for liquid courage. I had to unravel Viktor’s motives before he unraveled me.

  Music thumped through the basement of the prison and bodies gyrated in the center where the fighting ring had stood just an hour ago. I’d been searching for the unseelie prince for twenty minutes without results. Where did that lying bastard sneak off to?

  I pushed past a group of dancing fairies to make my way to a bar area. A guy sporting some serious bedroom eyes and sultry looks winked at me as he poured a drink for another girl. My brows rose. Was he an incubus, the male version of a succubus?

  I chewed on my bottom lip and watched him dole out cups while still shooting flirtatious smiles my way. Maybe I should forget Viktor and get some more wine.

  That thought evaporated like smoke from a juniper stick when I spotted the unseelie prince a few feet away. My entire body froze. Literally. It felt like someone had tossed a bucket of ice water over my head. Viktor leaned in a corner, kissing a scantily dressed Fae. Her delicate hands tangled in his hair while her body wrapped around his. Gossamer wings fluttered at her back, so she might have been a pixie.

  I wanted to puke every ounce of moonberry wine in my system. We’d almost kissed earlier, and now he had his tongue down some pink-haired pixie’s throat.

  I whipped around only to bump into none other than Helena. Her gaze lifted above my head, a mocking smile splitting her lips.

  “Isn’t that a bitch?” She flicked her flaxen locks behind her shoulder and slowly licked her lips as if savoring the moment. “I told you he didn’t want you, seelie-dae trash.”

  I stormed off, forcing my way through the crowd. I didn’t have enough energy to battle with that bitch. I was drunk and pissed, never a good combination. I needed to get to my room before I did something stupid. But stupid found me first.

  “Hi, Sloane.” Tristan stepped in my path, his golden-brown hair curling around his handsome face. The moonberry wine had spread a flush into his cheeks. “I was looking for you. Do you want to dance or hang out?”

  “Let’s go.” I grabbed his hand and towed him through the mob of inmates. Viktor always seemed extra annoyed by Tristan.

  “Where are we going?” he yelled over the music.

  “Somewhere quieter.” I pulled him up the stairs then out the door. Cool air hit my sweltering skin, and the silence was a welcome reprieve. I pushed Tristan against a wall.

  His eyes widened. “Sloane, I—”

  My fingers curled into his shirt, and I yanked him forward. “Just kiss me.”

  The seelie didn’t need any more coaxing. His lips brushed against mine, slowly caressing and exploring. He tasted like strawberries and cotton candy.

  How did Viktor taste?

  Damn it. I shoved the unseelie prince’s image from my mind and focused on Tristan. I lifted on my toes to align my body with his, feeling hard muscles stretching and coiling beneath his clothes. Strong arms wrapped around my waist.

  Kissing him was—fun.

  “Sloane,” he murmured, his lips moving from my mouth to my neck. “I wasn’t sure if y
ou were interested…”

  Was I interested?

  As Tristan’s hands ran down my back, I kept picturing Viktor. Kissing him wouldn’t be nearly as tame. No. I’d burst into flames for sure.

  Too bad the asshole was tonguing that pixie. And I was with Tristan. Would Viktor even care if he saw me with the seelie?

  Tristan pulled back, his lips swollen while lust clouded his gaze. “Do you want to go—”

  A shrill cry suddenly pierced the air, and I threw my hands over my ears, wincing. “What the hell is that?”

  The color drained from Tristan’s face. “That’s the emergency alarm. We need to get out of here. Now.” Tristan yanked me forward just as the door to the club burst open, and Fae flooded out.

  Chapter 17

  Tristan clutched my hand as we ran through the concrete halls. Panicked voices from the other Fae bounced around us. No one knew what caused the alarm, only that it meant we needed to get our asses back to our cells.

  Had the guards discovered the secret club? Were they out for blood?

  A group of officers sprinted toward us, harsh lines cutting into their faces. But it was their eyes that got my attention. Fear widened every pair.

  My heart dropped to the soles of my prison-issued boots. What had them so scared?

  “Get to your cells, any cells, immediately! And close the partitions.” Officer Garrett appeared alongside Officer Grayson. “Wraiths have broken through the shields on the Otherworld side.”

  Tristan let out a string of curses, mixing with the other frightened reactions of the Fae near us.

  I wiped a sheen of sweat from my forehead. “What’s a wraith?”

  Tristan’s hand tightened around mine and he sped up, pulling me with him. “They’re the scourge of the Otherworld.” His chest moved frantically while his gaze darted back and forth as if something might jump out from the shadows. “They eat Fae souls. The more powerful, the better.”

  I gulped. Now I understood everyone’s cause for alarm. I’d like to keep my soul.

  “How did they get in?” I asked. Officer Garrett mentioned something about breaking the shields. These wraiths were either really powerful or had high numbers.