Crimes of Fire (Wayward Fae Paranormal Prison Book 1)

by J. N. Colon

  “No.” That annoying voice in my head called me a liar.

  The door opened, and Faolan—sporting a nasty black eye and a split lip—strolled in, escorted by a guard. A few other bruises mottled his face. Viktor had beaten the crap out of him. No doubt about it.

  The shifter’s remorseless eyes—turning the color of a blazing sun—landed on me, and he slowly licked his lips.

  Knots fisted in my gut. I could still feel the weight of his body pinning me to my bed and his hot breath blowing on my neck as he promised pain and torment.

  The air in the classroom suddenly dropped several degrees. “Keep looking at her. I dare you.” Viktor’s voice held a sharp, lethal edge.

  Faolan sneered and took his seat, facing the front.

  I swallowed back the acid oozing up my throat. The alpha shifter unsettled me more than I wanted to admit. Maybe because I’d seen his dochar form or maybe because he wanted to murder me—but the things he’d do first would make me beg for a quicker death.

  Viktor leaned forward, his body heat melting the chill over my skin. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I muttered under my breath.

  He made a humming sound, unconvinced. His long legs stretched out to reach around my desk and settle against my feet. I peeked back to find him shooting everyone in the classroom a menacing glare.

  What exactly was the unseelie prince up to?

  By the end of our study time, the tension in the air had thickened to choking levels. Viktor hadn’t stopped touching me, some part of his body always remaining on mine. His foot twisted with mine or his hand rested on my back. I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than his presence. To make matters worse, Faolan continued to glare in our direction like he wanted to rip both of us into tiny pieces.

  With those claws and teeth, he probably could.

  Officer Laveen glanced between the unseelie prince and Faolan as he dragged his fingers through his dirty blond hair. He knew an altercation was coming, but he didn’t appear too keen on preventing it. Instead, he nodded toward Viktor before marching out of the class.

  Viktor shot out of his seat, moving so fast he was a blur, and slammed Faolan into a wall. Gasps resonated around the room while prisoners scrambled out of the way. Some ran into the hall to escape the two massive guys.

  “I told you not to look at her.” He banged the alpha shifter into the cinderblock wall. “I told you not to fucking touch her, but you didn’t listen.”

  A strangled laugh slipped out of Faolan. “I can’t believe you of all people are protecting the seelie-dae. What do you want from her? She can’t be that good in bed.” He licked his lips. “I was close to finding out.”

  Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because Viktor crushed his fist into Faolan’s face right after the words crossed his lips. The shifter didn’t even have time to recover before the unseelie prince had his hand around his throat, lifting him off the ground. Magic swelled through the air, and a frigid wind began to blow. Faolan tried unsuccessfully to break his hold, the veins in his face protruding.

  “Next time, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” Viktor’s voice rumbled through my chest, every syllable sharp with fury. “Your father can’t save you.”

  Hurried footsteps approached, probably belonging to guards. My heart shot into my throat, and I moved forward, reaching the unseelie prince. “Vik, come on. I don’t want you to get thrown in the hole,” I grumbled under my breath.

  Viktor finally released the shifter just before two guards busted in. “Nothing to see here, officers.” He shot Faolan a terrifying smile. “Just playing around, right, Faolan?”

  The shifter coughed and rubbed his throat. “Yep. No harm. No foul.”

  The guards traded glances and shrugged. Clearly, they weren’t too excited to tangle with the unseelie prince.

  Viktor wrapped his hand around mine, tremors racing through his entire body. “Do we need an escort to our work assignment?” he asked the officers. “We’re together.”

  Officer Garrett waved us on. “Warden Balfour cleared it earlier. Go ahead.”

  Viktor pulled me into the hall. “I don’t know how much more I can take from Faolan before I crush him,” he ground out.

  “You can’t kill him, remember?”

  He cracked his neck. “I could do a lot of damage without killing him.”

  Chapter 27

  My head tilted back, staring at the tiny creatures lighting the forest around us. Magic hummed over my skin the moment we exited the prison and entered the Otherworld. The exterior door in the back was an actual doorway to the Fae world. The air shimmered in iridescent waves and stepping through, I felt a pressure sliding over my body.

  “What are those?” I asked, watching one of the lights circle Viktor’s head.

  “Tree sprites.” He waved it away. “Don’t give them any sugar. They’ll never leave you alone.”

  Everything was more vivid here, every color a deeper, more vibrant shade. The lush grass and moss bounced under my feet, and all the plants—from the towering trees to the delicate flowers to the smallest shrubs—seemed to have an intelligence all their own.

  Vine-covered trees twisted around us, the overcast afternoon sun filtering through the large canopies. A mouthwatering scent invaded the air. If I could bottle it and drink it, I would.

  A tiny creature scurried through the foliage. “What is that?” I gripped Viktor’s hand more tightly and practically crushed myself into his side.

  “A bush gnome.” He chuckled at my panicked reaction. “Don’t take your shoes off. They’ll eat your toes.”

  “What?” I screeched.

  A sly grin crossed his mouth. “I’m kidding.”

  “So they’re not going to eat my toes?”

  “Not the gnomes here in the light forest.” He shrugged. “They might in the dark forest.”

  I shook my head. I’d never learn everything about Fae and the Otherworld even if I lived three centuries.

  We continued to walk, Viktor’s hand still secured around mine. Why hadn’t he let go? Why hadn’t I pulled away? Besides him, I couldn’t remember the last time someone other than my sister held my hand. Maybe never.

  My gaze traveled around the forest as I shook off the thoughts of the unseelie prince. “Are there no gates or walls on this side?” I hadn’t seen those solid brick structures or the wires infused with magic.

  “There are. You just can’t see them.” He cracked his neck and shifted uneasily. “You’d definitely feel them if you tried to go through.”

  Had Viktor tried to escape before? I didn’t want to even imagine experiencing something that made him so uncomfortable. “Are the creatures out here prisoners too?”

  He shook his head. “Some smaller Fae that live in the forest can come and go. Gnomes, sprites, goblins, and brownies are a few. Ones like us, the barrier would stop.” Viktor slowed, taking in the forested area. “Here’s good. We’re supposed to be cleaning up the mess a couple of drunk goblins made, but I’ve already got that covered.”

  Of course he did.

  “I wanted to practice magic in the Otherworld,” he said. “You’ll be able to access it more easily here.”

  I held out my wrist, realizing we were still holding hands. I ignored the blush coating my cheeks. “Get this stupid goblin cuff off me then.”

  Viktor smirked. “Gladly.”

  After an hour, I’d finally managed to use my elemental magic on command by setting rocks on fire. I’d only singed a few plants. They weren’t too happy, though. Viktor failed to warn me that some of the vegetation in this world was alive—as in, they’d attack me. A vine wrapped around my ankle and hauled me into a tree.

  The unseelie prince had a good laugh.

  We’d moved onto shadowmelding. So far, that was a no-go. I’d been on the verge. I felt that tingle through my body, but the magic kept slipping away.

  “This isn’t going to work,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “I’ve only done it tw
ice and both times…” Both times I’d been in serious danger. Viktor wouldn’t provoke me like he’d done with my fire magic. I shadowmelded into his room just last night to escape Faolan. The incident was too raw.

  The fact that Viktor knew that—and cared enough not to try—was unsettling.

  “You can do this, Sloane.” He motioned to a thick trunk wrapped in ivy a few feet away. “Just think of how much you want to go to that tree. It’s more than a want. You need it. Pretend it’s the one thing you’ve always wanted and could never have until now.”

  I clamped my lids shut. I want the tree. It’s the one thing I’ve always wanted. My face scrunched up as I strained, probably looking constipated.

  Great. Now all I could think about was how I looked doing this in front of Viktor.

  Memories of the steamy kisses we’d shared in his room suddenly bubbled up. He’d tasted like candy and danger.

  Electricity flickered through my body, and I held my breath as that familiar prickle slipped down my spine. My core tightened before a zip of energy was released. The world spun and I opened my eyes, expecting to see the moss-covered trunk of a tree.

  Instead, Viktor’s face came into view as he caught me. Shit. We tumbled to the ground, and he let out a grunt before his heavy body rolled on top of mine.

  I groaned. “Not exactly where I meant to go, but at least I moved.”

  “What were you thinking about?” His breath dusted over my cheeks while the rumble of laughter vibrated his chest.

  Heat swirled into my face. “Um, the tree.”

  “Liar.” His elbows rested on either side of my head, the entire length of his body pressing into me. His gaze bored into mine as the icy irises began to thaw. “What were you really thinking about, Sloane?”

  “A tree,” I mumbled. A tree that stood well over six feet tall with mysterious tattoos, silver eyes, and dark hair.

  When he glanced at my lips, I couldn’t help but lick them, inciting a low growl from him. His body shifted, pressing into mine.

  A moan slipped out before I could shove it back in. Damn it. I’d never wanted a guy more than I wanted Viktor Hale. Even from the beginning, something about him set me on fire. If I gave in to this, there would be no turning back. And it would only end in heartache.

  Still, I didn’t push him away when he lowered his head to run his lips over my jaw.

  “Sloane,” he whispered. He kissed my neck, his teeth dragging across my skin.

  I arched into him wanting more—so much more.

  His hand slid down my thigh then he grabbed my leg, wrapping it around his waist. Lights popped behind my eyes as he moved his hips while still dropping hot kisses along my neck. This wasn’t like his teasing before. The unseelie prince wanted me. He’d take me right here if I let him.

  The words to give him permission to do just that dangled on the tip of my tongue. My mind was so full of desire I couldn’t think straight.

  Viktor’s weight suddenly disappeared, and he roughly yanked me up. “That’s not why we’re here.” His voice came out in a rough snarl. Fury flashed over his features, spilling ice through my muscles. “Don’t throw yourself at me.”

  My mouth dropped. “Are you joking? You’re the one who started kissing my neck and grinding on me. Not the other way around.”

  He yanked a juniper stick out of his pocket and lit it. “You’re the one who shadowmelded right into me. You literally jumped into my arms.”

  I hastily waved away the purple mist before it had a chance to calm me. “That was an accident.”

  He scoffed. “You were thinking about me.”

  Bastard. “Only of ways to irritate you and look. It worked.”

  “You’re right. I am irritated.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, pulling at the roots. “I would never be with someone like you.”

  Being slapped in the face would have hurt less. After last night, it felt like something changed between us, but I should have known the unseelie prince would always be that asshole I first met.

  “You could never be with someone like me, a disgusting half-breed seelie-dae? I thought you saw me for who I am, a good person.” I repeated his words from last night. “You are just like everyone else. Take what you want and then toss me out like trash.” I turned to leave, but his hand wrapped around my arm, yanking me back.

  “I am not like them.” His eyes glowed so brightly it stung to stare into them. “Take it back.”

  I shook my head as a bout of tears threatened to fall. “Screw you.”

  He backed me against a tree, a line of fiery heat consuming his body and spreading to mine. He tossed the juniper stick into the air and set it on ablaze until nothing but ash remained. “I am not like those assholes, Sloane. I’m not.”

  “Prove it.”

  The words had barely made it out before his mouth crashed onto mine in a volatile, bruising kiss. Anger and passion collided, stealing every ounce of my sanity. Viktor wasn’t faring too well in the rational department either. I could feel the loss of control crashing over him and breaking the ice dwelling deep inside. His knee forced my legs apart, rubbing against my center.

  A gasp broke free. I would have tumbled to the ground if Viktor wasn’t holding me up. My hands dove beneath his shirt to trace his back muscles. Tingles radiated through my core, vibrant embers stroked into existence by every clash of our hips and frantic touch.

  He abruptly pulled away, letting out a slew of curses in a foreign language. His massive fist rammed into the tree trunk, and I turned my head at the last second to block shards of bark from hitting my face.

  Tremors raced through my muscles as I stood frozen against the tree. My heart pulverized my ribcage into tiny shards of bone. Air couldn’t enter my lungs as I watched the unseelie prince battle with his emotions. How could someone terrify me and make me feel more alive than anything else? Before meeting him, I went through life like a zombie unless someone or something threatened my sister. Viktor had managed to reach the dead, numb parts of me and breathe life back into them.

  His fists clenched by his sides. “I’m sorry.” He shook his head, his nostrils flaring.

  I shakily pushed off the trunk, but Viktor’s body barreled into mine.

  “Don’t go.” He kissed me again, his tongue plunging into my mouth and shooting electric sparks through my lower half at the same time devouring my rational thought.

  I sensed the turmoil inside him, though. Viktor wanted me, and he hated himself for it.

  With the few shreds of logic I had left, I laid my hand on his chest and forced him back. The moment he felt my resistance he broke the kiss. He didn’t move away. He just stood there, his body trembling against mine.

  “Why do you hate me?” My voice came in quick, ragged pants.

  His fingers dug into my hips. I could feel him fighting the urge to taste my lips again. “I don’t hate you, Sloane.”

  A small part of him did. I felt it as much as his desire. “Why do you hate seelie-daes then?”

  His jaw flexed as the anger returned full force. He whipped around and yelled another string of curses to the sky. Pain lingered behind his outburst, and it made my heart ache for him. Animals and little Fae creatures scurried away to take cover from the unseelie prince’s rage.

  Viktor remained facing the opposite direction, his shoulders drawn in. The next words he spoke cut me all the way to the bone. “A seelie-dae killed my parents.”

  “What?” My knees felt weak, and I leaned into the tree before I lost my balance. “I thought you did.”

  He turned, keeping his eyes on the ground. “My power-hungry bitch of a half-sister hired a seelie-dae to assassinate the king and queen and then framed me so she could steal the throne.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “I walked in on the seelie-dae murdering my mother. I watched her take her last breath.”

  I clung to the tree, my fingers digging into the bark as if it was the only thing keeping me from breaking apart.

  “Isado
ra was born from one of my dad’s companions before he and my mother were married.” Fury flashed across his face as he spoke his sister’s name. “Because my mother was the queen, I was next in line for the throne. At the time of their deaths, I was thirteen. I would have become king.”

  I barely knew Isadora, but I could practically see the thirst for power beyond that perfectly beautiful facade. She’d been foaming at the mouth when we first met—another seelie-dae to do her bidding.

  “She had me locked up instead of executing me.” Sharp lines cut into Viktor’s face. “Too many people believe I’m innocent, and they would have opposed her rule if she didn’t show mercy.”

  “Vik, I’m sorry…” My legs refused to hold me up any longer, and I slid to the ground.

  “That’s not even the worst of it.” Viktor’s gaze finally lifted, meeting mine. The anguish in them stole my breath. “She has my little brother.”

  “W-What?” Blood rushed to my ears, and a thunderous pounding slammed against my skull.

  “That’s who visited me a few weeks ago. Kaden is my full brother born from the king and queen as well, but he was only eight when they died. He’s twelve now.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “At thirteen, he’s old enough to oppose her rule, and I’m afraid she’ll kill him or do something worse.”

  This was not happening. This couldn’t be happening.

  Viktor closed the distance between us and kneeled in front of me. “That’s why I have to stay in a leadership position even if it’s in here. People want to be my allies because I have power. Those allies on the outside keep watch over Kaden. If Faolan overthrows me, I’m not sure how many will remain loyal. I can’t take that chance with my little brother.”

  I was suddenly looking into a mirror. Viktor Hale wanted nothing more than to keep his brother safe from the same person who held my little sister’s life in her hands.

  “So I don’t hate you, Sloane.” Viktor’s ragged voice stole through my thoughts. “You’re not the one who tore my family apart.”

  A ragged breath whooshed out of my lungs. How could I kill Viktor now? If I did, his brother was as good as dead too.