by Skyler Andra
I stood at the end cell. Memories flashed in my head. Watching Knoxe hit the mothman, went against every instinct in my body. The indigenous side of me wanted to cast him out of the circle, our team, for the disrespect shown to the star man. The gantii side of me wanted to tear Knoxe’s head off. But I’d been powerless to do a thing when Knoxe didn’t want to be saved, the last of his humanity dying with every punch he laid on the beast.
I refocused and sniffed harder. Seven scents mixed, six of them fresh from the last day or so, and one much weaker, older. Five from daily familiarity. My team members and me. Two more I recognized and detested. Nicotine, tar, a soft drink, gum, body odor, and the rank smell of a rotten tooth. Yes, I could detect that. One scent belonged to the man already on my radar. A man who shouldn’t have been in this cell because he was locked away. The other belonged to one of Devon’s teammates.
My whole body shuddered with the threat of transformation. The beast inside of me wanted to tear his head off and eat his heart. “Devon did this with the help of one of his guys.”
“That fucking bastard.” Tor slammed a fist into the bars.
“He’s in The Hole for assaulting her.” Knoxe stroked his chin. “We can’t get to him to question him.”
“Oh, yes we can,” Tor announced confidently. “One of the sentries down there owes me a favor.”
“Let’s go once we check the CCTV.” Knoxe led the way out of the detention facility, and I thanked the sentry. Out at the booth, he asked, “Hey, Bill. Can we watch the CCTV footage from last night?”
Sweat dampened Bill’s forehead. “The warden will kill me if I show you tape from an open investigation.” After letting us in, he’d obviously had a change of heart.
Tor leant his forearm on the counter and applied his smooth act once more. “Any more than he’ll kill you for letting us into the detention facility?”
Bill sighed again. “There’s no footage. Last night the prison experienced a power failure at around 3AM.”
“Convenient.” Tor tapped the counter with his fingernails and glanced at Knoxe. “Thanks, Bill. We owe you.”
Bill’s eyes hooded. “Get me some of that siren porn and we’ll call it even.”
“Deal.” Tor stuck his hand under the counter sand shook Bill’s hand.
Siren porn? I guess everyone had their kinks. I shook my head as Knoxe charged forward.
On the way to the hole, we sidetracked to Tor’s cell. Knoxe and I stood guard while he grabbed a few items from his contraband stash in the wall.
He stuffed a cell phone and another device down the neck of his uniform. “We’ll need this little baby to record his confession and this to bypass the dampeners.”
“You realize you’re gonna out your contraband stash when we take this proof to the warden,” Knoxe reminded him as we continued down the hall.
Tor smiled. “Nah. I’ll just blame my competitor.”
“Low and dirty.” I smiled and shook my head.
Tor better not start any more crap with other prisoners. I didn’t need any further family visit passes revoked this year or future time in The Hole.
He had his ways of extracting information from gantii. He could trick beasts into hallucinating, so maybe he could work his magic on Devon. But first, he had to get past the magic dampeners—the function of the second device, I assume. I just hoped it worked. Devon deserved to pay for this low act.
Right as we were about to leave, Pascal, said, soft and unsure, “I can help with the dampeners.”
“No, buddy.” Tor pat him gently on the shoulder and Pascal flinched. “Save your power for when we get Supergirl out and go rescue the mothman’s family.”
Pascal nodded reluctantly and tucked his head.
When we arrived, Knoxe and I hung back, while Tor persuaded his “contact” to let him in.
The sentry was more than happy to oblige. “This guy’s been a real pain in my ass. Get him put in max security and out of my hair. Oh, and few more issues of Siren porn.”
Munyara. What was with the siren porn?
“Deal.” Tor put his hand under the booth window and fist bumped the guard.
“He’s the third on the right. Knock when you wanna be let out.” The guard let us in and closed the door behind us.
Inside the chamber, voices whispered to me. Long lost prisoners who’d died in here. They spoke of their suffering and pain. I ignored them and glanced at the spirits of my ancestors. They simply nodded at me then faded away. This was the right place. I’d find answers here.
Tor pulled out the cell phone and device from his uniform. He activated both of them. Magic crackled in the wall, fizzled, then went out. “Be careful, in case this punk uses his magic on you.”
Knoxe and I stood back to the side out of Devon’s line of sight.
Pascal waited behind us in the doorway, his fingers clenching his toning bars.
Tor touched his temples, projecting something inside the cell. I heard the occupant scamper and leap up from his bed. He came to the window on the door and looked out.
“Edwardo. Fuck me!” He broke into a dopey grin. “How’d ya get out, bruh?”
“Broke out, man,” Tor replied in a similar vernacular that Edwardo would speak. “Can’t ya hear da sirens?”
Devon grabbed the side of his head. “Fuckin’ loud.”
Tor made Devon think the sirens wailed when they didn’t.
“Let’s get ya out of dis dump,” Tor said.
“What about the guards?”
“Da rest of da team are taking care of dat.”
“Thanks, bruh. Can’t wait to get me sum fuckin’ pussy.” Devon backed away as if he anticipated his brother entering the cell to rescue him.
Magic in the wall popped and sputtered. The hum of electricity charged through it again.
Devon blinked a few times and his eyes narrowed at Tor. “What da fuck?”
Tor glanced at Knoxe and I, then Pascal. He removed his device, pressed a button, and tapped it against his palm. “Damn batteries.”
Munyara.
Pascal stepped in and chimed his bars several times. A low tone resonated throughout the chamber. Nothing happened. He did it again and again, the vibration growing in power, until I felt a tremor in the floor. The walls sparked and fizzed. He cringed and stepped back, rubbing his mouth with the back of his arm.
“More,” I told him.
He stared at me. “I… I can’t.”
“Fuck,” Tor hissed.
I raced out to the booth to get spare batteries, but when I returned, Pascal blocked the doorway. Hands to his knees, he bent over, panting hard.
“You okay, brother?” I asked him.
“I… I have to go.” He shot up and straightened, hurrying out of there.
I promised to go and check on him later once this was done.
Back inside the chamber, Tor questioned Devon. “Ya’ follow my plan?”
Devon shook his head. “Dis place makes ya see strange shit. For a moment, I thought ya were Tor.”
Tor chuckled. “Dat asshole?”
“Ya.” Devon rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, bruh. I did everything ya told me, bruh. I stalked dat bitch. Stole er’ weapons. Threatened er to join us.” Piece of dirt cackled like a sick bastard. “Bitch crapped her pants when I broke into ‘er cell.”
Knoxe’s knuckles cracked.
My beast growled again. These two were going to pay for setting up Astra.
Tor laughed. “Good one, bruh. My shout on da pussy, for a job well done.”
“I got Sam to kill dat gantii and plant da stakes on it.” Devon spat on the floor. “Fuckin’ bitch shoulda’ joined us.”
“You fucking little prick.” Tor dropped his hands and the façade, stepping up to the window.
Devon’s blinking went on for a few seconds. He shook his head, then checked again. He rubbed his eyes again with the back of his knuckles.
“Wat da fuck?” He gripped the edge of the window. “Ya’ dirty cunt. I�
�m gonna kill ya for dis!”
“Just try.” Knoxe thumped his fist on the window and Devon flinched, then backed into the darkness, roaring. He flipped what I thought was his bed and his food bowl, and the metal crashed to the ground.
Outside in the hall, we quickly made our way away from The Hole. Knoxe and Tor celebrated their success while I remained calm.
The bone witch reappeared and tugged on my arm. I glanced at her. “Beware, he is coming.”
“Who?” I asked her in my mind.
She vanished before I got an answer.
It took a few moments before I could concentrate on the conversation between the two living beings either side of me.
“The warden’s gonna have your ass for this, Tor,” Knoxe warned.
“If it gets, Supergirl out, then it’s worth any punishment he delivers.”
Chapter 28
Astra
The door to my holding cell flung open and the warden and a sentry entered. My stomach soured as I leaned on my elbows. The way the warden frowned, his mouth rigid, told me I was in for worse news. But instead, he gestured to the guard, and the sentry removed the cuffs from my wrists and tucked them on his belt.
“What’s going on?” I stammered.
The warden loosened his tie. “New evidence has come to light the proves your innocence. You’re free to go.”
I sat up and pressed a hand to my forehead. “Thank you, sir, but how?”
He popped one of his tablets from his prescription bottle. “Thank your team mates, real Sherlock Holmes, for finding evidence to free you.”
“Who killed the mothman?” My voice came out hoarse.
“Devon.” Vartros’ mouth twitched. “He stole your weapons and planted them as evidence.”
Devon. Of course. He’d tried to intimidate me, stalked, threatened me, even broke into my cell to demand I join his team.
The earlier warden’s words boomed in my head. You’ve just started a war. This will get ugly. Watch out. My throat tightened, and I touched the spot where Devon’s knife had pressed against it. I should have been more careful.
The biggest question lingered on my tongue. “How did he break into our training room? I thought only my team and I could access it.”
The warden slumped. “The sentries searched his team’s cells. They found some black market technology that enabled him to get past the security systems and blacked out the power one night to sneak out of their cell. We’ve had to reprogram everything and set new codes.”
I put on my boots, pulling the zip up. “Sir, any news on my appeal?”
Silence struck, the kind that came before a bomb dropped on me. “I’m sorry, Miss Nomical.” My heart sank at his soft words, and I looked down at my boots. “But the Guardians Council has rejected your appeal.”
Bitter tears stung my eyes. “Why?”
I wanted to swear, throw my hands up and get loud, but the look in his eyes made me reconsider. “You stole evidence which could have turned the tide in the Serpent’s favor. That cannot be overlooked.”
“Fuck.” I wiped the spit from my mouth. “The Shadows stole that information from the Serpent Lord’s granddaughter. My friend—”
“Careful, Miss. Nomical.” Vartros’ tone told me to back down. “Anything you might say may be used against you in future appeals.”
I sucked in all the air I could. Silver Blazes. I hunched over on the bed. This was all my fault. I shouldn’t have stolen the parchment. But what was done was done. Now I had to make the best of it. I pictured my mother’s smiling optimistic face and I rose from the bed.
It was clear I wasn't getting out of here anytime soon. Now, I had to rethink things. In here, I was of no use to Luna. I couldn't get the magic scroll to her. Couldn't help her retrieve her memories to fight the Serpents.
I had to change directions. I had to find another way out of here. Now, I was faced with hard choices: remain with my team and in the prison, or try to get escape and save my friend. I ran a hand through my hair, thinking about them both. For now, I had to survive this place, find another way to get out. Only then I could help my friend.
“Thank you, sir.” I brushed past the warden and stole out of the cell.
The sentry at the door outside opened it for me and I hurried into the adjoining hall. All four guys from my team were waiting for me. Hell, even Knoxe, and that one surprised me, and I pressed a hand to my chest, fisting my uniform.
Tor pulled the string on a party popper, releasing the curly stringers, which landed on my shoulder and hair. Then he grabbed me, lifted me, and spun me. “Your first lockup in The Hole. Was it everything you thought it would be?”
Hmm. No comment. It was cold and dark. Full stop. I punched his shoulder, and he chuckled.
He set me down and grinned. “I remember my first time.” He wiped a faux tear from his eye. “Good times.”
“I don’t want to know where you got that party popper.”
“The kitchen. No contraband here.” He produced a party blower and piped on it.
“Stop.” As much as I wanted to smile, after my bad news, I didn’t have a celebration in me right now.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked them all.
Tor threw an arm over Knoxe and Raze, drawing them in. “These three dashing heroes, along with me, used their super sleuthing skills to spring you from the clutches of our dear warden.”
Raze gave a rare smile and my heart thudded. Full lips, perfect teeth, and the little dimple at the corner of one cheek. Sigh.
Pascal shot a goofy smile at me and Tor.
I pressed a hand to my heart. “I can’t thank you guys enough.”
“What are friends for?” Tor ruffled Pascal’s hair.
Pascal moved away, brushing his blue hair in a wave over his eye. God, he was cute.
“C’mon.” Tor waved his hand. “Let’s have a drink.”
Some moments later, Tor snuck us into a storage cupboard where the Guardians kept their supplies of Gin and Tonic.
“To Supergirl.” Tor held a flask of alcohol in the air.
I didn’t really like the stuff, but I couldn’t be too picky in a place like this. We all took turns, sharing the bottle, and drinking the sweet and dry liquid. It burned my throat as it went down, chasing away some of the residual cold from my cell in The Hole.
We didn’t get to enjoy it for long when Knoxe interrupted us with, “We should get to the watchtower for mission prep.”
Ugh, no thanks. After being locked up for twenty-four hours and not being able to leave my cell, I wanted to let my hair down and party. Especially since there wasn’t much of that happening around this prison.
“Dude, seriously?” Tor lifted the bottle to his gorgeous mouth and swallowed some liquid. A few drops stuck to his lips and I wanted to lick them off. “We’re celebrating Supergirl’s milestone. You don’t get solitary confinement everyday. It’s a personal achievement in this place!”
Uh, no. Never again.
Knoxe took one last gulp from the bottle and hissed when he pulled it away to wipe his mouth with the back of his arm. “I’m preparing for tomorrow’s mission. As you all should be.” He nodded, held out the flask, and I collected it.
Debby Downer.
I threw back gulps of alcohol as I watched him leave. He never let his guard down. Never wanted to be near me. Never let me to get to know him. I shrugged, not taking it personally. I could enjoy a night with the rest of the team.
“Take it easy there, Supergirl.” Tor pushed away my drink. “We’ve got a mission tomorrow.”
I didn’t care. Tonight, I wanted to wash away all the crap from the last few weeks. The horror of being locked in The Hole and the disappointment of losing my appeal. I purposefully downed another few swallows, finishing the rest of the bottle.
I slammed the empty flask on the shelf. “Who wants another bottle?”
Raze’s brow furrowed. “No thank you.”
Pascal shook his head.
Party poopers. I shrugged again and swallowed more. Fire coursed through my veins and I felt light headed.
“Okay, that’s enough, Supergirl.” Tor snatched the bottle from my grasp and put it on the shelf. “You don’t want a hangover tomorrow if we’re fighting vamps. Trust me. One wrong move and they’ll kill you.”
I frowned. “Well, what else can we do for fun in this place? Strip poker?” I said the last part, half serious, half as a joke. I was up for a little fun, and I wouldn’t object to seeing these three in their underwear.
“I’m taking you to my cell.” Tor clasped my arm.
“I don’t want to go back to a cell.” I yanked free. “I’ve been trapped in one for the last day.”
The alcohol hit like a tsunami, and I wobbled, using the shelf to brace myself.
Tor picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I groaned, the blood and liquor rushing to my head.
“Put me down, Tor.” I slammed my fists on his back, but he ignored me, carrying me out of the room despite my protests.
“Sweet dreams,” Raze said from behind with a sarcastic wave.
Pascal copied him and waved too.
I gave Raze the bird.
Once inside Tor’s cell, he closed the door with his foot, and crossed to the bed. He set me down, and I groaned and rubbed my swirling head. Tor kneeled in front of me and unzipped my boots.
I studied his blonde eyebrows, his green hair, which he hadn’t spiked today, those sexy cobalt eyes, and the cape that added that extra bit of superhero sex appeal. “Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?”
“I’m watching out for you.” He slid off one boot.
“Because?”
He stopped, looked up at me, and sighed. “Because dicks like Devon get off on intimidating girls like you.”
I shrugged. “I can handle myself.”
“After tomorrow’s mission, I’m teaching you some self-defense moves.” His hands lingered on my calf.
I took his face between my palms and pulled him in for a kiss.
Tor smiled. “You’re a brave little one, aren’t you?”