by C. R. Jane
We dashed down the hallway, away from the footsteps that were rapidly approaching.
"So what's the plan?" asked Seth when we stopped. "Where do you start a search for this magic stone?"
Alaric nodded towards Keon. "He's up first. Keon, you know the guards. One of them has the key."
Keon nodded like he perfectly understood what Alaric was saying, telling me they’d spoken about the treasure hunt earlier.
Seth and I just exchanged confused looks.
"Keon," Dale suddenly hissed, appearing through a doorway in the stone wall that I could have sworn wasn't there a second ago. "No one in the shifter section seemed to know why I would have been called there," he said, suspicion and dislike written all over his face.
"My bad," Keon said calmly. "I guess you can finish your task." I gave Seth a panicked look, realizing he was about to be taken from me once again.
Dale muttered under his breath as he tugged on Seth and pulled him away. Somehow Keon had slipped the handcuffs back on and my heart lurched at the sight of Seth walking away, the picture of dejection.
Keon nodded at me before striding after Seth.
"Treasure hunting, huh?" I finally said, as I watched them leave.
"Always was a big fan of Treasure Island," Alaric replied lightly as I rolled my eyes.
I wouldn’t get my hopes up. That never worked well for me.
Or at least that's what I told myself...
Chapter 8
Selena
I buttoned up my orange jumpsuit, ready for breakfast, but I hadn’t left yet. Trepidation had me too scared to go out on my own. I had no clue who would or wouldn’t be waiting to attack me. It freaked me out to think that I was so paranoid now.
"Head's up," a female's voice called from behind me.
I snapped around just as an orange candy bar was flying right at my face. Instinct had me snatching it right out of the air, my pulse racing at how quickly I did that. I looked at the package of Reese’s peanut butter cups in my hand, then up at Nova, who stood in the doorway.
"Hey girl," she said, strolling into my cell, dressed in orange prison pants and a black tee tucked into them. Her short light hair was slick and off her face like she'd just come out of the shower. "Figured I'd pay you a visit and see how you were after the bird douche attacked you the other day."
"You make it sound so casual," I answered with a smile on my face. "I think that the raven shifter is going to be in my nightmares forever."
She laughed and leaned a shoulder against the wall near my bed. "Trust me, if I had it my way, I would have zapped him out of existence before you got there, but the fuckwit with shriveled balls had a way of sneaking up on people when they least expected it."
I couldn't help but laugh with her. "So, your spell not only decimated him but shriveled his balls?" The moment the words left my mouth, I felt stupid asking such a crazy question while imagining her finding his balls among the pile of black feathers.
"Oh, no girl, I had the horrible experience of seeing them firsthand because he was also a flasher…and they were already dried up prunes. Gag." She faked a gag reflex, which only had me laugh harder, bringing tears to my eyes. "You know that's why he was eating eyes... to help improve his sexual stamina. Fucking lunatic."
"I'm glad you got rid of him," I said, looking at the chocolate bar, my mouth salivating.
"I owe you my life for being there at the right moment. So, thank you. All I had to give you was that package of Reese’s. It's my favorite."
"Want to share?" I said, already tearing the wrapper.
"You know it."
I handed her one of the two treats in the packet, and as she peeled it from the paper and popped it into her mouth, I quickly did the same. The chocolate peanut buttery goodness melted on my tongue, and I moaned at how incredible they tasted. "I've never had these before but I'm in love."
"Right?! Anyway, feel like joining me for breakfast?"
I nodded instantly. I’d seen what she did to the raven shifter, so I felt safer with her in my company.
"Not many people would do what you did with the Raven. No one sticks their neck out for anyone here, so I could tell right away, you're a decent person. I'll give you one piece of advice. Don't go back down to that cell block on your own ever again. It's filled with sickos."
"Is that where your cell is?" Then, like a hammer to my head, I realized how rude I sounded, implying she was a sicko. "Shit, I didn't mean you were like that. Just that... you know it's a dangerous place, and-”
She patted my arm, offering me a kind smile. "Nope, my cell isn’t there, but I was visiting someone and well, that was a mistake I won't be repeating."
Nova seemed nice. She reminded me of myself, where she always expected the worst in people, so when someone did the opposite, it was a pleasant surprise.
"What are you in this joint for?" she asked as we strolled down the hallway toward the mess hall. We fell into the mass of inmates gravitating for their morning meals.
"For not giving my virginity to the asshole master vampire." The thought of Julian left a bitter taste in my mouth, bringing back images of Mom's funeral. My chest tightened, but I didn't want to let it get to me. I'd cried enough at the unfairness of everything. So, I blinked away the tears.
"Fuck! That's twisted and wrong. If I ever get out, I'd gladly destroy him for you."
I grinned at how wonderful that sounded. Having him gone would solve so many of my problems. "What about you?" I asked, to distract myself from thinking of Julian.
"Arsen."
I cut her an incredulous look. "You’re in here because you burned something down? Sounds like you got jerked around as much as me."
"Well, to be fair, I burned down three homes, all belonging to an Alpha werewolf who'd enslaved females with every intention of forming a cult and breeding hundreds of pups."
"Eww. What a freak."
"Yep, and they imprison me here while he's still out there. On the bright side, I got my sister out from under his thumb and to safety." She gave me a crazy smile and two thumbs up before schooling her features, and continued talking, which only made me like her even more. Why hadn't I met Nova before?
During breakfast, I barely paid attention to the usual madness of people arguing, or even the brawl over a brownie. Instead, all I could think about was that I actually had a friend like some normal person. She talked about her family, about how she struggled to fit in, how she was homeschooled because most schools that accepted supernaturals were too afraid of someone with powers.
"I think it's amazing you're a wizard. When I think that, of course my mind goes to Harry Potter and that you are super powerful."
She chuckled at me. "Farthest from the truth. My mother is human and my father is a wizard, but he ditched the family when I was a baby. And I wish there was a magic school like Hogwarts… But alas, I was sent to a normal school with humans. For so many years, my mother forced me to hide my abilities. Though to be fair, I never had full control of them in the first place. So, when I accidentally turned the entire class into raccoons, it was homeschooling for me." She smiled and continued to eat her scrambled eggs, but I heard the heartache in her voice.
"Is it sad that I'm happy to have met you, and that we both have horror stories to share from growing up?" I said then took a bite of cold toast with no butter because they'd run out in the kitchen.
"Absolutely. Maybe we need a regular girls' session over a meal. When you're not with one of your guys of course."
Her words caught me off guard, and I stammered for a response.
"Crap. I went and put my foot in my mouth, didn't I? I didn't mean to sound like a jealous bitch, trust me I'm not. I mean, if I could get just one guy interested in me, I'd be ecstatic. It’s just that this place is dead boring, and everyone talks about everyone’s business, and some of the other women have noticed how lucky you are.”
“They’re talking about me?” I gasped at the thought.
“Most
of them would love to be in your position. What a problem to have… where to put four dicks?” She giggled, almost like a schoolgirl. “I’m just saying. I mean... well done, but also, they are some freaking dangerous guys too. I shouldn’t ask, but have you had a foursome with them?” She was rambling, and I could see the excitement in her eyes, and I started to think that she might have been one of the women in the prison talking about me, too.
I shook my head. “Things are complicated, to say the least, between me and the four of them.”
She was hanging off my every word. “I can just imagine. I once watched a show with a guy with three wives, and half the time, they were just bickering about spending more time with the dude.”
I swallowed the food in my mouth. “Well, there have definitely been some scary moments between the guys when I swore they would kill each other.”
"My mother once told me to find myself a good human man because all supernaturals were monsters. But you know what I think?" She leaned in closer, like what she was about to tell me was a secret. "I'm all about falling for monsters. They're powerful, dominating, and will protect you against anyone. I swear when I see a huge guy, I act all cavewoman, craving him, imagining how it would be to be fucked by him." She leaned back with a sigh. "I know, I sound crazy, but then again, I haven't been with a guy for over eight months. That does stuff to a person." She grinned lopsidedly.
"The cavewoman thing is true when I'm around my guys." It was strange calling them my guys, but in truth, I was sort of with them now. Maybe more because what I felt for them had my heart clenching. I came into this prison feeling alone and terrified, and I ended up losing my heart, totally worth it.
"So, what is the deal with Seth? He's locked up, beaten. I mean, that's got to be hard to be with someone like that."
I wasn't sure how to respond; I hadn't spoken to others about my personal life, but there was also a type of freedom in not holding it all inside, either. At the same time, though, doubts crept through my mind at all her questions, almost crippling me with the fear that Nova was only being nice to me for ulterior motives. But how much of that was me being paranoid? Nearly everyone I’d ever known had used me? I took a deep breath, willing my racing heart to settle down before I had a full-blown panic attack from one question.
"I won't lie, it's hard,” I finally said. “It kills me to see him punished so severely." I didn't say too much more, especially after what I'd seen through his crystal about his past. Those were personal moments not meant for anyone else.
I stared down at my half-eaten meal, suddenly missing Seth and already making plans for when I could visit him.
Nova placed her hand on mine, and I lifted my head to meet her dark gaze. "I can help you with Seth?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've seen the state of the brutal beatings he receives, how much agony he's in. I can give you something for him so he feels less pain. It might even give you and him more time to spend together."
I blinked at her. "You can do that?"
"I'm not the strongest or most in control wizard, but I have an affinity to healing. I can make a small batch of something to help him with the pain after the beatings. Would that help, you think?"
"Yes, absolutely," I said, a bit too loud in my excitement. "I mean, that would be an incredible gift for him. Thank you."
"Like I said, you saved me and I owe you."
"I thought the chocolate was the payment," I teased her.
"While I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, giving you chocolate does not equate to saving my life."
"Unless, of course, it's a huge crate's worth," I say, then shovel more egg into my mouth, holding back a laugh.
"Is that your way of asking for more?"
I shrugged, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "I would never say no to more. How do you get them here, anyway?"
"The trick to surviving this place is to barter. Everyone has something to offer, so it's all about finding out who has what. This is where my power comes in handy. There's this guard who brings me chocolate in exchange for small love spells he sells outside the prison."
"I wish I would have run into you earlier. Might have made my stay here easier to have someone just to talk to. Most people look at me like I've got two heads, so this is nice."
"When I first arrived, I was beaten so many times, I ended up unconscious every second day. Only after I fought back, did people leave me alone. It’s like a fucking wolf pack in here, and to not be walked over, you gotta bite back. But lucky for you, you’ve got your men to help you too.” She grinned and returned to her breakfast.
That uncertain trepidation flashed back again, about how many times she kept mentioning the guys. Except, the way we met was pure coincidence, right? I wanted, with every fibre in my being, to believe that she was exactly what she appeared to be. A friend.
Chapter 9
Selena
I wheeled my meal cart down the hall hurriedly, throwing a glance behind me every couple of minutes any time I heard what I thought were footsteps. Things had been mercifully quiet, though. Like the Warden was giving us a brief reprieve to hunt down his treasure before finishing me off. There still wasn't a guard with me, though, which in this case was a good thing.
My stomach churned with nerves, wondering what Seth would think of the potion I had in my pocket. The last thing he wanted from me was pity, so anytime he suspected it, he got really upset. But what I was feeling wasn't pity; it was helplessness. This was one small thing I could do to help him.
A flicker of unease hit me when I wondered if I could trust Nova. I'd obviously tell Seth where I got it and leave it up to him to decide if he wanted it or not...but at least it was something. If he didn't want the potion, I also had the scepter stowed in the bottom of the meal cart. Maybe just having a second to reconnect with it would help him.
I turned the corner, and there he was, leaning against the wall in his cell where he was sketching in a notebook. He looked up when he heard my cart, his eyes glowing with happiness the second he saw me. There was a fresh cut across his left eyebrow, like he'd been struck and it had split open.
Which was probably what happened.
"Selena," he said, the rare smile on his face turning him from stunning to out of this world beautiful.
"Hi," I whispered, looking around to see if anyone was lurking. When I heard nothing beyond the usual dreadful moans and screams of the prisoners, I dashed to open the cell, using the key Keon had given me to unlock Seth's door. For a second, I imagined taking Seth's hand and just making a run for it.
It was nice to dream, at least.
He dropped what he was working on and pulled me into his arms, and I sighed. When I really thought of it, it was a little scary that I only felt at home when I was in their arms. When did that happen?
Seth groaned when I put my arms around him, and I realized that he once again had lashes on his back. Wild, white-hot rage flooded my body when I thought of the Warden and what he was allowing to happen in this place. I hurriedly pulled away, and grabbed the vial of potion from my pocket.
"I got this for you. It's supposed to help you heal faster," I told him before explaining the somewhat suspicious circumstances of where I'd gotten it from.
Seth eyed it dubiously before his shoulders fell, and he let out a long sigh. "I'm tired," he admitted. The vulnerability in his eyes silently asked me for my encouragement.
"It doesn't make you weak," I whispered to him.
That seemed to be what he was waiting for because he grabbed the vial, tipped his head back, and swallowed without wasting another second.
We waited a moment, and then he gripped his throat frantically, and started sputtering and choking.
"Seth!" I screeched, panic and guilt coursing through me.
He paused and winked at me with a snort. "Gotcha," he teased.
I stared at him in disbelief for a minute before I punched him in the shoulder. "Don't do that, you asshole! You scared me."
> "But it was sorta funny, right? Besides, I had to break up the mood. I feel like it's always doom and gloom when you're with me because I'm such a morose bastard," he said with a shrug.
I was about to argue with him until I noticed the blush on his cheeks, and his overall color was starting to look better. I stared in amazement as I watched the cut over his eye heal.
"Seth," I whispered excitedly, already planning how I could get a gallon of that stuff for him.
"I feel amazing," he purred, stretching his arms out above his head. "This is amazing."
I giggled in absolute delight as he picked me up off the ground and spun me around. I'd never seen him so... light.
He set me down, his eyes dancing in a way I wanted to keep forever. "Oh! I have one more thing for you," I told him, remembering the scepter I had stashed in the cart.
I dashed over, grabbed it, and brought it over to Seth. He looked longingly at it for a long moment before he reached out. Right as his fingertips grazed the scepter, the world went black...
My eyes opened, and I gasped as I stared at my surroundings.
I knew this place...
That obsidian-colored marble floor… the glittering walls. This was the castle I had the vision of the last time I'd touched the scepter.
I really never learned.
Except…a soft gasp caught my attention. I looked to my left and saw Seth there, staring at his surroundings in shock and awe…and a million other emotions that I had trouble deciphering.
He finally noticed I was standing next to him, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How did we...?" His voice trailed off as he glimpsed a balcony off to his left, where I could see a sparkling aquamarine sea in the distance that made Cancun's perfect waters look like a joke.
"It's a vision," I whispered to him as his hand took mine and dragged me towards the balcony.
Something that was half laugh, half sob bursted out of his mouth when we reached the balcony and looked upon what I assumed was Fairie.