by G. K. DeRosa
Footsteps echoed down the hall and a moment later a big guard appeared, something bulky hanging over his shoulder. As he neared, my eyes focused on the form—in a bright orange jumpsuit. Splattered in deep crimson.
“Out of the way.” The dragon guard barreled past us, and the metallic scent of blood wafted to my nostrils. I stepped back, and my shoulder blades hit the hard wall. Once he passed, I was thankful for the solid structure. A lifeless head dangled from the C.O.’s back, blood dripping down his pristine beige uniform.
“Oh gods…” I muttered. “What happened to him?”
Flix shook his head. “It’s better we don’t know.”
Had Delacroix been responsible for that? The hellus demon had been nothing but nice to me, but now I was greatly reconsidering my master plan.
“Come on, I’ll show you the rec room. There’s a projector and you can watch old human movies. That’s also where they hold the weekly yoga, kickboxing, and meditation classes.”
“Kickboxing?”
He nodded. “The administration thinks it’s better for us to get some tension out in a controlled environment. They even let us use our powers sometimes.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup. One of the C.O.’s stands by a magic blasting switch the whole time so if things get out of control, he can cut everyone off with a flip of his finger.”
Interesting… Keeping up with my training would definitely be beneficial in here. We walked a few beats in silence before I forced out the question stuck at the back of my throat. “Is Delacroix Balthier really as bad as they say?”
Flix shrugged, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “It depends who you ask.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’d like to help you out, kid, I would, but I’m also rather fond of breathing.”
The silence returned in full vigor as my pixie escort led me through the never-ending corridors. I weighed my options, my brain working at full speed. I had to see the warden and the way things were going, I didn’t see that happening if I sat around waiting.
I was a demon like Delacroix. That had to count for something, right? He helped me with that dick guard so that was a point in his favor. He was the first one to tell me what I’d done and if what everyone was saying was true, he could have the power to get me in to see the warden.
Two sharp buzzes bounced across the obsidian walls, echoing through the narrow space. I clapped my hands over my ears until the harsh noise subsided. “What was that?”
“Didn’t your bunkies explain anything to you?”
“Nope.”
“Once a day when the double buzzer goes off, all the cells are opened for one hour of recreation time. The time changes daily to keep us on our toes. We’re free to roam the common areas of the fortress—library, prison yard, rec room etc, but not the individual cell blocks. We affectionately call it Happy Hour.”
I catalogued that little detail along with all the new prison information I’d been gathering. “So basically the only times we’re allowed to mix with the other supes is during that one hour a day?”
“And at the mess hall, but you’re divided up into three shifts for each meal. Then there’s Sundays, of course.”
“Oh, right. Hayden did mention the eating shifts.”
“At least something.” He smirked. His mossy green eyes twinkled, and he whispered conspiratorially, “Have you seen that angel without his clothes on yet? He’s like a gods’ damned work of art.”
I chuckled as an image of his very sculpted butt danced across my mind. “Yeah, he’s not bad.” He’d probably flip if he knew I’d seen Hayden half-naked.
I wanted to ask him what he knew about my other, grumpier roommate, but I held my tongue. Just because Talon was gorgeous didn’t mean I should give a flying faery. Yes, he was possibly the most ridiculously sexy man I’d ever seen, but he was also a total dragon douche canoe. I shoved the visions of his scintillating tattoo across his perfectly muscled torso to the back of my mind and labeled them Do Not Open Ever.
Flix nudged me with his shoulder bringing my attention back to the present. “Maybe we could grab a meal together, later today?”
“Are you just using me to get to my hot cellies?” I grinned, so proud of my prison lingo.
A loud chuckle burst from his lips. “Nah, kid. I’ve been here for a long time and as much as I wished otherwise, that delectable angel has zero interest in my kind. He’s not even gay for the stay.”
I nearly choked on my spit. “What?”
“Oh, honey, you need to get with the lockup lingo. Gay for the stay is when a typically heterosexual inmate chooses to swing the other way for the duration of their time here. It’s merely out of need instead of preference.”
“Ohhh.” His earlier words about the male to female ratio came to mind.
And I thought I was pretty savvy to the ways of the world, but here I was nothing more than a naïve newb. The realization only cemented the crazy idea in my brain. Delacroix Balthier was either going to be my salvation or my damnation. But if I did nothing, I was definitely screwed.
Chapter Nine
Seated on the edge of the bed with my knee bouncing up a storm, I glanced at my wrist for the tenth time and mumbled a curse under my breath. No watch, just a mystical magic-siphoning cuff. Not being able to tell time sucked. It felt like I’d been waiting forever for the double buzzer announcing our free time.
A.K.A. my big talk with Delacroix.
“Stop twitching, one thirty-eight,” a low growl emanated from the top bunk.
I hated my new nickname. The squeal from the creaking bed stopped as I whirled to glare at the dickish dragon, but my murder eyes were lost to the big bulk beneath the shoddy blanket.
Hayden had been called out for a special task with Actaeon, leaving me and my surly bunkie alone. He hadn’t said a word so I’d assumed he’d been sleeping. Apparently, not.
If I survived my encounter with Delacroix, I’d have to make a quick stop at the library to pick up a good romance novel. Staring at the empty cell across from ours was getting crazy boring fast.
My knee must have started up again while my mind was wandering because the smack of feet hitting cement whirled my head toward the bunk beds. My brain barely had time to process what was happening when a dark shadow blotted out my vision. My shoulder blades hit the wall as my lids squeezed shut.
“I said, stop.” A snarl more animal than human ghosted over my face. Talon’s warm breath lingered between us, an unexpected minty freshness coating the air.
Without opening my eyes, I could feel his face inches from mine, his big arms on either side of my head and his knees straddling my thighs. I waited, frozen, for him to back off, but he didn’t.
The frosty fear melted, and heat swirled through my insides at his proximity. I squeezed my thighs together to quell the building intensity. Which made absolutely no sense since he was practically assaulting me—and a total dickhead. After an absurdly long few seconds, I pried my lids open.
A pair of molten silver irises bored into mine. Dark flecks of gray danced through the endless brilliant pools, and my breath hitched. And I wasn’t a hundred percent sure it was from fear.
Steeling my nerve, I narrowed my eyes. “I stopped, okay? Can you get off me now?”
The corner of his mouth twitched for a second before his scowl returned in full force. “You’re not in any position to make demands, demon.”
“I’ll scream if you don’t get off me in three seconds, Talon.”
He barked out a laugh. “You think anyone would come for you?”
Shitzu. I squirmed beneath him, but it was like trying to move the mountain this bloody prison was perched on.
“Relax,” he hissed as he pushed off the wall and leapt off me. “I might be many things, but a rapist isn’t one of them.”
A shuddering breath evacuated my lungs as I wrapped my arms across my white tank top. His eyes landed on my upper arm, and his dark brows knitted.
Before he could say anything I pulled my jumpsuit all the way up, the zipper making a satisfying sound.
I wasn’t stupid enough to believe the cheap zipper would protect me from the monsters in this place, but somehow it made me feel better.
When I glanced up, Talon was still staring, his silvery eyes fixed on the sleeve of my jumpsuit. “What was that?”
“Now you want to talk to me? You’ve been a complete jackdragon since I woke up in here. Why should I tell you anything?”
He shook his head, the hint of a smile tipping the corners of his lips up. Then as if remembering who I was, his mouth twisted into his typical frown. “You’re right. Forget I asked.”
Talon turned back toward his bunk, but the sharp double buzzer stopped him in his tracks. He spun toward the invisible door as it slid open, but I shot out in front of him, beating him to the exit.
“Where are you going?” he growled as I darted into the hallway.
“Twice in one day?” I quirked a brow at the mercurial dragon. “What do you care anyway?”
“I care about this prison. This is my home for the foreseeable future and fresh bootie blood on the walls doesn’t do anything for me.”
Icy fingers crawled up my spine. As much as it sounded like a threat, I was fairly sure he was trying to look out for me. Or at least that’s what I hoped. “Relax, Talon. I can take care of myself. I’m a soul-sucking demon, remember?”
He grunted and raked his hand through his mussed-up hair. “Right.”
Before his oddly concerned face could stop me, I raced down the corridor as all the cells opened in a sort of domino effect. Most of our block was empty, I guessed that was another perk of my association with the Triad or maybe there just weren’t too many angels in lock-up.
I still wanted to know how Hayden had fallen. Did it have something to do with Lucifer? Did he follow my gramps when he fled God’s good graces? I usually kept my lineage on the downlow, but that tidbit of information could save my cute butt in prison. I’d save it as a last resort.
I continued my hurried pace until I reached the atrium that Flix had shown me yesterday. In the center sat a bored Sandrene, the same blank expression on her face as the day before. A few inmates were starting to line up to stock up on magical goods. I wiggled my fingers at her as I passed, but she didn’t even bat an eye.
Maybe she hadn’t recognized me without my bright orange scrubs.
Without wasting any more time, I circled the rotunda until I reached the door with the ominous number eight stamped over it. Somehow it was darker and bigger than the digits over the other doors. I stared at the biometric scanner embedded into the wall. Here goes nothing. Holding my breath, I waved my cuff over the scanner.
A green light lit up and a robotic voice spit out, “Unknown demon. Prisoner number one hundred thirty-eight. Access granted.”
The metal door groaned opened, and I slipped in before it quickly slammed shut. As soon as I was inside the new corridor, a pit of dread bored into my belly. What if I couldn’t get out now?
I whirled around, and my eyes found another scanner. Snagging my lower lip between my teeth, I waved my wrist over the black device. The click of the door unlocking returned the missing oxygen to my lungs. I quickly calculated it must have been about ten minutes since the buzzer rang which gave me about fifty before I was locked up in Block Eight for the night.
I picked up my pace as I searched the glass enclosures which were exact replicas of mine. Crossing my fingers, I hoped Delacroix hadn’t left his cell yet. Assuming I could find it, of course.
Most of the bare chambers were empty with the exception of a handful whose doors remained closed. I thanked the gods for that. Some pretty nasty looking demons lurked in the shadows. Gora bora demons with their gorilla-like forms, mezic demons, writhing snakes shooting from their fingers, and one of my personal favorites, the slutty succubi. My ex, Ryx, had been seeing one back at NU. I wasn’t jealous; it was just gross.
I tossed the thoughts aside, reminding myself to stay focused. I needed to find Delacroix, persuade him to tell me exactly what happened to me, and find out if he had any leverage with the new warden.
Approaching footsteps lifted my gaze to a pair of male jagga demons. From the outside, they appeared practically human, except for the small green nubs that protruded from their forehead. They hunted in pairs, paralyzing their prey with a toxic liquid that spewed from their stubby little horns.
You’re a hardcore demon too, Azara. I muttered the words in my head as I neared the unsavory twosome.
“What do we have here?” The first one clucked his tongue as he slowed at my approach.
His buddy grinned, flashing a row of pointy teeth. Oh right, sharp teeth too. “Looks like some fresh meat…” His tongue snaked out and slid over his upper lip. “And a pretty one.”
They can’t hurt me as long as we’re all wearing these cuffs. I tugged on the manacle around my wrist as fear twisted my insides. But I couldn’t hurt them either.
The jagga duo split in two and surrounded me. I backed up a few feet as my heartrate skyrocketed, but after a few steps I hit the wall. Mother trucker. Scanning the quiet corridor, I cursed my stupid move. These two could drag me into a cell, and no one would ever hear from me again.
My fingers curled into tight fists as the males circled, ogling me.
“She can’t be that new. She’s already in black scrubs,” said one.
“Then how did we miss her?”
“Well, she’s ours now.”
A tremor raced from the tips of my toes all the way up to my ears. A faint glow beneath my sleeve caught my eye. That’s weird. My demon mark didn’t usually light up. Maybe because I’d never really feared for my life before.
I clenched my jaw and injected as much steel in my voice as I could muster. “I’m not yours, demon scum. I eat guys like you for breakfast.” That was from some prison movie, right?
The second guy with the slightly more pointy nubs flared his nostrils. Lifting his chin, he neared and sniffed my neck. It took all I had to keep from shaking. “Animas soul-sucker,” he muttered. “Too bad that pretty little bracelet makes you harmless, sugar.”
“That’s what you think,” I growled.
“Why don’t we test out our theory, Bisk?”
The first guy nodded and as one they pressed closer. I glued myself to the wall, trying to melt into the dark surface. Why couldn’t I have inherited my mom’s powers? Then at least I’d be in the wicca block instead of demon hell.
“Step away!” A deep, grumbly voice echoed down the hall, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
The jagga twins leapt back, and my haggard lungs resumed their normal functioning. Until my eyes landed on the hellus demon marching toward us.
And his crew.
Chapter Ten
Delacroix Balthier, along with five or six other inmates, paraded down the hall. The head demon shot the jaggas a glare that would’ve melted the tallest turret of the Winter Court ice palace. When he reached us, he placed a clawed hand on each of their shoulders. “Did either of you two idiots touch her?”
They both stared down at the floor and shook their heads. “No, sir,” they muttered in unison.
Delacroix pinned his dark gaze on me, and his jaw softened. “Did they hurt you?”
My head whipped back and forth.
“Good.” He released the two males, and they scampered away faster than mice fleeing a fat cat. Delacroix turned to me and flashed a smile, accentuating the deep scar across his face. “I was hoping I’d run into you again.” His eyes moved from mine down to the demon symbol peeking out from under my sleeve.
I gulped. “Me too.” I hoped my voice sounded more confident than it did in my head.
“Wonderful. Let’s have a chat, shall we?” The hellus demon motioned further down the hall, in the opposite direction of the door out of here.
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I nodded. It was now or never.
I walked besi
de Delacroix as his crew filled in the space around him like shadows. Much like when I first went to the mess hall with the Triad, demons darted out of our way as we approached.
Delacroix finally stopped in front of a large cell with only one bed. A king-sized bed from the looks of it—and a shower! My eyes doubled in size. The two-minute communal shower I’d finally taken last night had left much to be desired.
My escort ticked his head at his minions, and they all stopped outside the enclosure as he led me in. Not only did Delacroix have a massive bed, his cell also boasted a sitting area with two chairs and a table. Sure, they were plastic and mismatched but still. He pointed at the smaller of the two seats and I gingerly perched on the edge ready to spring to my feet if necessary.
Delacroix bent down and reached for something under his mattress, and my heartrate spiked. I leaned forward, ready to bolt if he pulled out some sort of weapon. Instead, when he straightened, he revealed a small wooden box of cigars. “Can I offer you a Cuban?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I don’t smoke.” This guy must have it in good with Sandrene. Cigars couldn’t be a typical commissary item.
“Your loss.” He smirked and folded his large frame into the crappy chair. His dark eyes found mine from across the table as he brought the cigar to his lips. The two bottomless inky orbs sucked me in as he puffed, his inscrutable eyes firmly fixed on mine.
When another minute or two passed in silence, I blurted, “Thanks for stepping in with those guys back there.”
He waved a nonchalant hand. “Those two idiots are harmless really.”
My flesh crawled at the memory of the males’ hot breath on my skin. I hated to imagine what the real bad ones were like in here.
“I hear you’ve been asking about me.”
My eyes widened. How does he know that? Had I even told anyone I wanted to talk to him?
“I have eyes and ears everywhere, girl.”
“I see that.” I shifted in my seat, edging my butt back a little. “That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you. The other day at the mess hall you said I took out an entire Fae village.” I twisted my fingers in my lap to make up for the knife carving out my insides. “You were the first to give me insight into that night, and I hoped you had more details. I don’t remember anything.”