by G. K. DeRosa
“Don’t you listen? We’ve already gone over this. This is my home, and I exist to keep scumbags like Delacroix in line. Now you show up and it’s obvious he wants something from you. I need to know what it is. Do you know him or something? Were you sent here for him?”
My eyes bugged out. “Are you kidding me? I have no idea what he wants and until a few days ago, I’d never heard of the guy.”
“Then why are you still alive?”
I didn’t think my eyes could possibly get any bigger, but I was fairly certain they did. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Azara, in here, you’re either with Delacroix or you’re not. And you’re a demon, in case you hadn’t noticed. It’s been five, six days since you arrived? And he hasn’t forced you to choose. That’s unheard of.”
“I thought that was because of you—or I mean, the three of you, the Triad or whatever.”
He shook his head, his jaw softening a fraction. “I’d like to believe that, but I don’t.” The fury streaking through his eyes waned, and he lowered himself onto the mattress. “Tell me what he wants from you.”
“I don’t know.”
His eyes narrowed, the anger rising once more.
“I swear, Talon. Yes, I did go see him to make a deal, but it was only to get a meeting with the warden. I had no idea it was Logan. I just wanted to get out of here.”
“And what did you promise Delacroix in return?”
“Carte blanche…” I muttered.
Talon’s fingers curled into tight fists and for a second, I thought he was going to punch me. “Are you insane?” he hissed.
“But he didn’t get me that meeting. I thought he had, but Logan said he came on his own. The Gargoyle Guardian Council sent him here to make Delacroix pay. To put an end to his mob rule; he’s not like the other warden.”
He grunted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
My fingers dug into the coarse woolen blanket. “So now what?”
“Now you avoid Delacroix at all costs.”
“How am I going to do that?”
“I don’t know, but if he finds you, you better run. Striking a deal with Delacroix is almost as bad as striking one with the devil himself.”
I suppressed the grin threatening to spill across my face. If he only knew I understood a few things about dealing with the devil. Maybe it was time to call in my own favor.
Chapter Thirteen
My shoulders slumped as I trudged back from the second floor. According to the warden’s assistant, he was out of the office for the rest of the afternoon. I knew Logan lived somewhere on this compound, but I didn’t know where, and he hadn’t exactly given me access to his private quarters.
I needed to update him on my run in with Delacroix and hoped he’d help me get in touch with grandpa Luci. My insides twisted at the idea of telling anyone in my family what happened. I only prayed I’d be able to convince him to help me while keeping my dirty little secret.
Reaching the atrium, I glanced up at the clock above Sandrene’s commissary hut: thirty minutes left of free time. A line of inmates waiting to procure their goodies glared as I walked by. Most wore the tell-tale demon black jumpsuits, but it was a veritable assortment of supernatural Skittles. A lithe blonde with legs that went on for miles bent down to whisper something in her friend’s pointy ear, then they both shot daggers in my direction. What the Fae? Could they be pissed because of what I did to their faery brethren?
I hurried past them, trying not to focus on their glares or the Swiss chocolate bar a female shifter was digging into. My stomach rumbled. It had been days since I’d had real food. I’d have to remember to ask Luci for some cash for my commissary account.
I considered wandering around for the remainder of rec time, but swiftly shot that idea down considering there was an angry demon mob boss gunning for me. Instead, I opted for a quick shower.
After a pit stop at my empty cell for my towel and meager beauty products, I headed for the bathroom. My bunkies had been gone when I’d woken up in the morning, and I was secretly hoping they’d be back by now. Talon might’ve been a disagreeable beast and Hayden a pain in the butt, but it was better than complete boredom. My fallen angel bunkie had been nice enough to leave a note. Apparently, they were off doing some special work assignment with Actaeon. I couldn’t believe I was actually jealous of them for having work to do. My parents would be so proud. A knot of emotion thickened my throat, and I swallowed down the unexpected pang of loneliness. I couldn’t go home after what I’d done anyway. Pushing down the dismal thoughts, I wondered when I’d get a task assigned. It would beat doing nothing all day—and having too much time to self-reflect.
I reached the communal showers and a girl barreled by me, practically slamming the door in my face.
“Watch it,” she snarled, baring two pointy fangs.
Raising my hands, I stepped back and gave the vamp girl a wide berth. I wasn’t sure how the magic blocking cuffs worked with vampires. Her incisors looked sharp as sugar so I was fairly sure she could still bite me. Could she smell my tasty human half-blood?
Once the coast was clear, I ducked into the dimly lit room, the musty smell of moisture and mildew filling my nostrils. I peeked under all three stalls before choosing the one furthest from the door. We had designated showering time three days a week, but it was always so crowded then. I’d hoped I could shower in peace this time—for the full one minute of hot water we were allotted.
After running the bar of white soap all over my body and through my long locks, I quickly rinsed my hair before the hot water ran out. It wasn’t like showering at home with my jasmine body wash and vanilla shampoo and conditioner, but it was better than the alternative.
I grabbed the towel over the rack and wrapped it around my chest, my shower shoes squeaking against the grimy tile floor. A door slammed, and my heart shot up my throat. I nearly dropped my towel as I collected my soap from the holder protruding from the wall.
Pulling the curtain aside, I peered through the crack. Nothing. Pushing the thin fabric a little further back, I scanned the foggy room. Maybe whoever it was had decided to come back after I was done.
Closing the curtain, I unwrapped myself from the towel and draped it over my hair. After a quick towel dry, I straightened, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. What was that? I strained to hear, and a faint scraping reached my ears. I cursed as I glared at the cuff for zapping my heightened senses.
My demon mark lit up, a faint lavender hue brightening the small stall. What was up with this thing lately? In my eighteen years, it had never been so active. Steeling my nerves, I tucked the end of the towel tightly under my arm pit and jerked the curtain open.
The thick fog obscured the shadowy room, and a buzz of nervous energy danced along my skin. There was no way one minute of hot water created this much condensation. Clenching my jaw, I made a beeline for the door.
My fingers wrapped around the handle, and I jerked it back. It didn’t budge. What the…? I pulled again, rattling the door until the lever popped off and I flew halfway across the room with the crappy handle clenched in my fist. Son of a biscuit!
Dark tendrils of fog curled around me, and the smoky odor of magic swirled in the air. My nostrils flared at the familiar scent, and my fingers tightened around the door handle. It wasn’t possible… this fortress was supposed to be a magic-free zone.
Fingertips skimmed my bare shoulder and I spun around, my heartrate skyrocketing. Nothing but a murky haze stretched from wall to wall. “Hello? Is someone in here?”
I squatted and checked under the stalls once more, but they were all empty. Chasing the crazy out, I shook my head and darted back to the door. There had to be another way to open this damned thing.
I stuck my fingers into the two tiny holes where the screws had once been and scrambled for purchase, the door handle still clenched in my fist. No luck. “Come on!” Slamming my palm against the thick metal, I muttered a curse.
<
br /> An icy chill skidded over my shoulder blades, and I whirled around. Now what? The muddy fog parted, and a figure coalesced from the shadows. I slipped my hand that held the door handle behind my back and summoned every remaining ounce of courage.
An unearthly snarl reverberated across the walls as a reptilian snout and rows of sharp teeth emerged from the dark mist. All the air evacuated my lungs, and a sharp gasp escaped my clenched teeth.
Then the creature lunged.
My hand shot out from behind my back, pointing the lever at the caracara demon as it leapt at me. Its enormous weight bored down on my makeshift weapon, and it was all I could do to keep my arm extended. The monster’s ostrich-egg sized eyes bulged as the metal bar dug into its feathered chest. It screeched, the sharp sound making my teeth chatter. I jerked my hand back, taking the door handle with me as it staggered back and pressed its clawed fingers over the gaping hole in its upper abdomen.
I spun around and darted to the door again, praying to all the gods I could somehow get it unlocked. “Open, open!” I shouted as my fingernails dug into the small holes. Hazarding a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw the demon staggering toward me again.
Effing demon! “Help!” I shrieked and pounded on the doors, no longer caring about my street cred or prison rep. I wasn’t going down like this. “Get me out of here!”
The demon sigil flared to life, catching my eye as I pounded. Dad had always told me it would protect me, but it had been doing a pretty crappy job so far. “Open, you damned door! Open!”
A surge of heat erupted from the glowing mark and skidded over my flesh, raising goosebumps over my arms. My brows slammed together as a burst of energy surged in my gut. What in the world?
The smack of approaching footsteps yanked my attention away from my tattoo and to the demon hurtling toward me. I stepped back and hit the blasted door. I was trapped. The creature’s gaping maw opened, revealing countless rows of glistening teeth.
Clutching the door handle in my fist, I brandished it in front of the monster. Some weapon... My tongue thickened, and I swallowed hard. This was it. I was going to get eaten by a nasty caracara demon in nothing but a towel.
Something tickled the back of my throat, and I swallowed once again. Only whatever was there wasn’t going down. My tongue twitched as a swirl of energy took control of my mouth. “Aprem immediatum!” The words burst from my clenched lips, and the door behind me swung open.
I fell backward for an impossibly long second before slamming into a hard wall. Nope, not a wall. Arms encircled my waist, and I scrambled for my slipping towel.
“Move!” Talon’s growly voice skimmed the shell of my ear.
He released me, and I darted out of the way as the caracara demon careened into the hallway. Pulling my towel tighter around my middle, I backed against the wall as the two behemoths went at it. Ground-shaking roars racked the corridor, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I may not have liked Talon very much, but I didn’t want to watch him get eaten either.
When I peeked from under slitted lids, my brows shot up to my hairline. Instead of regular beastly Talon, half-dragon Talon stood before me. Leathery wings unfurled from his shoulder blades, shimmering scales covered his bare shoulders and the silver dragon writhed to life on his chest. Razor-sharp claws emerged from his fingertips, and a barbed tail shot out from his tailbone.
How the hells was he shifting right now?
My dragon savior swiped his talons at the approaching demon and shredded his feathered topcoat with one swipe. The caracara shrieked as Talon whirled around and whipped his barbed tail across its elongated face.
“Get her out of here!” Talon shouted over his shoulder, and my eyes lifted beyond the supernatural brawl.
Hayden raced down the hallway, his magnificent black wings almost the width of the narrow passageway. “Come on, pumpkin. I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day.” He scooped me into his arms, and I self-consciously tugged at the bottom of my towel. Why was everyone always getting a sneak peek at my assets around here?
We flew down the corridor, the black walls muddling around us. And I’d been worried someone would see me in all my glory. First of all, the halls were empty and second of all, we were moving so fast, I doubted anyway would see more than a dark blur.
When we reached our cell, Hayden set me down and my knees buckled. Luckily, I landed on my bed.
“You okay, pumpkin?”
I shook my head as steel bands of fear constricted my lungs. What the hell just happened, and how was I still alive? I strained to make out any lingering noises of battle, but either it was over or our enclosure was too insulated. My heart thumped out an erratic beat as I thought of Talon. He seemed like he could take care of himself but still… “Shouldn’t you go check on Talon?”
Hayden waved a dismissive hand. “He can handle a little demon.”
“Little?” Caracaras weren’t exactly harmless little demons. “Does stuff like that normally happen here?”
“Being attacked in the ladies’ shower?” He smirked. “I wouldn’t really know about that.”
I rolled my eyes at the grinning idiot. “I’m sure that was not the first time you were in the ladies’ bathing quarters.”
His broad shoulders bounced up and down as he chuckled, drawing my attention to his dark wings spanning half the length of our cell. My hazy thoughts cleared, and I glared at his feathery appendages. “How are your wings out? And Talon—he partially shifted back there too.”
His wide jaw unhinged, and the crease between his brows deepened. “Um—”
Talon stormed into our cell cutting off the angel’s stuttering. Dark oily stains covered the bottom half of his light gray jumpsuit mixing in with the crimson splotches. Three bloody slashes streaked across the silver dragon shimmering on his bare chest. I sucked in a sharp breath as I assessed his flayed skin. “Are you okay?”
He stomped toward me and loomed over my bed, his legs almost brushing my knees. The muscles in his chest twitched, and the dragon across his stacked torso came to life. Blood and sweat glistened on his tanned skin and for some reason I didn’t find it completely repulsive. Quite the opposite, in fact. “What the hell were you thinking, Azara?”
The ice in his voice snapped my head back. “Excuse me?” I stared up at the seething dragon, my own anger pooling in my core. The slits replacing his pupils pulsated as he glared down at me. “I didn’t think taking a shower was such a big no-no in this place.”
He jammed his fingers through his mussed-up hair and grunted. “It is when Delacroix wants your ass.”
“Did you kill it?”
“No, I left it in there so it could attack the next stupid girl.”
I shot up to my feet and squared my shoulders at the infuriating beast. Jabbing my finger into his obscenely firm chest, I punctuated my words. “I. Am. Not. Stupid.” His thick fingers wrapped around mine, and my pulse spiked. Also, my towel began to slip. “And I could’ve taken care of that demon if you hadn’t shown up. I was seconds away from making my escape.”
“Right…” he snarled, still crushing my finger. “I wasn’t asking for a thank you, but you could at least admit you were in over your head.”
“Not a chance, dick.” I jerked my finger back and tucked my arms across my chest, securing the dingy towel. I had magically opened that door, hadn’t I? Or did I hallucinate the whole thing?
“You think Delacroix summoned that caracara?” Hayden asked.
The fury raging through my cranky roommate ticked down a notch as he pivoted toward his friend. “We don’t have any in residence, so yeah, that would be my guess.”
Hayden’s blue-eyed gaze rolled over me, and his brows crinkled. “Isn’t that an awful lot of work just to get a half-blood demon on his team?”
“Thanks a lot, jerk,” I muttered.
“It is.” Talon’s pupils returned to a more human shape, and he took a step back. “You better talk to your warden friend about this.”
&nbs
p; “I will, as soon as he gets back.” I could finally breathe without inhaling his winter fresh musk, and the synapses in my brain started to fire up once more. Glancing at the black cuff on his wrist, I returned to my earlier train of thought. “How did you shift with that thing on?” I blurted.
Talon’s eyes darted to Hayden’s, and they exchanged a veiled glance.
“What?” I repeated when neither one responded after a loaded pause.
“Remember what I told you when you first arrived about need-to-know info?” Hayden slapped me on the shoulder. “You don’t need to know.”
“Yes, I do. I could use access to my powers in this place.”
“So you could soul-suck a few more dozen lives?” Talon’s silver gaze turned glacial.
My head dipped to the tiny white flecks in the cement. “That was an accident,” I muttered through clenched teeth.
Talon grunted and trudged to the back of our cell. I couldn’t help my gaze trailing after him. I had to force myself to look away as he started peeling off his blood-stained jumpsuit.
“You might want to take that wet towel off, pumpkin. We don’t want you catching a cold.” With a wicked grin, Hayden shrugged and flopped down on his bottom bunk.
Luckily, I had a spare uniform under my bed because I’d left the other one in the shower. And there was no way I was going back there any time soon. Unluckily, happy hour had ended which meant I was going to have to change in front of my very male bunkies.
I tightened my grasp on the crappy towel and glanced over my shoulder. Talon lay face down on the top bunk, and Hayden was flipping through an old copy of the human magazine, Hustler.
Ah, screw it. What happened in Darkblood Prison stayed in Darkblood Prison, right? I grabbed my clothes from under the bed and shimmied into my underwear and tank top.
A low whistle sent heat rushing up my neck and coating my cheeks. Damned, roommates. I zipped up the jumpsuit and spun around to meet twinkling blue eyes.
“And Talon wanted you out from day one…” Hayden shook his head, a ridiculous grin spreading his lips. “I knew there had to be some benefits of a female cellie.”