by G. K. DeRosa
No, no, no.
The pounding footfalls grew closer by the second. I searched the floor, the ceiling, the walls—anything I could use as a weapon, but it was all immaculate. Not a single stray nail or even a stick. Nothing I could use to defend myself.
I leaned against the chilly metal and took a fighting stance. I wasn’t going down easy.
The siren and werewolf turned the corner, and the door slid out from behind me.
I staggered back, but somehow remained upright as the harsh sunlight bounced off the pristine white peaks encircling the yard. I squinted, nearly blinded by the first rays of sun I’d seen in a week.
“Welcome to the boneyard, darlin’. I so hoped you’d show up today.” A toothy elf grinned up at me, long scraggly gray hair brushing the collar of his yellow jumpsuit.
I took a step back as a circle of male inmates closed in on me. “Fresh meat, fresh meat.” The disturbing chant picked up momentum as icy, unrelenting fingers of panic squeezed my lungs.
Another prisoner moved forward, and unlike the elf, this guy was a full head taller than me. Elfin’ hell. I was so screwed. Feral cat eyes gleamed down at me as the male’s tongue flicked out. He bent down, and his rough tongue trailed over my cheek. Eew. I held perfectly still as his hot breath lingered inches from my nose. “Tasty…” He smacked his lips, and my skin crawled.
I spun around and banged on the door I’d fallen through. Dealing with two of Delacroix’s goons seemed monumentally better than this herd of horny prisoners. “Delacroix!” I smacked my fists against the metal as a wave of chuckles rolled around me.
“The little demon thinks Delacroix’s going to help her.” The elf tugged on the back of my jumper, and I whirled around, anger eclipsing the rising panic.
“Don’t touch me,” I hissed, lacing my voice with as much venom as I could muster. Now was not the time to show weakness.
“You heard her, Dembrat. Don’t touch the pretty little thing.” The big guy in green scrubs lurched forward and swatted the elf out of the way. His meaty paws closed around my hips, and he tossed me over his shoulder.
Aw, hells no.
“Not fair! Share you bastard!” Shouts echoed behind me as the giant lumbered across the yard to a line of wooden sheds against the barbed wire fence. For such a big guy, he was damned fast. Probably a tiger or panther shifter by the rough quality of his tongue.
There was no way I would be this kitty’s scratching post for the afternoon. “Let go of me, you big brute!”
A deep purr vibrated his throat as the arm clenched around my middle tightened. He slowed to a stop, and the creak of a rusty hinge sent my heart into overdrive. The door to the musty shed squeaked open, and with a quick slam, the bright light of day was drowned out by inky darkness.
He tossed me onto a thin mattress, and all the air squeezed from my lungs as my tailbone hit the cement floor beneath. I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out. My abductor leered down at me, his hungry gaze scorching a trail down the zipper of my jumpsuit.
No, no, no. I scrambled off the bed and slid between his trunk-sized legs, making a break for the door. Only half of my body made it through. His thick fingers wrapped around my ankles, and he dragged me back.
“No!” I screeched, my fingernails clawing at the cement for purchase.
A brilliant purple flash illuminated the dark chamber, and the bastard cat’s hold on my calf relented enough for me to slip my leg free. I crawled toward the door as the triangle symbol on my arm flared, unleashing a current beneath my skin.
“Uh, uh, uh. Where do you think you’re going?” He lunged for me again, the momentary surprise of my glowing tattoo having worn off.
I reached for the door handle, throwing all my weight into it and swatted at him with my free hand. A blast of purple energy burst from my palm, and my assailant froze midstride. Literally.
The big mammoth stood immobile, a sinister twist to his lips and a murderous glare in his feline eyes.
What the freaky Friday was going on? Shaking my head out, I darted from the outhouse deciding I could dwell on this at a more appropriate time. I landed on the frozen lawn, and chilly fresh air slammed into me. I sucked in a breath as my eyes readjusted to the sunlight and the towering peaks surrounding the gated yard.
“Done already? I knew that panther was a two-pump chump.” A wiry blonde appeared from behind one of the other sheds and leered at me. Two more males flanked him, all wearing the blue of the water realm, Aquatica.
“I’d like to take a ride,” said the shorter one next to him, humming a tune under his breath. “I’ve heard once you go demon, you never go back.”
The three of them chuckled as my fingers curled into tight fists. A swirl of energy still skimmed my skin, the crux of it pulsating over my mark. If I could only figure out how to channel it—whatever it was. “Not a chance, scumbags,” I hissed.
I scanned the boneyard. The big mass of inmates had dispersed but still more than a dozen supes loitered around the compound. And two stood guard by the door back inside. Were they Delacroix’s men?
“Oh, feisty, I like that,” said blondie, grabbing his junk.
Oh, vomit.
“I think we could tag team this one, what you do think, Lisander?”
“I don’t mind sharing, you?”
The three of them nodded, and another burst of anger tightened my gut. “You guys are disgusting. I wouldn’t let any of you touch me with a ten-foot maypole.”
“How about a ten foot…” He stared down at his lower half and thrust his pelvis forward.
The slam of metal crashing against cement reverberated across the yard, and all four of us jerked toward the sound. Mistake. Big mistake. Have you learned nothing in prison, Azara?
The skinny blonde wrapped his arm around my neck as I was distracted and tugged my body against his. Something hard poked against my back. Eew. I hope that’s a pocketknife.
“Let go of her, Lisander.” A familiar deep voice boomed across the enclosure, and the tightness in my chest relented as my eyes landed on the pissed-off dragon stomping through the snow.
The crook of my captor’s elbow dug deeper into my throat, and I gasped. “Go home, Talon. This is none of your business. We’re just trying to have some fun.”
“Fun?” Talon’s pupils lengthened, and molten silver eclipsed his irises. He turned to me, his burning gaze sending a chill down my spine. Damn, my bunkie was scary. And for once I was glad. “Azara, are you having fun?”
“Hell, no. These psychos are disgusting.”
Lisander rubbed up against my back, and nausea crawled up my throat.
“Wrong move.” Silver flames streaked across Talon’s eyes, and he lunged. Lisander’s two friends darted in front of us, but they only blocked me for a second. Talon’s claws sprang from the tips of his fingers and he dragged the razor-sharp weapons across the two mers’ chests. Screams rang out, blood spurting from their torsos as they clutched their wounds and hit the ground.
Lisander’s choking grasp fell away and he staggered back, both hands up in the air. My knees wobbled. The reality of what almost happened twice now sent panic surging through my insides.
Talon’s eyes darted from me to the retreating Lisander, and he muttered a curse. My hands shot out to grab hold of something—anything. Darkness flickered along the edges of my vision and my body tensed, waiting for the smack of hard-packed snow atop cement. Murky black eclipsed my line of sight and I dropped—into a pair of unexpected arms.
“Dammit, Azara.” Brilliant silver orbs met mine for a second before I embraced the murky cold, allowing it to consume me.
Chapter Seventeen
Hushed voices yanked me back from the peaceful lull of oblivion. I rolled to the side and leather squeaked beneath my cheek. Where am I? Exhaustion tugged me back down again, and my lids closed for a few more seconds. I fought against consciousness until I lost the battle, the familiar male tones coalescing into words I couldn’t ignore.
�
�Gods, Talon, if you hadn’t arrived when you did, who knows what could’ve happened to her?” Logan. This must be his couch.
“I know,” my reluctant bodyguard snarled. “If Flix hadn’t come to get me…”
Logan stomped across the room. “What part of watch her did you not understand?”
“It was before lights on, and she was with Flix. I thought she’d be safe.” He grunted, releasing a frustrated breath. “You don’t understand how hard it is for me to be with her, Warden… And she was the one that called me off. Before you start throwing blame around, have a talk with your little demon.”
“This is your job, Talon. Not hers.”
“I know,” he hissed. “I messed up; it won’t happen again.” More squeaking leather.
Job? What was Talon really doing here at Darkblood?
“Did anyone else see what happened to the inmate in the shed?”
“No. As soon as I got Azara out of there, Dallas compelled the shifter that found the guy. No other witnesses according to him.” Talon paused and no one spoke for a long minute. I was about to open my eyes when he began again. “You gonna tell me how the hell your little soul-sucker froze a man while wearing a magic siphoning cuff with powers she shouldn’t possess?”
My ears perked up. I was wondering the same thing.
After another endless minute of silence, Logan mumbled, “I don’t know.”
“But you know something, right? That’s why you asked me to watch her?”
I wasn’t sure if Logan confirmed or denied his question nonverbally, but he didn’t utter a word. When the silence drew longer, I decided it was time to wake up. If Logan wouldn’t answer Talon’s questions maybe he’d answer mine.
I made a big show of yawning and stretching my arms over my head. I rubbed my eyes and by the time my pupils refocused, Logan stood over me, his brows pulled together.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I pushed myself up on my elbows and glanced at my mystical tattoo. An iridescent purple hue glistened from the triangle, but the freakish glow had subsided.
“I’m so sorry, Azara.” Logan sat down beside me, deep lines furrowing his forehead. “I never should’ve given you that job with Flix. I thought it would keep you busy and that you’d be safe, but I was wrong.”
“It’s not your fault. You can’t watch over me twenty-four-seven.”
“No, that’s my responsibility,” Talon interjected. His voice was a raspy whisper, and if I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought the disagreeable dragon actually felt bad.
“I’m okay, and that’s all that matters.” I had about a thousand questions running through my mind, but I wasn’t sure Logan would answer any of them with Talon here. I shifted in my seat and wrapped my arms around my middle. I was cold and hungry. By the looks of the deep orange rays setting across Logan’s window, it was nearly nightfall and I hadn’t eaten a thing all day. “So now what?” I finally asked when no one spoke.
“I don’t know,” Logan muttered. “I’ve spoken to the SIA, made a special trip over there and everything, but they’re not budging. They think you belong here.”
My lips pressed together. They weren’t wrong. If I’d really killed all those Fae, I did belong here with the rest of the monsters. “And Lucifer?”
“Cillian’s having a hard time getting a hold of him. He seems to be shirking his duties in the Underworld.”
“That’s a surprise,” Talon snarled. “What do you want with him anyway?”
I shot a quick glance at Logan and shook my head. Until I figured out Talon’s deal, I didn’t want him knowing anything about my family bloodline.
“He owes me a favor,” Logan interjected. “I was hoping he could assert some influence on Delacroix and his boys.”
Talon huffed. “Lucifer doesn’t give a flying unipeg about what’s going on in the Underworld. He’s happy to sit on his throne on the Etrian Assembly, spouting out platitudes and pretending he’s got his minions under control. He hasn’t even graced the nether realm with his presence in years.”
“How do you know?” My gramps might not have been an angel, but he’d been there the few times I’d really needed him.
“I have friends.” Talon pressed his thick arms across his chest and stared down at the floor.
“Whatever…” I muttered under my breath.
“Azara, you need to lay low for the next few days. Let’s hope Lucifer comes through for us.” Logan turned to the sulky dragon, and he straightened. “Like glue, do you understand me, Talon?”
“I got it.” He jerked his thumb at me. “Tell Miss Independent over there.”
I threw him a good eye roll. After my near-death experience and eventful outing in the boneyard, I was starting to feel a little less self-righteous.
“Azara…” Logan raised a brow.
“I got it, too.”
“Good. Now get some rest you two.”
I’d just slept for half the day and was feeling surprisingly refreshed considering the stressful day. What I really needed was some sort of release. “Hey, Logan, remember we talked about some training?”
He nodded.
“You think you could hook me up with that? Flix mentioned some kickboxing class or something.”
“Of course.” He ticked his head at my tall, dark shadow. “Talon, when you guys have some down time, I’d like you to work with Azara on harnessing her powers, along with some basic hand-to-hand combat.”
“You can’t be serious,” he growled. “You know what she did—”
Logan raised a hand and cut him off mid-sentence. “And that’s exactly why she needs to learn to control it.”
Talon muttered a slew of curses and shook his head. “Fine, but don’t blame me if she soul-sucks an entire cell block.”
“Hopefully, I’d start with you so there’d be no one left to blame.” I shot him a narrowed glare, biting down the hurt his words stirred.
Logan wagged a finger at me, and it reminded me so much of my dad that my heart hurt. “Behave, Azara.”
“Sure.”
Talon stood, and I obediently followed behind him. We trudged back to our cell in silence, the corridors quiet as most inmates were in the mess hall for dinner. Which reminded me I was starving.
“I don’t even get to go for dinner?” I finally asked.
“Hayden will bring you something back to our room.”
I nodded and continued our silent march. Talon’s big arm nearly brushed mine, and he sidestepped as if I’d burned him with my touch. When the quiet got suffocating, I glanced up at my unwilling bodyguard. “Why do you hate me so much?”
He shook his head, his jaw grinding.
“Just tell me.” If this guy was supposed to keep me safe, shouldn’t he at least not hate my guts?
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. I’m sorry but how can I trust someone to keep me alive if you can’t even stand the sight of me?”
“Don’t worry, Azara, I’ll do my job. What happened today was a mistake, and it’ll never happen again. I don’t have to like you to keep you safe. Trust me.”
The crazy thing was that I did.
Chapter Eighteen
I muttered a curse under my breath as I smacked into the wall and slid down the sleek stone with a thunk. Fiery energy ignited in my core, and anger rushed my veins.
“You okay there?”
“Fine,” I growled, pushing myself up as I glared at the cocky dragon. I was going to wipe that smug smile off his face.
“Not feeling murdery are you, demon?”
“Not yet.” Shaking my shoulders out, I strutted toward Talon. Who knew there was a fully equipped training room in the basement of this godforsaken prison? And why did Talon have access to it when it was definitely not on the blueprints Flix gave me?
“Okay, come at me again.” He bounced from foot to foot and beckoned me closer, sweat glistening on his bare chest. His half naked torso was annoyingly distracting—
the perfectly chiseled muscles along with that shimmering dragon tattoo had me all flustered.
And that was never a good thing when my power was flowing freely.
After over a week of having my abilities suppressed by that cuff, it felt like a hundred-pound weight had been lifted off my shoulders. A buzzing energy filled my insides, coiled like a snake ready to strike. And right now, the hotheaded dragon was the only person in sight.
My mind whizzed back to training with Mezlor and our yoga sessions. I needed to harness some of that Zen right now. Because that demon never pushed my buttons like this guy.
“One thirty-eight? Are you going to hit me or what?”
“Don’t tempt me, Talon.” I curled my hand into a tight fist, pulled my arm back and let it fly. All the pent-up energy and aggression coiled in my bicep and exploded out through my knuckles.
Okay so I didn’t manage to hit him in the face, but at least I’d grazed his arm this time.
“Not bad.” He quirked a dark brow as he regained his footing. I’d barely managed to flick him off balance with that hit. He curled his index finger and beckoned me over.
I stepped closer, my heartbeats accelerating with every inch. I stopped about three feet away from my surly trainer. With my supernatural senses back, his mountain fresh scent mixed with his natural manly musk was doing crazy things to my insides.
And I needed a clear head for this.
“What?” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared up at him.
He dipped his head and blazing silver irises locked on mine. For a minute, everything else faded away, those mesmerizing orbs consuming all errant thoughts. The minute space between us crackled to life, and the air buzzed with electricity. My heart staggered before picking up its already accelerated pace. I blinked, and the intense haze dissipated.
Talon shook his head, the motion oddly reminding me of Emi’s hell hound, and our gazes unlocked. “Good,” he muttered.
“Huh?”
He stared down at the floor before meeting my eyes once more. “Your pupils—they’re normal. Not demonic oily pits of black.”