by G. K. DeRosa
“Open your mouth, Azara.” The healer’s chilly hand moved under my chin, and she tilted my head forward.
I tried to unlock my jaw, but my mouth wasn’t cooperating. Talon’s big fingers clenched my chin and tugged it open. He must have seen the panic in my eyes because his expression softened, and the ghost of a smile hitched up the corner of his lip. “You’ll feel better once you have this, I promise.”
Fiona poured a foul-tasting liquid into my mouth, and the thick concoction slithered down my throat. If I’d been able to, I would’ve gagged. Once she was convinced the nasty potion went down, the healer released me, and my head lolled back onto the pillow.
Talon’s chilly hand moved from my chin to my forehead. My incoherent thoughts vaguely remembered him always feeling warm so why was he so cold now? He swept a few stray strands behind my ears, his frosty touch sending a wave of goose bumps over my feverish flesh. “Get some rest,” he whispered and settled back down in the chair beside me.
I wanted to stay awake, I wanted to ask a thousand questions, but the fog clouding my mind only intensified with each labored breath. If I closed my eyes now, would I ever wake up again?
I glanced up at Talon, searching his eyes for answers to my unspoken questions. An icy curtain closed across his glimmering orbs, and a wave of uneasiness assaulted me. Either he didn’t have the responses, or he wasn’t giving them up.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I gave in to the pain and exhaustion.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Damn it, Talon. How did this happen?” Logan’s voice zipped through my mind, waking me from a fitful sleep.
A nasty flavor coated my tongue, and memories of Fiona pouring some potion down my throat sprang to the forefront of my hazy thoughts. Delacroix, the demon, Talon saving me… a torrent of images bombarded me.
I drew in a breath, and the sharp scent of disinfectant clung to my nostrils. The infirmary. Slowly, I cracked my lids open. White walls—check, broody dragon—check. It hadn’t all been some horrible nightmare.
Talon and Logan stood by the window on the opposite wall, their broad backs turned away from me.
“Don’t put this on me, Logan.” Talon jabbed a thick finger at Logan’s chest. “She’s completely uncontrollable. I left her for a few minutes to shower and the next thing I know, she’s in Delacroix’s cell. Are you sure you’re not being played here?”
Logan’s eyes narrowed, his expression carved into stone. I wasn’t sure which of the two beasts was scarier—the gargoyle or the dragon. “You’re the one who just parted with a pint of your precious blood, so I’ll ask you the same thing.”
“What was I supposed to do, let her die?”
“Of course not. I’m simply pointing out the fact that if you didn’t trust Azara you wouldn’t have saved her.”
“Or maybe I’ve been stuck in this damn place for too long.” Talon raked his hands over his face and grumbled.
Shockingly, Logan patted the inmate on the back. “You did the right thing, Talon. Despite the possible complications, I can’t thank you enough for saving her life. Her parents, they’d never forgive me if something happened to her while under my watch.”
“Then maybe you should take over my duties. I’m obviously not any good at it.”
“Because you haven’t forgiven her, Talon.”
Forgiven me for what? I barely suppressed the words from bursting out.
Talon threw his hands up. “I just gave her my blood for gods’ sakes, Warden. I’m doing everything I can to keep her safe regardless of what she did. Do you have any idea how hard that is? What else do you want from me?”
Blood? The shiny dagger flitted across my mind, but I couldn’t quite grasp the whole picture.
“We’ve both been at this business for a long time. You know as well as I that to be an effective guardian, not being invested enough is as bad as being too invested.”
“Yeah and look where that got Vander.”
Vander? Why did that name keep popping up?
Logan loosed a frustrated breath, and his taut shoulders sagged forward. “I’m sorry, Talon. He never should’ve been following her that night. I don’t know what got into him…”
“You just said it, Warden: not being invested enough is as bad as being too invested.” He turned away, his gaze darting toward me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying to all the gods he hadn’t caught me spying on them.
“Talon, about your blood—”
His hand shot up. “I think our little delinquent demon is awake.”
Dammit. Busted. I rolled over and stretched, adding in a long, fake yawn. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to sit up.
Logan darted across the space before my vision cleared and helped me sit up. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was bashed in the head by a drunk pygmy giant.” I rubbed my temples and grimaced.
“How’s your wound?” Talon ticked his head at my middle, keeping his voice neutral.
Slowly, I lifted up the oversized white t-shirt to examine the crime scene. I gaped as I stared at flawless skin. “There’s not even a scratch on me…”
Logan and Talon exchanged a glance, and an infinitesimal smile pulled at the moody dragon’s lips.
I had no idea what kind of demon had attacked me, but I’d never forget the pain his poisonous claws had inflicted. “How’s that possible? What was that stuff that Fiona gave me? I’ve never healed this quickly before.”
Logan opened his mouth to answer, but Talon threw him a dark glare that immobilized his jaw.
“Antidote to the draconis demon poison.”
“Great. So I’m all cured?” I cocked a skeptical brow. As usual, the guys were keeping secrets from me, and I was starting to get annoyed.
“Yes, looks that way.” Logan gave me a smile and squeezed my shoulder. “Since you’re all better, we can talk about what a stupid move confronting Delacroix like that was.”
Man, and I thought almost dying would earn me a free pass from this lecture. “Technically, I wasn’t confronting him. I was trying to get him to let me into his VIP club.”
“Azara, that wasn’t the deal and you know it. You promised me you’d be cautious, and this was the complete opposite.”
“Talon wouldn’t go with me.” I stuck out my lower lip and gave him my best pout.
“Because it was the most insane idea I’d ever heard.” He shot a scathing glance at Logan. “To be honest, I thought you lied about the warden approving it.”
Logan muttered a curse and put his hand up, then pressed his finger to the comm behind his ear. “Go ahead, Actaeon.” He walked over to the window again, leaving Talon and me and the awkward silence stretching between us.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I glanced up at the massive bulk looming over me. “Thanks for helping me out back there,” I murmured.
He raised his hand to his ear and leaned in closer. “I’m sorry was that a thank you? Because I think I also deserve an apology for that disappearing act you pulled. Not to mention an explanation.” He bent down and blew out a breath, and a spark shot from his lips and landed in his palm. The flickering flame danced on his hand before he closed his fist and snuffed it out. “I have fire powers because I’m a dragon. What’s your excuse?”
My mind drifted back to Delacroix and the storek demon and the mysterious fireball that burst from my fingertips. In all the near-death-experience commotion, I’d nearly forgotten about it. “Wait. How do you know about that?” I whisper-hissed.
“We have Delacroix’s cell under twenty-four surveillance. I saw it!”
No wonder he’d appeared just in the nick of time when I’d gotten trapped in Block Eight. “Who the hell are you, Talon?”
His lips pressed into a thin line before he glanced over his shoulder at Logan, who was still in deep conversation with Actaeon on the comm.
I slid to the edge of the bed without even a stitch of pain and glared up at the disagreeable beast. “If you tell me that’s n
eed-to-know, I may seriously slap you.”
“I’m SIA.”
Supernatural Intelligence Agency? My jaw unhinged, my eyes bugging out like some crazy cartoon character. “What?” I shrieked.
Logan looked up from across the room, but I waved him off and he continued his hushed conversation.
No wonder Talon had said I was just a job. He’d probably guarded tons of marks in his career as an agent. “Explain, please,” I finally managed.
“I was sent here undercover a few months ago to keep an eye on the former warden, Egan, and Delacroix, of course. I busted the warden, but the agency doesn’t exactly have any better options for containing your demon buddy. Until we find one, I’m it.”
“You’re not a criminal?” I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to wrap my head around this new development.
“No,” he gritted out. Something flashed across his expressive eyes, but I couldn’t quite decipher it. There was more to the story, but for now I had plenty of questions to occupy our time.
“What about Hayden and Dallas?”
“Same.”
My jaw double-dipped, and I was sure I’d have to scrape it off the floor this time. How had I not seen it? All my interactions with the three amigos sped through my mind, and I wanted to smack myself for being so blind. “All those special work tasks with Actaeon?”
Talon nodded. “I wasn’t lying. They really were work assignments; I just didn’t tell you the details.” He palmed the back of his neck and the sharp edges of his face softened, as if this massive secret had been weighing him down. It was the first time I’d seen a vulnerable side to the cranky dragon, and it was making my stomach flip-flop.
Was I imagining it or did the intense hatred typically burning through his eyes simmer a notch? I shook my head. Wishful thinking. I still couldn’t process this SIA thing… “Wait, is that why you call each other brothers?” I vaguely remembered something Dad had said about his time at the agency.
“Yes. We were recruited at the same time, went through training together and we’ve been through hell and back as brothers.” His lips pursed as if he regretted spilling so much. “So if we’re trading secrets, are you going to tell me what that fire show was?”
“That’s on a need-to-know basis.” I smirked and slid back up onto the bed, pulling the softest sheet I’d touched since arriving to this hellhole up to my chin.
His big fingers closed around the end of the sheet, and he ripped it off the bed.
“Hey!” I squealed.
“Do not forget who you’re talking to, inmate. I can make your stay here much worse.”
Dickwad. I was wrong. Nothing had changed. “I have no idea, okay? I’ve never had magic, not a day in my life.”
“When did it start?”
“The day I got attacked in the showers.”
“Can you give me more details?”
I ticked my head at Logan. “We might as well wait until he gets off the comm. He’s going to want to hear about it too.”
His dark brow arched. “The warden doesn’t know about your special powers?”
“No. I hadn’t gotten around to telling him yet.” And I’d hoped to keep it a secret.
Talon’s gaze darted to my now fully exposed demon mark. It wasn’t glowing, but a slight hum buzzed over my skin. The lines across his forehead deepened, and I could almost see the gears spinning. “Is there any way Delacroix could’ve known?”
Logan marched over, his jaw clenched tighter than a snare drum. “Could’ve known what?” he asked.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as both men watched me expectantly. I’d never noticed how similar their eye color was. Logan’s silver irises were brilliant like frosted glass whereas Talon’s were darker and more intense, like molten steel.
“Azara?” Talon skewered me with that aforementioned scary AF stare. He really was a dick, he was just good at his job.
Avoiding my reluctant bodyguard, I turned to Logan. “I seem to have developed some sort of magical powers.”
His eyes widened, but they were nowhere near as shocked as I’d expected. “In the training room, when the cuffs are deactivated?”
“Nope. In the showers, out in the boneyard, and in Delacroix’s cell.”
The two men exchanged a glance in one of their silent conversations. So annoying. “It was you that froze the panther shifter in the boneyard shack?” Logan asked.
“Yup.”
Talon’s eyes chased to mine, but I dropped my gaze before they locked on their target. I still felt them boring into the side of my face though. We’d never talked about what happened that day. Mostly because I didn’t think he gave a flying Fae.
Talon turned back to Logan, the scorch marks still lingering on my cheek from his intense glare. “Do you know something about this, Warden? More importantly, does Delacroix?”
He slowly shook his head. “No, and not that I know of. Just a hunch on my part.” He remained silent for a long moment, his jaw twitching overtime.
“Logan, if you know something, please tell me. I need to know what’s going on.”
His eyes flicked to Talon, the move so quick I barely caught it. “Given your family history, I may have some ideas. But I need to do a bit of research first.”
He was talking about my mom. She was a hardcore witch—actually a warlock. The only female of her kind in the whole supernatural realm. It was the reason she and Dad lived in the human world, so no one would find out what she really was.
But I didn’t inherit her powers. I’d never had an ounce of magical ability.
I finally nodded, catching on to Logan’s veiled message. Talon may have been SIA, but that didn’t mean the warden trusted him enough to reveal my mom’s secret—which I was thankful for.
Talon waved his hand at Logan, whose eyes had taken on a far-off gaze. “Shouldn’t the bigger question here be how is it possible she’s bypassing the wards?”
The warden moved toward the door. “I’m on it. Right now, I have to go. After this morning’s altercation with Delacroix, I ordered a few of the guards to send him to the Hole. The incompetent idiots haven’t even succeeded in getting him out of his cell.” He scraped his palms over his scruffy jaw and huffed. “I’m sorry I have to run, but I leave you in capable hands.”
“Did the Darkblood board approve the personnel change request yet?” Talon asked as Logan darted out the door.
“Not yet. Hopefully by next week. I’ve got a team of gargoyles ready to take over as soon as I get the go ahead.”
“Good,” Talon muttered as the door closed behind the warden.
“So now what?”
“Now we try to coax that magic out of you while Logan’s doing research.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dallas pointed his plastic spork at me as he chewed on a mouthful of meatloaf. “How you feeling, precious? That special potion fix you right up?”
“Yup. Good as new.” I scooped a spoonful of jello into my mouth. The truth was I felt pretty freaking amazing. Whatever was in that witchy concoction had Energizer bunny energy buzzing through my veins. My training session with Talon this morning had been epic. I’d even managed to knock the big dragon on his butt a few times.
“Very interesting.” The corner of the vampire’s lip hitched up into a smirk.
Talon shot his friend a narrowed glare from across the table, a threatening growl vibrating the dragon’s throat.
What was that about?
“You sure?” Hayden prodded. “No strange side effects?”
Dallas snorted on a laugh and shoved some more faux meat into his mouth.
I dropped my spoon, annoyed I was out of the loop on this inside joke. “Like what?”
“Unexpected feelings for a certain cantankerous dragon?” Dallas blurted.
My eyes shot across the way to Talon, whose jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it would snap if I flicked it. “What are they talking about?”
He shook his head and muttered a cur
se. “Nothing,” he gritted out and leapt to his feet. He picked up his tray of half-eaten food and chucked the full bowl of pudding at Dallas.
The vampire caught it mid-air, only a tiny splatter of vanilla spilling over the edge. He laughed as his friend stormed off.
“So sensitive.” Hayden chuckled. “I think someone’s definitely feeling the effects.”
I hopped up and stretched across the table, tugging the bowl out of Dallas’s hand. “What are you two idiots talking about?”
“Don’t tell her,” said the angel.
“No, we definitely shouldn’t tell her. Talon would murder us in our sleep.”
“It might be worth it.” Hayden shot me a mischievous smile.
“I’m out of here too if you guys are just going to tease me.” Grabbing my tray, I rose, searing them both with my steeliest glare.
“Aw, pumpkin, don’t be mad.” Hayden got up and squeezed my shoulder. “We’re just messing with you… mostly with Talon actually.”
I scanned the nearly empty mess hall in search of my whopping bodyguard. “He’s not even here.”
“You think he would’ve left you unattended?” Dallas asked.
“I figured since Delacroix was in the Hole I was safe.”
Hayden tsked and wagged a finger. “Two things, pumpkin: one, you’re never safe where Delacroix is involved. He’s got eyes everywhere; two, Talon might act like a bastard, but he’s damned good at his job. And right now, you are his job.”
Right. So everyone kept reminding me.
Dallas’s dark eyes sparkled, and he ticked his head toward the mess hall entrance. “Try focusing on him and tell me if you feel anything in here.” He hitched his thumb at his chest.
“Are you serious?”
“Humor me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve had about enough teasing for today, vampire.” Spinning on my heel, I stomped toward the door. A tiny part of me was curious about what the heck Dallas was talking about, but I refused to give him the pleasure of admitting it. As I walked toward the exit, I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on the steady beats of my heart to slow my breathing. I pictured Talon, his gunmetal irises, the hard set of his jaw, his ridiculously perfect carved abs…