Power Up: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Supernatural Prison Trilogy Book 2)

by Aella Black

  Glancing around, I didn’t see my mother here either.

  Most of the inmates headed outside, and I soon discovered why. Lansing had a huge outdoor area. With the weather as nice as it was, I’d spend every chance available out here. At least there was one positive about this place.

  Looking around, I saw guards posted along the top of the massive wall and at all four corners. There were more lining the perimeter on the ground. I didn’t see one gap in security.

  Lansing wasn’t messing around.

  I spotted Cathy, who was already with Dane and his pals. I surveyed the group. Four girls and three boys of various ages. Plus Dane, who appeared to be the oldest.

  It was easy to see why these were members of the “cool club.” All confident and attractive, and all sizing up Cathy and me. Were we being recruited? And where did that leave Lucy?

  I ran a hand nervously through my hair, which was wavier than usual since it hadn’t finished drying from the shower.

  “You’ve got a chatty friend,” a girl said as Lucy and I approached.

  “That’s part of her charm,” I said, a little annoyed.

  “Glad you’re joining us,” Dane said, flashing his winning smile. It was aimed directly at me, though I didn’t know why.

  Several large balls littered the grassy ground. Lucy picked one up and threw it in the air before catching it. “Are we gonna play or what?”

  “Yup. First, rules,” one of Dane’s friends said. She had gorgeous dark, silky hair. How did she get it to look like that with no product? “No powers. I’m looking at you, Dane.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  He threw up his hands with a chuckle. “I promise not to let the balls go through me.”

  “And if they do, you’re still out,” another guy stated.

  “Got it.” Dane threw a wink in my direction. I quickly looked away. Were we shiny new toys, or did he just feel the need to flirt with anything that moved?

  We split into teams. Lucy, Dane, and I were on the same side. Cathy looked a little disappointed to be on the opposing team, which had one extra player.

  The balls were lined up and we took our positions.

  Truth be told, I wasn’t sporty. At all. Sure, I’d built up some stamina with all the running we did at Leavenworth, but that was required. And Rocky had taught me some self-defense and wrestling moves, but that was necessary. I’d never willingly participated in team sports in my life. Until now.

  “Ready… set… go!”

  Our team surged forward, running to grab the first balls. The other team was just as fast. Red balls flew everywhere. One whizzed right by my ear.

  Any time we were forced to play this in school, my strategy had always been to hang back. This time was no different. Lame, I know. But the balls inevitably flew my way, and someone had to pick those up and use them.

  I grabbed two now and whirled, eyeing the girl on the other team who had called Cathy chatty. I threw as hard as I could but missed by a long shot.

  “Watch out!” Dane lunged for me, pulling me to the ground just as a ball hurtled my way. The air was knocked out of my lungs, but the second I drew a breath, I wriggled out from under him.

  “What was that?” I demanded.

  He grinned at me from the ground. “You didn’t get hit, did you?”

  “I can take care of myself.” A ball hit me in the shoulder. I growled, rubbing the spot. “Looks like you wasted your energy.”

  “Never.” Dane stood and picked up a ball, giving me a cocky grin. Brushing his broad shoulder against mine, he jumped back into the fray. I retreated to the wall, where two of my teammates were waiting.

  Our team won the game. Then the next. And the next.

  Afterward, we scattered to spend the rest of rec time doing our own thing. Cathy came with me. Her eyes were bright and so was her smile. “I stayed in for a while,” she said, referring to our last game. “And I can’t believe I caught the ball you threw at me!”

  “Sorry, that was meant for the guy behind you.”

  Cathy laughed. “You’re a bad shot then.”

  “You don’t say?” I hadn’t smiled since before our escape attempt, and it felt awkward on my face now.

  We found an unoccupied spot and sat down on the grass. I tilted my head, letting the sun hit my face. Within minutes, Lucy walked up to us, and I noticed Dane headed our way too.

  I stifled a groan. Was it too much to ask for some time alone?

  “That was fun!” Lucy said breathlessly, collapsing next to us.

  Cathy agreed, but I watched silently as Dane tossed his head, flipping his honey hair off his face. “Hey, ladies. Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all,” Lucy said, though he was already making himself comfortable.

  I focused my attention on picking blades of grass, reminding me of the “grass weaving” Cathy and I did at Leavenworth. That was the day Xander and I asked her to help us break free.

  “So, where’re y’all from?”

  “Cincinnati,” Cathy said.

  “St. Louis,” Lucy chimed in.

  Dane’s eyes focused on me. “Here,” I said. “I’m from Kansas City.”

  “That’s rough, knowing your home is only miles away,” Lucy said.

  I shrugged. “Didn’t have much of a home to begin with.”

  “Well, you’re home now,” Dane said, reaching for my hand and squeezing it. I didn’t return the gesture, hoping he’d get the hint and drop my hand. He did, but his eyes stayed on me. “And we’re all family. Isn’t that right, Lucy?”

  Lucy, who seemed to go along with whatever Dane said, dropped her gaze to the grass. “Kind of.”

  “We are,” he insisted. “Yeah, some let the power go to their heads. And they miss their homes. They’re angry. But that’s understandable, right?”

  I nodded, wondering if he was part of that group.

  “Where are you from?” Cathy asked, cupping her chin in her hand.

  “Oklahoma,” he said proudly. “Born and raised.”

  “That explains the accent!” Cathy’s voice was louder than usual. “I was so jealous when he saved you from the ball earlier. So heroic.”

  I glared at her. “Cut it out,” I said, nudging her.

  Dane’s eyes flickered between me and Cathy. “Wait. Are you two… talking?

  Cathy swelled with so much pride I thought she’d burst. “I can project messages into people’s heads. Like this.” There was a moment of silence as Cathy transmitted heaven-knows-what into Dane’s mind. His lips curled into an impressed smile.

  “Y’all are a talented bunch. You and Lucy could do some damage together.” The girls beamed at each other.

  Dane tapped me on the knee. “What about you? What’s your superpower?”

  I didn’t want him to know. I didn’t want anyone to know. The longer I could keep my secret, the better. But before I could think of a polite way to tell him it was none of his business, Cathy blurted, “She’s a real-life phoenix!”

  A moment of shocked silence followed. Lucy’s eyes widened. Dane looked intrigued. “You mean, you can’t die?”

  “Oh, I die all right,” I said, shooting Cathy the dirtiest look I could muster.

  “Sorry!” came her response. To her credit, she looked sorry for spilling the beans.

  I sighed. Everyone would find out eventually. “I’d appreciate if you two kept quiet about it,” I said, lowering my voice.

  My eyes slid to a group of Lansing kids who eyed me and Cathy like salivating wolves. We were fresh meat. Everyone from Leavenworth was. We’d all have to be careful, but if they knew about my ability, there was no telling what kind of trouble I’d find myself in.

  “No problem,” Dane said. He pantomimed zipping up his lips, locking them, and throwing away the key. I had to admit he was charming, even if overly so.

  Lucy narrowed her eyes. “I don’t get it. Does that mean you’re immortal?”

  “That’s what I asked at first!” Cathy said.

&
nbsp; I shrugged, since I truly didn’t know the answer to that question.

  “She dies and comes back to life,” Dane explained. “That simple, right?”

  I nodded. “And that useless. How am I supposed to use that in a sparring match?”

  Lucy’s face twisted. She looked genuinely concerned about me. But Dane waved it off.

  “Don’t worry about it. You have the greatest power of them all. It’s no big deal if you die. I’d trade mine for yours in a heartbeat.” He winked.

  His words didn’t make me feel any better. He didn’t seem to understand just how unpleasant dying could be. The petrifying fear that came with it. And the uncertainty….

  What if, one day, I didn’t come back to life? Maybe my power was more of a nine lives-type of deal. If so, once my lives were used up, I was dead.

  “I prefer not dying,” I said, bringing my knees to my chest and hugging them.

  These sparring matches were just like the tests back at Leavenworth—but in a less controlled environment. I didn’t know which was worse, being strapped down to a chair powerless to stop your impending death, or being thrown into a situation where you at least had a fighting chance but potentially a more violent death.

  Cathy took my hand. “I’m scared of the matches too,” she said. “But with you, nothing is permanent. You have that comfort, at least.”

  The bell rang before I could respond, signaling that rec time was over.

  “Great, I’m starving,” Cathy said, leaping to her feet.

  We all stood and began to filter back inside the building. It looked even darker and more ominous now that we’d been outside soaking up the bright sun. I blinked, my eyes trying to adjust, and when I could see straight again, I looked toward the exit. It was there I caught sight of a woman standing near the doors.

  I froze.

  My mother stood at attention, carefully eyeing each person who walked through the doors. A heavily armed guard was by her side. She looked anything but motherly. How was it possible she birthed me? As if sensing my gaze, she turned her head and locked eyes with mine.

  “Hey, sorry if I was being insensitive about your power,” Dane said, grabbing my wrist. I forced my eyes away from my mom. “I understand why you don’t want anyone to know about it.”

  I swallowed. My heart was in my throat. My mother was literally standing yards away from me.

  “It’s fine,” I said absently.

  “And sorry for interfering during the game. You’re right. You can take care of yourself, Phoenix.” He swiped his knuckles across my shoulder.

  The casual way he did it and his handsome grin helped me forget about my mother’s presence for a minute. I returned Dane’s smile. “Thanks.”

  I noticed that the other rotation had begun entering through the rec doors. One prisoner stood stock-still, eyes fixed on me.

  My heart picked up its pace again.

  Xander.

  5

  Xander

  I didn’t know what I expected when I saw Phoebe again, but it wasn’t this.

  Maybe we’d rush at each other and hug until we couldn’t breathe. Maybe she’d look as miserable as I felt because this rotation schedule meant we’d rarely see one another. Maybe she’d be sad that her mother was the evil warden who kept us all locked up in here.

  But what I hadn’t expected was to see her grinning at some guy who looked like he’d walked straight off a Hollywood set. That idea never even crossed my mind.

  And the worst thing was, it shouldn’t have been a big deal. It wasn’t like I had any kind of claim on Phoebe. We weren’t a couple or anything. I mean, who could date when we were trapped like criminals and pitted against each other like animals?

  This morning’s events were still fresh on my mind. Blaze the bully, Warrick and his hellish torture, a shower so quick I wasn’t even sure I got all the soap off. It had been a seriously crappy day.

  And it had just gotten crappier.

  Until Phoebe turned and spotted me, her blue eyes lighting up like the Fourth of July. “Xander!” she called and pushed past the stream of supernaturals from my rotation. Then she was standing in front of me, smelling of fresh grass and sporting some beach waves of her own. “It’s so good to see you!”

  “Hey, Phoebe.” I reached up to give her a hug so she’d know just how happy I was to see her. But I froze when Phoebe abruptly stepped back, her eyes flicking toward the doors. I followed her gaze.

  The warden stood watching us, a barely-there smirk on her face.

  I lowered my arms. Phoebe’s smile disappeared. Sorry, she mouthed.

  Though I hated it, I understood. Showing affection could be dangerous here. Any indication you cared would give them ammunition. It just sucked that Hollywood could touch her, and I couldn’t.

  Focus, Xander.

  I cleared my throat. “How are you?”

  “Fine, all things considered. You?”

  Before I could respond, Cathy yelped. “Chief!” She barreled into me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I returned the hug, but only for a moment. I glanced at the warden. Her attention was elsewhere. For now.

  Not that it mattered, I supposed, since Cathy wasn’t the one who occupied so many of my thoughts.

  “Hey, Cathy. How’s it going?” I asked her.

  “Not too bad. We miss you! How’s Birdie and the others?”

  Should I tell them Birdie had been crying all day? It would only worry them, and it wasn’t like they could do anything about it. Plus, it appeared things were a lot bleaker in our rotation. “They’re fine,” I said lamely.

  A tall girl with platinum blonde hair stood behind Cathy. Hollywood strolled up beside her, lazily grinning at me like we were already pals.

  “Who’s this, Phoebe?” the super-blonde girl asked.

  “This is Xander, a friend from Leavenworth,” Phoebe responded.

  A friend.

  Was that all I was to her?

  I tried to keep my emotions in check. She was probably just clarifying how she knew me. Except for the fact that we went to school together most of our lives. And, not to get into details, but we’d kissed just a few days ago.

  Hollywood extended a hand. “Name’s Dane. Nice to meet you.”

  Great. He had that southern drawl girls drooled over. Cathy was doing it now. I could see she had it bad the way her eyes fluttered in his direction.

  “Hi.” I took his hand, and he squeezed it unnecessarily hard. I leveled my gaze at him. Our hands were locked, grips like steel. Was this a competition? If so, I’d win.

  I returned the squeeze, and he didn’t even wince. His grin spread wider. Though I’d never been one to judge someone right after meeting them, my first impression was that I kind of hated this guy.

  “I’m Lucy,” the girl said. I could almost bet she’d been a cheerleader at one time. She had that look about her.

  Dane finally released my hand. I subtly shook it out behind me. What was his power?

  “Nice to meet you,” I told her.

  Phoebe watched me carefully, her head tilting. “You okay?” she asked quietly.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, a little irritably.

  “You seem kind of down,” Cathy observed.

  “Rotation B! To the cafeteria now or no lunch!” a guard shouted from beside the warden. Her gaze was back on us, a brow raised.

  “We’d better get going,” Dane said. Then, as if to infuriate me further, he put a hand on Phoebe’s shoulder.

  Her eyes followed me as she walked a few steps forward. Thankfully, that movement knocked his hand off before I could. “I’ll see you soon,” she promised.

  Then she, Cathy, Lucy and Hollywood were gone, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

  Well, not quite alone.

  “That was painful to watch.” Rocky meandered to my side.

  “What?” I asked, though I already knew.

  She rolled her eyes. “That guy was trying to get under your skin. You shouldn’t have le
t him.”

  “Why didn’t you come say ‘hi’ to Phoebe and Cathy?”

  “Because I didn’t have any interest in meeting their new friends.”

  “So you’re saying I’m not the only one who’s jealous…”

  “Ha!” Rocky cracked her knuckles. “I’m going to find the guys and play a card game. Next time Pretty Boy gets in your face, just punch him.”

  A laugh forced its way past my throat. “Thanks. I might take that advice.”

  Rocky left, joining Birdie, Tex, and Cal at one of the card tables. I wanted to join them, but I couldn’t move my feet. Instead, I stood statue-still, torturing myself with the image I saw when I walked in this room. One of Dane and Phoebe smiling at each other.

  The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Turning, my eyes landed on the warden and a guy who appeared to be her personal bodyguard.

  “Alexander?”

  What now? “Yes?”

  Her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun, just like it was when we met last night. Her face was pale but youthful. She might have been beautiful if she didn’t look so stern. “Follow me,” she said, her voice clipped.

  I didn’t move. “Why? Where are you taking me?”

  Her eyes flashed. Apparently, she didn’t like being questioned. Too bad. I didn’t like following without a good reason.

  “I just received word that your parents have arrived. Let’s not keep them waiting.” Then she turned and headed toward the exit.

  My parents?

  My heart picked up its pace and flooded with something I hadn’t felt since our efforts to escape had failed.

  Hope.

  If anyone could get us out of this mess, it was my parents.

  But as I followed the warden out of the rec room, her guard between us, I realized I’d felt this hope once before. My parents knew I was going to a prison, and they didn’t lift a finger to stop it.

  Except… they did ensure I was sent to Leavenworth instead of Lansing. Maybe now that they knew I ended up here, they’d try to get me out.