by Ashley Meira
When it became clear I wouldn’t back down, she scoffed and walked away, shoving me aside as she did so. I hit the ground, my tray slamming into my chest. I grimaced at the flecks of potato on my chest. Gross.
“Could have gone worse,” I sighed.
Part of me was disappointed. I’d gone too long without action, and that brief possibility of a fight had my blood pumping. Hopefully, the guards wouldn’t send me back to my cell now — I needed to expend some energy, and I’d prefer if it wasn’t done in the cold, damp dark.
Rivi held out a thin, tanned hand. When I looked up to thank them, I saw their deep blue eyes trained on something behind me. A quick glance revealed the male orcs that had stolen the table from those humans.
I tried not to roll my eyes, but the last thing I needed to see right now was more orcs. Fortunately, none of them seemed particularly interested in me, so I took Rivi’s hand with a quick word of thanks.
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” a distinctly human voice said from the table of orcs.
I froze at the sound. Deep and aristocratic with a slight sneer underneath it — enough to show disdain for everyone around, but not enough for most people to believe it was intentional. I’d fallen for it once upon a time, though now it was hard to believe I’d ever missed the unhinged tint it carried. It was also hard to believe a single person could have this much shitty luck. Maybe I was cursed.
I put one foot forward, away from the table, but the five orcs behind me shifted in my direction, making it clear I should reconsider my choice. I’d been given scarier looks, but I usually had a sword instead of a plastic tray, so I decided to play ball.
I could have run, but my pride would never recover from that. Plus, I wasn’t sure how quick Rivi was. What if they grabbed her? Him? I really needed to find a way to ask. But first, I needed to deal with this incoming disaster. Taking a deep breath — and tightening my grip on the only weapon I had besides my spork — I spun around and faced the man who had addressed me.
He looked the same as the last time I’d seen him: an utter mess despite his attempts to look composed and put together. To his credit, Thomas Corbin had been the epitome of suave and well-groomed before he’d gone off the deep end.
Publicly off the deep end, at least. People didn’t team up with a megalomaniacal child snatcher and go on a murder spree for a magic necklace that contained part of an evil sea witch’s soul overnight. Then again, he did commit two murders in one night, so what the hell did I know?
The obnoxious orange jumpsuit was a far cry from his impeccably tailored and ridiculously expensive bespoke suits. His usual slicked back hair had been replaced with a more natural yet still tidy style. Guess there was no hair gel in prison, even for him. There was a curve to his nose that hadn’t been there before, probably from the heavy punch Fiona delivered to his face the last time she’d seen him. He was wearing the same severe glasses he always had, but they’d lost their ability to hide the manic glint in his eyes.
Had that look always been there, and no one had ever noticed it? I sifted through all the memories I could, but there wasn’t a time when he’d looked as unhinged as he did now — apart from our fight two months ago. I would have recognized the look, too. I saw it often enough in the gazes of people and creatures I hunted down for the Guild.
Part of me pitied him. Then, I remembered the lavish cell he had and lost the remaining iota of sympathy I could have had. One look over his orc bodyguards had me holding back the growing sea of snarky comments I had brewing in my mind.
Female orcs were twice the size as humans, and males were even bigger. Taking on five of them would not be a fun time, especially considering how uninterested the guards seemed to be in our wellbeing. By the time they interfered, there’d likely be several broken bones between us.
“Not fun, is it?” Thomas sneered, his hazel eyes turned toward my bracelet. “Like Hell, really. But I persevered. I suffered through it all for a greater cause. Then, you came along—” He cut off, perfect teeth peeking through his curled lips. “I guess karma really does exist. Where’s your magic now?”
The growl in his words would have been menacing if he’d said anything else, but the sanctimonious drivel he was spouting ruined it. Of course he still thought he was the good guy, and I was the big bad bully who’d put him down. Dumbass. Engaging with these kind of people did nothing but fuel them, so I just shrugged.
“Don’t have magic. This has all been a misunderstanding.”
The glint in his eyes flared before he quickly stifled it. “Bullshit. I saw what you did on that island.”
“It wasn’t really an island.”
“I saw her with your face,” he continued, features twisting further. “I know what she is, what you are. Abomination.”
The vitriol loaded into that word was a slap in the face. Hiding my heritage meant I’d never been directly exposed to the prejudice Fireborns faced. I knew they were greatly feared, mostly due to the propaganda campaigns run by the Council of Magic, but people were rarely hostile about it. They were usually too afraid. Not Thomas, though. He was too arrogant for that.
I kept my expression blank and raised my arm, inspecting the inhibitor bangle with mild disinterest. “Good luck proving that with these things on.”
If I’d given him more of an answer, I’d be engaging, which would only fuel his fire. Less was more in cases like these, and Thomas proved me right by turning so red his freckles were no longer visible under the flush. Before I could say anything more, he leapt from his seat and rushed for me.
Okay, he proved me wrong.
He’d been seated far enough that sidestepping him was a breeze, but his bodyguards were another story. Orcs weren’t fast, but they hit hard. Their violent movements were unpredictable, and Thomas’ wild monkeying around was throwing off my rhythm. Slow and hard was one thing, but I wasn’t in good enough form to handle a mix of fighting styles.
One of the orcs’ punches caught me in the shoulder, right between the joints, and I stumbled forward. The wind from another punch ruffled my hair as I fell underneath a thick gray arm. Deciding to go with the flow, I careened forward, dropping onto one knee and kicking out with my other leg. I caught Thomas in the leg and he hit the ground.
As he was rising, I swung my tray out and slammed it into his face. Sure, I should have been focusing on the giant muscled creatures, but I wouldn’t have to be focusing on anyone if he hadn’t started a fight.
Besides, hearing Thomas’ nose crack on impact was the most satisfying thing I’d experienced all month. Hey, maybe I was doing him a favor — it could shove his nose back to the position it’d been in before he pissed off Fiona.
The tray was knocked from my hand before I could go in for a second blow. It slammed into the far wall, shattering on impact. Its destruction wasn’t a huge loss, but I mourned the spork that clattered to the floor amongst the rubble. It would have been a good weapon under the circumstances. I brought my arms up to block the next punch. The orc’s fist was as big as my forearms, and the strength behind his attack knocked me off my feet.
I tumbled into a roll and swept my leg out, kicking the orc in the shin. The impact made me wince. In addition to being twice as big as humans, orcs were four times as muscular. The orc rubbed at his leg but otherwise didn’t flinch. His nostrils flared as he raised a fist and slammed it down. I rolled away, trying to ignore the spots in my vision. All this spinning was throwing me off kilter. It’d been way too long since I’d seen any action.
Cries began coming from every corner of the cafeteria. The prisoners were getting caught up in the excitement. Some gathered to watch the show while others decided to start a few of their own. The mage from the lunch line was hollering while his friend socked a guy in the eye. The guy grabbed a chair and swung it at both mages as his friends joined the fray. Soon, everyone was fighting everyone else, and the guards’ orders to stop were drowned out by war cries.
Taking inspiration from my fello
w prisoner, I grabbed the closest chair and shoved it at the orc coming for me. He grabbed the legs and yanked it from my grasp. I clung to the plastic, letting him pull me closer. Hitting the ground, I slid forward and kicked him in the crotch with all my might. He yowled in pain, dropping the chair and clutching his jewels.
With one orc curled on the floor, I picked up the chair and swung it at my next opponent. It split in half as it connected with his bald head. Taking advantage, I kicked off the table and swung a kick at his face. He toppled backwards, and I delivered a hard kick between his legs. Like his friend, the fight left him immediately. Damn, I really needed to do that more. Like, all the time.
As I turned my attention to the other three orcs, the world went sideways. Sharp pain blossomed from my right temple and bled out toward the rest of my face. Blood filled my mouth as something crushed my nose. I caught sight of Thomas before his fists blocked my view once more. He straddled my waist and rained blow upon blow down on me, revealing glimpses of a maddened visage every time he raised his arms.
I tried to counter but his bodyguards quickly pinned me down. One grabbed my legs while the other two moved on other side of me and took hold of my arms. Saliva hit my cheek as he screamed at me in between blows. His words were a scrambled mess in the chaos. There was nothing but rage and insanity left in him at this moment.
I took a risk and opened my mouth, digging my teeth into his forearm. He let out a cry of pain and wrenched his arm back, but I held on, sinking my teeth in as deeply as I could.
Before he could punch me with his free hand, a guard grabbed him from behind and pulled him away. The orcs were restrained soon after as security flooded the cafeteria, prying inmates off each other and shouting in militant tones. I massaged my jaw and sat up, making sure to spit out a mouthful of blood at Thomas’ face. The stream fell short, but pissing him off was success enough.
A guard hoisted me onto my feet and pulled my arms behind my back. The sharp click of handcuffs falling into place was drowned out by Thomas’ enraged yells as he was taken away.
“You bitch! I’ll kill you! I’m going to— Let me go, damn it!” He wiggled in the guard’s grasp like a fussy child, saliva flying wildly with each word. “You ruined everything! Even my brother betrayed me because of you! You’ll never be safe! I’ll make—”
I let out a sigh of relief as his words finally faded down the hall. So much for getting through this without causing trouble.
Chapter Four
To my credit, I went the rest of the week without trying to kill anyone with my lunch tray.
Though by day six I was ready to start flipping tables. After hearing I was close to being released, what little patience I’d had snapped. But I made it — and when Rivi got out, they were getting a fruit basket for putting up with my mood swings. By then, I might have even gathered enough nerve to finally ask if they were male or female. Not that it really mattered either way.
The guard came for me at daybreak, robbing me of a few hours of precious sleep. The word “released” was enough for me to shake off my exhaustion and hurry after him. The Black Citadel’s physical location was known only to a select few. Portals were the only way in and out of the installment. There was a specific room near what I assumed was the entrance of the Black Citadel where portals were opened to let people in and out. I’d been brought through the prisoner’s portals a month ago, and I was likely being led there now.
Or at least I would be after I was processed, whatever that meant. I assumed it meant paperwork and not a cavity search, but at this point, I was willing to endure almost anything to get out of here. After a few hours of signing batches of documents and trying to keep my stomach from drowning out the clerk’s droning voice, I was finally hoisted back onto my feet and dragged down another nondescript hallway.
The double doors ahead released a slight chill into the corridor and a jump in my heart rate. I’d been too scared to pay attention to my surroundings when I’d arrived here, but I remembered how cold the portal room was. Finally.
Maybe it was a power play designed to unnerve new prisoners, but the portal room was cold, dark, and had a way of making everyone’s voice echo in an otherworldly way. There was an Inquisitor standing in the middle of the circular room, his arms folded behind his back. I recognized him as the man who’d put the inhibitor bangle on me. A ring of fairies lined the wall, ready to open a portal at the Inquisitor’s discretion. A great deal of magic was required to open portals farther than a few feet away, so the Council always employed a cavalcade of fairies for the occasion.
Their eyes followed my every move as the guard led me to the Inquisitor, who raised his brows expectantly. “Your hand.”
Anticipation humming in my veins, I lifted the arm with the inhibitor bangle up to him.
He raised his hand above my wrist and a soft glow emanated from his fingertips. The thin golden band snapped open without ceremony. I stared at the exposed line of skin I hadn’t seen all month, trying to figure out what I was expecting.
There was no rush of power, which I suppose wasn’t a surprising — my magic was gone, after all. Still, I was hoping for something more than, well, nothing. The hole in my body that had appeared when my magic left was still there, gnawing at me as a constant reminder of all that was taken from me.
Of what I’d willingly sacrificed, I reminded myself. It had been my choice, and playing the victim wasn’t going to undo it. Not that I wanted to undo it. Charlotte would be dead if I did.
“Mr. Pierce isn’t here yet?” the guard asked, bringing me back to reality.
“Evidently not,” the Inquisitor said dryly. “With all that’s been happening, his Council duties are keeping him busier than ever. He was very clear about wanting to be here, however, so we can wait a bit longer.”
With those words, my hopes rose and fell. When the guard said “Mr. Pierce,” I assumed he meant Adam, but having Council duties meant they were referring to Liam. Why did he make it “very clear” he wanted to pick me up? Why would he “clearly” want to be here? And why the hell wasn’t Adam the one coming to pick me up instead? He didn’t come to visit me once, and now he wasn’t picking me up?
I sighed, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. Adam must have had a good reason not to visit — and a good reason as to why he wasn’t here now. He had to. Playing the overly dependent girlfriend wasn’t going to do anything but wound my pride, so I needed to suck it up and see how things played out. My lips twitched downwards. Was it really overly dependent, though? Didn’t I have the right to be upset over this?
Damn it. Life was simpler when I was single and on the run.
“Did Mr. Pierce say what he wanted with me?” I asked.
The Inquisitor’s disdainful look quashed my hopes. “Do not speak unless spoken to, prisoner.”
“Former prisoner.”
“You—”
“Excuse me.” A woman with short blonde hair peeked her head into the room. “I have a message from Councilman Pierce. He says he’s been called into an emergency meeting and to proceed without him.”
If only she’d come in a few minutes ago. I could have gone my whole life without knowing how much of a dick the Inquisitor before me was. Said man scowled at the innocent secretary and dismissed her with a jerk of his hand before ordering the fairies to open the portal.
When I’d been arrested, the Inquisitors had brought me to their headquarters in Quincy Fields, where a portal was waiting for us. Hopefully, this portal took us directly into Santa Fae. I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed to enter the city from the outside.
Every magical city was protected by a barrier that turned people with no magical ties away when they got too close. Would it affect me now that I no longer had magic? The rational part of me said no — plenty of mercenaries in the Guild had no magic, but their heritage allowed them to enter the city anyway. But I couldn’t help the unease that slid across my skin. The thought of exiting the city only to never be allowed back in te
rrified me.
It also brought to mind another question I’d been trying to avoid: what was I now? Secret Fireborn, publicly declared abomination, reluctant mage…. While I may not have embraced my gift, I’d always known what I was. But what was I now? My magic — and everything else that came with being Fireborn — was gone. My Guildmates had their heritage, but what about me? Was I still Fireborn without my powers?
“Are you waiting for an invitation?” the Inquisitor drawled, arching his sharp brow even higher.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Well, I’m not allowed to speak without permission, so….”
The Inquisitor’s scowl came back in full force, and he jerked his chin toward the glowing green circle before us. “Move. Now.”
The eye roll was impossible to hold back this time, but I managed to wait until my back was to him. I gave the portal before me a wary glance before breathing deeply and taking the plunge.
Chapter Five
“The government runs on paperwork.”
Roger, my Guild leader told me that whenever I complained about filling out forms after a grueling job. I used to roll my eyes at him, figuring it was just one of those sayings people spouted to get through all those forms.
Today, I learned exactly how accurate the saying was. After spending hours being told to “sign here” and “initial there,” the last thing I expected after stepping through the portal was to be bombarded by even more forms.
The government didn’t just run on paperwork, it was made of paperwork.
What the hell did they need with all these forms, anyway? Maybe that was why they’d pulled me out at the ass crack of dawn: so I wouldn’t have the presence of mind to scan through every last page. For all I knew, I was signing over my first three children and both my lungs over to the Council of Magic — and not after my death. I considered asking for a lawyer, but that would drag this whole situation out even longer. I hadn’t glanced at a clock, but I estimated I’d been up for at least seven hours without food or a drop of water. I just wanted this to be over.
