Psychic Prison

by Veronica Agnus

  "Terms and conditions," I confirmed.

  "Yes. For now, don't stress about it. Again, you have me and Lyla. We've already started digging into things. All we need is more time. The three guys did us a favor by helping, so maybe they'll be of use."

  "You think they would want to team up?"

  "They have no choice now that we're your masters, but I'd like to know their motives."

  "What if they want to be intimate?"

  He didn't need to speak to give me his answer, his body growing scorching hot enough for me to move in the opposite direction to avoid being burned.

  "Temper, Phoenix. I'm not your sizzling enemy so lower the temperature."

  "I don't want them touching you."

  "Does it piss you off?"

  "You're my mate."

  "That didn't answer the question."

  "Yes."

  "See?" I reasoned. "Was being honest so hard?"

  His annoyed look made me smirk. "You were fine with me apparently dating Lyla. How did that even happen?"

  "You can ask her."

  "Boo. You're no fun!" I slapped his arm and cursed. "Fuck! Cool down already! I can fry an egg on you."

  "You've already done that before."

  "Seriously?!" I beamed at the idea and he only cringed. "Don't you dare do it again. It was annoying."

  "More annoying than googly eyes?"

  "Yes, and don't get started with those googly eyes," he huffed.

  "What if I begin to like the guys?" I genuinely asked. "Would you be mad?"

  "If you truly liked their company, then I wouldn't be mad," he replied earnestly with a level of respect I suddenly admired.

  "Really?" I wasn't interested in any of them, but seeing his obvious displeasure regarding the idea but having his verbal approval was something intriguing.

  "Your happiness and wellbeing are two of the most important things to me. If you're happy, I'm happy. If you're well, the rest of the world will live another day."

  "Isn't that delightful." I gave him a seductive grin as his words made my heart swell with love. "What did I do to deserve such a man as my mate and husband?"

  "All you did was be yourself," he whispered and reached out to stroke his hand through my hair. "The universe delivers us a partner that will be the perfect piece to our lives. No need to fight or mold ourselves differently to be accepted. From one year old, I knew you were right for me, but watching you grow and become the woman I now love unconditionally was probably the most charitable gift I could receive."

  We got lost in our intense stare, full of emotions of love and gratefulness.

  "I can't wait for the day I remember all the memories I've shared with you." My voice was raw with emotion, but it hit every chord within me that yearned to discover who I'd been before all of this.

  "In time, my marked butterfly," he whispered, and kissed me gently. "In time."

  * * *

  Now that my intrigued mind was appeased for the night, I'd fallen asleep and was dreading every bit of getting up and facing my approaching first day of interaction.

  I knew it wouldn't be bad, but I still wished to have a few days of rest after the chaotic couple of days that had been filled with shock, fear, dancing with my other emotions, and good sex. Thank fucking God for the good sex, or all hope would have been lost.

  I'd finally gotten a grasp of my remaining masters, and what each of them was.

  Kai Hunt, twenty-three-year-old assassin. 6'3" in height, long sky-blue hair with white and silver strands, and unique orange eyes with sparks of silver. He had a Korean accent but was raised in Japan with his younger sister, who was still there.

  Kai was the talkative one out of the three, sharing how he and his sister were separated due to their parent's divorce.

  His father raised his younger sister in Japan while he was raised in Japan for a few years before his mother moved here to America for an assassin job. Since then, he remained here and followed in his mother's footsteps.

  He and his sister were a special breed of kitsunes, which some called Yokai kitsunes. From his explanation, he had the ability to have three, six, or nine tails. It was based on a leveling, system that required intense power and normally forced the kitsune shifter to partner up with a magic user to amplify their abilities by ten-fold.

  From their closeness, it looked as though Kai, Titus, and Blaze had known each other for a while, long enough to be like brothers. That was the energy I read around them during the introduction portion.

  He'd once again apologized for breaking my nail, promising to never piss me off - or should I say Freya - ever again, but couldn't promise not to tease me in various ways. He was a jokester, after all. It was in his nature.

  Next up was Blaze Flint. Twenty-five-year-old, 6'2" in height male with the lovely light pink eyes. It was a rare color, especially on males. The shade reminded me of the soft petals of cherry blossoms.

  His hairstyle was still an intriguing mix of lime green with pink highlights, and after the whole drenched moment, his hair was now softly combed downward versus his spiked-up hairdo.

  He was African American, but his family all worked with Global National Affairs for Supernaturals and spoke multiple languages. Thanks to Kai's attempt to test language memory, I knew that I spoke English, Japanese, and even Korean.

  He was an elemental fae, which meant that he carried various nature-based magical powers and could harness them with ease.

  From his flawless chocolate skin to his pastel eyes and overall aura, I wasn't too surprised that he was a fae. I was left in a state of disbelief, as this was my first time meeting an actual fae.

  Or it was from what I could remember.

  Finally, there was Titus Harley. Twenty-seven-year-old, 6'5" in height, Irish man. He didn't appear Irish to me, but that was a hard culture to distinguish based on the color of their skin.

  His shoulder-length black hair with a single silver strand still stood out to me, leaving me to wonder what that white-silver strand represented.

  Titus didn't say many words. His aura was one that commanded absolute silence among humans, from what Blaze described. I could feel that urge to not speak when he was in the room, but as supernaturals, it was easier to tune it out or push it aside temporarily.

  He had a bit of an Irish accent, one that came out when he considered himself tired, but I'd only picked it up twice through our three-hour conversation. Other than that, his English was pretty fluent.

  Titus was known as a shadow dragon, another type of dragon supernatural that I hadn't heard of. They were beings of pure darkness and their flames were only a secondary element.

  Saphire explained that they were rare breeds and could hide amongst the shadows to get around without anyone pinpointing their location - essentially stealth ninja mode. His reserved personality could have also been due to his supernatural trait, but that was all I got about who he was.

  The three of them had come to an agreement with Atticus that they would indeed be my masters, as long as each of them got "free time” with me.

  What free time meant would be negotiated after I got used to my new living conditions. With my amnesia, there was far too much I needed to discover about myself in this new environment to worry about our brief interactions, but I was genuinely curious about each of them.

  Kai still annoyed me, but it wasn't something that I couldn't tolerate.

  As for the floor, I'd finally gotten a tour of the place, and it was far better than I could have asked for. There were around twelve main inmates on Level Three, and all of them had similar massive living conditions to this.

  It reminded Kai of an article he'd recently read about prisoners in Switzerland and Ireland who each received a designated lot of land that afforded the perfect views of the mountains, oceans, and vast forests. It was essentially a luxurious getaway for those with a life sentence.

  I learned on the tour that I had a massive bathroom, a huge room with a walk-in closet, and a general k
itchen that looked like it was worthy of feeding kings and queens - maybe that was done on purpose with how hungry dragon shifters get. And we also got access to the pool, outdoor tennis court, and other amenities, which included a nail salon.

  Surprisingly enough, Kitty had applied for the prison job and got in without a problem, thus the reason why she'd ended up doing my nails. I figured going to a person I somewhat knew wouldn't poison me was the best choice.

  She was also good at keeping secrets now that she wanted to be one of my personal assistances.

  * * *

  "Your Majesty! Sit, sit. I'll take care of you!" Kitty beamed and patted the velvet seat the manager had specifically gotten for me after Atticus said my name and prison level.

  Kai was waiting outside with the other three but already paid the fee for me to get my nails redone as well as a pedicure.

  "Kitty?" My stunned eyes stared at her short frame. "How did you score a job here?"

  "I applied." Her blue eyes were filled with relief. "After I assisted you, the commander of Level Two stated we could apply for jobs and that a few nail technicians got killed in some silly gang fight so they were looking for some fresh blood."

  Her explanation made me frown, but I walked over to sit down. Atticus brushed his hand along my shoulder, his way of telling me he'd be close by but not all up in my personal space.

  Another thing I was beginning to love about his presence.

  "Have you done this before?" I inquired.

  "Definitely!" She reached for my nails and began inspecting the damage of the broken one. "I used to work as a nail technician when I was younger. It wasn't a job I really did for money, but more for the creativity aspect. Did it for about five years."

  "Five years," I repeated, my voice as calm as ever but my mind was whirling around that length of dedication she’d committed to doing other's nails.

  "Mhm! It was fun. I only worked for extremely wealthy supernaturals with a few exceptions if our salon was busy. Nails are very delicate and have to be treated with care for those that infuse magic into them for defense tactics."

  I blankly stared at her, completely fascinated with her sudden seriousness and knowledge.

  "Would you be able to fix these and keep whatever is hidden confidential?" My voice was low enough for her ears only.

  "Certainly." She looked up to give me a firm nod, her eyes projecting her vow to keep things under wraps. "I've been trained to do exactly that. No need to worry."

  She let go of my hands to begin to gather the tools in the drawer, and before she began she whispered, "Thank you, Ms. Butterfly."

  "Hmm? For what?"

  The tiny smile that formed on her lips was followed with her eyes meeting my intrigued ones.

  "My past technician experience wasn't the only thing that got me this position. I was told I had received a reference from a monarch and would be assigned to attend to any of your needs. The acknowledgment of my new role was what helped me get this position, and I've been moved to a single cell, which is normally only granted for those with masters or trainees. It's pretty obvious that I'm a cat shifter." She paused to point to her twitching white cat ears. "We're not deemed valuable or powerful, so the sudden change has completely morphed my previous circumstances. I'm forever grateful for that."

  I didn't say anything immediately, but the question left my lips before I could stop it.

  "Kitty. Why are you trapped in here?"

  She shrugged. "Wrong place, wrong time? Not uncommon for supernaturals to be kidnapped. Would have wished it went differently."

  The sorrow in her tiny voice was heart-wrenching, but it was her next comment that made me feel far worse.

  "Cat shifters always stick together. It doesn’t matter if we’re related by blood or strays. Our little community had made the best nail salon in our district, and the night I was kidnapped was when a mob of power individuals waltzed right in and shot up the place. My mom died protecting me, and it didn't matter how many masked men I killed, they never stopped raiding the place until those who survived were pinned and zapped. When I woke up, I was here."

  She laid out the materials on the table, her blue eyes staring at their metal exterior. I picked up on the creamy white color that overtook her iris for a split second.

  "A humble cat is one that will remain fed in the darkest times of famine. I don't trust many in these walls, but monarchs are beings that invoke change. Not tiny little differences in life. Big ones that will leave the world shaking."

  Her eyes began their shift back to their ocean orbs. The conviction of her new purpose was loud and clear.

  "To be chosen to assist someone as powerful as you is an honor. No matter whatever is spoken in regard to your apparent crime and circumstances, you were born to lead, and I'm confident you'll deliver justice to all those who deserve it."

  "You have far too much hope in someone like me," I tried to dismiss, but she shook her head and grinned with assurance.

  "No. I lost my sense of hope the day my family, friends, and entire community were slaughtered. I don't hope for you to make an impact. I can swear with my life that you will, Ms. Butterfly." She reached out for my broken nail, and lightly brushed the nail with her fingertip.

  A single symbol began to glow dimly, revealing the incantation that was hidden beneath the black polish.

  "Power is hidden in mysterious places, but the courage to defy all the odds? That's something that grows and is embedded within an individual who wants the greater good. Your cold mask is one I will obey and praise regardless if that heartless persona impacts me, but I trust my feline senses and I know without a doubt that change is coming and you're one of the leads in this life-changing story."

  With those words, she got to work, leaving me with more than enough proof of her loyalty from that moment onward.

  * * *

  That was when I knew Kitty was going to be my sidekick in this new captivity adventure.

  Now that I didn't feel solely alone in this prison and we had some sort of game plan in play, it was time to really focus on what was happening beneath these imprisoned walls.

  But not with the five minutes of sleep I'd experienced after amazing sex.

  "Alisha Butterfly. Get out of bed already."

  "Never," I concluded and rolled the sheets around me until I actually fell off the bed. "Oomph!"

  Atticus groaned. "You have levitation magic and yet you always fall out of bed."

  "You...distracted me!" I argued hopelessly. "Why are you bothering my much-deserved slumber?! I sucked your lolly, swallowed your cream, and let you pump the nozzle to my gas hole. What more do you want from me?!"

  "That..." He paused. "You're so weird."

  "I'll embrace that part of me while I sleep," I huffed.

  "Remember the rules. You have to be among the prisoners three days a week."

  Right. I forgot about that minor, non-glorious part of this captivity shit.

  Level Threes had to "contribute" to prison life by integrating ourselves in three common places every week. Having one meal within the underground cafeteria was mandatory unless the prisoner was needed by their masters.

  Each excuse given would have to be signed and must contain proof for why they had missed their weekly interaction session. This was created to ensure prisoners didn't abuse the privilege, and if they did, it would be revoked for a year.

  The other two interactions sessions could be joining the group shower session, participating in one of the art sessions, or signing up for one of the training classes that were either weekly or drop-in classes.

  The shower sessions were designated for Level Three's only, which was something I could tolerate. There were only twelve of us, and the possibility of all of us taking a shower at the same time was rather slim.

  As for the art and training sessions, those included Level Two prisoners. That was something I could handle, and it also didn't prohibit masters from attending with their servants.

  "Ten
more minutes."

  "No." His annoyance made me poke an eye open to glare at him. "Why are you mad at me?"

  "I'm not mad at you," he groaned. "I have to leave soon."

  "For?"

  "Investigation purposes," he noted.

  "Is that why you're trying to kick me out?"

  "I'm trying to ensure you don't lose your privileges."

  "Hmph." I finally gave in and sat up in my blanket roll. "I wonder if this is how it feels to be a sushi roll?"

  "Your thought process still entertains me with its odd inquiries."

  "Are you going to be long?" I questioned. He walked over to where I was, offering his hand to help me up.

  Placing my hand in his, he assisted me up and began to unroll me while he replied, "No. Not too long. Lyla will remain here if you need any assistance. Titus will also be around. I'm going with Blaze and Kai. We still have more paperwork to complete."

  "That wasn't all settled when you guys won the bid?"

  "Not necessarily," he stated, but the hint of hesitation in his voice told me otherwise.

  "What's wrong?"

  "That guy who bid against us still won't let go," he revealed as he released me from my blanket confinement.

  "He's trying again?" My voice was hard and a little lethal.

  Atticus tossed the blanket onto the bed before he moved to wrap his arms around me. "Alisha." His voice was so soft and soothing.

  "Why does he still want me? You guys won fair and square."

  I couldn't explain it, but the idea of suddenly being given up to another master was freaking me out. I may not have known much about Titus, Blaze, or Kai, but the three of them didn't leave me in an apprehensive state.

  They each were unique, but it was clear with their patience and desire to have me settle into the prison laws first that they were all good men. If they had ill intentions for me, they could have gotten away with whatever they wanted by now.

  At the end of the day, it was three against one, and they could have gone under Atticus's nose and outbid him instead of partnering up in the circumstances laid upon them.

  It was silly of me to feel this rooted fear at the idea of being owned by another, but the mere thought was igniting every bit of anxiety, and I had no image of this mysterious man with a whole bag of money who wanted to buy me out of my husband's grasp.