by G. K. DeRosa
“You guys talked about that?”
“Yup.”
I pushed through the door to the yard and the icy air smacked into me, freezing my lungs. I sucked in a chilly breath, craving the numbness, yearning for it to spread through my insides.
“Damn, it’s cold out here,” Vander muttered as he followed me out.
A group of male inmates eyed me as I trudged across the snowy field. A chorus of “fresh meat” rang out across the yard. Normally, it would’ve freaked me out, but today I was too irritated. I kept moving and threw them the middle finger over my shoulder.
A couple of them chuckled, but at least they all kept their distance. I told myself it was because of how intimidating I was and not the tall blonde shifter at my heels.
“You don’t have to follow me,” I called out, craning my neck.
“I’m not. I’m just enjoying this lovely weather.”
I didn’t glance back, but I could already tell he was smiling.
“You know, I’m not saying I miss the Nether Lands because man, is that place depressing, but at least I didn’t freeze my tail off over there.”
I kept walking, dipping my head back to take in the soaring peaks surrounding the fortress. If this weren’t a prison, it would be a pretty spectacular place based on the views alone. As long as you didn’t mind the frigid temps.
Vander scooted up beside me and dug his elbow into my side. I flinched and jumped back, ready to tear him a new one, but when I looked up, the goofy smile on his face drained my murderous urges.
“What was that for?” I gritted out.
He shrugged. “I thought you could use a distraction.”
“So you elbowed me in the gut?”
Vander waggled a finger at me. “It was in the side. And from what I recall, you used to like it when Ryx did it.”
My jaw dropped. “Ryx?” I screeched. It took a second for my mind to process his words. Of course he knew about my ex-boyfriend. He probably knew everything about me after stalking me for two years. “Just to clarify, I did not like it when he did it. And I barely even liked him.”
“Well that part was obvious.”
“Yeah, to a stalker!” I hissed.
He palmed the back of his neck, and a hint of crimson flushed his cheeks. “It was my job—”
I flung my hand up, stopping him. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m very familiar with the phrase.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never met one of my assignments in person. I guess that did come off as creepy.”
“Majorly creepy.” I glanced up and found a semi-circle of inmates had crowded around us. “Looks like we have an audience,” I whispered to Vander.
He scanned the yard, and a flash of amber streaked across his hazel irises. “Come on, let’s go over there.” He pointed toward the track at the opposite end of the field. It was deserted like usual. Supes didn’t exactly need to exercise to stay in shape.
We walked over, and I kept one eye on the overly friendly inmates. They didn’t follow us, but their gazes remained trained in our direction.
“Wanna run?” asked Vander.
“Not really.” I stared at the large circular loop that spread across the yard to the edge of the wrought iron fencing.
“Walk and talk then?”
I rolled my eyes, but stepped forward onto the track, nonetheless. It was buried beneath a few inches of snow, but it was still vaguely discernible. “You and Talon are like polar opposites, you know that right?”
“I have heard that before, yes.”
“You’re like an overly eager golden retriever puppy, and he’s an angry old pit bull.”
“I’m not super familiar with human dog breeds, but I think I’m following your analogy.” He bumped my shoulder and grinned.
“But you weren’t like this when we first met.”
The smile melted away, and a faint scowl twisted his lips. “I wasn’t exactly myself the first few days, Azara. What I endured in the Underworld…” His words fell away, and I immediately regretted my hasty words. I should’ve realized that was why he had been acting so different.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” I blurted.
“No, it’s fine. I probably should. Maybe it’ll help me heal or at least that’s what the psych said.”
I knew we had a psych ward, but I’d never actually met the doctor. Was he even a doctor? Or a healer? Shaman, maybe? I pushed the random thoughts aside and refocused on Vander. “Well, I’m here if you want to let it out.”
“Thanks. I was just pissed at myself for being caught, blowing my cover, and most of all, spilling what I knew about you.”
My eyes widened. “Like what?”
He scrubbed his hands over his face and let out a frustrated grunt. “That’s the thing. I don’t even know. They used some truth potion on me, and it screwed with my memories. I could’ve told them everything or maybe only some of it, but I know for sure they got information out of me. Thax repeated some of it.”
“Are you going to tell me what or am I going to need the truth potion to drag it out of you?”
“Something about your powers and the sigil on your arm. That’s what they used to decipher the oracle’s warning.”
Crapola. Did Thax know about my warlockness? “What exactly about my powers, Vander?”
“Nothing specific. They kept asking me if I’d seen you use magic, and I kept telling them I hadn’t. You barely used your demon powers.”
Phew. For a second, I’d forgotten my magical woo-woo didn’t start until after lock-up.
“But I knew that mark was hiding something.”
“So you told them that?” I cried.
“I don’t know. Probably. I didn’t mean to. I had no control over anything, Azara.”
I threw my hands in the air and trudged on, my boots sinking into the snow.
“There’s one more thing you should know.”
“I’m not sure I want to.”
He stopped and grabbed my arm, spinning me toward him. “I know who your parents are.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Darkness uncoiled in my core, traveling through my veins. Before I could stop myself, my hand shot out and wrapped around Vander’s neck. Black encroached my vision as my fingers tightened.
“Azara!”
A muffled voice came from far away, but it was too faint to distract me for long. Dryness clawed at the back of my throat as tendrils of dark energy coated my mouth. I inched closer, my nose nearly touching Vander’s. “Tell me what you know,” I hissed, but the voice wasn’t mine. It sounded wrong even to my own muddled ears.
“Let go of me,” he choked out.
Ah, that was the voice. I loosened my grip only a tad so he could speak. “Tell me.”
“Your father is Ryder Strong. Your mother… Luna Hallows,” he rasped.
“Who else knows?”
“I don’t know. I swear I haven’t told anyone of my own free will. Not even Talon.”
A hint of light crept across my vision at the name. The name that incited something deep within me. Talon.
“Azara, please. Let me go. Think of Melzor, remember your breathing exercises and your training.”
I loosened my grip another millimeter as the darkness began to wane. The murky pools of black invading my irises receded, and my eyes landed on a pair of panicked ones. Steel bands wrenched around my chest, and I sucked in a haggard breath. Oh gods, no.
I released Vander and sank down to the ground, the soft snow cushioning my fall. Burying my face in my hands, I let the tears flow. How could I have lost control like that? I hadn’t come that close in weeks. My chest heaved as I sobbed, a mixture of guilt over what I’d done, fear for my parents and the pain of losing what I’d had with Talon. It was always there, no matter how hard I tried to bury it beneath the surface.
“Hey, Azara…” Warm hands closed over mine and dragged them off my face. “Look at me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head.
&n
bsp; “Azara, please. It’s okay, I swear.”
Vander’s hand closed around my cheek, and he swept a tear away with his thumb. “You’re safe. Everything’s going to be fine.”
I hazarded a peek under slitted lids and met warm hazel eyes. “I almost lost control,” I spluttered.
“Almost,” he said with a reassuring smile. “But you didn’t.”
“I could’ve killed you.”
“But you didn’t.” He knelt down in front of me.
“How could you be so nice to me after what I did?”
“Because I know how hard you’ve fought to control your abilities. I’ve seen it firsthand. And, you should’ve seen all the damage I caused the first few times I turned.” He grinned, and it set off that cute twinkle in his eyes.
A faint chuckle slipped out. “How many people did you kill?”
“Three.”
“Seriously?” I cried out.
He nodded, and darkness clouded his features. “And hurt a lot more. None of us is innocent, Azara.”
“Thank you.” He extended his hand as he stood, and I wrapped my fingers around his big palm. It was warm and soft, much like the look in his eyes. As soon as I was on my feet, the cold wetness seeped into my butt. “Ugh, I never should have sat in the snow.”
He laughed and twirled around. The entire backside of his green jumpsuit was soaked. “You’re not the only one.”
As we headed back toward the entrance, we crossed in front of the group of inmates that had been watching us since we arrived. Their jumpsuits were a mix of colors, so it was hard to say if they were from Delacroix’s crew. Probably not, since they’d never failed to announce their presence before.
I shook the thoughts off and threw them a steely glare as I passed. Had they seen me almost demon out? It had been too far for them to make out my conversation with Vander, but still, I didn’t like them spying on me. I’d have to mention it to the guys when I got back to my cell.
I glanced up at Vander as we stepped inside, and the warm air heated my frosty cheeks. “Are you going to tell Talon what happened?”
He shook his head. “What happens in the prison yard, stays in the prison yard.”
I tossed him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“No problem. We can have our own little secrets too.”
“Like who my parents are?”
He nodded. “Plus, Talon would lose his shit if he found out you were Ryder’s daughter. He like idolizes the guy.”
I laughed out loud, pitching forward. Once the fit of giggles passed, a lightbulb went off in my brain. “My dad was the one who hired you, wasn’t he?”
“Maybe.” He winked and threaded his arm around my shoulders. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
The whoosh of our cell door opening woke me from a restless sleep. After everything I’d learned from Vander, I couldn’t get my mind to settle. Being alone in our cell didn’t help either. Hayden was still on that mission with Dallas, and Talon hadn’t returned at light’s out. Last time I’d seen him, Vessa had invited him to her room. Bleh.
I focused my sleepy gaze on Vander as he trudged in. “What’s going on?”
“Logan wants to see us, again.”
Pushing the covers off, I slid to the edge of the bed. I hazarded a quick glance over my shoulder at the empty bunkbeds. I knew Talon hadn’t returned, but I still had to torture myself to confirm it. “About what?” I muttered.
“Not sure. A new guard came and got me a few minutes ago. Gargoyle actually.”
“Oh good, maybe Logan finally got his new team in. I can’t say I’ll be sorry to see those dragons go.” I grabbed my jumpsuit from under the bed and walked over to the partition in the back of the cell. Pulling it on, I watched Vander through the crack in the screen. He was checking himself out in the mirror as we chatted, and I couldn’t help but grin. The guy had grown on me in the past couple days.
“Speaking of dragons, where’s Talon?”
“Not sure. He never came back last night.” I stepped out from behind the screen and met stunned amber eyes.
“He didn’t?”
“Nope.” I popped my P for extra emphasis.
“I’m sure he’ll be at Logan’s office,” he said as he motioned to the door.
I followed him out, not saying a word. Was it weird for Vander that Talon and his sister had a thing? Was I ready for that awkward conversation? Probably not.
Neither of us spoke as we traversed the quiet halls. It was before dawn, and the rest of the prison’s inmates were tightly locked away in their cells.
Just before we reached the warden’s office, Vander tugged me to a stop. “Azara, I’m sorry if my arrival messed things up for you and Talon.”
Whoa, where did that come from? I was sure my eyes were bugging out of my head. I took a second to catch my breath and compose my thoughts. “It wasn’t you,” I finally managed. “You remember the bond, right?”
He nodded.
“Well, that was all there was between us.”
“I don’t know if that’s true. But in any case, when we spoke about it earlier, I meant to tell you: I am sorry.”
“Don’t be. Things with Talon and me were always complicated.” I darted ahead, eager to reach Logan’s office and put an end to this uncomfortable conversation.
After a quick knock on the dark mahogany, I grabbed the knob and swung the door open. Talon stood in front of Logan’s desk with Vessa hanging off his arm. Uncontrollable rage coursed through my insides, red-hot heat scorching my veins and blooming over my cheeks. Had he spent the night with her? A dark cloud settled over my irises as my eyes raked over the cute blonde. Was he in love with her?
“Azara!”
I tore my gaze away from the petite she-wolf, peeled back the dark curtain settling over my vision and shook out my head.
“Azara?” By the look on Logan’s face, he must have called out my name more than once.
“Huh?”
“What’s going on with you? Did you hear what I said?”
I focused my gaze on the silver-haired gargoyle leaning over the massive desk. “No, sorry. What’s up?”
Talon stepped forward, and I met his stormy eyes for the first time. “Dallas and Hayden need us.”
All the other BS melted away as I focused on his words. “What happened?”
Logan turned his computer screen toward us. “I just received word from Maxim. He wants to test out the new team so you guys are up. Dallas and Hayden are trapped in this building in New York City. It’s crawling with Underworlders. They managed to get the humans out unseen, but they’re surrounded.” He glanced up at me, his typical steely gaze absent. “I hate to ask you, Azara, but they’re going to need your special power.”
I nodded, my lips in a tight line. Vander was the only one who didn’t know about my warlock portal-opening abilities, but I trusted him. After two years of watching over me, there probably wasn’t much he didn’t know.
“All right then. Ella is on her way, catching a ride with one of my gargoyles. The three of you need to go now.”
Vander’s eyes lit up. “The director wants me too?”
“That’s what he said.”
I could almost feel the happiness radiating off the wolf beside me. Hmm… I wonder what his wolf looks like.
“Awesome, let’s do this.” A flash of citrine encircled his hazel irises, and a deep growl vibrated his throat.
“I hate it when you get pulled into missions like these.” Vessa clung onto Talon’s bicep like a leech. “You boys be careful.”
What was I, chopped liver?
She got onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips over Talon’s cheek. His eyes widened, and his typically olive skin tone turned fifty shades of scarlet. I dropped my gaze, focusing on the interesting pattern on the rug. Talon and I were friends. It was what we’d agreed upon, and it was what we both wanted. I repeated it over and over in my head until it stuck. Too bad my heart never got the message.
&
nbsp; Vessa flung herself at her brother next, as big crocodile tears dribbled down her perfect cheekbones.
Talon appeared beside me, his eyes searching mine, but I kept them trained to the floor. I couldn’t handle whatever he was going to say, not when we were about to go on our first real mission. As if he’d read my thoughts, the furrow of his brow relaxed and he settled in next to me without a word.
“I’ll keep an eye on Vessa,” said Logan when she finally released her brother. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t wander around any further than the second level.”
“Thanks, Logan.”
The warden pressed the com on the back of his ear, and Actaeon appeared in the doorway. “Please escort Vessa back to her quarters on the third floor.”
“Of course.”
I couldn’t help but smile as the big dragon tugged the little she-wolf away, a big pout puckering her pink lips. I waggled my fingers at her as the door slammed shut. Whatever she and Talon had, they’d never have this.
As soon as they were gone, Logan motioned for me then turned to Vander. “Given your previous assignment, I’m assuming you know about this.” He pointed at the faintly glowing mark on my arm.
“I do.”
“There’s probably something you don’t know,” I added. “And I need to ask that you promise to keep it a secret as Talon already has.”
The brothers exchanged a veiled look.
Logan continued, “Azara’s mixture of demon along with her inherited magical powers seemed to have heightened some of her abilities.”
“Okay…” Vander’s brows knitted together.
“So, I’ll be providing our portal ride to the human realm.”
Vander’s gentle eyes doubled in size. “You can open portals?”
“She’s damned good at it,” Talon interjected, and I couldn’t help the ridiculous swirl of giddiness his words provoked.
“All right, let’s get going then. To the tunnels?”
I turned to Logan and gave him a mischievous smile. “Actually, I was thinking I could try from in here.”
The warden’s light eyebrows drew together. “Seriously? You think you can circumvent the prison’s wards?”
