by G. K. DeRosa
“It’s part of my plan.” Talon pivoted to face the wall and began to mutter. The words were so low I could barely make them out, but the force of their magic tingled over my skin. The obsidian wall behind the counter shimmered, and a biometric scanner along with a shiny keyhole appeared.
“Whoa…” I followed Dallas and Hayden, who’d already started to walk over.
Talon practically pressed his nose to the sleek reader, and a blue light flashed over his face. “Special Agent One Thirty-Eight, Talon Firestarter: identity confirmed. Please insert key now.” The creepy robotic voice raised my hackles. I was so disconcerted as Talon slid the key into the hole, I’d almost missed his number. One thirty-eight, the same digits stamped across my jumpsuit. Coincidence or fate?
The magical door in the wall slid open, a sharp suctioning sound whooshing between us. “After you, precious.” Dallas motioned for me to enter, and I crept in cautiously. Chilly air wafted over me as I crossed the threshold into the dark room, sending goose bumps spilling over my arms.
“What is this place?”
Talon flicked a switch, and incandescent light flooded the space. I squinted until my eyes adjusted to the harsh glow. Holy secret bat cave! At least a dozen monitors filled the walls of the large chamber, images of inmates flashing across the screens. Some of the backgrounds I couldn’t even recognize, which made me think they weren’t only of the fortress grounds. Control panels, keyboards, communication equipment and all kinds of tech I’d never seen before lined the square space.
“Welcome to the SIA’s virtual command center,” said Talon.
“Or the Scom as we affectionately like to call it.” Dallas grinned as he dropped into a swivel chair and started typing away on the sleek laptop’s keyboard.
I scanned the cool room, trying to keep my jaw in place. A framed painting on the opposite corner caught my eye, but it was too far to make out the details. “I still can’t believe you guys are secret agents.”
“We prefer the term spies.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Dallas. How these three meatheads ended up in the SIA was beyond me.
Talon shoved his vampire friend over and searched the glowing screen. “Logan’s gargoyles are sending all the intel they pick up on Thax straight to me. Nothing of importance so far. Which is why I think it’s time we planned our own trip to the Underworld.”
“Really?” My pulse picked up. I’d do anything to get out of here, even risk a trip to hell.
“Not you, one thirty-eight.”
“What, why not?”
He shot me a withering glare, one that shot right through my skin and bones sending icy shards through my insides. “What part of Thax might be trying to kill you do you not get?”
“What do you care anyway? After what I did, wouldn’t you be happier if I died?” The words popped out before I could stop them. Apparently, the tension had been getting to me more than I thought.
“No!” he growled, his voice cutting like glass. “I wish it were that easy.”
I wasn’t sure I’d heard the last part, his words were so mumbled.
Hayden and Dallas exchanged a glance and started backing out of the room.
“Freeze, you two.” Talon whirled at his cowardly friends.
“I just thought you might need a minute to sort out this little lover’s spat,” Dallas said with a ridiculous grin splitting his lips.
Talon leveled them both with a scathing glare. “That won’t be necessary. We need to make a plan. Hayden and I will leave for the Underworld tomorrow morning and Dallas, you stay here to keep an eye on Azara.”
“Ugh.” I almost said not fair, but I bit my tongue when Talon’s reptilian eyes locked on mine as if daring me to utter a word.
“Works for me.” Hayden’s onyx wings unfolded, his lustrous feathers gleaming beneath the neon lights.
“Why do I always get stuck on babysitting duty?” Dallas pouted, pushing his lower lip out. “You guys always get to have all the fun.”
“Seriously?” I popped my fists on my hips. “I’m not a baby, and I don’t need a sitter. I should be going with you.”
Hayden snorted on a laugh. “That’s cute, pumpkin.”
“You guys seem to forget that I’m half demon, and I spent two years in the Nether Lands. I may have grown up in the human world, but I’m not soft.”
“Softish.” Dallas squeezed my cheek, and I chomped at his retreating fingers.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Talon, cutting everyone else off. “You’d be a liability more than anything else. If Thax caught wind of you, our mission would be over.”
I folded my arms over my chest and heaved out a sigh. I already knew I wasn’t winning this argument. “Just take Dallas with you, at least he can help you guys. I promise to stay locked up tight in our cell until you get back.”
Talon clucked his tongue. “I don’t think so. No offense, but I don’t trust you left to your own devices.”
How could that possibly be offensive? Dragon dingbat.
“Fine then it’s settled,” said Hayden. “T and I will head down to the Underworld in the morning for some recon.” He rubbed his hands together quickly and a bright glow blossomed between his palms. “Can’t wait to blast some demon ass.”
“Come on, Chuck Norris.” Dallas tugged on the angel’s arm. “I need food—real food—if I’m going to be on guard duty all day tomorrow.”
My stomach twisted as the vampire’s fangs lengthened. Eew, blood. Where did the prison get their supply for the vamp population? I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to that.
“You guys coming?” Hayden glanced over his shoulder as he began to follow Dallas out.
I opened my mouth to say yes, but Talon beat me. “I have to finish up here. We’ll meet you down there in a few.”
“The little demon can come with us. We’ll keep an eye on her.”
He didn’t even lift his gaze from the screen. “Nah. We’re good.”
Once the guys left, I dropped into the chair at the next workstation. While I waited, I watched the screens, trying to catch a glimpse of Delacroix. I hadn’t seen him since he’d returned from the Hole. I dreaded the inevitable encounter.
After searching the control panel forever, my eyes landed on what I hoped were the camera controls. I pressed a button, and the images flipped to new locations. Score!
“Don’t touch anything,” Talon snarled.
Gods, he really treated me like a child. “I know what I’m doing. I’m not going to break your precious spy equipment.”
He rolled his eyes, and the tendon in his scruffy jaw twitched, but his gaze remained intent on the screen.
I scanned the dark walls and my gaze fell on the painting in the corner again. I crept toward it, the brilliant blue of the ocean scene reminding me of the one I’d seen in Flix’s office. My fingers swept over the vivid cerulean waters, and a wave of nostalgia rushed over me. Would I ever see the ocean again?
“Where’d this come from?” I asked.
“I made it,” he muttered without looking up.
“What?” If he’d told me he’d built the Eiffel tower with his bare hands I would’ve been less surprised. “You paint?”
“Sometimes.” He shrugged.
I couldn’t believe something so beautiful and serene had been created by the dragon beast. I wanted to ask more about it, but the tightness of his jaw shut me down.
I decided on a change of topic. “Why’d you bring me down here anyway?”
“Because I need to have a backup plan in case everything with Delacroix and you goes to hell.”
“And that involves this room?”
“Yes.”
Cryptic much? “Care to elaborate?”
“Not right now.” He paused and his fingers danced across the keyboard. “And anyway, if things don’t go as calculated, I can have Dallas compel you to forget you were ever here.”
I swiveled my chair toward him, the squeak finally averting his gaze from the s
creen. “Don’t you dare. I don’t want him messing with my memories. I already have a big chunk missing.”
He shook his head and grunted. “You’re still sticking with that story?”
“It’s not a story, Talon. I swear I don’t remember any of it.” I paused and chewed on the inside of my cheek. “Can’t you feel that I’m telling you the truth through this blood thing or whatever?” My cheeks heated, but I bit through the last part.
A part of me hoped he’d say no. As much as I wanted him to believe me, the idea that this was a two-sided connection made my stomach break into cartwheels.
His jaw tightened, the muscle so taut a flick of my finger would shatter it. The silence thickened, and I could hear the rush of my blood roaring across my eardrums.
He never answered me.
Chapter Thirty
“Don’t be bitter, precious. It’s not a good look for you, plus it’ll lead to premature aging and frown lines.” Dallas jabbed his elbow into my side.
“Go fish,” I muttered, folding my cards down and stifling a yawn.
Talon and Hayden had left at the buttcrack of dawn, and I hadn’t been able to get back to sleep. Now a weird anxiety buzzed through my body and coupled with the lack of z’s, I wasn’t exactly my normal perky self.
Dallas was doing his best to entertain me during happy hour, but my thoughts were elsewhere. It felt like I was riding a rollercoaster, my stomach rising and falling for no apparent reason. Only I had a feeling the reason was Talon. Something was going on and not knowing what was killing me.
Had they found Thax? Discovered anything about Delacroix?
“It looks like your brain is going to explode.”
I glanced up at the familiar voice, pushing the dark thoughts aside. “Oh, hey, Flix.” I’d barely seen my pixie friend since Delacroix had been freed from the Hole. The only reason I was allowed out today was because the demon was spending the day in the psych ward. Annual required visit apparently.
Flix lowered himself into the seat across from us. “Can I join?”
“Of course.”
As usual, my faerie friend’s eyes were glued to the hunk of male beside me. Dallas was his normal flirty self. Now that I’d been officially adopted by the Triad, Flix wasn’t quite as scared of the three burly supes, but he still ogled from a safe distance.
“Do you know how to play Go Fish?” I asked.
Tearing his gaze back to me, Flix shook his head. “Is that some weird human game?”
“On the contrary,” Dallas chimed in. “It’s a very simple one. Mostly played among children.”
“Hey!” I smacked him in the shoulder—and regretted it immediately. The dang vampire was almost as solid as Talon, but his slender frame was deceiving.
Flix grinned and reached for the stack of cards. “I’ll teach you how to play some adult games, cutie.”
“Hold that thought. I gotta go pee before we start another game.”
Dallas stood, but I threw my hand up. “You’re not coming with me to the bathroom. Not even Talon does that.”
My temporary bodyguard hitched an incredulous brow. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Believe it or don’t, I’m not letting you into the girls’ bathroom.”
“How about a compromise then? I’ll stand outside by the door.”
Rolling my eyes, I nodded. “Fine.”
“I’ll go with to keep you company.” Flix smiled at Dallas, his mossy green eyes twinkling.
“I’m not going to take that long,” I muttered as the pair followed me out the door of the rec room. These two were worse than Talon. I continued mumbling to myself as I barreled through the restroom door, locked the stall and squatted.
A sudden sharp pain lanced into my gut, knocking me down onto the toilet seat. I tried to push myself up but the shooting pain drilling into my stomach chased all other thoughts away. I clutched my middle as my breaths became ragged pants.
My memories flickered back to the day Talon had been attacked by Delacroix’s men. It felt just like this. Shitzu. Talon’s in trouble.
Energy crackled through my blood, and my demon sigil flared to life. Now that I knew what it was, I didn’t shove back the invading sensations. Instead, I relinquished all control, allowing the thrilling vibrations to run rampant. Heat surged through my veins and the smoky scent of magic filled my nostrils. Power danced along my skin, throbbing through every inch of me.
Another punch in the gut sent all the air squeezing from my lungs. I needed to get to Talon ASAP. I pictured the infuriating dragon, all hard planes and permanently carved scowls.
Foreign words flitted across my mind’s eye, and my lips mumbled them out loud. I smacked my hand over my mouth, but still they spilled free.
A flash of light illuminated the dim bathroom, the blue glow seeping in through the cracks in the door. I gasped as a strong whoosh vibrated the stalls, the metal hinges groaning in protest. What in the world?
An invisible cord tugged on my insides, and my body lurched forward. The door slammed open, and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.
A whirling portal churned in the middle of the bathroom, the roaring winds threatening to pull me in. Talon. I could almost feel him just on the other side of the mystical doorway.
The bathroom door whipped open, and Dallas hurtled through. “Are you all--?” His eyes darted from me to the portal, and his dark orbs doubled in size. “What the hell, Azara?”
Flix poked his head in, and his jaw dropped. “Oh my faeries!”
Before he took another step inside, Dallas grabbed the pixie by the arm and spun him into his chest. The vampire locked eyes with the lesser Fae and crimson swirled through his bottomless irises. “Go back to the rec room. Azara didn’t feel well, and I escorted her back to her cell. You won’t check on her until tomorrow.”
Flix nodded, a blank expression on his face. He twirled on his heel and headed right out the door.
As soon as he was gone, Dallas turned to me, his dark brows nearly reaching his hairline. “Did you do this?”
“I think so.”
“How?”
“No idea.” I raked my hand through my hair and sucked in a breath. The pain was gone. In all the portal commotion, I hadn’t even realized. I grabbed Dallas’s arm as panic invaded my insides. “It’s Talon. He’s in trouble.” My lungs constricted as I spoke the words, and a hint of hysteria laced my tone. “I felt something, and it was bad… really bad. And now nothing. I don’t feel him at all.” I massaged the ghost pains in my stomach as the glow of the whirling portal illuminated my jumpsuit. “I think we have to go to him.”
Dallas pointed at the portal. “Through there? We have no idea where it’ll take us.”
But I did. It would take me right to Talon. Every cell in my body was sure of it. I finally nodded.
“Azara, there’s no way you could have summoned a portal. Only very powerful warlocks can pull that sort of magic off. What if it wasn’t you? What if this is a trap?”
I paused to consider. Garrix could open portals, my mom too. Because they were warlocks. I couldn’t explain it to Dallas, but I had done this. I knew it. “It’s not a trap,” I murmured, then I repeated it louder. “We have to go, Dallas. Talon’s in trouble and Hayden could be too.”
The vampire’s expression darkened, his full lips thinning into a hard line. “Okay, precious, but if you bring us to some fiery pit in hell, I’m going to bite you.”
“Deal.”
His fingers closed around mine, and he tugged me forward. I focused on the pulsating energy in my core and urged it to expand. The heat surged through my veins, the mystical stirrings raging. The heady sensations darkened my vision as a rush of power consumed me. “Let’s go.” I tightened my hold on Dallas, and we lurched forward. I whispered Talon’s name like a prayer as the spiraling winds sucked us in.
Chapter Thirty-One
The murky, thick gelatinous substance thinned, and a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. The po
rtal spat us out, and somehow I managed to land on my feet, after only a slight wobble. Dallas landed in a predatory crouch beside me, his fangs in full display.
The scent of sulfur and ash wafted in the air as I scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. Thick, roughhewn walls encircled us, flickering torches lining the walls and providing only the bare minimum of light. A long banquet table sat on the opposite side of the vast room, at least a dozen chairs around it with a notably grander one at the head.
A steady murmur reverberated through the wall, but it was too faint to make out the details. I searched my core for Talon’s familiar pull, but still felt nothing. A pit of dread filled my gut, and my throat tightened. “Where are we?” I finally forced out.
“I have no idea.” Dallas’s eyes were wide as they skimmed the large, dark chamber. “But by the smell of it, we’re definitely in the Underworld.” He stepped toward the wall and pressed his ear to the rough surface.
“Now wh--?” I opened my mouth but Dallas threw his hand up, cutting me off. He pressed his index finger to his lips and focused on whatever his heightened vamp hearing was picking up.
I crept closer to the wall and stood beside him. His eyes were closed, but the longer he listened the deeper his frown became.
I couldn’t take it anymore. “What’s going on?” I whisper-shouted.
“It’s time for us to save the day, precious.” Dallas grabbed my hand and vamp-sped us through thick oak doors and out into the even darker hallway. He pointed at an archway at the end of the long corridor. “T and Hayden are in there, and it doesn’t sound good.” He glanced back and forth nervously. “Do you think you can summon that portal again?”
I gulped. I had no idea how I’d done it the first time. “I guess I’ll have to.”
“Good girl.” Dallas slowly crept forward, and I followed right behind. Craning his neck back, he whispered more instructions. “I can’t risk leaving you alone so you’re going to have to come in with me. Do not leave my side, you got it?”
I nodded quickly.
