Hexes and Handcuffs: A Limited Edition Collection of Supernatural Prison Stories

by Margo Bond Collins

  While the authorities searched the shack above, the trio lowered themselves into the small boat. Using the dock above them as camouflage, they rowed toward the rock barrier that separated the outer bay from the inner swimming area and slipped behind it, effectively escaping from the authorities of Unseen Street.

  Captured

  When they reached the shallows of the empty beach, the dragon-shifter boy was the first to bail off the boat. He splashed through the shallows, hopped over the low wall, and darted away toward the edge of Unseen Street. A unicorn appeared a moment later, pawing at the ground and throwing sparks into the air. The boy leapt onto the back of the equine, and they galloped away.

  Zenith pitched the oars up onto the imported white sands of the artificial beach. The mayor had the bay built to make it easier for Mer and other aquatic beasts—like whale shifters—to come and go from Unseen Street. It was the same beach she’d washed up on.

  Zenith grimaced and ducked down in the boat. “Did that seem right to you?” She tipped her head to the side, listening. Nothing seemed out of place. Her stomach twisted. Except the fleeing dragon shifter.

  Sam stared after the boy and stifled a yawn. “Not particularly.”

  “I’ve never heard of unicorns as a getaway vehicle before either, but that seemed planned.” Zenith scanned the surroundings.

  “Maybe the two of them had a special connection. It wouldn’t be the first time weird stuff happened here. We’re a melting pot for the paranormal.”

  Zenith shook her head. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. A dark flash at the edge of the clearing caught her attention. It could be a stray beastie or a bird, flying from tree to tree.

  “Didn’t the crow stop over here?” Sam asked.

  Zenith frowned. “I didn’t notice.” A scream echoed in the distance.

  “Was that a woman?” Sam whispered.

  “Maybe one of those big bird shifters.”

  “Peacocks?”

  Zenith nodded.

  Sam peered into the shadows. “Do you think it’s safe to get out?”

  “Not any more dangerous than staying here.”

  The duo climbed from the boat, careful to remain hidden behind the stone barrier. Once the small boat had been secured, they climbed the side of the levy and peered at their home. Fae peacekeepers searched the area. Though, in the growing dark, Zenith couldn’t make out any of the faces.

  Two officers sat on the platform beneath the elevated wharf house. The one with a feather in his helmet stared into the distance, but away from the beach. The others milled about without searching anything.

  Zenith scowled. None of them searched. It didn’t make any sense.

  “Do you think that’s Paden?” Sam asked.

  “Could be.” Zenith tapped her chin. “Does the whole thing seem too easy to you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If they’d been doing their job, wouldn’t they have done a better job searching? Why wouldn’t they be looking over here now?”

  “Maybe. You know how the mayor is. Maybe she doesn’t care but has to make a showing to keep the merchants appeased.”

  “It did seem like Paden knew exactly where I was hiding. Then he just let me go earlier. Maybe he wanted to find out where we live.”

  “It’s possible,” Sam whispered. “What do we do now?”

  “Find a place to stay until the heat dies down, and we can go back home.”

  “We could ask around about magic lessons. If I could control my magic while I slept, I could be a lot more help during the day. As it is, I can’t sleep a full night and the only time I can do anything magical is while I’m having nightmares.”

  “We’ve been over that.”

  Her expression turned pleading. “No matter how many times you tell me not to worry about it, I need lessons.” Sam frowned. “And so do you. We can’t keep living like this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m a danger to anybody around me.” She peered over the levy. “There really should be something out there, shouldn’t there? How do whole buildings and towns keep from getting burned down? There has to be something to help messed-up casters like me.”

  Zenith sniffed. “You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

  “Every time I fall asleep, I worry I’m going to hurt somebody, Zen. There’s got to be some way around that.”

  “Fine. We’ll see what we can find out.”

  They eased back down the levy.

  “At least the beach is empty for the day,” Sam said.

  Silently, they darted across the white sands. The levy hid them until they reached the low wall that surrounded the beach. Zenith boosted Sam over and then Sam helped Zenith over. Keeping their profile low, they followed the wall back into the city.

  All of it had been too easy, but Zenith kept her misgivings to herself. Sam was so ready to believe the best about every situation. But something was wrong. Zenith could feel it in her bones.

  They took the next street toward the market. Much like the beach, it would be closed for the day, but creatures still collected at the entrances to talk and converse.

  Twenty minutes later, they were back in the alley. Zenith ducked behind a pile of refuse and pulled Sam with her. Sam stumbled and then took a seat on the ground. She yawned, and her eyes turned glassy. She blinked rapidly.

  Zenith elbowed her. “You need sleep.”

  Sam tucked her knees beneath her chin. “I’m fine. All I need is ten minutes.” It always went the same. When Sam came out to “help,” she had to take power naps over and over.

  Zenith sighed. She was right. They couldn’t keep on like they were. They didn’t have a choice. She peeked out. At the end of the alley, Farg spoke with trolls and another, larger ogre. A classic vampire leaned against the wall beside them. She wore the traditional cape, had her hair slicked back and everything, probably only came out at night, too.

  “Looks safe enough,” Zenith whispered. “I’m going in.”

  Sam reached for a hand up, but Zenith pushed the hand away. “Stay here,” Zenith whispered. “I’ll see what I can find out and come back for you.”

  Sam nodded, her eyes already rolled back in her head. “Be careful out there,” she murmured.

  Zenith stepped out from behind the pile. When Farg’s gaze met hers, his mouth tightened. She waved to Farg, and he crossed his arms.

  He didn’t do anything else, but that one movement felt like a neon sign. She needed to learn to glamour. Most Mer could. Maybe she had enough Mer in her. If she did, she could be anybody else. It would make eating so much easier.

  Farg glanced to the roof of the tallest building, nodded once, and then turned back to his conversation. Her skin pricked, and her throat dried. A burst of cold air careened through the alley.

  Zenith scanned the roof line. Had he been signaling someone?

  In the dark, she couldn’t make anything out. She chewed her bottom lip and glanced back at Sam. For the moment, she slept peacefully, snoring lightly, oblivious to the danger they had wandered into.

  At the corner, beside a trash can, two eyes fluoresced. A moment later, the dragon boy appeared to her left. He watched from nearby, his face a mask of concern. Down the street, in the dim light of a streetlamp, his unicorn pawed at the ground, throwing sparks into the air. He stepped toward them, but Zenith shook her head.

  “You should have stayed away,” she whispered.

  He shrugged but didn’t budge.

  Zenith squared her shoulders and started toward Farg. She raised her hand. “I’m in search of magical teachers.”

  “Is that so?” a familiar voice uttered.

  Those three words crashed into her stomach. A scurry of footsteps echoed in the alley as Farg and the others scattered. It was almost as if they knew what came next.

  Perfect.

  Sam hadn’t yet moved, and the dragon shifter slinked backwards. His eyeshine was the only giveaway. Maybe t
hey could get away.

  Zenith turned slowly to face the peacekeeper. “Paden.”

  He smirked. “Guilty as you are.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve been a thorn in my side long enough.”

  Zenith rolled her eyes. “Look at the big, fancy Fae. Finally caught the girl who always gets away, did you?”

  He spat and the spittle landed on her toes. “No matter what the mayor believes, hybrids shouldn’t be allowed to live. You’re no better than the rats in the sewers.” He sneered. “My job is to bring order to Unseen Street. That’s what I intend to do.” He peered down the alley. “Now tell me where your little friend is. She’s got quite a bounty on her head.”

  Zenith scowled and crossed her arms, hoping he couldn’t see her tremble. “From who?”

  He chuckled. “You’d like to know, wouldn’t you?” He waved to the four other Fae. “Search the alley. Find the other girl.”

  They dispersed. A moment later, they turned invisible. They’d find her in no time. Sam should never have come. She should have stayed on the beach. Then she would’ve been out of this mess.

  Zenith glanced to where the dragon shifter had been. He’d gone, and the unicorn had disappeared, too. Her shoulders sagged.

  Paden pointed a long stick at her. “It’s the last time you steal from anybody in this world.” His smile sent shivers through her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Ridding my world of lawbreakers.”

  Zenith raised her hands and let magic flood her. She didn’t know how to do anything, but she had to try. Every inch of her hummed with the energy she pulled in.

  A hood dropped over Zenith’s head, blinding her. She yanked at the black material, trying to dislodge it. Vice-like hands captured her arms and forced them behind her back. Metal clamped around her wrists. The edges cut into her skin, and the surge that had filled her winked out.

  A woman snickered. “You’re mine now.”

  “What do you mean by that?” If only she could summon magic at will. She could call the blue sword, start slicing, and break free.

  Zenith tensed her whole body but nothing happened.

  Harsh hands and gruff voices dragged her along. It sounded like a dozen men, but it might have been only three. They yanked her this way and that. Then the sound of something powering on.

  The ground beneath them rumbled, and Sam screamed. A man grunted in pain. Paden cursed beneath his breath. Dread poured through Zenith, and her knees buckled. In her head, all she could see was Sam on the ground, staring into the afterlife.

  I can’t breathe. What’s happening?

  “Sam, it’s okay, I’m here,” Zenith yelled. “Sam? Are you ok—” Her voice broke. Please don’t be dead. They’d survived so much together.

  “Zenith, what’s happening?” Sam’s timid voice sounded closer now.

  Zenith shifted in place.

  “Be still,” somebody growled.

  “Stay calm, Sam. We’ll figure it out. It’s okay,” Zenith called toward the sound of Sam’s voice.

  Sam whimpered.

  “Raise the hood,” Paden commanded.

  The fabric disappeared, and he stood quite close to her. Behind him, a metal circle focused energy until the middle glowed.

  Sam’s forehead creased. “What are you going to do to us?”

  Paden raised an eyebrow. “Send you far away from here. You’ll never trouble us again, and I’ll use the money you earn to buy my way back to Eilean Ren.” He waved and one of the Fae carried Sam through. Two others led the blindfolded unicorn to the portal. Another carried the dragon shifter.

  “Let them go,” Zenith cried. “They had nothing to do with this.”

  “Can’t have witnesses to tell the mayor, can we? Besides, a dragon shifter fetches a pretty penny in the mortal ‘verse.”

  Zenith hunched her shoulders and stared at her feet. A crow cawed overhead.

  Paden grasped Zenith’s chin and forced her to meet his gaze. He leaned forward until his nose nearly touched hers. “I’ll come visit you soon, Zenith. I’ve always wanted to get to know a blue feet better.” His smile twisted into something sickening. Then he raised his hand and slammed it into her jaw.

  The world went dark.

  When Zenith woke, she had been stripped of her clothes, gagged, and strapped down to a hospital bed, her body half-inside a tube with gadgetry she didn’t recognize. She shivered from head to toe. Her head had been elevated just enough that she could view the rest of her body. Bright lights seared her eyes, and everything had been covered in white, disinfected of color. Acrid smells burned her nostrils. A monitor beep-beep-beep-ed in the corner.

  Sam was nowhere in sight. The dragon shifter and the unicorn were also missing.

  Binds held her wrist and her ankles. They’d exposed the blue scales that covered her legs from the knees down. How long had it been since Zenith had seen her own skin? How could they expose her shame like that? She squeezed her eyes closed and hot tears slipped out.

  Zenith tried to spit out the gag, but it wouldn’t budge. Instead, it scraped against her tongue and set off a series of dry heaving she couldn’t shake. How long had it been since they’d eaten? How long had she been passed out?

  She pulled at the wrist ties until her skin felt raw. Bright red drops of blood slid out from beneath the cuffs, down her dark skin, and dripped onto the pristine sheets.

  A sliding door whooshed open and closed a moment later. It sounded almost like an airlock. Why would Zenith have been quarantined? Her frantic thoughts tumbled one after the other.

  A sour-faced woman in a white lab coat leaned over Zenith, checking eyes, nose, and flicking her veins. “My name is Dr. Veem. Welcome to New Haven City.” She loosened the gag on Zenith’s mouth. “Now you make speak. You probably want to after you abduction.”

  The room spun, but Zenith fought to stay awake. “I’m in the mortal world?”

  “Of course.”

  Zenith’s stomach churned. “Why did you bring me here?”

  The doctor straightened. “Weapons development. The amount of money mortals will spend on building up a false sense of security…” She stared past Zenith. “It’s astronomical.”

  “Why me?”

  “You’re an interesting specimen. We’ve never had a hybrid in our labs before.”

  “I can’t magic,” she whispered.

  An eerie glow filled the woman’s eyes. “Then you will be trained.”

  Zenith fought back a gag. What had happened to Sam? Or the dragon-shifter boy? Where had they gone?

  “If you’re wondering what’s happened to your little friends, they’re waiting for their own exams. You were far more interesting than they were, but whenever you disobey, we’ll hurt them.”

  Zenith yanked against the binds that held her.

  “Now, remember, if you disobey any instruction at all, your friends will feel the consequences,” she paused, “and you will have a front row seat.”

  Zenith stared, horrified. The woman said it as though it was the most normal occurrence in the world. Zenith turned her face to the side and spewed bile all over the hospital room floor.

  The lab-coated woman pursed her lips. She took a syringe from a metal tray near Zenith’s head. “Do try to refrain from that. It makes extra work for the sanitization crew.” She jammed a needle into Zenith’s arm.

  Zenith whimpered.

  “There,” the pseudo-doctor whispered. “Much better.”

  The Rogies

  Sometime later—Zenith couldn’t tell how long—they wheeled her down a long corridor and then upended the hospital bed, dumping her into the floor of the ward. She tried to stand, to pick herself up off the floor, but she crumbled instead, whimpering for mercy.

  But the orderly marched away without helping her up or to one of the nearby beds. They weren’t people in here. They were… worse than animals. They were test subjects.

  She didn’t know how long she laid there. She squeeze
d her eyes closed and wished for it all to be over. A chill settled in her bones, and she shivered from head to toe. Warm hands helped her to her feet. The room spun.

  “Come on, girlie,” a soft voice whispered. “They only win when you give up.”

  Zenith’s eyes fluttered open. She stared into the pale face of vampire. “Have you seen my friend, Sam?” Zenith whispered. How her throat ached. They hadn’t let her have anything to drink or eat for hours. “Has she been here? Or a little boy? I think he’s a dragon shifter.”

  The stranger tucked her into an empty bed. “We haven’t met them yet. They’ll be here soon, I’m sure of it.”

  Zenith could already hear the lie, though. She sighed and turned away from the kindness.

  More strangers gathered around the bed, but Zenith couldn’t make out what most of them wore. She couldn’t even make sure how many were actually real and which were doubles. Her brain had been turned to mush and reconstructed. She squinted at them. It helped marginally.

  One of them snorted, a half-shifted werewolf, maybe. “You’re the first new blood we’ve seen in months.”

  Zenith groaned. “How long have you been here?”

  None of them answered.

  Finally, the vampire shrugged. “Years, maybe. They don’t let us keep track.”

  Zenith gestured to all of them and then patted her mattress. “Maybe we should work out a plan for escape.”

  “What if they see?” a Fae girl asked.

  Zenith scowled. “They aren’t here.”

  The girl pointed to the nearest corner. A black glass half-circle, about the size of Zenith’s palm, had been fixed to the ceiling. “They’re always watching,” she said.

  Zenith chewed her bottom lip. “Then we’re extra careful. We have to plan an escape. We have to find a way to get out of here.”

  The Fae laughed a sad laugh. “What escape? We’re here until we die or their experiments kill us. Escape is impossible.“

  “It’s not impossible. We just have to come up with a decent plan.”

  They all leaned in.

  “What did you have in mind?” the vampire asked.