Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,24

me and squeezed the last remaining ounce of oxygen from my lungs. Darkness crept into my vision as she straddled me, her gleaming emerald eyes twinkling in victory.

From over her shoulder, the timer flashed: ten seconds remaining. I sucked in a breath and steeled my nerves to slow my racing heart. There was no way I was losing to some shifter. Channeling all the anger from earlier, I broke free from her hold and planted my palms on her chest. I shoved her with everything I had, arching my back to buck her off.

She lurched back, caught off balance by my thrust and I jumped up. As she staggered to regain her footing, I slammed into her, throwing all my weight into it. Before she could get away, I kicked my leg out and swept her foot out from under her. She hit the floor just as the buzzer rang out.

“Winner: Azara!” a robotic voice called out, echoing across the large chamber.

I curled my hands at my sides, trying to ignore the mad throbbing in my knuckles and took in a few deep breaths. I did it. I won.

“No!” The female glared up at me, her green eyes shooting daggers. She pushed herself up and charged.

A second before she reached me, a cloud of gray smoke enveloped her, and she disappeared into the mystical fog.

A click resounded in the suddenly quiet room, and the door swung open. Slowly, I crept toward the exit, half-expecting another surprise attack. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I met a pair of blazing silver irises. Talon’s face was a blank mask, but it didn’t matter because I could feel his fear surging through my blood. He was actually scared for me.

He cleared his throat and lowered his burning gaze. “Well done, Azara,” he muttered.

“Geez, thanks for the head’s up.” I seared my cousin with my own veiled glare. “Why didn’t anyone tell me I’d be facing other convicts for this little test?”

“It’s all part of the process,” Ella replied.

At least I knew what to expect for the next one.

I only had a few minutes to nurse my wounds before being thrown into the next test. No angel healing power or anything. If I’d been alone with Talon, I would’ve ripped into him for not warning me about those brutal SIA trials. He must have known what was coming.

“Ready?” Ella pointed at another door along the same hallway, and a bolt of anxiety bounced around my insides.

“Let’s get this over with.” I marched toward the unmarked door as my heart rammed against my ribs.

You can do this, Azara. Talon’s voice echoed through my mind, and I spun around. His face was a blank slate. Did he even know he’d broadcasted his thoughts to me? As if our relationship wasn’t complicated enough.

The door unlocked and creaked open, jerking my attention to the task at hand. I’d have to contemplate this new development later. The room was bathed in darkness like the last one. I took a few steps inside, holding my breath as I tiptoed. Since the last test was physical, I assumed this was the magic one. I searched my core for the demon within, and a swirl of energy flickered to life. Hello, my friend! With a quick glance at my upper arm, the swell of hope deflated. My tattoo was still dead.

Hopefully, my magical buddy would decide to make a cameo. Otherwise, I was stuck with only my demon powers. Again, the spotlight flicked on and focused on the dark wall.

Rules:

Defeat your opponent in seven minutes or less.

Supernatural abilities allowed.

Move on to the next challenge.

Okay, I could totally do this. Based on the last test, it seemed the winner was the last man standing—whether knocked out, unconscious, breathing or not, didn’t seem to matter so much.

A scuffle to my right sent my nerves on alert, and I scanned the dark room. With my supernatural senses active, I could make out a shadow coalescing in the corner. Who do I get to play with now?

The lights flashed on, and I blinked quickly to readjust from the darkness. A tall, lithe blonde stood in the corner in the same pale-yellow jumpsuit Flix wore. Fae. As if the perfect body and pointy ears weren’t a dead giveaway. Now, what sort of elemental powers would she wield?

The timer appeared overhead a second before the blare of the buzzer rang across the vacant space. And here we go.

The female splayed out her fingers, and shards of ice