Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,40
lusty fog from my brain. “We have to talk,” I finally spat out.
“Damn, you really know how to kill the mood.”
I gaped at the joking, smiley stranger that stood before me. Where was the broody, surly dragon I’d come to know and love? I immediately chastised myself at the use of the L word, even if it was only in my head. “Don’t you want to know what Delacroix had to say?”
The lusty curtain lifted over his glimmering silver orbs and the relaxed set of his jaw hardened. “Yes, of course. Tell me everything.”
Once I finished replaying my conversation with Delacroix, Talon remained mute. He stared at me with a stony expression, and just like that Mr. Dark and Broody was back.
“Talon, are you going to say anything?”
“I’m not sure yet,” he bit back. “I knew I should’ve gone with you. None of what he said makes sense. How does he know Vander is SIA? And how would my best friend know anything about you?”
It occurred to me that I’d never asked Talon what Vander was doing at the Fae club. I’d assumed he’d been called in to take me down, but what if that wasn’t true? “Do you know why Vander was there that night?”
He shook his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. “He’s been working undercover for the past few years. He’d check in on occasion, but not even I knew what he was doing or where he’d been.”
“I guess we’ll both find out when we get him out of there.”
He nodded, an unreadable expression carved into his handsome face. “Come on, we gotta go if we’re going to make it to our meeting with the director on time.”
He rose to his feet, and I followed him out of the janitor’s closet. “Are you going to tell Maxim what Delacroix told me?”
“No. If Vander has blown his cover, I’m not going to be the one to break that to the director. Plus, I’d rather go on an unsanctioned trip to the Underworld without his knowing and ask for forgiveness later.”
“Are you guys going to get in trouble for this?” I didn’t want the Triad in hot water with the agency because of me.
“It doesn’t matter. It has to be done.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sitting across the desk from the SIA director again felt like déjà vu. I drew in a long breath and ran my hand through my wet, tangled hair. The demon I’d taken on today for my trial had been cake. My magic had shown up when called, and I’d roasted the Underworlder’s hairy hide. Everything had gone perfectly—almost too perfectly, and now as we sat in front of the intimidating tiger shifter as he perused the video footage, I couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop.
Relax, you did well. Talon’s mental words of reassurance did little to quell the angry hornets buzzing around my gut.
After what seemed like the longest five minutes ever, Maxim lifted his amber gaze from the screen and settled his unsettling citrine glow on me. Surprisingly well. The director’s voice echoed in my mind. “Much better than last time, that’s for sure,” he said a moment later out loud.
“Thanks,” I muttered, hoping I’d kept a straight face. How was I hearing everyone’s thoughts now? I strained to make anything else out, but all I got was silence.
“I suppose that was all thanks to your training, Talon?” Maxim swiveled his gaze to my instructor.
“We just needed to find a way to unlock her powers. Once we did, Azara did the rest.”
The director glanced from Talon to me and back. “Excellent. She still has a long way to go to meet SIA standards, but I’m pleased with the rate of her advancement.”
“Once she begins training with Ella,” Talon interjected, “I have no doubt she’ll improve by leaps and bounds.”
“Yes. I agree, but I’d still like you to personally oversee all instruction, Talon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Maxim shuffled through some papers on his desk and reached into his drawer, pulling out a pen. He slid the pages across the gleaming mahogany and handed me the ballpoint. “These are the terms of your contract with the Supernatural Intelligence Agency. Read over them carefully. You’ll be contractually obligated to complete two years of assignments at our discretion, after which time you’ll be released from your sentence at Darkblood Prison. That is of course contingent upon you following all SIA rules and regulations and not committing any crimes during that time period. You must also continue to ‘officially