Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,54
body. No wonder my cousin slept with these girls in his chamber instead of the narkin guards.
“You know the rules,” said Hayden. “Alert any of the guards, and I’ll let your sister die.” He motioned at the fourth female, the one that was splayed out across the floor unconscious.
“I get it,” the warrior snarled as she staggered to the door. These women might’ve been tough, but the Triad had given them a run for their money. From the looks of it, the fight had been pretty evenly matched. Which was not a good thing for us.
She poked her head outside the door, and a glimmer of gold caught my eye as she crossed the threshold. A cloaking spell! No wonder the guards hadn’t heard anything. I glanced over at Logan, impressed. I knew he’d studied spellcraft back when he trained my mom at Darkblood Academy, but I didn’t know how powerful he still was.
A moment later, she whirled back to face Thax. “The guard will return with him shortly.”
“Wonderful,” I deadpanned. “You think you can put that knife away now, cuz?”
“And risk you escaping? I don’t think so.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I just told you I want to know as much as you do.”
He arched a dark brow, and it weirdly reminded me of my dad. Thax’s mom, Luxora, was my dad’s half-sister and my grandpa Luci’s daughter. The family resemblance was uncanny which made it all the more bizarre. “And why should I trust you?”
“Because we’re family.”
Another wicked chuckle pierced the thick silence. “Do you have any idea how much ‘family’ we have, Azara? Our grandfather, Lucifer, has spread his seed across the seven houses of Azar along with the seven continents of the human world. If I trusted everyone who shared my blood, I’d be a fool.”
I shrugged. “Whatever.”
A loud knock disrupted our banter, and Logan darted for the door with a lady warrior at his heels.
“It’s okay, Franzia,” Thax called out. “Let the gargoyle get it.” The female stopped mid-stride as if his words had physically blocked her body from moving further. So twisted.
Logan unfastened the door a crack and peered through the opening. The guards must have kept their distance because he opened it all the way, revealing a slender old man in a deep crimson robe. His watery eyes widened as he took in the scene.
“Please, come in, Remy and join the festivities.” He snuggled his head against mine and if it hadn’t been for the blade pressed to my throat I would’ve jerked back in disgust. “I am so pleased to introduce you to my cousin, Azara.”
The old seer wobbled forward, clutching a wooden cane in one hand and a skull-sized rock in the other. Geez, how old was this guy? A thousand? Wiry wisps of white hair danced atop his mostly balding head as he approached. My gaze finally settled on his eyes, and I bit back a gasp. Milky white orbs stared back at me, their eerie hue raising the hair on the back of my neck.
“Azara, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Logan called out as Remy grew closer.
“It’ll be okay, Logan. I know it will.”
Talon growled, and a tidal wave of his anxiety and fury slammed into my gut. I lifted my eyes to meet his, and the storm brewing deep within his silver irises was like a second sucker punch.
“Come here, child.” Remy lifted knobby, wrinkled fingers and beckoned me closer. Slowly, Thax removed the knife from my throat and pushed me forward. I drew in a deep breath as my eyes focused on the hunk of glowing rock. The oracle of the Underworld.
The cloying, thick scent of magic filled the air. It was dark and potent and so much stronger than what I normally encountered. It was the stone, power surrounded it like a shroud.
“All you have to do is place your hands on the oracle and open your mind to me.” Remy’s wrinkled hands closed over mine and guided them toward the glowing stone. Energy crackled across my skin as the pads of my fingers met the rough surface. It was hard to keep my hands still with the constant thrum. I clenched my fingers and forced them in place. Then the seer’s hands moved toward my head.
“Don’t, Azara!” Talon cried out.
And the room exploded into chaos.
Chapter Twenty
The clang of weapons rang out in the still chamber, and I dropped the mystical rock. Remy took off, shooting across the room much faster than possible for