Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,68
demon half, I hadn’t bothered to learn that one. Ella hadn’t been too pleased when I told her that.
“So, how’d I do, teach?”
She gave me a half-smile. “Good. Really good, actually. I can’t believe you only started practicing magic a few weeks ago.”
“Guess it helps to have it running through my veins.”
“Guess so.” She snapped her fingers, and two bottles of water appeared on a small table at the corner of the room. “Let’s chat until your next session with Talon.”
I rolled my eyes by accident.
“What’s that about?” asked my overly perceptive cousin as we walked toward the table.
“Nothing. I’m tired of training, that’s all.” I slumped into the chair, trying to sell the comment.
“So, it doesn’t have anything to do with Vander’s return or Vessa’s arrival to Darkblood?” She smirked mischievously.
“How did you know all that?”
“Girl, I work for the SIA, I have to know all that stuff.”
I untwisted the cap and chugged half the bottle before looking up. Ella waited at the edge of her seat.
“Okay, yes, it has certainly changed the dynamic. Did you know Vander… you know… had a thing for me?”
She propped her elbows on the table and leaned in. “We all knew he was buttcrazy in love with his assignment, but I only now put two and two together. How awkward is that?”
“A little.” And a little not. Which was the weird part. It was like all the years Vander had spent stalking me, I’d somehow gotten used to him. Now he’d become a familiar presence that I didn’t mind.
“And what about Vessa?” Her lips puckered as if she’d swallowed an entire lemon. “I remember when she and Talon were dating, and she showed up here a few times. Man, she was intense.”
“Wait, what?” Talon had said they’d dated years ago.
“Um, yeah. She came a few months before he left on his assignment at Darkblood Prison. They’ve been on and off for a few years, according to the guys. Ugh, the way she fondled him… Eew.”
Maybe it wasn’t only the blood bond and Vander’s presence that had changed Talon’s mind. Maybe Vessa’s arrival had altered things too. A queasy sensation filled my gut. I needed to get away from all the drama, but that wasn’t an option when you were a prisoner.
The creak of the door opening pulled me from my muddled thoughts. Talon strutted through in his SIA workout gear. Black tank top and tight shorts that left nothing to the imagination. Great. This was going to be an interesting hour.
Ella stood and shot me a wink. “Good luck, Azara. If things go well in the next week, you could be out on assignments in the real world before you know it.”
That was exactly what I needed. As Talon approached, I vowed to put all the BS behind us. All that mattered was passing my week of training and becoming an official agent. Then two more years, and I was free.
As Talon sauntered over, his dark eyes drilling into me, I cringed. It was going to be a very long two years.
“You did well today.” Talon glanced down at me from the corner of his eye as we walked through the dim passageway toward the secret entrance to the prison.
These tunnels sparked unwanted heated memories of Talon, and his hard body pressed against mine. Funny how much things had changed in a few weeks. “Thanks,” I finally muttered.
“Ella was impressed which definitely says something. She’s a tough one.”
“Yup.” If only he knew she was my cousin. Every time we were together, a twinge of guilt pricked my insides for keeping the truth from him. But only a twinge.
He stopped walking and swiveled toward me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Just have a lot on my mind.”
His hands closed around my shoulders, and he dipped his head to fix his eyes to mine. “I screwed up last time I attempted to say this, so here we go again.”
“Talon, don’t—” I shook my head, trying to break free from his mesmerizing gaze.
“No, I have to. I was a total ass when we first met because I thought you killed my best friend, then I got to know you and in spite of my best efforts, I started to like you. Even before the blood bond. That obviously accelerated things and since its disappearance, I haven’t felt whole. It’s like a part of me was carved out, leaving a gaping chasm.” He paused, and I swallowed hard, his words like a warm hug to my battered heart. “I