opened another door that led to a steep winding staircase.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I blew out a long breath and followed him up. “How about my one phone call or a pair of clean scrubs?”
Actaeon arched a brow and checked his clipboard once again. “The phone call thing doesn’t happen here at Darkblood.” He scratched at the thick stubble on his jaw as he scanned the sheet. “Flix hasn’t been by to see you?”
“Who?”
“Hmm.” He pressed a finger to a comm behind his ear. “Mason, make sure you add prisoner number one thirty-eight to Flix’s roster. She’s in Block One which could account for the mix-up.” Turning back to me, his lips thinned to a tight smile. “Our resident tour guide will be by later today to set you up. I’ll also make sure to get your rooming situation sorted. Talon might be a pain in my ass, but he’s right, you don’t belong in there with the Triad.”
“What does that even mean?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
The never-ending staircase finally came to an end at a narrow door. Our dragon escort motioned me in, then scooted in sideways across the threshold just to make it through. My two roommates followed suit, their tremendously broad shoulders skimming the slender doorframe.
When my pupils adjusted to the dim light, my eyes scanned the quaint circular stone room that barely fit the four of us. Actaeon moved to the side and revealed a large window criss-crossed with iron bars. My eyes welled with tears at the first sight of the outdoors in days. Even beneath the predawn light, I could make out the soaring snow-covered peaks of Draeko.
It suddenly hit me that we were in one of the sky-high turrets that made up the prison fortress. “What are we doing up here?”
Actaeon pointed out the window. “There are a few broken tiles on the roof, and I need them re-soldered. Damned Underworlders attacking the prison. They just don’t give up.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. Were they trying to bust someone out? I had a pretty good idea who… If everything I’d heard about Delacroix so far were true, he’d be the most likely answer. I glanced through the barred windows and another realization nearly smacked me in the face. We must have been hundreds of feet up, which normally would mean nothing to an angel and a dragon but these mystical cuffs drained our powers.
Our friendly C.O. must have noticed my reaction because he offered me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, demon, you’re not going out there. We’ll find a more suitable job for you tomorrow.”
My gaze bounced from Talon to Hayden, and a swirl of anxiety tightened my core. I may not have liked my dragon bunkie very much, but I didn’t want him to plummet to his death either. And Hayden, well, I was really starting to like him.
“Don’t start with the waterworks, pumpkin. We’ll be just fine.”
I took back all the nice thoughts I had about Hayden in my head and shot him a good eye roll. Then my gaze flickered back to Actaeon who was removing Talon’s black cuff and replacing it with a silver one just like his own.
The moment it was on, Talon’s pupils narrowed into dark slits, the metallic silver nearly encompassing his entire orb. He cracked his neck and stretched, and the closest thing I’d seen to a smile curled his lips.
Wait… how was he allowed to have his powers back?
“You’re next, angel boy.” He signaled at Hayden and repeated the procedure. Before I could blink, a pair of onyx wings unfurled from his back, nearly taking up the entire room.
“Watch it!” Actaeon snarled, jumping back.
My eyes remained glued to the magnificent black wings. I clenched my fingers behind my back to keep from reaching out to touch them. Something told me they’d be softer than silk, like caressing a puffy cloud.
“Sorry, C.O.” A huge smirk stretched across Hayden’s face as he flexed his shoulder blades, and his wings retracted. “I needed that.”
Actaeon mumbled something under his breath as he trudged over to the window. Pulling a small device from his pocket, he pressed a button and the iron bars withdrew into the stone walls. Jabbing another button, the glass slid to the side and an icy breeze wafted in.
After days of breathing nothing but the stale air within the damp castle walls, my lungs nearly jumped for joy. I drew in a deep breath, ignoring the frosty wind nipping at my