Seventeen
Hushed voices yanked me back from the peaceful lull of oblivion. I rolled to the side and leather squeaked beneath my cheek. Where am I? Exhaustion tugged me back down again, and my lids closed for a few more seconds. I fought against consciousness until I lost the battle, the familiar male tones coalescing into words I couldn’t ignore.
“Gods, Talon, if you hadn’t arrived when you did, who knows what could’ve happened to her?” Logan. This must be his couch.
“I know,” my reluctant bodyguard snarled. “If Flix hadn’t come to get me…”
Logan stomped across the room. “What part of watch her did you not understand?”
“It was before lights on, and she was with Flix. I thought she’d be safe.” He grunted, releasing a frustrated breath. “You don’t understand how hard it is for me to be with her, Warden… And she was the one that called me off. Before you start throwing blame around, have a talk with your little demon.”
“This is your job, Talon. Not hers.”
“I know,” he hissed. “I messed up; it won’t happen again.” More squeaking leather.
Job? What was Talon really doing here at Darkblood?
“Did anyone else see what happened to the inmate in the shed?”
“No. As soon as I got Azara out of there, Dallas compelled the shifter that found the guy. No other witnesses according to him.” Talon paused and no one spoke for a long minute. I was about to open my eyes when he began again. “You gonna tell me how the hell your little soul-sucker froze a man while wearing a magic siphoning cuff with powers she shouldn’t possess?”
My ears perked up. I was wondering the same thing.
After another endless minute of silence, Logan mumbled, “I don’t know.”
“But you know something, right? That’s why you asked me to watch her?”
I wasn’t sure if Logan confirmed or denied his question nonverbally, but he didn’t utter a word. When the silence drew longer, I decided it was time to wake up. If Logan wouldn’t answer Talon’s questions maybe he’d answer mine.
I made a big show of yawning and stretching my arms over my head. I rubbed my eyes and by the time my pupils refocused, Logan stood over me, his brows pulled together.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I pushed myself up on my elbows and glanced at my mystical tattoo. An iridescent purple hue glistened from the triangle, but the freakish glow had subsided.
“I’m so sorry, Azara.” Logan sat down beside me, deep lines furrowing his forehead. “I never should’ve given you that job with Flix. I thought it would keep you busy and that you’d be safe, but I was wrong.”
“It’s not your fault. You can’t watch over me twenty-four-seven.”
“No, that’s my responsibility,” Talon interjected. His voice was a raspy whisper, and if I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought the disagreeable dragon actually felt bad.
“I’m okay, and that’s all that matters.” I had about a thousand questions running through my mind, but I wasn’t sure Logan would answer any of them with Talon here. I shifted in my seat and wrapped my arms around my middle. I was cold and hungry. By the looks of the deep orange rays setting across Logan’s window, it was nearly nightfall and I hadn’t eaten a thing all day. “So now what?” I finally asked when no one spoke.
“I don’t know,” Logan muttered. “I’ve spoken to the SIA, made a special trip over there and everything, but they’re not budging. They think you belong here.”
My lips pressed together. They weren’t wrong. If I’d really killed all those Fae, I did belong here with the rest of the monsters. “And Lucifer?”
“Cillian’s having a hard time getting a hold of him. He seems to be shirking his duties in the Underworld.”
“That’s a surprise,” Talon snarled. “What do you want with him anyway?”
I shot a quick glance at Logan and shook my head. Until I figured out Talon’s deal, I didn’t want him knowing anything about my family bloodline.
“He owes me a favor,” Logan interjected. “I was hoping he could assert some influence on Delacroix and his boys.”
Talon huffed. “Lucifer doesn’t give a flying unipeg about what’s going on in the Underworld. He’s happy to sit on his throne on the Etrian Assembly, spouting out platitudes and pretending he’s got his minions under control. He hasn’t even graced the nether realm with his presence in years.”
“How do you know?” My gramps might not have been an angel, but he’d been there the few times I’d really needed him.
“I have