Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,66

Hayden had explained that not only was it essential that the other inmates not know who he was, but the guards and staff too. Actaeon knew something was up but none of the details. Only Logan was in on the Triad’s big secret.

We passed the atrium and headed down the long corridor, and soft footsteps echoed behind us. Talon spun toward the sound before my head even twirled in the right direction.

“It’s just me, dude.” Flix emerged from the dim corner with his hands raised and wings fluttering nervously behind him. “Hey, girl.” He weaved around the big dragon, skirting the wall farthest from him as he passed.

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing out loud. Sure, Talon was scary, but now that I knew he was a secret agent as opposed to a shady convict, I felt a little braver. “How’s it going, Flix?”

“Same old, same old. You? Did you abandon your tour guide training for good?”

“I hope not. Logan’s got me on special work duty for now.” Lie. I hated keeping the truth from my one friend here, but Logan had convinced me it was better for all involved. Dallas had worked his vampire magic on all the witnesses in Block Eight. Not even Delacroix remembered what had landed him in the Hole for the first time in his extensive tenure at Darkblood. The guys worried that his compulsion wouldn’t last forever, given the demon’s power. Higher level supes were harder to control apparently.

“Well, I miss ya, kid. I can’t wait to have you back on the team so I can impart more of my never-ending wisdom.”

“Me too, Flix. Hopefully soon.”

He blew me an air kiss and sauntered down the hall toward the atrium.

“You’re not going back to training with him, by the way,” Talon muttered as he rounded the corner to the stairs.

I rushed to catch up to his long stride. “Why not?”

“It’s not safe. You do remember what happened last time, right?”

“Yeah, I froze that rapist panther’s ass.”

“With powers you have no control over or any idea where they came from, right?” He skewered me with that icy glare. “You got lucky, one thirty-eight.”

“Now that I know who you really are, can’t you call me by my actual name?”

“Finding out who I am doesn’t change who you are, inmate.”

A punch in the gut would’ve hurt less. I cursed the dickwad under my breath and stomped past him. Just when I thought he hated me a smidgeon less, he’d prove me wrong.

I swept my wrist over the scanner and jerked the training room door open, letting it slam behind me. Eff him. I could train just fine by myself. The moment I crossed the threshold, the tightness in my chest relented. I was free, my powers untethered.

Making a beeline toward the punching bag, I concentrated my anger on the hanging black canvas, imagining a certain stupidly good-looking face on it.

The door creaked open behind me, but I ignored it, focusing on each hit. Jab, jab, uppercut. Kick, kick, roundhouse. I could do this all day.

Reluctant footfalls headed in my direction, but I kept my eyes trained on the punching bag. A tall shadow moved to my side, his overbearing presence sucking the air around us.

“Good,” he muttered.

I spun at him, shooting daggers. His shirt was off, a pair of loose-fitting shorts barely clinging to his narrow hips. Ripping my eyes away from his cut torso, I refocused. “Did it look like I was asking for feedback?”

An elusive smile cracked his lips, and he took a step back. His eyes still bored into the back of my head as I increased my tempo. I wanted to work on my magic, but the big a-hole was right. I had no idea how to access it. So far, it had only made its appearance under duress.

My thoughts flickered back to the incident with Delacroix and his goon. I was terrified, certain I was about to get dropped into a pit of fire-breathing snakes, or worse. Duplicating that intense emotion would be tough.

“Focus on what you’re doing. You’re getting sloppy.”

I shot him a good growl and continued punching.

The energy humming through my veins was still there, but my muscles were tired. It was my second work out session of the day after all.

“What were the guys talking about at lunch?” I spat out, continuing my assault.

“No idea.”

I hazarded a quick look from the corner of my eye as I pulled my arm back for another hit. He squirmed. The