was because of the vicious glare Tristana gave anyone that tried to get close to us, or because of her loud declarations that I was hers.
Either way, people backed up quite a distance, leaving us in miserable, sweaty peace.
We took the fastest shower ever thanks to the hot water running out. Those who had the wherewithal to endure cold water showers on a daily basis were warriors, because my body could not handle it at all.
In hot summers, it was different, but the tunnels were already chilly, and our activity was the only thing keeping us warm. The moment we finished, we had to take the long route back, and with the drop in temperature, we were right back to shivering, the cold sweat that clung to our bodies only making it worse.
We'd rushed back to warm up, which lead to a lot of cuddling and kissing, but Tristan had warned me he had to investigate and gather some more information. Omarion had gathered a lot of info that was useful for this assignment, but Tristan felt like there was more to it. He'd be able to blend in easily with his shapeshifter abilities, leaving me less worried about him wandering around, but I was already craving his warmth.
It had only been three days since he'd arrived, which meant his "transfer" to the new prison was looming.
A part of me was still rejoicing at the opportunity to be in his arms and have the others drop by whenever they could sneak in during guard rotations, but I kept counting the days to when I'd be all alone again, leaving me an anxious mess.
"I'll be back in a few hours. Shouldn't take me all night. I have to be careful with Level Four, though. I've heard the rumors about how no one returns from there. I want to explore, but Omarion said he'll schedule it when none of the Absolutes are there."
"Absolutes," I repeated, remembering Omarion's cold warning.
"Do not dare talk with an Absolute unless you enjoy pain for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are some of the most powerful individuals in the supernatural universe, condemned to this place for whatever deadly sins they committed. They don't follow the prison laws. In fact, they don't follow anyone's rules unless you're one of them, and I can guarantee that you are not." He looked away. "You wouldn't want to sit next to one of those beings, and with a ninety to ten ratio between male Absolutes to females, you wouldn't be pleased. They don't ask permission to do anything. I think you can guess where that leads to."
"They're dangerous. Merciless. They kill with no remorse unless they feel you're worthy of their time or attention. The prison has to get political leaders or high council members to come and check to make sure they're where they're supposed to be," Tristan explained as he put on the top of his guard uniform.
"When they're not there, where are they usually?"
"They can go anywhere as long as they report their location. It apparently depends on what they are. Certain supernaturals have to wear a specific bracelet or necklace. Others have to wear handcuffs, but they only appear if the individual decides they don't want to return to the prison."
"That makes me wonder if Level Four is very luxurious, like how they talk about Dubai."
"That's really dependent on the supernatural imprisoned." Tristan turned back to look at me as he zipped up his vest. "For example, if a god was down there, they may fancy luxurious stuff, so they can decorate their designated space any way they want. Make it like an exquisite hotel or leave it like a wasteland. Some supernaturals like their environment to cater to their species. Angels would want something with light. Obviously natural light would be better, but with how deep we are already, that's a bit difficult. In comparison to, say, Nephilim, whose places would be pitch dark. It doesn't bother them since they can see through the darkness. Sometimes it can be entertaining since they love to watch their prey scurry away. From what I gather, the number of prisoners down there determines the space assigned to each, but with how few there are to begin with, it hasn't been a problem."
"Intriguing." I bobbed my head and yawned. "Tristan. You really went hard on this research stuff."
"Good distraction." He gave me a sad smile, reminding me that they'd had to suffer a month without me around.
"Is Everett doing alright?"