Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,70
you to wield magic in this place.”
I rubbed my hand over the purple sigil. I’d asked my parents about the mark when I was in grade school and Becky Sue Whitmore had called me a tattooed freak. Had they lied to me?
Hayden rose, unfolding his long legs. “Stay here, I’m going to the warden’s to give him the update and get a hold of Talon.”
“Tread lightly, my friend,” Dallas called out over his shoulder.
As soon as the door closed behind the angel, I turned to my vamp bodyguard. “Who’s Vander?”
He shook his head. “You gotta talk to Talon about that, precious.”
I grunted. “Yeah, because he’s super chatty about his personal life.”
“He might be more open to you now. You’d be surprised.” He smirked and leaned back on my bed.
I popped my hands on my hips and loomed down at the grinning fool. “I’m really tired of you guys keeping secrets from me.”
“It’s not my secret to share, little demon. But I’ll tell you the same thing I just told Hayden, tread lightly with the big man if you do bring it up.”
“Why is it such a big deal?”
“Vander was a good friend, and he’s gone now.”
A few hours later, Talon stalked back into our cell, the deep scowl carved into his jaw more pronounced than usual. I steeled my nerve as he passed my bed without even a passing glance in my direction. I’d resolved to talk to him about that scorching kiss, and his foul mood wouldn’t stop me.
I opened my mouth to allow the words I’d been practicing for the past few hours to tumble out, but Talon beat me to it.
“Out, Hayden,” he barked.
The angel lifted his nose from the girly magazine and cocked a brow. “Excuse me?”
“I need to talk to Azara. Alone. So go read your softcore porn in one of the boneyard sheds.”
The angel slowly stood, muttering through his clenched teeth. He moved in slow motion grabbing a few magazines, a bottle of water, and some snacks. I bit back the urge to laugh as Talon started tapping his foot.
When Hayden finally reached the door, he turned back with a lazy smile. “I’ll be in Dallas’s room if you need me.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or the surly dragon so I murmured a quick thanks and folded my hands in my lap. Talon paced in front of my bed, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. His claws extended and retracted with each lap, and a storm of anxiety started to brew in my belly.
When he didn’t speak for the longest minute ever, I scooted to the edge of the bed and swallowed down the sense of impending doom. “What’s up? And where have you been for the past two days?”
He stopped short and whirled at me, his pupils narrow reptilian slits. “That’s what your main concern is? We just found out that Thax, the warlord of the sixth realm of the Underworld wants something from you, most likely enlisted Delacroix to get it, and you’re asking me where I was?”
“Gods, what a drama king!” Okay, okay. That did sound pretty bad, but I couldn’t show fear, right?
Talon erased the space between us, his warm breath spilling over my face as his eyes drilled into mine. “You think this is a joke?” he snarled. His hands clamped around my cheeks, and he forced my eyes to his. “You’re so new to this world and your abilities that you have no idea what real power is. You parade around this prison swinging your hips and tossing your dark hair and with that smartass attitude…” He paused and pressed his lips together. “You’re going to get yourself killed and take more innocents with you. Just like that night—”
My jaw hung loose, and it was all I could do to keep it from falling. “That’s really what you think of me?”
His expression hardened, ice glazing over his silver irises.
“I’m not some irresponsible child running around with my head half-cocked.”
A vein pulsed across Talon’s forehead as his face reddened. “That’s exactly how you’re acting! You get here, Hayden warns you off Delacroix and instead, you go straight to him. You get attacked by a powerful demon, thrown in the boneyard and just keep going. You make some half-ass deal with Thax which sends you right into the maw of the lion again. You almost died for gods’ sakes. If I hadn’t—” He spun around and started pacing again. “You sure as hell aren’t