Imprisoned Gods - G. Bailey Page 0,54

I’m sticking up for these guys all of a sudden, especially as they sit there glaring at us. Well, Seth is glaring, anyway. Killian is resting his forehead on his knees, and I can’t see his face.

"You don't like them, huh? Could have fooled me," Jade teases, shaking her head at me while resting back on the wall. "What did you do to get thrown in here anyway? And how did they get locked up too?"

"I killed a higher god," I start off, seeing her eyes widen, and she coughs on thin air. I guess she wasn’t expecting me to say that. “I know, I know,” I say, waving a hand lazily at her. “I have no idea how. It was an accident, though, I can promise you that much. It was part of a job - I thought he was just a normal target, and the next thing I knew, the twins were coming after me. They brought me here, and it looked like they were ready to leave, but then these hooded guys outside chucked them in here with me.”

“Who were they?” Jade asks.

I shrug. “No idea. They were using ice magic - that’s all I know. I don't get what is going on, and all I really want is to get out of here to see my family."

"Doesn't everyone in here want the same thing?" she asks. “Well, I think so anyway.”

"I'm thinking the gods of justice will be saved by someone, and I'm going to stick close enough to their sides so that I can escape with them," I whisper to her. “They are my ticket out of here.”

"It's a good plan. You're taking me with you," she says. "I need to see my friend and tell her the truth about her daughter’s death before I die. It's the only important thing to me now."

"Then you're coming with me," I say, knowing I'm likely going to regret that promise when I need to focus on getting my own ass out of here. "Do you know what this test is?"

"No clue, but I'm betting it isn't going to be fun," she says, resting further back and closing her eyes, clearly done with this conversation. I glance over at Seth, who is looking at me like I'm the bane of his existence, and I can't help but wink at him before looking away. Whatever this test is, I have to survive it somehow, because one thing is for sure—I'm not dying here.

16

"Karma, wake up."

I become aware of a hand shaking my shoulder insistently, rousing me from a delightful dream about a shop sale of pretty heels. I just managed to buy out the whole shop, and was getting to the trying on part. Shame that my current reality is decidedly less pretty. I peel my eyes open, blinking in the darkness until I’m able to make out the form of Killian standing over me, his hand on my shoulder. He has pretty eyes to wake up to, I think, taking a moment to appreciate his bright golden gaze… but then I become aware of what I was just thinking, and shake myself. My face goes a little red, but Killian doesn’t seem to notice in the darkness of the cell. I realize he’s talking, nodding frantically in Jade’s direction. "Wake your friend up,” he says. “That leader, Storm, is walking this way.”

I sit bolt upright, all thoughts of Killian’s pretty eyes gone from my mind. “What? What does he want?”

“I have no idea,” Killian replies. “But he’s got a crowd behind him.”

I blink, clearing my throat. “Thanks for waking me up,” I mutter, feeling a little bashful. I’m surprised that he would bother to warn me, considering how rocky our relationship has been so far, but now’s not the time to look a gift horse in the mouth. I turn to Jade and begin to shake her shoulder, much like Killian did with me. Except when she wakes up, she’s all claws and sharp teeth, and I let out a little screech as I jump away from her.

"What?" she demands and then seems to realise it's me as I get to my feet. "Shit, sorry, Karma. I'm used to those idiots waking me." She sticks a thumb in the direction of the two guys still hiding in the corner. They’re still cowering, and they haven’t said a single word since we arrived here, but they’re always watching with their beady little eyes. They remind me a little of