the guards had voice changing technology in their masks. I didn’t know what any of them looked like other than Zander. Shifters worked with them, but Zander wasn’t a shifter. I wouldn’t ask what he was, just as he’d never tell me.
Zander urged me down yet another corridor with no identifying features. I was once again utterly lost. We hadn’t gone upwards toward the surface, but downwards, further into the earth.
“What does he want with me?” I asked tightly.
“No idea, but I doubt it’s to pat you on the back.” Zander urged me to keep walking by shoving the metal of his weapon into the back of my head.
“Maybe he knows you’re betraying…”
He jabbed me in the back with his weapon. “Shut it!”
I grinned, and eyed the drones. So they had a microphone too. Wasn’t surprising, but I’d needed confirmation.
“Stay quiet, or I’ll make sure your friends, including your newest one, take a little trip down agony lane.”
I remained quiet, knowing he was threatening Ember and my brothers. The corridor came to an end in front of a lift. A bot hovered above it, threatening in its silence. “Really, you trust me in a lift?”
“I don’t trust you anywhere. Hands behind your back.”
Darkness swamped me as he shoved a bag over my head. I hesitated to comply, my instincts urging me to fight for my freedom.
“Connor, do it, or I’ll taser you.”
I slid my hands behind my back, the thought of pissing myself before I saw the warden swaying my decision.
“Thank you,” Zander said.
Was that relief I heard in his voice?
“What are you, that the warden gives you privileges to wander these halls, and entrusts you alone with prisoners?” I asked.
“I’m the stuff of nightmares.” He lowered his voice so that the bot wouldn’t pick up his next words. “And I think we can agree that there is no privilege in serving the warden.”
“We can. And there’s absolutely no doubt you’re part of my ongoing nightmare, not to mention Rawson’s.”
“I know.” His voice was tight as he guided me into the lift. I didn’t resist, there was no point. There were a few seconds of weightlessness. Up or down, I had no idea. It was even hard to discern when the lift stopped. The doors opened smoothly, hardly any noise at all, and air breezed over my bare arms.
“Come on.” Zander pushed me along by my cuffed wrists
I hesitated when my trainers sank into a soft carpet. The lack of noise from our footsteps was odd when I’d spent so much time in the echoey halls of the prison.
“Hang on.” Zander stopped us again. I waited, my body wound tight, unsure what was going on. There was the almost silent slide of a door. “In.” He urged me forwards with a push between my shoulder blades. “Stop,” he said.
The bag over my head was removed. I blinked at the brightness, and gaped at my surroundings. Opposite me was a huge garish fireplace. Its centre was big enough for me to stand in, at least twice over. Writhing stone monsters, or perhaps they were demons, made up the massive surround. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look. Yes, demons—and angels...I swallowed hard at the other mythical creatures, werewolves were one of them. Interwoven with the supernatural beings, women were depicted in various states of sexual intercourse with them all. It was the weirdest, most garish and disturbing fireplace I’d ever seen.
In the fire grate, unnaturally red and yellow flames burned. The heat was tremendous and beads of perspiration ran down my chest and back. Despite the heat, chills skittered down my spine. Wiping my palms on my jeans, I glanced around the room as we waited for the warden. The carpet was thick, and the room was sparsely furnished, though decadent in the items that were there. Bottles of whiskey and other liquors sat on a table. I frowned, staring at an unlabelled bottle that was half full of viscous ruby liquid. I inhaled and scented blood. Why in hell would he want bottled blood? I averted my gaze and continued to study the room. A large couch sat right in front of the fireplace, so close anyone sitting on it would surely cook. There was a whole wall of black curtains but no hint of daylight, only lamps and the vivid flames gave any illumination. We must still be underground, so I had no idea what might be behind those curtains.
“Thank you, Zander.” That crooning tone sent shivers