Not only had they taught me everything I needed to know up until my sophomore year of high school, but we had traveled everywhere together. I hadn’t understood the point of attending a human school at the time but in retrospect, I was going to assume it was a lesson like everything else had been with them.
There were those that despised what I am and what my family was. A druid. My family stemmed from a long line of Celtic hierarchy that was particularly known for practicing dark powerful earth magic. I wasn’t positive it had transferred to me because while I could incinerate people, I didn’t have many other insane magical powers. I was proud of my heritage and did what little I could manage in this place to show my respect to the realm I lived in.
So you can imagine why the state of this place and the energy it seemed to suck from the land infuriated me. The darkness of my cell was only highlighted by the Grim Reaper crimson shadows that floated by. If my grandparents hadn’t died. If Drake hadn’t shown up to claim responsibility for us, despite being some bullshit second cousin, then where would I be? How had he even known about us? I could only blame the local witch coven who seemed to grossly detest my sister and me.
A light knock had me smiling as I walked over to the door and tugged it open, coming face to chest with Milo. I looked up at my odd Ink Mage and his lilac eyes were nearly ametyst, as he offered me a small smile.
“Got bored?” I teased stepping back as he leaned in the doorway, his eyes flashing around my room with interest. Every time he came over I felt like he was seeing my room for the first time, it was so odd. Sometimes I was wondering if I was dealing with the same Milo everyday.
“Or missed you,” He offered with a cheeky smile before pulling a piece of paper from his white and black striped pants.
I eagerly took it and opened up the smooth piece of artwork, my lips pressing up into a smile. So I had a bit of an addiction, I have to admit. It was Milo’s drawings. At least three times a week, he gave me elaborate drawings of star scapes that he thought I would enjoy. I walked into my room and he followed the door closing on us.
“Its stunning,” I pointed out as his smile widened as he sat on the bed and watched me lay it on the ground, facing upside now. It was stunning, a deep blue and purple pattern filled with white twinkling stars.
“Remember what to say?” He asked quietly as he pulled me to sit between his large legs, leaning back against his chest. I nodded and spoke a soft word in the Fae Horde language. The Horde being the kingdom of the Fae realm that Milo originated from. I had to admit that I was a bit surprised Milo was holding me like this. I tended to follow his lead when it came to the touch that he was and wasn’t okay with.
Suddenly, the room wavered with soft purple magic and the paper disappeared, my eyes shooting up to the curved ceiling of my bedroom. Instantly, I felt my body relax back into Milo whose fingers continued to strum through my hair in an easy pattern. The entire ceiling was now a smoky cosmos scape that had my heart slowing as peace filled me. I tilted my head to look up at Milo who was already staring at me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Instead of saying anything, he just brushed a curl back and ran a thumb across my lip making me shiver. Milo. I had no idea what to make of the man. Half the time I felt like I had a stupid crush on him and the other half of the time I felt like my skin was on fire from his touch. Moments like this made me feel like there was something very real between us, but then there were moments where I felt like he barely saw anyone around him.
I wasn’t one to get confused very often but I could admit this man confused me.
I groaned as a guard barked my name from outside the door and I stood, going to open it. Whoever the fuck this was, I was pissed at them for breaking our moment. Immediately I sneered because it was fucking Kyle. A human on a fucking power trip at being a guard in a supernatural prison. His beady dark eyes and pudgy body shook as he slammed a food tray into my chest and I snarled stepping forward, the food smearing all over my uniform and dropping to the floor between us.
Now, I didn’t hate many people. Really. It took a lot of care and effort for me to hate you, but this prick? I fucking hated him.
“Step the fuck back,” He demanded but I only stepped forward. I could feel Milo leaning against the wall behind me and I could feel his magic wrapping around me despite not stepping in to take control of the situation, something I very much appreciated. I wouldn’t mind staying in prison if it meant killing Kyle. A thought that would probably have Milo stopping me from my action. I could see Kyle shaking in anger and fear. His magic zapper, that would effectively stun me, was out and he was waving it around like a stupid wand.
“You ruined my fucking dinner,” I goaded my voice soft and dangerous. “You better go get me another tray Kyle, or else we are going to have a much larger issue.” I really wasn’t even fucking hungry. I just wanted him out of my space. Out of this prison.
Kyle had always hated me. Well, not more than the other prisoners, at least not at first, but once I had stood up to the massive man, the issues had begun. Now I knew that if he had the chance he would end me, but it would take a lot for him to be able to do that. As in I would have to be already fucking dead to let him touch me.
“Kyle,” A smooth deep voice, that sent chills up my spine, echoed in the halls, “last time I checked, you had a lot of other inmates you had to get dinner to.”
“She’s threatening me, Sgt. Vaughn,” He poked a finger at me and I stepped back to avoid his touch. If he touched me I may incinerate him and I didn’t need more years added to my sentence. What had it been again? Thirty? Forty? Who the fuck knew. I just knew I would fucking kill him. I wasn’t nearly as scared of the other man, mostly because I knew him well.
Probably a bit too well to be honest.
“Go,” Sgt. Vaughn demanded. Vaughn was one of the head guards here and as a sergeant was in charge of underlings like Kyle. The human bastard flipped me off and strode down the hall away from the two of us. Without thought I pulled off my half top, leaving me in a lace bra, and dropped it on top of the food. I turned to go back into my cell wanting to avoid the pretty sapphire eyes I could feel crawling across my skin. Milo intertwined his hand with my own and I took a deep breath as he paused the burning fury waging a war under my skin.
“Milo back to your cell,” Vaughn demanded his voice sharp and annoyed.
Milo let out a low dangerous noise, “You have no reason to be in her cell. Kyle is gone. Why are you still here?”
“I need to talk to Val,” He stated the two of them facing off and making me feel even more annoyed than before. My fucking star drawing was no doubt gone. It was bullshit and now Vaughn was ruining my time with Milo.
“It’s fine,” I murmured towards Milo meeting his stunning eyes, “I’ll come by before breakfast in the morning.”
Milo searched my face before he nodded, kissing my forehead before offering Vaughn a sneer in passing. I watched him leave and felt my chest tighten. I hadn’t really wanted him to go.
“Val,” Vaughn’s voice was soft and demanding as he gripped my wrist in a gentle but demanding hold, pulling me from my thoughts.
I swallowed as my magic bubbled and offered the wolf shifter a sad and disappointed look. You have to understand... Vaughn? I knew him before I’d come to live in this hell hole. Not well because I had only known him from high school and it was more in passing, but it had been complete recognition when I had met his gaze that first time. Ever since then he had tried to talk to me at every turn and I had avoided it. Mostly because of the insanity that came out of his mouth each time we spoke.