Talon turned away, one eye on me until he disappeared behind a door marked Administration. I waited a few more seconds to make sure he didn’t return before grabbing my cousin’s hands.
“Wait,” she muttered under her breath. Wrapping her fingers around my palm, she dragged me down the corridor to another door. She swiped her badge over the reader and pulled me inside. A stairwell. She scanned the walls and then nodded. “No cameras in here.”
“Oh…thank you.” I inhaled a breath and spat it out. “Ella, you can’t tell anyone who I am or that I’m here.” I hoped the desperation tingeing my tone didn’t come off too whiney.
“Before I promise anything you have to answer a few questions. For starters, what are you doing here, Azara? Talon told me you’re his cellmate at Darkblood Prison. I know we haven’t seen each other in a while, but what the Fae happened?”
“It’s kind of a long story,” I grumbled.
“Well, you better make it quick because Talon will be back in about five minutes when he doesn’t find the cuff you obviously didn’t lose.”
“Okay, okay. So I’ve been living in the Nether Lands the last two years because my demon powers got a little out of control. I’d been doing much better so to celebrate I went to a new club at Winter Court. The next thing I know, I’m at Darkblood Prison and they’re saying I soul-sucked an entire Fae village.”
“And Talon’s best friend, Vander?” She clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes gigantic pools of lilac. “Oh my gods, Azara, that was you?”
I shook my head. “That’s the thing, I don’t remember any of it. And now some prison mob boss is trying to kill me, and an Underworld warlord is after me, but I have no idea why. I was set up that night, and we’re trying to figure it all out.”
“That’s crazy. So why is Talon helping you if you killed his best friend?”
“You didn’t hear? Vander’s alive. He’s being held in the Underworld, and we’re going to get him out.”
“We?” Her perfectly plucked blonde brow arched.
“Yeah, me and the Triad.”
She giggled. “Right…”
“Anyway, my parents have no idea what happened, and I have to keep it that way until I can clear my name. I don’t want anyone at the SIA knowing who I am because of Dad. He was a legend here.”
“Yeah, he was. All the males want to be him, and all the females want to be with him—even now that he’s old.”
Eew. I knew my dad was good-looking, but I didn’t need the reminder. “What are you doing here?”
“I joined the SIA when I turned eighteen a few months ago. I was tired of the Fae court B.S. and with my powers, my dad thought it would be good training for me. A princess has to know how to kick some ass after all.”
“Agreed.” I stared at the Fae royal in a navy uniform, her blonde hair pulled up in a tight ponytail, and I was impressed. When I’d met her when we were kids, she seemed like a spoiled brat. I guess I’d been wrong. She could’ve been sitting on a gilded throne eating bonbons all day, but instead she was here fighting bad guys. “Promise to keep my secret?”
“I won’t volunteer the information to anyone here, but if I’m questioned I won’t lose everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve for you.”
I nodded. “Fair enough.”
She grabbed my hand and tugged me to the door. “We better get back before Talon does. We don’t want him to get suspicious. He’s like a dog with a bone—an incredibly hot one.”
Oh, barf, my cousin totally wants Talon. “So I’ve heard.”
As we emerged from the stairwell, the pounding of familiar heavy footfalls echoed from the opposite end of the corridor. We jogged the last few yards on tiptoes to meet Talon where he’d left us.
“Thank you,” I mouthed to Ella as the burly dragon appeared over my shoulder.
“Dammit, Azara. It’s not back there. Do you know how expensive that cuff is? If you lost it—”
I flashed him my wrist with the sleek device back in place. “I found it. Sorry. I guess it slipped out of my pocket in the bathroom. Agent Ella helped me find it.”
“Thank you, Ella.” He gave my cousin a sweet smile, and my insides soured.
Was there something going on between them? I shoved down the unwanted burst of jealousy again. Stupid blood bond. I’d considered telling Ella that little tidbit but something about it felt wrong. Like it was something private that shouldn’t be shared with just anyone.
“Ready to head back, Azara?”
“Not really,” I grumbled. As stressful as this day had been, it beat life in Darkblood a hundred times over.
His fingers curled around my bicep, and my tattoo blazed to life. The purple hue lit up the spaces between his fingers and both he and Ella stared at the mystical light.
My cousin’s nostrils flared, and for a moment I wondered if she could sense our grandfather’s magic. From what Mom had said, GG wasn’t very close to his Fae daughters or their children. “That’s a neat trick,” she finally whispered.
I hadn’t exactly had time to tell her about my bound powers, but maybe I didn’t have to tell her everything just yet.
“Yup.”
“See you, Ella. Good luck with your training.”
“Thanks, T. We miss you around here. Hopefully, you’ll be back soon.”
Talon tugged me forward, and I waved at Ella over my shoulder. “Come on, let’s go before your magic accidentally slips out and something bad happens.”
“Always so negative.” I shook my head at my grumpy bodyguard, and his lip twitched, but he schooled it back into a frown before it had the chance to reveal that ridiculously cute dimple.
Chapter Six
“Congratulations, you passed.”
I stared up at Talon and rubbed my eyes, trying to chase the sleep away. “Passed what?” I tugged at the strap of my thin tank top and couldn’t help but think about the luxurious fabric I’d worn only three days ago. It wasn’t fair that I was back in prison scrubs again.
“The SIA preliminary background check,” huffed Talon as if it were so obvious. Now I knew where he’d been all day yesterday.
The past few days had been completely uneventful and with my dragon shadow gone, way too boring. Which I hated admitting. Our playful-slash-hateful banter at least provided some distraction and entertainment. “So now what?” I pushed the blanket back and hopped out of bed.
Hayden’s rumbling snores filled the back of the room. That angel could sleep through anything. So much for keeping an eye on me while my bodyguard was gone.
Talon folded his massive body onto my mattress, dwarfing the small frame. “Now you have to pass a series of physical tests, a written one and a week-long training session.”
“That doesn’t seem so bad.” Unless my warlock powers decide to make a cameo.
“I’m sure you’ll do fine after training with me.”
“Geez, conceited much?”
He barked out a laugh, and I nearly died of shock. I couldn’t believe I’d coaxed a chuckle from the stoic dragon. “I was being serious, actually. My training methods are the same as the ones you’ll encounter at the SIA.”