Once she was free of Jaxon’s underwear, I set her on the dresser. “As much as I’d love to hear how you ended up down there, we need to go see the warden. We have a rare moment of freedom and need to get permission from Gillian to go see Greggor.”
Her eyes lit up with glee. “Those idiots left us alone even after we told them we had a secret?”
“Yes. Now, let’s go.” I threw a sweatshirt over my head and kept my yoga pants on that I’d slept in. Normally when I left the lair, I was either wearing workout gear or the hideous yellow jumpsuit, but I didn’t have time to change, and the stretchy pants would pass well enough for workout attire if someone questioned me.
Grabbing Nixie, I darted to the front door, peeking out before stepping into the hallway. The coast was clear, and I made a run for it with Nixie tucked into the front pocket of my sweatshirt. We passed a guard, but I waved instead of getting nervous, and he simply glared as I commented about changing up my morning run routine.
Thankfully, even though the guards mostly hated that our group had certain freedoms, they didn’t bother us. Not since Brent was killed. It had been a message to all of the guards that we weren’t to be messed with.
Deacon was nowhere to be seen, but Alex was leering over the counter. “What do you want?” he spat.
Alex was the guard to replace Brent. He was just as surly as the vampire had been, but more bark than bite. The warlock was lanky with no muscle on him, relying completely on his power when he needed it, which I hoped would one day be his downfall.
“I need to see Warden Gillian,” I said with authority in my voice, letting just a bit of my persuasion through.
“Fine. Just knock first.” The warlock glared his beady eyes and sat back down as soon as I nodded, then he resumed playing on his phone.
Before I could even raise my hand, Warden Gillian was already opening the door. “Good morning, Cara. To what do I owe this pleasure?” His gaze went behind me, likely looking for the Fabled Four.
“I’d like to have a quick word with you if possible.”
He nodded, moving out of the way so I could step in. Once the door was closed, I went on full guard, drawing my power forward in case he tried anything, but it ended up not being necessary. The warden went to his desk and waited for me to speak first, which was odd for him.
The last few interactions with Gillian had been tense with lots of yelling. He was pissed we still hadn’t found his son, but since we’d killed one of the vampires during our last attempt to get him, the Luccovinos had changed their plans. Several times.
The only thing that had kept the warden from being a complete dick was that I’d used my abilities several times on his guards or new prisoners when he requested. People who had seen or heard more than they should have. Though, the bastard was always sly about it.
Gillian never told me what I was asking them never to repeat, just using timeframes. So, I was left saying something vague like, “You will forget what you saw today. All you’ll remember about today was that it was boring and you’re glad it’s over.” Not at all how I’d hope my role would go, but then again, it could have been worse.
“I was wondering if I could leave the prison and go see a friend who might be able to help find your son. Though, I’d like to do it on my own, and soon, if possible,” I said, maintaining eye contact and reminding him that he no longer scared me.
Once I found out exactly what the warden was, a fae who preferred the darker tones of magic, I knew how to handle him better. He reminded me a lot of my father, and I’d spent years avoiding that asshole’s wrath and learned a lot while doing so.
“On your own, you say? Why not with the Fabled Four?” he asked.
“Because this friend doesn’t like a lot of people, and I don’t need them making this harder. I promise it will help find your son and I’ll only be gone a couple of days.”
Nixie had let me know the night before that as soon as her powers were fully restored, she could open a portal like Mason often did. So, drive time to Illinois would only be one way.
“Who is this friend you speak of? How do you know you can trust him?” Gillian asked.
“His name is Greggor.” The others had made the demon sound like a legend of sorts, so I didn’t explain further.
The warden’s eyes widened. “You want to do business with Greggor, a demon who could kill you with a snap of his fingers? I’m not sure if you’re stupid or brave.”
“I’m smart, Warden Gillian. So, will you let me go or not?” I didn’t have time for his games. We had to get back to the room before the guys or I was going to be in deep shit, which would make leaving a lot harder.
“Yes, you can have seventy-two hours before I send the Fabled Four after you. Just know that if Greggor doesn’t give you anything helpful to locate my son, I’ll move you back to your prison cell as your punishment for failing.” The smirk on his face told me he was well aware of the tension between Owen and the rest of us, and what it would mean for me to share a closed space with the shifter. Asscracker.
“Understood. Thank you. I’ll be leaving today or tomorrow.” I stood and raced out of the room as fast as I could before the warden changed his mind or added to his conditions. Now that I had his permission to leave the prison grounds, I didn’t have to worry about the cavalry chasing after me and Nixie once we left. Well, as long as we made it back within three days.
“That guy is the biggest idiot,” Nixie said as soon as I pulled her from my pocket.
“I already knew that, but why do you say so?”
“He’s letting one of his most valuable assets leave the prison compound without a guard. Plus, he still has no idea I’m here. How does he miss that?”
I assumed the warden hadn’t sensed Nixie yet because her powers were dulled, but I wasn’t going to remind her of that fact, so I simply shrugged and kept running, picking up the pace with every stride. When we arrived at the room, the door was ajar, and I cursed under my breath.
Increasing my breathing, I started to laugh. “You were right, Nixie. That is one hell of a way to wake up.”
Her brow furrowed, but she recovered quickly. “Told you. Works every time.”
Mason, Spencer, and Blake were standing there, glaring at me, clearly not happy I wasn’t in the room when they came back.
“What works every time?” Spencer demanded.
“Sprinting from one end of the hallway to the other several times. Really gets the endorphins pumping. Oh, coffee!” I exclaimed, changing the subject before they could question me further.
Each of them shared a look while I gulped down the first cup, already soaking up the caffeine and feeling better. “Thanks, Blake. I really appreciate you grabbing this for me,” I said before reaching for the second steaming mug.
“You’re welcome, Siren.” He wasn’t buying my act, but thankfully emotions didn’t give much away without knowing the reason behind them. The empath was probably sensing I was nervous, excited, and curious, but that could mean a number of things and I was going to let him keep guessing.
“Is it just going to be the four of us for training this morning?” I asked as I finished my second cup of coffee and grabbed a bagel, my go-to food before a workout.