Sighing, I leaned my head back once we sat down and tried to ignore the prisoners around me, but as daggers began to burn into my face from their stares, I finally acknowledged their presence.
“If you have something to say, just spit it out,” I snapped to no one in particular.
Anthony chuckled. “Told you she was spunky.”
The one nearest to me grunted. “Spunk will get you killed around here. How’d you end up in cell block B?”
“No idea, but I’m just waiting on the warden to make some time for me, and then I plan to find out. If I’d have known where I was headed before I was escorted from his office yesterday, I wouldn’t have left.”
“Are you afraid of a little excitement with some real men?” the same guy asked, and I didn’t hesitate in my next move.
Using my foot, I hooked it around his leg and lifted swiftly before coming down on his neck with my right hand. My body straddled his in a move that was nowhere near romantic but pinned him down just how I wanted.
“I don’t know who you are, dude. In fact, I don’t even really care, but you might want to know who I am. I’m a chick who doesn’t put up with sexist men who think just because I have tits and nothing swinging between my legs that they can bully me. I don’t put up with bullies. I’d sooner eat them for dinner than deal with their shit. Got it?”
The guy beneath me gasped for air as I pinched his windpipe with my right hand and pressed into his sciatic nerve with my left. A girl didn’t need muscles to kick a big guy’s ass, she just needed to know where to push for the greatest impact. Growing up as an orphan had its advantages.
When I pulled back pressure, he wheezed and pushed me off of him. I gladly went back to my seat and waited for any other smartass remarks.
“Keep that psycho away from me. She belongs in here, maybe even more than most of us,” he rasped before rolling off the bench and sulking away.
Anthony shook his head at me. “Well, that was Mark. He would have been a good friend if you hadn’t tried to kill him.”
My eyes rolled. “I didn’t try to kill him. I made a point. Big difference. Plus, I don’t need friends like him. He’s an asscracker.”
Laughter came from the two other guys that stayed before they introduced themselves. “I’m Ethan. Bear shifter,” a tall and brawny guy said first. His dark hair was curly but kept short above his ears, and his eyes were a deep honey.
“And I’m Gabe. Incubus.” Gabe smirked, and I was immediately thankful powers didn’t work in the inmate areas. I didn’t need him making me look like a fool with his powers of seduction. The sparkle of his emerald eyes told me he likely was in Mandora because of said abilities.
“Nice to meet you both. I’m Cara. A semi-powerful witch you don’t want to mess with.” Okay, my power was mediocre at best, but they didn’t need to know that.
They spent the rest of the morning giving me more rules I probably wouldn’t listen to and telling stories about each other. All three guys kept trying to come up with something to out-embarrass the others. It was hilarious, and I decided that my made-up second rule of prison was to find entertainment.
If I was going to be stuck behind bars for gods knew how long, at least I wouldn’t be bored.
The afternoon went by tortuously slow, especially after lunch, because we were forced back outside again in weather that wasn’t nearly as friendly as before. A storm was rolling through, and rain pounded into my face as I huddled in a corner with Anthony, Ethan, and Gabe.
The only good part of the day was that the Fabled Four didn’t appear for lunch, so eating had been much more enjoyable. I’d even snuck in a few cups of coffee and was feeling extra feisty, even with the shitty weather.
“So, how the hell does one get a job inside, so we’re not stuck out here all day every day? I’m down for whatever it takes. Well, except if those other guys are trading sexual favors for preferential treatment, then I’m out,” I said.
Gabe choked on air. “Geez, you have no filter, do you?”
My shoulders shrugged. “What’s the point of living if I can’t be who I really am? I get hiding our magic. Humans aren’t ready for that level of awesome, but I’ve never been one to let anyone dim my light, no matter how big or bad they are.”
Technically, that was a lie. Before my parents died, I’d always lived within their shadow. My dad was a powerful sorcerer and my mom a high-ranking witch. Yet somehow, I’d been born with limited powers, not making me anything they were proud of or wanted anything to do with. I was more of a burden to them growing up, and they’d often left me alone while they went off to do whatever it was they did for our coven.
When I was told they were dead from a mission gone wrong, I was actually relieved. Well, up until the coven kicked me out and I had nowhere to call my own. Ever since that day, I decided to live for myself. Trying to be someone I wasn’t and doing what made other people happy instead of myself had gotten me nothing but pain, and I refused to go back to that place in my life again. Maybe one day someone would come along and change my outlook, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
Anthony nudged me, and I blinked away the past. It wasn’t somewhere I liked to visit. Having my eyes on the future was always better. If I couldn’t change something, there was no point in wasting energy on worrying about it.
A loud bell rang, and everyone rushed for the doors. It was dinner time, and my mind instantly went to the Fabled Four. As much as they had triggered my inner bitch, they also intrigued me. Who were they really? What did they do? And how had they ended up being the warden’s minions?
The only one to really talk to me so far was Gunner. He seemed to be more of an instigator, but not the leader. I could tell they were all alpha males of some sort from the way they carried themselves, but I bet only one truly led their little pack of misfits.
As about thirty inmates rushed for the food line, Anthony kept a tight hold on my arm. Even though I hadn’t listened to him and basically told him I had no intentions of doing so, he was still looking out for me.
I’d never had that before and it was kind of nice, but I wasn’t getting attached. This place wasn’t home, and I needed to focus on getting out of Mandora as soon as possible instead of making new friends. Apparently, my plans to figure out my departure were going to be put on hold, though. Warden Gillian had left the premises and wasn’t due back for a few days.
“Even though the Fabled Four weren’t at lunch, I’d still advise on making dinner quick. If they show their faces, I’d assume yours will be the first they look for,” Anthony warned.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll be on my best behavior.” My eyelashes fluttered innocently at him, causing him to laugh.
On the menu were hamburgers and various sides that didn’t look all that awful. For a prison, I was actually impressed with the food options. It could only be better if I wasn’t supposed to basically eat it so fast that I couldn’t even taste it.
We sat down at the same table we’d been at for breakfast and lunch, and I was beginning to see there were unofficial assigned seats for everyone. People didn’t often move around and that was good with me. Made it easier to watch my own back if I knew where everyone else was.