Zack was at a crossroads. He could remain inactive to protect Kat, but she would forever be hunted because she would never leave my side. It was her loyalty I was sure of, and that was how I knew Zack would help. Even without the use of my magic, I could feel that something had changed. At some point, whether he knew it or not, he had accepted the bond between them.
“Be prepared. I won’t be able to give you a heads-up,” was all he said, eyes grim and jaw clenched. He was silent for so long that I thought he might just turn and leave. His eyes flickered toward the door as he asked, “Can you use your abilities subtly? Without the victim knowing of it?”
I had long since stopped flinching at the mention of my powers and merely nodded in response.
“Then it’s a good thing there are three guards stationed outside your cell,” Zack replied, a slight twitch of his lips easing the tension in his jaw. With two large strides, he was at the metal door. “Make sure to look sickly when Mabel returns, or she’ll use her magic on you again. It looks rather painful.”
“Asshole,” I muttered, slumping back onto the bed as Zack pounded on the door twice.
It swung open with a thud, revealing one of the meatheads guarding my cell. When the door clattered shut, I slowly moved from the bed. Instead of leaning against the door, which clearly had some silver in its metal, I opted for the wall.
Zack wouldn’t have mentioned feeding off the guards if the walls also contained silver, so I decided to take my chances. If it didn’t work, I’d just have a migraine for a few hours. I slumped to the floor, my back against the wall, and closed my eyes to focus on the sounds around me. The reinforced walls and door muffled most noises, but I could hear the guards’ muffled chatter.
It took time and concentration to feel the flicker of life within their bodies, but slowly I connected. My instincts screamed to take what I needed, to rip it from them for the damage they had caused. But I knew that would lead to a long visit from Mabel. Instead, I fought my instincts and gently grazed the surface of their life forces. The power I received was minimal, but it was like a breath of fresh air, cooling my lungs and soothing my muscles.
My shoulders slumped as pain and agony seeped from my bones, replaced by a small trickle of warmth. I stayed that way for what felt like nearly an hour, slowly sapping the guards’ strength. I stood up before taking too much more, knowing it would be dangerous for them to grow tired or die.
My legs no longer felt like jelly, and the soreness had mostly faded. When I heard their voices sputter out, accompanied by a creeping coldness, I knew I had stopped just in time. I heard the sound of locks being unlatched, one at a time.
The room was small enough that I made it to the bed before Mabel strolled in. I didn’t bother throwing back the blankets; I hadn’t bothered the first time I passed out. I laid on my stomach, my hair a knotted mess, and my face buried in the pillows.
Her footsteps were soft and calculated as she approached. I felt the distinct pressure of a combat boot against the side of my head. She nudged me hard enough to make me wince, and I didn’t hold back the half-conscious snarl that escaped my lips.
“I must’ve taken a lot out of you,” she snickered softly, her voice just inches from my head. I made no move to indicate that I had heard her. Still, she continued, “Or maybe you’re just not as strong as everyone thinks you are. It’s pathetic, really. Lucky for me, I’m your kryptonite.”
Mabel didn’t linger long, giving me one last nudge with her boot before leaving the room, whistling a jolly tune that made me want to leap from the bed. I made it a point not to hate-it was an emotion similar to toxic waste. But Mabel was the closest I had come to feeling it. The beauty in her scowls, the cruelty that seemed so out of place on such a young face. Monsters didn’t always look the part; often, they were the most beautiful of creatures.
I didn’t move from my spot, feeling the camera’s cold steel eyes on my back as I breathed deeply, pretending to sleep. Eventually, true sleep claimed me.
I woke again to the feel of a boot on my face. This time, when my eyes snapped open, I glared up at Mabel with bared teeth. Her thick, obsidian braid dangled in my face, the tips brushing against my nose.
“Time to wake up,” she snarled, realizing I was focusing on the large eyepatch covering nearly a fourth of her face. I let out a raspy yelp as her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me up into a sitting position. Pain washed over my scalp, and I felt the individual hairs being torn from my head. I scrambled to follow where she led, and only when I was sitting on the floor did she remove her claws from my hair.
I snarled up at her, then whipped my head to glare at Maverick, who stood against the far wall. He had changed his suit, opting for charcoal with a pale blue tie that matched his and Zack’s eyes. By all accounts, he was a handsome man, but once you saw the monster in his gaze, you never forgot.
“I haven’t seen Mabel hate someone this much before,” he stated, eyeing us like experiments rather than people. “You two will have to remain civil once we start working together.”
Amidst the fury, a petty thought rose to the surface. “If I were to join you, would I outrank Mabel?”
It was a stupid question, but I knew it would piss Mabel off. Maverick would tell the truth, as he had no reason to care what either of us thought.
“If that’s what you wanted, then yes,” he said with a lift of his eyebrow, then shrugged indifferently. “I would name you my second in command. Under supervision, of course.”
The rage and flicker of fear on her face filled me with more warmth than any soul could. Any guilt I felt was squashed by her choice to work for Maverick. That meant she could suffer the consequences when he treated her like his other minions-expendable.
“Of course,” I grinned sardonically, my eyes latched onto Mabel’s reddened face.
“As you’ve stated many times, though, you will not willingly join us. I had hoped your sense of self-preservation would lend some wisdom, but clearly, I was mistaken.” Maverick sighed like a disappointed parent. “You could have lived up to your potential as the ultimate weapon.” I bristled but remained unnaturally still, wary of Mabel making a grab for me.
Maverick frowned down at me, devoid of sympathy or regret. Only the unnerving determination to do whatever was needed to reach his goal remained. “Your twins have retreated, revealing themselves for the cowards they are. I now realize that to inspire your loyalty, I must break your spirit. You will come with us to your pack, and when your people are broken and dying, your surrender will smother their last hope. Sleep while you can, Sophia. I want you awake for the following events.”
Mabel tapped her wrist, an invisible clock ticking down. Soon, time would run out.
Once Maverick and Mabel left, taking my smoldering fury with them, I curled up on the bed. I hated how the blankets felt against my skin and how they smelled of laundry detergent and dryer sheets, not like the twins’ blankets that smelled both masculine and earthy.
My thoughts and worries meshed into one, coagulating into a nightmare with no beginning or end. I was running through blood-soaked streets conjured by my subconscious, evading Maverick’s claws as they descended from the sky, when a loud siren sounded. It blasted through my dream, one loud whoop after another. His hands gripped my shoulders, nails digging into flesh as he tore and tore…
My eyes snapped open, the sound of Maverick’s laugh ringing in my ears as the hazy images of my dream faded. Those hands were still on my shoulders, but their fingers no longer dug into me. There was no pain, just the soothing clash of sparks dancing across my skin.