Chapter 1 #2
That bastard was one of the only ones to live after pulling some shit like that, which had actually turned out to be a good move in the end, because our relationship with the Illusions of Crow seemed more important now that the humans were growing increasingly bolder.
In fact, if we needed to recruit help, it was probably where we needed to go…
“This tunnel always gives me an odd feeling.” Arabella’s voice was soft as she looked around, a bit of caution in her gaze.
It was interesting, because nothing ever freaked the woman out, so when I looked around the tunnel, I tried to view it from her point of view…
and I had to admit, it wasn’t the most appealing space.
The tunnel that led from the elevator was nearly twenty stories in height, double the size of the door we were leaning against. The rounded concrete sides were extremely clean, but the curved ceiling was so high up that it was dark and shaded.
The echo was loud through the space after everything we said, and the air was cold and almost dry.
It did have an odd feel to it, a bit uncomfortable.
It shouldn’t have felt tight because of how large it was, but it made you feel almost constrained.
Maybe it was the fluorescent lighting along the sides and how it lit up every twenty feet and then turned off…
which was probably the uncomfortable part since the end of the hallway by the elevator was completely bathed in darkness to the human eye.
The place reeked of danger, and it was almost made to scare you. Which was probably a good thing, considering where it led to.
This was a dangerous part of the institute, and I rarely considered anything ‘dangerous,’ so that was saying something. Although, that assessment was more in reference to Arabella’s involvement in it.
I knew most of the places in the institute, but there were always new places I was finding, almost as if the building was ever-changing and sentient.
It didn’t have any actual power signature, but it was gut instinct that told me that was the case, that it was, in fact, changing.
Either that or the Director, Arabella’s father, had managed to figure out how to bring this place alive.
The Director. The fucking Director.
Now that was not a conversation I was looking forward to, and not because of his daughter being Death’s mate… No, it was going to be complicated enough trying to explain to the others what Arabella was, but explaining it to her father?
His daughter wasn’t a normal human. She was something so much more special than that…something that would cause nightmares everywhere to want her. Something that meant she was in danger almost constantly, and not for the reasons he assumed.
Hell, maybe he knew, at least in part. I mean, he had kept her locked up here most of her life... I was sort of hoping so, because if not, this shit was going to be a bit weird.
I paused as what she had just said hit me. “What was that?”
“This tunnel always makes me…” Arabella’s eyes widened, and her next words came out in a rush. “Makes me feel nothing! I’ve never been here. Ever.”
Oh, my sweet, sweet flower.
“Flower,” I chuckled, “how often do you come down here?”
Her eyes went wide and cheeks flushed as if she was surprised.
It was clear she explored this part of the institute way more than she told anyone.
I should have realized it when I noticed how comfortable she was walking into a den of nightmares that enjoyed slaughtering humans in an uncontrolled manner.
I mean, normally she was comfortable, but this was practiced, and she had even realized the security had been updated.
She had definitely visited this part of the institute before—more than once.
Something I probably should have noticed, and was a bit pissed I hadn’t, especially when it had been the first thing that popped into her head upon learning of the humans’ plans…
Then again, I’d just fucked her hard enough that I’d seen stars, so you couldn’t blame me for being distracted.
“Do not tell the others,” she demanded fiercely, her voice almost having a slight growl to it. Damn, this woman was perfect. If she started to growl, I wouldn’t be able to control my actions in any capacity.
“How often?” I asked curiously.
Drawing in her bottom lip, she answered, “Okay, only about once a month, honestly.”
Holy shit.
She continued, “But they deserve someone to talk to also! It’s not like they are really prisoners, they are just at a special…home. I refuse to think of them as prisoners, Saint. They are better than that, even if they aren’t good with humans or don’t agree with us on how to handle them.”
I loved this woman.
I was also now very jealous of her care for these nightmares.
“Are they, though? Are they better than that?” I asked knowingly. “I don’t think they are.”
“Saint.” She scowled.
“How the hell have you managed to hide this?” I mused, her body relaxing, realizing I wasn’t upset. I wasn’t Razar, after all—I wasn’t going to flip. Although, I suppose I could find a way to punish her by fucking her on the floor of this massive tunnel.
“I may go sometimes when you guys are traveling for a mission…” she hedged. “To chill out a bit beforehand and get my mind off the potential danger you are being placed in.”
“Arabella.” I grasped her jaw gently so that she would stop avoiding my gaze. I was jealous when it came to Arabella’s attention and preferred her beautiful eyes fully focused on me and me alone.
“What?!” she protested, offering me a pointed look. “They are all super cool and very insightful! They’ve been alive forever.”
“So have I!” I growled indignantly. I was getting completely sidetracked, but it was true—I had been alive forever. If she needed someone cool to talk to, she could talk to me!
“Yeah, but we talk all the time,” she teased. “There is nothing wrong with having more friends, Saint.”
“I would disagree. I think you should have only a few friends. There are plenty of us on your team. And then your father.” See? No other friends needed.
“What about your sister?” she pointed out.
“Eve, is fine, I guess.” To say I wasn’t happy with my sister right now was an understatement. I had wanted to be the one to reveal to my flower that we were mates, and the fact that Eve told her infuriated me—mostly because Arabella’s feelings had been hurt. No one was allowed to hurt her. Ever.
Somewhat ironic since I had killed her earlier tonight.
I nodded towards the door, wanting to move off the topic of my sister. “Who exactly is in there?” It was something I should have known, but considering they had managed to restrain them, I hadn’t been very concerned.
“Oh, wait till you meet them!” She smiled and then frowned. “I don’t actually know if they have told me their real names, but I know what they are called in the files. One of them is actually classified as a god terror.”
I blinked. “You have managed to keep a god terror in here?”
“Yep.” She nodded.
Yeah, this bastard wanted to be here, and I was very curious to know why.
“How long have they been here?”
“How long has Order been here? Oh, probably sixty something years… I would have to ask my father.” She shrugged as I groaned.
No. No. No. No. No… I hated that bastard.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I muttered. “I just hate Slater.”
“You know Order? His name is Slater?” Yeah, I knew him, and I was really hoping Eve didn’t realize he was here.
Their history was complicated. Then again, maybe that wasn’t a horrible idea…
she deserved a bit of payback for what she had done to make my flower mad at me.
I let my power out and connected immediately with my sister, her opposite Life magic greeting mine.
“What?” she asked through our telepathic connection.
“Slater is locked up down here, apparently.”
I could practically feel her anger at my blunt statement. “What the hell do you mean he is down there?”
“Been here for six decades, apparently. He’s pretending to be a prisoner.”
Which meant he was waiting for her… Fascinating. I cut off our connection as Arabella offered me a confused look.
“Eve and Slater have a past,” I explained while lazily running my fingers through her pink hair, noticing the strands seemed to almost have sparkles embedded in them. “I let her know he was here.”
“Oh.” Arabella smiled. “Are they mates?”
I tilted my head. “Yes…sort of. Eve’s magic works differently than most god terrors. While we only have one mate during our entire life, because she is constantly reborn…she has several.”
“Oh,” she muttered, and then her smile grew. “So she likes multiple men also?”
Before I could tease her about the understatement of ‘like’ to describe the emotions between us, the elevator door opened and I heard Razar call out my flower’s name.
I sighed. Here we fucking go…
How long did we want to bet he went until he realized that I’d screwed our little flower, ripped out her soul, and left her alive?