Imprisoned Heir Read online

  I tried to focus on Dax’s voice. I really did. But every word he spoke seemed to give more life to the shadows that now swirled across his form. I blinked again, trying to clear them away.

  Dax leaned forward. “Are you okay?”

  “You don’t…” I pointed to the shadows creeping over him. “See that?”

  He glanced down and looked back up at me with a curious twist of his brow. “What is it?”

  I blinked again and the shadows were gone, tendrils and all. I gulped. Twice now, I’d seen something like that. We hadn’t been imprisoned long enough for me to slowly be going insane down here. So what the hell was happening? Waking nightmares?

  “Never mind.” I didn’t want to get into it with Dax in case I truly was going insane. I swung my legs over the side of the bunk and focused on the start of a new day. “Are you feeling better?”

  Dax nodded, although concern still clouded his eyes. “I am. And yourself?” He said the last part with more concern than before.

  I wasn’t sure why I was so surprised Dax seemed to care, but I was. Still, I took stock of myself. My legs felt a little shaky and a headache bloomed at the front of my skull, but I felt fine, all things considered. Except I was apparently seeing things.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  His gaze lingered on me, dropping to the fang marks on my neck and the ever-glowing rune tattoo just above it. His own rune tattoos had a faint teal light to them, but they weren’t searing hot yet. I wondered what time it was. Inside this prison, it was impossible to tell.

  “I’m glad,” he said solemnly, a bitter smile on his lips.

  “Jeez, what’s got you so down in the dumps?”

  Dax crossed his legs beneath him. “Nothing. Without my empire and constant work, I find spending all twenty-four hours awake inside this prison simply boring.”

  I went to protest how after a deadly trial and almost dying of hunger he could be bored, but I closed my mouth. Even in a stranger, I knew deflection when I saw it. Maybe he was thinking about spending life in this prison, never to see his empire again. I could see how that’d be depressing.

  “I feel just as lost without my sister,” I whispered. Admitting it aloud felt like driving a knife into my own chest. My eyes stung with tears. The last time I’d seen Cyra, she’d been lying in bed with darkened veins creeping up her neck, her brow slick with sweat. That had been a few days ago now. No one had been able to tell me over the past year how much time Cyra had left. I only hoped that by the time I escaped from here—one way or another—she was still alive.

  His lips formed a thin line, but he didn’t otherwise respond.

  When I looked at Dax now, he wasn’t the intimidating figure he’d been on the coral transport on the way to prison. That facade was gone. He was an entirely different person this morning than the vampire I’d let feed on me last night. One who might finally answer the question that had been looming in my mind since we’d met.

  “Dax?”

  He looked up to me. “Yes?”

  “When we were on the transport here, you kept asking me questions as if I should have an answer. Then you got mad when I didn’t have any.” The corner of his mouth twitched at my words, so I dug deeper to get to the truth. “I’d never met you before that day. I’m pretty sure I would remember meeting the leader of a vampiric empire like yours.”

  Dax’s eyes darkened. “Like how you should remember killing two sea fae nobles but don’t?”

  My jaw dropped. I hadn’t told any of them that Frost’s guesses about me had been true. How did he know? “I don’t—”

  Dax lifted one hand and a softly glowing purple energy sifted between his fingers. “There’s a simple illusion hiding us now. But it will only hold as long as we’re quiet when talking. Like Titus, not all of my magic is bound by these runes. I assume yours is not, either.”

  They couldn’t take magic away from us, not fully. Not without powerful and ancient banned magic that even the sea court didn’t use lightly as it often hurt the caster as well as immobilizing the victim.

  “I haven’t tried to use my magic. Except during the trial.” And even then, my small attempts at controlling water had been the unfortunate extent of my power. At least as far as I was concerned. “I’m much better with weapons and lockpicks.”

  Dax nodded, grinning lightly. “So I’ve heard. I wondered if it might be true that the half-fae reported to have stolen enough money and valuable art from the rich to buy an island might be imprisoned with me.”

  “You’ve heard of me?”

  “Everyone with ties in Cornwall has, Nyx. We rich people talk to each other and try to plan on ways to keep you out of our mansions.”

  His phrasing disgusted me. We rich people. But I knew it was true. A few months after I’d started, the mansions had gotten harder to break into. Added security guards, traps, hidden switches. I liked the challenge, though.

  “Why do you do it?” Dax asked.

  My stare hardened. “Because not all of us are so lucky. And some of us are running from a court that would rather see us dead or impoverished than alive and well. I don’t keep the money, if that’s what you’re asking. I spread it around to those who need it. No island buying here.”

  “An admirable cause,” Dax said.

  I leaned toward him. “That doesn’t explain the familiarity in your words.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that aloud. Yet it was impossible to remember the way his eyes had undressed me on that transport. Or the sensual hold he’d put me in while feeding from me.

  At that, Dax stood and slowly crossed the cell before kneeling in front of me. “I’m afraid I’ve a bit of a confession to make. I realize you may not believe me, nor find my apology genuine, either. But that’s what happens when you run the empire I do.”

  I shifted backward on the bunk, surprised by his words—and the sincerity in them. “What’s going on?”

  With an even tone, he said, “As it turns out, it’s not you I’ve met before. If you know what I mean.”

  My jaw slid open. No one knew about Eos except for my sister and the crazy necromancer who’d fucked up his summoning ritual and caused our souls to be bound together. Could anyone hear us outside Dax’s illusion?

  Dax’s smile faded. “I didn’t know when she and I met that she wasn’t in the body she was made to be in. To be honest with you, Nyx, I’m surprised she was able to hold on for hours at a time.”

  Oh, my gods. He does know.

  I swallowed hard. “She’d galivant across Cornwall all night.”

  Dax nodded. “And into my empire. I am truly sorry for all that happened. Had I known the situation in full, that the body she inhabited wasn’t hers, I…”

  I tuned out the rest of his apology as the realization of what he was saying—and the reason for his intimate gazes—sunk in. Bile slicked my throat and I pulled back more on the bunk.

  “You slept with me?” I asked, appalled. “Her. Me. Whatever.”

  He lifted his hands in a ‘lower your voice’ gesture. “I didn’t know you two were soul bound. I wouldn’t have if I knew, Nyx. I swear. She came out last night after you fell unconscious from blood loss and—”

  “Last night!” Disgust filtered through me. Eos was a prison worse than Atlantis—because she was sentient. Inside me. Taking over my body. Making me do things I wouldn’t have ever done.

  I guessed I had assumed that during those nights where she’d party along the coastline that plenty of things had been happening that I hadn’t known about. And to a certain extent, I also understood that being stuck inside me couldn’t have been her ideal way to pass the time. It sure as hell wasn’t mine.

  But coming face-to-face with Dax about it, with one of the guys she’d slept with, roiled my stomach. Like if I didn’t know whom she’d slept with and when, then I could pretend it never happened.

  Dax’s eyebrows creased and he inclined his head downward a bit. “I’m sorry. I realize that coming from someone who makes profit
off selling humans to vampires, it may not sound genuine. But that’s just business. I personally would never feed off of or sleep with someone who wasn’t willing.”

  That… so did not make it any better. I really was stuck in prison with the worst of the worst. But Dax did seem genuine about his apology.

  I ran my hands through my hair, holding my head between them. “It’s… fine.”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s not. Especially not after feeding on you.”

  “Hey, I okayed that. You were going to die down here.”

  A faint smile played at his lips. “You only care about me staying alive because of the trials.”

  “Of course,” I said. “Much in the same way you care about me only because of Eos.”

  His eyebrow twitched.

  “You love her, don’t you?” I asked. When he didn’t say anything, I added, “Or at least care about her?”

  Dax nodded. “I—”

  A loud bang sounded against the bars of my cell. Zavian stood on the other side, his trident in hand and a scowl on his face that darkened the shade of his beautiful blue eyes. His guard uniform strained against his muscular body. Today, he wore his white-blond hair down over his shoulders. “What’s going on in here?”

  I quickly tossed hair over my shoulder to the front to hide Dax’s bite mark. So much for his illusion. Maybe I’d made it disappear with my loud disgust. “We’re just chatting.”

  Zavian’s shoulder rose with a sharp inhale. “Breakfast is in five minutes. Be ready.” His curt words cut on each syllable. He was pissed. Why?

  Oh. I met his gaze once more. His grip on his trident was white-knuckled.

  “Okie dokie,” I said with a mock salute. I wasn’t sure what had possessed me to be so flippant in the presence of such rage flowing from him, but I liked it.

  Seething, Zavian paced away, heading back down the corridor.

  Frost gave a low whistle from across the way. She and Titus stood watching us from their cell. “You’re sure having an eventful morning. You’ve got Dax over there on his knees apologizing, and our handler ready to rip the cell bars apart to get to you.” She clapped slowly. “Well done, Nyx.”

  I rolled my eyes and straightened my uniform. “Maybe by day’s end, I can get Titus on my team too.”

  Titus’s face remained stoic.

  Frost, however, laughed loudly and clapped him on the back. “Well, he sure as hell ain’t on mine!”

  A shrill alarm split the air, alerting us it was time to start moving toward our next destination. Frost clapped once more and then led the charge of our unit making our way toward the mess hall for breakfast.

  As I made my way out of my cell, Dax grabbed my arm in a loose hold. “Hey. Just one thing.”

  I turned back to him. “What?”

  A fierce look in his crimson eyes took my breath away. “Listen, I know in retrospect that I had no right to sleep with you, even if I thought you were Eos. And you and I have no relationship like that. But if you need protection from that guard, just say the word. He’s definitely got it out for you. If I’m going to die anyway, I should do it making it up to you.”

  I bit my lip and met his stare. Zavian absolutely had it out for me. He hated my guts. There was no denying that. It would be nice to have protection. Even if there was a solid chance we all might die anyhow.

  My lips curled with a genuine smile. “Thank you. I think I’ll be okay, but I won’t say no.”

  A determined glaze came over his eyes. “Consider it done.”

  13

  Nyx

  After breakfast, Zavian called our unit to another level of the prison. He and three other guards led us one at a time through the runic teleportation circles. As before, Zavian made sure he escorted me while the other prison guards escorted the others. For someone who hated me so much, he certainly demanded to spend as much time with me as possible.

  The fated mates attraction. I’d known it since the other day, but each and every time we came into contact or simply entered the same room, it was like we were two magnets pulling to get close to one another again. Even if I didn’t see him, even if he didn’t speak, I knew when he was close by if I focused enough. And when he did speak, Zavian’s deep, honey-like voice moved over and through me like thunder rolling over a mountain. I was laid bare for him without either of us making a single motion.

  Did he feel these things too? If he did, Zavian hid those emotions behind glares and scowls and harsh directions uttered while standing behind me. I didn’t so much mind him behind me, though.

  The other guards, however… They’d gotten braver in his presence. Some called me a murderer to my face; others simply spat at my feet. I guessed word had finally spread that the woman who’d murdered two sea fae nobles in their homes was now in Atlantis Prison.

  Still, I walked with my head held high. It wasn’t me who had committed those crimes, and at least one person in here knew it. Thanks to Dax telling me the truth about him and Eos, my mood and confidence had improved greatly.

  With Zavian still behind me, escorting me forward, I watched the others be brought into a room. As soon as the hallway was clear, Zavian gripped my arm and held me in place as he stopped walking.

  I turned to face him. “They’re all going in there. What’s your problem?”

  He reached for a door next to us and pushed it open. “In here. Now.”

  My brow furrowed. “What?”

  With a quick shove, Zavian pushed me inside the small room. A single desk and chair sat against one of the four spartan sea stone walls. A few papers sat there, along with pens, but otherwise there wasn’t a single notable feature to the room except for one window with a view of the ocean. Even as a half-fae, my attention was drawn to the water immediately, sitting just outside the reinforced glass window. A few lanterns filled with glowing orbs of magic lit the room in a low blue light.

  Zavian shut the door behind us and my pulse quickened. “Sit.”

  I glanced around the room again. “On the desk, or?”

  “Now,” he said, his tone firm.

  I swallowed hard and did as he said, taking a seat on top of the desk. “Don’t we have a trial to get to?”

  “The trial can wait.”

  Zavian crossed the short distance to stand before me. His cerulean and silver gaze pinned me in place. I licked my lips. Zavian’s guard uniform hugged his muscular form. Sitting here before him like this, having to look up to meet his gaze, it felt like there was nothing I could do to stop him from hurting me if he wanted. I’d been in many close situations throughout my years as a thief. But never before had I also been so excited to be within close proximity to someone.

  Zavian’s magic slid across my skin like tendrils searching for my power. My breath hitched as our magic intertwined, dancing together like stars. Zavian’s body stiffened but he didn’t look away, so I didn’t either. Even as my pulse raced and excited tingles swirled down my body.

  I swallowed hard as the silence continued. The tension between us was thick enough to cut. My mouth had run dry, so I licked my lips again to get some moisture back. Zavian’s gaze followed the motion.

  I didn’t mind sitting here. Being in this room with Zavian made it possible to almost forget that we were inside one of the most dangerous prisons in the world. But soon someone would notice our absence and question what had happened.

  “What is so important that the trial can wait?” My words were quiet, but confident.

  When I spoke, Zavian pulled in a ragged breath. “This.”

  Zavian lifted his hands between us as if he were going to reach out, hovering his fingertips close to my shoulders for a moment before pulling them back. His magic moved with his hands, sliding up and down my body as if he were actually touching me. I shuddered as a chill zipped straight to my core.

  “How do you do this to me?” His brows were pointed, his jaw locked, as he dropped his hands to his sides.

  “Fate is funny, isn’t she?”

>   “Don’t speak.”

  I chuckled dryly. “Silencing me won’t stop this.”

  He leaned in and placed both of his palms on the desk to either side of me. There was no more personal space, not with Zavian completely encapsulating me on this desk. His hard stare penetrated me, taking my breath away. “This is unacceptable.”

  He smelled of the sun and saltwater, like a sunny day on the Cornish coast. The kinds of days I longed for during bouts of gray weather. I wanted to rise up and tangle my fingers in his hair, place my face in his neck, and inhale the scent of home for as long as he’d let me.

  Instead, I stayed pinned between his muscular arms. “I don’t think this is something we can change.”

  His curled his hands into fists that rested against the table. “How could fate put you in my life to kill my brothers, then turn around and make us mates?” His body radiated heat that chased away the perpetual ocean chill of this prison. I wanted to curl up against him and never be cold again. When I didn’t answer him, he slammed his fists on the table. “How?”

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  Every moment we stayed locked in this position it grew harder to look at him without wanting to touch him. His face was inches from mine, so close his breath tickled my cheeks. His hips so close, I could wrap my legs around him and pull him closer still.

  Zavian inhaled sharply, then lowered his head so we were nearly level with each other. “We might be mates, but I will never forgive you for what happened. I will give you the punishment you deserve.”

  I wonder what type of punishment he means? Because right now, as my heart raced and my core throbbed under his scrutinizing eyes, I was convinced it wasn’t the kind you normally got in prison. Another flash of him taking me against a wall coursed through my mind, replaced swiftly by him simply taking me roughly right here, right now. It’d be so easy for him to lay me back and have his way with me. I bit my lip as my mind ran wild.

  Zavian’s gaze dropped to my mouth and his breath hitched. His fists relaxed against the desk, and he drew one up to slowly press against my flushed cheek. “You will pay for making me feel this way.”