Dragon Marked_ Supernatural Prison #1(37)

“Looks like I do,” I murmured.

“I’ll collect soon,” he said, running a single fingertip along my cheek. His touch left the slightest burning path in its wake. And then he was gone, leaving via the now-open doors.

I blinked rapidly, clearing the vapidness his mere presence had created in my head. That sorcerer was way too powerful.

Braxton left his mother and was at my side. “What was that all about?” he said.

Jacob and Tyson were right behind him.

The boys hugged me, distracting from his question. Well, distracting me, Braxton never moved. He had me locked in his blazing blue eyes. I knew he would wait forever for me to answer.

I waved my hands at the stubborn ass. “Louis asked me out and I said I’d go if he got you four out of prison.” I shrugged. “It’s just a date.”

His nicely shaped black eyebrows narrowed in over his eyes. “You shouldn’t promise shit like that for us.”

What was his deal, it wasn’t like I sold a kidney. Which I would have.

“It’s no big sacrifice, he’s hot and powerful. Sure, I hate picking magic from my teeth, but I’ll cope.” I dismissed the conversation with another swish of my hand.

I heard an exhalation of breath but he didn’t say any more.



After the trial we convened back in our house. Jonathon had called a meeting. Maximus was explaining what had happened during their week in Vanguard. Finally he reached the moment this morning where they were led from the cells and thrown into a magical step-through – a portal that joined two places – and ended up at the hall for their trial.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to have us imprisoned again,” Maximus finished, leaning forward from where he sat on the bottom step. “We met a sorcerer who converses with the dead, and word on the other side is that we’re a threat and someone will stop at nothing to keep us from taking over the council.”

Tyson was grim-faced as he stood near the doorway. He hadn’t spoken much, but I could feel the rage he was working to conceal. “Apparently if you’re convicted of a crime you automatically revoke your rights to being council leader.” He sucked in deeply. “But that’s really not the most important part.”

Damn, what could be more important than someone trying to strip them of their rights to be council leaders?

“There were these rumors flying around the prison that the breakouts from all over the world … well, it was to do with the dragon marked. That they’re being freed and the dragon king is going to rise again. Word is Vanguard is next. Supposedly there are marked in there, members from all different races and … even kids.”

I was actually shocked to hear that the marked were imprisoned. I’d always thought the marked were killed. But I couldn’t remember if I’d ever actually been told that; had I just assumed it? I raised my hands and rubbed my eyes as I worked to conceal the astonishment I felt.

Silence descended over the room. Lienda had excused herself a while ago, but there were still plenty of us here to be taken by surprise. Could this be true, and wouldn’t my father have known? He was council and had information on the prison. Plus, he had two pretty big reasons to be interested in dragon marked.

“Dragon marked…” Jo broke the silence. “We were led to believe that you were just in a holding area?” She was agitated, shifting in her seat. Jack tightened his arm around her. “Are you telling me the entire time you were in the main supernatural prison?”

I could understand her dismissing the rumors for the more important fact that her sons had been hanging around with dangerous criminals.

Maximus strode across the room and knelt in front of her, taking both of her hands. “Don’t worry, Mother, we were perfectly fine. We were in the main prison, but for the most part we could stay together and watch each other’s backs.”

“With all the criminals,” I blurted.

“Yes,” Jacob said, from his position against the wall.

Jonathon interrupted. “Back to the dragon marked. What makes you believe that could be true? I’ve been to Vanguard many times, toured the different sections. I’ve never seen anything like that. And there are no children in there. You know we don’t imprison our young.”

Truth.

In America, if a supernatural committed a crime under the age of twenty-two, they were trialed and punished, but did not enter the prison system. Instead they served house detention, rehabilitation, and various spellings, depending on the severity of the crime.

Braxton rested his arms along the back of the couch. “There were these vampire transfers from Europe. They had all of these stories about the breakouts, that those freed were all marked, and that the escapes were orchestrated by two females.”