A Kingdom of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 3)

“A lotta swagger for a prisoner,” Micah growled.

“No shit, right?”

“I thought I’d find you in there,” Jedrek said as he reached me, glancing at Micah, now leaning against the bars closest to me. He crinkled his nose and took a couple steps back, away from my scent.

The demons ogling me gave him a smile before slowly sauntering away, heading to the next cage down the way. I had no idea why we were such fun to look at.

“And I bet you didn’t do a damn thing to keep me out of here,” I told him.

“I told them not to hurt you, but honestly, Finley, what do you expect? You fight and kill guards and—you were always wild. Well? This is what you get. Now you see. A little obedience training will go a long way, I think.”

“It truly amazes me that you haven’t killed him yet,” Micah said, pushing off the bars and straightening up, looking down at two demon females who were walking toward his cage.

Jedrek huffed and pretended to ignore Micah.

“Learn the lessons they are trying to teach you,” Jedrek said, “and then you can get out of there. You can move into my rooms.”

He said it like roomzzz. Like he’d moved up in the world and had a standing place in the hierarchy here.

“Where do you think this leads?” I demanded of him, pushing to the side of the cage. “Do you think they’re going to welcome you into their society as anything other than a pet? Get a clue, Jedrek. There is no way that you get a happily-ever-after like this.”

He shook his head a little. “Why do you insist on learning the hard way?” He tossed up his hands. “Well, enjoy this. When you’re ready to see reason, let me know.”

My anger grew, turning into blistering power. It scratched against the inside of my skin, wanting to escape. Searing pain erupted along my back before I heard a dull clang. A hand fisted in my dress and yanked me. The bars of the cage knocked into my head. Snapping my eyes open, I almost lashed out, but Micah was staring at me with his deep brown eyes.

“No,” he said, the command shocking into me and freezing me up. “Not here. Rein it in.”

He was flattened against his cage so that he could reach me, holding my dress in a tight grip.

“Break them up,” I heard, and it sounded like Govam.

Micah’s voice was low and intense. His eyes held mine. “I know you weren’t lying—you’ve never shifted before. You have no scales on your back. Do not start now. I can guide you when the time comes, but it can’t happen here. They’ll kill you inside of a minute, do you hear me? No matter who you are.”

I swallowed loudly as guards ran to our cage. They carried a sort of pole with a fizzing end, lightning in stick form.

Micah grinned at me. “They never learn.”

The first guard jabbed the stick through the bars. The end rammed into Micah’s thigh, and I heard a loud buzzing. He gritted his teeth, and the muscles on his face tightened. Another guard jabbed Micah’s lower back. He jerked against the bars like he was being struck by lightning. Still he held me.

“Let go.” I tried to rip loose. “What are you doing? Let go, and they’ll stop!”

He huffed out a laugh as his body convulsed, another jab. “Gotta…reel…them in.”

Without warning, he spun, grabbing two of the poles and yanking them closer. The guards didn’t have the foresight to let go, not wanting their weapons stolen. They held on, their arms ramming against the cage as Micah released the poles and reached through the bars. He grabbed them by their throats, his large hands reaching more than halfway around each. His hands squeezed as he bent, cutting off their air.

The guards dropped their poles and grabbed Micah’s wrists, trying to wrench away. They gaped like fish, their faces turning red.

Other guards rushed closer, but they’d wised up enough not to get too close. They darted in to jab Micah and then quickly away again, afraid he might drop his current victims and go for them. He dealt with the prodding, keeping his grip on the guards’ necks. They struggled, twisted, and thrashed, but could not break free. Finally, their breath all dried up, they went limp in his hold.

“I didn’t see you trying to free your men, Govam,” Micah said in his deep baritone, shoving the guards away. They dropped to the floor, unmoving. The others half danced outside of the cage, their poles in hand and their expressions wary.

“I know better.” Govam made a signal, and the guards pushed back.

“And yet you send your men in…”

“I also know better than to go against protocol.” He waited until the limp guards were carted away before turning and heading back to the corner.