Page 114 of Son of a Witch

Body shame wasn’t a problem in my culture. “There’s no time for that.” I shirked off my hoodie and pants, leaving my briefs on.

Blaze stepped in front of his mate to prevent her from leering.

Gable maneuvered them to the edge of their Alpha and they both watched. The first with dark amusement. Luna with surprise and mild curiosity.

Staring them all down, I chuckled and got the thing on. Tight. Restrictive.

“The uniform doesn’t fit.” I could barely breathe in it. Barely move. One wrong action and it would rip. “I think I’ll wear my clothes.”

“Fuck, man, if I have to see your junk one more time…” Cole grumbled as I switched back into my gear.

I grabbed my package and jiggled it. “Too much for you, brother?”

Gable snorted, delighted by the interaction. “Prude.”

Luna’s lips curved up in a smile.

Cole weaved through the crowd to him, and grabbed him by the back of the neck, attempting to push Gable to his knees. “You just love cock.”

“Enough!” Blaze barked at them. “Let’s discuss the brief.”

The dark mass in my chest lightened at the thought of freeing the confined gantii and getting closer to locating Jaz’s box.

Blaze ran us through the brief. Infiltrate the auction house, take out as many snakes as we could, and leave those in authority alive for questioning. Rescue the gantii and return them to their homeworlds.

“Everyone clear?” Blaze eyed us all off and we acknowledged our understanding. “Good. Let’s leave.”

I felt a pang of betrayal at accepting the order of another Alpha besides Knoxe. It faded when I reminded myself that I did this for him and the others.

Colored flames ignited on his knuckles. Red, blue, yellow, green, and brown. The five colors of the djinn. Luna and her men came over for pizza one night and explained Blaze’s connection to the gantii. Some freak accident in the djinn realm infused him with their power. Like me, he hid his power from the Guild, a monster amid his hunters.

Battle ready, Talon’s skin hardened into a protective shell of stone. According to the story he gave, his ex-girlfriend cast a spell on him, cursing him to change into a gargoyle at the onset of night.

Luna spoke of a battle in the djinn realm where she used their magick to remove Talon’s curse but at his request, left him with the ability to shift into his rock skin whenever he chose.

Cole removed his latest weapon from the sling on his back. A gun that I would no doubt learn of its capabilities.

Lastly, cocky Gable pulled at the collar of his leather jacket, smirked, and followed Blaze and the rest of them through the portal, leaving me to take up the rear. The position made me think of my brother Pascal who always took up the rear. Partly so we could protect him, partly because he was an excellent sentry, like the wolf who protected his pack.

The portal emerged inside the muted, gloomy stone lobby lit by chandeliers, the motifs in the ceiling casting shadows on the polished stone floor. Crystals in the lights tinkled at the motion of our portal and entrances. Blaze raised his hands and silenced them with his Shaitan air magick.

Guards placed at the end of the hall attempted to raise the alarm when Cole’s weapon took out two, and Gable’s magick choked the two at the opposite end. Dead bodies slumped to the floor, Blaze’s air magick catching them, lowering them softly.

Warm, earthy-colored tapestries offset the cold stone walls. Chills slinked along my nape at the paintings of high-ranking Serpents staring back at us with ruthless eyes and vile mouths just as pitiless in their personalities. Historic armors, crests, vases, and carvings crowded the space we crept through. Talon’s gargoyle wing caught on the sword of a historic set of armor, dislodging it, and he was lucky I was there to catch it. On we crept, our boots lightly tapping the marbled floors.

Hundreds of emotions tugged me in different directions. Anger. Pity. Shame. The onslaught distracted me, and I shoved it down to inhale my surroundings. Tobacco, scotch, finger foods, burning wood on a fire, and the familiar scent of gantii fur.

Blaze curled his finger at us, signaling for us to move into the gallery, knocking out the two guards inside the entrance. Chairs packed most of the floor before the lectern and gavel. Carved fireplaces blazing with flames heated the intimate space. Large curtains of heavy, hand-woven cloths with gold detailing framed the Venetian windows. The location of the auction, no doubt.

Only select clientele would frequent this gallery. Those with deep pockets and greedier hearts to abuse innocent gantii for their pleasure and gain. I shuddered at the contempt for life, exploitation of another creature, and pure violation of rights.

Elaborate mahogany wainscoting panels that cut short the lives of so many trees ignited a fire that swept through my veins. That wasn’t the worst of it. Taxidermied hunting trophies above the fireplaces slammed the breath from my chest. Heads of a deer, lion, and elk. I rocked at the sight of my slaughtered brethren.

A hand found my back. Small. Warm. Circling. Luna. “Raze, are you all right?”

“Fine,” I rasped, my stomach twisting at the fate of my fellow animals, wanting to heave my lunch at my feet.

Blaze gave me a moment before maneuvering us into the adjoining Butler’s pantry. My heartbeat jacked up at the horrendous spectacle. Captive gantii. Innocent. Wild. Free.

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