Page 20 of Son of a Witch

I nodded as he sheltered me deeper in his embrace to give me the comfort I needed just as much as Tor and Pascal.

“Save one of these hugs for yourbaby,” I teased Knoxe about his and Tor’s little kissing game they liked to play in front of me and I loved it.

“Oh, I’ll give him more than a hug.” Knoxe locked me in his arms tighter and licked the side of my face, making me laugh. “He’ll forget about you after what I have planned.”

I giggled and hit his forearm. “You play dirty!”

“Yes, I do.” He licked the crook of my neck, leaving me hungry for more, then strode away, grinning devilishly. Tease. Cockblocker.

Cheyanne had been watching the exchange from across the room and gave me two raised eyebrows and a wink. My hand roamed to my pocket, where I kept her card on me, just in case.

I contemplated going to assist Pascal, spending some time with him and showing my support. But after Tor rolled away, he buried himself in his task and when he got like that, he became agitated when someone interrupted him, so I let him be.

Someone sidled up to me, and I glanced over. Fuck. Loco. The last person I wanted in my vicinity.

“Aren’t you supposed to be assisting Serena?” I made my position on him and us clear. Now was not a good time for a family reunion, not that it was a good time for anything.

Loco jerked his head to the left. “Come here, I want to show you something.”

Frankly, I was still rattled about the things he’d said earlier. All true. Never going to admit to the Zac Efron and pop music crap in this lifetime. Or the fact that Loco looked like me. Big, blue eyes, dark hair, similar features except the nose.

Most of all, I was still in a state of shock to find out what had happened to my father. This place had reduced him to a crazed killer. Would I end up like that if I stayed here for twenty-five years? I remembered all too well sentry Ben’s warning that Loco was dangerous. So many more questions tumbled in my head. What was he in for? Did he deserve it? What made him so violent?

“No, thanks. I’m busy.” I stepped away, but he caught my sleeve.

I didn’t mean to be rude, I just needed time to process everything when it hit me from all angles.

“Don’t you want to know what your old man can teach you?” The scar over his left eye twitched, reminding me of the damage he could do.

Wielding a chemical spatula to slit throats, stab, and take out five guys. Murdering one inmate who backed away and pleaded for his life. For a small man, Loco was brutal, biting an inmate’s ear off and easily overpowering a group of huge men. Veins of torment ran deep in this man, and he unleashed it on others who got in his way.

“I can’t deal with this right now.” Hurt flickered over his face at my answer.

I shouldn’t be such a bitch to my father when he had his reasons for disappearing from my life. Reasons beyond his control, by the look of it. I just couldn’t contemplate reconnecting with him right now when I had so much to sort through.

“That’s a shame.” Bright orange flames just like my own banked on his hands. He twisted the ball, working it bigger, brighter, and more potent.

My heart leaped into my throat as I glanced over my shoulder. “Are you serious?” I grabbed his hands and stuffed them by his sides, smothering the flames. “There’s sentries everywhere.”

He shrugged. “No dampeners stopping me from using this.”

This man was truly wild. Didn’t bend to the rules. No wonder the warden locked him up.

“Besides, I’m helping the Sorcerers fix the place, and I’m sure they won’t complain about that.”

Ignoring my warning, he encased a fallen, smashed fragment of wall, dragging the broken pieces back together. Orange magick fused the stone, leaving no crack or line of the cleave. Fucking amazing!

“I was gonna show you how to do it.” Loco thrust his hands as if pushing someone away and lifted the wall into the air, returning it back to its original position. “But since you didn’t want to know …”

Ha! Reverse psychology. I was onto him.

That trick was pretty cool. Appealed to the chemistry nerd in me when I knew how to deconstruct better than assemble.

Loco once warned me about the potential of my power, that his had gotten him locked up—probably on top of his madness—and it that if I wasn’t careful, I might end up with the same fate. If his magick was any indicator that ours was similar, I had to give him a chance and find out. It might be useful for helping Tor and catching Styx and his cunning, resourceful vampire faction, finally claiming enough points to get us out of here. Besides, I didn’t have to like him or call him Dad. Yet …

“Wait up.” I uncrossed my arms and grabbed him by the back of his shirt as he moved away to restore another smashed section of wall. “I changed my mind.”

Ihadto know how he did that. Not knowing would drive my chemistry nerd crazy.

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