Page 65 of Son of a Witch

His shoes thud on the stone in time to m heartbeat.

“Uncle Tor!” Molly threw herself onto my lap and I grunted, lifting her by the armpits onto my lap, wobbling without the help of the exoskeleton.

Had to hide it away. Truth I could never share with her. Model prisoners like me didn’t expose the Guardian’s primary purpose of hunting and capturing criminal supernaturals. If I wanted my family to leave alive, then I had to stick to the warden’s plan.

“Did you lose another tooth?” I hugged my niece.

She twisted on my lap to show me the three she lost this past month and the two that were growing back.

My heart thumped for the freedom to be with my family. I tickled her and teased, “You look like a pirate.”

“Ahoy, maties!” She punched the air as if pretending to stab her sword.

“How are you, Jack?” I gestured for him to come closer, but he shrank into Janet’s hip, shying away from the gargoyles. “Did the headaches stop with the glasses?”

Glasses I bought. Dentist visits I forked out for. Clothes I contributed to. The wheelchair and house I busted my ass to provide for my mom, only to have Vartros fuck that up for me. My ribcage ached from the pressure of trying to care for everybody I loved and screwing it up over and over.

Irritation spiked in my gut. Half the guards in this place—before they died in the gantii stampede—were on the take for dodgy prisoners, shipping in drugs, contraband, weapons, and turning their backs to allow hit contracts to be fulfilled. Talk about sinking my business… well any chance of resurrecting it after Vartros threw a grenade on it and my supplies didn’t want to touch me out of fear of repercussions with the warden.

Janet rubbed her son’s back. “Uncle Tor asked you a question.”

Jack peeked from her side and murmured, “Thank you, Uncle Tor. My glasses are good.”

“That’s great, buddy.” I plastered on a fake smile to bring him out of his shell and focused on me and not the nightmares watching us from above. “Hey, I got you both some candy. Come sit with me.”

I wheeled Molly and me back to the cafeteria table where I left the candy bars. Cost me two days stipend to buy them. Worth it for their smiles and cuddles.

“I love Chomps!” Molly squealed and wriggled off my lap to get the bar, tear off the wrapper, and get stuck in the chocolate, wafer, and caramel. “Thanks, Uncle Tor. Love you.”

I ruffled her pale hair. “Love you two, pirate.”

She smiled her toothless grin as she munched.

Gratitude weaved through my chest that she didn’t really understand where I was or what was going on.

I grabbed the bar for Jack and rolled over to give it to him and call him out of his shy, shocked state.

Janet forced him into the seat beside her, but he didn’t go for the candy, just sat there, staring at the watchers. A line of fire burned down my spine. Those hideous monsters were going to give him nightmares and probably make him wet the bed for the next three months.

“Hey!” A sweet, familiar voice shouted. “Who’s eating candy without me?”

Supergal, strolling down the aisles of tables. Right on time, just as planned. Distraction for the kids to give the adults time to talk.

“Astra! I’ve missed you.” Molly rushed up to give her a hug.

“I’ve missed you two. Have you been good?” Astra leaned back to brush Molly’s pale hair.

“Noooo.” Molly snorted and scrunched up her face.

“That’s my niece,” I joked, and she giggled.

Astra took Molly’s hand. “Want to come and play outside with me?”

“Yes!” My niece squealed, the sound echoing off the stone, making the watchers twitch. They were used to the aggression and testosterone of prisoners, not the sounds of excited children. “Come on, Jack!”

Janet nudged Jack to go with his sister and Supergal, and he hesitantly went to her, seizing her hand.

“Hey, Mrs. Helms. Janet.” Supergal gave them an uneasy smile.

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