Page 182 of Inside the Sun

While Anzo paces around, I study the metal clasps locking my limbs in place. They’re solid, sure… but the bolts fixing them to the floor of the cage look a lot thinner. Small. That might be their weak point.

"From time to time, people are born who reflect our ancestors’ DNA more closely. That’s where purple alphas and their rose omega halves come from. They’re like the two split parts of ancient magical warriors. Purple alphas inherit the strength, rose omegas the magic, or both have the mix of it. Did you know rose omegas have the same bones as purple alphas? They’re not so easy to break. On top of it, both have some kind of specialized ability, usually combat-oriented, but not always. It can be electricity, control over water, fire, air, all sorts of elemental stuff. Of course, the power varies. Some are weaker, some stronger, some very subtle. But no matter how magical, neither purple alphas nor rose omegas can match the power of the sorcerers."

Anzo actually seems pleased to have an audience for his half-baked theories, acaptivating one, literally. There’s a kind of ease on his face, even a flicker of delight as he walks with his hands clasped behind his back. Is he genuinely into this stuff?Maybe Moon sparked that interest. He used to read a lot about alien powers too.

"Sorcerers don’t look like anything special. They can blend in with regular people. They don’t stand out like purple alphas or even rose omegas. They look just like… like our Summer here." He gestures toward him. "They tend to show up more in families where the parents are True Mates." He glances at Sun again.

"I’d wager there’s one in your family too," Anzo says, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket and flashing it in my direction.

"Your brother, Snow, right? Says you’ll be able to leave this place safely in two days. Ha. We’ll see about that. We’ll test the sorcerer’s power."

He smirks darkly.

"As you can tell, it’s all pretty damn complicated. Hard to keep track of. But I’ve been trying for years, because I know you people are sitting on a goldmine of potential… that could be very useful to someone like me. My empire needs a bit of help." He spreads his arms in a mocking, helpless gesture.

I exchange a glance with Sun. Yeah. That’s what this is really about. Anzo really wants to exploit Summer’s power for whatever illegal shit he’s into.

The capo keeps going. "Moon was a rose omega. He had some small gift for glimpsing the future, but it was shaky, unstable, like he was missing a piece of the gene. He wasn’t a sorcerer, after all, so naturally his power wasn’t on that kind of epic level. But he still had his moments. I had special stuff brought in just for him, things that helped clear up his visions a bit. I spent the last three years coaxing valuable information out of him, bit by bit. Getting him to map out paths that might lead to an outcome… that would give back what was taken from me."

His face tightens as he says it, eyes drifting up toward the ceiling for a moment. Then he looks back down.

Straight at me.

"And it turns out… dear Moon was right all along! Those years weren’t wasted. He always said,‘The paths I show you will lead to happiness.’I chose to believe that. But before we get there, there’s still a little more suffering ahead."

And again, the ugly smirk.

Then Anzo steps up to Sun’s cage and slams both palms hard against the bars.

The impact makes Sun’s body jolt slightly. My beautiful True Mate turns toward him, sharp and wary, like a trapped animal.

"So come on, Sun! Tell me the secret I’ve been waiting all this time to hear."

Sun scoffs weakly, still defiant. My bratty mate.

"You spent three years working on Moon and couldn’t get the secret of Summer’s power out of him? Yeah… I wouldn’t exactly call you effective."

Anzo bursts out laughing. "So you think I’m an idiot, kitten? Let me tell you something. Playing you people is like playing with toddlers. You’re clueless."

Then he glances at me, sharply, narrowing his eyes.

"Do you think I got this far by being… stupid?"

I exchange gazes with Sun, and then I reply, "Who knows? Maybe. You know what they say. Fortune favors fools."

Anzo is not bothered by my insolence. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and glances at something on the screen.

"Check these out, and decide if fortune favored a fool this time."

He leans a bit to reach between the cage’s bars and shows me something that looks like a live feed.

It’s a room, and two people sit there, unmoving, heads bowed.

I blink, then blink again, the realization coming slowly. But it finally reaches me, and I tremble, feeling as if the ground is splitting open beneath my feet.

My parents…

Ango captured my parents!

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