Page 1 of Villains and Vengeance
CHAPTER1
JULES
Ishouldn’t have come here.
I say this to myself at least fifteen times a day, but, it was kind of my last option. It’s funny really. See, I have a ton of enemies, very persistent ones. The kinds who torture those who’ve wronged them foryearsbefore they finally let them die, the kinds who are able to work some nasty fucking magick on a human girl like me.
I can deal with it. That’s on me. I mean, I’m a great thief, an even better liar. When you use those talents to make money off bad guys, well, enemies just come with the territory. And that’s okay. I expect it and I can live with it. Plus, I can take care of myself in general.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a crook and a swindler, but we all have to make the best of what we got. I got an innocent face, decent smarts, and a raw deal that made utilizing my natural skills a no-brainer for me. Survival is what’s important and sometimes that takes sacrifice. No friends, family, fun, orfuckingfor me. All the best f’s, or so I’ve heard.
Maybe one day I’ll have a life, but it’s not going to be today.
See, the problem is that there are worse things than missing out on experiences other humans take for granted or having a few supes in your past harboring a grudge or two.
And that’s why I’m in prison.
I know what you’re thinking. You can’t be that good at stealing if you’re in the clink.
Well, I didn’t getcaught, smartass, and I don’t intend to. That’s why I’m hiding out in the most dangerous and inescapable supe prison there is.
I’m not getting caught … by being caught.
Shhhhhhhhhhh!
My plan is genius. No one is looking for me here.
Well,mostly.
I poke my head out from the hole in the ceiling, making sure I have a good hold on the rope I’m half-hanging from. It’s thick and strong and it holds me pretty securely as I watch what’s happening below.
The demon king is pacing. He does that a lot when he’s not roaring loudly about some problem, or punishing a lowly supe who’s displeased him. He keeps his subjects in line with fear and he’s good at it. It’s why he’s been in charge down here for so many years. But I can’t help but notice he’s a little more on edge than usual. It’s probably because ofthat damned femalethat he and some of the others with good noses get whiffs of through the tunnels from time to time.
Yeah, that’d be me.
And being the only woman, not to mention the onlyhumanin a maximum-security prison full of the worse supe criminals and monsters imaginable is as dangerous as it sounds. I’m literally trapped inside a mountain with over a thousand dangerous dudes who would love to get a hold of me.
In fact, that’s what this place is called.
The Mountain.
Good thing stealth is my middle name.
‘If you come back here without her this time, I’ll have you all hogtied and left in the lower levels to be picked clean down to your bones!’ Dante yells at his tracker team’s backs as they sprint from histhrone room.
That’s what he calls it. Dude actually thinks he’s a king. I guess when you’re a demon strong enough to be in charge of a place like the Mountain, you can call yourself whatever you want, and everyone just goes with it.
I glance over at the corner of the room where a fresh body leans. I didn’t know his name, but he was one mean mofo. This morning, he wanted to be the Mountain king. It took Dante less than a minute to kill him and that’s only because he was entertaining himself.
He’s not the first demon I’ve met by a long way, but if I ever fall into his hands, I hope Siggy does the decent thing and offs me quick.
Dante leaves the room and I take the risk without hesitation. I might not get another chance today and I’m hungry. I drop the rope I twisted together from Siggy’s old silk and shimmy down it to the ground.
I keep an eye out for Silas, Dante’s right hand vampire. He’s almost caught me a few times, but I keep a can of garlic spray on me and I’ve been able to mist him in the face before he’s sunk his teeth into me. It’s not lethal for an older one like him, but it blinds him for a bit so I can get away.
When neither Silas nor any guards appear, I dance over to Dante’s supply pile and open a box, grabbing some cans of peaches from the hoard he presides over. Supplies to keep prisoners alive are delivered through the one-way portal every other week. Dante and his people control everything that comes through, and it’s not like I can ask him or anyone else here for food, so I liberate it when I can.
The next crate is full of twinkies and other packaged cakes with a long shelf-life. I start grabbing handfuls, shoving them into my backpack. If I can get enough food and ration myself, I won’t have to take a chance like this again for a couple of weeks.
