Rivals (15 page)

She knew very well that Vince was dead. He wasn’t here to save her. Danato couldn’t save her. Belus tried to save her but she had deserted him. Ethan was gone, too.

She wanted to be her own rock and save the day, but she knew it was impossible. One person could not save this prison. She needed help and she had no one left. All the good guys were gone.

Perhaps, she needed to start recruiting bad guys.

26

“Cleos!” Cori stumbled down the hallway of the basement dungeon. The vampires that lined the cages on her path to Cleos were more than happy to see her. Their salivating fangs, outstretched claws, and cage humping, was more than her nerves could take. She pushed the red button on one of her guns and shot flames across the cells. The inmates squealed and shrank back into darkness.

She knew Danato wouldn’t approve of such viciousness, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly vindicated by doing it. 

“It’s been a while,” Cleos said from out of sight in his cage. “I must not be as alluring as I was in my youth.”

She walked up to his cage. A little limp had developed in her right leg, where a painful bruise on her hip was preventing her from keeping a steady stride. As she came into his view, she could see comprehension rise in his face. He was lying on his bed reading, but when he took in her injuries and overall ruffled appearance, he threw the book away and stepped to the front of the cage.

He shoved his hand through the bars. She glanced down at it, a little offended by the demand. “It’s faster than explaining,” he said.

Her hand was still shaking from everything that had happened. Given what she was about to ask of him, she didn’t want there to be any confusion of where her trust was going to land. She took his hand fully in hers.

A moment later, his eyes flickered behind closed lids and he inhaled as if that chocolate cake he had had was extra sweet. She grimaced at the pleasure he was receiving from her until he pulled back his hand suddenly.

He leaned against the bars, tears streaming from his eyes. He was now visibly shaking. Remarkably, the tremble in her hand was gone. Even her head felt a little less like a drum solo.

“What did you just do?” she asked.

“Transfer. It won’t last forever, but you needed a little break.”

She looked him over and leaned into the bars. “Thank you, but why did you do that for me? Not exactly chocolate cake for you this time.”

“Let’s skip the analysis of my character today. We’re limited on time, are we not?”

“Yes, less than two hours now. I need your help. I don’t know how to fix this.”

Cleos backed away. “I know that’s why you came here, but I don’t know how to fix it either. I’m afraid I won’t be of any help to you.”

Her eyes lowered and she sunk her head into the bars. “I know that you’re supposed to be the bad guy. I know if I had read your file, I probably wouldn’t be here. I also know that I really need some support right now. Please don’t be the villain right now. Please be more than the criminal creatures in this prison.”

“I am most certainly more than that,” he defended.

“Talk to me then. Help me figure this out. Tell me I can do something.”

He stepped back to her. “What beats fire, ice, water, and voltage?”

Cori shrugged. “Nothing. At least not all together. That’s why the guns have four different settings.” She looked down at her gun. “I know one prisoner who loves fire, and he wouldn’t be affected by electricity.” 

“You really are willing to do that?” he asked with suspicion in his voice.

“The prison is going down in two hours. Tell me that the rules and regulations matter right now.”

He looked her over. It was almost lustful, but his smile said otherwise. “You’re going to be an addiction for me as well, I think.”

“Who likes the water, other than the mermaids?” she asked, getting them back on track. “I’m not on good terms with most of the animal level.”

“You are forgetting one very important fact,” he said, joining the track. “They are prisoners. They have no reason to help you. Nor do I.”

Her eyes widened. She waited for another comment, but he crossed his arms and didn’t let anything resembling a smile trickle to his face. She narrowed her eyes. “You son of a bitch. I offer my mind to you…”

“That’s a separate deal. Any time you want to skip our study sessions, you go right ahead.”

“You just took my pain away! Don’t tell me that we haven’t established enough of a rapport to warrant my asking for your help.”

“Rapport!” He was up against the bars with her. They faced off like prize fighters about to start pummeling each other. “You think what we have is friendship? If you even comprehended what I have of you, you wouldn’t dare to suggest that. I have more of you than any friend, relative, or lover could even dream to have. I have your mind. Just because you refuse to acknowledge how dangerous I am doesn’t mean you have to treat me like a caged dog. I am not willing to do your dirty work for scraps of… chocolate cake.”

He pulled away and paced in his cell. Her anger slipped away as she tried to comprehend the accusation laid at her feet. She realized that she had made a grave miscalculation in trusting him as blindly as she had, but at that point, he was all she had. She had no choice but to lie in her bed of ignorance and hope no one stabbed her in her slumber.

“I’m sorry, Cleos.” His head whipped back to her with a hard stare, like she had just insulted him. “You’re right. If you know me as well as you claim, then you know that I was considering bribing the other inmates with perks to get them to help me. So I shall offer you the same. What do you want?”

He moved to the bars, slamming his hands on them and shaking them. The door rattled slightly, but otherwise the bars didn’t offer the exhibition he was likely hoping for. “You don’t understand. I could have anything from you. I know you too well. I could manipulate you like putty.”

Cori groaned, feeling the pain in her head starting to come back. She rubbed her temples, trying to find some relief. “Okay.” She looked back to him. “You want me to be afraid of you. You want me to understand that you are dangerous.” She threw up her hands. “Done, I now cower before you, you great, all-powerful mind sucker. I will be your slave.” He glared at her sarcasm. “Now, Cleos, or should I call you ‘Master’?” She winked at him, which only spurred a colder glare from him.

“What do you want to do with the last two hours—err—” She looked at her watch. “—hour and a half of our life together? I can let you out, but as you know, we are in lockdown, so good luck with escaping. How about me?” She waved her hand down her body. “Shall I disrobe?” He gave her body a cursory glance, but he didn’t seem tempted by the offer. “You’ve already told me you know me better than any lover, so you should be the best lay I ever had, right?

“No, better yet, why don’t I just make you promises that I can’t keep, because you and I both know that I will have to grovel to get any minor perks out of Danato. That is, of course, if I’m still alive. All bets are off if I am dead, you know.”

Cleos’s glare softened and he backed away from the bars.

“So, what do you want?”

He paused. “I want to be moved to a different level. I want to be away from these loud, hideous, uncivilized creatures.”

Cori scoffed. “That’s it?”

He nodded.

“You freakin’ baby.” She pulled her all-purpose janitorial keys from her pocket and unlocked his door. “Why didn’t you just ask? I would gladly fight to get you off this level with or without the risk of death over our heads. I hate these creatures as much as you.” She motioned for him to come out after swinging the door open.

“Really? You’ll do that?”

“Like I said, Danato is the man to ask, but I’ll—” She stopped mid-sentence and dropped her jaw in sarcastic awe. She leaned against the doorframe. Even though it hurt her hip, she wasn’t willing to let her reprisal performance lose any ferocity. “Oh!” Her voice dripped with derision. “The mind master doesn’t know that I would be willing to do that for him?”

He shifted uncomfortably, taking her reproof respectfully.

“I guess knowing my brain inside and out still doesn’t make you any better at predicting my decisions than it does anyone else.”

“I have your memories—”

“Memories don’t determine my decisions. My past reflects a great deal about myself, and my present is no doubt a great predictor of my future actions, but…” She got in his face. “I am my own person. I make my own decisions. I don’t doubt that you do know me better than anyone I’ve ever been close to, but you don’t know me better than I do.”

He looked her over again, in that not-quite-lustful way. “Yes, very addictive.”

She rolled her eyes and walked out. “Come on, we’re running out of time.”     

27

“You know this isn’t going to bode well for your career prospects,” Cleos said.

Cori looked across the elevator at him. His eyes looked red and puffy. Even though the lighting was at half power, she could tell he was uncomfortable being out of his dark surroundings. “I’m not up for that job anymore, you should know that.”

“Mmm.” He tipped his brow. “I would have predicted otherwise.”

“Didn’t you get the memo on Mr. Nose?”

“Yes, didn’t you get the memo on Danato’s unwavering devotion to the daughter he never had?” He smirked.

“Danato is also devoted to his job.”

“You’re right.” He turned away from her and waited for the doors to open. “I’m sure he’ll choose to follow that corporate dickhead instead of fighting for you.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Someday you and I will have to have a chat on how I feel about enigmatic men. Someday, when I’m not holding six multitasking M-60s.”

He glanced at the guns, and nodded.

The doors opened to the seducers level and they located their first potential partner. Cori stopped before a glass enclosure, which was frosted on the outside. She motioned for Cleos to back up and used the flame from her gun to defrost the window a little. As the frost melted away, an old albino woman with long hair and bright red eyes was revealed. “Onna.” Cori stepped forward.

The woman smiled. “What can I do for you, sweetheart?”

Cori glanced back at Cleos, who shrugged.

“Onna, I’m Cori—”

“I know, dear. I’ve seen you around.” The woman brushed some frost off her gray jumpsuit. “You haven’t probably seen me much.” She gestured to the glass that was already beginning to fog up again.

“I don’t have much time to explain, so I can only hope that you are genuine in your pleasant nature.” Cori raised her weapon and turned to show off the other five guns hanging from her shoulders. “The prison has been taken over by the elementals. I have a plan…” She glanced at Cleos. “We have a plan to free the guards.”

Cleos stepped forward to the glass. It was a small gesture, but it made her feel confident that he was actually with her and not just along to watch the carnage play out. “I have to get these guns to the guards. The guards are being held captive in the gym. One of the elementals has powers similar to yours. You would be resistant to it. Is there any way I can get you to help us? I’m not offering you freedom, but if I can try to make you more comfortable. Is there anything that would make your sentence more tolerable?”

The old woman thought for a moment. “A defroster on my window would be nice. It’s just part of being me, but it would be nice to have a view.”

“A defroster, that’s it? Any specialty items, food, clothes?”

“Hot chocolate,” she said promptly.

“They don’t let you have hot chocolate?”

“They do. Around the holidays, but it’s always cold,” she said with a smile.

“I think that—“

Cleos grabbed Cori’s arm and whispered in her ear. “To give her
hot
chocolate, they would have to bring it to her still boiling; it’s a safety issue for the guards.”

Cori nodded. “I’ll get you a defroster, and I will personally bring you at least one hot, hot, hot chocolate around the holidays. Can I let you out under that truce?”

“Certainly, dear.” Onna smiled.

“Please put your hands in the pass-way,” Cori instructed her.

The woman placed her hands in a small opening that was designed for passing food through. Cleos touched her, but pulled back like she had stung him. “Wow!”

“What? Is she trustworthy?” Cori asked, inspecting the smiling albino woman.

“Very much so. She doesn’t lie, but never ever put her in a box,” Cleos said.

“A box?” Cori looked over the confines of her cell, wondering if that counted as a box. “What does that mean?”

“Claustrophobia,” Cleos clarified.

“Revenge, dear,” Onna said without her friendly smile. “Revenge placed me in this cell. A far more comfortable surrounding than my previous containment, I assure you. I have no ill will for this prison. I won’t harm you or your friends. I will do as you ask, and return to my cell.”