But from down the hall, I heard the torturous screams.
Inside, there seemed to be a mix of humans and elves. The guards handed us over to the medical staff, and there we now waited. Still, my bus mate stayed practically attached to me. “What’s your magical power?” she asked. “Is that how you got caught?”
It still bothered me as to how I ended up here, and how the guards knew where and when to find me. Someone had snitched me out, but still, the rules needed to remain in place to protect the others and relinquish all contact to the rebels. It was easier not to break them or place them in danger by asking questions.
“I don’t have time for this. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“For you to end up in this part, waiting for the doctor, they are surely going to test you and see.”
The door opened, and a nurse called my name, “Sumner.”
I didn’t know what to expect or how much the woman from the bus knew, but I did know that this was my chance to plead my case. I wasn’t magical. There was no reason for me to end up in this place.
“Jump up on the bed,” the nurse ordered. Her blonde hair was shorn, her complexion an unhealthy gray, as well as what should have been the whites of her eyes. I flinched. Was she terminally ill? Did she have argyria? I broke eye contact and stared down at my swing-socked feet. “You’ll get used to seeing a lot of things here that are new to you.”
“Like you?”
“A Supernatural Prison has everything in here from fairy godmothers to leprechauns, all those who could use magic, like you.”
“I’m human,” I sputtered.
Our conversation was swinging back and forth like a pendulum. I had no idea how she came to that conclusion.
“Your bloodwork says something quite different.” She took my hand and jammed a needle into my arm, filling up a tube.
I winced, clenched my teeth together, and watched the vial fill up with purple blood. Dumbfoundedly, I stared. The nurse held the vial to the light, and it freaking shimmered.
She passed me a card. “You’ll need to keep track of this, memorize your number, and find your place. And if you want to hear a simple tip, because this supernatural stuff seems to be new to you, you’ve been drafted to the games, as well.”
“Is this something I should be happy about?”
“It makes it so you have the right to solitary confinement, and then to train, or would you rather be a part of the general population?”
The way she asked assured me I’d probably end up dead before I even made it to general population.
“I’m trying to help you here. I’ve seen blood like yours before. Until your blood congeals with whatever it was that you had infused in your system, you’re too weak for general population, but you can become strong enough to stay alive in the games and win a place on the Hawaii Block.”
“Hawaii?”
“It’s like a crapptastic vacation, where all you have to worry about is commissary, and not getting shanked.”
I had to do everything I could to survive. “Okay, nurse, sign me up.”
“Great, you’re a smart cookie. The best advice I can give you is to find a team that will be willing to show you the ropes. The turnaround here for earning and keeping your spot isn’t an easy one. But the rewards are better than what you can get out there on the streets.”
She then grabbed my folder, filled out and signed a couple of forms, and sent me on my way.
Chapter Six
I tugged at the iron collar around my neck. Just like the fairies I’d seen at the initial heist.
The nurse hadn't mentioned why I'd received it, but once behind the walls, things changed: no longer were the guards in all of this paramilitary, space marine unit apparel. Instead, maybe they'd realized that it made more sense for humans to care for humans. Out there, everything screamed invasion, but inside, it was like we'd stepped back in time to Y2K, right before we thought the world was going to end.
As a small tot, I could still recall the sheer panic, the cold sweats, and shaking until I was numb. My mother and siblings gathering can goods to store in the basement, while we all wondered how the world would end by lacking one zero in a computer clock. Airplanes were supposed to fall from the sky, debt magically erased.
Then when nothing happened, we'd had to eat all of those beans: bean pie, bean soup, bean bread. Heck, eggs and beans.
To this day, I couldn’t stand the stench of beans cooking.
Following the guard in a line of inmates, I shuffled after them. Clutching my pillow and a welcome bag of toiletries, I wasn't looking forward to this huge introduction. Even now, I could hear the noise of female voices mixing in the distance. An alarm buzzed, and the iron door separating the hallway from the living quarters slowly rolled back. The stench of burnt beans hit my nose, and I winced. My stomach somersaulted.
“Kristen Sumner, follow me. The others, follow Officer Kotov to the mess hall.” The others broke off and I marched along with the officer. Following him, I watched how he moved as if power was a part of his body. His steps were determined. I lowered my gaze and watched my feet. I didn't need any trouble.
“I am Officer Oberon, and I will be your guide to prepare you for the games.” Up until now, I'd paid little to no attention to him. For a prison officer, I expected his black-and-silver hair to be military short, but instead, it cascaded over his shoulders. Handsome in that smoldering sort of
