Page 5 of Angel Captive

So, I was really here… in a prison? I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around this.

Rather than answer me, he turned his back to me, his wings covered over him like a shield. Something looked off about them. Too many missing feathers and as though someone took an old weedwhacker to them.

Did they hurt him? I cringed, biting my lip. I hoped they’d grow back because even in their hacked-up shape, they were utterly marvelous. Could he fly with them as they were? That would come in handy in getting out of wherever we were.

Speaking of which, I asked, “Where are we?”

“Prison,” he growled. “Now be quiet.”

“Well, I know we’re in prison.” I tugged at the front of my shirt. “Uniform, check, bars, check, rude criminal cellmate… double-check.”

“I am not a criminal.”

“Right.” Wasn’t sure if I should believe him or not. I was innocent and here, so he could be to. But I learned long ago to let people’s actions show if their words are true. I turned back to the bars, now that the light was on, I had been right in my estimate about the door’s size. It was huge. And at the very top between the bars was what I’d been trying to reach.

Bingo.

But how the hell was I supposed to reach it way up there. I backed away, frowning, and searching the cell for anything to help me climb.

There was a wooden bucket in the corner. Gross.

Angel-demon man along the other wall, then nothing. Not even a bed. Metal bars for the door and floor, walls, and ceiling of huge stone cemented bricks. Wondered if my cellmate had claws. I’d been too busy staring at his eyes, muscles, and wings to notice. He could scratch at the concrete between the stones. Except there weren’t any deep scratches on the stones which made me think he didn’t have more than fingernails like me.

“Fuck,” I said under my breath and wrapped my arms around myself, feeling exposed despite the itchy prison clothes.

The alien's gaze earlier when he thought I was Sofria, whoever that was, hadn't been friendly. No, he looked like he wanted to kill me—her. And I'd felt the strength in his arms when he had effortlessly torn me from the bars.

"What did you do to get locked in here?"

He didn't answer, but he couldn't be asleep, no one fell asleep that fast unless drugged.

I tried again. "Why do they want me? I haven't done anything."

Silence.

"I know you can speak and you're not sleeping." I blew out a breath. "You know it's rude to ignore someone when they are talking to you."

His feathers ruffled, but other than that he was quiet and still.

The light out in the hall flickered and I stalked over to the bars, squinting at the black plate at the top. Which had to connect somewhere else for the guards to access. Cranking my neck at the bars, I found a metal panel out of reach and against the stone wall parallel to the wall inside the cell.

Shit.

That meant my only chance to get out of this cell myself was at the top of the huge door. My arms still ached from my workout of trying to scale the bars. Why hadn't I gone to the gym more regularly? Then again, running on a treadmill wasn't going to ever make my arms strong enough to climb up that.

Tiredness clung to me and I guessed the drowsiness was a leftover side effect from whatever sedative they had injected me and Melody with.

Melody. How could I forget my best friend? Had they brought her here too?

"Melody," I yelled, pressing my face in the space between the bars.

"Fucking shut up, cunt," came a male answer followed by several other guttural voices I couldn't translate but could guess the meaning.

"Melody, let me know if you're here. I think I can get us out, I just need time."

"I'm Melody," called one alien voice after another.

Great, I was in prison with a bunch of sarcastic assholes. Though I didn't even know whereherewas and my awesome, talkative cellmate was super helpful.

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