The satyrs were much smaller, their cloven feet pattering across the stone floor. I loved their tiny ears and little horns that peaked above their curled hair.
My focus shifted as we halted near a glassed-off section. I couldn’t see what the area was used for until we moved closer and I noticed the water filling it. It was a tank, with water so clear it was hard to detect. My eyes bugged a little as three mermaids raced past the glass. Supernatural mermaids are nothing like the movies. Instead of beautiful red flowing hair, they had green seaweed-like tendrils, jagged teeth, clawed hands, and long scaled tails. The colors of their tails ranged from black to murky brown, and every green shade in between. Not pretty. Ugly. Very, very ugly. And they were mean and vicious. Killing many an unsuspecting human. I was pretty sure the legend of the beautiful mermaid was from some of the fey sirens who used to sit out on the rocks and lure the sailors into the deep. Yeah, we had a few skeletons in our closet.
I was glad when we continued to move, mermaids gave me the creeps. The next tank was filled with selkies, their smooth, seal-like bodies gliding through the murky water. They liked it a little dirtier and brinier than their cousins next door and unlike the mermaids, they could exist on land, transforming back into a female. Although, the sea always called them back. Also unlike the mermaids, they were mostly gentle and kind. Just don’t piss them off, they could be very animalistic in their temperament.
I expected water-loving-sirens in the third tank, but it looked empty. Which didn’t always mean anything. We continued to walk around the room.
Braxton lifted my hand, drawing my attention. “Why did you really break back into the prison?” He was still pissed off, but he also seemed a little hurt that I hadn’t waited for him. “I told you I’d help, you should have waited for me.”
I wasn’t sure how to explain the drive I’d felt to save them. From the moment all of those dirty, desperate faces had turned to me I’d been single-minded. I’d had to save them. The more I thought on it, the more I truly believed they were dragon marked. There was just no other explanation for that secret room. But Braxton still didn’t know I was dragon marked, so it was hard to explain my reasoning.
“What happened with Nash?” My segue distracted him.
Sort of.
He dropped his hooded eyes. “I’m not sure, I only had enough time to get him to Louis. He assured me he could do some spelling and paperwork to pass him off as an orphaned cousin. I left Nash and came looking for you.” Braxton’s voice was smooth. Damn, that poor kid was probably freaking out without his Braxie.
I sucked down my guilt. “How did you get to Louis so quickly?” It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes from when the boys exited the door till Mischa and I were brought back to the forest.
Braxton tilted his head at me. “He was waiting in the forest when we emerged. I think the sorcerer has some sort of tracker on you.” His smile was feral. “He’s going to be pissed when he realizes you’re in here.”
I rubbed my nose. “As long as Nash is okay, I can live with being in here.”
One of those poor victims was safe. Not great, but better than nothing.
Braxton snorted. “Louis, at least, has some uses. He will be instrumental in trying to make the evidence disappear.”
I had no doubt he would be, he’d worked magic on the quads’ case and would do the same for mine.
As I continued to observe the multitudes of demi-fey breeds scattered around, I was struck by a thought.
“Have any demi-fey ever been dragon marked?”
Braxton met my gaze, and there was something fluttering in his eyes, something which read deeper into that question. He finally answered, “To my knowledge, I’ve never heard of demi-fey being marked. Mostly the accused are shifters, and then the rest scattered amongst vamps, mages and a very limited amount are fey.”
That was interesting. I wondered if the majority were shifters because the original dragon king had been a shifter. Although he’d also been a sorcerer. Maybe shifter was the side he had most related to.
“Why are you not marked?” I asked him.
He was one of the few existing dragon shifters. It made absolutely no sense that he wouldn’t be marked.
He shrugged. “I don’t need the extra powers connected to the marked. I’m already dragon.”
“What do you mean extra powers?” I knew so little about the mark. I’d wanted to ask the victims from that room, but we’d never made it back.