The shuffle of boots of enforcers had come and gone, leaving them with nothing but meager sips of water. Even the sound of the rain outside had Avery’s mouth watering. The enforcers watching them were the council’s personal guard. She had dinner with them a few times. Watched their lives as they grew up through the academy. How many were in on this? Or did they even know at all? She supposed she didn’t blame them. How could she when a month ago she would have thought the same? A witch hiding a shifter in plain sight. A danger. A disgrace.
Her mother, or not mother now, wouldn’t want this to get out. A single tear slipped down her face, and she stifled the sob that racked her body, trying not to wake Felix. An ache went through her, one that nothing but time could fill.
Soft fur brushed up against her ankles. At first, she thought Felix had somehow shifted. But when she looked down, there were dozens of dust bunnies surrounding her, hopping around her ankles in circles.
“Hello there,” Avery cooed at one, her voice croaky from dehydration.
She gave the one on her ankle a scratch on the head before it broke off and scurried towards the wall, the rest of the fluffle trailing after it like a horde of rats. What were they up to?
Avery turned around on her knees, watching them as they started to form a line at the bottom of the wall. Then, more dust bunnies got on top of one another, forming a structure.
“Felix,” she hissed, picking up a stone and throwing it at him to wake him. It bounced off his skin, and he sat up almost straight away, alert and disheveled. His hair was flat on one side and tousled on the other, lines of stone etched into his face. Must have been a good nap. Bastard.
When he came to, he immediately caught the movement of the dust bunnies and furrowed his brows at the little beings. Scooting closer to the bars, he examined them through longlashes, ears piquing curiously. They watched them create stack after stack, reaching higher than they should have.
At last, the final bunny made its way to the top. They had made a pyramid of dust bunnies at least four feet high. What the fuck were they doing?
Then, the top dust bunny started tognaw.She saw crimson ripples moving like waves through the stone, and she realized what they were doing.
“They’re breaking the ward,” Felix said, his jaw slackening in shock.
Slowly, but surely, the hole became bigger, the dust bunny literally consuming the ward in the bottomless pit of its stomach. When the hole got big enough, the other bunnies started joining in.
“Smart little fuckers.” Felix smirked.
Avery couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. Despite it all, with Felix by her side, she felt invincible. She didn’t want to test that theory, though, so hopefully they didn’t get shot in the process of getting out of this damn prison.
As quick as they came, the bunnies disappeared into dust, floating through the air and going goddess knew where. Probably off to make some more nests somewhere.
Tentatively, Avery called on her shadows, reaching for the well inside of her. She felt the magic pooling within her, answering her pull. It wasn’t as strong as it should be. But they had done it. The bunnies had broken the ward.
“Can you use your magic?” she asked Felix.
Felix held up his hand, as if to test if a shadow would come out. But after a few seconds, he only shook his head. That explained it. Her other half was still warded.
Fuck. She had to break him out old school.
Using her sharpest tooth, she bit the skin of her arm hard enough to draw blood. The ruby drops ran down her skin,imbuing her with power. The warmth spread through her veins, through her very being. A shudder went down her spine, and goose bumps lined her arms. The feeling was addictive.
Felix watched her from the cell, eyes darkening as he looked upon her. “I can feel your power from here, little witch.”
She didn’t know what that meant for her. But there was no time to dissect it.
Using her shadows, she sent them out, carefully guiding them to the metal bars at the front. They looped around the iron, and using all the force her form could physically muster, she wrenched them apart. The bar of metal not only moved but shattered completely.
A small chuckle came from Felix.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re just the most incredible woman I have ever met.”
A blush crept up her neck and spread along her face. “Stop distracting me.”
“Never.”
Rolling her eyes, she stepped over the shattered iron bars, ducking her head so the top ones didn’t scalp her. What a painful way to go that would be. After all this trauma, just to be impaled on some shitty bars. She’d rather die impaled on Felix’s cock. The image played in her head, distracting her as her foot hooked around the iron and she stumbled forward into the wall. Goddess, maybe he did distract her even when he wasn’t even trying. Stupid handsome cat.
“See?” he said, smirking wildly.
