“I can work with colors—auras,” I explained. “I healed him through his aura, but it was a unique situation. I'm not sure if I could do it again.”
“Damn. Who are you, woman?”
“My name's Amaranthine, you can call me Amara, but don't do it in front of the guards. They only know my alias, Amanda.”
“I'm Rainvaren Kerris.” He bowed. “You can call me Rain.”
“Rain.” I looked over his sapphire eyes. “Fitting.”
Rain grinned, showcasing sharp fangs. “I'm a part of a Dralmarin organization that polices our people on Earth. A few of us were investigating the attack I mentioned. One of my team members got grabbed and dosed with something before he could shift. Luckily, the rest of us got to him before he could be taken. When we got him back to our base, we found a strange drug in his system. Even our fast metabolisms couldn't process it. We analyzed it and discovered that it wasn't just a drug, it had magic in it. Magic to combat magic.”
“Some kind of suppression magic?” I frowned. That would explain why my immortality hadn't healed me yet; there was nothing to heal.
“Yeah, suppression, that's a good word for it,” he growled. “So, you're saying that they've been collecting supe magic and selling it?”
“Yes, and they're taking it from criminal supes so no one will miss them.”
“Fuck,” he hissed. “I'll bet they took that suppression magic from a criminal too. It probably started their little enterprise.”
Now, that was an interesting theory. Could magic be taken from a supe and made into a drug?
“Since you're standing in a cell before me, I'm assuming you were dosed with it too,” I said. “So, how is it that you can shift?”
“It wears off.” He shrugged. “Give it an hour or so and you'll be right as rain.” He grinned and gestured to himself.
I chuckled with relief; I'd be out of there soon. “That's something at least.” Then I looked around. “Bishop is trying to intimidate me by putting me in the midst of murderous males.”
“Bishop?”
“Magnus Bishop is the man in charge. At least, I think so. He has a house on the island. I just came from speaking with him. He wants me to willingly let him take my magic... among other things.”
Rain bared his teeth. “Fucking pig.”
“He's a man in charge of an operation that takes magic from supes, killing them in the process, and then sells it to the rich, knowing full well that it will kill them as well. I think his lechery is the least of his character flaws.”
Rain howled in laughter. Snarls echoed him and a few booms of bashed bars came next.
“I can smell your pussy from here, Triari,” a masculine voice hissed. “Give it a rub for us, won't you?”
“Shut up, Juren!” Rain shouted in English. Then he looked back at me and asked in Dralmarin, “You're Triari?”
“Among other things.” I grinned. “Do you know anything about this facility we're in? I know it's on an island in the South China Sea and that it seems to be run by Bishop. But I can't understand why the Chinese Government would give the job to an American.”
“I don't think he's in charge of the prison, but I don't know if the Chinese Government is in charge either. After I was first brought in, there was a man who came through the cell block. He appeared to be the warden, and he was Chinese, but who can say if he's a government employee?”
Right. Assume nothing.
“So, Bishop just lives on the island and has the power to put anyone he wants into the prison, and take anyone out of it, but he doesn't run it?” I mused.
“It would appear so.”
“He owns a software company in America,” I murmured. “Why is he on an island off the coast of China, living above a supe prison, and stealing magic?”
“Maybe he knows a guy?” Rain grinned.
“Cute.” I rolled my eyes. “It doesn't matter. We'll find out as soon as my team arrives.”
“They know where we are?” he asked eagerly.
