Phoenix13: Redemption (Phoenix13 Book 2)

Part #7: The Judgement of Zephyr: Prologue

Hi readers and writers of Wattpad! Thanks for stopping in. ^)^

This is the prologue of the second book in the Phoenix13 series. If you haven't read the first book and would like to, it's called Phoenix13: Reincarnation and can be found in its entirety on my profile page.

I just want to thank everyone who read, commented, or voted on my previous book! Every bit of encouragement and constructive criticism was greatly appreciated. <3 Although the first few chapters of this second book that I post are unedited and essentially a first draft, I would love to get some feedback on them while I'm finishing up the book's final Part in the next couple weeks.

Anyway, I really hope everyone enjoys this second installment in the Phoenix13 series! I know I loved writing it (even if it was a royal pain in the ass something, ahaha!) Lots and lots of love,

- Kewona Wolf ^)^

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~ Part Seven ~

The Judgement of Zephyr

Prologue

"Ever been to Carceris Caeci before, Reykrn?" The prison guard was strong but wiry, his too-white skin and frost-blackened fingers clear indicators of his origins: Fafykrnamnr, the great Northern Country of Monterra.

"Not since I was a kid," Alexx Sullivan tugged the lapels of his dark leather coat across his chest, tucking his chin into the collar. The frigid air burned his nose and throat, making it difficult to breathe. "Damn, how do fuckin' skinny penguins like you survive up here? I can see the whales making it, but..."

"Stop speaking," the guard's thick Fafykrnamnrysh accent made his words rough and strangely disjointed, an effect amplified by the thick woolen scarf covering most of his mouth. "Keep moving."

The dark, dank hallways of Carceris Caeci were still as death, the grimy bricks covered with a thin sheen of ice. Water trickled through from the warmer upper floors, dripping sluggishly between cracks in the gray stone and freezing solid as they hit the bitter temperature of the dungeons. Every hallway was lined with doors leading to secluded cells, the prisoners cut off from even the faintest trace of light or hope. It was a place of punishment; a fortress of fear and death.

"This's far enough," Alexx quirked his mouth up at one corner, his eyes boring into the side of the guard's head. "Getting out will already take me days. I'd hate for it to be months."

The guard shot him a sideways glance, an elk eyeing a prowling wolf. "Don't worry, Reykrn. You don't have to worry about escape. Not where we're going."

Alexx glanced at the lightweight cuffs around his chaffed wrists and wondered if his own blood would be a good enough lubricant to slip free. But as he began to pull one hand back, the cuffs tightened cruelly, digging deep into his flesh. He hissed aloud in pain, clenching his jaw and immediately ceasing his efforts.

"Hurts, dunnit?" the guard smirked. "The more you tug, the tighter they get. Like one of those old finger traps from before the War."

Alexx glared straight ahead, mind racing with possibilities. Carceris Caeci is known for its horrible but effective criminal punishment system. As far as I know, only three people—or things—in the history of Monterra have escaped. Of those, only one lived to tell the tale.

The guard glanced at his prisoner. His lips twisted into a slight smile. "Just so you know, Reykrn, us guards only come around once a week or so to reset those cuffs. Lots of people have lost their hands in here. Some even bled out."

"How terrifying," Alexx's tone was flat and bored. "But you see, I don't plan on staying cuffed for a week. Let alone long enough for my hands to fall off."

The guard chuckled. "Whatever you say, Reykrn. Whatever you say."

Alexx had just sunk back into the brooding darkness of his mind when a strange, eerie noise broke the silence: Shrrr! Shrrr! Shrrr!

"Phone," the guard grunted, plunging one hand into his pocket. He extracted a small electronic device, holding it out as he squinted at the glowing screen. "Rose?" he muttered, frowning. "I don't know a Rose."

"That makes one of us," Alexx held out his hand, cocking an eyebrow expectantly. "My one phone call, guard. I have rights."

The guard laughed, shaking his head. "If you actually knew those rights, you'd know that that tradition died out after the Last War. Besides, we're in the darkest, deepest, most inaccessible dungeons of Monterra's finest lock-up. No one's watching. I can do whatever I want with you down here."

Alexx's eyes traveled smoothly across the guard's wiry frame, coming to rest on a rectangular bulge in the other man's back pocket. Biting through his lip, the bounty-hunter savored the taste of his own hot blood running down his frozen throat, thawing his airway and opening his lungs. Baring his scarlet-stained teeth in an insane smile, he launched himself at the startled guard, brown eyes flashing.

"No!" the guard gasped as Alexx's fingers found purchase in the soft flesh of his neck, holding him immobile as the bounty-hunter extracted his key card and held it up to the light. "Help! Guards!"

"We're in the darkest, deepest, most inaccessible dungeons of Monterra's finest lock-up," Alexx mocked, his face inches from his victim's. "No one's watching. I can do whatever I want with you down here." Holding the key-card between two fingers, he slashed the improvised weapon through the air, bringing it down on the guard's snow-white throat. Blood spurted from the neat incision, spilling down the dark uniform and spattering the floor. With a choking gasp, the wiry man fell against the wall, slipping into a half-crouched position with his hands around his throat. His frost-bitten fingers were slick with scarlet, scrabbling uselessly at the deadly wound.

Smirking, Alexx reached for the still-ringing phone. Pressing the speaker to his lips, he said, "This is Alexx. Better be important."

"Sullivan," Rosetta Callista's icy voice was tinged with smugness and... something else. Excitement? Anticipation? He could almost see her ruby lips parting slightly as she paused for effect, running the tip of her tongue around the outline of her mouth like a cat cleaning its whiskers. When she spoke again, her voice was a low purr, rich and seductive and sparking with electric danger. "Sullivan, love. Where are you?"

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(Question of the Chapter: What do you think Rosetta really wants Alexx Sullivan to help her with?)

If you liked this chapter, I would absolutely love it if you gave it a vote! <3 Also, any and all comments are 10000% welcome. My favorite thing in the world is hearing what my readers think of my story. :) Anyway, thank you all for reading! Mwaah! <3