Page 58 of First Offense

I thought it was pretty obviouswhatNovak was doing, so I opted to ask, “Why are you trying to unlock the door?” I crept forward for a better view as I added, “Are we not safer in here?” Because it didn’t sound all that much safer out there.

“No,” Novak said as the lock popped. He straightened and grabbed the handle. “We are not safer in here.” The door opened and an alarm blared, but Novak didn’t react to it. Instead, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the room.

“What the fuck?” Auric demanded as he leapt through the threshold after us.

Novak’s death grip on my wrist made it impossible for me to hold my ground, so I ran along with him while tucking my wings into my back. If he wanted to hurt me, he had a much better opportunity to do that in the cell. This was about survival. And despite everything, I trusted Novak when it came to matters of life and death.

“Novak!” Auric snapped. “What the hell is happening?”

I noticed he didn’t try to stop us. He could have easily grabbed me and yanked me backward but instead chose to follow us down the corridor. Most of the doors were open with the cells empty inside, making me frown.

We’d been told we couldn’t leave for our safety, yet clearly that’d been a lie.

Or they’d emptied this wing for some reason.

No, some of the cells did have inmates inside them.

“Novak?” I asked as the stench of charred meat hit my nostrils. We appeared to be running toward it, not away from it. Each step made it stronger. “What is—”

Novak jerked to a halt as one of the cell doors burst open, releasing flames into the hall. I shrieked, and he yanked me behind him to shield me with a wing as Auric’s feathers caressed mine from behind.

“Fuck,” Auric muttered.

Novak glanced over my head, his expression saying,No shit.

Auric nudged him. “Run faster.”

Novak snorted in reply, then yanked me along with him after the worst of the blast relented. Auric ran with us now, his palm a brand against my lower back as we sprinted toward the only known exit.

Novak gave him a single nod as he sprinted toward the stairwell doors.

Which were locked, of course.

I was starting to understand what Novak meant byculling. It was like that day outside when the inmates fought for their survival.

“There is no way my father would approve of this,” I said in a rush as Novak began picking at the lock. He had it open in less than two seconds, before grabbing my wrist again and taking off up the stairs.

I really need to learn how to do that, I thought, reflecting on his lock-picking skills.

Sunlight flooded onto the platform at the top of the stairs, making my heart soar with anticipation.Outside. Yes. Fresh air. Please.

We spilled onto the courtyard, all three of us panting from the escape below. Auric’s palm remained against my back as Novak continued to hold my wrist. They urged me forward, away from the prison entrance and toward the cliffs.

The temptation to just take off hit me square in the gut, the need to escape this place stronger than ever before.

“This isn’t about reformation,” I whispered, looking at Auric and then Novak. “This is about extermination.”

Novak shook his head, disagreeing.

“Then what is it about?” I demanded.

“Survival,” he replied as flames erupted from the stairwell exit we’d just come out of.

Auric growled, and Novak observed in his deadly silence.

I gaped. “This is madness.”

“On that, we agree,” Raven said as she approached with her mates.