7 Chapter 7: God Killer

Shaye

The next day, an alarm shrills overhead, and I jerk awake. I'm lying on the filthy prison cell floor, cold and shivering. The door slides open with clanks that echo through the hallway and I scramble to my feet. My roommates drag themselves out of the cell, lining up outside the prison. Several other inmates line up behind them along the wall of cells.

I quickly join them. "What is this for?" I ask, terrified of the answer. Will I be hosed down again? Tortured? "Where are we going?"

Crymson mutters, "I'm going to lose my shit. Ten, nine, eight...."

In the hallway, a dark-haired girl pushes me out of the way.

"God killers go last."

Everything in me stills. How did they find out? The stone floor is sticky beneath my bare feet as I back away.

"This mousy thing?" Lene asks, giving me a double-take. That crazy look she had in her eyes last night when I joined them in the cell sweeps over her gaze.

I swallow hard. "Please, it was an acc-" I try to plead my case, but my voice chokes in my throat.

"Don't even look at me," Everly, my cell-mate with short, black hair says, glaring at me.

In the light, I see her eyes are the color of violets and there's something unusual about her. Then again, this isn't a normal prison is it? It's a place all the troublemaker demi-gods are sent to be rid of.

"And you can forget asking me for any extra food or anything. I don't share," she barks.

"Try to take mine and I'll shank you." Crymson flips me the finger.

All I see is red at first red hair, red cheeks, and red fingernails. How did she get nail polish here?

"Hope you get used to sleeping on the fucking floor, bitch." Another prisoner pushes hard against my back in the lineup. "It's where scum like you belongs God killer!"

I hug myself, trying to make myself appear smaller because something tells me her fists will start flying at me if I give her the chance. Thing is, I've never strayed from standing up to people, especially bullies. I'm not saying I'm a fighter, far from it. But I find sometimes just challenging someone will get them to back off. Except here, I doubt anyone will back down.

"Lighten up, Everly, you remember what it was like to be new," Lene says softly.

I like her already. She seems a bit more laid back and the only person who stood up for me in this place. It's all I can hope for in here.

"You getting soft on the god killer?" Everly growls. "Wanna join her on the floor tonight?"

"No." Lene pales and stares straight ahead as if realizing she's made a huge mistake.

My stomach rumbles. Every part of me hopes that this is the line for breakfast. Only way I can be certain is to follow everyone else. I somehow doubt hiding in the cell is an option...or allowed. I don't know the rules. This is a new world and I might as well have just arrived on Mars.

The line moves forward, and I squeeze out into the hallway. Someone shoves a hand into my back, and I stumble forward but catch myself.

"Fucking god killer," a guy sneers.

"They should've killed you instead of bringing you here," a woman with tribal tattoos over half her face and across her neck says.

Another person spits in my face. I use the sleeve of my orange uniform to wipe it away and cringe.

The crowd shuffles past me with more jeers and hateful looks. I'm not sure if they are trying to just scare me or if they are ready to murder me for taking down one of our own.

Except true blood gods aren't our own, are they? If they are, why is this prison filled with mostly demi-gods? Why are we treated like crap? Or do they just think I'm somehow too powerful if I killed a god? Hell, if they knew the truth, they'd laugh at me not be wary. It was some freak accident, my power has gone haywire. That's what happened.

A girl walks in front of me and her fist slams into my gut before I can blink.

My legs crumple beneath me as I sink to the floor, gasping for air. Fuck! Was she related to Atlas or Hercules? Pain twists in my stomach.

"You aren't so tough. Did you really kill a god?" she growls and leaves me crumbled on my knees.

"Get up," a guard roars, but I'm still trying to draw air into my lungs. He swats at my arm with his baton.

Electricity vibrates through the wristband into my skull, making my teeth vibrate so hard I think they're going to shatter.

"Move it or I'll give you another dose."

I grab ahold of the bars at my back to heave myself up, gasping to try and breathe. My legs are shaking so bad I can barely walk.

He spits on the floor beside me like I'm not worth his time.

I shiver, hunched over and drift forward, pain throbbing through my whole body. My lawyer said this was better than a death sentence. He was wrong. It's only a matter of time before the other prisoners here or hell, even the guards, come after me to kill me.

Somehow, I make it to the mess hall without the guard zapping me again. Even though I don't think I can eat anything with my stomach caved in by Supergirl's punch, I get in the line and try not to wince when a glob of gray muck is heaved onto my plate.

All the tables are full of prisoners, eating and talking softly. When I approach an empty spot, the guys and gals spread out, pushing me off the bench. I pick up my tray and go to another table, but a group of them block my path.

"Find somewhere else to eat." One of the girls smirks.

There are no empty tables. So I sit in the corner on my ass, forcing the vile-looking glop down my throat. I feel everyone's glares and the hate radiating off them in waves. Are all new prisoners treated this way? Well news flash, it's not my choice. I'm shaking terribly, my chest raging with anger.

I don't want to be here because if I stay, I know I'll end up dead. I feel it in my bones, over my skin crawling from everyone's glares. Escape is what I need. Bide my time and watch everything. There has to be a way out.

I finish my food, or as much of it as I'm able to force down and turn my tray into the bin.

Then I approach a female guard standing in front of one of the doors. She's tall and two times my width. Brown hair pulled into a bun, she's studying me with a stoic expression. "I-I'm done eating, may I return to my cell?"

She purses her lips, looking me up and down. "Have to say I imagined someone bigger and tougher looking than you who would take down a god."

Didn't know if I should apologize or be flattered. "Please, I just want to lay down."

"Sure." She heaves a sigh. "I'll walk you back."

But something in her gaze makes me pause. Hardly anyone has been kind to me here yet, and my alarm bells are suddenly going off. I need to be on my guard 24/7. "On second thought, I'll just hang here for now." I turn away.

"Nonsense." She grabs my arm and drags me out of the cafeteria.

My feet are skimming the cement surface of the hallway when echoes of other footsteps sound behind us.

"W-Where are you taking me?" I struggle to get free of her grasp.

She lets go and I stumble sideways a few steps.

"Good luck, god killer." She turns away.

Behind her, two girls, identical twins with short black hair, radiant green eyes, and rosy perfect lips smile. A guy slinks forward with a gleam in his gaze. He's enjoying this, loving the power he holds over me, excited about what he's about to deliver.

"No, please, wait." I recoil.

"This shouldn't take long." The guy rubs his chin. "You two first, if I go, she'll be dead in less than a minute."

"If we leave anything of her behind for you to kill." One of the women rushes forward.

I don't wait, I turn and run, but she slams into my back. I smack into the floor, chin first. Blood oozes down my neck. I spin, reaching out for my magic. The collar and bracelets flash to life, searing into me. Ripping through me like lightning. I jerk. The pain lashes through my entire body. I grit my teeth from the pain, a scream burning my throat.

"You trying to use your god killing power on me, cunt?" she snorts.

"Teach her a lesson, sweetie," the guy taunts, his head shaved.

"Hold her." She yanks my hair, forcing me up.

But terror is pummeling through me, and I swing my fist out and clip her on the side of her face. She stumbles, caught off guard. I retreat, but they move too fast and tackle me.

I kick and punch, my screams completely ignored.

The guy snatches one of my arms, the other girl does the same on my other side.

The bitch with the now bloody nose plows her fist into my gut. I gasp for breath as it feels like she's hit my spleen or something. Then she hits me again and again, kicking me in my leg and I buckle.

Fear is tearing me apart because I won't get a chance to escape. I'm going to die here today, right now.

"Oh, let me have a go." The girl helping to hold me up drops my arm.

She takes over punching me and the guy must get bored with holding me too, because suddenly I'm on the ground. I huddle in on myself, wrapping my arms around my head.

I can't tell who is hitting or kicking me as the blows come from all sides one after the other. I'm lost in the pain. Blood clouding my vision. I lash out, trying to find a sliver of my power to blast these three away from me. Even that small trace is picked up by the collar and bracelets. A current rocks through my body again. I convulse, my muscles twitching so hard I feel like they're going to snap off.

"Fucking bitch, she tried to use her power on us again," one of the females says.

"Hit her harder." The guy's words are followed by a kick to the side of my face.

My head snaps back with a crack and blinding pain barrels through me.