Free Moon Mark by Scarlett Dawn

ticking by, and no Kireg entered the other room. Geo eventually sat on top of the small cage and closed his eyes. He appeared to be taking a nap while I paced the room and eyed the glass barrier. But I knew he started watching me under his hooded gaze, the sheer power of his hidden regard sufficient to keep my spine stiff.
    I tapped on the barrier and quickly shook my hand out. It was charged with electric currents.
    When no one showed even fifteen minutes later, I became daring.
    I tried the doorknob.
    And…the door opened a crack.
    I swiftly took my hand back, as if it had burned me. “Uh…it’s not actually locked.”
    Geo was already on his feet and striding toward me. “I can see that.” He shouldered me aside, taking the lead, and grabbed the handle. In slow increments, he opened the door a little further. I held perfectly still, staying quiet, as he peeked outside. His actions stalled, and then he stuck his head out the door. The rebellion leader looked left and right before ducking back into the room. His white brows were drawn together, his voice a dangerous rumble. “The guards are gone.”
    It took a second to register. “ What? ”
    He pulled the door open wide, showing clearly no one was outside.
    My own eyebrows puckered in confusion. “Think it’s a test?”
    The bastard released the door and placed his hands on his hips, staring at the ground deep in thought. I took the opportunity to peek out the door myself, glancing both ways. The hallway was completely empty. I gawked…at an exit sign at the end of the corridor. There was something seriously wrong with this scenario. I ducked back inside and contemplated what the hell we should do.
    The rebellion leader finally peered up and glared at me. “I have something.”
    I lifted a brow, my eyes flicking between his. “You don’t look happy saying that.”
    His cold gaze ran over my features, and then he raised the right side of his shirt. He lifted a knife from the edge of his pants, stuck under the waistline. “I took it off the guard in front of me.”
    I stared at the item. “This is too convenient. The guards took us out of our cells at an unusual time, you were able to lift that off the guard, both guards are now gone, and there’s a fucking exit at the end of the hallway.” I raised my muddled gaze to his dark eyes. “What the hell is going on?”
    He twirled the knife between his fingers, staring at the ground again. He spoke his thoughts out loud, “There are two options. One, this is another trial. Or, two, someone is giving us the opportunity to escape.” His eyes were cast in shadows when he barely peeked up. “Did you recognize either of the guards?”
    “No.” I shook my head. “They’re new ones.”
    “Hmm.” His regard returned to the ground, and he tapped the knife absently against his right leg. “Something’s going on, but we’re missing a detail. This doesn’t seem right for a rescue mission. If those guards were on our side, they would have given us—”
    I slapped my right hand over his mouth, my head cocking.
    He went still at my demand, and then he jerked back and swiftly shut the door.
    There were people at the end of the hallway, their boots loud against the tiling. Those were standard boots for guards, the slight clink against the tiling now familiar. They were coming closer at a normal speed, not rushing toward us.
    Geo and I promptly walked backward from the door. He stuffed the knife back into the waistband of his pants and pulled his shirt down over it, hiding it from sight. I turned away from the door completely, pretending I was bored, just in case they walked into the room—as if we didn’t know the door was unlocked.
    It did swing open, but my head jerked in its direction at the individuals coming inside.
    Two new guards, not the same ones as before.
    The guards shut the door behind them, staring mutely at Geo.
    Absolute mischief entered his purple eyes. “It’s about time you men showed up.”