Justice stiffens, his hands rising.
“She’s coming to my party this weekend,” he says in a rush, cursing himself a second later.
My muscles stiffen and I want him to continue. I want him to continue because I want to see her again.
Jesus fucking Christ. What the fuck is happening?
“If you…” he has to force himself to keep talking. “If you want to see her again, London will be at my party.”
London.
London.
Electricity sparks along my sides, up and over my chest before burying itself inside. It pulses there just beneath the skin like it’s waiting for a sharp shock to set it free.
Her name is fucking London.
The snack-size girl with hair like frost and eyes like verglas. They’re a freakish frozen shade of blue on the inside, with a thick ring of raven black on the out. Her head fit well under my chin, and if I would have pressed a little closer, her entire body would have been buried by mine. Not an inch left of her in sight.
I want her like that. At my mercy. Bare beneath me like a perfect little doll.
I must stand silent for too long as Sinner’s arm folds over my shoulder, and he gives me a subtle shake.
He grins at Justice. “So, Ordinary, tell us more about this party.”
Midnight might seem like an odd time for a visit, but it’s not for us. Our parents prefer not to be seen outside of their domain when it’s not a pre-planned event with amped up security, and it’s probably for the best. Just because we’re the strongest of our kind, that doesn’t mean the ignorant don’t attempt an attack on my family every now and then. It’s the same cycle. They try, they fail, and then they die. Mom would eat them, but she’s off meat right now.
Like in the Giftless communities, there are dangers and crime in ours. You just don’t hear about it as much because the Ministry keeps everything under wraps. They act as a council, making sure the peace remains settled between not just the different faculties of Gifted, but also back in our home, Rathe, where our world is split in two. Where there’s Light magic, you’ll find Dark magic, and since my father is the King of the Night, or as we call the dark, Stygian, that puts us directly on the firing line. The Light, or as we call Argent, have their fair share of drama too. They like to blame us for the thick of it, but the truth is, just because they’re Light magic, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good. All that aside, The Ministry and the royal monarchy have gone back and forth for thousands of years to keep both sides safe, forming this bullshit Giftless style of a government after the King and Queen of the Argents were slaughtered by The Slasher, the one and only Gifted serial killer our world has ever known. The ins and outs of what followed their murders is a boring tale of one big fucking pissing contest where the worst man won.
And he is still winning.
My father is as savage as you would expect someone of his position, but he’s reasonable too. He doesn’t want to disrupt the dynamic between the Ministry, the Giftless, the Stygians, or even the Argents.
“They’re here,” Creed announces, pulling me from my thoughts. Fuck. What could possibly warrant them coming all the way to Rathe U? The last time they did, it was to give shit news. Hopefully, no one else has died.
The four of us climb to our feet, descending the spiral staircase that leads to the first floor of our condo. My bare feet pad along the thick red velvet carpet, and I know my lack of shoes won’t go unnoticed by my mother. In all her years, the woman has never been spotted with a single black hair out of place. She’s a firm believer in a pristine appearance and can’t be bothered with those who aren’t. She’s not a terrible woman, just a judgmental, stuck-up one. She’s a product of the job.
Legend opens the heavy iron door, revealing the thick cloud of protective smoke. We hear a gruff shout, followed by a low crackling sound, and then my father’s laughter reaches our ears like talons of a monster that’s on his one hundredth day fast.
Slowly, Father and his suited up guard break through the sable smoke, waving the scent of heavy metal away from my face.
Vicente snaps his head in my father’s direction, but my dad only laughs, clamping a hand on his shoulder as he looks our way. “Told him the smoke wouldn’t affect him if he entered with me. Fool believed it.” He grins, stepping up to Creed for a handshake. “Son.”
“Father.” He nods, looking at Vicente, Silver’s father. “Fear of fire, huh?”
The man confirms nothing, just straightens his tie and steps beyond us. Vicente is my father’s oldest friend and loyal companion. I think even if he and Silver didn’t live at the palace all their life, Silver would have still found us. He’s the brother we all needed and helps balance out the toxicity.
My mother strides through the doorway with a walk that would put a Victoria’s Secret model to shame. She pats down her silken crown of coal-colored hair, flashing me a wicked smirk. Mother, if anything, knows how to make an entrance. Her black gown is rimmed with blood red rubies and flows behind her as she lifts her chin on entrance, her guard following her every move but avoiding eye contact with the lot of us.
Shifters, one of the many monsters of our world, are naturally on edge around us since we’re at the top of the monster food chain. Of all the fucking chains really, but it’s worse since they’re linked to one of many others through a blood bond. Similar to my fuck-off brothers, or being mated, this allows them to telepathically communicate with other members of their pack. Basically, if someone were to say…peek into the mind of one—if powerful enough—they could essentially see into all.
Outside the door, the smoke swells, thickening until the cool charcoal color is nowhere to be seen, and a thunderous black cloud swirls before us, sealing us in tighter as its strength triples. Not even the Gifted’s most powerful shields banned together can break through my father’s prize creation.
“How many people did you bring?” I wonder, knowing we must be surrounded if the protective fog is feeling threatened.
“The usual. Two of each strength.”
Sinner meets my eyes as he closes the door behind them, a silent thought passing between us.
That’s not the usual. That’s twice the usual, in fact.
Mother looks from me to Sin a couple times, and in the end, decides on a simple, “Hi, baby,” as she presses her lips to our cheeks. She’s not an overly affectionate woman, but she’s not stone-cold either, just a little more numb than she once was. In some ways, we all are.
“Do we want to go into the royal lounge or …？” Legend asks, eyes sliding toward the shifter acting as my mother’s shadow. Knowing without the privacy the soundproof room provides, the woman is sure to hear our every word without even trying. Mother is a bitch, but that bitch is a feminist. All of her guards are women.
We could use magic to protect our conversation, but our parents don’t like it when we have to find ways to hide in our own home. We’re forced to do that enough outside of it, so it’s not surprising when our dad decides against it.
“The royal lounge will do.” As always, he takes the lead, holding his arm out for my mother to take, and we wait for them to climb the stairs before following behind. His stature is wide and brute. He’s built for war. A weapon in himself, you take one look at Dad and you ain’t fucking with him. He doesn’t need his royal title to hold the dominance in any room.