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  In truth, I had found myself in the same position as my cousin once upon a time. Granted, it was years ago. Still, someone from the GG had gotten the bright idea to execute a red order on my betrothed and ended my matrimony. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t complaining by any means. In fact, I was somewhat giddy about the fact of not being tied down to someone I had no feelings for. But the situation at hand wasn’t about me. Now was it?

  Frowning, I looked at her, “what could he have done that’s so bad,” I pointed to her, “you get the wise idea to ruin this ceremony? On top of crossing over into Silver territory.”

  “Shall I list the ways he killed a trove of kids? Or what about bombing a troop of soldiers just trying to be humanitarians to hurricane victims? Must I continue, or is that enough?”

  I didn’t know about all the things he had done; if I had known about it, I could’ve told my cousin and prevented her from becoming something of a laughingstock among Castlehedge society.

  “Are you done with your questions or may I continue my duties?” A bored tone overtook Svenia’s voice, but her grip on the retractable throwing stars remained solid.

  Narrowing my eyes at her, I debated with myself. If Svenia were telling the truth and I stopped her from executing the red order, then I would be doing myself a disservice while simultaneously signing my own red order. Getting in the way of executing any order—red, black, Diamond and otherwise—was like telling a cop not to take down the person who killed his entire family. The move was ignorant and downright suicidal.

  Still, she was in Silver territory and even though I was off, I still had a job to do whether I liked it or not. But I couldn’t very well be the person behind my cousin’s seventh sorrow. Or could I?

  What to do? What to do? I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, fully aware of Karina standing out of view from Svenia.

  My best friend was impatient by nature and violent by genetics. She wanted her way when she wanted. And nothing, not even the fact of me holding a station higher than her own was going to stop her from getting what she wanted.

  “Well, Luminous River, what is your answer?” Svenia was losing her patience with me and I was ok with that.

  I needed to buy enough time for my wildcard to show up and prove to the black courts the Silver Guard was capable of handling the bigger jobs. The more important jobs that didn’t involve petty theft, meager assault and whatever other child’s play crimes they sent our way.

  Tilting my head, I smirked at her, “do you know how to dance, Svenia?”

  A spark of confusion ignited her washed out gold eyes before she understood the underhanded warning.

  My whip snapped out too quickly for her to track and wrapped its way around her ankle. With a quick snap and a skilled tug of my wrist, the GG idiot dropped to the floor as she lashed out with her throwing stars.

  “Lights out, bitch,” Karina jumped from the banister as the unmistakable beep filled the wedding hall.

  Svenia and I locked eyes before running in opposite directions as the drone bombs dropped from the silk draped ceiling and exploded. What was once a nauseatingly beautiful wedding hall was now nothing more than a screaming, fleeing, burning disaster. All thanks to my best friend who had a talent for making even the most horrible situations light up the sky like fireworks.

  I tucked my body in on itself, trying to protect all of my vital organs and bones as I was forced skyward by the next explosion. Closing my eyes, I gritted my teeth together when my side hit the ground and sent me summersaulting through the hard grass.

  When I finally stopped rolling and my back hit one of the many boulders on the cliff’s edge, I could finally breathe. Staring at the star filled sky, I sent a vain prayer to the heavens before letting my head roll to the side to look at Karina giggling.

  “Let’s hope Lovett knows what he’s doing to finish what she tried to start.” I grumbled, shoving my body upright.

  “Oh he’ll be fine,” Karina giggled for a second longer before bursting into a full-blown fit of hysterical laughter.

  I was about to look at her and ask what the hell she was laughing at when the high-pitched squeal of the throwing stars flying through the air assaulted my hearing.

  “Duck,” I pushed Karina out of the way before diving in the opposite direction, thankful my face wasn’t going to be sliced up like a thanksgiving pie for the time being. Jumping to my feet I threw out the whip and blindly caught Svenia in the arm. “You’re not playing nicely tonight, Sven.”

  She growled in irritation, “you will answer for this!”

  I opened my mouth to respond when he appeared in front of Svenia, blocking my whip with his infamous sword. Our eyes locked. My heart stopped and—as sad as it was to admit— my grip loosened on my whip.

  “You gave the order for your member to execute a red order designated to the Gold Guard.” An accusation meant to be taken as a warning. But I was more shamelessly focused on him and his voice.

  “And your point?” Karina challenged.

  His burning eyes slid to her, “my point, Miss. Rizzo, is simple. Silver doesn’t have the authority to take over orders on their own accord.”

  “You’re on Silver Guard territory, Losett.” Karina motioned around the burning clearing, “as far as I can see. You’re the one in the wrong.”

  His dull gold eyes slid to her menacingly again, “you’ll be wise to keep your place.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond as his haunted gaze snapped to me. “Do you not have control over your sect?”

  His question snapped me out of the hypnotic trance and brought me back to the problem at hand. Narrowing my eyes at him, I yanked my whip back and tightened my grip on the leather-bound whip handle.

  “What’re you even doing here?” I ignored Karina’s screwed look, “the last time the sect leaders met,” I nodded to him. “You agreed not to cross into the Silver, or any other, Guard’s territory. So, explain to me why your guard member is here on Silver territory.”

  Karina smiled in a shit eating fashion and crossed her arms, prepared for Svenia to do something stupid. Losett had nerve trying to tell someone about control over a sect; especially considering Svenia was openly breaking the treaty between the guards.

  As if understanding finally hit his disgustingly beautiful face, he narrowed his eyes for a moment and directed his command to the subordinate that put such a happy occasion to ruins.

  “You will explain to the black courts your folly in executing the red order.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing,” he snapped as he spun on Svenia, “you will explain what has happened and you will abide by the treaty. If you foolishly decide to not adhere to this order,” Demir stepped close to the throwing star bitch. “I will personally see your merits diminished. Do I make myself clear?”

  She narrowed her eyes, obviously debating with herself to either argue with her superior or remain silent. Surprisingly, Svenia wasn’t as stupid as she looked. The woman in question opted for the safest option and remained silent, bowing her head in acceptance of her fate.

  Demir raised a curious brow to her for a moment before turning back to me. “As for the red order your guard member handled on his own,” he sucked his cheeks in and relaxed. “I expect you, as a sect leader to handle the repercussions of taking matters into your own hands.”

  “You don’t have to worry about what I’m going to do with my sect.” As another explosion went off, I pointed to Svenia, “make sure she doesn’t step into my territory again.” Dropping my tone to match his own, I narrowed my own eyes, “or I will make sure you feel Silver Guard’s wrath to its fullest.”

  A smirk ticked up his lips as he bent down, meeting me at eye level, “I look forward to our next meeting, Luminous River.”

  “Ditto, Demir Losett.” Good one, Lumi. I internally rolled my eyes but remained unmoving as I stared into his strange eyes.

  Another sinful smirk kissed his lips before he stood to his full towering height
and sauntered away from me and Karina without so much as a second glance back at Svenia. The man was a giant by normal standards, but maybe that was what had made him so undeniably attractive.

  Forcibly shaking myself, I watched as he disappeared into the tree line away from the cliffs.

  Only when the two GG asses faded entirely from view did my friend finally make a move.

  Karina sighed and turned her attention to the burning wedding hall. “Shame we haven’t gotten a red order on that one. Right?”

  I made a noncommittal noise and continued to stare at Demir Losett’s retreating back. For as long as I could remember I had been after the very man I was letting walk away right now. But for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t kill him.

  Demir and I didn’t have any type of feelings or relationship. Yet and still, I didn’t know why I could not kill him. He had committed his crimes—just like the rest of us—and I knew a red order was coming for the sect leader at some point in time, but the predominate question that reigned supreme in my mind was a simple one. Why?

  Shaking the foreboding thoughts back to the darkest depths of my mind, I took in a deep breath and turned my attention to the wedding hall.

  “I can’t believe they actually thought we were going to allow them to get to us.” Lovett Joker O’Qhuinn came sauntering out of the flames like he were some movie star who survived an assassination attempt.

  Karina rolled her eyes and raised a brow at him, “do you think you could’ve been a little quicker?”

  “Like you’re one to talk,” he came to a stop beside me and dusted his hands off. “Who sets off flying bombs before everyone can make a clean escape?”

  “If everyone could make a clean escape,” she waved an indifferent hand to the flames still eating away at the wedding hall. “Mr. Prince wouldn’t be dead right now.”

  “Not the point,” he rubbed a soot covered hand over his face and shook his head. “Tell me something, Rina, who the hell carries military grade explosives around?”

  “You never know when you’ll have to make a quick escape. Why not just blow your way out?”

  “Enough,” I ordered and stared into the trees, waiting to catch some form of movement behind the old bark. When I confirmed nothing was there and for the time being, we were going to be ok, I looked at both of my friends.

  “We need to leave. Rocks is going to have our asses anyway for not taking the night entirely off.”

  “Well, compadres,” Karina threw her arms around Lovett and I as we started walking away from the wedding hall and all of the carnage the flames were creating. “I think this is the step in the right direction.”

  Lovett rolled his eyes, “to what? A red order of our own?”

  “Always with the negativity,” she shook her head and leaned against me. “Nonetheless, I think we’re headed to some beautiful promotions.”

  “Sure, Rina,” Lovett and I said in unison as the darkness of the woods consumed us. Like a candle burning out, we were nothing but smoke to the fire department racing toward the flames.

  That was the way of the guards; disappear before someone from the day spotted us. The last thing any of us needed was for the media and medical experts to come knocking at our doors about surviving such terrible events.

  Being nothing but shadows, no more than smoke and mirrors was in the best interest for everyone involved. In truth, we were figments of the imagination and if we weren’t more careful, those figments would become a reality.

  §§§§§

  Ten minutes later, Lovett, Karina and me were trudging through the back roads walking in silence. I knew all of our minds were preoccupied with what awaited for us at Silver’s headquarters.

  Not following the direction of taking time off was just as bad as hindering someone from doing their duties. Still, given the surrounding events, it wasn’t entirely our faults. However, I knew the three men in a higher station than me like the back of my hand.

  Our superiors were going to throw a fit for the destruction we had caused at my cousin’s wedding. But at the same time, I thought to myself as I tilted my head, Lovett did appear as soon as he received the order. So, really, how much trouble could we get into? He hadn’t requested the night off and he was already in the territory, so…

  “Karina, answer me something,” Lovett broke the silence as we crossed over the train tracks and watched our beloved small town come into view.

  “What?” Karina ripped her fingers through her hair and gave the man a sideways stare.

  “How long do you think before Roxy and Karmel come gunning for us?”

  I clenched my teeth at the mention of the Honor Guard’s hounds. Bobin Roxy and Cotti Karmel were two of the most feared people between all of the guards and for good reason too.

  Bobin was on his way to becoming a presiding judge of Onyx Elite and had no qualms about getting his hands dirty when the occasion called for it. With countless deaths hanging around his neck like badges of honor, the man was worse than a dictator ordering mass genocide. His wife, Cotti Karmel, on the other hand was just as bad, if not worse.

  She had been the youngest in any guard to complete a normal education along with becoming one of the strongest in all of the guards. She was something of an enigma, curious; however, no matter how impressive her resume was, Cotti was a heartless bitch out of this world. She made her reputation through executing Black Diamond Orders and killing her way to the top.

  There was nothing in this world as bad as Black Diamond Order and if you were on the receiving end of such an order, your time was beyond limited. Nonexistent was more like it.

  Anyway, I didn’t know the full backstory of how the two became such a destructive pair and wasn’t about to make it my business in finding out such details. All I did know for certain was, I didn’t want to see either at any point unless it was for their memorial services.

  “Well,” Karina blew out a hard breath as she considered the question. “If I had to guess, probably within the next few months, at best. Why?”

  Lovett Joker O’Qhuinn was the same man who laughed in the face of death and didn’t think twice about going head-to-head with someone crazier than he was.

  With eyes as sharp as an eagle in the shade of polished silver and a bone structure designed to instill fear in anyone who looked at him, he was an extremely attractive man and one any woman would want to have as a protector.

  However, even with all of those details and the brute strength corded in his bulging muscles, I could see the hidden fear dancing in his eyes as he nodded once and stared.

  “Figured as much,” he grumbled, letting our little trio fall silent again.

  Soon we were on the edge of our hometown and own personal hell hole.

  Castlehedge, Colorado was your standard isolated mountain top city. Filled with prominent attorneys, doctors, professors and other professionals with fat egos and even fatter wallets.

  Lights twinkled against the dark sky backdrop; skyscrapers begged to kiss the stars while the streets relaxed from another day of supporting the weight of footsteps and cars of busy travelers. On a normal day, no one roamed the streets or hung around the diners and bars. However, the few people who were out and about belonged to the guards or the seedier parts of life.

  A little shit hole city filled with some of the best and worst society had to offer, but if I were being honest with myself. I knew there was no other place I’d rather be. Castlehedge was just that type of city. You loved to hate it on a good day, and nothing could really make you want to leave.

  I took a deep breath and scanned the edges of the city for any danger. Although our jobs were done for the night and we weren’t technically on the schedule for anything else. It didn’t mean we could afford to be ignorant to our surroundings and vulnerable.

  “Let’s just worry about the problem in front of us for the time being.” I said walking ahead of both of them toward Silver’s HQ.

  Chapter 2 Training Days and Black C
ourts

  Svenia watched me closely as I leaned against the tree, hidden under the hanging branches and stared at Luminous River.

  She was something of a different breed; with her ombre zircon gray hair tied up in a messy bun, and her eyes focused, I didn’t know whether to be intrigued or afraid. But it was her eyes which haunted my mind the most. The harsh slate, almost gun metal gray color was filled with the type of callousness only those who were broken on the inside could possibly understand. No matter what danced in those pools, however, I was a sucker for the color.

  I didn’t know why I found the sect leader so appealing and didn’t know whether or not I should get a psych evaluation thanks to the attraction. Joining the guards in anything other than a battle was unheard of and I wasn’t the type of man to break norms or traditions.

  “I don’t understand why you just won’t kill her already.” Svenia’s snarky voice interrupted my calculating thoughts and snapped my head around to her.

  “Why are you still here? I thought I told you to go to the courts.”

  Her eyebrows popped for a moment before she kicked off her own tree and started heading away from me. “By the way, if you want to know something about a female, the smartest thing you can do is ask.”

  “Lovanna,” I warned.

  It wasn’t like I wanted to know anything about the woman beautifully named Luminous River. The only thing I needed to know about the female in front of me was the obvious.

  She was a member—no she was the sect leader of Silver Guard. I was the sect leader of Gold Guard. Which meant one of two things. Either I was going to have to execute her red order when it came, or she was going to execute my red order.

  After all, every sect leader eventually had to face death for letting their power become too much for their superiors. On the rare occasion a sect leader was able to survive his or her order, they’d become a judge of Onyx Elite and live in bliss until their natural time line had ended. Plain and simple. But very few survived and depending on their strengths, even the most feared and talented sect leader ever saw the light of day after an order had been enforced.