Page 2

“Let’s review the facts. I rid the world of yet another one of your predatory, abusive, and murdery darling sons, which is my right. You’re unhappy about it, which is your prerogative.”

“‘Murdery’ isn’t a word, Lucian,” a familiar voice called from the stands.

One of my eyes twitched.

There were over a hundred magistrates present. None had remained silent except him. Until now.

I did my best to swallow any retort, aware that my irritation would cost me if I pushed it.

No onecould condemn and punish me. Except another Regis.

My brother could be a major pain in the butt when he wanted to, but I did attempt to keep the peace. After all, I tried to kill him a handful of times before I could walk.

“Right,” I agreed. “Be that as it may, he needed to die, and I saved the Guard time and funds by carrying it out myself. You’re welcome.”

“Victor was a person! Faults or not, he deserved a fair trial, and a sentence by his peers, not cold-blooded murder.”

It was the same man who’d proclaimed we ought to change the law.

Perhaps I ought to learn his name. After all, there was another category of individuals I recognized. Enemies. I just didn’t happen to often care enough to add many people to that list.

I tilted my head. “And what would you say the seven girls he stalked, tortured, and murdered deserved?”

He sat back down, muttering.

“Be that as it may,” Zenya smoothly interjected, her clear voice carrying through the large open space without needing to raise it. “Victor was both a member of the Guard, and a ruling family’s son. For the sake of his loved ones, a more dignified fate would have been preferable.”

I was tired, bored, and hungry. Never a good combination. I pondered the merits of walking out and letting them finish this debate amongst themselves. If it weren’t for my brother’s presence, I would have.

“The Guard has already lost seven runners this year, three by your hand!” someone else reminded everyone.

“Perhaps if your employees didn’t have a tendency to assault the citizens of the underside as a past time, the high sorcerer wouldn’t feel the need to dispose of them,” a bored voice drawled.

I tried not to laugh. My grandmother, representing the Saltzins, looked like she just woke up from a long nap, and promptly returned to it after speaking.

Perhaps I should do the same.

“We don’t have enough employees as is,” a woman grumbled. “For every ten thousand Highvale inhabitants, there’s only onemember of the Guard; and many of us are called abroad to dispose of demons in the human world. We recruit who we can.”

“There you have it.”

My eyes cut through the crowd, back to my brother. I knew that tone. That delighted, eager, haughty little lilt in his voice meant one thing. He found a way to annoy the fuck out of me.

“You need more skilled members of the Guard. You need my brother to cease his casual little murdering spree. I’d say we have a solution.”

Seven holiest of shits.“No,” I whispered.

Damian smirked in response. “Lucian, you are sentenced to six months in the Guard, where you will work, and aid our valiant captain in her effort to purge our fine institution of any rogue members from within. I trust everyone agrees this is fair?”

Bloody fuckpants of Hades. I should have murdered him as a toddler.

2

KLEOS

It wasn’t the first time I dreamed of burning. It wasn’t even the first time this week. But the screaming nightmares were supposed to be over after I opened my eyes.

Not this time.