Page 1 of Distant Heart (Vicious Valentine)

There was something to be said about traditions.

Mostly that they were outdated and a complete and total waste of time.

Illya couldn’t keep the scowl off his face as he stood at the railing overlooking the foyer of Sacrum Cor University, irritation only growing with each and every student that passed through the open double doors.

“What a joke,” Devyn grunted, glaring at the masses along with him.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Illya hated these types of events. Hated the fact that he was lumped in with the rest of the student body even more. Attendance on Cor Night was mandatory, even for the Black Harts.

“Just pick someone and get it over with,” Ryker, who was standing on Illya’s opposite side, stated.

“Easy for you to say, Golden boy,” Devyn leaned over the banister to set that annoyed look on their mutual friend. “Not all of our daddies were nice enough to welcome a fuck toy into our homes.”

Illya grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose, waiting for the fallout. Just like how they were forced to be here despite their social status, certain things were considered out of bounds, and talking about Ryker’s new stepbrother? That made thetop of the list.

“Say that again.” Ryker moved in a flash, shoving Devyn away.

From the corner of his eye, Illya watched Ares and Zar step up to separate thembut didn’t bother to intervene himself. Typically, they never fought, but Cor Night did something strange to all of them. That was the case every year, so why would he expect this one to be any different?

Usurn was a planet in the Seastea galaxy, rooted in history and custom. Continuing legacies and rights of passage were big deals, especially for families deeply rooted in the founding of their culture's rich heritage. From an outside perspective, the Black Harts might seem above it all, but realistically, they had it the worst of them all.

Sons and daughters of founding family members had no choice but to attend Sacrum Cor University, for one. Considered the most prestigious school on the planet, that was a givenand something Illya could probably even look past, considering he enjoyed his studies here. But the rest of it…

Once a year, Cor Night was held on campus, a massive party that lasted from night until morning. It was promoted as a night of romance and celebration of love and friendship, but in actuality, it was more like an invitation to partake in debauchery and sin.

Illya reached up and adjusted the small black heart pin on the left lapel of his crimson blazer. The uniform jacket was worn by every student, even during events like this one, though they were allowed to wear whatever they liked beneath it for Cor Night. In the center of the tiny heart, a red light glowed, the illumination matching the bright specks on all the others.

Black Harts were the only ones whose pin were obsidian, however. Everyone else, including professors in attendance, wore red ones with a light inside that shined just a little bit brighter. That was by design, since the true meaning of the night revolved around those pins and their ability to be spotted.

“Excited for Praeda?” Ares suddenly occupied the spot where Devyn had been standing before his argument with Ryker. As per usual, he was too busy staring down at the screen of his multi-slate to bother noting Illya’s expression well enough to understand his mood.

The asshole hadn’t even bothered to mute his device, the sound of explosions and gunfire coming from the speakers.

“Are you seriously playing that here?” Illya asked, though why he bothered was beyond him. His friend since childhood had been obsessed with this stupid game for over a year now, with no signs of the obsession letting up.

“Yeah.” His fingers danced across the screen as he continued his in game battle. “I’d try to get you to download it again, but I’ve decided I don’t want to share any of my men with you.”

Illya snorted. “They’re not real, you do remember that, right?”

Ares won the fight and a victory chime sounded, followed closely by the image on the screen changing to a rendered male with blondish-white hair. The game character sounded off a line of praise that had Ares practically preening.

“Good Light.” Illya needed to find his friend some serious help. “What about you? Are you excited for Praeda? Plan on sticking your dick in a real man for once?” Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe that could help snap Ares out of this weird infatuation.

“I would,” Ares surprised him by saying, “but I already plan on targeting Brighton Greatly.”

“Who?”

“He’s in our physics class,” he said, as though that was any help at all. “I caught him playing Vanity last week. Figured we could do some role playing. Or,” he shrugged halfheartedly, “if I’m not in the mood, maybe just sit in the same room and play the game together.”

Illya blinked at him. “…You’re going to use Praeda to make someone play video games with you? We aren’t juveniles anymore, you know. We’re twenty-one. At least use the night as it was meant.”

Ares scrunched up his nose and finally tore his gaze off his multi-slate. “What was that? Did the perpetually sulky Illya Carmine just try to tell me I should follow tradition?” He planted a hand over his chest and mock gasped.

“Fuck off.” He turned back to the foyer, where students were still spilling in. The Black Harts were meant to wait on the center landing of the massive stairwell, where the best vantage of the entrance was. The goal was to be seen, but also to see. Praeda was all about the hunt, and taking your pick from the horde of prey was another rite of passage—though, admittedly, not one Illya typically lifted his nose at.

A recognizable face stepped through the entryway, securing a red heart pin to his lapel. He didn’t appear to be any more pleased about being here than Illya was, but that wasn’t what caught Illya’s attention.

“Shit.” He pulled back and looked behind him where he’d last spotted Devyn and Ryker. “Where’s—”

“Too late,” Ares pointed and Illya turned just in time to spot Ryker storm across the marble floor.

Ryker ripped the pin off of the other man’s jacket and leaned in to say something that had him tensing. Before the other guy could reply, he grabbed him by the arm and dragged him through the throngs of people out of sight.

“Think they’re finally going to admit defeat and hook up?” a new voice asked a moment before Camren joined them at the railing.

“Where the hell have you been?” Ares asked, though he was already back to playing on his device.

“Around,” Camren replied noncommittally. “Anything good come through yet?”

Illya shook his head and tried to ignore all the longing glances they were getting from the crowd beneath them. Praeda wasn’t exactly a secret. Everyone knew what tonight truly meant, and what it meant for them if they happened to be chosen by one of the Black Harts. Not all of them were as averse to the idea as Illya. Some of the Black Harts looked forward to the hunt.

“It’s not like you can’t just have your pick of the litter any given day of the week,” Ares stated.

“What’s your excuse then?” Camren teased. “Too busy with your fake lovers to bother catching real tail?”

“Don’t be jealous I have something interesting to occupy my time.”

Camren didn’t deny it, instead he clucked his tongue. “If you’re that into him, why don’t you just find the guy?”

“He’s not real,” Illya reminded, but seemingly went unheard.

“The character has a voice actor, right?” Camren shrugged. “So? Find him. Next best thing, am I right?”

“No, that’s not—” Before he finished his sentence, Ares paused, head slowly lifting from his screen to stare vacantly across the room.

Illya cursed under his breath.

“Gotta go.” Ares headed down the red-carpeted stairs without further explanation.

“Did you seriously just do that?” Illya glared at Camren, who merely grinned like the asshole he was.

“What? He was going to come to that conclusion on his own eventually. I just helped him along, that’s all.”

“And when he’s on the news for kidnapping?”

Camren held up both hands and took a deliberate step back.

“You’re a real piece of work.” Illya went back to watching the students as they arrived.

“Where’s Ellery?” Camren asked. “Why isn’t he here yet?”

“No clue.” There were eight Black Harts this year, and Ellery was the youngest of them. Still, he was a sophomore, so it wasn’t like he hadn’t already done this once before. “He’ll show up eventually.”

“Oh,” he motioned with his chin. “Speak of the devil.”

Ellery stepped through the doors and accepted the pin from the female student working the front counter. Then he took another and passed it off to someone behind him.

“Who’s with him?” Camren tried to catch a glance, but Ellery kept his companion completely blocked from sight until they’d made it to the side of the room where the landing of the stairwell was located.

Illya straightened the second Ellery moved aside and he caught his first look at the blond at his side.

The blond sneered at something Ellery said, hands shoved into the pockets of his black jeans.

“Hey, are his eyes the same color as your hair?” Camren nudged him.

No, they weren’t. They were a shade lighter, and the second those lilac eyes lifted and met Illya’s, he felt a jolt shoot straight down to his groin.

“Dibs,” the word was past his lips before his brain could even process he wanted to say it.

“Uh, pretty sure he came with Ellery, so…”

“So?” Illya lifted a brow. “It’s Praeda.”

And on Praeda, only the strongest survived.