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Killian Black was bored with life.

No, that wasn’t quite accurate. It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied with his life. He still experienced joy and pleasure. Still found countless ways to entertain himself, but things just didn’t feel the same as they once had.

There was no originality or newness.

No surprises or wonders to appreciate.

The colors of life had become muted, faded until it was all muddled together into an endless, dull existence with little variation. The reality, as unremarkable as it was to acknowledge, was that he was simply restless. He wanted something to happen. Something that made waking up every day worth his time.

A bored reaper was never a good thing.

In fact, it was downright fucking dangerous.

As an ancient dark god, it was no wonder things had lost their appeal over the centuries. Part of that was his own damn fault. Since his brethren had disappeared, he felt a little guilty that he had escaped whatever mysterious fate had befallen them. Because of that, he had sequestered himself in the Human Realm as punishment until they returned.

While he wasn’t an altruistic soul, he did have his own set of principles he followed. Picking up the slack and watching over the humans for his missing friends was the least he could do in their absence.

But he was starting to worry that his fellow reapers might never be found.

Since the dawn of humanity, supernaturals had meticulously observed their progress to determine if they would acquire any magic. Only a small fraction of humans became witches or mages, while the rest of society remained unaware of those with magical abilities living amongst them.

While the Human Realm did have its appeal, it was nothing compared to the realm Killian called home. The Realm of Souls, which was more commonly known as the Hell Realm, was nothing like it was fabled to be. Although it could be construed as a dark, mysterious place, it was also a beautiful world filled with wonder and magic.

He was often amused by the stories people made up about the Hell Realm. Sure, reapers and demons could be scary, but every race had its good and bad members. Some of the biggest threats to humanity came from the Celestial Realm. However, the gods and angels liked to exaggerate and boost their own reputations so very few people knew the truth about who the real monsters were.

As more supernaturals decided to make their homes in the Human Realm, it became evident that humans needed protection from the magical community. The Supernatural Council had been created to deal with issues concerning the six realms, but they had little interest in policing the Human Realm on a day-to-day basis.

And so, Killian had created the Guardians of the Underworld.

The guardians made sure the supernaturals living in the Human Realm didn’t cause too many problems. They also ensured the supernatural community remained a secret to the general populace. Even without magic, humans could become a threat if given the chance, so Killian and those who worked with him made sure that didn’t happen.

While the majority of humans remained unaware of the guardians’ existence, they were well known throughout the supernatural community. Most people admired them as much as they feared them. Killian didn’t mind the notoriety. He considered it well deserved.

The guardians were dangerous, there was no mistaking that. Some people considered them the supernatural mob that should be avoided at all costs, while others thought of them as protectors. Their methods might not have seemed suitable to some, but they didn’t particularly care what others thought of them. As long as the guardians were effective, even the Supernatural Council was wise enough not to interfere in their business.

While he was technically still in charge, Killian rarely had to handle any incidents personally. He gave a certain amount of autonomy to his guardians and only stepped in when the others weren’t sure what to do or when something big occurred.

And the magical disturbance he’d just felt certainly fell into the latter category.

Whatever had caused the spike in magic was unknown. But the fact that it had caught his attention an ocean away meant he definitely needed to check it out for himself. At least, that’s the excuse he was using to go investigate.

Killian also considered it the perfect cure for his boredom.

He strolled down the marble hallway leading from his private wing of the villa toward the front entrance. Pulling on the cuffs of his black dress shirt, he made sure the priceless blood-red ruby cufflinks were visible beneath the sleeves of the black suit jacket he wore. Barely anyone would even notice the gems since they were so dark, but he only dressed to please himself anyway.

He didn’t break stride when a male with short, silvery white hair and glowing blue eyes suddenly appeared by his side at the entrance. Dario had become his companion after Killian had saved his life centuries ago. At first, it had been nothing more than a life debt needed to be repaid, but over the years their relationship had turned into a true, lasting friendship.

Although it wasn’t necessary, Dario considered himself Killian’s personal bodyguard. That notion seemed laughable since Killian was one of the most powerful beings in the six realms, but he appreciated the sentiment enough not to argue.

The dark angel wasn’t much of a talker. His throat had once been damaged, but those injuries had long since healed. He preferred to remain completely silent if given the choice, though he was able to freely speak to Killian and whoever else he needed to telepathically.

There was something about hearing his own voice that seemed to bother him, but Killian didn’t pry into his friend’s reasoning. He figured everyone was entitled to their own little idiosyncrasies without someone trying to rationalize them. Hell, he had plenty of his own that he was sure made him seem crazy, but that only added to the fun.

One of those quirks was he preferred a well-made suit over casualwear even when he was lounging around the villa, although he refused to wear a tie. It reminded him too much of a magical noose that had almost caused his early demise during his youth. He enjoyed luxury and spared no expense when it came to comfort, but he didn’t mind getting his hands dirty if and when the situation called for it either.

Actually, he thoroughly enjoyed that part of his duties.

Although his magic allowed him to create anything he wanted, Killian had also accumulated a disgusting amount of wealth over the centuries. Since he had more than he could use in several lifetimes, he spent it lavishly on himself and the other guardians. Despite what most people thought, money couldn’t buy loyalty. However, generous compensation not only ensured the guardians were well rewarded for their efforts, it also made them feel valued and cared for.

Dario was similarly dressed in black, but he had on a plain shirt and pants under his gray overcoat. His outfit might have seemed basic, but he had adopted Killian’s habit of only wearing the finest fabrics and brands while in the Human Realm. He handed Killian a cane with a dark crystal skull handle, then draped a camel-colored cashmere coat over his shoulders.

The cane might have looked like an average walking stick, but it was really a powerful artifact that could destroy the world in the wrong hands. Thankfully, the artifact was like the legendary sword in the stone, meaning only those worthy could wield it.

The cane’s original form had once been that of a scythe, but Killian had altered it once stories of a grim reaper carrying that exact weapon had started to spread. He’d been the cause for that particular myth after he’d gotten rip-roaring drunk one night and had been spotted wandering the streets trying to find his way home. Well, the fact he had dusted a group of would-be robbers during his walk home probably hadn’t helped the rumors.

Needless to say, that had been before he’d been serious about doing damage control in the Human Realm.

He considered it a lesson learned.

Dario opened the door for Killian, then silently followed him outside. The air was warm on the Amalfi coast where the villa was currently located, but the light breeze was enough to cut through the heat and make it pleasant. Still, it would be much cooler where they were headed.

Killian could have used magic to transfer the villa anywhere he wanted, but it was much easier to create a portal at the end of the driveway that would allow them to travel to wherever they needed to go. It would be even faster for them to teleport, but they liked to keep a vehicle with them while traveling around the Human Realm. Not only did it keep up with appearances, it was also more practical if they were going to travel around a specific area.

The wind ruffled Killian’s hair, and he reflexively used magic to keep the strands in place. Unlike most reapers, he preferred to keep his black hair cut in short, stylish waves that almost reached his jawline. He usually hid his eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses since glowing black eyes made people nervous, but since the sun was already setting, there was no need.

As Dario opened the back door of the sleek black Rolls-Royce, Killian pointed the cane toward the driveway when the tip lit up. Since the artifact understood exactly what he wanted, a portal immediately shimmered to life several feet in front of the vehicle. He could have created the portal himself, but it seemed as though even the cane was a little restless and in need of some action.

He slid inside the backseat of the car with practiced ease, then waited for Dario to get into the driver’s seat. A female with long, dark red hair wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket with matching pants and boots teleported directly onto the seat next to him.

Anika was a particularly vicious demon, though her victims were those who deserved harsh punishment for their own dark deeds. Killian had taken her in after the rest of her relatives had been slaughtered in a blood feud with a business rival. He’d tried to find another family to leave her with, but she kept returning to his side no matter how many good people he’d introduced her to.

After a while, he’d stopped fighting it and let her stay. Since he had no clue how to raise a temperamental teenager, it had been a collective effort of the guardians. That had clearly been a mistake, considering how she had used everything she’d learned to track down and execute every person who had been responsible for the death of her family before she had even graduated from the magical academy he forced her to attend.

When Killian had discovered what she’d been doing, he hadn’t been that surprised. Instead of getting angry, he was impressed by her skills and fortitude. Getting upset would have been hypocritical anyway since he would have done the same damn thing if he’d been in her position.

Only less stealthy and with a whole lot more bloodshed.

As crazy as she seemed at times, Anika was instrumental in managing the Guardians of the Underworld. She did an excellent job keeping everyone in line, and she kept meticulous records that allowed them to track patterns and conduct follow-ups on cases when necessary.

“Where we going, boss?”

He wasn’t sure her specific talents would be needed for this outing, but it couldn’t hurt to let her tag along. Besides, if she got bored, she could just teleport home without them.

“The Manor.”

“Sweet. It’s been a while since we visited Arson. Are we hunting someone?”

That made him sigh again. He wished it was that simple. “We are going to investigate a surge of magic.”

She frowned. “I didn’t sense any surge.”

“Neither did I.” Even through their telepathic connection, Dario sounded aggrieved by that fact.

“At this time, I don’t know who or what caused it.”

“Sounds interesting. I’ll tag along since I’d like to speak to Neely,” she said, mentioning the demon-fairy hybrid who was the executive chef at The Manor.

She snapped her fingers to add a little flourish as she used her magic to change her outfit to a dark gray pencil skirt and matching jacket with a pale pink shell underneath, along with a pair of stilettos. Her long hair had been pulled back into an elegant chignon, and she wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses that did nothing to detract from her natural beauty.

One second was all it took to alter her image from a wild biker to a studious assistant. She liked to dress in what she called “work mode” while they were investigating since it made it more fun to surprise people whenever she started kicking ass.

“Thought you were spending the weekend in London,” Dario commented.

Anika sighed heavily. “The problem was already solved by the time I got there. The wolf shifter who had been attacking those women had been sliced and diced by an angry fairy. You really should consider recruiting her. The way she carved up that vile rapist was like a work of art.”

Dario snorted in amusement . “You want to recruit a rage fairy?”

“I do,” Anika confirmed primly. “I think she would make a great addition to the team. That’s actually what I want to talk to Neely about. I think they know each other, and I figure I can start the vetting process.”

“Hmm,” Killian murmured noncommittally, though he did make a mental note to check the fairy out later.

He glanced out the window as Dario drove them straight through the portal he created. They didn’t have to worry about being seen since they would be appearing in a section of the grounds that was surrounded by trees and heavily warded against prying human eyes. They would be able to exit the portal and turn onto the driveway without anyone noticing anything odd about their arrival.

The portal closed behind them the moment they drove through it, and Killian frowned at the splatter of rain that immediately glazed the windows. Dario paused the vehicle before leaving the warded section to make sure the area was clear before turning onto the long driveway.

“What do you think caused the surge of magic?” Anika asked.

“I’m not sure,” Killian admitted. “But I’m looking forward to finding out.”

An unknown mystery to solve was definitely a good way to cure boredom. A sense of anticipation tingled in the air, hinting at secrets waiting to be uncovered. He wasn’t sure what the answers might be, but he had a strange feeling that nothing would ever be the same once it was revealed.