by Mara McQueen
The snake was out of the question—she hadn't wanted to become a Serpent two weeks ago and she wasn't going to now.
The ox might've been a symbol of strength and resilience, but she didn't want to be called a cow behind her back.
The leopard was a bit too fierce for how she felt. Didn't they have a bunny option?
She was left with either a horse or a bird. Horses were her favorite animal, stubborn and wild, but birds...birds soared. Nothing could keep them down, not even gravity. They were truly free—and Ava wanted to be, too.
"Azor will probably hate me, but I'll have to go for this one." She picked up the silver pendant, tracing the winding marking on it. It looked determined to fly. She liked that.
"The phoenix it is, then."
Ava kept on tracing the swirls. "I think it fits. I've had so many lives, but haven't really lived yet. I went from spoiled granddaughter, to sheltered daughter, to fake fiancée. Now I'm going to become your wife. Always tied to someone."
"You're going to become Crown Princess, then Queen of the most powerful Clan in the world," Raiden said. "I don't know what you've been through, but as long as you keep thinking of yourself as lesser-than, you're not going to make a very good leader. This status has responsibilities. I need someone who understands that and can deal with it by my side. Are you ready for it?"
Was Ava prepared for all of that?
Let her loose in the woods and she'd survive. At the end of the day, what was more wild and vicious than the Underworld?
"I am ready." Or she would become by the time she'd have to take the throne. She might not have been an expert at Clan business and rules, but Ava learned fast. She had deep, raw desire on her side. The need to fix this world that had taken her parents and had almost destroyed her, too. But she'd woken up, day after day, ready to face whatever came her way.
She'd learn the Brotherhood inside out. Then she'd rule it.
"Good," Raiden said, then frowned. "Who's Azor?"
"My horse." Ava sighed. "Or my former horse. After my parents died, I had to sell her to a nearby farm. No money and all."
Which still brought tears to her eyes. Azor had always been there, neighing as Ava had lamented every other day. And when they rode together, it was magical.
"You named it?"
"Yes, I did," Ava said primly. "Why?"
"Azor was one of the greatest assassins in the world."
Ava snorted a laugh. Her old mare was about as threatening as a ladybug. "I don't think my horse's going to stab you in the dead of night."
"Will you?" Raiden placed his teacup down, gaze trapping Ava on the spot.
"No." She grimaced. Why in the world would he think—oh, right. The wedding. "Darius had it coming. He had a gun to my head, remember?"
Raiden nodded, but didn't seem all that convinced. He was a mistrusting dude, wasn't he? It always felt like he was waiting for Ava to show her true sinister colors.
"I'm glad I didn't grow up Clan like you," she said sadly. All she'd seen of Clans, Syndicate, Serpent, and Brotherhood alike, had been brutal. "I don't want to live my life being suspicious of everything."
Raiden's brows rose for the briefest moment, before they slanted back down, making his face even more angular. Predatory. The Brotherhood Crown Prince, in all his glory.
He leaned over the table slowly, a hint of a grin on his face—it wasn't warm and it definitely didn't look inviting. He was the most beautiful man Ava had seen in her short life, but he radiated danger. A beautiful creature that could ruin lives with a flick of his hand.
"I want to ask you something," he said conversationally. "And I want the truth."
"Shoot."
"Why did you agree to marry me and come here? The real reason."
"You mean besides wanting to protect my cousins?"
Raiden kept looking at her. He was going to drive her insane.
Ava fidgeted in her seat, face heating up. She wasn't exactly ashamed of her motive, but she'd seen enough of the Underworld to know she was nothing but a naive little thing to them.
But she was about to spend the rest of her life with Raiden, right? Better get him used to her now, because he'd been formed by a dark world where lies ruled.
"The Brotherhood's strong," she began. "If I become its Queen, I'll be strong, too."
"So you want power." Was it just her imagination or did he sound disappointed?
Did she want power? No, not exactly. But she needed it for her grand plan. "I want...the opportunity. To change things. For the better, hopefully."
He leaned closer. "Such as?"
"Like—" Ava raised her arms, as if she could catch the right words out of thin air. "Me and you, having to be protected as kids. Like how our parents decided we should get married when we still had diapers on. What are we, sixteenth-century royals?"
"I am a Prince and you're as close to a Princess as the Syndicate has, precious First Son's Daughter."
Ava barely sketched a grin and kept on going. Now that she'd started talking and felt that fire in her, she was on a roll.
"Like how you can kill a man—who, yeah, had it coming, but still—and not face any consequences. Like how we're both sitting here, me flustered, you obviously annoyed, because of some code. Like how Darius shouldn't have ever become a leader, of any kind, but especially Clan, just because he was lucky enough to be born into the right family," Ava finished, a bit breathless. God, it was good to get all of that out—but she still had one more thing to add. She narrowed her eyes playfully at him. "And the jury's still out on you."
It was obvious Raiden was nothing like Darius. For one, he could literally stand on his own without his minions propping him up. He was an efficient, detached killer, which the Underworld valued, even if the rest of the world despised. He knew the Underworld's rules. He was respected by his Brothers and Sisters and everyone in the Capital looked at him like he was a god. Royal status alone couldn't explain that. He seemed to care about something other than himself—his Clan.
Raiden leaned back, the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. "Do you know that contesting my right to rule, without any proof, is a punishable offense in the Capital? If anyone hears you say that, you'll be in trouble."
Well, she obviously hadn’t known that. Damn Brotherhood protocol and regulations and laws. Ava made a show of looking around the room, eyes wide.
She leaned over the table, whispering conspiratorially, "I don't see anyone around. Do you?"
"No." Raiden's grin grew. "But I'm the one who gets to punish you, no matter who hears."
Ava stilled. She couldn't read him—or anyone, for that matter. Her parents, two very skilled spies, hadn't been in a hurry to teach her to read people in the bat of an eyelash, like all her cousins could. She never knew if Raiden was joking or being serious. "Wait, will you?"
What kind of backward city had she landed in?
His gaze rolled all over her body slowly. "Not unless you want me to."
"Why the hell would I—" Ava inhaled sharply. Oh.
She might not have all that much experience, but she wasn't stupid and her imagination had run wild during all those long nights back home. She'd read novels. She'd seen movies. She had her very own mental list of what she wanted to try.
But Raiden was a stranger. A beautiful, dangerous stranger.
"Thanks for the gracious offer, but no." She licked her lips. Come on, you're going to marry him. You'll have to talk about things like these eventually. "At least not right now."
Raiden's eyes darkened. "Look at that. There might be a chance for us yet."
Lord, Ava hoped so. She wanted to get along with him. Wanted to get close to him. Even now, her feet were twitching under the table, slowly migrating toward his, before Ava noticed and pulled them back.
She'd always had a bottomless curiosity, like all her cousins, but Raiden interested her. She wanted to know what hid underneath his Crown Prince mask. And, fine, underneath his clothes.
Because
she was feeling a blush creeping up the tips of her ears and the air crackled around them, Ava let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "So I'm not getting sentenced today. Whew. That was close."
Raiden huffed a laugh. Since he was in such a good mood, it was time for Ava to spoil it.
"And since we're on the subject of wants and motives." She licked her lips. "I—I also have another reason."
Raiden went very, very still.
"Those Syndicate men that forced me to marry Darius?" She didn't recognize her own voice. It had gone low and beastly. "I want them gone."
It wasn't nice. It wasn't kind. But it was the truth.
Raiden finally looked at her with something other than curiosity. It felt like understanding. "You have a weird thing for honesty."
"Yes," she said simply. Subterfuge had been banned at home. "Who has time for lying? You need to think up a lie, then say it with a straight face, but not too straight or it'll be suspicious. Can’t gesture too much or you give yourself away. Can’t sit completely still or it looks weird. Too much effort."
"For some people, it's as easy as breathing."
She jutted out her chin at him. "You're in a mood today, aren't you?"
Raiden's eyes widened. He chuckled as his shoulders finally relaxed. Even his unflinching gaze warmed, eyes wrinkling at the corners as he smiled lazily.
"Tell me, Ava, what do you plan on studying at university?"
Ava blinked away her surprise. Nobody apart from her parents had ever cared about what she'd learned at college, and, even then, it was more about crunching the tuition money than anything. Cyprian and Julia had not been happy that Ava had wanted to study Rhetorics, of all things. "You want to talk about my classes?"
His smile grew. "I want to talk about you."
Chapter Nine
RAIDEN
All Raiden had wanted was to get through this formal breakfast without thinking of killing someone. Was that too much to ask for?
Since he'd officially taken the role of the Brotherhood's de facto leader, he had to meet with his parents, the King and Queen, and the Clan's trusted advisors, once a month. Kimbra had joined their little gathering a couple of months ago, but not even her calm presence could soothe the beast inside Raiden.
He wanted to break some bones. Slowly, so they'd feel it. He'd make the torture last for hours, delighting in every scream, plea, and tearful begging.
Not just any bones. Banu and Dima's miserable ones. They had more power in the bejeweled fingers than most civilian leaders. They had influence, in the Clan and out. They also had garbage cans for souls and had been spewing nothing but rubbish for the last ten minutes.
About Ava. Raiden's Ava.
"And the way she struts around, like she already owns the place." Dima ran a hand down his scraggly beard, shaking his head. "Syndicate through and through, that one. We need to keep an eye on her."
What they needed to do was shut up before Raiden's katana did it for them. Then he—and, most importantly, his Elite—would get the death penalty, but wasn't he risking his life every day, anyway?
"You seem obsessed with the girl, Dima." Raiden reclined back in his chair, the perfect picture of calm and detached.
Nobody needed to know Ava fascinated him, least of all the bloody advisors.
"It's a good thing you're not," Banu said gravely, trying her greedy hand at sageness and failing miserably—at least in Raiden's eyes.
The King and Queen were eating it up. Raiden's parents were good leaders. Fair and unflinching. They were the perfect couple; their love was raved and coveted throughout the Underworld. Which made them lousy parents. They gave so much affection to each other, they hadn't had any to spare for Raiden as he was growing up. But all those neglectful days were in the past.
If he really tried, he could forgive them for breaking their marriage alliances and choosing each other, even though they'd almost started a war within their own Clan. They had been young and in love and had made up for the mistake tenfold since then. The Brotherhood loved and respected them now and, after years of squashing internal turmoil, killing former allies, and bleeding for the people they ruled, they deserved all the reverence.
If he really forced himself, Raiden could also forgive the fact that their relationship had endangered his own life. After breaking their promises, a lot of people had wanted retribution. In blood. Raiden had lost count of the many, many times he'd been kidnapped as a child or been threatened by the spies posing as his nannies and guards. They were all dead—some by Raiden's hand—and he'd survived.
He couldn't, however, forgive his parents for sitting at the table with a couple of snakes and not noticing it.
The esteemed King and Queen were absolute shit at seeing Banu and Dima had changed.
He’d respected the advisors for most of his life, because that’s what a Prince did. Banu and Dima had definitely done their best to make him believe they’d earned that respect. Always seeming torn when a Brother or Sister lost their life. Putting on a show whenever they helped the Brotherhood gain more territory and influence. They touted each one of their so-called good deeds like they were the first humans to have souls. Raiden had fallen for the act—everyone had—until Kimbra had told him the truth and opened his eyes.
Throughout the years, Banu and Dima had gone from fierce negotiators to ruthless advisors to vicious bastards, power-hungry enough to destroy the entire Brotherhood for a bit more status.
Raiden would make sure their names would end up in the history books—as the loathsome cockroaches they were. But first, he needed proof.
Nobody, not even the Prince, could go against Banu and Dima without an iron-clad motive. Well, he could. He could do anything and probably survive it. But he had to have a fucking conscience.
If he made the move to destroy Banu and Dima before the right time, people would die. Raiden wasn't making his parents' mistakes. He'd promised to rule the Brotherhood, not bloody it.
"She's been here less than two weeks. Give her time," the Queen said with that aloof, imposing air she'd mastered. It felt as natural as breathing on her. Maybe it was—she sure hadn't spoken to Raiden any other way. Ever.
"If she turns out to be a spy in disguise, we have means to take care of her," the King said gravely.
Raiden clenched his jaw. What they needed to do was take very good care of Banu and Dima.
Banu inclined her head. No matter how much gold she put on her head, Raiden could still see she was balding. It probably was the mean in her, eating its way through her body.
"Your Majesty, should we wait until she reveals her true colors?"
Raiden fisted his hand under the table. He knew the two had saved his parents' lives more than once and had been key allies in keeping the Clan from falling apart more than two decades ago, but they were cruel. Not to the outside world. To their own daughter.
"Mother, we all know she wasn't raised Syndicate," Kimbra said, talking for the first time since the meal had begun. She rarely spoke up in front of her parents.
"My daughter has the kindest heart, doesn't she?" Banu gripped Kimbra's cheeks, her gaudy rings digging into her flesh. Kimbra's eyes glazed over as she went limp.
To anybody else, the gesture might've seemed cute. A parent bragging about their child.
But Raiden had found out what Banu and Dima had put Kimbra through. From the day she'd been born, they'd seen her as nothing but their ticket to finally reach the top of the Brotherhood hierarchy.
They'd never raised a hand to her—they'd never risk her beauty or people finding out how wretched they were. They didn't have to. Their words cut deep. Their punishments had been brutal.
To this day, Kimbra couldn't sleep without lights on or in closed spaces after how many times she'd been stuffed in a chest for hours on end to “learn her lesson”. Something as small as skimming her knees on the playground got her locked up for six hours. Laughing too loudly in court and attracting attention got her a full day.
Rai
den hadn't known.
He'd watched his friend shrink away day by day. He'd asked her what was going on. She changed the subject every time. So he watched and he began seeing. How whenever Dima looked at her, Kimbra flinched. How when Banu praised her, tears filled Kimbra's eyes. But even then, Raiden hadn't thought the advisors were killing their daughter's spirit day by day. They played the role of devout, loving parents so well.
Then, a year ago, he'd come back early from a mission, bloody and tired, and had found Kimbra crying on the floor in his room. Hiding away with a dagger aimed straight at her heart.
Through her sobs, she'd told him everything. Raiden had promised to save her then and there.
She also made him promise not to kill Banu and Dima, which was a shame—and getting more complicated by the second. Raiden suspected the two were doing more behind closed doors than torturing their only child. If he was right—and, sadly, he always was—they needed to die. Raiden would take great pleasure in being the one to end their miserable lives.
"My daughter is a jewel," Banu went on, finally letting go of Kimbra's face and focusing her attention on Raiden. "Don't you think so, Your Highness?"
Jewels were pretty little trinkets meant to be seen and inflate the egos of the weak. Kimbra was a kind soul who'd never been allowed to reach her full potential. But she would. Raiden would make sure of it.
"She's perfect," he said and meant it. Kimbra had been his friend since day one, when they'd both wanted to climb a peach tree and argued over who got to do it first. She'd been there for Raiden, not because of his status or power. She'd been the closest thing to a genuine connection he'd had.
Until Ava. Not only did she not give a fuck that he was the Prince, she seemed to actively dislike it. She didn't weigh her words around him, trying to figure out what he'd like better. She didn't whisper sweet lies in his ear, thinking those would keep his attention for more than one night. She just was—and Raiden was drawn to her. No schemes, no pageantry, no gimmicks. Whenever they talked, she helped him forget, at least for a few moments, that he was the Prince.
