Cruel War: Gilded Sovereign, page 2
The university has given birth to presidents, statesmen, and the families who live in Tynewood all come from blue blood. Royalty. Which explains more or less how the Gilded Sovereign got its name.
My mind is on the upcoming initiation. I haven’t been officially welcomed into the society yet, but in a week, on my twenty-first birthday, I’ll be given the cloak, crown, and tattoo, along with access to contacts around the world. Each one is a connection to more money and power.
Inked on my flesh forever will be the royal symbol of the Gilded Sovereign. My ancestors created it and the legacy will soon be mine. My future is held in the hands of a secret society. And I have plans. The moment I’m sworn in, I’ll seek my revenge.
With the power the Sovereign allows me, I’ll be able to finally get vengeance on the asshole who’s haunted my dreams since I was sixteen. I wanted to find him then, to make him pay, but my father assured me that nothing good would come of it.
I had to wait.
But patience is not my virtue.
I pull up to the university and take note of the new students all milling around the entrance. It’s as if they’re afraid to step inside and rightly so. This place is haunted with ghosts of the ancestors who built it. At least, that’s what the residents of Tynewood tell anyone new who moves here.
Fear is one emotion that’s been eradicated from me. Forced out of me since I was a child. At sixteen, I bore witness to my mother’s murder, which has desensitized me from the violence of the world. Perhaps it’s the blood that runs through my veins—blue blood.
As a Lancaster, our family has a history in this town, and it goes back all the way to the fucking eighteen hundreds. I can never escape who I am, or what I am, but that’s where the beauty lies, I never want to. I’ve accepted the man I am.
When I turned eighteen, my father finally explained it all, told me the truth about what will be expected of me. He knew I wouldn’t refuse. The night my mother was murdered, I vowed I’d kill the man who did it, and Dad promised he’d help me. I want to make him proud.
The only way to get my revenge is to have the backing of the society. They can sweep anything under the rug, whether it’s violence, bribery, or an illicit affair.
The Lancaster name will always be whispered throughout the town, throughout the hallways of Tynewood University. I’m proud of my heritage, no matter how bloody and violent it is, it’s who I am. It’s my birthright.
Shoving the door of my Maserati open, I exit the vehicle and glance around. It’s fall, and the air is heavy with the promise of winter. I enjoy the cold, the rain… it calms me.
“There he is.” My best friend and confidante, Etienne Durand, saunters up to me with his confident swagger. His ancestors, like mine, are one of the founding families in this town. And he’ll soon be beside me as we’re initiated into the Gilded Sovereign.
“I see the fresh meat has arrived,” I remark, taking in the freshmen all huddled in the corner of the quad. Blondes, brunettes, redheads, even blue-haired beauties fill the space.
“Fuck yeah, man,” Etienne chuckles, slapping me on the shoulder in camaraderie. “And this weekend we’re going to party,” he informs me, with a grin of mischievousness. Every year, we throw a welcome party for the new students. And every year, I make sure I have one pretty girl, in particular, I focus on.
They all fall into the trap I set—taunting and teasing them—and when I break their hearts, the pleasure is all mine. It’s a sick game I play, but I can’t bring myself to stop.
It’s all part of being royalty.
I can do whatever I want.
“Who’s that?” Tarian, the third in our trio, saunters up beside me, nudging his chin in the direction of a pretty dark-haired vixen. She’s a head shorter than me, her hair hangs down to her tailbone, and she’s dressed like a tomboy. Chucks, a pair of skinny jeans, and a too-big tee.
But it’s her full, pouty lips that grab my attention. She’s smiling at her friend, a pretty blonde. Even though she looks like she’s happy, her stance is rigid, as if she’s tense about something. We could put it down to first day nerves, or could it be something else?
“I want to find out,” I tell him, still eyeing up the beauty that’s caught my attention. “Let’s go, I have to get to class before that asshole, Harding loses his shit.” My sneer is evident, and the frustration in my tone is clear. Professor Harding is one of the history professors who heads up the department. And he’s also one of the Elder Crowns, one of the men I have to keep happy.
I’m spending the year as his Teaching Assistant when he needs me. Even though I have classes of my own to attend, I’ll be offering my free time to Harding because Dad has made sure I behave this year.
Last year, I rebelled, I fought back at every turn, but when he told me I would step up as a Crown of the Sovereign, I tampered down my rage and focused on revenge instead.
Etienne, Tarian, and I need to prove ourselves to the Elder Crowns who will initiate us and vote us in. We need to show them we’re capable of running the society. The age to join used to be eighteen, but they changed it two years ago because of young, hotheaded assholes who caused some shit by spewing information about the society in a Vegas strip club breaking the society's most absolute law—never speak of the Sovereign to any outsiders.
Harding doesn’t like me very much, and the feeling is mutual. I wasn’t meant to be one of the Crowns, but as the rules stand, since he doesn't have a son, I’ll take a seat at the table. The Sovereign is rigid in the no women rule.
“We’ll do a walkthrough later, get some introductions done,” I tell my best friends. Both understand why I want this so badly. They’re both firstborn sons, which means they automatically get in, I have a bit of extra work to do to take my rightful place in the Sovereign.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Etienne tells me as he heads off to his class, leaving me with Tar.
After offering Etienne a nod before he disappears, I turn to my left. “You coming tonight?”
Tarian glances at me with bright blue eyes that match the sky today. “What’s happening tonight?” He questions as he pulls out a packet of smokes, tapping one out before placing it between his lips.
“We’re meeting down at the lake house,” I tell him, “I’m thinking of having a little get together. The calm before the storm.”
Orientation week is one of the busiest at the school, especially for the freshmen. The seniors tend to hide out at the Lancaster lake house, which sits on the edge of town behind the forest. It’s secluded and tranquil, something I think I’ll be needing before my rigorous course load begins.
“Yeah.” Tar grins. “Let’s get a few girls out there. I need to get my dick wet.” This time, he chuckles, and I just shake my head.
“You know it,” I respond, fist-bumping him before making it up the stairs and toward my class. Even though I settle in my chair, attempting to focus, my mind is still on the fresh meat that’s arrived. The one with hair the color of night. Something about her has me intrigued.
“Welcome back, minions,” Professor Harding greets us. In his late fifties, he’s one of the oldest staff members at the school. Also, one of the Crowns of the Sovereign.
His gaze lands on me within seconds of his greeting, his stare hardening into narrows slits before he turns his attention back to the rest of the students.
“This year, you’ll be obeying my every command because I’m not going easy on you.” His snark is clear. Asshole thinks he runs the world. “Since it’s the first day of your final year at Tynewood, I was thinking about taking it easy on you, but… I’m not that nice. Remember, I’m the one who makes sure you pass your finals. Anything less than an A in my class is a fail.”
A groan resounds in the room, and he smiles. The darkness this man exudes is worse than my father’s domineering demeanor. Harding is the same age as Dad, but he looks ten times older. He acts it, too.
“Now, let’s have a little fun and talk about what we remember from last year.” He grins before lifting a stack of pages, which makes me think we have a goddamn pop quiz.
Muffled complaints echo around me, but that only makes him happier. Sitting back in my seat, I pull out my cell phone and tap out a message to Dad, who I know is at work down the hall. As a history professor, he takes pride in his class, in his students, and I know I’m stirring shit between him and Harding, but that’s why I’m here—to shake up an age-old society that needs new blood.
2
Dahlia
My heart thuds against my chest as I meander through the throng of students. I’m out of my depth, but I can’t deny that mingled with the anxiety is excitement.
Tynewood is a small town, with the university that my dad attended sitting in the center, taking up most of the town. Since his death a month ago, I moved here, hoping to find some semblance of family with my gran, my dad’s mother.
My father’s mother, Beatrice Milton, is a homebody, just like me. She’s never left the small town she was born in, and she never once visited us in D.C. Her house is beautiful, with two bedrooms, one now mine, she’s looked after the property since she and my late grandfather moved in when they were newlyweds.
Gran’s still a stranger to me, but I hope living with her will bring us closer, and I’ll get to know her better. Focusing on the looming buildings ahead of me, I can’t help but feel nervous. Everything about this town is new to me, and even though I grew up in a bustling city, something about the size of Tynewood makes me anxious.
Thankfully, my best friend, Rukaiya, will be attending school with me. When she begged her dad to let her stay with me, he decided to move here with her. I’m still not sure why, it seemed strange at the time, but now that we’re both here, I’m happy to have someone I know close by.
And I feel slightly less alone than I did in the big city.
As I head toward the grassy quad, I spin on my heel, trying to figure out where I’m supposed to go next. Each class I walk into is intimidating. There are so many students. Who would’ve thought a small town can house this many people? Fear trickles through me at the thought of doing all this without my father guiding me.
When I was growing up, he would be the one to offer advice, to tell me where to go, how to act. I suppose, since I’m nineteen, I should be used to being on my own, being independent, and I guess I am to a certain extent, but my stomach has been coiled tight since I woke up this morning.
Glancing at my schedule, I take note of my next class and turn in a circle in an attempt to find the building I’m meant to be heading toward, but confusion settles like a lead weight in my gut.
“Lost, pretty girl?” The question comes from behind me, causing me to pivot into the hard body of a boy… no, a man. Definitely not a freshman. Broad shoulders encased in a black shirt that looks a little too tight around the biceps. His torso tapers toward hips and thighs in torn dark jeans.
“I… Uhm…” My words are stuck in my throat when I trail my stare back up into eyes the color of a cloudless day—bright and luminous, shimmering with mischief.
“Don’t be scared,” he quips. “I won’t bite, well… not unless you ask me to, then I’ll gladly oblige.” His baby blue eyes sparkle and I find myself relaxing somewhat.
“This place is a maze to me.”
“Let’s see,” he says, tugging the page from my trembling fingers and scanning the information. “Ah, you have good old Harding today.” Something about the way he says this doesn’t give me confidence in my next class.
“Is that a good or a bad thing?” I quip, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat. The guy is gorgeous. His eyebrows are black, along with his cropped hair, a stark contrast to the smooth pale skin that makes the tips of my fingers tingle to feel him—to feel if he’s sculpted from porcelain with his sharp features and chiseled jaw. When he tips his head to the side, an unruly strand of onyx hair falls across his left eye, teasing the piercing that twinkles in the sunlight.
His full lips quirk into a grin, making the ring through his lower lip glint at me. “Mmm. . . Depends,” he chuckles, gripping my shoulder and turning me toward the left-wing of the looming building. He starts walking, leading me closer to the wooden door that’s sitting wide open at the moment.
“Depends on?” My question comes out croaky, my nerves twisting as the heat of his fingertips burn into me.
He doesn’t respond, merely makes his way toward the opening to my history class. Students file into the classroom. The stranger, holding onto my arm, stops, holds out his hand, and I take my schedule from his strong fingers.
“If you like an asshole who thinks he’s god’s gift to this earth.” This time, the smile I’m met with makes my stomach somersault wildly. Dimples peek out from both cheeks as he regards me.
“I don’t actually,” I retort, causing him to chuckle.
“Then you’ll enjoy the rest of your year.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond before he starts walking away. I watch his retreating back, and I’m about to turn away when he stops. “Be careful of who you trust here,” the alluring stranger tells me before he’s swallowed by the crowd of students who make their way toward the door where I’m standing.
I didn’t catch his name.
But I have a feeling I’ll be seeing him again.
* * *
The moment I walk into the house, I find it empty. I wonder if Gran is at the library down the road. She mentioned it’s one of her favorite places, and I forgot to tell her I’d like to visit it as well.
But, first things first, I need to get my textbooks ready for tomorrow’s classes. Today was uneventful, except for the handsome guy who walked me to History class. I didn’t see him again, and I have to admit, I was disappointed.
In the kitchen, I set a mug under the Keurig and press the button for a strong black coffee. The inky liquid trickles into the porcelain mug as I replay the events of the day in my mind. Five classes and all of them felt overwhelming. Doubt settles deep in my gut; I don’t know if I can actually do this.
I’m so different from most of the kids at school, mainly because they’ve spent their entire lives in this town, and because I just moved here, I feel like the outsider looking into their perfect world and not knowing where I fit.
Picking up the mug, I inhale the mocha scent and will myself to focus on what I have to do this year—get through the next twelve months. It’s not going to be easy, I can see that now. I’m used to living in a city where nobody knows me, but I can tell, just being here for a few days, that this town sticks together.
I close my eyes and recall the incident at lunch.
“She’s new.” The dark-haired girl glares at me, making it known that she doesn’t like me. Her hair is the color of raven’s wings. Her big blue eyes shimmer with confidence as she looks me over.
I’m not one of the rich kids from Tynewood.
I grew up in the city, and even though my father wasn’t struggling, and I had everything my heart desired. I’m no longer that girl, which frustrates me because I prefer being in a city where I’m one in a few million, not someone that sticks out like a sore thumb.
“She is indeed,” her friend sneers, but I focus on my lunch and not the leering gazes that attempt to burn through me.
“Hey,” Rukaiya’s voice sounds happy, excited even. “I got this.” She shoves a flyer over the table. The black, gold and red colors of the designs pop from the page.
“A party?”
“Yeah,” Rukaiya shrugs. “You said you wanted to be more outgoing. This is the perfect opportunity.” My best friend winks before pulling out a can of some new energy drink.
“Were you invited? Or did you find this lying around on a desk?” I ask with a smile. Something tells me my best friend would do anything to get me out of my bedroom.
“Stop being a party pooper, I was actually given this by a cute boy,” she whispers as she leans in. Her gaze darting around, and I wonder if she’s looking for said ‘cute boy.’
“And he has nothing to do with you dragging me out?”
Rukaiya grins slyly, but she doesn’t respond. She’s tried to set me up with guys when we were in high school all the time, and the last time was the worst. I fell for Joshua and lost my virginity to him, then found out he was hitting on the captain of the cheerleading team only a day later.
“I just don’t want you to become an old maid.” Rukaiya laughs. “I mean, you’re going to turn into that old lady with fifteen cats.”
“I will not,” I pout, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “I go out.” My indignation earns me an eye roll from my best friend. “Okay, well, I mean sometimes.”
“Come on, sugar cube,” Rukaiya pleads, using the nickname she gave me when we first met. “You gotta have some fun.”
“It’s difficult when I can’t stop thinking that my dad would want me to focus on school. I want to make him proud, Rukaiya.”
Her smile falls, and the guilt creases her pretty face. “I’m sorry, Dahl,” she says. “These are your college years. I just don’t want you to be stuck indoors for the next four years.”
Sighing, I nod. She’s right. I would hide out in my bedroom if I could. “I know.”
The two snobs, who were glaring at me earlier, notice the flyer. “The party is for elite only, outsiders aren’t welcome.”
Rukaiya’s gaze locks on the dark-haired bitch. “I didn’t realize elite meant whores who can’t do their makeup,” my best friend retorts angrily as she pushes up to stand.
The dark-haired girl sneers, before turning away from us. She strolls up to the football team, curling herself around one of the guys. I thought we left this mean girl syndrome back in high school, I guess I was wrong.
“Bitch.”
“You could’ve just ignored her.”
Rukaiya pins her glare on me. “No, I couldn’t have because I don’t deal well with rude bitches.”
“I don’t know if this party is such a good idea.” I meet Rukaiya’s intense gaze. She’s not letting this go, the conviction in her stare is enough to have me buckling.
