Knowing there was nothing more he could do at this stage, he forced himself to shut the computer off and then stood to go clean up.
At least he was one Favor down. Only four more to go.
He was closer.
Become a Rook.
And then hunt a King.
Chapter 2:
The stares were nothing new. He hardly even noticed them anymore as he lounged in the high-back leather chair and closed the app on his multi-slate. Being watched sort of came with the territory, that was a big part of the reason he preferred lurking in the shadows more often than not.
But tonight wasn’t about personal comfort. There was one reason and one reason only that he’d dragged himself all the way up Munin Mountain to Club Essential, why he’d chosen the third floor and seated himself at the very center of it, pretending not to hear all the hushed whispers coming from every corner.
Lake Zyair was here to be seen.
Having spent the past year on another planet, it was little wonder that every member in the place was staring at him. Rumor about the newly configured line of ascension would have spread like wildfire, and most of the club members were no doubt curious which side of the coin it was all going to land on.
He was the younger of two choices now, true, but he was also the best choice. The closest in line. Really, there shouldn’t even be a debate over who was going to get the throne, but his uncle had caused a fuss and used Lake’s absence against him—Of course, leaving out the part about how Lake hadn’t been the one who’d wanted to leave in the first place.
However, he’d learned a lot while he’d been away on Vitality. Had no regrets.
“And so returns the wayward prince,” the familiar voice, smooth and deeper than his own, came from the left a second before West appeared. His childhood best friend winked at him and dropped down into the chair next to his. He clinked the glass in his hand against the one Lake had left on the circular end table between them and then swallowed the contents in one gulp.
“I haven’t been titled,” Lake reminded, the word yet hovering in the air between them, unspoken, but clear.
Returning home early had been an annoyance, but getting to be with the two people who were more like brothers than friends to him? That made it all worth it. It felt pathetic and like bullshit, like a weakness to have missed anyone, let alone two people, but the three of them had been thick as thieves ever since they’d been little and were closer than blood.
West chuckled, then lifted his smoky gray gaze and set it over Lake’s shoulder. “You’re late.”
Yejun, the final member of their group, dropped down with less class in the seat on Lake’s other side. He leaned over Lake unapologetically and swiped his untouched glass, then sat back and sipped at the amber contents lightly before replying, “I was busy.”
“Getting your dick wet, no doubt,” West snorted. He slapped Lake’s arm with the back of his hand. “You won’t believe how much ass this guy has gotten while you’ve been away.”
Away.
As if Lake had merely been on vacation.
To give himself a moment to bank down the spark of annoyance, Lake allowed his gaze to finally wander across the expanse of the room. It’d been a little over a year since he’d last stepped foot in Club Essential, but the bouncers had recognized him at the doors, his scan code had still worked, and every person there knew exactly who he was without having to be told.
A public announcement may not have been made—yet—but everyone knew what his return to the planet truly meant.
A changing of power.
A change grand enough to have Imperial Lake Zyair, fifth in line for the throne, giving up on his new life on the planet Vitality. He’d spent the past thirteen months there, developing friendships and connections with the Vital Imperial family, even going so far as to become an official member of Kelevra Diar’s Retinue.
Kelevra, Imperial Prince of Vitality. A title that would soon be attached to Lake’s name as well. The friendship had been fruitful for the both of them, allowing them to create a political alliance between their two planets that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. In truth, he’d intended to stay another year at least, but then the deaths had happened, and the infiltration, and Lake had been given no other choice but to come home.
There were exclusive clubs on Kelevra’s planet as well, but nothing like this. They had something similar in the sense that the Imperial family was forced to run the planet along with another party, but for them, that was the Brumal Mafia. For Tulniri, it was Club Essential.
The main hub of the club was built directly into the side of Munin Mountain, a sprawling natural stone structure covered in greenery. There were five levels in total, with the third level considered the leisure space. This area was where members could sit and relax, drink, or laugh with a friend. Share photographs of their last bloody kill or videos of their latest great fuck. The possibilities were endless, really. Lake had heard every story there was to tell in this very room growing up, ever since he’d been initiated at the age of thirteen.
It was expensive to maintain the yearly club membership fees, so faces came and went, but legacies such as himself and his friends were brought in. They didn’t need to jump through the same hoops as the rest.
That sort of stature came with its own caveats, however.
From the views of the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the capital city could be seen sparkling below, a fine layer of fog only helping to reflect the glittering lights. He knew from experience that if he moved to the window and peered down and out, he’d see the school.
