Chapter 8:
Ever since he was six, Kelevra had been obsessed with blood. There was something about it that excited him, that instantly had anticipation brewing and thumping at his ribcage.
A few days after the incident in the library, he found himself at Friction, slipping out of his buttery yellow suit jacket, reaching back to leisurely undo the strings holding his corset in place. He’d gone without a shirt, and while it’d make sense to take a moment to head into the changing rooms and slip into sweatpants, that buzzing sensation spurring him toward violence wouldn’t allow even that much hesitation.
Zane was already waiting for him in the ring, eyeing him as Kel provided a striptease of sorts, racking up the tension. The rest of the Retinue stood around the center ring and at the bar, along with a couple of Brumal members.
Typically, if he was in here fighting, Kelevra chose Kazimir, Baikal’s cousin, or Madden. The first, because he didn’t care if he “accidentally” took things too far, and the second because Madden could get crafty in the ring, and that kept things interesting. Zane was a good third option, however, and since he was the only one of the three currently there, Kel had settled.
The upside to Zane was he allowed more than simple fists. Already, he was tossing a star crystal knife in the air. The blade was double-edged, shaped like a long raindrop with a fine tip and a handle carved out of crystal as clear as glass. The material was native to Vitality, and used to make many different items due to how tough it was. This particular blade had been a gift from Kel two years ago and had come in a set.
The other one was currently resting on the edge of the ring closest to Kelevra, and once he was in nothing but his pants, he snatched it up and slipped beneath the rope.
Friction was located on the grounds of Club Vigor, and though he didn’t often allow himself to partake, his doing so wasn’t exactly out of the norm. Considering the week he’d had, and the piss poor mood he’d been in and hadn’t bothered trying to hide, no one had seemed surprised when he’d stormed in fifteen minutes ago and demanded a match.
Zane was almost as tall as him, with hair the color of freshly tilled dirt and eyes so dark brown they were practically black. He had a thick scar just beneath the left underside of his jaw, but otherwise was unmarked, his face angelic upon first glance. He’d chosen Vail University over the Academy, and was considered one of the campus princes—the Prince of Medicine or something like that, Kel could never get it right.
The two of them were the same age, exactly one month apart, and Zane had moved in with him and his sister Lyra years ago. He had a dorm room on Vail campus, but otherwise still stayed at the Little Palace whenever there was a longer school break. He’d been offered an apartment somewhere of his choosing but had refused time and time again until Kelevra had stopped offering.
Kelevra had never asked, and Zane had never said as much himself, but he got the feeling that his friend had a crush on his sister. The age gap between them wasn’t terrible, and Kel personally wouldn’t give a shit if the two chose to date, but as far as he knew, his sister had never returned Zane’s interest.
If Zane had been born as the Imperial Prince instead of merely the Prince of Medicine, he could make Lyra his whether she returned his affections or not, but alas.
“You were at the Little Palace for a long time the other day,” Zane said as Kelevra got ready. “Anything important?”
He snorted. “Do you mean is there anything you should be made aware of? No. If there was, I would have told you already, wouldn’t I have?”
“Don’t know. Would you have? Madden mentioned something about a cadet you—”
Kelevra always tried to keep to the rules of the ring when he was here, mostly because the people he fought against were friends—or the cousin of a friend—but at the mention of Rin all of those restrictions faded to the background in a blink.
He shot forward, arm extending with the knife aimed right for Zane’s heart. It was easily blocked, and he twisted and spun to the right to evade Zane’s return attack. Having trained together for years, the two of them understood each other’s moves better than most, putting them on a more even playing field despite Kel’s extra muscle mass and higher skill level.
Zane was the attentive sort, the type who got someone water before they could ask, or purchased extra tickets to a popular event in case any last-minute additions wished to join them. That also made him keen in other ways, always catching the little things others thought no one noticed. As a senior, he was close to graduating with his degree and was already set to continue his training at High Tower Hospital, the largest hospital in the city. Eventually, when the time came for the Diar family doctor to retire, he would take over the position.
Everything and everyone in Kelevra’s life had a place and a purpose.
His flower would learn that lesson soon, even if it had to be done the hard way.
Kel had never cared what others thought of him, so it was a concept he struggled a bit more to grasp than some others. But he’d recognized the hint of fear that had come over Rin in the library. He’d been annoyed when Kelevra had threatened him with the pill, but not afraid. The second they’d heard footsteps on the stairs, however, that had changed.
He may have been offended if he hadn’t already known Rin preferred staying out of the limelight, and therefore his reaction most likely had nothing to do with being seen with Kelevra personally. Getting caught being publicly indisposed was a big deal, and even though they were Academy cadets and not students of Vail, there would have been repercussions if they’d been caught and tattled on.
Considering how phenomenal Kelevra looked naked, there was no way those girls wouldn’t have immediately told everyone and anything who would listen what they’d witnessed.
And his flower…
A low rumble traveled up the back of his throat as he pictured Rin splayed out on his bed, lying on his stomach, his thighs spread wide to accommodate Kelevra kneeling between them. He had the perfect body, slim waist, toned back, those muscles bunching as he’d wrapped them around the pillow and buried his face to muffle his scream as he’d come for the third time. His tight hole gripping around Kel’s cock like it wanted to break it off and keep it as a memento…
Zane’s knife glinted in the harsh overhead lights as he swung it in an arch toward Kelevra’s side.
He blocked and then kneed Zane in the gut, slashing at his arm to draw blood.
Zane hissed and shot back out of range, twisting his arm to check the damage. A thin line of red was welling, a bead rolling down his arm. It wasn’t deep, and with the man’s quickened healing, would most likely be gone by nightfall.
Kelevra watched that single drop and licked his lips, eager for more.
“Just not the face,” Zane felt the need to remind, but Kel was already shooting forward a second time.
