Uendeligt: An Infinitely Forever Novel

by S King

  “You ok?” Dristan asked, looking at her from head to toe as if he were able to see in her body.

  She waved a dismissive hand and rolled her eyes, “just shaky, nothing important. Anyway,” she handed me an envelope and winked at Dristan, “I’ve gotta go.”

  “Hey! You coming home in the morning?” Dristan called after her as she disappeared from the private room.

  “Yes!”

  Completely forgetting the envelope, I sat up in the bench and tilted my head at him as I frowned, “coming home?”

  “What?” He brushed off my confused look and went about picking apart his burger and steak.

  Slade frowned and turned to face Dristan, “what the hell is going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Coming home?” I reiterated.

  He rolled his eyes, “oh please, like you two…”

  He trailed off, but I knew what he was going to say. If Luminous were still around then I would’ve asked her the same thing had the situation been turned around. As for Slade, he looked down at his plate of food.

  I had been right in my assumption toward his feelings for Svenia. He just hadn’t told her—from what I understood he had blocked all feelings of her because he didn’t want to create waves within our guard. And the fact she had a thing for me didn’t help things along either. But all of that came crashing down when the woman had killed Luminous’s sister in a case of mistaken identity. In turn, Luminous killed Svenia as retaliation. Of course, she had gotten clearance from the judges of OE beforehand but that didn’t ease the pain for Slade.

  Dristan cleared his throat, “anyway, to answer the unasked question. Yeah, we’re living together.”

  “How are the judges ok with that?” Slade asked, pointedly looking at me.

  I smirked but remained silent. When I got my promotion, the first thing I had done was change a few laws about cross guard relationships. For the time being, none of the other judges knew about the rule change and hadn’t had a reason to question it. The problem would come if RS received a request for marriage from the happy Silver-Gold couple. But it was a worry I would hold off on fretting about. Right now, I just wanted my friends to be happy.

  Dristan shrugged, “we know how to keep things under wraps.”

  “Obviously,” Slade shook his head and sighed as he grabbed his fork, “back to the important stuff.”

  “Hey! My relationship is important,” Dristan quipped.

  “Not saying it’s not, but we’re not talking about that right now.” Slade looked at me, “do you think we can get away with it.”

  “We don’t even know if they’re chipped.”

  “Can’t you find out?”

  “I could but it’s too risky right now, we need to think of something else.”

  Dristan grabbed his beer, “what about just tailing him?”

  “He’s a part of an elite guard that none of us even knew about and now you want to tail him?” Slade raised a questioning brow at him.

  I shook my head, “that’s too much of a risk too. If something happens to either of you then the other judges are going to come gunning for me.”

  “True,” they both grumbled before falling silent.

  Unfortunately, right now, in this moment, we couldn’t do anything that was going to draw attention. Whether I liked it or not, I was a sitting duck and had to look over my shoulder at every turn.

  Even with Dristan’s new position and Slade offering his stealthy skills, tracking Shang down was too much of a risk to all of our positions. Not to mention none of us knew just how favored the Platinum Guard was regarded between Onyx Elite and Royal Sapphire. One wrong move on our part and shit would start flying downhill.

  The only thing I could do right now was wait and wasn’t that just a great way to protect Luminous. Wherever she was.

  “Has Karina said anything about finding Luminous?” I asked, grabbing another beer from the bucket sitting on the table.

  Dristan shook his head and stabbed his fork in the steak, “nothing. From what I know, she’s been playing both sides of the fence. With Lovett being the sect leader, she’s extra careful in everything she says and does. Even at the house.” He frowned and looked up from his plate, “actually now that you said that I haven’t heard her mention anything about Luminous since the news broke about her being killed.”

  “That doesn’t seem like Karina.”

  “No it doesn’t,” Dristan frowned and leaned his elbow on the table, “what the hell am I missing?”

  “Does Lovett know you two are dating?” Slade asked, swiping his card through the machine to pay for his food.

  Dristan shrugged and finished eating, “doesn’t matter if that fucker does. He knows Karina isn’t going to be told who she can and can’t date.”

  “It shouldn’t be his concern, but he is the sect leader now.”

  Dristan narrowed his eyes on the other man as he put the card away. “What the fuck am I, a beast?”

  Slade rolled his eyes and motioned around Dristan, “no, I’m saying he’s going to do whatever he can to get in the courts good favor. Which means if he finds out you two are dating? I’m betting money that he ends up punishing her for it.”

  “Let a mother fucker try,” Dristan snapped, pushing his plate away.

  “Calm down, Drist,” I waved off the anger floating around the table. “Slade does make a good point, all we’re saying is before anything else is done with Shang, we need to know what Karina knows.”

  “And you think she’s going to show her hand before anyone else? Or before the right time?” He asked raising his brow as he stared at me.

  I laughed under my breath and raked a hand through my hair, “you’re right. This is Karina we’re talking about.”

  “My point exactly,” Dristan swiped his own card before looking at me. “I’ll see what I can pull out of her, in the meantime, why don’t you try to find out if this Shang character is chipped.”

  I nodded and waved to my friends as they left to finish off their final orders for the night. When the door closed behind them, I rubbed my hands over my face. Mentally, I tried to think of any other avenue that could’ve been taken in order to find out Shang’s secrets. But the longer I sat in the booth, the emptiness in my mind grew.

  “Fuck it,” I breathed, paying for my food. As I was about to get up, I caught sight of the envelope Karina had given me.

  Frowning, I grabbed the thing and fell back into the booth. Ripping the thin paper open, I took out the contents and stopped.

  Sitting there in black and white were four pictures of Luminous looking over her shoulder in one shot toward something off camera. The next, she was standing in the window looking out away from the camera. The third photo, she was sitting in a different window, holding onto something at her throat.

  The final picture was a close up shot of her, standing on the river bank. But I didn’t try to focus on the location or what she was wearing or if she were ok. The only thing—outside of her face—I was focused on was the chain at her throat. On either side of her name done in rose gold were my rings. The rings I had gotten when I made sect leader. The rings I had dropped in her jacket pocket before she was pushed from the cliff.

  Chapter 5 What if…

  “You’re putting us in danger,” a voice hissed behind me as I came to.

  “No, I’m not, I’m simply weighing all of my options. There’s a reason why they want her so bad—” Another voice started saying before the lighter voice hissed again.

  “It’s not our job to find out the why behind the OE’s orders. The only thing we need to worry about is our own necks.”

  As yet another counter argument started going on from the deep, sultry voice started again, I fought myself to stay awake but the drowsiness and peace I had just left was calling my name. That was until something one of the voices said stopped my descent into unconsciousness.

  “I have a feeling this has to do with Losett.”

  My ea
rs perked up as I remained still to hear what they were talking about.

  “So what if it does?”

  “Talay, this could be our out. Do you not understand that? This could be the answer we’ve been looking for.”

  “I don’t care, Shang, I’m telling you I don’t any part of it. I rather remain a member of PG than on the run for the rest of my life trying to save some insignificant bitch!”

  Was she seriously talking about me? I was the bitch she was talking about? What the hell did I do to her? Searching my mind I tried to remember Talay. She didn’t sound like someone I had encountered before. Then again if I saw her then I’d remember her. Still, that was no reason to call me a bitch.

  “What do you think Losett will do if we hint that we have his one true love?”

  This fucker. Shang was literally trying to use me as bait for Demir? Why? If he didn’t like being a part of something, why didn’t he just fight his way out of it? It wasn’t like he wasn’t capable of doing something like that. With those bulging muscles, devil may care smirk, and deathly glare. Shang could do anything dangerous to anyone. Although a fight between him and Demir would be one I wanted to see.

  “You’ve lost your mind,” Talay said, “why are you trying so hard to hang onto her?”

  Yeah, I had wanted to say, but didn’t want to miss the opportunity to hear what he was going to say.

  “I’m not.”

  It took every ounce of reasoning and strength I had to stop myself from snorting. Luckily, Talay felt the same sentiments and did the move for me before saying.

  “Yeah, ok. Look, I don’t care what you do, but I’m telling you right now Meril and the others aren’t going to let you get away with this.” My ears picked up the shuffling of feet before the other couch across from me made a subtle groan in protest to the weight. This time her voice carried through the room. “As soon as they find out you’re going to go down with this—”

  “Watch your mouth,” Shang warned from above my head. “I’m still the sect leader of this guard and whether the others like it or not. They will follow my direction, or they can die.” A shift in the air forced me to grow stiff, “the same goes for you. As far as what to do with her? I’m going to figure it out and make sure everything goes as planned.”

  A bark of laughter left Talay as she moved on the couch, “you’re harboring the very woman the black courts want. And now? You’re talking about using her as our get out of jail card. What makes you think she’s going to let either of us live when she finds that fucking whip?”

  Well, one thing was for sure. Talay wasn’t a stupid woman. She knew I wasn’t going to allow someone to live if I thought they were going to become a threat later down the line.

  “She won’t find it.”

  “Do you know who you’re talking about? This is Luminous River. The Silver Angel. The very woman who brought the courts to their knees. And you think she’s not going to find the whip?”

  My heart grew with a swell of pride as I listened to Talay list off my accomplishments. However, Shang’s nonchalant tone made me want to punch him in the throat as he said.

  “I know she won’t.”

  “How?”

  “Because I put it somewhere she can’t go.”

  Where, I had wanted to ask. Just give me a hint and I’ll take it from there. Thankfully Talay had figured it out and gave me the answer without pushing Shang to the point of exploding.

  “You put the thing in your room didn’t you?”

  “So what? At least it’s where I know she can’t get to it.”

  I couldn’t it hold it anymore. Jerking off the couch as if I were struggling to breathe, I grabbed my chest and coughed to cover the laugh. I knew now where my beloved whip was and just needed to find my opening.

  Once I was gone, I’d make sure I left Shang a note about paying better attention to his captive’s change in breathing patterns. Had either of them known the simple skill and applied it to our situation they’d have caught on to the fact I was awake. But I wasn’t complaining at all for their ignorance.

  “Luminous,” Shang came around the couch, holding out a bottled water to me.

  Continuing to play my role, I backed up on the couch and glared at both of them. The fit of coughing adding to the hysterics. Even if it was all an act.

  “It’s not poisoned,” he narrowed his eyes at me, “I would’ve killed you by now if that was my end goal.”

  Taking in gulps of air, I didn’t say anything to him. Turning my eyes on Talay, I waited for her to say something. After all, she had inadvertently put herself on my side of this fucked up situation.

  “What?” Her voice was still like honey and just as dangerous as a mine field.

  “You tried to kill me.”

  “It was a mistake.”

  “You don’t expect me to believe that do you?”

  She shrugged an idle shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. “I saw something move, I was hunting. I shot. End of story.”

  “The purpose of hunting is to kill your target.” I shot back.

  A slow smile played on her lips as she looked at me, “that is true.”

  “Forgive me for not buying the shit you’re selling.”

  “Luminous, she’s an ally,” Shang decided we were close enough for him to sit beside me on the couch. But I wasn’t having any of it.

  Backflipping off the couch, I landed in a crouch and looked between the two of them guard members.

  “Neither of you are my allies. I’m thankful you saved me,” I glanced at Shang for a brief moment, “however, I’m going home one way or the other.”

  “Well, she’s telling the truth.” Talay sighed and tilted her head at Shang. “What’re you going to do to stop it?”

  “Shut up,” he snapped turning to me, “Luminous, we—you can’t go back to Castlehedge.”

  “What?” Talay shot off the couch and glared at him as I stood to my full height.

  “Meaning?” I asked.

  He ignored Talay and stood from the couch, adjusting his watch. “You can’t go back to Castlehedge unless you want to die.”

  I narrowed my eyes on him, waiting for the punch line in this joke.

  “You’ll stay here until the heat dies down.”

  “And where is here, exactly?”

  “Springcrest.”

  I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, “yes, I know that you told me the other day. I’m talking about the coordinates.”

  He opened his mouth to say something when his eyes landed and locked on my throat.

  Looking down, I clutched the necklace with my name and Demir’s rings on the chain. Subconsciously, I stepped back and prayed Fefe wasn’t anywhere around the house where she could get hurt. Just in case things took a turn for the death.

  Talay followed his line of sight and raised a brow at my clenched fist.

  “Where did you get those?” Shang asked, narrowing those deathly orbs on me.

  “Why?”

  “You weren’t wearing them when I found you, so where did you get them?”

  “That’s none of your concern. They’re mine and that’s the end of the story.”

  “Liar.” Talay shot back.

  Turning my narrowed eyes on her, I dropped my hand and prepared for a fight. Hopefully, this was Shang’s house and not Fefe’s. I’d hate to destroy her beautiful home because some psychopath female wanted to call me at my bluff.

  “They were a gift,” I challenged.

  As I stared into her weird eyes I knew she had a talent for seeing something. Whether it was lies or into my mind, I wasn’t going to give her an inch to destroy me. I had made the mistake of trusting someone with the same ability and still had a bad taste in my mouth from the experience.

  The corners of her mouth ticked up in a smirk for a second before her face became hard again.

  “Take her back to Castlehedge. That’s where she wants to be anyway.”

  “Talay, just—get out,�
� Shang pointed to the door, a fire igniting in his black eyes as the color grew darker with anger.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Do I need to throw you out?” He countered.

  Talay scoffed and shot me a disgusted look as she grabbed her black jacket from the back of the couch and stormed from the house. Like Shang, she too had a fetish for slamming doors.

  When the house returned to its odd silence, he turned to me. “You’re not going back to Castlehedge, Luminous and that’s final.”

  A bark of laughter left me as I stared at him with my eyebrows in my hairline. “And who, pray tell, is going to stop me?”

  A storm of rage overtook his face as he closed the distance between us and glowered down at me. “Try me.”

  “Is that a dare?”

  “Take it as you wish, but just know I will not apologize for putting you back into a helpless state.”

  “Hit me with your best shot.”

  In truth, if I were trying to be really honest with myself, I had wanted to see where my fighting was. Could I possibly be on the same level as I had been before Demir stabbed me? Or was my ability, like my legs, buried somewhere in me? Now was going to be the time to find out which answer was right, and I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.

  “Ladies first,” he spat.

  Little did Shang know, those two simple words were reserved to the man who wore the same rings that were around my neck. And I wasn’t about to let anyone else, especially not Shang, say them to me and get away with it.

  Without warning my fist flung out, catching him in the ribs as I dropped into a sumo squat to avoid his lurching. I kept the momentum and kicked his legs out from under him, before backflipping out of the way of his grabbing hands.

  It took Shang all of a minute to recover before he advanced on me. Had I not been paying attention—or expected it, the two combination jab he threw would’ve landed in the center of my chest and knocked me over the dining room table. However, I was expecting it and I was ready too. Grabbing one of the chairs, I ducked his beefy fists before pushing the chair into his broken ribs and used the tilted seat for a launch pad. With one step, two steps, and a third I was airborne and spinning around.