Prologue

“Why are you staring at him like that?” Flix perched against the edge of the dessert buffet table, tucked into the corner of the ballroom where Berga had been standing for the past half hour. “Better question, why is Ives Plackers staring at you like that?”

It was a struggle for Berga to tear his gaze off the mop of burgundy hair some thirty or so feet away, but he did so, glancing over at their schoolmate, Ives, before giving a shrug. “I killed his kurag.”

Flix bristled. “What?”

“Well,” he corrected, “I helped, actually. And it’s not what you think. The thing was sick and in a lot of pain. I guess Ives didn’t want to believe it, but his mother was talking with mine, and I was getting tired of the conversation, so I gave her something that would solve the problem humanly.”

“Dude. You killed his pet?” Flix acted like he hadn’t heard the rest of Berga’s explanation.

He sighed. “It really was in a lot of pain. The vet said it was cancer. And I didn’t do it. His mother did.”

Flix blew out a breath and shook his head. “We’re thirteen. I really wish you would act like it sometimes.”

“We’re training to become members of the Brumal mafia?” They’d do a lot worse than help put an end to a poor animal’s suffering. “If you can’t stomach it, why did you agree to join the Satellite?”

“Neither of us had a choice,” Flix reminded, knocking him on the shoulder. “Baikal chose us.”

Baikal Void was the son of the Dominus, the leader of the mafia, and the next in line. Since he’d recently become a teenager, he’d been given the power to choose members for his Satellite, a group of people who swore their loyalty to him and him alone. Both Berga and his best friend Flix had been selected.

“I had a choice,” he couldn’t help but correct. “ Baikal promised to make me his Butcher in exchange.”

“Of course that’s what you want to be when you grow up.” Flix pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just…go apologize to Ives. He’s getting on my nerves.”

“No, thank you.” Berga pointed directly at the boy he’d been staring at before Flix had rudely interrupted him. “Who is that?”

“Oh, right, this is your first time at one of these things.”

They were attending the Hethrow Gala with their parents, an elaborate holiday charity event that took place yearly. As members of prominent families on the planet Vitality, both Berga and Flix were required to be there now that they’d been given titles as Satellite members.

If Berga had known beforehand, he might have refused Baikal’s offer.

He didn’t like being around people.

It felt too…risky.

But the boy across the room had served as a decent distraction for the past half hour or so, and Berga found himself curious over who he may be. Various hair colors weren’t odd in the universe, but he’d never seen a shade quite like that one before. Depending on how the boy tipped his head, it could appear either maroon or burgundy.

Not quite like the color of blood, but close enough that Berga would be uncomfortable with it if it was on his head .

“That’s Madden Odell,” Flix said. “He’s the same age as us, but he’s a Royal.”

“Like Yuze?” Another kid who’d been chosen for the Satellite. They didn’t know Yuze very well because he went to a different middle school, but eventually, they’d all attend the same boarding high school, Valor High.

“Sort of,” he agreed. “Anyway, why do you keep looking at him like that? Is he your type?”

“No.” Berga didn’t actually know what that meant, but no seemed like the appropriate answer. His best friend had already begun to comment about people he had crushes on, but Berga found he was unable to relate. Perhaps eventually, once he was older, he would.

Perhaps not.

Since the event, no one really knew how Berga would turn out or what he may or may not be physically and mentally capable of.

“Do you think he’d let me shave his head?” Berga asked, and Flix snorted.

“Ah, no. Most definitely not, and you better not ask him either. He’s close with the Imperial Prince. And we’re thirteen . That’s too old to want to play pranks like that.”

“It’s not a prank.” Berga just couldn’t decide if he wanted to touch Madden’s hair or if it made him sick to see, so getting rid of it was the most logical solution. But Flix was right. If Madden was close with the prince, it was best to keep his distance.

Pity .

He did want to touch it. The moment he realized that he couldn’t, the want solidified.

Did the boy use expensive products to make it that shiny, or was it naturally like that? Would it feel as soft as it looked, or would it be coarse?

Would it stain Berga’s fingers like real blood?

No. No, hair didn’t do that.

He needed to stop before—

“All right, I’m sick of this.” Flix straightened from the table and grabbed a puff pastry, shoving it into his mouth before he rolled his shoulders as if preparing for a fight.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go teach Ives it’s rude to stare.”

“Didn’t you tell me it was my fault?”

Flix shook his head. “Nothing is ever your fault, Bergie. You should apologize to defuse the situation, not because you were wrong.”

“Don’t call me that,” he snapped. He didn’t like being called that anymore.

Flix faltered. “Sorry.”

“Do you mean it or—”

“Yes, I mean it. Sorry. I forgot for a second, that’s all. Forgive me?”

Was forgiveness like apologies? Given out even when they were only meant to mollify someone?

“Okay,” Berga said. He didn’t like it when Flix was upset. If Flix was upset, then who would Berga talk to when he was upset?

“I’ll be right back.” Flix left to confront Ives, just as he said he would.

With nothing else left to distract him, Berga returned his attention to the interesting Royal, tilting his head when it was to find that now Madden was staring back.

His eyes were better than his hair. Like two dark, inky marbles. They reminded Berga of the abyss he sometimes got lost in.

He wanted to pluck them out and roll them around in his palm. Wanted to know if they’d feel as cold as they looked.

It was too bad he couldn’t ask to have them, but if even Madden’s hair was off limits…

Berga didn’t like wasting time on things that he couldn’t play with. After one last longing look, he turned and wandered off after Flix.