The Bastard's Guide to Overthrowing a Nation

Chapter 1

HAMIL says that there are seven rules to graverobbing, I have never broken a single one.
One: anything can be bought for the right price.
Two: never assume you are safe.
Three: never give away your true identity and always disguise yourself.
Four: never rob out of anger or vengeance.
Five: never rob for yourself unless your life depends on it.
Six: never touch the 13 crypts.
Seven: never attract the attention of the Council of 13.
Needless to say, each rule keeps the Hood safe and without a bullet in our brains.

My fingers twist around the freed silver tips of my inky hair, stuffing it back under the black hood I've placed over my head. My eyes flash a striking deep green through all the black and silver of my clothing. I crouch on the roof of the aging Clermont building, my thin leather-gloved fingers wrapped around the cool, steel railing. I count off the minutes in my head, waiting for the security to leave the gate. Sunlight glints off the rows of columbariums, blinding those who stare at them in the distance. My fingers reach for the buzzing device in my pocket, unconsciously shutting it off, clicking my tongue to turn on the earpiece. "What do you want, Ja?"

"The guards' comms just shut off, your chance is now."

I jump over the railing, climbing down the emergency exit stairs. "This isn't my first run Jada, I was already on my way."

"Good. Hamil wants you back as soon as possible."

"When am I ever late?"

I click my tongue again, the brick wall pressing into my left shoulder as I look around the corner, counting the remaining guards. I pull the hood of my trench coat further over my head. The heels of my boots softly tap against the smooth pavement as I run across the street, burying my hands in coat pockets fixing a look of anguish upon my face. I duck through the gate, entering the columbarium-filled graveyard. I slip a bright blue hospital mask over my face, keeping my head bowed. I touch names as I pass columbariums, mouthing a quick rest-in-peace. One row to go. I quickly turn, fingers sliding over the marble.

I remove a thin, one-by-three-inch metal rectangle from my inner breast pocket, quickly sliding it into the slot on the grave, pressing the button on the edge. The metal shifts, jutting out to fill the empty space. The door to the grave opens, revealing a small metal urn and a pile of belongings fills the six by six-inch space. I unbuckle the bag at my hip, grabbing papers and the rings, stuffing them into the bag. I slide the door closed, removing the key. I wait, standing in front of the grave for a few moments before pulling my battered phone from my pocket, pressing it to my ear, and leaving the graveyard.

The old, black metal gates to the slums sit open, a single guard sits in the jeep, eyes focused on the sky. I walk through the gates, beading for the old bathhouse. My fingers pull the rough, wool hood further over my face, hiding my eyes from sight.

The doors to the bathhouse are missing, rotted away over the years. I step inside the vine-covered marble walls surrounding me. People sit in the empty pools, huddled together, trying to sleep even as the afternoon sun shines through old windows and cracks in the walls. I take to the stairs, walking up to the third level. A young, dark man stands next to a window, eyes filled with hope.

"Are you the Hood girl?"

"Yes, Soren I presume?"

"Yes."

"One moment," I click my tongue, "Ja get me, Lou."

I click my tongue again, shutting off the mic as I pull a device from my bag, contracts fill the screen, as I hold a thin black stylus out to the man. He takes it, reading the words on the screen. His eyes flit back and forth between the screen and my hood-covered face. He presses the stylus to the screen, signing his name. I smile politely, "Congratulations Soren, you are now the owner of everything in this bag. Someone will bring the papers to you tomorrow. I hope your family is pleased."

His face is filled with happiness, "More than pleased, miss, those rings mean everything to my mother."

I open the bag at my hip, handing him the deeds and the rings. A slight smile, visible beneath the shadows. I move to the windowsill, leaping out of the bathhouse into a tree, shimmying down the tree trunk before disappearing down an alleyway.

I walk into another old abandoned building. A vintage armchair sits in the foyer. I lift the cushion off of the chair, punching a code into the hidden keypad. The seaside landscape adorning the wall opens, revealing a dark hallway. I saunter into the hall, pulling the hidden door closed behind me. Throwing back my hood, I shake out my hair. An automated voice fills the hall, "Welcome back to the Hood, Miss Castyan. Master Pierce is waiting for you in the boardroom."

I tug the black leather gloves off my hands, finger by finger, before tucking them into the leather pouch strapped to my hip. The door at the end of the hall opens, artificial light streams into the corridor. A young boy sits in the foyer, his fingers twisted in his scarf.

"Hey, Risto."

"Hi, Wyn."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm not sure, Hamil called me."

"Oh."

"Do you think...?"

"No," I reassure him. "Hamil Pierce does not go quietly. There's no need to worry Ry, you'll never be out of a job here, Ja loves you too much."

"Jada," he tilts his head, "she doesn't love me."

A thin, dark woman steps out of the elevator, her hair twisted into dozens of little braids, gold woven in them and matching beads wrapped around the ends, half of them piled atop her head. Jada's heeled boots click against the floor, "I heard that Castyan."

I wink at the boy, my lips twisting into a smile as I walk into the elevator. Risto rises from his seat, rushing after me. The doors close on the three of us, silence filling the metal box as it rises to the second level. The doors roll open, heels click against the linoleum floors as the three of us walk into the boarding room. At the head of the table, Hamil sits with his hands folded, resting on the old wood surface. He gives us a short smile, "I'm pleased you could finally join us."

"As are we."

"Sit, join the rest of us."

Jada, Risto, and I sit at the end of the table, eyes facing Hamil, waiting for him to speak. His face is solemn, but his eyes are filled with joy, "I am so proud of all of you and so overjoyed with the family we have become-"

"You're not dying are you?" I interject.

"I am not, Alewyn. As I was saying, I know that Alice would be elated with how much progress we have made over the last seven years. With that in mind, dinner will be held in the great room, not wherever you please. You will all be there. Dismissed."

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I think this book will be close to 80 chapters in total. I hope you all enjoy and take the book until the end.
❤️⚔️ MorrigansFlight