Revenge

Chapter 1

6 years later

"Come on, Elliot. You're going to be late."

"I don't care," I grumbled, turning my back to my valet, who also happened to be my best friend.

"You're going to get me in trouble." Lyle hissed, shaking me. 

Change that to very annoying  best friend. 

When I peered over my shoulder with my eyes narrowed into a glare, Lyle stood with his hands on his hips and an all too familiar look on his face. 

Lyle was the son of my mother's former maid, Lillian. She, along with countless others, had been the victim of a mysterious killer plaguing the kingdom of Belmont. Her body had been found like all the others, two puncture wounds on her neck and the blood drained from her body.  

The same way my mother had died six years ago. 

Nobody knew who or what had done it, which is why there was a curfew for everyone in the kingdom. No one was to leave their homes or palace rooms past sunset. 

"Fine," I said at last, dragging myself from my bed when Lyle continued to glare at me. 

I wanted nothing more than to sleep the night away. I was in no mood for celebrating, but I knew Lyle would be punished if I didn't attend the yearly festival meant for honouring the dead, yet all that the night would end up being was an excuse to drink and feast while all the noble men and women came together to share the latest gossip. Nothing to do with honouring the dead at all. 

So for Lyle's sake only, I force myself up and allow him to hand me my clothes. Smooth black dress pants, and a white button up shirt beneath a blue blazer with gold trim. The colours of Lovell, my family name.

I smooth back my hair in attempt to tame the blonde mess my pillow created. Trimmed neatly on the sides, the problem lay in the longer layer on top that wouldn't stay to the side, insistent on flopping into my eyes. 

"Here," Lyle chuckled, pulling out a tub of gel and coating his hands with it before smoothing my hair back away from my face. "Perfect."

"Thanks," I mumbled, adjusting my blazer before turning for the door, only to be stopped by Lyle's stern voice.

"Try not to over indulge tonight, Eli. Your father will have my head if you don't keep yourself in check, especially after the last time."

I huffed. "What's the point of a celebration if not to drink?" 

"The point is to honour the dead," Lyle's green eyes darkened. "You of all people should understand the importance of this celebration."

"I don't see death as something worth celebrating." 

I left before he could respond, knowing he would only try to convince me that the true point was thanking our loved ones for watching over us from the spirit realm and letting them know that we still remember them. The only problem was that I didn't want to remember. 

I stepped into the courtyard as the sun was setting, the area shrouded in darkness as the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind a cloud. This was the only night a year when my father would allow people to gather past sunset. It was tradition to host this kind of celebration at night and despite the risks, my father hated breaking tradition. 

I snatch a glass of red wine from the tray of a passing server, swallowing the contents in one large gulp. When I scan the crowd, my eyes catch on a boy leaning against a tree near the back, separate from everyone else. What made my gaze linger was the warm tone of his skin amid a sea of pale faces and bodies. Belmont wasn't a diverse country and it became even more closed off after the attacks started. Not only that, but I was sure I had never seen this boy around before and the guest list only included family and important nobles. The boy was certainly not family and he didn't dress like a noble.