The Reckless - SAMPLE

IV

I was starting to learn new things about this whole "royal family" thing. First of all: their snobby ways was a character trait, not a side effect of being treated like you were better. Lei was one of the sweetest girls I'd met in the castle other than a few servants. While her mind was a little looser than Prince Alex's or King Ansel's, I could still only get small bits, random words in a sea of fog and a static sound that could give anyone a headache.

Second of all: people actually visited this family. Like, voluntarily. They came and laughed with them like they weren't abominations to humanity. Granted it was family members that came to see them from another smaller castle in a region of Hilton, but I digress. Lei had a little cousin that I was supposed to also take care of.

Another thing that was completely odd for me was that, while there were hundreds of vacant rooms in this palace, Lei's little cousin loved to spend time in Lei's bedroom. It was a big room, with couches and a huge fireplace, but the little cousin's room was still big.

The morning after King Ansel had sent my uncle away, Lei called me into her room again and I braided her hair up while she talked with her cousin. They strangely tried to get me to converse with them, but I tried to stay silent. Lei's room had less of the infernal metal that made up this palace, but it was still a little hard for me to get a good peek into anyone's head.

Kali, the cousin, watched me braid Lei's hair in awe. "Can you do mine next?"

I felt my jaw clench. "Yes." Lei smiled, her eyes lighting up.

"What was your name again?"

There was that question I hated. I was hoping to get away with not sharing my name, but I couldn't refuse someone who could have my head off in a few seconds. "Raven."

"That's so pretty! Where did it come from?" Kali asked excitedly. She was seven years old, so she hadn't really figured out how to hide her thoughts in a foggy static like the rest of her family. I was grateful; one unreadable person was enough for one room.

My uncle had told me many times where my name had come from, but I felt it was too personal to share. Still, I had to. My uncle made me promise not to do anything stupid. "It means darkness, or death," I said quietly, finishing Lei's hair. "I was born in the midst of a war during dark times. My family was plagued by death," I finished, stepping back. Of course, my uncle shared it a little more bitterly.

His hatred for the Reckless was a bit more personal than anyone else's. Lei's bright smile didn't falter. "That's beautiful."

"If not a little morbid," I heard someone say at the open door. It was Prince Alex.

"Alex!" Kali screeched, launching herself at him. I stopped looking, standing "at attention" by the side of the room. That was what everyone else here called it; they wanted us to easily fetch things or do things for them, so we stood waiting for their orders. It made me want to die.

Lei turned and said, "I have to go talk to Mom. Raven, will you do Kali's hair?"

She posed it as a question, but I still couldn't say no. "Of course," I gritted out, letting Kali take Lei's place. Alex smirked, watching me begin.

"My father informed me of my terrible choice on giving the most prolific thief in current society a room at the castle," he began, leaning against Lei's large bed.

"I am not," I informed him. "That's my uncle." Alex laughed, the smile lighting his face up, but I saw that he still had makeup covering any natural blush up on his cheeks. His dark hair was styled to sit perfectly, but his fingers messed with it anyway.

"You do know the penalty if you were to be caught stealing, harboring intruders, or sneaking out?"

"Define sneaking out," I said, cutting him a crooked grin. He gave me a serious look. Annoyed, I straightened and said, "You cut me off from all society I know and make me do the bidding of the family that single-handedly made two nations go into chaos and expect me to be fine with not seeing my uncle?"