Cruel War (The Gilded Sovereign 1)

The carvings are so lifelike and intricate, I’m left speechless as I stare up at them. There are four other buildings on the land, which make up the whole university. Smiling, I grab my backpack and shut the car door, making my way up the paved pathway.

My dad grew up here. He told me about the town once or twice, but he never went into great detail about his friends, or even if he kept in touch with anyone here. Now, I’ll never be able to speak to him again. Sadness hits me hard in the chest, so much so that I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.

If Gran knows the founding families, perhaps my dad has some old friends here. Maybe I can learn more about him. Even growing up with him, he was almost like a stranger to me. There were never any photos from his youth; I didn’t even realize my gran was still alive until she came to D.C. to collect me.

My father died, and I couldn’t even have a funeral because there wasn’t a body. That’s what Fergus told me. My father’s partner and the man who joined him on dangerous missions. I wonder what he would’ve done if he were here now.

I miss my dad and his overprotectiveness, but I’m here, and I’m excited to start a new life and focus on my future. All my life, my dad had people watching over me, especially when he was on a job. I would live at one of the safe houses, or he’d have one of the detectives babysit me. Although he’s gone, I think deep down, he’s still got eyes on me. I wouldn’t put it past him.

A squeal catches my attention, and I glance over at a group of college students laughing and chatting, some sitting on the benches at the lunch table and other’s surrounding it: jocks and their groupies.

Some things don’t change. No matter how old you get. There are always cliques that seem to gather together.

“Hi.” A stunning brunette strolls up to me with a broad smile on her face. “I’m Grecia.” Her hand shoots out, and I capture it and shake it.

“I’m Dahlia,” I tell her.

“Welcome to Tynewood. I’m the president of the sorority—”

“Oh, I don’t know if—”

“Why don’t you come by tonight,” she says, handing me a flyer. “Before you decide, listen to what we do, and perhaps, we can change your mind?” With a wink, she strolls off and makes a beeline for the group of girls who are heading toward their classes.

I scan the flyer, noting the house number which I recall seeing when I drove up to school the first day. Even though it could be good to meet new people, I already know this is something that would have my anxiety ripping a hole in my chest.

Shoving the page into my purse, I make my way toward the steps when Rukaiya comes bounding up to me. She must be feeling better.

“What happened between you and the hottie? I need to know if you got lucky or if I’m going to need to find you someone else,” Rukaiya teases, a smile wide on her pretty face. I’ve had two boyfriends in school, but neither of them was serious. Not that we could be since dear old dad wouldn’t let me out of his sight alone with a boy.

“I had a little run-in with the asshole who lives in that house before I left the party,” I tell her, hugging my books closer to me. The jumper I’m wearing is far too warm for the sunny day, and my jeans feel as if they’ve been painted on. I’m nervous talking about him. For some reason, I feel as if he’s coming for me. Like he’s going to appear out of nowhere and act like a goddamn asshole again.

“Oh. My. God. What happened?” She’s excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet, her eyes wide with shock, and I realize I’m going to have to give her something, or she’ll never stop hounding me about it.

“All I’m saying is Ares Lancaster is an asshole; he’s overconfident, rude, and—”

“Particularly handsome,” the deep drawl from behind me interrupts my tirade, causing my heart to catapult into my throat.

Pivoting on my heel, I find those same hazel eyes from last night staring at me. The corner of his mouth has curled into a mischievous smirk, and I can’t deny he looks even better in the daylight. But he’s bad news, and I need to steer clear of him.

“And my day has just plummeted into hell,” I utter, turning around, I stalk toward the large campus that sits in front of me. I leave my best friend to deal with Ares. I’m not so lucky, though, because he follows me; his hand reaches out and grabs my arm, preventing me from getting away.