Silver Linings

F I V E

Silas

WHEN I GET BACK FROM A THREE-YEAR DEPLOY, I EXPECT EVERYONE TO LEAVE ME THE FUCK alone so I can get some damn sleep for once.

What I did not expect is to be forced to a party in Elgantis only to get fucking kicked out after that explosion, and I sure as hell did not expect to find my group piled in my living room, yapping their asses off like a bunch of gossiping teenagers. I thought that leaving for war for three years would be enough to show my fellow comrades that I feel suffocated being around them.

Apparently, it only showed them where I hid my house keys.

"Why the fuck are you all in my house?" I snap with clenched fists. My voice causes theirs to quiet down and they all turn to face me. "I haven't even been in the district for a fucking hour yet. Do I have to keep electric fences around my property?"

I count my fellow members' heads and quickly realize we're down one. "Where's your sister, Dominik?" He shrugs, too indulged in a shiny piece of gold above the fireplace mantle. "Touch anything up there and I'll cut your hand off, you greedy fuck."

"Relax, darling." Evelina's voice sounds like silk through her English accent, running a purple-painted nail across my shoulders as she walks behind me. "You've always been such a big ball of stress. Many will tell you that relieving stress through exercise is most effective if you want to test that theory out with me."

I narrow my eyes warningly. "Watch it, Evie." She just smirks, taking a seat on Sebastien's lap. "If this happens one more time, I'm ripping your heart out first."

She winks and begins to twirl one of her curls around her finger.

"The north contacted us while you were gone," Sebastien mumbles as he drags his fingers across Evie's bare thigh. "They offered us more resources and would give the south access to the dam water rather than the lake."

I scoff under my breath and stand, walking over to my bar to pour a drink. "Those snobby fucks don't want anything to do with us unless they get something in return."

"That's what Seb said," Lilith chuckles as she sharpens her dagger. There are giant bags under her eyes and she yawns after every other word. "The one time the bastard's actually right about something."

Sebastien's face lights up at the acknowledgment but his eyes remain closed as Evelina starts to braid cornrows into his large, loose curls. "That's the first time anyone's been able to understand you through all that damn yawning, so I guess I'm right about two things."

Four of the five of us laugh. I'm not the laughing one. "Someone get to the fucking point already."

"Alright, alright," Lilith grumbles and stifles a yawn. "Jeez, Silas. Did someone shit in your Froot Loops this morning or something?"

Everyone snickers and my eye twitches. Only the five intruders who won't get out of my fucking house. "My patience is running thinner than fucking water right now so someone talk," I snap back at them. "What does Elgantis want from us? They haven't tried reaching us since blaming us for the Silent Killer incident."

The group exchanges glance around the room, waiting to see who will speak up first.

"They think the killer might be making a reappearance," Dominik says first from the fireplace. He's managed to snag my best liquor and pours a drink. "Or at least a copycat. Five people have died in the last week and they've all connected to family members of the Chosen."

"Good," I reply, crossing my arms. "Less of them to deal with. Why the hell are they trying to get us involved?"

"Their next target is the General Sergeant's daughter."