Chapter 1 Claeg
A persistent knocking woke me up. An arm was lazily slung over me, its heat comforting, reminding me of the activities of last night—sex. Lots of sex. The Ruptor was insatiable, and despite Sivert’s best efforts he did little to placate my body’s needs to dominate. My cock hardened, ready for more.
“Get up! Thana has summoned us!” My sister burst into the room, not sparing the man in my bed even a glance.
I shrugged his arm off of me. The male’s response was a low groan as he slid the pillow over his head. Being awakened by my intruding sister wasn’t his preferred way to wake up. I had learned overtime that he liked being woken by my lips around his cock, followed by my cock buried in his ass. I couldn’t blame him. I shot a glare at Clotho.
“She’s expecting us for breakfast.” With that, she gave me a devious grin. She knew exactly what she was doing, the little demon. I groaned and threw my pillow at her, making her tilt her head back and laugh. Her long silver hair fell back to her waist as she chuckled and whipped the pillow back at me. I caught it and growled as she whirled out and was gone like the wind.
“Do you have to leave?” Sivert murmured, pulling me flush against his chest. His erection pressed hard against my back, revealing the direction of his thoughts. I sighed, leaning back into him for a moment. Sivert’s body rippled against mine in dips and curves that he liked when I drew my tongue over, but my duty lay in fulfilling my role to the clan first. Besides, he wasn’t my Entwined. He had a glorious body, one which was marvelous to fuck, but I had no interest in pursuing anything more between us. Still, as Sivert’s hands trailed down my chest to where I craved his touch, I leaned back into him a little harder, letting him suck on my neck. A moan escaped my lips. Sivert’s teeth grazed the crook of my neck as he smiled, thinking he’d gotten his way. As if sensing my hesitation, Clotho banged on the door again.
“Don’t think I won’t come back in there and haul your ass out! I’m not afraid to take either of you on!” she yelled through the door. I had no doubt that she could do as she threatened. My sister was a formidable warrior and would be a powerful Janardan. Ruthless, even. Grumbling unintelligibly, I forced myself out of the comfort of my bed and donned my leather armor, which fit like a second skin, perfectly molded to my muscles, leaving little to the imagination, truly just an extension of my body.
“Fuck, I wish you didn’t have to go,” Sivert groaned, and I smirked over my shoulder at him. He causally stroked himself, eyeing me like a fucking meal. The Ruptor keened at the sight, relishing the way my presence invoked lust into others. It thrived on the power of sex, wielding it like a weapon. A weapon which I unashamedly used frequently. The Ruptor always thirsted, and I nearly folded to Sivert’s proposal. The desire to overpower him was a need to be satiated.
“Later,” I promised, leaning down to kiss him lightly on the lips. My hand traveled down his chest to his wrist, and I coaxed him to continue pleasuring himself.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he murmured against my mouth. I smiled and turned toward the door just as Clotho threw it open again.
“Took you long enough,” she muttered as I slid past, ignoring her. It wasn’t as if she had never taken a lover. Males and females constantly sought her attention, even more than me. As the Janardan’s heir, Entwining with her would be the ultimate sign of strength—a fact that she often used to her advantage, inviting many to lie with her. Even Sivert she had taken to bed. But like me, none of her partners held her interest. They were all passing flings, much to our grandmother’s chagrin. Though we both knew she had taken many lovers in her younger years, she often inquired why we hadn’t chosen an Entwined yet. I refused to settle for just anyone.
It didn’t take us long to arrive at the Janardan’s rooms. Clotho knocked once, and the door burst open, a guard beckoning us in. “Your grandmother is in the dining chambers.” I nodded, and we made our way through the hallway which was lit with skylights on the roof to the dining room. Inside, the smell of roasted game and freshly baked bread assaulted my nose. A feast was spread out upon the table. Thana sat at the head, and Clotho positioned herself at the opposite end. I sat in the middle between the two powerful women, leaving three empty spots—all three of whom they belonged to were no longer with us. The sight used to fill me with anger and grief, but time dulled the emotions. One day, they would be filled with Clotho’s Entwined, perhaps even her children. I doubted either was in the cards for me.
When we all sat, Thana nodded and began serving herself from the feast before us. That was our cue, so Clotho dug in, filling her plate. I indulged in a buttery croissant and my favorite—a citrus fruit that was in season. As a last-minute thought, I added some boiled quail eggs to my plate. The comforting smell of strong tea with lavender wafted in the air, and I poured myself a cup as Clotho stabbed at a piece of juicy bacon. I preferred it burnt—that way it didn’t look like a fleshy wound, reminding me of the Ruptor’s mercy. I focused on my drink. The tea was piping hot, but I took a sip anyway. Circulus draconis didn’t burn. We were bred for resistance.
My stomach growled, eager for the feast before us. I obliged its demands, taking a bite of a scrumptious roll. It burst with delightful flavor on my tongue. The masters of the kitchen had really outdone themselves, despite the lack of need. A hardened biscuit would be enough to keep me strong. The food went down easily as I waited for Thana to reveal the intentions of this display. It wasn’t unlike her to offer a gift before making demands. The eggs popped in my mouth one by one, smothering me with their creamy flavor. I washed down the smooth yolks with another gulp of tea before Thana finally spoke.
“Ruptor, De Vita have been found hunting in the Neutral Strip. Evidence suggests some Circulus have been captured by Odon while patrolling there. I want to know why. I am assigning you the task of infiltrating their camp and acquiring this information for me,” she said. I raised an eyebrow at my grandmother over my cup. Clotho continued to inhale her meal as if this were the last time she would eat in days.
“Why me?” I balked at her.
“You are our greatest hunter, our Ruptor. If Odon intends to attack us, I expect you will be able to unearth his weaknesses so that we may come out victorious. And if he isn’t planning for war…” Her eyes grew distant, and a faint smile graced her lips. The Ruptor sensed a confusing mixture of hope and fear from my Janardan, but there was a more pressing matter than the fleeting emotions.
“And if I come across those who were captured?”
“Consider them Pruned. If they cannot free themselves, they are not Circulus,” Clotho remarked with a wave of her hand. I ground my teeth but didn’t say anything, waiting for Thana to confirm the order. The Janardan hesitated before nodding slowly. I couldn’t imagine a fate worse than to be captured by the De Vita. Leaving those captured wasn’t right, but that wasn’t my call. It was my duty to follow my Janardan’s orders. If this was what she desired, I would see it done.
“How would you like me to infiltrate the clan?” The question made Clotho pause, and the Ruptor caught a flicker of fear pulse through her before she squashed it. Interesting. Not much made my sister afraid, yet she hesitated.
“Your Circle shall be broken.”
I dropped the cutlery I had been holding, the metal clattering to the ground. Clotho spoke as if we discussed the weather.
“What?!” I gaped at my sister. Her face featured no worried creases as she chewed. “I’ve only ever served loyally and faithfully. I’ve done nothing wrong!” My voice rose as I spoke. She couldn’t be serious. I looked at Thana, who wouldn’t meet my eye.
“You’re right. You have been the perfect servant. And you will do this.” Thana’s speech was muffled by the napkin she lightly dabbed her mouth with.
“There has to be another way. They won’t accept the Ruptor among them.” I shook my head. Madness!
“I doubt Odon will discern your identity.” Clotho waved a hand, dismissing my concern.
Perhaps she was right: the leader of the De Vita, the opposing clan to ours, harbored weakness. The De Vita were everything the Circulus wasn’t. They worshiped life, stealing from death, while we maintained the balance as was right in the world. They were fools to allow those who burden them to weigh them down. It would be easy to take them down with their love for vulnerability. The imbalance would be simple to correct, but that wasn’t my order—not yet anyway, making the request all the more intriguing. “Even if he does, he will take anyone in if they are weak or have been Pruned. Why would I weaken my greatest weapon when a bit of deception would serve my purposes better? If he sees that your Circle has been broken, he will trust you. He will believe any lies you tell him.” Clotho folded her napkin and neatly laid it across her lap. Thana still hadn’t looked at me. At either of us. Clotho was the heir, her purpose was to serve the Janardan until she ascended, yet she seemed to be making the decisions.
“And afterward, what? The clan welcomes me back?”
“If you are successful, we shall inform the clan of your mission and celebrate its success.”
My eyes widened. “If?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but of course Clotho wouldn’t tell the clan her plans. Pride would keep her from acknowledging any failure as her idea. This felt like a punishment, but I had done nothing wrong. It wasn’t that I feared the task. I could find their weakness—that was my purpose—but instead of Pruning it I would use it to exploit them. They would break to keep the Circulus strong. De Vita didn’t scare me. The Circulus, though, had earned my fearful respect. If the Circles were reversed, I wouldn’t forgive a broken Circle regardless of the cause, but they expected the clan to do just that. Still, I wasn't in a position to refuse. To refuse would be an insult that the Janardan would not tolerate. She would break my Circle anyway for disobedience. I had no choice. I had to obey.
Clotho shrugged. “If you aren’t successful, you are weak.” What she left unsaid was clear enough: failure meant I had earned my broken Circle.
Thana blanched, her already pale color lightening. The Ruptor sensed a sliver of fear coming from her. I pursed my lips, waiting for my Janardan to contradict the instructions, but she just… didn’t. I dipped my head slowly, and Clotho grinned, pushing up to stand. “Great. Your Circle will be broken immediately.” Thana inhaled sharply. My heart thundered in my chest.
“Heir, he should be given time to get his affairs in order,” Thana suggested softly, but my sister’s eyes narrowed.
“And what affairs would that be? He has no Entwined, and his role can be my responsibility until his return,” Clotho snapped, making me draw back in surprise. The tension pulsed in the room, creating a potential divide—an opening for weakness to grow that made my hair stand on end. Clotho was right, of course. I had nobody who truly cared for me outside of this room. Sivert, maybe, but that was all. My insides shriveled. The power in me wasn’t enough. I sighed. Clotho could take my place, but it wouldn’t be the same. She may be ruthless, but she didn’t have the Ruptor breathing within her. It was my job to oversee the clan and pick out members who needed to have their Circles completed. I hunted the weak. Thana opened her mouth to protest further, but I held up a hand.
“It’s okay, Janardan.” I meant the words in more ways than one. I didn’t want her to think I held the order against her. It was a good one. De Vita was known to take in the Pruned members of the Circulus. As a Pruned draconis, they would believe I was an outcast and would have less reason to distrust me.
“Claeg…” Thana trailed off, and I glimpsed at the tears she blinked back. That was the closest she would get to showing emotion, showing weakness, for me. My heart jumped in surprise; my attention snapping toward Clotho to see if she caught the flicker of forbidden instability. Luckily, her back was turned as she beckoned me to walk with her. She hadn’t noticed the shortcoming. I stood and followed with my Janardan by my side. I glanced at my leader. The emotion that was there moments ago was wiped away, replaced with a mask. Good. My Circle wasn’t worth shedding tears over.