This is an excerpt from the beginning of a book I plan to have published. It's called The Oculus Error.

Chapter One

Not for the first time, Darius was glad his black jacket was so thick. Pulling the collar up around his neck, he scanned the legendary City of Lights: Luminos, the Capital of Silvryn.

Darius watched as his breath billowed out before him. If the City of Lights had half as many heating machines as it did neon billboards, it would he absolute heaven, he thought. After a moment, he caught sight of his rendezvous location.

Double checking to make sure all his weapons were within easy reach, he pushed his way through the crowd. Soon, he was faced with a red painted door and clouded glass windows. Through the clouded glass, Darius could make out vague silhouettes.

He pushed the doors open, and the blast of noise hit him like a punch in the face. Laughter, yelling, the hired musicians that played a fast violin piece with an accompanying trumpet, all of it mixed together in a chaotic mess.

The walls were painted the same scarlet color as the doors, and silver designs ran along the domed ceiling. He noticed that there was no black decoration anywhere in the room. The Union Observatory, converted into a relaxation suite five years previous by the new owner.

Of course, this was the portion reserved for the wealthier citizens of the City of Lights. Down a hallway to the left was the section for those who weren't rich beyond belief.

Darius caught one of the guards watching him carefully, and he almost tripped. It was one of the city's elite law enforcement officers, not a hulking brute like the normal guard tended to be.

When the officer turned away, Darius let out a relieved breath and swiftly made his way through the crowd and slipped into the left hall unseen. There were a few lower-class people wandering aimlessly, but Darius ignored them; his only focus was to find his contact.

His head whipped around as a low whistle permeated the crowd. Darius noticed a girl watching him. She raised a hand and pressed two fingers to her brow. The signal he had agreed on with his contact.

He gave the girl an almost imperceptible nod, and she moved toward a corner of the room with little light. Understanding, he followed, but took a route that brought him across the room. Any number of spies could have seen their greeting.

Then again, most people don't usually expect you to be a fugitive from justice who's plotting a rather dramatic return when you're waltzing around the very place that could get you killed.

Making sure all his knives were still in place, Darius said to the girl as he neared "I thought Galan said he was going to send a spy. At the moment, all I see is a ten year old with a rebellious streak."

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. "For your information, Frasier, I'm fourteen." She said. Darius took a moment to study her. Her brown hair was tied back in a hurried braid, and her blue eyes bordered on teal. In his defense, she really did look like she was ten.

He shrugged. "My mistake." Was all the apology he offered.

As if realizing the time for greetings and thinly veiled insults was over, the girl pulled a drawstring bag from her shoulder and opened the top. Darius felt his heartbeat speed up, and he leaned forward to look inside.

Nestled into the very bottom of the bag was a gun. A glock .40, to be specific. The girl closed the bag and held it out to him. "You have no idea how hard it was to get this thing," she said, and he took the bag and slung it over his own shoulder.

Guns - handguns especially - were extremely rare in Silvryn, and were normally only used by government officials or higher ranking law enforcement officers. It was a miracle the guards hadn't searched the bag and arrested her.

Darius nodded to her, then said "I find it odd that you know my name, and yet I don't know yours."

The girl replied after a moment "When every law enforcement officer in the City is looking for you, your name tends to get around." Darius had to admit that she did have a point.

"On the other hand, when you're a spy who never lets herself be seen, nobody even knows you exist. And it's better off that way." She continued, and Darius raised an eyebrow.

"I know you exist. So what's the point in hiding your name?" He said.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." She replied with a completely straight face, and Darius found himself wondering if she was serious. Upon seeing the twinkle of dark amusement in her eyes, he decided it would be best for his health if he let the matter drop.

She grinned and said "Joking. My name's Amber. Amber Henrik."

Darius paused for a moment as he caught sight of Amber's hand. Something black trickled from a cut on her wrist and down her knuckles. For a second, he didn't make the connection - then he realized.

"You're a Blackblood." He breathed, and Amber's eyes widened as she noticed the cut and the black blood dripping from it. She stuffed her injured hand in her pocket, but the revelation had been made.

"That's why you don't want anybody to know you exist." Darius said, and Amber glared at him. He saw her hand shift in her pocket, and knew immediately that she had grabbed hold of a hidden knife. He quickly stepped back before he had his head taken off his shoulders.

"Hold on, I'm not going to reveal you to them," he said. He mentally winced as he said it. "I'm a Blackblood too." He said, and Amber visibly relaxed. "A person I once knew betrayed me and my family to the Crimson Legion." He added, but wasn't sure why he did so.

"Did you find him?" Amber asked quietly, but not sympathetically.

"No. That's why I'm not hiding like the rest of you. I want to find whoever it was and repay the favor." He said, and though he didn't realize it, his face had darkened.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I brought you that gun." Amber replied with a crooked grin.

Darius nodded and, after a moment, made his way back through the crowd until he was back in the wealthier section. He joined the line of people at the exit. Watching as the line grew smaller and smaller, Darius didn't dare to relax, just in case one of the guards decided it would be a good idea to stop him.

Just as he stepped into the doorway, a hand grabbed his shoulder and dragged him back into the room. Instinctively, he reached for his knives, but realized it would only condemn him further.When he had regained his balance, he was startled to find the face of the law enforcement officer from earlier staring down at him.