– S C O R P I O N –

I watched a droplet of sweat travel all the way down his temple to his collarbone. The barkeeps' eyes were half open now and two trails of blood flowed freely out of his nose.

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to repeat that for me, I didn't finish cleaning the rest of your bullshit out my ears." I said calmly as I bent down to his level.

His arms were tied securely to the chair he was on and his bare chest shone with sweat. His muscular body was quite nice... if you were into that sort of thing.

"No comment—" he began, but Proximo snapped a fist into his lungs. He choked on the sentence with blood this time.

"Let's make life very simple for each other, Kaius." I said, trying to hold onto my temper. "This is not just any girl. She is extremely..." I was lost for a moment, her beautiful face flashed into my mind and how those ice blue eyes melted when she looked at me that way... "—profitable for our people." I forced myself to say, "—and standing in the way of my business is not in your best interest." I said in a low voice.

My patience was wearing oh so thin tonight and he had seconds to deliver before I ended him and wasted time on someone more useful.

He dragged his eyes up to my hooded head lazily. Then he spat right in my face.

What.

I didn't even blink. Not even Proximo breathed. Slowly I rose to my feet. Wordlessly one of my guards handed me a cloth. I took it carefully and removed the blood and salvia from my face. I dropped it to the floor.

Then, with a lover's slowness I reached out to caress the side of his face.

The man snarled and writhed under my touch but my guards restrained him. I tutted down to him.

"It's okay, Kaius. I understand that your loyalties lay else where." I said softly. His eyes darted between mine and I knew he now felt uneasy at my sudden change in demeanour. "But I'm afraid you will tell me who has her whether you want to or not." I said with a smile.

I reached inside my cloak and retrieved a small holo-screen. I flicked it on and let him see the image.

His silence told me everything. His sudden stillness laid his cards flat on the table.

"She's still alive. In fact, I still think she can go to school tomorrow depending on your next answer." I told him calmly.

He looked into my eyes with such a hate that I knew I had struck the right chord. Such a hate that loyalty was no longer a concept in his mind. Little did he know that his daughter was safe and sound and happily at home... but let's play the game.

"Hades." His voice barely gritted out.

"Interesting name." I noted curtly. "Does this Hades not know the Underworld's true leader?"

Kaius let out a bitter and broken laugh. His bloody teeth curled viciously.

"He doesn't care for the Underworld. He doesn't care for any of it!" He shouted passionately. "But he will change the course of this city more than you ever will, Scorpion." He snarled my name like a curse.

"And where would I find such a revolutionary?" I asked in a whisper of barely concealed rage.

He smiled once more. A sort of smile that showed he knew his life was at an end but that he could still protect the one he loved.

"On your honour..." He said. "I tell you and you leave my daughter to live a life away from all of this." He demanded as he watched me with a dark pair of eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders and decided to be frank with him.

"She is still at home, Kaius. I have no interest in her. My only concern tonight is getting back something important." I stressed beneath my hood. Someone. I didn't say aloud.

* * * * *

"Why did you let him live?"

I stare out the window. Somewhere out there, she was with Hades... another fucking wannabe. These people never learn that their definition of change just ends with the very deaths they're looking to prevent.

I shake my head as I answer my right hand. "Because that's exactly what this amateur will want me to do." I slammed my fist against the door. "What other bullshit do you think he's told her? That I drink the blood of new borns? That he's going to end all conflict with a bouquet of fucking flowers!" I shouted in the fusion craft.

"You mean you don't drink infant's blood?" He said with faux shock. "It's where you draw power from?"

"I'm surrounded by morons..." I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. I let out a deep breath so that I wouldn't put a knife in Proximo's chest.

He grinned in the darkness. "Amateur or not, this man is dangerous. Especially if we underestimate him." I glared at him because he was starting to make sense. "Let us not give him any advantage he can use. He holds the right chess piece... therefore I'm afraid he does hold power for now."

I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I also wanted to slap Proximo for referring to Makayla as a chess piece. But more than any of that, I had wanted to blow so many holes into that barkeep until he looked like a wedge Swiss cheese. But damn it... they had her.

Hades had her. Therefore he had me. The last thing to do would be what he expects. I needed to know this enemy before I ran head first into a fight.

"We find out about him, then we find him." I growled.

"By the looks of things, you'll do more than that." He said carefully.

I gave him a dangerous smile. It was almost trademark. "It's the emperor's daughter that needs to watch her back."

He snorted. "Of all the mindless things... this has got to be among her top."

It's true that this was the most careless and reckless thing she could of done tonight. It was so Makayla of her... It was one reason I knew the barkeep had spoken true. But still I had my doubts.

"We don't know what happened yet. The son of a bitch could of—", I swallowed and didn't bother to finish. If I finished that sentence I would probably end up turning around and hunting down Kauis.

"She's too valuable." He dismissed the notion. "I'm afraid to say that under these circumstances... she went of her own free will." He stated quietly.

The realisation of his words hit me.

It wasn't anger I felt then. But true, cold sadness... It was such a void of an emotion--so draining. Because tonight she picked someone over me and it wasn't family. It stung badly.

How the hell did I get in so deep with this woman? She was only meant to be used as a tool, as leverage on the emperor. But now... now she dictated my actions, emotions, hell I even let someone live because of her. That was a miracle in itself.

I didn't bother to stop it from happening. Us getting closer. Or maybe it was just me... I had zero control over any of it anymore. The most disturbing part was that I didn't want to.

Why?

Because I am completely and unchangeably in love with her.