DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER XIII

– S C O R P I O N –

The glass shattered in my grasp as I watched her kiss that pompous politician/president/whatever the fuck he was's son.

I knew exactly what she was doing--playing the game. But I was still powerless to control my emotion. Pathetic really. So when her irritatingly stunning eyes found mine over his shoulder with a smirk on her face, I decided to take my leave.

I had more pressing things to be doing honestly...

I had completed what I came here to do after all. Set that idea running in her head and eventually she would wander back to the underworld hungry for more.

I made no effort to be polite as I stormed for the exit. People tutted and made a show of my disturbance when I knocked dancers and gossipers out of the way. But soon Proximo was at my side towering down upon the sheep and they soon got out of our way.

"Interesting party." He noted dryly.

"It was almost quite the show." I agreed.

"You got what you needed?"

"Without a doubt." I told him with a half grin.

I then heard faster footsteps pursuing behind us. So I simply dropped a nod to Proximo and he started murmuring orders into a comm to one of my many people in the ballroom tonight.

Coincidently a guard suddenly had to stop my pursuer and inform her that the emperor requested her presence. He would then insist that it was a matter of complete urgency and she would have to return to the dance floor to find him.

I felt her eyes boring into my back as I sauntered up the grand staircase to make my exit. But when I reached the top, I turned and looked down upon the sea of wealth and aristocracy.

My gaze only found her.

A sparkling night sky amongst the loud mess of colour surrounding her. She was still stood before my inside man who refused to let her pass. Her face gave nothing away as we stared each other down. But I still had the nerve to bob her a mocking bow before turning on my heel and leaving her behind.

Your move, Miss Xavier. I thought darkly.

* * * * *

"We have a change of operation!" I announced down the great hall of my home.

All eyes found me, turning away from computer scenes and holo-documents instantly.

"All surveillance assets in Sector 1 will turn attention to a high priority target." I tapped the holo-pad in my hand and the wall lit up with a picture of Makayla Xavier, the emperor's daughter.

Murmurs and whispers filled the air with confusion.

"Yes, that is correct. The emperor has a daughter. She is very much alive and living in Sector 1 behind the constant watch of the imperial Silver Sun guard. I want every inside man, woman and child we have gaining intel on her movements. I want to know where she resides, when she leaves the tower, hell--I want to know what her favourite restaurant is. Get me that information before anything else. Is that clear?" I demand across the room.

"Of course, commander."

"Scorpion!"

Various voices flew out in response. Satisfied, I turned and made my way out of the room. Once we had that knowledge, her locations and her movements I could make moves to conveniently lay reminders of our world. Small, subtle things to jog that adventurous mind of hers... And before too long, her imperial guards will conveniently be removed from the picture.

Then the emperor will have much more to worry about than missing soldiers... He would have a missing heir and a reason not to involve himself with us again.

Proximo was quiet at my side. His calculating thoughts were kept to himself as he considered my earlier words.

"Once she has exceeded her usefulness, what then?" He murmured.

A dangerous question. Laced with unsaid words and curiosity. I looked to him calmly and unflinchingly. My second in command never doubted me or my motives. Not once. He knew I executed plans and decisions with precision and pure efficiency but I saw a faint glimmer of doubt dancing in those storm cloud eyes.

So I stopped and levelled his gaze coldly.

He needed to know that all of those smiles, those flirtations, the false jealousy, they meant nothing compared to the revenge that I sought. She meant nothing. Just another distraction from my true desires.

"As soon as her purpose is served, she will be another unfortunate death statistic of the Underworld." I stated, pausing as I let darker thoughts consume me. "There is no room for a second queen in this world." I finished with lethal quiet

His answering dark smile told me that I had removed his doubt. So I smiled back, letting every other human part of me fall away once more.

– M A K A Y L A –

I watched her leave. I wasn't sure what it was I felt towards her anymore. There were too many games being played. In fact I was staring down one of her guards right now.

He wore a knowing smile on his face that told me that I wasn't getting near his precious criminal overlord anytime soon. So I turned away and strode back towards familiar faces and the crowd my father was in. Of course it was no surprise he hadn't urgently requested my presence. I'm not an idiot.

When I turned back to look for the insufferable guard, he was gone. In fact, there was noticeably less "waiters" in the ballroom now.

Just like that, I felt the hole of her absence in the room.

The evening dragged on for hours more and I danced with various family friends and courters half-heartedly for the rest of the evening. The only touch that had brought anything to life was gone and the burning eyes along with it.

Velron admirably tried to cheer me up. But I feigned tiredness and eventually asked to be excused for the night.

After all, I did smell like a bar after the amount of champagne that had dried onto my dress. So, with twenty other guards surrounding me, I left the grand sky tower of the ball. I did have to wonder, as I sat in the fusion craft, why the crime lord had sent that waiter into us before we danced. Because it can't of been jealousy raging in those eyes. Can't of been anger that had made her leave so abruptly when I kissed Velron...

But the most pressing thing that seemed to hit me was that I didn't even know her name.