Chapter 3 A new ruler

He looks up as Serena opens the study door. She was still young for a Vampire, even for as rare of a subspecies as she was. Naturalborns were hard to come by and most didn't survive long in their world. Her long black hair reached down to her thighs and her honey brown eyes had flecks of crimson and obsidian mixed within their depths, something that had first pulled him toward her. She had skin as fair as the full moon and her beauty often distracted the others she worked with but the girl could be merciless, a trait he used greatly to his advantage.

He had a way of getting what she wanted most in the world and they both knew it.

When she doesn't meet his gaze he growls in annoyance and sets his tools aside.

"How did you fail this time?" He snaps.

"Stryder showed up and got in the way." He frowns. Stryder was supposed to be trapped in a cell until he ceased to be of any use to him. How could he have escaped? He shakes his head in annoyance and makes a mental note to check his surveillance later.

"What did he do?" he demands.

"He took out two of my teams while I was dealing with the black eyed companion of hers. And then he just..." she shrugs.

"Just...what?"

"I couldn't find any signs of a struggle," she sighs. "And Stryder wasn't one to be taken lightly, I don't even think I could have beaten him...but the hole in his chest..." She sighs again. "The only thing I can come up with is that he committed suicide."

"He what!?!" He roars and stands, flipping his chair back.

"That's the only solution I can find," she whimpers. He slams his fist into the wall beside him and the concrete cracks in a spider web pattern.

"You incompetent little waste of-"

"I did get this though," she interrupts hurriedly. He turns back to her wide eyes filled with a need to be of use to him and the hand she held out to him. Within her palm rested a small golden ring. He takes it with a frown and his mind is instantly bombarded with images and whispered words.

I need you...please, if anything is out there, please don't let it be true...why? Why him?...PRUDENCE!!!!....You don't understand anything!...I'll get him. He'll never escape, he'll pay for what he did...what do I do now?

He closes his eyes against the onslaught of her emotions and slowly shuts his mind off to them.

"Interesting," he muses aloud. This might be more useful than he'd originally thought.

"Have you...have you made any progress?" Serena asks softly. He opens his eyes to regard her coldly. "Any progress on who I was?"

Such an incompetent fool...Still she will become quite useful if the need ever arises.

"No, not yet. Whatever past you had has remained well hidden." Her face falls at his words.

"If you find something, anything...please, I need to know," she says softly. He places a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'll let you know the moment I do. We'll find something, I promise." She gives him a watery smile and he resists the cruel grin threatening to take over his lips. She was so easily manipulated. "Why don't you head down and get something to eat? I'll call for you when I need you again."