Yesterday…
Deianira could practically feel her blood boiling as she watched the bright bursts of light and listened to the spray of bullets.
“Stop,” Deianira commanded.
Officer Hewn obeyed, stopping the video that was projected all around the room.
“How many officials were killed?” she asked evenly. Now was not the time to lose her cool. The time would come.
“Four, your Majesty.”
She considered it for a moment. “Hewn, take your unit out tonight. I want them here by morning. Alive.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
And with that, Hewn and his two enforcers vacated the room. After some time, Deianira fixed her gaze on the last person in the room, her sentinel, with an ‘I told you so’ on the tip of the tongue. Salem spoke before she had the chance.
“I know.”
“I told you that this would escalate,” Deianira gritted out, her knee bouncing.
“You were correct,” Salem said plainly. “But I still stand by my actions because it was highly improbable that the incidents were connected. I couldn’t let you act based on a feeling when your reputation is at stake as it is. The trust of your people too.”
Deianira stood slowly, her voice ice cold. “Let me?” she questioned, head tilting. “Let me?! I am your Queen!” she spat.
Salem stood too, but more gracefully. “And I am your second. That means I tell you when you’re not acting in the best interest of the Dome. And you weren’t. The incidents were spread across all four sectors and you were out for blood. These were a few children stealing off the back of trucks. Despite what the people might think, you are a leader, not a dictator and if I have to remind you of that every day, I will. It is my duty to do so,” she said with no inflection of tone.
Salem was right and Deianira knew it. The robberies were random and arresting every poor soul that stole because they were cold or hungry would only be to make an example of them. Murder, however, was different.
It had been a while since there were any executions and though Deianira knew it was twisted, she silently relished the thought of ending these men who tested the extent of her mercy. She swept her hair over her shoulder, toying with the ends.
“They stopped being children when they killed four of my men.”
“And they will be punished well for it, but as I said, I do not regret asking you to withhold your hand,” her sentinel said, face straight.
Deianira stared into her fierce eyes for a second. She’d always been the most pragmatic of the two of them. Even when they were kids, Salem was all logic and little emotion. It was one of the reasons she’d chosen her as her highest member of council and protector. Salem was the closest thing she had to a friend but sometimes, her intelligence and approach aggravated Deianira. She didn’t like being wrong. It wasn’t all bad though. Salem’s orderly nature had its advantages. She was the first person Deianira would go to when handling an uncomfortable matter. Her sentinel always tackled the issue head-on, unburdened by emotion or the need to appease others. Deianira wished she could be more like her sometimes. Blunt and unfeeling. But she wasn’t. In fact, she felt too much and often needed an outlet for the excess.
Deianira flicked her hand in the direction of the door, opening it as she walked through, not bothering to look back.
“Notify me when they arrive. Not a moment sooner. I wish to be left alone.”
On her way to her training room, Deianira allowed all of her emotions to come back up and consume her. The missing cargo, the random robberies, and now, an ambush. Four trading officials.
She was furious. This was not a coincidence. Only a hundred years into her reign and she could already smell mutiny. Well, they would learn, and those who did not learn would pay for it.
Turning left into the training room, she spotted Jude straight away and felt instant relief. No matter what the day was, no matter what had occurred, she always had Jude.
Being her mother’s twin brother, ‘uncle’ would’ve been the more appropriate term, but it didn’t feel like them. As a very powerful psionic and her only living relative, he had counseled her throughout her reign from the age of thirteen. They were so in tune that she didn’t even need to talk for him to know what was on her mind, and by the way he looked up and met her eyes, she could tell that he already knew what she needed as she marched through the doorway.
Ever alert, Jude quickly stood and sidestepped as Deianira’s fist just missed his jaw. He grabbed her offending arm and twisted it behind her back, attempting to get her into a hold. He was too slow though. She brought her knee high up and swung her foot back into his shin causing him to lean forward giving her just the right position to pull him over her back. As she brought her arm down again, ready to deliver a right hook, Jude rolled from beneath her at the last second and hopped back up to his feet.
“I’m assuming you heard?” Deianira said, righting her stance.
Jude tried to catch her off guard with a jab, which she swiftly ducked.
“I did. So, what are you going to do about it?”
“I’ve already sent Hewn’s unit. They’ll be here by morning,” she replied absently, as she deflected a blow sent to her side.
Something she couldn’t recognize passed across Jude’s features at her words before he sobered his expression. She used the opportunity to throw a flat palm at his chest, winding him while simultaneously swiping his right leg from beneath, sending him falling to the ground.
Before he had the chance to get up, she dropped down, pressing a knee into his chest with a satisfied smile on her face.
“And even without shadows this time,” she said, feeling proud of herself.
Jude let out a breathy laugh. “Whatever.” His humor faltered momentarily. “But you didn’t answer my question. What are you going to do with them?”
Rolling her eyes she got up off of him and walked to the other side of the room, re-tying her long black hair in its ponytail. “I said I’m bringing them here.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
She turned to face him. “What the law states. I’ll kill them,” she said, her face devoid of emotion.
“Good girl.”
While Salem always tried to keep her above ground, to keep her from falling too far, Jude was the only person that encouraged her to embrace the darkness inside of her. He taught her that it was nothing to be ashamed of and that being ruthless only made her a better leader. It was the balance she needed.
