Serpent Kings Headquarters Pt. 2

"Evanora?"

"She?"

Kieren stared blankly at Zet. Violet could almost see the cogs spinning, ideas forming and dissipating almost as quickly as they were created.

His perplexed stare was matched by the majority of the room, Violet, finally overloaded relaxed in her chair, it would appear today was the day. A feeling of calm came over her, not much left to hide.

All too aware of the fleeting, but telling glances, that were shot in her direction by Kuznet and Jace, Violet smiled slowly. She required that they reminded relaxed, she always had a contingency plan.

Zet returned the look wearily, " To be quite frank, I too am struggling with this information, not the fact that it's a woman, although that is shocking, no, it's the fact that she's not slipped up once and yet they knew? So they've been allowing it? Or she's that good at evading, whose that good? How powerful is this woman to murder all of these people and not have a single witness?"

Kieren sat back down, only to look up with a hopeful expression when Violet rose to her feet.

"Do you have something to share?" Someone called out sardonically.

Violet shook her head lightly, almost jovially, "Nope, just have to pee." She ignored Kieren's probing stare, it was almost painfully clear that he was trying to catch her attention.

She stepped out into the hallway, made a left and stepped about fifteen feet when the sounds of Jace's panicked footsteps reached her ears. She turned with a small laugh, "Jace, it's fine."

Both hands gripped her shoulders, "you have to get out of here! What if the person they sent recognizes you? There is too many of them Violet.. you have-"

Violet shushed him with a small tap, "No Jace." I'm not leaving, not yet. There lies a mountain of opportunities in that statement, and I am not prepared to throw it away."

Jace pulled her into a hug, then pulled away, he let out a sad sigh and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Violet, you cannot be thinking of seriously committing a murder in their own 'house'?"

She shrugged.

In all honesty Jace knew better, the moment they had announced her true last name, not her adopted one, but her birth one, he had seen her semblance change.

Resignation, liberation, unflinching resolve.

She was going to give them hell.

"Jace, there is three of them left, three, and they're hiding, a better opportunity than this will not present itself! Anyway, listen, I need you to stay."

He gasped angrily! "I will not! How can you ask me to stay?"

"I will need you here! I can get out of this easily, they will not kill me-"

"Really?"

Another laugh, "Jace, I am their best 'built' weapon, they took me to create an omnipotent healer. They will not kill me, not yet, they need me alive, how else are they to replicate?"

A low growl, Violet rolled her eyes, "they don't know Jace, not who I really am, not what I really am. If you step forward and defend me, it's over Jace. You are almost brutally faithful to Kieren! Who would you betray him for? Think about it!"

Jace frowned, "You sound as if you're not disclosing who you are, which means, you'll end up hurt and i cannot-"

"You will Jace! In all honesty, the only person capable of doing enough damage is Kieren..."

Violet hummed, "but you know, I think I can take him, here at least."

Jace gasped, which Violet ignored and continued, "there are too many people here, unleashing his true power would hurt them more than me, so he will have no choice but to reign in his anger at my betrayal, it'll work out in my favor."

Violet put her hand up, as Jace showcased every sign that he was going to interrupt in a furious speech. "Save it, I'll come see you soon. You're staying, I'll need eyes on the inside, and I've been out here too long. Jace! Whatever happens, do NOT intervine."

Violet walked back toward the meeting room leaving a flabbergasted Jace, who for the second time in his life, did not know what to do. Should he have disclosed Kieren's secret? Would it come out tonight anyway?

Violet stopped at about an arms length from the door and closed her eyes. She ignored the prickle in her chest, fight Kieren? She must be insane. She shook her head slowly, clenching and unclenching her fists.

No, this would be a clean break, as the next King he would have step up to bat, and she, well, it was time to move forward.

She gritted her teeth, he would have Julie as his consolation prize. She felt a spasm of rage and sadness. "Had I known, I would have fucked you a little harder."

Violet entered the room calmly, several small discussions, almost arguments reached her ears. As they waited for the messenger they had broken into groups. Each giving out opinions no one asked for, each certain that they would be the one to capture Evanora.

"She doesn't seem insane, she's carried this out meticulously and you want me to believe she belongs in a hospital ward? You're an idiot Tommy, and you're going to get us killed." The girl, a dirty blonde with a thick Russian accent continued while giving Kieren an admiring glance, "I'm sure it'll be Lord Kieren who will capture her."

Violet tuned them out, she sent a small reassuring nod in Ken's direction before taking a seat next to Shou. She deliberately ignored the glanced and beckoning gestures from Kieren and his team. She closed her eyes and rubbed her head.

"Violet, you're hungover aren't you?"

Violet smirked at Shou, "yeah, brain's fried."

"Hey, he doesn't deserve you anyway."

Violet shot him a coy smirk, watching out of the corner of her eye, the way Kieren tensed at her actions. "I do wonder…"

Shou looked confused, but continued nonetheless, "listen Violet, I.. I may be no prince, but I…"

Violet touched his elbow gently, "mmh… maybe tomorrow… today, listen, I gather that we have much to learn." She closer her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

— — —

It had been forty minutes since the announcement and the room was growing louder as the clock ticked forward without sign of the messenger. The news of the bounty reaching twelve billion dollars was an inspiration to no end. Groups were up and roaming, chairs had been moved, discussions were reaching a level of no return "She probably killed him too!"

Violet smiled to herself, an unmistakable aura from the courtyard, so he had come.

She rose from her seat, nodded at Ken, and walked to face one of the windows.

Suddenly there was a commotion behind one of the closed doors, raised voices, commander Zet, undoubtedly yelling at someone for their blatant stupidity. "You've had them waiting outside because you couldn't verify their identity! Bring them in NOW!"

All of the groups, but Kieren's and Shou's raced to crown around the door. Violet partially hidden by the shadow cast by the window watched in terse silence.

In came Zet, apologizing profusely, and a group of four men and one woman.

From other doors came the remaining members of the available Serpent Kings, who had decided not to wait with the newbies.

The room was suddenly very full and quiet as Andrew Gorev, third in the Ruenen, called for silence. He turned to Kieren with a slight bow, "We thank you for your patience your majesty and hope that today may provide some of the answers you have been seeking for."

Kieren, who looked preoccupied with a different matter, Violet's frosty treatment, only nodded in response.

Gorev continued with a greasy smile, "She's known only as Evanora, and upon our first meeting the Ruenen was aware that she was a troubled individual. We, however, also saw unbridled potential within her, so we decided to give her an opportunity. She wasn't particularly skilled, even at fighting, but we taught her, devoted time and resources to her education, so that with time she could return the fruits of our labor for the good of our community. In the end, she was too greedy, and pardon me for using such a played out word, simply evil."

"We were not allowing her to kill enough, and the idea grew in her head that we were making others to replace her." Gorev, a true politician turned up the charm, "she felt betrayed, and thus commenced her vendetta."

He paused for a raised hand, "yes?"

"How could you only know her last name if you basically trained her? Do you have a picture? A description?" The questioner frowned, "it's just bizarre, why stay silent until now? She killed an entire congregation of scientists who were revered by the world! I lost a cousin that night and not one person has even sighted this crazy woman."

Gorev let out a dramatic sigh, "at first we were uncertain that it was her. When we last saw her, she had a death crew on her tail and when they returned to base, we were told she had been killed. It was only after the fourth connected murder, of people who basically turned her into the woman she is, that we realized she has escaped the death crew."

"As you can imagine, the death crew was immediately disbanded and incarcerated, and we devoted every available resource to locate her"

Kieren spoke out coldly, "Murderer or not, she's killed several people who were nothing more than scum, hiding within the Ruenen, all while exposing them as traitors. To which, if I may be clear, the Ruenen has done nothing about. Does that not raise your level of alarm? What facility was she trained at? Why not a school? What is her ability, and why would she feel betrayed?"

Violet's heart was pounding in her chest, leave it to Kieren to ask all the right questions, and leave it to Gorev, the bastard who has tried to force himself on her serval times, who had watched the injections being forced into her body and still tried to kiss her all the same, to weasel out of every one.

"It was our fault your highness, while it is true that some had a dark hidden side, most of those killed have been innocent! She was trash, found in the streets, an extreme egoist whom we feared would not adapt well to a school, so we cleaned her up elsewhere. She felt betrayed at seeing comrades for the first time, as it meant she wasn't special. We do not have a sketch because it would be useless, she will have changed from the way she looked, but I can guarantee that standing in the same room as her, I would recognize her. You cannot forget those eyes."

He raised his hands in defeat, " it saddens us that it has come to this, but we need your help, she could be responsible for the attack at the school in California, and as it that was not enough, after her escape she took on a different nickname, a number, after all the innocent people she killed in her rage. At times, she goes by the number one hundred and sixty two."

Pin drop silence, whispers, and Violet had simply had enough. She spoke up vehemently, "when you say you have no pictures, is that because of the four you took, she was covered in her blood, severely emaciated, others blood, wounds, and in your bodily fluid as your jacked off to her writhing in pain?"

Everyone's eyes were suddenly on her, but two pairs, hers and Gorev's were latched onto one another. He took a stumbling step back, "you'll never forget my eyes because I vowed to kill you, and you know I keep my promises."

It was over in a flash, they probably, out of shock and surprise did not have a moment to react. Violet had dashed forward, her knife in hand and slammed it straight into his heart. She had take it out only to re insert it over and over again. Warm liquid trickling down her hands, she stood behind him only to whisper as she slit his throat, "you were the one I was hoping would show. You've been in hiding so long, but I knew you'd never pass up the opportunity to tell a good lie."

He fell to the floor in front of her and Violet raised a foot onto his corpse. She looked out into the crowd and met Kieren's gaze head on.

"There is more pertinent information you should know, her first name is Violet, she's even more deranged than you could possibly imagine, and if you get in my way I'll kill you too."