Trouble

Daron arranged the papers as he stamped the documents, pushing it into a file, "now all I need is the girl's fingerprint….. In blood", "GAURDS!!!" as Daron shouted, two guards came rushing in bowing their heads "yes sir", Daron raised his head with his eyes turned facing the guards, "there was a girl that I had asked to be thrown into the cell three days ago, bring her here, I'll need her to complete a file", the two guards looked at themselves doubtfully before looking back at their superior, "what is it!.... why are you looking at each other like that", "Ss- Sir", "I asked you a question, SPEAK…"

The guardsman hesitantly spoke in fear "She was umm.., Pp- part of the fifteen girls that was ordered to be sold sir", "wait... What did you say?" Daron stared at them wide eyed finally realizing what they had done.

"Ww-we thought she was supposed to be sold", "WHAT!!!", Daron shouted at the top of his voice while pacing back and forth around the room knowing that the guards in front of him had taken away all his chances of begin promoted, the guard continued to speak, "madam Elisabeta ask-", Daron shouted resisting the guard from speaking again, and this time anger could be heard in his voice, "WAIT!!… You sold her to madam Elisabeta?", "...y- Yes"

*GULP*

The guards swallowed hard, realizing the wrong they had done, "IDIOTS!!! I gave you an order, just one but you couldn't follow it!!!!!!?", "fools! Why do I have such morons as guards", Daron still paced around the room, unable to control the anger that grew within him, he immediately grabbed hold of the guards throat clutching it tighter and tighter in his hands as he slowly suffocated him attempting to kill him, leaving the other guard to scurry away in fear, the guardsman struggled to move his head shaking it side to side but to only have his neck squeezed even tighter, "ha-have mercy on me sir D-daron".

"And why should I do that? I want to kill someone and do you know who that is?" his eyes gradually turned red as an evil smile curled up on his lips, "p-Please don't sir, I was wrong, I am responsible for it but please don't kill me", Daron slowly allowed his fingers to grow deeper and deeper into the guards neck, causing blood to flow and gush from the sides which he had pierced, "P-please forgive me", "SHUT UP!!! Do you know what this has cost me, it has cost me my fame, my promotion and my wealth", Daron pulled his head with even much greater force allowing his head to bend slowly, creating a crack sound, "Aghhhhhh!!!!", finally ripping his head apart from his body, he let the blood slowly drip from the head as it fell to the floor, "you are of no use to me anymore (sigh)".

Daron knew that it wouldn't be easy to get Zoe back from Madam Elisabeta, because he knew madam Elisabeta well she would never agree to willingly give him back the slave without a fight and if it were to happen it would get to the board.

madam Elisabeta was a woman connected with many important people in their board including his boss, he would lose his job if he ever tried to annoy madam Elisabeta and then he would have to forget the need of even getting promoted and Daron didn't want that neither did he want to get on madam Elisabeta bad side, the only option for him now was to steal the slave back, but there was no chance of doing that.

The woman had an intense vampire skill, she could detect a person approaching from a fifteen meter distance, she didn't have to run to get to where she wanted to, all she had to do was walk and she would be there in the blink of an eye, her senses made it easier for her to detect when a person was lying, she was powerful, much more powerful than he was because her blood flows within the third generation bloodline of vampires. "How do I tell lord Kieran about all this?", Daron rubbed his brows, walking back and forth in frustration as he thought on it, all he was capable of doing now, was to Request for the slave back.

Daron quickly walked out of his office as he entered the conveyance that was parked right outside awaiting his arrival, "take me to madam Elisabeta's store", "yes master Daron" in saying those words the butler turned around and started the vehicle.

When Daron reached madam Elisabeta's store he walked down hastily, barging in as he shouted her name, he shouted it loud enough so that no matter where she was she would hear her name being shouted.

Amber spotted Daron from the receptionist table where she sat and stood up to greet him, but in seeing Daron pass by her she bowed her head in respect but he ignored her, Amber didn't understand why he was running so fast to get to madam Elisabeta, ' had something happened?' [Amber thought to herself]

"I want to see madam Elisabeta!", Daron walked hurriedly towards a door that led to madam Elisabeta's office, but was immediately stopped when Amber came in front of him to block his path, "sir I'm sorry but madam Elisabeta has an important visitor and you can't g-", Daron didn't let her complete her sentence before pushing her to the floor, "WHERE IS MADAM ELISABETA!".

~ ~ ~

"What idiot customer would be shouting my name by this time of the day, please excuse me sir, but it seems that I have to attend to some urgent matters outside", "you are quite excused", hearing the polite words of her visitor she stood up from where she sat and exited the room.

Madam Elisabeta had heard the shout and had excused herself leaving her visitor all alone just to see who it was, on getting there she paused when she picked up Daron's scent, but she doubted that it could have been Daron, but her senses where never wrong, walking further she caught sight of Daron in the middle of her store where she glared at him in anger, she was disappointed because she trusted that Daron would not do such a thing but she was wrong, finally getting her composure she walked towards Daron as her steps got more harder by the minute, reaching where he stood Madam Elisabeta threw a hard slap across his face.

"How dare you come into my store to shout and disturb my honored visitor like a lunatic", interrupting her when she was talking to an important guest wasn't a small issue because madam Elisabeta was a hot tempered woman who didn't accept any sort of mistakes. Daron breathed in and out trying to maintain his calmness he spoke, "I'm sorry for the interruption but a slave was brought to you by mistake and I need to take the slave back so-", "and how does that have anything to do with me?, all the slaves in this store are owned and bought by me, your runaway slave isn't here and if your slave was here under violation of the vampires law, the slave would have already been dead", "but…try to understand madam Elisabeta, the board has demanded that the girl is to be sent" Daron tried to explain the matter to madam Elisabeta but her pried was too much, "and since when did you care about the board needing a slave?", Daron deviously looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation as he leaned over, before going back to whisper in a calm tone "that girl… was a successful experiment done by the board, and they have asked that she is to be brought for further research"

*tch*

Madam Elisabeta was skeptical at the response she had been given, "are you sure your foolishness haven't being turned into madness, because the way I see it you're crazy.., get your filthy legs out of my store before I make you regret coming here", 'this witch isn't budging at all, so full of herself, How do I get this bitch to understand', Daron thought to himself trying to find a solution to the mishap, "ugh so frustrating" he frowned as he murmured things beneath his breath in anger, "Huh?!!! did you say something [imbecilic moron keep me waiting when I have a visitor, so irritating]" Madam Elisabeta watched him closely as she observed his threats , "no… no I was just admiring the flowers"

"then what are you still waiting for, I said leave my store", "(Sigh) of course Madam Elisabeta", 'you have left me no choice you old hag, I will steal that slave back', he thought while clenching his fist.

Daron turned around as he walked out of madam Elisabeta's store but half way out he turned back to see madam Elisabeta's glare then he turned his head back to avoid her glare's, he didn't want to let go of his chances of becoming wealthy and famous but for now he needed to devise a plan to get the slave back.

Madam Elisabeta immediately shouted impatiently in a rude manner making Amber flinch from where she stood "If you are poor you should go beg for money rather than making up things and asking for compensation for this so called slave you ask of, if you really think I would even try to bring out a single slave from my store for free you are dreaming now kindly walk your filthy legs out of my store and fast!!!", Daron furrowed his eye brows at her sudden reaction with him, "what!", "you heard me, get OUT!!! Or else you want to get in trouble with the board"

"I'm surely going to get you back for this". Daron knew he had lost all his chances of getting promoted, everything he worked for had slipped away from his grasps, but what could he do madam Elisabeta had more power, strength, and wealth than he had ever imagined of, the shame he felt left him and it got exchanged with anger as he walked out of the store miserably.

He had spent so much time in madam Elisabeta's store that he didn't notice that the day had gone dark, Entering the vehicle that awaited his return he turned around., still glaring at madam Elisabeta angrily before turning back to think in anger.

Seeing Daron exit her store a smirk quickly made its way on madam Elisabeta's face as she thought of a mischievous plan to get Daron off her trail so that she could gain all the power and wealth that would be awarded to her for finding the vessel.

Immediately the vehicle was out of sight, madam Elisabeta turned around hitting Amber hard on the face making her fall straight back on the ground, "you fool I thought I told you that no one is to disturbed our conversation, why do I even border trying to explain things to a slave, my visitor still awaits my return I should not keep him waiting", turning around she dressed her hair back properly and pretended like nothing had ever happened, walking towards another door where she had left her visitor, she halted when her eyes caught sight of her important guest which she had left earlier, lord Ethan now stood at the door with a neutral face.

Madam Elisabeta knowing fully well that he must have over heard their conversation immediately forged a fake smile in seeing him, trying to act like everything was ok, "lord Ethan take your seat please I was just heading back", lord Ethan looked even more displeased as he traced the forged reactions of lady Elisabeta "no need I was just on my way back to my mansion, I don't think I would like to do business with a kind of person like you, I'm disgusted by your actions and right now I am not in the mood for any transactions", madam Elisabeta felt like she had lost everything in just a few seconds , "no don't go my lord we haven't finished the deal yet", before she could speak further the man was already gone and nowhere to be seen in the store.

Madam Elisabeta now felt completely humiliated by the insult she gotten from her guest, for others it might not mean anything but for her it meant everything, she had a very high reputation that she needed to keep and just in minuets it had been shattered and it all happened in front of lord Ethan, the lord which she had always tried to impress every single time she came across him, "just because of that lunatic called Daron I've lost my deal, I will never hear the end of this from the elites, they will mock me for losing a deal with a higher up", in the board, news like this spreads like wild fire and lord Ethan was not the kind of man that kept quiet about his dislikes, it is not taken lightly when you lose a deal with a higher up, others will assume that you treated your guests with no respect, while some will spread awful rumors about you.

Madam Elisabeta started conjuring the cause of everything that happened, "it's all because of that slave girl, she's the reason that all this happened, if Daron never came looking for her I would have never lost my guest, she is the cause and I will teach her a lesson"

Standing up Madam Elisabeta walked hastily towards the door to find it locked, "Amber!!!" Amber came running as she bowed her head, "where is the key", "what key milady?"

"Fool get me the keys to the slave room!!!", "yes milady", amber immediately left running on her heels.

Some minutes passed before she finally returned with some keys clutched in her hands as she opened the door only for madam Elisabeta to grab the keys from her, stepping inside she scrolled her eyes around the room trying to find the cage which the girl had been kept in, finally stopping, her eye's fell on the girl who stared at her, looking terrified.

Zoe watched as madam Elisabeta approached her cage, she wondering what she had done wrong to annoy the woman who was walking towards her like a murderer, 'did I say something before…., why am I always a magnet for pain? Why!!! Just look at her she's going to kill me for sure', only her foot steps were enough to tell a person that she was angry… really angry, Zoe kept shifting back with every movement madam Elisabeta made.

Madam Elisabeta stood close to her cage as she started to unlock her cage.

Finally unlocking her cage Madam Elisabeta pulled Zoe by the hair, as she dragged her out of the cage, she slapped her with enough force to push her onto the ground, Zoe was slapped a few more times before getting smacked again.

it wasn't enough to satisfy the anger boiling within madam Elisabeta, her eye's searched round for a torture tool that would enable her beat the girl with ease, finally spotting a iron pipe covered in dried blood she rushed over taking it in her hands as she started whipping Zoe all over, making Zoe shout every time she got hit her with force, amber just watched feeling sorry for the little girl knowing that there was nothing that could be done, "aggghhhhh!!!", in hearing her screams a grin slowly made its way onto madam Elisabeta's lips as she was now satisfied with the injuries she had inflicted upon the little girl.

Madam Elisabeta breathed hard as she walked away from the room leaving amber and Zoe in the middle of the room.

Amber walked cautiously towards the door checking if madam Elisabeta had left the main passageway that led to the room, seeing no sight of madam Elisabeta Amber quickly ran back to where Zoe laid abandoned, taking her hands as she placed it round her neck making Zoe lean on her as she guided her back to her cage, Zoe was still limping with her legs that was badly injured.

'why is she helping me?', Zoe thought, if it was one thing she learned it was that everyone was not supposed to be trusted or considered an angel the moment you see them, they could be plotting mischief, just to put you into more trouble, with those thought Zoe finally blurted out the words in her mind not realizing what she had said, "why are you helping me?.., what is your plan against me", Zoe asked her curiously, receiving a quizzical look from Amber, "isn't it obvious, your hurt, that's why I'm helping you out, anyone would be stupid enough to think of a plan behind madam Elisabeta's back"

Amber finally laid Zoe down in her cage, standing up she locked the cage as she walked away. Zoe kept quiet not wanting to bring any more attention to herself. As she had already gotten into too much trouble.

She watched as amber exited the room locking the door behind her. Seeing her not in the room anymore Zoe sat up settling her back against the thin bars of the cage, she folded her legs closer as she hissed at the awareness of the pain caused from the beaten she had gotten from the iron rod. With all that had just happened all she wanted to do was to close her eyes and wish that none of the incident that took place had ever happened.

Zoe dizzily squeezed her eyes closed wanting to forget everything, and rather to put the thought of how she was going to avenge her mother, but was it still possible, she seized her dress in her hands as she slowly drifted into sleep, moving side to side as she felt uncomfortable with the wounds that had been afflicted upon her body, she laid down nuzzling herself upon the floor as she was now comfortable with the spot she was in, with that position, Zoe finally fell asleep, with everything around her becoming dark in sight.

~~~

* Nine Years Later*