– S C OR P I O N –

I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and flee. Run until we reached the edge of the city. But that was not how the story would end for either of us. Not as long as the Emperor–her father or not–sat on that throne and issued her death like a weekly holo-magazine.

As I watched her stunning, sapphire eyes stare at me intently, I couldn't picture a Merridian without her. The city could crumble. I no longer saw an existence where we weren't side by side. I would risk anything to make that happen.

"What are you doing here, Alex..." She finally broke the silence.

"Something bold. Dangerous. Mostly life and death so nothing new." I told her in a voice that was not my own. I held her eyes in a wrinkled brown that were not my own. For the most part, I didn't put much effort into my appearance outside of giving off a death incarnate vibe. But a wrinkled vegetable vibe for my reunion with the woman I loved was not something I craved either.

Makayla took a steady look once over her exposed shoulder on the enclosed balcony before weaving her fingers between mine and hanging them over the edge.

"I want nothing more than you, Alex. But my father wants nothing more than your end–"

"Makayla, it was not just me on that hit list." I emphasised, reminding her of the play Hades had originally had in all of this.

She shook her head. "If it means keeping you out of the crosshairs, fine." She urged, darting her eyes between mine. "Our worlds cannot keep colliding like this."

"Not fine. Never again. We are getting you out. Tonight. Screw both worlds." I finished, tightening my grip on her hand.

"We? Damn it, not the waiters again..." She almost growled, fighting her anxiety at the usual insanity.

I winked at her and shook my head. "A very select and lethal group. Proximo is... rather enjoying his look tonight. I cannot wait for you to be introduced."

She now frowned and pulled her hand from mine. "This is not a game, Alex. The people in that room run the continents–their reach goes past this city. You can't expect me to just stand by and watch as you and your closest people lay down their lives–"

Maybe it was the way she rambled with such exposed passion. Maybe it was my colour suiting her perfectly in that long, low set dress with flowing gold in her hair–it could have been the time apart or just the damn madness of it all–but I dropped the face holo from inside my jaw, pushed a hand through her hair and kissed her hard.

Her words entirely cut off and her body froze.

It was like the first time in many ways but there was history to us. Understanding. And more need than either of us needed to think too closely about. Her light against my dark. We always seemed to burn like roman candles from both ends. Nothing truly great ever smouldered... it was bright, painful and alive. She was that flame.

She reacted on instincts and I felt her hands find the back of my neck and secure me to her more closely. I felt the wash of silk press against me and inhaled the scent of her like the finest perfume. I almost forgot where we were. Who we were. It didn't matter now–in the present.

The softness of her thick lower lip hit me like an electrical surge. Then I felt her lips leave me and those perfect blue eyes hold mine just inches away.

"I missed you too damn much–don't ever throw me from a Falcon again." She snapped with death promised in her eyes.

I traced her jawline with a finger before answering. "I've missed you more than you will ever know, Makayla Xavier. I don't make mistakes twice." I told her darkly and watched heat grow on her cheeks.

"I never knew Margret and I were such intense friends." She drawled trying to lighten the sudden mood as she touched the same spot under my jaw and my identity disappeared once more.

I took a step back and tried to right the pompous suit and skirt before me. "How do I look?"

She raked her eyes up and down the length of me. How was it still burning me when I looked like a librarian? But Makayla even went as far as to swipe a finger across my lips.

"Like the perfect friend that has just borrowed my red lipstick all over her mouth."

I grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. "I've heard sharing is a form of caring."

"Let's not share new gossip that the Emperor's daughter is now courting someone old enough to be my grandmother..."

"I am wise for my age it's true."

Makayla scoffed before her expression turned contemplative. "Where is Proximo–or should I say whom?"

"Marcus Roseburg." I uttered, somehow keeping the grin off my face.

Makayla's expression almost pushed me over the edge. Her otherwise elegance ruined as her jaw hung slightly open.

"I wouldn't say a very convincing version?"

"Oh more than you can imagine." I told her factually.

"I don't believe this... how you people have not been caught." She muttered.

"More than easy to wade through the seas of pretentiousness when all anyone cares about in 1 is image." I snorted. But it lost its effect coming out too delicately for my taste.

Makayla didn't miss it either and giggled. "You're so cute and not promising death in a single look." She said sweetly.

I rolled my eyes. "Before we lose the sanctuary we have out here... I plan to get you far away from here in the next 15 minutes."

"Where are we going?" She asked easily as she righted some of her stunning dress.

"You will join Proximo's sister and retreat to our new base of op–"

"When I said we, Alex. I meant that was not negotiable." She said lowly as she glared those stunning eyes at me.

"Makayla..." I tried, raising my hands to her but she slapped one away.

"Don't. You want me to go, we will go. I do not leave this building without you again. I do not know what madness you plan but it will include me right now." She growled the last part and it had me dragging a hand through the holo hair and into my own.

"We will never be safe with him in power, Makayla. Never." I levelled her with as much sincerity as I could manage but before she could tell me otherwise–that her father should still breathe–a group of people came laughing through the double doors onto the balcony.

I took another step backwards and she only held warning in her eyes. But we wore fake smiles like nothing was amiss and about to proverbially hit the fucking fan.

– M A K A Y L A –

I linked my arm through Alex's with stiff movements.

I couldn't stop casting looks at the face she wore–as if I could see through the mask. Decipher whatever madness she had planned within these glass walls. Even her being here, so close to the thousands of Silver Sun hunting Division 52–

"Your worry lines will cause premature wrinkling dear." She told me in that higher but aged voice.

"I'll give you something to worry about dear–" I told her through a forced smile.

She smirked as we wove through the crowds of the rich and powerful. A sea of masks in their own right.

"So aggressive for royalty." She tutted as she wore an easy smile and took a glass from a tray held nearby. The waiter dropped a small bow and I scrutinised him more closely looking for a giveaway, a sign of deception or allegiance. I found none from the formal and neutral expression of a young man.

"When you're involved there's new limits to my aggression." I murmured as we made our slow rounds. Familiar faces gave us gracious smiles–the kind that saw my escort of the older woman as charity.

"So I've seen." She said like we were discussing the music.

We neared the edge of the crowd and stood near a tall stone pillar. She finally turned to face me. Her modified brown eyes flicked between my own. They held calculation. Something was turning in her mind. A decision to be made and how much she could gamble tonight. It seemed like she made up her mind in the next few seconds.

"You want in but you don't know what that means–" she held up a hand before I could argue on that. "I'm here to do more than take you back, Makayla. I'm here to kill your father." She finished as flat as ice.

It didn't take me a long gasp or unconcealed surprise. Because I had already gathered as much. Before this evening. My father's collaboration with the rebels. His targeting on my own life. The disregard he had for many other lives had boiled up to this. I supposed I should find some dregs of defence–some biological urge to protect. But I couldn't. I knew that was not how this city worked.

She read my face closely. Counting the seconds between us. I dropped our linked arms slowly and looked her dead in the eyes.

"My father sealed his death when he tried to incite yours." I told her devoid of emotion.

Her eyebrows raised almost imperceptibly. As if it still surprised her how much I was unstoppably in love with her. The darkness that I would let claim me to keep her alive was not something I thought I would need to drag to the surface so clearly. I didn't really try to stop it anymore. When a person became this important to your life you would do anything to protect it–become anything to keep it going just for seconds longer.

"I'm not going to ask you to leave." She said finally. "But I really don't want you to be anywhere near this building when that man takes his last breath, Makayla."

"It's not up to you." I murmured, fighting off the urge to take her hands. "I am seeing this through with you."

She dropped me a faint nod with a grim expression on that weathered face. "You stay close to me and you do exactly as I tell you when we leave this room." She stated, suddenly the leader of a criminal empire all at once.

I couldn't fight the smile that appeared on my face. "Yes, Scorpion."

She returned it briefly before her hand moved swiftly to her comm. "Proximo, move inside units to the lobby now. Split numbers and get all upper Imperial floors covered. We move."

She paused as she listened to her second. Aligning whatever assets they had in the building.

"She stays with me, we're ending this tonight." She told him emphasising her words. Confirming we were going after the head of the snake.

"Get Dazz on his location, we need heat signatures and numbers."

She nodded after a moment and her eyes swept the crowds.

She terminated the comm and offered me her arm like nothing had happened. She wore a smile just for me and took it, turning in the direction of the grand stairs the exact moment my father himself started waltzing down them.

The room stilled and the charge froze.

I felt her do the same. But not just because of the monster's timing. Because he stared directly at me.