War of Prey

35) Kiss With a Rose

"A kiss with a rose is what he wanted; now he must dance with the thorns."

***

"My son is dead, dammit!"

"I know, Sir but-"

"There is no 'but.' He is dead and his killer is on the loose, I want her found! She killed that whole room of people and there is hardly any blood, my son was shot in the head by her! My son, the Heir to the throne, and she killed him; there is no blood heir anymore!"

"Sir, Prince Lane is-"

"No! He has betrayed his family; he has sold himself to the Impure; therefore, he will never see the throne. There must be a way to track her, to find her identity, to identify her voice. Why has no one found her!"

"Sir, we have people on this but there is no trace at all, she must have severed all ties to her and made sure that we cannot find her. There may be a way to find her, this is the last resort..."

"And what is that, Carl?"

"Lane."

***

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Oh by the gods! Have you no life other than to pester me constantly?" Rhea opens the door, and a girl pops her head in, the same girl that put Monica in her place. "Ah, Maezie is it?"

"Yes. Can I come in?"

"Brave little thing. You may come in, but briefly. I must get back to my work soon," she sighs. Maezie nods her head and takes a seat on Rhea's bed. She looks up and jumps from the bed at Rhea's venomous glare at her. "May I ask what reason you have to be here?"

"I just came here to warn you that everyone is losing their mind. They are going to have you tested, with or without your consent. It's a madhouse out there; I don't suggest leaving your room anytime soon," she explains.

"How sweet," Rhea replies bitterly, "And no one else believes this is wrong? Do I really look that scary?"

"You don't look scary, but you do sound and act scary. Just watch out for them and don't kill them," Maezie finishes before exiting Rhea's room. Rhea sighs and swipes her hand for the door to shut, not even touching the door before it closes with a loud bang. For some reason a little twinge of sappiness shoots through her body as she thinks of the kids, she had left Grey in Rhett and Rosé's care, hating to do so, but she knew something was going on at the Highrise. It feels so good to be able to speak again, being able to speak out against the stupidity of those around her was refreshing. The kids have grown on her, somewhat of a small joy to her, they remind her of a happy family she had seen in her neighborhood, the boys with new bikes, and the girls with electric pink cars. She remembers looking out her bedroom window at the kids playing with their friends in the street, seeing them eating ice cream in their pools, and laying under the sun with their lovers, seeing everything that she never had nor will ever have. Not once had a child knocked on her door and asked her to come to play, everyone knew her father and loved him but they were all terrified of her. For just reasons. Her father was so proud of her; he loved her, they were as close as anyone could get to their parent and it was beautiful. "'The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle,'" he used to say as he gripped her strong arms and hugged her. He trained her to be a warrior since birth. Most would consider it cruel, but it is what has led her to survive, she is who she is because of what he taught her.

Maybe because she became an adult at three years old she feels protective over these kids. Maybe she could give them the life they didn't have, be a better mother to them than her mother was to her, maybe-