D E L P H I N I U M

My body beaten and bruised, I shot a glance over my shoulder as I heard approaching footsteps. "That is enough," I heard the deep voice of my master tell the Tribunal.

"I believe this has gone far enough to punish her for her crimes," he said and I could sense he was staring down at me. Knowing I wasn't worthy, I didn't look up at him.

The Tribunal heeded his order and backed away, their shining black batons being hidden inside their cloaks again. They'd been ordered to beat me for what I'd done, to remind me what I'd done before was traitorous. They didn't have to restrain me. I'd taken hit after hit without making a sound, knowing that with each blow, my old self was being beaten out. I would gladly be rid of her. Orion could have given the Tribunal the order to kill me and I would have let them. It was the least I could do for letting them all down so gravely.

"How are you feeling?"

I smiled through bloody teeth. "Better than ever, master. Now that I am here."

"Are you? Have you not been beaten severely enough for what you did?"

"No, Unul Exaltat. As soon as you enlightened me again, I realized the magnitude of my appalling behavior. I am a traitor to Imperium, and I can only hope you forgive me for it." My eyes stayed on the floor.

"You killed countless soldiers. You defied Adiago Hundsen, who was working with us at the time. You destroyed both our weapon production centers and our Russian stronghold. I should have your head."

"You should, if you wish it. I will not stop you. But I only want you to know that I'm sorry. I was stupid and weak enough to be turned from you." I kissed the tile at his feet. "It will not happen again, if you choose for me to live."

He was silent for a long time. The Tribunal didn't move once; one might have thought they were statues under those crow-shaped masks. I waited to be ended for Imperium's glorious cause. But it never came.

Soldiers entered the throne room behind us. One of the men offered my blades to me and I took them, shooting a curious glance toward Orion.

"For your next mission," he explained. "To prove your undying loyalty."

I frowned. He didn't believe that I was with Imperium for good? "You know there are no bounds of my loyalty, master."

"Yes. However, your last time in the Mind Sweeper ended in tragedy for us. I need to be sure it will not happen again." He was speaking of the time my mind had unfortunately fallen back into its previous unenlightened state. When I was still unwisely resisting Imperium's magnetic pull. Thankfully, I was in my most powerful capacity now. And it was all thanks to him.

"Give me the name and I will not disappoint."

"Claudius Pointe, an American. No witnesses. Thirty hours. Bring me his head, Secerător."

"Yes, Unul Exaltat. For Imperium's glory." I held a tight fist before my heart.

"For Imperium's glory," he repeated, languidly mirroring my gesture.

With that, I turned to leave. As I strode out of the throne room, all of the other soldiers wisely gave me a wide berth.

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I sat on the roof of a building above the one Claudius Pointe lived in. It had just become completely dark outside so I was completely hidden from view. My target would be arriving home from work soon. Until then, I had time to kill.

Though the last thing I wanted to think about was who I'd used to be, the memories resurfaced anyway. I had stupidly aided those miscreant rebels, those governments that wanted to end Imperium. Shame crawled up my throat when I remembered how the old Delphinium Tesla had planted the bombs inside the Russian fortress. My actions had brought the entire thing down. I would apologize profusely again to Orion once I returned from this job. I hadn't been in a proper mental state then. He had to know that I didn't mean it.

After this mission, Orion would trust me again. He would then send me to the front of the fight against that godforsaken group the ONNT had created. They had led me astray, every last one of them.

My fists curled when I vaguely recalled what I had confessed to Jake Evans right before returning home. My lips parted in a snarl. Weak. That was weak, so weak of my past self. She'd been horribly stupid to say such things.

Besides being an obvious threat to me, Jake Evans was the one who had orchestrated the entire plan to take the Russian fortress. Anger simmered in my veins. He would die first. Then I would come for each and every one of the others after his body was rotting.

Why had I ever left the fortress in the first place? It was my home, after all. I couldn't remember. This was what I'd been created for: Imperium's greater purpose. Orion would have the chaos of the world under his orderly fist with me at his side. It would be the greatest honor of my life.

My thoughts were interrupted by the motor of a car that pulled up before Pointe's home. He'd arrived.

As he climbed out of his car and went up the front walkway, I sprang down from the roof and hit the ground without a sound. Crossing the street as a dark blur, I leapt over his side gate and to the side yard. The back door was easy to unlock when the lock came into view through the large windows and I was able to turn it with my mind.

Once I was inside, it was easy to find where Pointe had stationed himself. The only light on in the house was his bedroom. So I crept up the stairs and edged closer to the open door. The man's back was to me as he filled out paperwork at his desk. I was good at what I did, but this would be easier for me than I'd expected. He wouldn't even see a thing before I lodged my knives into his throat.

With the grace and stealth of a wraith, I stepped forward. Not a single sound, not even the creak of a shifting floorboard. My shifting shadow moved across the wall to my side. I was less than a yard away...

Claudius Pointe didn't have enough time to realize I was even there before I struck faster than a viper. Both knives sunk into his foolishly exposed neck and he threatened to slump forward.

With no time to waste, I removed the head and tossed it in the sack slung over my shoulder. I was out the window again in mere minutes.

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I held the sack out and dug inside, seeking the trophy Orion had asked for. Grabbing ahold of Pointe's light hair, I held up the head and tossed it at Orion's feet. It landed face up, the face still frozen in twisted fear.

After inspecting the present I'd brought him, my master's head snapped back up to me. "Good work, Secerător. I knew you could do it."

"I hope this proves my loyalty to you and our glorious cause."

"Anxious to get back to your old spot?"

My eyes shifted to where Benny stood. Orion's right hand man. "It would be an honor to serve you. Especially after what I did at the Russian fortress. I want to make it up to you."

Orion inclined his hooded head. "The past is in the past. You are now who you used to be. We must move forward."

I dropped into a bow. "Thank you, master. Your grace will not be wasted on me. I will make you proud. I will help you take Imperium to heights no human has reached before."

"I don't doubt you. I remember how you bathed whole houses in their owners' blood, when you slaughtered enemy after enemy without question, how even those inside this edifice used to whisper your name. I believe that will happen again."

Rising again, I faced Benton. "Your service in my place was appreciated. But it has come to an end."

The agent addressed our master, "Do you think it is wise to enlist her as your second-in-command? I saw what she did to our last fortress."

"Are you questioning our master's wisdom?" I asked, a hand on the hilt of my dagger. Orion had to say nothing.

"Never," he said, not looking at me. "I simply want what is best for Imperium. I'm not sure if that's with you in charge, Delphinium."

I took a step forward. "You brought me back here. I thank you for that, Benton, and only that. You took my position in my absence. And I am absent no longer."

Orion said nothing as Benton and I stared at each other. I did not back down, did not so much as blink as I glared at the other assassin. He thought I was weak and stupid before for not seeing the truth. That would not be the case now. Finally, he moved aside and I took his place.

"Good," Orion said when that was decided. "We have more important things to move onto now. The loss of the Russian fortress was a significant blow to our resources, but we were expecting it. With it gone, we must expand our forces further. And we must move quickly."