“I told you.” Diego said calmly as he watched the girl he called his daughter. Lire listened in stony silence as she stood in front of him; her silver eyes staring straight ahead. She had grown; her body had changed in the ways of obvious maturity but her face still looked ancient. She was dressed in a flowing black dress; it was tight around her upper body, hugging her curves and showing off a triangle of brown skin and leaving her left arm and shoulder bare while wrapping the other in a sheath of silky black. The dress flowed down to her feet in a cascading waterfall of black fabric. The only color was the bloody red sash that wrapped around her slim waist. The girl’s clothing was out of place on Lire’s posture; she looked tall and regal but something was obviously off. She wore the clothes easily but the way her eyes moved and the way her body shifted gave the impression that she could easily kill anyone in the room without a blink of remorse.
“You did tell me.” She acknowledged softly, fear briefly flashing through her eyes. The moment was not lost on Diego and he clicked his tongue comfortingly, “My daughter… you know I will never hurt you. I only want you to stay safe.” He said as he held his hand to her. Lire looked up at him, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes that suddenly made her look like the young teen that she was. She took his hand and allowed him to pull her into his embrace; she laid her head on his chest and took the comfort he offered her.
“I didn’t mean to disobey, Papa… but I love him.” She said whispered softly. She could feel her father’s smile against her hair and she closed her eyes as he smoothed her hair back and hugged her close.
“I know you do, my pet.” He said softly and smiled. Lire’s heartbeat was slowing down from the panicked beating she had felt before as she started to believe that Diego would release the man he’d taken from her. “You’ll have to give me something in return though.” He said gently and Lire nodded eagerly, “Whatever you want.” She said breathlessly.
“I want his life.” Diego whispered behind her and Lire’s world suddenly seemed to end as she watched three men walk into the room. Well it was more two of them dragged the third man in between them. Time seemed to slow as Lire watched the man who had been her constant companion for years and her father’s loyal follower now knelt beaten and defeated between the two men.
“Alex…” She said softly, her voice heavy with pain as she saw the condition that he was in. The Asian man could barely lift his head and his body was bloody with cuts and bruises from a severe beating. His long black hair hung loose and tattered around his bruised face and but his brown eyes stared at Raphael in defiance. Lire glared at the men next to him and they paled as her cold fury hit them like a brick wall,
“How dare you touch him.” She hissed; her voice cold and deadly as she stalked towards them. They sent panicked looks in Raphael’s direction as they stumbled back several steps; Diego may have been the one in charge but the one they feared was the Viper.
“Lirerial. You will not touch them.” Diego’s cool voice intervened as she reached for her daggers. She spun around, “He is mine!” She shouted as she threw the daggers, not watching as her victims fell to the ground, their gurgling chokes fading as their life left them. She knelt in front of her lover and cradled his head in her arms. It was then that she let out a choked cry as she realized why he had not talked; his tongue had been cut out of his mouth. She turned and glared into her father’s eyes; she watched in satisfaction as he froze and she started to stand; she wouldn’t allow him to kill her lover. Suddenly she felt hands grab her shoulders and she fell forward as she was hit between her shoulder blades. She turned her head backwards and saw Alex lunge forward only to be stopped as 2 men stepped in between them. The large man who had hit her turned her roughly so she caught a clear view of the gun they held to her lover’s head and she slumped in defeat. Diego was watching her expressionlessly and Lire turned to him pleadingly, “You said you would not hurt me.” She begged as tears rolled down her cheeks and Diego only shook his head. “This man has made you weak. How dare you stay on your knees and beg? Is that what I taught you? To give up your pride and your will for others? You must not feel for anyone.” He said in disdain of his daughter’s grief. “Either you give me his life yourself or I will take it for myself.” He said finally and Lire stared at him in shock. She had seen the torture her father would cause his prisoners before he killed them; she had done it herself many times and had heard them beg for death long before it had been granted to them. She looked at Alex, inspite of his defiance she could see the little bit of fear that was in his eyes as he also thought of the torture. Alex looked back at her and nodded slowly that he understood as she approached him. Diego watched in satisfaction as Lire knelt in front of the man she loved.
“I’m sorry.” She said quietly as her body trembled and tears rolled down her cheeks. Alex grabbed her hands in his and steadied them as he brought them to his bloody lips and kissed them. Lire leaned forward and kissed his forehead then pulled out a knife and thrust it into his chest. He jerked and started to fall but she caught him, sobbing quietly as she cradled him against her and rocked him back and forth. Diego stood up from his seat and approached her; he laid one hand on her shoulder, “Maybe now you will learn this lesson. You must keep the ice in your soul and never feel.” He said quietly as he turned and walked out of the room. The door swung shut behind him and he could hear Lire’s strangled cry before the men started banging on the door only to realize it was locked. Their bloodcurdling screams were cut off; one by one as Lire took out her rage on those left before returning to her lover. For hours she tended to his body, brooding next to him and laying her head on his bloody chest before she allowed him to be taken. Even then she remained in the jungle for days as she sat near his body killing any person who approached the area until finally Diego allowed her the solitude. When she finally returned she had changed; her eyes were dead as she watched each person and she simply no longer cared about nothing except finishing her missions. Raphael had finally won by killing her heart.