People were fools to think that they could stop her with one tiny bit of information. Her minions had worked hard and tirelessly to get her out of that prison. It took bodies of those loyal to her to get the spell down. How many had she lost? It didn’t matter there were other ways of getting soldiers. Things were moving a lot faster than she anticipated. Lotus, that whore, was off making plans with Xunatar of all people. She was always a little rat and Cyprus would have killed her when she got the chance had that girl’s father not interfered. Why did demons care so much for their offspring? Even though she had the demonic blood flowing through her she couldn’t understand. She just needed Colden, not alive she could reanimate him but alive would be better for now.

She stalked the shadows outside the city of Abed. Cyprus had been having Colden watched for days. She knew it would be a matter of time before he wanted to go to the mainland. She knew that her son was gluttonous for power. She also knew he missed his mother. A wicked smile came to her face as she slowly made her way into town.

Her body meshed to the shadows as she reached outside his window. “Colden… Colden my sweet baby boy.” Her voice didn’t flow verbally but she sent it to his ever naive mind. What he wanted most was his mother and she knew that alone would get him to come out. “Don’t alarm the woman you are with. If you let her know or even let her suspect… she won’t let you come with me. Come outside Colden. Come see me. That bitch Angela didn’t kill me. She inadvertently made me better. Come, my boy, my son. We’ll kill them all.”

She waited for him out in the lonely streets. Her red eyes showed through the darkness like two full moons. She opened her arms to him. “Come, I've missed you. Look at how much you've grown."

It wouldn’t be long now, Colden hoped. He had arranged a brilliant lie to his “beloved” widow that he had to go away on business for a few months all the while he schemed to go to the mainland and begin his conquest by finding resources and allies. Lilith and Rayne were to make the preparations while all he had to do was wait out the time before he would leave this accursed island. Too much had it reminded him of home, especially having a worthless ruler that knew not how to govern. Abed might have been doomed, but he would make certain that Arri would not fall beneath the cutthroats and the cowards. No, they required a true ruler, they required him.

At the moment, he was residing in the bathtub, soaking his body in the warm waters as he prepared to deal with the rest of today when something came to him. A voice, distant yet recognizable enough that made the young man nearly leap from his bath. “No, I must be hearing things.”, he whispered to himself before he could hear the voice again. “Mother?” His eyes grew wide with wonder and a bit of fright; how was she still alive? Was she so or was it a trap by one of his several enemies? No, it was his mother. Colden couldn’t believe it, but it was too surreal. She was alive and now… He had to think for a moment as what this would truly mean; particularly of his own plans since they would only work when he believed she met her demise.

Coming out of the water, he quickly dried off and got dressed while her words lingered in his mind. Angela… the one that had taken her away from him had failed in her absurd quest for vengeance. Good. It would serve her right in messing with the true Black Roses, and not those fakers or traitors that aligned themselves with her. They would pay, they would all pay by his hand. Sneaking outside of the house per her request. He came around the corner and was met with a truth that didn’t seem quite real. Before him stood his mother in all her glory. He looked on with his jaw hung in disbelief. “Is it truly you, Mother?”, his tone still laced with skepticism before he drew nearer and the more he looked to her, the more it was convincing the lad that she was there. Colden drew closer and yet something seemed off. While he would have embraced her, Mother wasn’t exactly known for showing him affection often. More so than not, he recall many a punishments from her from practically no wrong doings other than what she claimed. Still, he was still taken back that she was here and he fell into her embrace. “I was told that you were dead and that one of my sisters took your place… “