Ulterior Motive.
Clarence directly teleported himself to the forest near the council building. He walked the remaining distance before entering the building through the huge black gate that was heavily guarded inside. The guards bowed when they saw him walk in.
Reaching the entrance of the building, he was met by his assistant, a scrawny-looking man with pale white skin and red eyes. He was no doubt a vampire but a low-ranked Vampire.
"Master Clarence" The man greeted opening the door for Clarence "You came early today," He said as they made their way inside the building.
"You were not expecting to see me?" Clarence asked in a bored tone while walking with his chin raised in confidence and his step firm on the hard floor.
"N…no master Clarence. It's just that…" The man stuttered as he tried to keep up with Clarence's long strides.
"It's understandable Markus" Clarence cut him off "There are a lot who wouldn't like my presence today"
Markus did not say anything to this. The council meeting was not always the same whenever Clarence came and today was not also going to be the same because of what happened recently.
They walked in silence before coming to face two brown iron doors.
"Master Clarence, things are much more complicated this time. Please don't…"
"Shut up Markus" Clarence bellowed "Why don't you look for dead bodies than stay here and speak rubbish?"
Markus felt the sting of Clarence's blunt words on his small body. He never left anyone with the way he spoke and did things. Markus quietly bowed before walking away from there leaving Clarence at the door before he entered inside.
Clarence closed the door behind him and the noisy room turned quiet. The chattering ended as soon as he came in.
"What happened? Did your tongues twist themselves?" Clarence said with a smirk on his face. He walked to his assigned seat and sat down. He moved back and forth in his seat as he stared at everyone squirming in their seats because of him.
Silvano the head of the council cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention "Councilman Clarence," He paused and adjusted his glasses "We have been waiting for you, so you don't…"
"My apologies then," Clarence cut him off and apologized which he and other council members knew he was not sorry about.
Silvano watched Clarence for a brief moment before he turned and looked ahead of him "We all know why we are here?" He asked to see everybody nod before he continued "The recent attack and news that has reached my desk is something I would never approve of. It has come to my attention that some demons have been spotted in the town of Govan killing humans and some vampires."
"If only the person assigned to that town did his work diligently, this would not have happened," Clarence stated as he stared at Malik the council member whose expression turned sour after he finished speaking.
Malik hastily stood up immediately after Clarence said those words. He pointed his finger at Clarence "What do you know!? I have seen to the affairs of the town for five years till date and you say I've not been working diligently?"
"And you? What do you do? You don't even attend the meetings regularly yet each time you come, you find fault with another's work" Malik growled and looked furiously at Clarence.
Clarence unfazed by the man's reaction chuckled and said "Is that all you got? You're only competent at blabbing with no action. If only you could put your words into action, then it will do good for both yourself and the town."
Malik became more furious over Clarence's words and marched forward stopping in front of the table that separated him from Clarence "Take that back! Do you think I'm afraid of you because you're in power?"
The smile on Clarence's face fell as he looked at the man in front of him in disgust "Malik, I did not ask you to fear me but" He drawled, his eyes holding an evil glint in them. Smiling he continued "You should avoid me. Do not forget where you stand" Clarence warned. His voice was hard and flat but the smile still on his lips made Malik slightly afraid of the man whom many dared not to double cross.
Silvano's mouth twisted itself as he looked disapprovingly at Clarence and Malik "I would advise you both to stop with the unnecessary talk till the end of this meeting. Councilman Malik go back to your seat."
Malik spared Clarence one more look before going to sit down.
"If you have anything to say regarding this issue, please indicate" Silvano declared.
"Councilman Silvano" Rue stood up and called to gain his attention before saying "Following what you said, I want to say that Councilman Clarence is right. That town has been neglected by councilman Malik to allow some demons to violate the law. And I will not sit and watch the chaos that will ensue because of someone's negligence"
Clarence smiled from his seat. At least there was still a wise man apart from him though he wouldn't say it loud. Councilman Rue has been his confidant when it came to council work and also getting the needed information for him. And right now, he will make sure he got what he came here for.
"Then what do you suggest council man Rue?" Silvano asked Rue.
Rue watched everyone before his eyes fell on Malik whose face contoured in anger "I suggest that Councilman Malik be stripped off his work. Since five years of him looking after that town, there's nothing to show for it" Rue asserted.
The hall turned noisy after Rue sat down. Some approved of it while some didn't.
As expected Malik stood up to protest "Why should I be stripped of my work?!"
Clarence cleared his throat and also stood up "Councilman Malik, do not forget we are all here for this meeting. Do not behave like a man without ethics" He stopped and turned to Silvano "As the head of the council, we want to know what your final decision is."
Silvano raised his head "All this been said, I have concluded that Councilman Malik will be stripped of his work as the person in charge of Govan town"
"I disagree with this!" Malik growled, "This is not right and it is not the way things are done!"
"Councilman Malik, this is the decision of everybody and you cannot do anything about it. From today onwards, your work in the town will be taken over by councilman Rue"
Clarence clapped his hands and stood up with a wide smile "Congratulations council man Rue" He said loud for everyone to join him to clap. Things were working as he planned. Now Rue has taken over the work of Malik, he will be able to get all information he needed. With Kate on everybody's hunt list, he wanted to know who those demons were working for. And to know them, he was going to start from Govan, the town of Kate.
The meeting ended after half an hour of discussing other issues in the council and other towns.
Outside the building, Rue and Clarence walked into the forest leading to the dungeon.
Entering inside the dungeon, the pungent smell that came from the irons that have turned brown with years of accumulating dust and the smell of dead bodies that lay inside some rooms of the dungeon, filled the air as they made their way inside.
Standing in front of one of the rooms inside the dungeon, Clarence's eyes twinkled as he looked at the woman inside.
"When did you catch this one?" Clarence asked opening the door. He walked inside with Rue behind him.
"I saw her snooping around the town of Govan" Rue replied.
"Interesting, and a vampire too," Clarence said watching the woman struggle to break free from the chains around her hands and feet.
"What were you doing in Govan when you should be in hell? Or did you come out for fun?" Clarence asked the woman who bared her jagged teeth at them.
Clarence slowly went towards her "The next time I ask, it won't be gentle"
"I won't tell you anything, you can as well go to hell!" Came the rough voice of the woman.
"I don't think this one looks like the one to talk Clarence," Rue said.
"Don't worry, I'll make her talk" Clarence said and went behind the woman "How about we make a deal? I want information in exchange for your freedom, how does that sound?"
The woman looked between Clarence and Rue. Her red eyes blazing with anger "I'm no fool not to know that you will still kill me once I give out the information"
Clarence shook his head disapprovingly "Seems we have some trust issues here. I won't say it twice, what were you doing in Govan town?"
"Go to hell if you want to–"
Clarence didn't wait for her to finish speaking before he ripped her head off. Turning to Rue he pulled out a handkerchief from the coat he wore and cleaned the drops of blood that fell on his hands "I know why she's here"
Rue leaned on the wall behind him not fazed with the way Clarence killed the vampire. He knew his style when it came to works like this. He looked at Clarence and asked, "Why?"
Clarence's gaze fell on the blood that now spilled on the floor "She came for Kate"
Rue narrowed his eyes at Clarence "Who's Kate?"
Clarence closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. He knew this was going to happen once the demons, vampires, and witches got to know about Kate. They will hunt her till they killed her. He opened his eyes and met Rue's gaze and said "She's the soul everyone is looking for and will continue to hunt."