Why Oliver decided to use little Claire as his weapon, in Devil's Lair (my story that this is a companion to)

I own nothing, neither the characters nor anything else that legally belongs to Rachel Caine… would I be writing FF if I did? :P

Enjoy!

Who do I choose? After all, I need someone new, unsuspecting, naïve to do this job. Someone that Amelie will never suspect would be able to do the things that I have planned, much less kill her.

Yes, I plan to kill Amelie, rather have her killed, and take her place as ruler of Morganville. She has been in power for far too long – this is a democracy we live in, not like the past – and, to be frank, her ruling style is abominable. She is either too soft or… well, just too soft. She never seems to stick to a punishment scheme and is sloppy in her handlings of the humans. She also fell in love, something which someone who is serious about power ought to never do.

Ok, maybe there is a little revenge planted in there – firstly, she destroyed my heart in the past, which wasn't nice, and secondly, she destroyed my search for the book. She double crossed me, using the grey areas in our agreement to ensure that she removed every possible way for me to remove her from her rather comfortable seat in power.

So who can I use?

I have devised a plan so deadly that nobody has ever thought of it. I need someone who can be taken easily under my control, using mind control, manipulation and seduction in order for them to be mine entirely. Seduction, yes I said it. I need to have someone who I wouldn't mind kissing so that it isn't entirely repulsive for me to be getting what I want – also, I haven't exactly been the most active in that way for a long time, so it will be like a nice present as well as getting me my town.

I would, preferably, like it to be a girl because kissing a male is rather disturbing – I grew up in a time when homosexuality was outlawed, and this is one of the few points Amelie and I agree on; she is repulsed by this, although she would never diminish her class by commenting on it in public. No, she likes to hide everything and insinuate blame is to be placed on others who are 'more guilty'… more guilty than the woman who destroyed an entire culture in her country, killed her own father and let many innocent people die in the past.

But back to who I want. I do not believe that any of the residents of this town are good enough… the only ones I could possibly believe have the slightest of chances are the troublesome teens who live in The Glass House. The former home of both Amelie and her weak flame, the residents are strong… and also aided in the defeat of me and my quest for the book.

Well, I already turned Michael into a ghost, so he is out of the question unless he can get everything to occur from his hour and not be suspected. Shane… no chance; I am not going to kiss a boy as disgusting and anti-vampire as him. Eve… a tempting offer, but I fear that she is too strong willed and such for me to be able to bring her under my control in such a way.

But the newest resident, the young brat from out of town – Claire Danvers, she could be used. She is weak and vulnerable, in comparison to those, and I doubt that the two months she has spent in town have managed to build her such a strong wall in her mind, as the others surely have managed.

She isn't exactly ugly on the eyes either.

I suppose that she will do. Amelie is already beginning to trust her and I believe that she is a wise choice, one that can see this through to the penultimate. She is the one that I can use to defeat Amelie and seat myself in power. She is nothing to me – an expendable human who can be tried and killed for the murder of the eldest of our kind. However, that will not be me. I shall not be linkable to any action in this plan.

I am entirely safe, and can watch the progression from a back seat.

She has been chosen. She will do what I want. She will kill Amelie. I shall be the ruler.

Thank you Claire, thank you very much!

So, what did you think?

Review!

Vicky xx