Nefertiti

I roll over in my bed and open my eyes. The sun is shining bright through the window and I check my phone for the time.

10:37 a.m.

I get up and go to my bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Someone knocks on the door in the middle of me brushing my teeth, and I walk over and open it.

“Hi, Beatrix!” Kaleb walks in my room with a pep in his step.

“Goo moning, Kaweb,” I try to say with a toothbrush in my mouth.

“Did you just wake up?”

“Mhm.” I spit in the sink. “What time did you wake up?”

“Seven.”

“Oh, that’s early.”

“No it’s not.” He giggles.

He looks around my room, then gives me a hug.

“Okay, I’m gonna go now!”

“Okay, goodbye Kaleb.”

He walks out of my room and I smile. He’s my favorite person now. I walk out onto my balcony and look at my property.

It’s been two months since the attack on Mors Navis. After I shot my dad I announced in the earpiece that I am now the boss.

“Your dad is dead?” Michael asked.

“Yes.”

“Who killed him?”

“Me.” There was silence for a minute.

“You what?”

“You all heard me. I killed my father. Now I order you to find Mr. Fusco and kill him. After that’s done I want the people who were on the south and west side to stay. Everyone else, go back home. Those of you who are staying, you are going to keep everyone hostage, no casualties please. Keep them here because I want control of them and their property. Does everyone understand?”

I got a chorus of ‘yeses’ and then went to one of the cars to wait. After what seemed like eternity I finally got the message that it was done.

“Good, now those of you that I told to stay, stay. Everyone else, go back home.”

People started filing in cars and drove home, me included. When I got home Michael came up to me.

“What the hell happened?”

I sighed.

This is going to be a long night.

“Well, I was having a secret relationship with the boss’s son. I told him about our plan that was supposed to happen tomorrow and we made a plan to run away together. Well, my dad knew about it all and changed the whole plan and took my phone so I couldn’t tell Zane about the new plan. My dad ended up killing Zane, and so then I killed my dad.”

Michael stared at me with his mouth on the floor.

“You asked what happened and I told you.”

“Well—I just—I didn’t know it was going to be like that,” he said in disbelief.

“Yep. Say hello to your new boss,” I said curtsying.

It had started raining so that put out the fire at Mors Navis. Everyone that stayed there rounded up the remaining people and told them that they can either leave and live their own lives, or side with me. Some of them left but most of them stayed with me—including Kaleb and his family.

Kaleb’s mom is the sweetest person and she couldn’t stop thanking me for keeping her son safe. Kaleb and I have been getting close and he’s my favorite kid.

I now own Mors Navis’s property and we rebuilt most of the buildings as well as adding some. People live there and people live on the property I live on. Mors Navis’s old property is used for training, interrogations, and living.

My father picked out the name Animus. He picked it out because he was so full of hate. He was the devil himself sent up from Hell. My new name is something that means feminine beauty, power, and strength. Everything I have.

Nefertiti.

I had a funeral for Zane and buried him by myself at the pond. Emerald came with me and she whined the whole time. She knew that was Zane and she would never see him again. I would never see him again. It breaks my heart all over again thinking about him and the life we never got to have.

A knock on my door startles me and I close the doors to my balcony.

“Beatrix, it’s us,” Kade says from behind the door.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”

I pack my toothbrush and all of the things I used this morning in my suitcase. I told Kade and Talen everything between Zane and me and they didn’t get mad or feel betrayed. They were sad for me because I lost the love of my life. To make me feel better, they surprised me with a trip to Galveston. We are going to spend a week in Galveston on the beach, just like how Zane wanted.

I grab my things and head out the door.

“You ready?” Kade asks, linking his arm in mine.

Talen grabs my suitcase and links his arm to my other one. “I’m ready,” he says.

“Me too,” I say.

Zane, this is for you.