Now Darkness Falls

Ryland walked down the street, figuring a roundabout way to Carden's house as he went. He needed Matt back and wanted to talk to him alone.

Ryland continued walking until he saw what he was looking for and grinned. Dumb luck is contagious.

Ryland stepped forward. "You left them." It wasn't a question.

"You need to come back with me," Ryland said. "You're not completely perfect yet."

"You don't need to be able to speak." Ryland continued ambiguously. "It's an advantage on your part."

"Do you know why I chose you and not anyone else?" Ryland smirked, skirting around what he wanted to tell Matt. "It's your job to kill your parents one day."

"William gave birth to you," Ryland said bluntly. "He never wanted you at all. He let me take you to mold into the perfect leader."

"One day you'll kill me and take my place," Ryland crossed his arms over his chest, "but not before you learn the skill passed down in my family. That's the way it's always been."

"There are advisors I will introduce you to later," Ryland recognized the look in his only son's eyes and smirked. "But first you have to learn to force yourself into another's mind."

Ryland frowned. "The clan will be yours no matter how you feel about it. You have to maintain order in my absence."

It's going to be perfect. They won't listen to him. They'll go out and kill whomever they like, targetting Carden's people in particular. Ryland's grin faded to a shadow of itself.

"Since you can't speak it will be easier for you to tell if you've entered someone's mind" with the added bonus of making you a less anoying child.