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For almost the entirety of Ib's very long life, she has been made to follow someone else's orders. She may be in the driver’s seat, but driving is a job. She has no authority, no control in where she goes. No matter. She is a patient woman. If she has to wait a hundred years for her chance to take action, she will.
***
This is going to be Ib's last mission for Victor Temple and his coterie. That's what she tells herself. After this, she is finally going to move on from just being Victor's driver and bodyguard. As exciting as this job is, she's starting to get tired of taking orders from him. Victor isn't even her real boss. Ib belongs to Fiorenza, and she's been told by her that the time has come to move on. It looks like finally, Ib is going to earn her fangs. Honestly, she's looking forward to being embraced, even though she’s afraid as well. Despite her fear, she reminds herself that she's destined to do so much more than this. Maybe as a Kindred, she'll have the chance to call the shots for once.
As they plan their mission, Ib looks at her teammates. They’re ghouls too, but they're so young compared to her. Fifty years from now, if Greg and Chelsea live that long, will they look at younger ghouls the way Ib is looking at them now?
No time to dwell on the past or wonder about ‘what ifs.’ Ib is a woman of action, always has been. She will complete this mission, say goodbye, and move on to what comes next.
***
Ib doesn't know it yet, but this is going to be her last job for Vannevar Thomas. Going from driver to sheriff was a great success for Ib. She can ignore the looks of mistrust and suspicion she still receives from the rest of Prince Thomas’ court. They don't matter to her.
It is easy to act like she hates Victor Temple, and part of her is definitely pleased to have him in her shadowy clutches. All of his money, contacts and power mean nothing to her now. She enjoys feeling him squirm, remembering all the times he got her to drive around for menial tasks, the times she was ignored or dismissed. He was a good boss as far as Ventrue go, and he always seemed to show her respect in his own way, but Ib can’t allow herself to be clouded by sentiment in Vannevar and Suzanne’s presence.
Being embraced into clan Lasombra did nothing to tamper down Ib's ambition and ruthlessness. If anything, it fanned those flames. That voice of drive and ambition inside her has a name now, and that name is the Beast. Ib loves it.
But then there were explosions, gunfire, and a Second Inquisition strike force invading. Ib doesn't fear those things, but the fire… that she can no longer fight. She is forced to flee.
When the smoke clears and the dust settles weeks later, Ib suddenly finds herself with another promotion. As the remains of the Ivory Tower take stock, it appears that Ib is on top of the heap. The Prince has met the final death and the rest of the court is in shambles.
Ib is finally her own boss. Now the only orders she obeys are her own.