Chapter 161
For the rest of the day, they tracked Emily’s scent but when nighttime came Wynn was about to shift so that he can use his vampire speed when prince Deacon mind linked him. ‘Time to head back to the castle, they found her but not the baby.’
‘I cannot go back. Tell my sister to take care of herself,’ Wynn mind linked before running off, thinking it was best to lay low as he didn't know if the higher council knew that he was the one that turned Emily into a vampire.
Shysie was getting anxious about her brother being gone so long and walked up and down in her room.
“Will you please relax, you are making me on edge,” Paris said, watching Shysie go off her head with worry.
“What if Emily goes after him and kills him to punish me for what I did,” Shysie asked, panicked and filled with fear for her brother’s life.
“It is clear that she blames prince Deacon for what happened to her and not you,” Parris tried to calm her down.
“I killed her whole family,” Shysie reminded him.
“He has prince Deacon and prince Mano with him so will you please just sit down,” Paris asked.
It took prince Deacon and prince Mano half of the night to get back to the castle and after shifting and getting dressed he immediately demanded to see her. “Where is she?” He asked, storming into his parents’ bedroom, demanding to know.
“She is locked up in the dungeons, half-dead,” Queen Lana said, annoyed, turning around to continue sleeping.
Prince Deacon ran over to the dungeons and after passing a few pleading cells he came to a halt in front of the one where Emily was being kept; some of her skin still off her bones, her red dress torn and burnt. “My darling, what have you done? Who did this to you?” Prince Deacon fell on his knees, holding on to the bars, tears running down his face.
“You did this to me,” Emily managed to get out. “You." Her voice was low and angry.
“Guard! Why is she not being fed? She cannot be left like this! She needs blood to heal. Go fetch a few humans, now!” Prince Deacon ordered.
The guard just looks at prince Deacon.
“Fine, I will do it myself!” Prince Deacon said and stood up, storming out of the dungeons.
“Jayda, Kina, am I glad to see the two of you! I need your help,” Prince Deacon said, running towards the two ladies.
“Sure, anything for you,” Kina said, smiling seductively.
“I am sure you will retract your offer when I tell you what it is that I need help with,” Prince Deacon said, grabbing them by their hands and walking them toward the dungeons.
“Where are we going?” Jayda asked when she realized in what direction they are going.
“I need the two of you to feed a vampire that is busy dying,” Prince Deacon pleaded.
Both of them stop walking. “Please tell me this vampire is not Emily. We know that she was brought in, half-dead,” Kina said.
“I didn’t believe it when I heard it, it makes me second guess on becoming a vampire one day,” Jayda said.
“Please, I will do anything you want if you can just help me save her,” Prince Deacon promised.
“Anything?” Kina asked.
Half an hour later after much convincing his former mates to help him; Prince Deacon returned with Jayda and Kina.
“Prince Deacon, I have much respect for you, but the council said she is not to be fed,” the guard that was a lycan, protested. Unexpectantly, prince Deacon head budded the guard, making him drop to the floor and making the ladies gasp in shock.
Standing in front of Emily’s cell both Jayda and Kina was appalled at the sight of her.
“What happened to her?” Jayda asked, pinching her nose close at the horrible smell.
“Is it true that she killed your baby?” Kina asked, wondering why he was still willing to help her if she did such a horrible thing.
“It was not my baby. Ladies, please don’t take me for a fool. I know and everyone else knows that the baby is prince Mano’s,” Prince Deacon said, getting a reaction from Emily.
“The baby is not yours?” Emily got out, whispering.
“My love, please come drink,” Prince Deacon pleaded.
Emily looked at her feet which were in silver shackles.
Prince Deacon ran over to the guard to retrieve the keys.
“Is it really a good idea to unlock this gate?” Jayda asked, putting her hand on prince Deacon’s, stopping him for a moment, making him think twice.
“Promise that you won’t harm us,” Prince Deacon asked her to make the promise.
“I won't harm you,” Emily said in a whisper, hoping that they don't catch on that she did not use the word 'promise,’ her voice hoarse as part of her throat and face was burnt off.
‘How can he still want her when she looks and smells so horrible? This fated mate thing must be really strong. I wouldn’t mind having a man love me no matter what I look like, especially in the mornings,’ Jayda thought, watching prince Deacon fiddle with the keys.
“I hope I am not going to regret this,” Kina said, holding her nose, appalled by the smell.
“I am not so sure which key is the one to use; there are so many,” Prince Deacon said, feeling a bit hopeless with the bunch of keys staring back at him.
“Just start by one and work your way around,” Jayda suggested.
“Eventually one will fit,” Kina added, hoping not, for all of their sake.
Emily drifted in and out of consciousness, the pain too much to endure.
Prince Deacon attempted one key after the other from the bunch of keys and finally found the right one, “Hold on my love.”
“You go first,” Jayda said, pushing Kina forward. Kina swallowed air, cautiously following prince Deacon into the cell.
Prince Deacon cooped up Emily’s face. “What happened to you my darling? I will kill the person with my bare hands,” he swore.
Kina shut her eyes and placed her palm against Emily’s lips. ‘Please don’t kill me,’ she thought to herself, anticipating the sharp pain that came when a vampire sank its fangs into human flesh.
Emily sank her teeth in so weakly that Kina opened her eyes, but the more Emily drank the more aggressive the hold on Kina’s writs got, but Kina was already intoxicated and felt herself slip away. When Emily retracted her fangs and opened her eyes she looked straight at Jayda. “I need more.”
Prince Deacon picked Kina up while Jayda walked over, not so scared anymore since she saw that Emily behaved well.
“I am going to take her to her room. I will be right back,” Prince Deacon said.
Emily waited until prince Deacon was away before compelling Jayda. “Bring me those keys.”
Jayda walked over to the key bunch that prince Deacon left in the gate of the cell, and as she walked, she did the shaman hymning in her mind as she knew that Emily just compelled her, but by the time she handed over the keys to Emily she realized that it did not work and felt her chest for her shaman necklace. “Where is my necklace?” Jayda looked around and saw it on the ground next to Emily and as she was about to reach out for it, Emily compelled her again. “Leave it until I am gone and don’t dare scream.”
Jayda wanted to turn around and flee but Emily was too swift, and grabbed her by her foot, making her fall. “Don’t run, sit next to me,” she compelled her while she goes through the bunch of keys to find the right one to unlock the restraints.
After unlocking herself she grabbed Jayda and sank her fangs into her neck, drinking fast and violently. Emily could feel Jayda’s heartbeat slow down at the same time feel her body heal. When Emily no longer felt any pain, she stopped. “I am sorry,” Emily said, sealing up Jayda’s wound before speeding off.
Prince Deacon returned to the cell and realized the mistake he made. He felt for a pulse on Jayda but could barely find it, so he swept her up and ran to the vampire wing with her.
“Paris! Help me! She lost too much blood,” Prince Deacon stormed the first vampire he ran into, an old friend of Wynn that has the appearance of an eighteen-year-old with dark brown hair, almost black and gold with streaks of silver in his light brown eyes. Paris immediately bit open his wrist and placed his palm to Jayda’s mouth. “Drink.”
