Chapter 81

“There. Perfect,” Queen Amirah said, and placed a tiny tiara studded with diamonds on top of Ami’s head.
“Thank you, mom. You did an amazing job. The dress is perfect. Everything is perfect,” Ami choked, holding back her tears.
“I will see you in the chapel,” Queen Amirah said, and left Ami in her room.
Ami stood up and gave herself one more look over. “I am ready,” she told herself. ‘I have to wear my favorite fragrance for my wedding day,’ she thought and pulled her drawer open. Her I caught a stack of photos that used to be all over mirror. “Eero,” she whispered. ‘No. Wynn is my fated mate,’ Ami said, and left the photos and picked up her perfume. She was about to spray it when she remembered why it was her favorite. ‘Eero loved it on me,’ she remembered and put it back in her drawer, deciding not to wear it. ‘I always thought finding my fated mate will make me not love Eero in a romantic way anymore,’ she thought with a sigh. ‘After claiming Wynn today, I will definitely not love Eero anymore,’ she thought and took a deep breath before standing up.
“Stella?!” Ami caught Stella’s reflection in the mirror and looked around her to face her.
“You think you can just take what is mine?” Stella shouted.
“What are you talking about?” Ami questioned and kept her distance from Stella.
Stella charged for Ami, but she jumped out of the way. “Stella, stop! You have it all wrong!”
“Do I? It has been one week and already the two of you are getting married!” Stella roared and leaped toward Ami, shoving her again and again until she crashed through her bedroom window, the glass cutting into Ami’s skin.
Ami fell backward and attempted to shift, but her wings got stuck in her wedding dress, leaving her to fall to the ground.
Stella looked out of the window at the blood mess that was Ami. “Let that be a warning for any bitch that think they can take my man,” Stella said and left Ami’s room to go find Eero.
Stella went to the chapel first, expecting to find Eero there, but she saw only Wynn standing at the front of the chapel. ‘Why would a hybrid be a hunter’s best man?’ Stella thought with a chuckle. ‘That is just absurd.’
Stella proceeded to Eero’s room but found it empty. Stella thought of all the good memories she had in the room with Eero when her eye caught something on the roof. ‘What the hell?’ Stella thought and climbed through the window onto the roof. More memories of how she and Eero used to climb onto the roof and look at the stars filled her mind and her heart.
Stella walked over to the pair of shoes and recognised them as Eero’s. Stella picked up the shoes and pulled on the rope that appeared as if it had started out of thin air. She followed the rope that led her to the tower that was not visible to her. She followed the rope that led her eyes to Eero. “Eero!”
‘What the hell is going on?’ Stella questioned. ‘She recognised the inside of the tower and then understood that Eero was in the tower.
“Hold on my love,” Stella shouted and rushed off the roof back through his bedroom window all the way to the dungeons as that was the only path to get to dungeons.
She rushed through the dungeons and stopped for a moment. “Where the hell is Torvald?”
‘No time for that now,’ she reminded herself and rushed trough the dungeons, trough the passage that went from neglected to white walls, down a wide stone spiral staircase before going up another that was twice in length as the one that was going down. Stella realised that she does not know how to unravel the spell that hid the keys and rushed back down the double length spiral staircase, up the one, back through the passage, through the dungeons and straight to the lycan wing to find a shaman.
Eero woke up in an unfamiliar room but knew he was in the higher council as he recognized the wallpaper. He tried to sit up, but felt weak.
“Just relax,” he heard Stella’s familiar voice.
“What are you doing here?” Eero spat and tried to sit up again. He tried to get off the bed but the IVs he was hooked to jerked back his arm.
“You need fluids. I saved you!” Stella forced him to the bed.
“Get away from me,” Eero shoved her aside.
“I will go get the doctor,” Stella said and was quick to rush off.
Eero was about to rip the IVs from his arm when the doctor walked into the room.
“Don’t do that. You need fluids,” the doctor stopped him.
“How long have I been here?” Eero questioned.
“A couple of days,” the doctor said, and checked his vitals. “If you like, I can move you to your own room.”
“I would like to see princess Ami,” Eero stated.
“Princess Ami?” the doctor frowned and took a deep breath. “I am sorry, but she died.”
“Died?” Eero choked not believing his ears.
“I am sorry. She jumped from her bedroom window on her wedding day a few days ago. Actually, the day we found you in the tower,” the doctor explained.
“Stella,” Eero whispered.
“She is right outside. You are lucky that the castle is built the way it is. If it was not for the strange heights of the different wings, she would have never spotted your shoes on the roof,” the doctor said.
Eero wanted to shout that Stella must have shoved Ami from her window, but thought he will deal with Stella himself.
“Why would Ami kill herself on her wedding day?” Eero questioned.
“She is a were-owl. They have wings. She didn’t use hers so clearly it was suicide,” the doctor stated.
“But why?” Eero questioned, holding back his tears.
“Beats me. Her mother is devastated. Wynn disappeared after founding her dead. Poor fellow, some believe he was the cause,” the doctor said, shaking his head.
“I need to be alone,” Eero said.
“I understand. Sorry for your loss. I know the two of you were best friends,” the doctor said and left.
Just as Eero allowed his tears to flow, the door opened again.
“I am sorry about Ami, I,” Stella started.
“Get out,” Eero said, wiping his tears.
“Babe, please. Let me be here for you,” Stella said, ignoring his request, and instead walked over to him, taking his hands.
“Get off me,” Eero warned her.
Both of them looked at the door when it opened again.
“What the hell are you guys doing in my room?” Paris asked, staying in the doorway.
“I was told you left,” Stella said.
“Well, I am back. What are you two doing in the vampire wing?” Paris questioned.
“What are we doing in the vampire wing?” Eero questioned, looking at Stella.
“Um,” Stella said, trying to come up with a lie. The truth was that no one but the doctor and Queen Amirah knew that she was around. It was queen Amirah that suggested she hide in Paris room, not expecting him to show up out of the blue.
“No one knows you are here because you killed Ami?” Eero grabbed Stella by her throat.
Stella struggled against Eero’s grip on her throat.
“Eero, let go of her,” Paris approached.
Eero got off the bed, still holding onto Stella’s throat, and walked her over to where Paris was standing and slammed her against the wall. Paris was about to step away from them when Eero touched him, followed by punching a hole into his chest where his heart used to be.
Paris grabbed Eero’s arm, which was connected to the hand that was in his chest. “What the fuck?”
Eero removed his hand and used the vampire strength he gets from touching a vampire and ripped Stella’s heart out of her chest before shoving it into Paris’s chest.
Paris opened his mouth to scream the pain ripping through him. He has never felt such pain in his life. It was worst than skin boiling from attempting to break a promise. It was worse than a moment in sunlight. It was worse than the day he became a vampire. Paris knew it was the end of him. He has seen what happens to vampires when a hunter leaves a part of themselves inside the place where their heart’s used to be. Paris welcomed death, anything to make the pain stop.
Eero left the room and used what was left of the vampire energy to speed off. He ran until the vampire energy wore off, not knowing where he was going.
***
“Now that I have found Paris and convinced him to come home will you forgive me?” Michael questioned, walking after Ann that was walking to the vampire wing.
“You better not lie to me,” Ann warned and came to a halt in front of Paris's room.
Michael smelled the blood. “Wait,” Michael said and put his hand in front of Ann. “Something is wrong.”
“Wrong? What are you up to?” Ann spat and pushed passed him. Ann gave out a deafening scream that made Michael rush in after her.
Michael looked at Ann that was bending over Paris. His eyes went from Paris to Stella. “What the hell happened here?”
“You tell me! Don’t play the fool! I know you did this!” Ann accused through sobs.
Michael rushed over and knew he had to try to save Paris or else Ann will hate him and blame him for the rest of her life.
“If he is not ash, he is still alive,” Michael said before falling down next to Paris and ripping open his palm. Michael shoved his palm straight to Paris’s bleeding chest.
Paris’s eyes flung open at the surge of vampire energy rushing through his veins. Paris grabbed Michael by his throat, choking him and making Ann yell.
Paris grabbed Ann by her hair and sunk his fangs into Ann’s neck, drinking hard and fast.
Michael saw the life leave Ann’s eyes and knew he had to do something even though he didn’t understand what was happening with Paris.
Michael forced his fingers into Paris’s mouth, parting his mouth from Ann’s throat before punching his arm that was connected to the hand that was holding onto Ann’s hair.
“Run!” Michael choked out.
Paris realized what he has done and looked at the utter fear in Ann’s eyes before letting go of Michael and speeding for the window.
“Wait! It is daylight!” Ann cried as she watched Paris jump through the window.
Both Ann and Michael rushed to the window, just in time to see Paris speed off, unharmed by the sun.
Michael turned to Ann, grabbing her by the side of her face, and inspecting her. He licked her open wound to seal it. “Are you ok?” Michael asked a shaking Ann that had no words.
“I swear, I have nothing to do with this,” he said and put her at arm’s length. “I promise you; I have nothing to do with this.”
Ann melted into his arms, sobbing.
Because Michael didn’t know what was going on and feared something sinister was going on he picked Ann up and sped off with her.
Michael walked into the dorm room and put Ann down on her bed.
“Oh, my word. What happened?” Jessica jumped up from her bed and rushed over to Ann’s, inspecting her, worried at the amount of blood on her clothes.
“She is not bleeding anymore. Mind link Deacon and your parents. Tell them to meet me at the higher council. Something is seriously wrong,” Michael urged Jessica.
“Who did this?” Jessica questioned.
“Paris,” Ann whispered.
“Will you mind link them already?!” Michael shouted.