Chapter 82
Everyone was already waiting for Michael when he got back to the castle.
“What on earth happened to you?” Deacon asked.
“Is Ann ok?” Jovita questioned because Jessica showed them the state Ann was in when she mind linked them.
“What is going on?” Queen Amirah questioned, walking into the council hall that was used for important meetings when all species got together.
“Come, follow me,” Michael said and thought it best he showed them.
“Where are you taking us?” Juno demanded to know when it was clear that Michael was leading them to the vampire wing.
‘Is he tricking us?’ Jovita mind linked Juno and Deacon at the same time.
‘We are three against one,’ Deacon put her mind at ease.
‘Four,’ Juno corrected him, hinting at Queen Amirah.
‘I don’t trust her,’ Deacon mind linked them both.
‘Makes two of us. For all we know they are planning something together,’ Jovita responded in a mind link.
‘Is everything ok? What is going on?’ Jovita, Juno, and Deacon got Jessica’s mind link at the same time.
‘If you don’t hear from us, know that Michael did something to us,’ Jovita mind linked.
‘What? Wait, what?’ Jessica mind linked worried.
“Ann, talk to me. What is Michael up to?” Jessica shook Ann out of her gazing state.
“Not that I know of. He saved me. He promised he had nothing to do with it and a vampire promise is binding,” Ann said.
Jessica mind linked Deacon and her parents to what Ann just said.
‘Well, that is a relief,’ Deacon mind linked.
“Brace yourself, it is a mess in here,” Michael said before opening the door.
“What is going on?” Wynn asked, arriving on the scene.
“I take it you mind linked him?” Michael said, rolling his eyes.
“A little backup never hurt anyone,” Queen Amirah said, grateful that Wynn was there, knowing the true power he possessed even if Wynn didn’t know it himself.
Michael stepped into the room, leaving the door wide open for all of them to see Stella.
“What the hell happened to her?” Queen Amirah shouted and leaped over to where Stella was laying dead, on the floor in a pool of her own blood. “She is dead,” Queen Amirah stated after feeling for a pulse.
“As you all know, Ann forced me to find Paris and bring him home and so I did. Obviously, she didn’t believe me when I told her he is home and we came to his room so that she could see for herself. Only, when we got here Stella and Paris were laying next to each other,” Michael told them word for word what happened.
“And you saw Paris jump through that window in broad daylight and speed off?” Queen Amirah asked, not believing her ears.
“Both Ann and I saw it,” Michael said and bit open his wrist offering it to her so that she can see it for herself.
Queen Amirah hesitated so Deacon step forward and wrapped his mouth around Michael’s wrist.
“He is telling the truth,” Deacon said after releasing Michael’s wrist.
“Did Paris manage to rip her heart out?” Wynn looked at the bloody mess on Stella’s chest.
Queen Amirah pushed her fingers into Stella’s chest. “Her heart is gone.”
“Holy crap,” Wynn exclaimed. ‘That was badass of him,’ Wynn mind linked Deacon.
‘Why would he do such a thing and what was Stella doing in his room?’ Wynn mind linked Deacon back.
“Care to share your thoughts?” Jovita said, looking at Deacon and Wynn, knowing that they are mind linking privately.
“I have a fated mate that is in a coma to take care of so I am out of here,” Wynn said and left, feeling the royals can deal with it.
‘How is Ami?’ Queen Amirah mind linked Wynn.
‘As I said, she is still in a coma. Her vitals are strong,’ Wynn mind linked her back before blocking them all out.
“Michael, pick her up and take her to the body fridge. Don’t let anyone see you. We have to get to the bottom of what happened here before anyone else does,” Queen Amirah ordered, relieved that Eero was not around even though she suspected that it was Eero’s doing. ‘Eero must have believed the doctor and knew that Ami did not commit suicide but instead that it was Stella and therefore killed her,’ Queen Amirah thought.
“Paris left here after killing Stella. Where is her heart?” Deacon questioned, looking around.
Micheal remembered pressing his open palm against Paris's chest. ‘Paris became a day walker by taking a hunter’s heart and pushing it into his own chest where his heart once was,’ Michael thought but did not share his thoughts.
“Paris must have taken it with him. Maybe holding her heart allowed him to run off in daylight?” Deacon suggested.
“That is just darf. Everyone knows a vampire can be in daylight for a short moment in time,” Queen Amirah said and walked over to the window. “He could be in that cottage over there,” she pointed out, estimating that jumping from the window and running to the cottage will give him just enough time not to burn up in smoke from the sun.
“Well, let's found out,” Michael said and was about to leap out of the window when Queen Amirah stop him.
“The body first,” Queen Amirah called after him.
Michael grabbed Stella’s body and sped through the castle, leaving her body in the body fridge that was normally used for accidental human death by vampires.
Michael went straight to the cabin and sped back. “He is not there but there is a pile of ash nearby the cabin.”
“Poor guy. He must have not been fast enough,” Queen Amirah said, relieved that Paris are not alive to tell what she believed to be the truth.
Michael studied Queen Amirah’s face closely and knew she knew more than she led on. There was no pile of ash near the cabin. Michael just said so, wanting to get the truth himself. ‘I have tracked him once, surely the second time will be easier,’ Michael thought.
“I will get vampires to clean up this mess,” Michael said and was about to leave when they stop him.
“No! No one should know,” Queen Amirah was the first to say.
“I will tell them it is human blood,” Michael said.
“Won't they know it is hunter blood?” Deacon questioned.
“I am not picking up the difference,” Michael said and left.
“We should get out of here before the cleaning crew arrives,” Jovita suggested and made her way out of the room.
***
“Guys! What on earth is going on? Is Paris ok? Ann is in a really bad state,” Jessica exclaimed when she found her parents at the entrance of the higher council.
“Did Michael not tell you to stay with Ann?” Juno questioned.
“He did but I got worried,” Jessica explained.
“Worried about us?” Jovita smiled.
“Um,” Jessica choked. “Yes.” She was not going to let anyone know that she was worried about Deacon.
“I got to go,” Jessica said and rushed off, back to her dorm room.
“She was worried about Deacon,” Jovita chuckled, taking Juno’s hand, not noticing that Deacon was right behind them.
“Really?” Deacon said, making them turn around. “You guys think she was worried about me?”
“Urg,” Juno sounded and walked off, pulling Jovita along.
‘She does love me,’ Deacon thought, a smile creeping up his face.
