AVA
The whole thing with Paula… was a shock, and it wasn’t a shock I really knew what to do with. I’d known and loved this woman for a long time; she was key in helping me feel at home here, or, at least I believed she was.
And now, to find out she betrayed me, my family and everything we stand for? No. That was a fact neither Artemis or I really knew what to do with. We needed closure, but how do you get closure when someone has maliciously tried to stop you ever having children of your own?
I hardly slept that night. I just kept remembering my mum’s face as she sobbed on the floor and the look of utter disgust that my dad gave Paula.
The morning after, I got a frantic link from Alex. Far too early in the morning for problems to be coming up.
“Ava, Jacob,” he groaned, even in my mind he sounded worn out.
“What?” I groaned. “If it’s not an emergency I’m going to kick your backside.”
“Someone tried to break Paula out.”
Jacob swore quietly in response.
“On my way.”
I closed the link, rolling out of bed and pulling on the first clothes I found, Callum and Jeremiah on my heels as I ran down to the basement.
“What happened?” I asked, as soon as Alex and Jacob were in sight.
Alex motioned towards another cell where there was a middle aged man unconscious.
“We caught this man on CCTV attempting to pick the lock on Paula’s cell.”
“How did he get in?” Callum hissed.
“That… I don’t know.”
“A witch?” Jacob queried.
“Maybe…” I replied. “We know Elijah has been working with witches for a long time.”
“If that was the case, why would he not just take Paula straight out from the cell?” Alex asked.
“They are magically protected,” Jacob and I replied in sync.
“The cells themselves are impenetrable,” I continued.
“Why would the entire complex not be magically protected?” Alex sounded exasperated.
“Because we do have people teleport into the complex sometimes. Depending on where they are coming from, it can be easier,” Jacob replied.
“You should probably revisit that though, Jacob,” Callum added. “Especially if our enemies are now relying on witches to get things done.”
He nodded, his lips pursed in stress.
I sighed, stretching my neck from side to side. “Shall we talk to Paula again?”
“I’ll do it, Ava,” Callum replied, voice calm, collected. “I know this is hard for you, and understandably so. You’ve always been close to her, you shouldn’t have to do this.”
I nodded, tiptoeing to kiss his forehead, before stepping back and letting Callum take over.
CALLUM
I took a deep breath, before stepping through the door into Paula’s cell. Keeping Ares under control was proving to be very difficult. This woman acted like a family friend, claiming to look after and care for Ava since she was nine, and then she betrayed her with no remorse.
Ares was absolutely fuming. He hadn’t stopped growling since we found out that Paula was responsible for everything bad that has happened to Ava in nearly a decade.
I leaned against the wall, staring at her across the room, and I knew that Ares was showing in my eyes. “So, Paula.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Elijah is trying to break you out, then?”
She just growled.
“Why is Elijah trying to break you out?” I commanded.
“He… he needs me.”
“Why?”
“Information.”
“What information?”
“About… the Queen.”
“What information?!”
“Where she is… her weaknesses… your weaknesses.”
“What is he planning?”
“Kidnapping…” she groaned under the weight of my aura, sweat dripping down her face. “He wants to take her.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“What is your part in this?”
“Drugs…” she whimpered.
“You were ordered to drug the Queen? What with?”
“Yes… I don’t know what it is.”
“Where is it?”
“My… my room.”
“Jacob, Alex, get someone to go search her room. There’s drugs somewhere that she was planning to give Ava, but she doesn’t know what it is,” I linked to the pair of them. I knew they wouldn’t be able to hear absolutely everything we said, Paula was too quiet.
“What is Elijah’s plan?”
“I don’t know,” she smirked, but I could hear she’s in pain.
“You don’t know or you can’t tell me?”
“Can’t tell you.”
“Ava,” I turned to face her. “Can you grab Theo?” She nodded, her eyes glazing slightly as she linked him.
“He’ll be here in two minutes, Callum.”
“Theo has a handy skill, Paula,” I gave her a smile as I turned back to face her. “He can read minds, you see. We haven’t been able to test the true extent of those skills yet, but luckily for you, you get to be our guinea pig.”
“What’s up, Callum?” Theo’s voice suddenly appeared behind me.
“We’re going to do an experiment,” I replied, a smirk on my face. “We’re going to find out if you can get in Paula’s mind and find out what Elijah has planned.”
He smirked back at me. Both he and Hermes are just as pissed about the entire situation as Ares and I are.
“Alright then,” Theo grinned.
“Paula, I command you to think about Elijah’s plan. Remember the conversation you had with him. Show us what is going to happen.”
“Nicely done,” I heard my dad whisper. He sounded both proud and annoyed that I was having to do this.
Paula cried out as she tried to clear her mind, and Theo’s head tilted to the side told me that he was in there.
The longer Theo was in her mind, the worse her cries and groans got. “She’s fighting me,” Theo growled. “She won’t win, but she’s trying.”
After a few more minutes… Paula passed out.
“What did you see?” I asked him.
“Let’s all go upstairs to the office,” he replied. “I can just tell the story once then.”
AVA
Myself, my Kings, Alex and Jacob found ourselves back in my office shortly after. “What did you find out, Theo?” I asked him, as soon as we were in the door.
“Elijah gave her the entire plan. Either, he was very sure that his command would stop us finding out, or… it’s a lie that he set up as a failsafe.” He paused to take a drink, his eyes meeting mine. I could see the tension in them. “He’s planning to make a move from the south. They’ll come in through the border in between the two southern security huts when the shift changes over at 11pm. He’s bringing a lot of wolves and Lycans, Ava… He is planning to put you in a situation where you trade yourself to save someone close to you.”
My face paled. “Who?”
“Your… your mum.”
“He’s targeting my mother?” I growled, Artemis flaring in my eyes.
Theo nodded, and even my Kings winced at the feel of my anger. “He thinks if he takes your mum and threatens her, you’ll trade yourself for her willingly.”
We went through everything else Theo found out, and my anger just got worse and worse. Artemis was snarling in my mind constantly.
He read me well. Elijah was right. If it came to it, I’d trade myself for my mum in a heartbeat. But right now, I had to put my Queen face on. I needed to protect my mum and kick Elijah six ways to Sunday.