Tristan and Milan would be here in 24 hours.

Till then, Michaela suggested that we try contacting Cara through my body and find out as much as possible about Ezekiel's plan- why exactly did he choose me. Arian suggested that I live in the castle since my dad can't be trusted anymore and I didn't bother arguing even though I had absolutely no interest in seeing Arian his nights with other women.

I looked at Arian who was busy setting up everything that we'd need for Cara to be summoned through me. It was fascinating how Arian was so much more than just a King to one of the most powerful empires. He was a vampire gifted with magic in his veins and a serial killer with the stealth of a leopard and a heart of stone.

He looked at me and smirked.

"I'm beautiful, aren't I?"

I shook my head and laughed.I suppose losing his humanity made him immune to being cautious and worried. "Psychotics are not my idea of attractive, Ice," I replied smugly.

"Darling, I put the hot in psychotic," he murmured, meticulously drawing a circle of salt around me.

"And the laughter in slaughter," Michaela added.

"Exactly.I may be on the side of the angels but don't think for once that I'm not the devil," he said calmly with a smile that announced death during wars. How one person can have so many sides, I wouldn't know.

Arian was gifted with the power of psychometry which allowed him to touch objects and see their past, present and future and clairvoyance which gave him the power to talk to the dead using a crystal ball.

Avian, the youngest of the three cousins, had the gift of pyrokinesis and power mimicry . The latter was useful because it enabled him to absorb another person's magical abilities for twenty four hours.

Me?

Well I was just the possessed victim in all this.

I sat in the centre of the circle as Michaela began chanting something that scared me enough to look at my mate for encouragement. Arian's relaxed posture either meant that this would all go smoothly or that he didn't care if I died.

I'm guessing it's the latter.

All the candles in the room went off with one swift gush of wind and the three of us sat in darkness silently, waiting for Cara to emerge. Soft humming came from out of the room as a maid passed by but nothing else. Nada.

Arian yawned and gave Michaela a bored look. "Have you seen the movie Ouija? It started just like this," he grinned sheepishly.

I looked at Michaela's silhouette, silently begging her to disagree with him. She just shrugged and continued scratching off her nail polish. So much for both of them being VIP's.

"I still can't sleep for two days whenever I watch conjuring," Michaela said.

"That Curse of the Weeping Woman is the most whimpy shit I've ever seen. You know what would make a better story? The ghost of Bin Laden."

Their bickering began fading away until they were just whispers in the back of my head. It was quiet. No one else existed inside. The sound of gushing liquid filled my head to a point that it pounded enough for me to whimper and crawl blindly towards Arian. It was like a dam had been opened and it was all being poured into me. Into my soul.

His arms wrapped around my waist just as I hit the floor and succumbed to the darkness.

My mate's legs buckled as she fell to her knees just as I held her. A primal part of me roared at seeing her scared and unconscious but it was so distant. I didn't know why a part of me bothered with her. My emotions are off so she means nothing to me.

If she won't be my queen, someone else will.

Alaska's body began shaking violently and I looked at Michaela who just stared expectantly. The shaking stopped as my mate slumped into my arms and sighed. I took the time to observe her face. Every scar, the crease of her eyebrows, the way her lips turned into a frown. Her eyes shot open and she pushed me away.

Standing up, I smirked at her eyes that were now brown.

Cara's eyes.

She looked around sceptically at all the voodoo equipment which belonged to Michaela and then turned her focus to me. I must be fucked up in the head if I was flattered that a possessed woman was letting her eyes roam my entire body as she took me in.

Really fucked up.

"Where is he?" She whispered hoarsely.

She was asking about her mate, do doubt.

Adrian had returned to his own castle for a week to overlook some internal problems that his beta had caused.

"Let's skip the 21 questions and get to what's important, shall we?" I smirked as I took my seat on a velvet chair nearby. She continued standing and eyed me distastefully. Thank the gods that this woman is not my mate.

I don't like her a lot.

She's so rude.

? My vamp-self Lucien asked.

I'm prettier than her; I snapped back.

"Why am I here?" She questioned again.

"As much as I love making out with two women at once, my mate doesn't appreciate you being in her body," I sighed. She nodded and walked over to the window which she broke open with her bare knuckles to feel the air on her face.

She could have just unlatched the window.

Crazy woman.

"Ezekiel took my body from my family and in return he promised them to bring me back to life when he was done. However, once he realised that I was Adrian's mate, he wanted to take revenge from Adrian for killing him because of Milan and Elliot. So he hid my body and transferred my soul into Alaska just in case Adrian located my body," she said.

Her eyes were devoid of emotion. Being in hell must take a toll on her. I began contemplating whether bringing her back to life would be a good idea. She would never be the person she was before she died.

"Why Alaska? He must have had a reason," the witch seated next to me asked.

"I think Ezekiel realised that you were mated to Alaska. If he could control her, he could get you to hand over your empire to him without going through any trouble," Cara told us, still looking out of the window, "I don't know how and why. Only Ezekiel can tell you that."

"What would Ezekiel gain my taking over my empire?" I wondered.

"He's a psychopath. He's probably just doing this because he's bored of his miserable immortal existence," Michaela shrugged.

"What about Alaska's father? What game is he playing?" I questioned.

"He needs to-"

Cara began coughing. I frowned as blood dripped onto my carpet and glass table.

I liked that carpet.

"He wants his daughter to be queen," she groaned and once again began coughing.

"He did all this for a few million bucks," I spat out angrily.

Michaela chucked some powder at Cara and at once she dropped to the floor with a thud. The witch looked at me with disapproval written all over her judgy little face.

"The prince normally saves the princess from falling," she muttered.

"I'm Arian Ice, sweetheart," I said with a grin knowing fully well that my name itself explained all my actions.

I scooped my mate into my arms and carried her to her room, Michaela on my tail. Courtiers passing by looked curiously at my unconscious mate making me hiss at them.

I'll pluck their fucking eyes out if they continue staring at their Queen.

We walked into Alaska's room and I placed her on her bed, looking at her room with distaste. Not only were there clothes and shoes scattered all over the room, there were posters on the walls of some gay-as-fuck boyband.

"Good luck with having her as your Queen," Michaela snorted, "She likes BTS. Your kingdom is DOOMED."

The door opened and Milan walked in along with her son Tristan.

"Tristan's hungry and I'm hungry and I demand something to eat right now because I can't function on an empty stomach. I'm going to the bathroom now and when I come back there better be a damn feast spread out for me."

"Yes, ma'am." I smirked.

Milan Chandler Gabriel was one hell of a Queen and she knew that damned well.

Her five-year old son, Tristan, grinned at me and that god damned smile evil of the evil son-of-a-bitch reminded me of the last time I saw him when he threw a bucket of water on me for no reason at all and then ran to Milan for protection when I threatened to skin him alive.

His tiny feet carried him to the box of cookies lying next to my mate's bed. He touched her cheek gently and looked up at me. "Are you going to marry this girl?" He asked with a mouthful of cookies.

"Maybe," I replied sceptically.

I can't reveal my plans to this demon.

Children are so evil.

, Lucien snorted.

"Okay," Tristan said with a shrug, "I'm going to marry her if you don't." Michaela burst out laughing and I flipped her the finger. As if my mate will want to marry him. She's his mother's age.

"She's mine, worm," I warned.

"I always get what I want, giant," he grinned sheepishly.

"Giant? I'm only 6'3" it's not my fault that you're a midget!"

"I'm a five year old!" He said exasperatedly.

Milan walked into the room and looked at us. Tristan's eyes widened and he pointed an accusing finger at me. "Ma he called me a worm!" He pouted.

Milan looked at me. "Arian can you ever act your age?"

"Whatever," I grumbled irritatedly.

The young woman looked at her son and put on a serious face. "So someone ate all the cookies and didn't leave any for me," she said, offering her son a pointed look.

The young man, with wide eyes eyed me nervously. "Why did you eat all the cookies, Tristan?" She scolded softly, shaking her head at him.

"Because I like them," the boy mumbled. I grinned at the future king but faked a cough when his mother glared at me.

"You can't always get whatever you want, Tris-

"But daddy says that I'm a prince and I can get anything that I want," the boy boastfully cut his mother off. Milan frowned at her son. I'm pretty sure she vowed never to leave the father and son alone.

Milan sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Tristan, you're a prince; born out of love. Not riches," she reminded.

"But dad wanted you and he got you so-"

"Tristan!" Milan screeched.

I chuckled. Elliot raises his son right. At least this little brat will be a good king. He's still a son-of-a-bitch though. The worst of the lot.

A groan came from the bed.

All four of us turned to look at Alaska who opened her eyes and yawned. Her eyes landed on Milan and then on Tristan and she smiled softly at him, running her hand across his cheek just as he had done a few minutes ago.

I saw how she touched the five year old longingly and then turned her gaze towards me.

Will we ever have this? She asked in her mind, fully aware that I could hear her thoughts.

I cursed my cheeks for turning red and looked away from her. Perhaps we would have that some day because I need an heir but I'm in no rush.

Milan and Alaska spoke for a few minutes exchanging vital information which was just a fancy word for gossip used by them. Tristan sat on the floor with Michaela and the duo were then joined by my mate who held Tristan's hand to comfort him.

Pussy.

Lucien said with a sigh.

I was a brave kid, I replied arrogantly.

Lucien laughed.

H-How do you know that?

, he laughed.

I shut him out once Michaela started chanting. She took Tristan's palm and cut it open, letting blood drip onto the map she placed belong his hand. As she continued chanting, the candles flickered as the blood drops separated and formed a circle around a particular spot.

Michaela wiped off the blood and started the whole process again.

And again.

And again.

"This isn't possible. We've been there a million times. Noah can't be there," Alaska whispered.

I tried moving closer to see where the magic declared Ezekiel's evil lair was.

"Magic doesn't lie," Michaela said.

"Blackwater forest," I read aloud.

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