The screaming burrowed through Visena's ears, chiselling into her consciousness.

Who the fuck is that?

Her head still rang from the misfire as she tried to sit up. Gideon pulled her to his chest as warm wetness soaked through her velvet jumpsuit and coated her fingers. The floor felt slick beneath them, but she couldn't see anything past Gideon's black dress shirt. "Gideon, let go. We need to move."

The rattling Council doors against Leon and Rebekah's grip confirmed that fact.

His body shook against her, and she felt immeasurable pain slip through the mind link. The screaming shifted to a wail, and Visena started shivering. Her head turned to the side, and she saw the wetness was deep scarlet. "What- Gideon?"

His own pained groan had Visena panicking. "Let go, Gideon. Let me go right now!" He only held her tighter, not letting her see. "Who is it? Gideon! Thyra? Eve?"

She pushed her power against him, but he resisted.

Wails turned to howls as someone shifted. "Please, please, please. Gideon, let me go!" she screamed, throwing her body away from him. Her back hit the floor, winding her from the force. She rolled onto all fours with a pained gasp and saw Thana carrying a limp form and Ambrose directing an ebony wolf towards the exit. The remaining Vampires held the door, and Visena crawled towards Thana. "Stop! Stop, Thana!"

Warm arms encircled her waist, and Gideon pulled her into his embrace again. This time she let him hold her as she saw the body. Wet droplets hit her cheek as tears streamed down her mate's face.

No, no, no, no. NO!

"Get her to the penthouse," Rebekah's muted yell barely reached her consciousness. "We'll meet you there."

"Eve? Evangeline, answer me! Eve?"

Gideon tried to gently quiet her despite grief rolling off his shaking frame.

No. She's fine! She's going to be fine. She's okay. "Eve?"

Thana moved faster, and a tattooed arm dropped into Visena's sight, so pale beneath the crimson stains.

"Thana, wait!"

The Vampire wouldn't face her. Why is she running away? Thana turned down a corridor, and Visena saw it. Eve's face. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth hung slightly ajar. If it weren't for the spurting hole in the centre of her forehead, Visena would have thought she was sleeping.

What is that? An idea popped into her head, and she leapt for it, knowing it would prove Eve was okay.

Visena frantically searched her mind link for her friend. She rifled through every thread of consciousness and came up empty. Eve's link was missing. Gone? "Where is it? Where is it, Gideon?" she asked with painful sob.

"She's gone, Visena. She's dead. Stop."

Gideon raked his hand across his face and adjusted his grip around her waist as she imploded.

Flowing water rushed all around them and she tore it out through metal piping, jib and steel plating. Water flooded the halls of the human council section, and people came running from the rooms frantically.

After an alert went off, some pulled out phones and ran for the exits. No one batted an eye at the wailing woman clutched in her giant mate's arms. He carried her as she tore the building apart around them, screaming in agony. He waded through the flooded halls until they reached the garden. Her body lost all energy as they crossed the threshold, and she stilled in Gideon's embrace staring listlessly into space. Numb.

"We're almost there."

The ride up the elevator took what sanity was left from the Fae. Her eyes glued themselves to a small red splotch on the floor. Every ding of the elevator floors felt like a repetitive gut punch, and the sight when the doors opened only amplified her pain.

Thyra crouched over Eve's lifeless body with a blanket draped over her shoulders. She sobbed openly into Eve's neck and kissed her mate's cooling cheeks.

Thyra's begging made Visena want to die. Pleading for life to return to Eve's body. "Come back. I need you."

Ambrose and Thana came and blocked the view with morose expressions.

"What do you want to do? " Thana asked the pair.

As if on autopilot, Visena replied, "I'll make a portal. Will you take them through?"

Both Ambrose and Thana nodded, staring worriedly at the Fae.

"It will be good to see Calypso again," Ambrose murmured.

Visena made the small portal, and Thana picked Eve up again. Thyra groaned, tearing at her hair as Ambrose led her to the portal.

Visena reached out her hand to the Praelia alpha, "I'm -"

"This is your fault! We should never have come here!" Thyra screamed before stepping through the portal and disappearing.

Visena let her hand fall and stared at the spot her friend had gone. Her heart slowed, and her vision dulled.

"It's all my fault," she echoed.

"It's not. She just lost her mate. Visena, look at me. This is not your fault." Gideon spun her into his body and held her as she sobbed herself to sleep.

*

"- they're regrouping, probably at one of their private buildings, but they won't stop. There have to be bigger plans at play here. Now that the Wolf Council has disbanded, the choppers have been increasing their presence around the city packs." Liam's voice grumbled through a mobile device. The connection was choppy, and some words were delayed.

"It's only been two weeks," Gideon replied quietly, as if not to wake his mate.

"These plans seem well organised," Nairi added.

"I saw them. Ten well-armed humans in full Kevlar. They had UV bombs, automatic rifles and wolfsbane vials," an unfamiliar voice spoke. "They're scoping the packs without barriers hiding them. We haven't seen any since Calypso shielded Malum."

"They're going to eradicate us," Liam whispered in disbelief.

Nairi tutted, "The wolves need their Queen. You're the King now. Do something."

"She needs time. She won't eat or talk. She's grieving," Gideon said.

Visena stared at the back of the sofa, silently listening to the call. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she heard the updates. She was failing everyone. Some Queen I am.

"You missed the funeral. We had to bury her." Liam's voice sounded thick with restrained emotion.

"I know...I'm so sorry. How's Thyra?"

"She disappeared once they returned. I think she's in Malum's forest. I mean, our forest now..."

I should have never accepted the role. I'm letting everyone down.

Thana's penthouse had been a haven for the past two weeks, not a soul bothering them. The Human Council supposedly disappeared right after everything.

"They've been targeting Vampires still cursed to the darkness, too. We have none of Visena's blood left to turn them. I will have to leave if she doesn't return," Mihnea's anguished voice wrenched Visena's heart. "I need to protect them..."

The Fae rolled onto her back, startling her mate sitting opposite.

She swallowed deeply, trying to lubricate her parched throat. "I'll come back. Tell them we'll come back."

Gideon looked at his mate with wide eyes. Her voice sounded husky and tired from the screaming.

"Did you catch that?" he asked the screen.

"Yes," Liam answered.

They ended the call, and Gideon sat in silence, watching his catatonic mate. "I suppose you heard all of that?"

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

"Most of it."

"They're killing us. It was the Humans' all along. Zeir had to have just been their puppet. It's only a matter of time before they find Invictus."

"Maybe we should let them."

"Visena." Gideon was firm. It seemed he wouldn't let her make any rash decisions that could endanger the packs. He'll be a good king.

But the decision wasn't rash. It was all she could think about in her days of silence. If she could lure the Human Council to neutral ground, she could stop them. No weapons would be a match for her magic. She wanted blood.

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do," he replied.

"Then let's go."

~~~

A/N

I have no words.

I hope you can forgive me :(

Prepare for some very emotionally unstable Queen Visena for a few chapters.

K