Bambam walks into the room. It’s a very elite group of individuals that have been invited to this meeting. They host it a building on the other side of the West Bank far away from the palace. He’s dressed in his best but honestly he’s dressed to kill…politically that is. He wouldn’t dirty his hands getting into a real fight with Jr.

King Mark is there. Bambam looks over at him. Bambam isn’t really impressed by Mark. He always thought Mark was too patriotic. He always cared way too much about Eden for Bambam’s personal tastes. For Bambam, Mark loved the city and the city loved him back. It was stupid in Bambam’s opinion but Mark was there. He was the most powerful person in Eden and everyone knew it.

“Can he really do this? Can he really divorce me?” Mark asks the table.

The table consists of Serine. She doesn’t speak. She’s doesn’t have much of a title. She is here to report back. She’s a representative of Countess Ira, the King’s top Advisor. Ira couldn’t be seen with this group of course. It would be treason. Ira was much too smart for that.

Right next to Serine is Count Remsen. Remsen is an attractive man who is probably 150 years old but is stuck in the body of a 20 year old. Remsen is the blood collector in charge of the blood department. It’s the most important department in Eden. Bambam would have to keep Remsen close with the blood shortage. He’d bribed him several times but Remsen was in love with Satyr…Bambam’s partner in crime. In Eden politics you had to keep these people close. Remsen’s department was vital for Eden. They were in charge of collecting the blood from blood suppliers outside of Eden. Clearly Remsen hated Jr as this whole Lilith blockade was causing a blood shortage. Bad for business.

“He can…but just because he can doesn’t mean he will,” Countess Livia states.

Countess Livia is big in the military. She is a war hero. Apart from Mark she is the biggest figure in Eden. She was tough, strong and ruthless. Right next to her is Countess Boznango and Count Black. They are both in charge of city defense.

“He’s not stupid,” Countess Boznango states, “King JB is making empty threats.”

Black nods in agreement, “Just make up with him. It’ll be fine.”

“No it won’t.”

They all turn to the dark horse at the table. Jackson. His tan skin gleams. Bambam can’t help but to stare at him. He’s always been so attractive to Bambam. How many times had Satyr not suggested a with them and Jackson? Satyr would be interested to know that Jackson showed up for this little meeting to bring down JB and Jr.

Bambam agrees, “We should listen to Jackson. He knows the dynamic between JB and Jr more than anyone of us.”

Jackson nods, “You’re all fools if you think JB won’t divorce Mark.”

Livia seems distant, “He wouldn’t do something so stupid.”

“You must have never been in love,” Jackson argues with the countess pushing his arms on the table, “Mark he will divorce you and he will marry Jr…”

Gasps cross the table.

Bambam clutches his chests. He is inclined to agree with Livia. King JB was in love with Jr---yes, but to marry the son of Lilith? Jr was the most hated person in Eden. Jackson was a good military person but maybe he wasn’t as in tune with political decisions.

“JB wouldn’t marry that piece of ,” Bambam says.

‘Bambam don’t call him that,” Mark responds.

Bambam rolls his eyes. It’s the weakness that Bambam knows Mark to be. Mark had a history with Jr. It was history that got in the way. However unlike JB, Mark seemed to love Eden just a little bit more than he cared about Jr. Bambam could use that.

Jackson stares at Bambam, “JB loves that piece of that you mentioned by the way. And he will marry him. Like it or not.”

“People will rebel,” Livia responds.

“There will be a coup,” Count Black states.

The elders are right. Mark married JB to keep the peace. There would be a revolution if JB divorced Mark.

“And he’ll still do it…not for political reasons. He doesn’t care about politics. He’s in love,” Jackson states.

“But marrying…Jr…” Bambam laughs. He can’t help the thought of it.

“He’ll do it,” Mark states.

They all look at the King. They were all very influential in pairing Mark up with JB. The others said they had done it to keep the peace in Eden. They wanted a King that the country believed in. They felt like Mark could best protect them against Lilith. JB had the bloodline but Mark would be the true king.

Bambam had other reasons.

“Are you sure?” Bambam asks Mark.

“Yes. I’ve tried to get between JB and Jr before. It didn’t work,” Mark responds, “If I can’t do it. Then no one can.”

“We kill him,” Livia suggests.

Jackson laughs, “You can’t…let’s be serious…”

Livia pounds her arm on the table, “You want to test that theory Jackson?”

“Listen. Even if you did try to kill him and you succeeded…JB would burn us all alive,” Bambam argues.

It’s something they can all agree on. The room gets quiet.

“We need to do something…drastic,” Jackson suggests.

“I can talk to Yeatman from batchat. She’s on the payroll. Propaganda will work,” Bambam suggests, “We’ll have the people speak for us. We’ll REMOVE JB as King.

“Excellent idea,” Mark states, “Attack JB instead of Jr. Do it.”

“What will I get in return?” Bambam asks.

“I should have known,” Mark responds, “I suppose you wouldn’t want to be doing this off the fact that we were friends.”

Bambam laughs. Friends.

What the hell was that?

Bambam shakes his head, “When you sit on the throne alone you marry Satyr.”

Mark sits there for a second.

“Not you?.”

Bambam is way too smart to be king. Kings were under the spotlight too much. Bambam liked working from the shadows. That’s why he kept his number 2 around. That’s why he kept Satyr round. He’d be able to rule through her but with none of the scrutiny.

“You marry Satyr and I’ll make sure Eden hates JB. He’ll be the MEcbert Antoinette of Eden. And we all know how she ended up.”

Jackson shakes his head, “That’s not enough. We need something more drastic…”

Bambam looks at Jackson. The rest of the room as well. There is something sick about a man in here plotting to destroy his own son. It was honestly pretty low down even for Bambam.

“Thanks Jackson but I believe this is drastic enough,” Bambam responds.

Jackson isn’t in agreement. It’s clear.

It’s not clear what he has planned though.

“Deal,” Mark agrees with Bambam.

Bambam smiles. Down with the King….

***

“We'll start up again first thing in the morning.”

It's been day 15 that Justice has been missing. 15 days for someone to go missing is a lot. I realize that the elders aren't the only ones who blamed me for Justice being kidnapped. They feel like I have some connection with the Thirsts. They feel like I can control them because of who my mother is. I don't know how they make the connection. It's pure speculation. It's pure bull but it doesn't matter. The news has been reporting it as if it were fact.

“Thanks Candy.”

It's interesting that Candy is the one with me. She's been with me this entire time. These 15 days were tough. The Elite team were tasked with finding Justice as priority number 1 but Candy and I were the only ones taking this serious. It wasn't safe in the streets as well. People attacked me out of nowhere. I always turned the other cheek. I always ran away when people on the streets of Eden came at me.

I wasn't sure if I could be doing that for much longer.

“No problem...oh...dam...” Candy states.

Something stops her right in her tracks. We are on our way to my apartment. Candy is walking me to my room. At first I'm annoyed by it but people are less likely to act crazy if I'm not alone. They have some sort of respect for Candy because of her family line or whatever. I'm thankful she walks me to my room.

When I realize what has stopped Candy in her tracks my mouth drops.

“.”

My apartment door and the apartment that JB rented out for me next door both have been broken into. I walk into the room. My is all over the place. All of those beautiful clothes that JB had gotten me...were ripped to shreds.

All of the beautiful gifts that JB had gotten for me...were missing.

“I should call the King's guard. We should make a report,” Candy suggests.

She has this look in her eyes. She looks sorry for me. It's sad when someone pities you. You start feeling sad for yourself. You start believing them. I want to cry. I'm not even going to lie. It isn't the material stuff. It's the fact that these were gifts from JB.

These were things that he gave me to show me he loved me. They were all either stolen or destroyed.

“It's OK,” I state, “No point.”

On the wall there is something smeared in red. It's blood. There are three phrases.

Find Justice.

Free Roman.

Bury Jr.

“Let me get a rag. I'll help you take it off,” she states looking at the wall.

It's a message. It's a clear message. It doesn't matter who it's from. It could be anyone. They all hated me. It's probably someone I didn't know. It's probably someone I'd never even met before. Right now everyone in Eden hated me and it was clear.

We sit there in silence trying to clean the blood from this wall. Candy is quiet. It's not until the chanting starts that she seems bothered. She looks outside my window but I know who it is. It's people of Eden. A hundred vampires sitting outside my apartment chanting.

“Find Justice! Free Roman! Bury Jr!”

They chant it over and over and over.

“You don't have to deal with this,” I tell Candy, “You can leave if you want.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” she responds.

She scrubs at the wall harder. The words are coming off but the walls are smeared with blood now. The red has tinted the walls and the stain isn't coming out. No matter how hard I scrub it doesn't come out. It's...useless.

Find Justice.

Free Roman.

Bury Jr.

“Why are you being so nice?” I ask her.

Candy shrugs, “I'm a leader not a follower.”

“And you don't want anything?” I ask.

I'm suspicious. People in Eden didn't do things from the kindness of their hearts. Candy had something up her sleeve and I just haven't figured it out yet. I knew Candy. She was clever. She was shrewd. If she was helping me like this there was a reason.

Candy