The Vampire Queen's Resurrection

CHAPTER TWENTY: A STONEHEART’S VISIT

“Emir, sweetheart. I’m here.” The familiar voice made Aaliyah freeze on the spot as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. The memory of the difficulties she’d endured in the past was still fresh in her heart. With the recent turmoil of her recollection flashes, it took her a moment to place the owner. It belonged to a member of her family.

Everlee Stoneheart – the little sister who’d never liked her. The sister who’d always been jealous of her beauty and her powers. Old doubts assailed her as her mind tried to place her past relationship with her younger sister. From her nebulous memories, her gut was telling her that there was a deep animosity between the two of them.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Aaliyah quickly hopped inside the plastic cupboard which would swallow her whole body from head to toe, making sure to leave the door slightly ajar which to allow her to breath. Plastic was known to cover odor, right? She could only pray it would work.

“Ever, what a nice surprise,” Emir was saying with a gentle tone which Aaliyah had never been serviced with. There was no trace of that mockery and disdain that emir seemed to reserve only for her benefit.

In that moment, she momentarily forgot the grief surrounding her heart to focus on the voices outside. What the hell was Everlee doing in her husband’s apartment? And why the hell was her sister addressing Emir as her sweetheart?!

All feeling of terror fled to be replaced by acute curiosity and a dark feeling which she could not immediately placed. Out of instincts, she placed a protective hand over her still flat belly to calm herself.

“How have you been?” Everlee was asking with a touch of thickness on her voice. “I’ve missed you for Papa’s birthday,” she said, which made Aaliyah ponder over the latest revelation.

It had been indeed her father’s birthday some days ago, and Aaliyah hadn’t even known about it. She could understand why Emir would shield her from her own family. Given their past indispositions, she wouldn’t put it past her family to have killed her. She frowned.

The night of her death was still a blank zone inside her head. There were some things she could remember, the basic ones. But not everything. The headaches were less frequent which meant that she would soon remember everything. Well, at least she hoped she would.

“I was busy with the shooting of my latest movie. I did call your father to notify him of my absence,” Emir informed politely. There was something strange about the conversation taking place outside.

While Emir maintained a calm unaffected demeanor, Everlee seemed to be emotionally attached. Or Emir’s stoic behavior was only for Aaliyah’s benefit. He knew she was right in the wardrobe able to hear every word. Which made her suspicious. Had something been going on between her sister and husband while Aaliyah had been dead?

Horror caught up with her as another bout of nausea hit her, and she gagged her saliva with great difficulty.

Don’t get stupid ideas in that thick head of yours, Al! she scolded herself for good measure. Besides, what did it matter? Emir was a full-blooded male who had ermmm needs. It was normal that he would move on after she’d died.

God! She gasped and stifled her mouth before the sound could escape. She fervently wished she was wrong.

“Yes, yes! Clegane told me about your last-minute call. I was seriously disappointed that you couldn’t make it. I was thinking that we could pick up where we left the last time?”

Oh crap! Aaliyah could no longer reign in the emotion which was threatening to swamp her. Rage or jealousy, what did it matter? All she knew was that her ears felt reddened to the extent of her feeling steam coming out of them.

“Relax!” Emir warned loudly, and Aaliyah stepped back quickly as she hadn’t even realized that the plastic door had opened completely.

“Relax? Why would you tell me to relax when I was clear about what I expected from you last time? You think I am coming on too strong?”

“No,” Emir snapped bluntly. “But I told you not to put pressure on me. I would think about your proposal and give you an answer.”

Proposal? What kind of proposal would that be? An indecent one?

Rage poured inside her though every cell – her damned sister had no business propositioning to her husband. And why the hell was she hiding behind a closet like she was the culprit? She was about to take a step out again when his warning stopped her once again.

“I’ll handle it!” Emir quickly stated. “I mean, I said I’ll handle it and I did. I am sorry but I am not interested in your proposal Ever. I wish you understood what I had with Aaliyah was not something I would ever trade.”

“What?!” Everlee exclaimed aghast. “B…but the last time, you didn’t seem adverse to the idea. In fact, you seemed very willing with the arrangement. I was clear that it had nothing to do with A…A…your ex-wife. It would be a business arrangement between us. What changed for you?”

Aaliyah growled fiercely under her breath, her wrists clenching into two tight fists as she fought for control. How she longed to land her knuckles in the face of her treacherous husband. So, he had been thinking of accepting that proposal – whatever the hell it was.

Somehow, it felt like a betrayal to her, even if Aaliyah had been dead to the world. She’d come back, hadn’t she? However, she was super keen to know what business arrangement those two had been concocting behind her back. So, she maintained her composure to listen some more.

“Don’t get any wrong ideas!” Emir muttered cryptically making her doubt whether he was addressing her or Everlee. He could read her mind, she reminded herself, so the warning was most probably for her. If it hadn’t been so serious, the situation would have been almost funny.

Everlee was not very satisfied with the response which she assumed was for her. “What do you mean? I didn’t get the wrong idea. I told you very specifically that any form of marriage between us would be a mere compromise. To ascertain your position on the throne.”

Aaliyah had had enough! How dared her sister barge into their lives and proposition her husband for a marriage deal? That was such a low blow.

“And I said no,” Emir replied quickly as he must have read Aaliyah’s intention of coming out of the closet – figuratively speaking. “I mean I am refusing the proposal. While I admit that I was tempted by the offer to secure my position as King in Aaliyah’s absence, I have no intention of getting married again. Ever.”

There was a shocked gasp resonating in the room and Aaliyah had enough feminine instincts to know where this was getting at.

“But you said…”

“I know what I said Ever. I was the one thinking about ways to secure my position on the throne with your father and cousin revolting against my reign. But now, I think that marrying a Stoneheart would be enough though.”

“It will be enough. I will try to make my father see reason. You know he warms up to me from time to time.”

Emir sighed, and Aaliyah could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose to calm his headache as he was used to. “Okay, Everlee. Let’s say that certain things have come into perspective during the past days. I am not sure I want to stop the revolution anymore. Those who want to declare war with me is most welcome to. I will fight them until my last breath.”

Everlee snorted derisively. “You know you are not strong enough. If we marry, my Supreme belong to you and you will have a large army force to negotiate.”

“Look, I won’t be the one starting any war with anyone. But don’t you see? Aaliyah was right all along. Look at what the vampires have turned into after her demise. We are now a bunch of uncivilized blood thirsty vultures painting the town red. And I mean that literally with all the bloodshed around the world!”

“I can’t believe you’re still vouching for that hypocrite. She killed your child for God’s sake. Who the hell does that? You were ton with grief, and she couldn’t even see what she was doing to you. I saw it. I saw how she destroyed you. I would never have done this to you. Oh, Emir, I…I have feelings for you.”

Alright, that was it! Emir was too stunned to stop her. So, she took the opportunity and stormed into the room red-faced, hands on her hips as she stared at the woman who had just been on the verge of confessing undying love to her husband.

“How dare you Everlee?” she shouted angrily, feeling betrayed by both of them. Did they think that they could continue with the affair behind her back? Why did Emir make love to her if he had burgeoning feelings for her sister? Aaliyah was horrified with how things were turning out.

“I don’t!” Emir protested vehemently. “I don’t have any feelings for her. You are deliberately misunderstanding the situation. I had no idea how she felt about me. She offered me a business arrangement to secure my position as the king, which I had every intention of declining. So, here we are!”

“But you were considering it?” she countered in challenge. How typical of a man to claim that he was unaware of how another woman was feeling about him and only accepting the proposal for the sake of the greater good. Aaliyah was so pissed right now that she wouldn’t be surprised if steam came out of her nose.

He nodded without hesitation. “I have to admit that there was a moment when the tension got so taunt between your father and me that I was considering almost anything…”

He was interrupted by a loud shriek which came from Everlee who seemed to have overcome the shock enough to emit a sound. “You’re alive?!!! H…how is that p…possible?” she stammered incoherently, her eyes popping out in sheer horror and fear as she grabbed her throat.

Despite her lack of powers, Aaliyah felt a surge of satisfaction when she saw her opponent losing her marbles at the mere sight of the queen being back. It looked like her old self had a pretty formidable reputation, and Aaliyah liked that intoxicating feeling of power overflow in her veins like a drug filling her system.

Aaliyah turned to face her sister with bulging eyes, memories of how powerful coming back to her. “How dare you seduce my husband, you unworthy creature? Get out! Get out of my apartment right now before I kill you!” she cried out angrily.

Everlee still didn’t react, she remained in that position with her mouth hanging open and ashen faced trying to make head and tails of what was going on. “W…what? But wait a second. I couldn’t smell you. You were right here in this room, and I couldn’t even feel you. And you look different. More…human,” she spat like it was an insult. “How is that even possible?”

“I came back from the dead. My husband resurrected me due to the power of our love. Now, will you please get out of here before you make me do something I regret?” she snapped furiously.

“No, no. Something’s off. The Aaliyah I know would have wiped me off from existence without a second of hesitation if she’d caught me with her husband. Either you’re not her or….” There was a moment of pause during which Emir shared a measuring look with her. Aaliyah nodded subtly without even knowing what she was acknowledging to, but she knew he was preparing for something. “… you’re back from the dead, and you have no powers?!” Everlee deduced in stunned stupefaction, her beautiful green eyes taking on a red hue of sadistic pleasure.

Aaliyah felt her heart constrict with fear as her sister crackled into an evil laughter which resonated through the entire building.