High above in the dark night sky the faint thrum of helicopter blades could be heard in the distance. Luc motioned to Nico who was still ordering the prison guards about. Nico came over to where we were and waited for Luc's command.

"Take Mia back to the palace and have the doctor check her over," Luc said.

I sat up in his arms and asked, "Are you not coming with me?"

Luc curtly replied, "No. I have other matters to attend to."

The distance in his voice and the coldness in his eyes were killing me. I wanted to be near him, I wanted to be with him but he was purposefully pushing me away. I couldn't help but feel Luc was trying to punish me for closing my mind to him.

"Luc..." I breathed in a broken voice.

But Luc wasn't prepared to listen. He stood up with me in his arms and handed me over to Nico as if I was a doll. Luc then with a parting glance he said, "I will see you later."

Then I watched him leave and with each step he took my heart felt like it was in a vice that was slowly and agonisingly being turned so it squeezed and tightened painfully. I swallowed back a cry and I wrapped my arms around Nico's neck and quickly pressed my face against his neck to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

Nico stiffened uncomfortably and asked, "Are you crying?"

"Just shut up and don't ask me any more questions!" I murmured into his shirt collar.

Nico made a noise that was crossed between a groan and an irritated sigh, and then began to walk back through the restaurant to the parking lot. The restaurant and the car park were now completely clear as all the guests had been ushered off the premises. Only a few bemused members of staff remained behind to clear up the half uneaten plated of food that had been left behind.

"Do they know what we are?" I asked Nico curiously.

"They know enough to know that we are not entirely like them." Nico replied.

I watched the staff over Nico's shoulders as they hovered about the periphery of the room and I wondered what they think about Nico carrying me through the restaurant. But none of staff said or did anything except continue to tidy up. In fact I noticed that the members of staff didn't even look at us when they passed through. It seemed like they were told not to ask questions or make comments.

"Do many people know about us?" I asked.

"No, and we like to keep it that way." Nico replied.

We walked through the rest of the building until we came to the side entrance that led into the parking lot. Nico tacticfully kicked open the side door of the restaurant and exited out side where an unfamiliar SUV was parked.

Nico paused scanning the unfamiliar vechile but relaxed when the door was flung open and Henrietta emerged with several of her guards. A smile crept across my face as she ran towards us, tottering precariously in stiletto heels.

"Oh Mia, I came as soon as I heard," She gasped then registered that Nico was holding me.

"I passed out." I quickly explained reading her expression.

Henrietta reached out and took my hand in a comforting gesture, "You poor thing- you must be in a state of shock." She said.

"I'm fine- I just don't know why I fainted." I said.

"Oh it must because of the stress," Henrietta suggested, "I mean, I couldn't believe that he escaped and that he came looking for you after what he did to your poor friend."

I paused picking up on the last few words that she had spoken- 'your poor friend'. Furrowing my eyebrows together I looked at her and asked, "What do you mean? What are you talking about my poor friend?"

"Well I know she wasn't really your friend but it is still a tragedy never the less." Henrietta said.

"Henrietta I don't know what you are talking about- what friend, what tragedy?!" I said feeling my patience running thin.

Henrietta glanced at Nico and said, "You didn't tell her?"

Nico hesitated and said, "There has been a lot for all of us to deal with and I didn't think it was the right time."

The sick feeling of that something was terribly wrong was clawing at my insides again, "What are you talking about?" I asked again in a much weaker voice.

Both Nico and Henrietta exchanged looks and then Henrietta said, "Look Mia, I don't know how to tell you this and I don't want to upset you... but something really bad happened tonight before Casper came looking for you."

"Like what?" I asked numbly.

"Oh Mia, we think that after Jacques was taken to the palace this morning he somehow slipped the guards and managed to break out Casper and tell him everything about you and that girl."

"What?" I murmured in disbelief.

"We are pretty sure that Jacques was the one who betrayed us. He was the one who set Casper free and he was the one who told Casper where to find you... Jacques knew that Luc was taking you to dinner tonight because he had helped Luc set up the dinner arrangements." Henrietta explained.

Numbly I recalled Nico telling me that Jacques had helped Luc pick out this place and help decorate it. But even then with this information I didn't want to believe Henrietta because Jacques had protected me even when Luc was beating the living hell out him.

"No-no this isn't right." I replied.

"I am so sorry Mia, Jacques freed Casper and he told him about that girl- Laura Taylor. Casper went to the hospital where Laura was and he... he..." Henrietta's voice broke and she couldn't finish her sentence. She mouthed an apology and turned away to hide the tears that were now falling down her face.

"Laura's dead?" I breathed.

Henrietta turned back and replied, "Yes...I am so sorry Mia."

Ice began to fill my veins and I struggled to breath. I gripped onto Nico's shirt but felt the world spinning again. Looking up at Nico I whispered, "I think I am going to pass out."

My eyes drifted back to Henrietta and I immediately suppressed a scream. As I looked at Henrietta I could see Laura Taylor standing behind her in a pale green hospital gown with a great wide gaping hole in her chest where her heart once was.

Laura lifted her head, her face covered in blood where the arteries and blood vessels must have spurted and leaked when Casper had pulled the organ from her chest, and she said, "You killed me, you fucking bitch."