Chapter 472: Banished

When Princess woke up in the graveyard alongside Bambi, who was regaining consciousness at the same time, night had already fallen. The first thing that came to her mind was her girlfriend, and she did not need to waste time searching for her because she already knew who had her.

Silviana Kings.

Princess had no idea what that woman was planning, but one thing was certain. She was going to get her girl back, no matter what it took.

After making sure Bambi was awake enough to move, the two girls left the graveyard and headed straight for the chapel. However, when they arrived, they discovered that the doors were locked.

Princess grabbed the handles and pulled with all her strength, but the doors refused to budge. She tried again, growing increasingly frustrated as they remained firmly shut.

She was running out of patience.

Magic was involved, a Were-witch was involved, and considering everything that had happened, Princess was no longer willing to stand outside and wait for someone to let her in. She needed to find her girlfriend, and she needed to do it now.

There was only one thing left to do, something she had threatened Silviana with but never truly thought she would have to carry out.

Princess took out her phone and called a council member.

She reported Silviana’s infidelity and accused her of harbouring a witch within the town, making sure the council understood the seriousness of what was happening inside the chapel.

While waiting for them to arrive, Princess continued pacing in front of the entrance, her mind filled with terrible possibilities. What was Silviana doing to her girl? Was Faye alright? Had something happened to her while Princess was unconscious?

Every passing second made her more restless.

Beside her, Bambi was trying everything she could to break down the chapel doors, throwing herself against them whenever she found an opportunity. Neither girl was willing to give up or leave without finding the people inside.

Ten minutes later, three people arrived at the scene.

An elderly woman walked in the middle, accompanied by a young man and Nora Deanson. The woman was Eleanor Deanson, a name that carried considerable weight within Oakland. She took in the situation without asking Princess to explain herself before turning her attention to the chapel doors.

The three Deansons approached the entrance and began muttering a few words under their breath.

Almost immediately, the locked doors opened.

Princess did not waste a second. She rushed inside, only to stop when the sight before her left her momentarily speechless.

The chapel was unrecognisable.

Smoke filled the air, and the smell of burning wood hung heavily around the room. Half of the pews were missing, while the remaining ones were either damaged or still burning. Ashes covered sections of the floor, and the entire place looked as though a terrible battle had taken place inside.

Princess’s eyes swept across the ruins, desperately searching for her girlfriend, but Faye was nowhere to be seen.

There were no people in sight except for Silviana Kings, who sat in a corner looking as though she had been beaten within an inch of her life.

The woman was almost unrecognisable. Her clothes were damaged, her body covered in bruises, and the fear in her eyes was impossible to miss.

Princess stared at her for a moment before turning towards Bambi.

"Bambi, do you see your sire?"

There was no answer.

Princess turned around, only to realise that Bambi had disappeared as well. Her eyes widened as she looked around the ruined chapel, wondering where the hell everyone had gone.

Meanwhile, the three Deansons approached Silviana, their expressions serious as they prepared to deal with the matter that had brought them there.

Eleanor stopped in front of the injured woman and looked down at her.

"I need you to answer yes or no. This is a public place and property. Are you responsible for the damages?"

Her voice was calm, and she did not need to raise it to make herself heard. There was something about the way she spoke that made it clear she expected an answer without having to repeat herself.

Silviana slowly lifted her head.

"You were asked a question, Silviana Petrova Kings. Answer," the young man beside Eleanor demanded.

His name was David, and he did not appear interested in wasting time.

"Yes," Silviana admitted.

David watched her closely as Eleanor continued the questioning.

"Allegations have been made against you. Is it true that you harbour feelings for a Were-witch who is not a member of the Deanson family?"

"Yes."

"Is it also true that you and the witch performed the same forbidden ritual you were once pardoned for?"

"Yes."

Silviana answered each question without attempting to defend herself.

Eleanor studied the injured woman before asking her final question.

"You have admitted your wrongdoings. Are you certain that everything you have told us is true and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes, I admit it."

Nora stepped forward, her attention shifting towards the ashes scattered across the chapel floor.

"Where is the Were-witch? She needs to come forward and defend herself before her execution for breaking Oakland’s laws."

Silviana lowered her eyes towards the ashes near her feet.

"She has been executed. Her ashes are right before me."

Princess, who had been standing behind the three Deansons, immediately looked down.

Eleanor, David, and Nora followed her gaze, examining the remains scattered across the floor. Among them was a different pile of ashes, arranged almost like a pyramid and a distinct shade of grey compared to the rest.

Princess stared at it, struggling to make sense of what she was seeing.

What had happened inside this chapel?

And more importantly, where was Faye?

"Where is Faye?" Princess demanded, turning towards Silviana.

The injured woman slowly lifted her head.

"I don’t know."

Princess’s expression hardened.

"What do you mean you don’t know?"

"The two were here before you arrived. She must have teleported or done something to escape."

Silviana’s voice was low and weak, but her answer only left Princess with more questions.

Faye had been inside the chapel, and now she was gone. There were ashes on the floor, a severely injured Silviana, and no sign of Jacqueline Brown. Princess had no idea what to make of any of it.

David, however, seemed more interested in another matter.

"Where is the Hellbound Soul, and was the ritual a success?"

Silviana shook her head slightly.

"She already left. The witch failed..."

A brief silence followed her answer before Eleanor spoke again.

"Silviana, you were warned, and you refused to listen. This cannot go unseen."

She did not sound angry, but the disappointment in her voice made the situation clear. Silviana had already been given a second chance, and she had chosen to disregard the warning.

David stepped forward, taking over the proceedings.

"You were supposed to be executed, but since you are an important member of society, your punishment has been reduced. You are hereby banished from Oakland and forbidden from ever setting foot on its soil again. If you do, the council will not hesitate to execute you on the spot. You have forty-eight hours to pack up and leave."

Silviana lowered her head, accepting the verdict without protest.

Having delivered her punishment, the three Deansons turned away from her and approached Princess Kings.

Eleanor offered her a polite smile, as though they had not just witnessed the aftermath of a terrifying incident.

"To establish what actually happened to the victims, please tell them to head to the GPF station and give their statements when you see them. Thank you, Princess Kings, for your contribution. Keep being a good citizen. Good night young Alpha."

With that, the three Deansons left the chapel.

By tomorrow, the damaged building would be restored to its original state. Whatever had happened inside would leave no trace of the destruction, and the chapel would once again look as though nothing had ever occurred.

Once they were gone, only Princess and Silviana remained among the ruins.

Princess was still trying to understand what she had walked into, but Silviana seemed to have something else on her mind.

"Princess, will you do me a favour?" she asked quietly.

Princess turned towards her, waiting for her to continue.

"Gather her ashes and please give her a proper send-off. And please, can you avoid telling the council her identity or even letting her family know? If the council finds out about the Browns, they won’t hesitate to eliminate the rest of her family. It’s a favor."

Silviana bent down and picked up a handful of the ashes, holding them carefully in her palm.

For a moment, she stared at what remained of the woman she had once loved before slowly closing her hand.

Despite the bruises covering her body, she managed to stand. Something strange was happening, however. Her injuries seemed to be healing little by little, and the heavy pain she had expected to feel was no longer there.

She looked down at herself but said nothing about it.

Silviana had already made too many mistakes, and the events of that night had taught her a lesson she would not forget anytime soon.

She began walking towards the exit but stopped just before reaching the door.

"I underestimated Faye and her companions, and now I have lost someone dear to me. I don’t know what those two are planning, but they should never try to challenge the council. They will never be the same."

After saying those words, Silviana fell silent and left the chapel.

Princess remained behind, looking at the ashes scattered across the floor. She searched for something she could use to gather the remains of the burnt witch, carefully collecting what she could so she could give the woman a proper send-off.

Her mind was filled with questions.

What had really happened in there?

How had Jacqueline Brown met her end?

And how had Faye and Kiara managed to survive the entire mess?

Princess had no answers, and the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Eventually, she returned to her car, carrying the ashes with her. She opened the driver’s door and climbed inside, intending to take a moment to collect herself before deciding what to do next.

But the moment she looked up, she froze.

Someone was sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Faye, how did you get here?" Princess asked, staring at her girlfriend in surprise.

She had not even heard the door open, and she certainly had not seen Faye approach the car.

Still trying to process her sudden appearance, Princess turned towards the back seat.

Her eyes widened again.

Kiara was sitting there, completely naked and smelling like barbecue pork, as though someone had thrown her straight into a fire and pulled her out at the last second.

And beside her sat Bambi, who simply lifted a hand and waved at Princess.

"Hi..."