“You are tasked with caring for our misplaced and forgotten young. Why place them in these horrid places instead of reporting those places?” Jameson just shrugged at this.
“How did you keep what was happening from your supervisor? surely he or she would notice one child moving so often,” I chuckle at that one.
“I can answer that one, my files were kept on paper, not in the universal system, and his direct supervisor is his step-dad, they just don’t advertise that information” There are a few gasps, and the Judge scribbles something down. Jameson snarls at me, demanding how I know that information, and I just give him a smirk.
He never realised I had shifter senses, so I could listen to his hushed conversations when he called his mummy,
“Why do Ms Ashes' official records state she was adopted at a few months old, but not by whom?” The guy points to a printed form, which is then shown on the TV screen.
“A family did, but they died in a car accident, I must have forgotten to change the records”, another bored shrug.
“Why was Ms Ashes' file never made digital? Or given the DNA testing, ALL children in the system are required to do?” The guy who asks is smug,
“The DNA came back different each time, and where she was upsetting families so often, I used the spare time I should have been typing her file up, carting her around.”
The last to ask shakes her head at Jameson and turns to me,
“Ms Ashes, how did you survive?” I smile.
“I had some kind friends along the way, plus Nikoli Ivanova is my grandfather, and his stubborn Russian blood pumps through my veins” I hear the judge chuckle at my answer
“Mr Jameson, please take your seat. From your own memories and those from the accused, we can see Ms Ashes has not manipulated anyone, does the jury agree?” All twelve headsnod, and the Judges question
“Mr Jameson, you will return to your cell. I don’t believe ALL evidence was taken into account, so your original case will be reviewed,” the judge bangs the gavel
“Court dismissed” Saint appears at my side, cutting off Jameson’sview of me, and he takes me directly home; he has already filled in our family with everything that happened. I curl up in his arms and fall asleep.
When I wake, Dad is there.
“Baby girl, I need to say sorry yet again, for failing you”I go to speak, but he holds up his hand.
“No, let me finish, I am aware it’s not fully my fault, you mentioned Jameson's stepfather at the trial” I give him a nod.
“I never met him, heard his and another man's voice over phone calls, but that doesn’t help with identifying them. There is a note in one of the books I gave Dec when I first arrived” he gives me another nod.
“Well, let me fill in some of the blanks, but I’m going to keep it short-ish” Another nod from me, Ren puts an arm around me, and it's then I notice Dec, Saint, Bray and Grumps all sat here too.
“Your notes mentioned a guy with a southern accent,” a slight nod from me as Dec crouches by me,
“Is this the voice?” he presses play on his voicemail.
“Ivanova, I didn’t authorise you to move on Inferno or work with Demons”
Dec cuts the playback, and I nod. He moves to another message
“I’ve checked again and there are no records, whatever you smelt at the Pit was wrong”
I blink at them, and Saint fills in the gap.
“The first voice is a higher up, in our ranks, level with Mika, the second was his mate's other mate, and Jameson's stepdad, they both rejected their mate as she was human, but stayed friends” I give him a nod, but not sure how to react.
“When you and Saint leftthe pit, it was me who slammed your door open. He was telling me that there was only Saint in the room, and Saint always protected you.” I look at Saint, and he mouths Sorry to me.
“Not your fault, I wouldn’t have met Dan and Elise if you hadn’t taken me to that hospital. I now know why Dec complained that you were always so close to finding me; it also explains how Jameson knew you were close and to move me. Any idea of their goal?” I ask taking the tea mug from Brayden.
“Yes, you were to replace their mates place, your blood showed you were strong, they hoped to break your will by putting you where you were over the years, they knew a lot more than what Jameson was aware of, we found plans that they were planning to take TripleMoon and due to your link to Liam his assets too, they knew you were with Dan and Elise but because of who Dan was they left you alone, not wanting to risk his wrath.” my mouth drops open and Bray laughs.
“Yeah, they didn’t have it all planned out; that's why they gave you to Lennox to get their help.” We talk for a little longer, then I go in search of my children, needing to banish the bad with the amazing life I now have.
