"You are trying to frame me for something I didn't do!" there was a tone of agitation in Councilwoman Ava's voice as she said this, "Just because I couldn't make it there doesn't mea-"
"Then enlighten us where you were if not in Creed's mansion. Why was there a kerchief in his house with a fresh flower? You might think I am the one framing you but I am only raising the flags that have come to be noticed by some of the higher-ups who are not part of the elder council," said Damien, waiting for her to confess the woman was being stubborn.
She wouldn't last long here and her time was coming, Damien knew this because he was the one who was interrogating her and he never left a case open for too long. He would drag her through the mud to show what she had done along with Creed.
Obviously the woman had gone to meet Creed but it wasn't at the hour of time when they had gone to speak and take Creed into their interrogation routine. By the time they had arrived at the site, the man had died and it wasn't Damien but another man who had spotted the kerchief during the investigation.
The old human would have never bothered with it, after all, who would have known that Creed was going to die that day except for the person who had got him murdered. She was stuck right now with no way out and Damien would corner to confession.
"I was out to go to the church," she made up a reason. There were many who had raised eyebrows at the woman as the time in the court council proceeded, "I wanted some peace. A woman needs time, especially of my age."
Then she should have quit, thought Damien with a smile on his face but didn't bring it out as it would cause unnecessary friction.
"Which church was it? Could you tell us the time you sent there?" he inquired her.
"It was for an hour near the Isle Valley."
"What about the remaining time? Your servants who work in your mansion said you didn't come back until early in the morning. Didn't you think it was necessary to let Linguine know that wouldn't be there? The poor man was out in the cold for hours," though it was Damien's fault for kicking the man out of the carriage when he was rude, he passed on the blame on the woman.
By the words and information, he had gathered, It was this woman who stood in front of him who was pulling the strings. She was the one who had placed the previous three council exams location. Those were all bloody. Maybe the difficulty had been reduced when it came to the last second exam but the woman had been scheming for a long time. It was as if the death was adding up to be part of the black witches ritual and the council never came to doubt any of it.
It was possible to say that both Creed and Ava were playing along to what the black witches wanted but now was the time to cut the link.
Last few weeks ago, they had found Creed's involvement with the same it was found how a witch hunter named Mila was raised, and with the recent reports, it spoke on how her assignments were shifted from Bonelake to Mythweald which was done in the time of months. This was no one ever suspected of what was going on but Creed's death was bringing many things that were hidden earlier.
There had been speculation of the council being involved in the death of Lady Delcrov but nothing could be ever proven. But now they knew it was the Artemis who was indirectly involved with the council. Everything was an intertwined web in the four lands.
Though Ava and Krane were involved, it didn't appear that Linguine was working for them. He was more of a pawn to distract their attention on him.
"I might have had other things to do that are personal," she tried to evade, running out of options right now.
"I don't think it is good right now to keep the matter to yourself because it's personal. Is it because you don't have any other way out that you are being mummed about it," Damien poked the woman.
"I did not kill Creed," she continued to stick to her words.
Damien sighed, exhausted that the lady was not accepting her faults, "Do you know there have been many people who had gone through the heart explosion? Let me list out a few things for you so that all of us are on the same page. You have been working with Creed for many years now, maybe there was something you didn't like about him and had him killed. Now there are no impressions of your hands but, there's always a but," he chuckled, "We found your kerchief in there with a fresh flower which means you went to meet him but according to you, you must have gone at another time right? At the same time, you are unwilling to say where you went and how you spent the night."
"The major highlight of your trip is going to Mythweald and Bonelake's border to meet people. We must be wrong," said Damien, "She might be a good witch right?" he poked her.
The woman didn't know when Nicholas or the other councilman had come there and when they had seen her. Her mind was spinning quickly, trying to search for a lie. It was because the entire time she was the group of witch hunters as well as black witches.
If she admitted a yes, it would mean she was lying earlier but if she said no, it meant the lord was lying but did he really see her?
Her eyes darted to look at Lord Nicholas who appeared to look calm, seated in the seat with a relaxed expression. She didn't like the pureblooded vampires and their presence irked her to no end. It was why she had been planning and plotting along with the black witches for such a long time now. It didn't matter to her that Creed died.
Ava had visited the Creed's mansion to retrieve the parchment of design knowing it was in his possession but instead of giving it to her, the man had refused her. Saying he would give it to Sabbi himself.
"Councilwoman Ava, do you have anything to say against this?" it was head council Reuben who asked her the question.
She smiled looking at no one in particular, "What do you want me to say? I have been telling I didn't kill Creed nor the witches."
From the front of the room, Lord Nicholas then said, "Who was the white witch you killed along with the black witch who was accompanying you?"
Kreme had been the only one to notice it and though it was a big lie about Nicholas being there with him, in truth the man was not there with him, which was what made the younger man's eyes go wide on how Lord Nicholas knew about what happened unless Master Damien had told him which was highly doubtful with the sudden cook up of things.