Author's Note:

My sincerest apologies. I'm sorry for the delay. Thank you all for your support and reviews. Here is the newest chapter of Queen of The Shadows. Please readers please remember to review and please check out my profile for my other stories and pics. By the way, all the outfits for the stories are placed into their own collection on polyvore so there is only one link for each story.So here is chapter twenty. Enjoy!

Chapter XX

Elena POV

Something wasn't right, I could feel it my bones. Once I had hanged up on Damon, I commanded Xander and Andros to headed down to the boarding house, but to remain hidden and find Zack. I know Damon did something to Zack, but what I fear is what.

Stefan POV

The smell of fresh human blood assaulted my nose and I could feel my eyes darken. "What have you done? You killed him." I accused as I sped down to the basement to see Damon standing over Zack's dead body.

"I didn't kill him. He killed himself." Damon stated angrily as I finally noticed the steak knife in Zack's cold hand and the clean slice across his jugular. Zack had committed suicide. "Why would he do that?" I asked incredulously as I kneeled by my now deceased nephew.

"He said he was, "loyal to the death."" Damon said with anger coating with each word, before leaving the cell and me alone with Zack's dead body and Damon's words ringing in my ear. "Loyal to the death." I repeated.

What was Zack hiding that he was willing to die for. This made me even more of uneasy, what ever he was hiding must have been pretty powerful and important to him that he would kill himself, but what worried me, where they a danger to me or more importantly, Elena.

Elena POV

Liz soon left shortly after Xander and Andros to go back to the town as Mason, Luca and Tyler went on patrol and I decided to go to the oasis to meditate and to pass the time as I waited for Xander and Andros to report back.

Dustin, Hunter and Blake stood guard outside the oasis as Bonnie, Shelia, Jenna and Jeremy accompanied me inside. Once inside the oasis and I crossed the bridge onto the grassy island, I was greeted by a happy Gaur.

I smiled as I ran my hands through his soft black and white fur. Although Gaur is a wolf, he is the spiritual link between the pack and the power that allows them to phase and is very much aware of what happening around him.

Shelia and Bonnie showed Jeremy and Jenna around as I lied in front of the small pond with Gaur closely by my side as I stared at the two koi fish swimming in sync with each other, my eyes began to close and drifted into darkness.

"Elena." A soft voice came prompting me to opening my eyes. I was inside the oasis, but Bonnie, Jenna, Jeremy and Shelia were gone. "Elena." A voice whispered behind as I immediately turned around to see Morena standing there with Gaur standing by here side.

"Where is everybody?" I asked as she moved to sit in front of me. "They are were you left." Morena said calmly as I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. If they were left them, shouldn't they be here with us. I thought as Morena placed her hand on my mine.

"Your dreaming Elena. They will be right there when you wake up. This is a way for us to talk." Morena explained sensing my confusion and I nodded. "Good. I've come to warn you." Morena said calmly, but with seriousness clear in her voice.

"About what?" I asked eagerly. "There are things that you do not know about your birth, your bloodline and they will soon come into the light, for they must. But I cannot be the one to tell you all that you need to know, at least not just yet." Morena said as I felt myself grow anxious.

"Why not? Why can't you tell me?" I asked. "Because she must be the one to. You might feel betrayed when you learn the truth, but it must come from her lips. It is the only way you will forgive her in time." Morena said as I grew even more anxious, if that was even possible.

"She who?" I asked exasperatedly. "Jenna." Morena stated bluntly. Jenna? What would Jenna know, that would make me feel betrayed. I thought as Morena spoke once more. "It wasn't her place to tell you. Your parents would have, but they die before they could tell you the truth. Forgive her."Morena said softly as she cupped my cheek in her smooth hand.

"On other matters. You must get rid of those Salvatore boys. Kill them, get them out of town, it doesn't matter but as long as they are here, they are threat." Morena said leaving no room for argument, letting me know this wasn't up for discussion. Damon and Stefan must be eliminated. I thought as I nodded in acceptance as she leaned forward and kiss me on my forehead as a blinding white light covered my eyes.

I closed my eyes in protection only to open them and I find myself back in the real world as the sound of Hunter's voice filled the air. "They will pay." Hunter yelled angrily as I sat up to watch Hunter storm into oasis with Xander and Andros closely behind him as Dustin and Blake carried Zack's body. Zack's dead body!

I immediately got up and ran to him as Dustin and Blake sat his cold body on the soft grass below. I kneeled by my child's lifeless body as I noticed the clean cut across his jugular. "What happened?" I asked angrily.

"The Salvatores happened. They became suspicious of Zack and where going to compel the truth out of him once the vervain flushed out of his system. Zack killed himself to keep the secret." Xander said before Andros continued. "Stefan buried him in some hole in the forest. He deserved so much better." Andros said with murder in his voice.

"You right, he did." I said as I felt myself shake in rage and I felt something hard in Zack's chest pocket of his shirt. I reached in and felt a sob escape my lips as I pulled out Zack's leden ring. Andros came beside me and wrapped his arms around me in comfort. "Gather my children. Have his body clean and wrapped and we'll give him the proper burial he deserves. Then we will have our vengeance." I ordered as everyone nodded and did as commanded.

Dustin and Blake helped Shelia and Jenna as the cleaned Zack's body. Andros, Bonnie and Jeremy stayed with as we waited for everyone to arrive as Xander and Hunter went to gather all my children so that they could pay their respects.

It was two hours later that everyone had gathered as we stood on the grass plain at the top of the waterfall. A pyre had been built and oiled as Dustin and Blake placed Zack's wrapped body onto it, before I set it a flame.

I watched with tears in my eyes as Jeremy stood on my right and Tyler on my right as we watched Zack's body go up in flames. I took Jeremy hand in my mine as I placed Zack's leden ring into his hand. "It's yours now." I said as Jeremy looked up at me in question and nodded in acceptance.

An hour later as the fire burnt away and all that was left were Zack's ashes. I had Luca and Mason gather Zack's ashes and place them in an urn. Once they gathered all that they could, I took the urn and walked deep into the woods at the edge of the top of the waterfall as my inner circle followed my closely behind.

We walked along the wooden path across the water, to we came to the stone cave hidden deep within the mountain that would be Zack's final resting place. The pool inside the cave glowed brightly as I placed Zack's ashes in one of the fissures of the walls before heading back to the mansion. {AN: Pics on profile.}

"I want Damon brought to me immediately. He will die." I ordered once I entered the mansion. "He's gone, my queen. He left town." Luca said sheepishly as I turned around to look to glare at him. "Where is he heading?" I asked as I tried not unleash my anger against my favorite son. "He's heading south. Towards Georgia." Tyler said as he came to stand by me, before I spoke. "Then I guess we're going to Georgia. He will not escape me. He will pay."

CLIFFHANGER!

What will happen next? What will Elena do? And what will happen to Damon?

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I will try to update soon as possible.

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- Dark Alana.