Author's Notes: SUCCESS! VICTORY WAS MINE TODAY! I managed to get through my run with very minimal pain and also spent a lovely day at the mall and out to a delicious lunch with my wife. We went shopping. My one weakness. I have a few things to do tomorrow but hopefully those will get done quickly. I'm planning on staying around the house and actually doing some damn house work since I haven't really moved from the chair and then the bed much since I fucked up my tendon. I'm just glad the damn thing held. It's a bit tender but it's doing much better. Thank you for all the well wishes! Now enough gabbing from me! Onward to the story!

Chapter 19

Julia stood in the Great Foyer watching everyone leave for the morning. When she was certain they were gone and had left behind only Kalil, Meila, and a few others she set out in search of him. It didn't take long to find him cleaning equipment in the ballroom. She smiled as she walked out going back to the library where Alex was searching as well. "I've found him. He's alone cleaning the equipment in the ballroom. Let's go now."

Alex nodded moving with her out the door. They'd both eaten breakfast quite normally and had brought back things for Elliot and Olivia who were still bed ridden after the hard night. They'd all agreed though now was the time to find out what Kalil knew or didn't in regards to Kaira's murder.

"Kalil?" Julia called his name as she closed the main doors of the ballroom sealing him in once Alex shut the other set of doors on the opposite side of the room.

"What can I do for you today Mistress Julia?" Kalil asked bowing his head deeply showing her respect.

She reached out with a tender hand and pushed his brown curls away from his face. "How are you doing this morning little Kalil?" She asked as she settled herself down on a nearby chair.

"I'm doing very well my Lady. " Kalil spoke respectfully his head still bowed.

"Kalil Lady Julia and I were wondering if you could help us with something?" Alex said as she moved closer standing beside the chair Julia was seated in.

"Anything my ladies, just name it." He answered easily.

"It's about Kaira. Do you know what happened to her?"

They both immediately noticed the way the boy tensed and hunched his shoulders over. "Lord Gabriel has forbidden us to speak about Kaira. He said she shouldn't be running off to tell someone outside of Decadence about her woes."

"Did Lord Gabriel hurt Kaira? Did she stop breathing when he hurt her?" Julia asked so they were tag teaming the boy.

He bristled at the accusation puffing up angrily. "Lord Gabriel would never harm any of us! Please never insinuate that in my presence my Ladies."

"We need to know what happened to her? Do you know Kalil?"

"I don't know what happened to her my Ladies. All I know is what Lord Gabriel told me. We were never to speak of her again."

"You're lying. You know what happened to her. You just won't tell us because you are afraid Lord Gabriel will find out. If he killed her he will pay for it. You know that right?" Julia asked shifting away from the boy.

"Lord Gabriel would never hurt us."

"So you say but look at what he's done to you Kalil. To all of you, he's desecrated your flesh all for his own gain. It was never about any of you. It was how many of you he could hurt to keep you in line. Did he kill her at the Masquerade? Did he kill her in front of you all to keep you in line? What did he do to her?" Julia demanded.

"He did nothing my Ladies. He was too late."

"Too late for what?" Alex asked looking at Julia.

"He was too late to save her." Kalil was sobbing softly now as he finally replied.

"How was he too late? What happened to her Kalil?" Alex asked kneeling down so she was at the boy's level.

"Did Lord Romeifellar hurt her?"

"No. He loved her. She didn't love him but she told us she thought she could grow to love him. She said she loved you Lady Julia. She wanted to be with you."

"I know that Kalil. She came to me years ago and told that much." Julia looking at Alex who sighed softly.

"But that doesn't tell us who killed her Kalil."

Before another word could come out of his mouth a gunshot silenced the words. "Elliot! Olivia!" Both women yelled shooting to their feet and racing upstairs. "Your room first! Get Olivia." Julia commanded since Alex's rooms were closer than her own.

Olivia hobbled into the hallway staring at both women in pain. "I'm fine. It came from your room Julia."

"Elliot!" Julia screamed running down the hallway and throwing open the door. She stopped causing Alex to almost collide with her back.

"Mistress!" A voice called out quite happily.

"Meila. What are you doing?" Julia asked. "Where's Elliot?"

"He was a bad boy mistress. He had to go."

"What are you talking about?" Julia asked moving into the room where Meila was standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

"He took you from me. Just like Kaira tried to do." Meila cried out angrily.

"Elliot didn't take me from you Meila. Did you shoot him? Is he dead?"

"No. I'm alive." Elliot's voice called which caused Meila's pretty face to turn into snarl.

"Bastard doesn't know how to stay dead."

"Meila. Why would you do this? Did you kill Kaira?"

"She wanted you all for herself Mistress Julia. I was supposed to be your pet. Not her and certainly not him." Meila was waving the gun around.

Julia nodded, "Did you strangle her? What did you do to her Meila?"

"I got rid of her and her disgusting vile stories about you Mistress." Meila didn't notice Olivia and Alex ease their way into the room too intent to try and make her mistress understand just why she had done what she'd done.

"Why would you get rid of her? What did she do exactly?"

"She told me that you told her you were never coming back to Decadence and that she was going to go live with you and be your only pet. I couldn't let that happen. So I made sure she was gone. No one is going to take you from me. You're my mistress and my mistress only." Meila's dark eyes were angry and bright not a good combination.

Julia glanced over her shoulder seeing Elliot moving slowly towards her. Blood dripped from the graze he'd suffered from the bullet. Julia was glad Meila had missed but if he wasn't careful she wouldn't miss the second time.

"Mei-Mei. My sweet little Mei. Remember when I used to call you that?"

"Yes. It was your pet name for me. I'm so glad you remembered it. I thought I'd never hear you call me that again." Meila was delighted by the way Julia spoke her nickname. "I didn't let anyone else call me that. Only you." She added smiling.

"That's very sweet Mei-Mei. Your Mistress appreciates that a lot."

"Do you really?" Meila asked her pretty face lighting up with adoration. The gun wavered in her hand and Julia nodded.

"Yes little Mei, I'm glad no one but me gets to call you that. But you're going to have to give me the gun sweet one. I can't let you hurt anyone else."

"But Mistress he's in the way. He must go."

"No he's not in the way. Lady Alexandra has agreed to take him from me. You're going to go back to New York with me and live with me Mei-Mei. You'll be my only pet and I will love and cherish you for the rest of our lives together."

"Oh Mistress! I've wanted nothing more than that since the first time I met you."

"I know sweet one and I'm sorry I left you here. I wouldn't have done it had I realized what they'd done to you."

During the time Julia had been talking Olivia and Elliot had managed to get closer to what they now knew to be their killer. It happened so fast but to Alex it was like seeing things in slow motion. Elliot tackled Meila and Olivia jumped forward trying to grab the gun from her hand. It slammed down and shot the bullet sending Julia flying backwards. "NO!" She screamed watching Julia hit the floor. She raced towards her as the Detectives wrestled the crazed girl to the ground and kept her pinned. "Julia! Julia!" Alex screamed as she got to her. "Mistress! Please! Don't leave me!" Alex yelled dropping to her knees. Julia's eyes were closed, she was pale. Alex could feel the red blood dripping onto her fingers as she pressed them to her former mistress' shoulder. Julia opened her eyes looking at Alex with a small smile. "I love you Alexandra." And then blackness set in.

Author's Ending Notes: Dammit I didn't mean to do that. Oh well. No sequel here I guess. Reviews as always please?