I Will Never Let You Go
Chapter 14: Revenge
Just as I thought that, Alice suddenly gasped, before roughly snatching her hand from Aro's grasp. "It doesn't matter what I show you," she hissed, furious, "Even when you see, you still won't change your decision."
Alice whirled around with the grace of a ballerina. "Now!" she whispered to Bella.
I watched as Bella gave her daughter one last look, before turning to Jacob.
"Take care of my daughter,"
Without any further warning, Jacob turned and began to sprint away from the battle, with the child still on his back.
"Get them!" Caius barked at Santiago.
Alice swiftly began to move her body, so she could kick Aro into the air and create a distraction long enough for Jacob to run further, but I wouldn't let her, knowing Aro would use that as an excuse to take Alice by force. I ran around Marcus and slammed my body into Alice's.
We both tumbled to the grown, our limbs tangled together. I quickly jumped to my feet before wrapping my shield around Alice, grabbing her upper arms in a tight grasp.
I gave her a quick apologetic look, that everyone else missed, before I threw her as hard as I could into Jasper, sending both of them flying back, right on the other side of the field, landing with a crash next to Carlisle.
As I suspected, all of the Cullen's, sans two, surrounded them both, making sure they were okay while using their bodies as shields to protect their weakest link.
Whirling around, I turned my attention to Santiago and Afton, "Bring her back alive, I don't care what you do with the mutt as long as you make it painful,"
They both nodded, not questioning me for a single second before they took off in a sprint after the kid and her pet dog.
"No! Stay away from her!" I heard Bella cry before she and her husband charged forward, determined to stop them from reaching Jacob and the child. The rest of the witnesses began to rush forward with her as well.
Aro simply raised his hands, and everyone from our side began to sprint into the battle. I raised my shield around myself, the kings, and their wives, creating a bubble of protection for us. The pounding of feet echoed through my head as I watched our witnesses and guard throw themselves into battle.
I saw Alice and Jasper quickly climb to their feet, the rest of the Cullen's just about to charge into battle, but before they could, I did something incredibly stupid. I wrapped a separate shield around them, protecting them from any and all attacks, but also preventing them from joining the battle.
They were going to sacrifice their lives for Bella and Edward. I selfishly wasn't going to let them. They showed me kindness and I was returning the favor.
I felt them bang against my shield a few times before they realized what was going on, but I guiltily refused to meet their gaze, instead watching as vampire bodies begin to collide as both sides reached each other.
Flinching when I heard the horrifying sound of boulders being smashed together, I quickly made my back to Marcus, his arms enveloping around me, shielding me from the battle like I was doing to him.
Aro cocked an eyebrow at me, silently asking for an explanation for why I had shielded them.
"They were kind to me when I was at my most vulnerable. I am simply returning that kindness." I whispered.
Caius scowled at me.
"But," I continued, needing to reassure them that I was on their side, "If they break the law again I will personally come back here and kill every single one of them." As much as it pained me, this was their last chance.
I could tell the bloodthirsty king didn't like it, but he let it go and watched the fight with a satisfied smirk on his face. I turned to the battle and watched.
~IWNLYG~
"What... what is she doing?" Rosalie asked, confused as she placed her hand on the shield that had wrapped around them.
Alice sighed sadly as she looked Ana, who refused to meet her gaze and instead watch the battle play out before them.
"She's saving us," she whispered.
"Saving us from what?" Jasper asked, holding Alice in his arms.
Alice nodded at the Volturi guard. "From them,"
"Why us?" Carlisle asked, flinching in horror as he heard the sound of people screaming in pain before their death.
Alice tore her eyes away from the fight and looked at her family, "Remember when Ana came back from Volterra? She was broken and bleeding on the inside. But we tried to help her... you especially," Alice nodded to Carlisle, before turning back to them.
"Rose, you tried your best to fix her broken necklace after Bella destroyed it. Jasper, you would help keep her calm and block her pain for as long as possible. Emmett, you cracked jokes with her and did your best to cheer her up. I tried to keep Bella as far away from Ana as possible. Esme, you held her when she broke down and cared for her like she was your own." Alice turned and looked Carlisle in the eye. "But you sealed the deal, so to speak. You helped feed her when she had no appetite, you took care of her every need. You treated her when she was ill. You protected her and comforted her when Marcus couldn't. That's why we've been spared. We showed her kindness and now she's returning the favor." Carlisle turned and looked at Ana, seeing her watching the battle in horror.
Emmett frowned, looking forward at all the people laying their lives down for them, "But we should be out there, helping them!"
Alice shook her head at him, "Her shield is impenetrable. Nothing can get through here. That's why she threw me and Jasper here, so she could group us together to she could shield us."
"She won't let us sacrifice our lives for Bella," Jasper realized as the Cullens looked at the devastation, not being able to help in anyway.
Despite what Ana had gone through, she was risking herself to save them.
~IWNLYG~
The horror of it was ineffable.
Every second there seemed to be a new death, on either side. Bodies were torn up so badly I would be surprised if they could be recognized by their own mates.
My anger for Bella grew with each death. All of this was because of her. Every life that is or will be lost today is all on her. The wolves tore through vampire flesh like their diamond skin was as soft as butter. The dead bodies quickly piled up as limbs were thrown all over the place.
I watched as Jane tried to use her illusion of pain on Garrett, but Bella quickly shielded him, rendering her useless just as someone quickly began to engage in a physical fight with her.
"Someone has to take out Bella, her shield's too dangerous." I muttered as I watched her hold her own against one of our guard.
Alec came from nowhere and lunged at her, tackling her to the ground, breaking her concentration, just in time for Jane to take her out her opponent as he was quickly gaining the upper hand in their ephemeral fight.
I frowned in concern as Alec was quickly tackled to the ground by someone else, saving Bella's life as she ran off to fight someone else.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of bronze. My eyes darted to the source and I saw Edward running towards Demetri. They began throwing punches at each other, too fast for my slow eyes to pick it up.
But attention was captured, yet again, to the sound of pain cries and whimpers. It was a sandy colored wolf struggling against a massive amount of pain. It was Seth. I met him once, but once was enough to know what a sweetheart he was. I frowned when Jane increased her power on him as he struggled to walk away from the blinding pain. Felix grabbed him by the neck and squeezed.
A single tear fell from my eye as I heard the nightmare inducing crack as his neck broke. His eyes turned slightly blackish as his body was carelessly dropped on the ground. His body twitched once, twice. Then... he was gone.
I heard her heart breaking howl before I saw the silver wolf. Leah. She saw her little baby brother die right before her eyes. My breathing sped up rapidly as my chest heaved. My blood boiled beneath my veins as rage consumed me.
~IWNLYG~
Leah's mournful howl reached Jacob's ears as he sprinted through the forest, unaware of the two vampires closing in on him. His eyes widened when he heard Seth's connection break.
Seth was dead.
Sweet lovable, kind, selfless Seth had been killed in battle. Jacob lost focus as his eyes glazed over, the pain of losing his brother too much to bare, leaving him and Renesmee completely vulnerable to the Volturi guards.
Afton had cloaked him and Santiago, making them blend into the background as they both ran up behind the distraught wolf.
They lunged in synchronization and managed to take down the big, russet colored wolf. Renesmee screamed as she was flung off of her Jacob and into the snowy Earth.
Renesmee watched in horror as they broke some of Jacob's bones, a horrible crunching sound echoing around them as they broke half his body to immobilize him.
"Stop!" she screamed fanatically, climbing to her feet and rushing towards them. Only for Santiago to grab her and restrain her.
Afton quickly grabbed Jacob's back legs and they dragged both of them back to the battle, to the Volturi... to Anastasia.
~IWNLYG~
I nodded in satisfaction as our side gained the upper hand and began to restrain them. Demetri was kicking Edward's ass, one of our witnesses had their hands around Bella's neck, the wolves were being held down and subdued, and the Cullens were still safe inside my shield.
I honestly didn't know if what I was doing was the right thing, letting them sit there and watch as their friends are destroyed, being able to do nothing. I knew how badly that could affect such kindhearted people like Carlisle and Esme. But I knew I couldn't let them die today. Tomorrow was a different matter entirely, but today, I decided their fate.
From the looks of it, the battle was almost over... until Benjamin from the Egyptian coven, slammed his fist to the ground, creating a massive shock wave, splitting the field in two as the ground crumbled beneath their feet.
I physically snarled in irritation, pacing as the battle continued, as more and more of our witnesses were torn apart or thrown into the massive ravine, landing in the lava down below, turning to ash within seconds.
The ground gave way underneath Bella's feet as she struggled to free herself from the death grip one of our witnesses had on her. They both tumbled into the abyss, but Bella grabbed onto the side, her fingers desperately trying to find purchase on the ground. But it wasn't enough. Both of them slowly began slipping into the ravine, much to my relief.
But Leah suddenly hurled her body at the witness, digging her teeth into his dark neck and ripping him off Bella, before they both tumbled down the abyss.
My chest rumbled as I physically restrained myself from charging towards Bella.
Not yet, not yet, not yet. I chanted those two words frantically as I tried to grab onto the very last shred of self control I still had, but it was like trying to catch water with a fork.
My hands shook and fury as I curled them into fists, my body physically vibrating from the force I used to keep myself inside the bubble.
Demetri was holding Edward to the ground, his hand around his throat, but the ground crumbled beneath Edward sending him falling into the ravine, where Leah fell only seconds ago.
I saw Demetri lean over the abyss, searching for him, only to turn around, looking satisfied. I saw Bella on the other end of the cliff, looking horrified as she watched her husband die.
My fury grew as I watched her mourn. She didn't have the right to mourn her husband's death! When people were laying their lives down for her right this second. Did it never occur to her that Edward would die sooner or later?! I'm guessing my thick little twat of a sister never even considered when she charged at us, that she forfeited his life as well as her own.
But then, Edward fucking Cullen soared out of the ravine and grabbed Demetri by the head. He looked directly into my eyes before he violently snapped Demetri's head off. He put so much force into that, that Demetri's body flew threw the air, landing on the white earth with a thump.
"Felix!" I roared through my clenched teeth. Felix's attention was on me in an instant. I nodded towards Edward, who still held Demetri's head in his hands.
I really liked Demetri. He was normally my guard when Marcus went to feed. He was a dear friend to me and Edward had to take that away too didn't he? Felix charged at Edward and they began to dance, as their limbs blurred together.
I began to pace again, too much anger was flowing beneath my skin for me to stay still.
~IWNLYG~
Aro watched in concern as Anastasia paced before them, growing more wild and out of control with every death contributed. He knew Bella had to be killed, not just because she had broken the law, but because Aro sorely believed Anastasia would go insane if she was kept alive any longer.
A fleeting thought of recruiting her, had crossed his mind, but as he watched Anastasia shake with fury, a dark spark in her black eyes, he knew that was not possible.
Despite his greed and hunger for power, he knew when the gift they possessed simply wasn't worth the effort. Now was one of those times.
The shield began to flutter around them, pulsing with unused energy as Ana slowly lost her sanity, watching the battle with hate filled eyes.
Marcus was about to take a step forward to see if he could comfort his shaking daughter, but Aro held up a hand to him, stopping him. He thought it would be best if he tried.
He slowly approached her, gently laying his hand on her shoulder, pausing her pacing, trying to offer the distressed child some form of comfort.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
"They won't win," Aro cooed in her ear, "They are inexperienced, squabbling children compared to our centuries of experience."
He took his index finger and gently ran it down her flushed cheek, seeing her thoughts and memories flicker through his mind.
Her jealousy when he complimented Bella on her immortality, her decision to leave the Volturi if he decided to force Bella to join them, her pain and anger at seeing so many precious lives slaughtered.
"But at what cost, Aro?" she snarled as her body violently shook. "How many more will fall for her?"
He knew there was nothing that could comfort her at that moment, not until they had won, once and for all. So instead, he stood by her side, offering her support and comfort as he lovingly stroked her brown hair away from her distraught face.
~IWNLYG~
I stiffened when I saw Kate charge at Jane. The panic on Jane's face alerted me to the fact that Bella was shielding Kate. I looked around, frantically searching for someone to help her, but Alec was busy helping Felix take down a wolf, and Demetri was currently indisposed at the moment.
Reluctantly, tearing myself from Aro's grasp I whirled around, doing a complete circle as I searched for anyone close to us. Seeing no one, I quickly tore down my shield, leaving us defenseless for a minute as I wrapped my shield around Jane, just as Kate lunged at her, her palms outstretched and crackling with energy as she planned to zap Jane.
Only for her to bounce off my shield, crashing into her other sisters.
Jane furrowed her brow in confusion before looking at me. She nodded at me in thanks before taking off to help her brother with a particular fierce nomad attacking him.
After I knew she was going to be alright, I collapsed my shield around her. All of that practicing and training in the garden had helped develop my shield along, but keeping a constant shield around the Cullens was exhausting because I wasn't in it. I could only have two up at the moment but I hope it would be enough.
Before I could put my shield back up around us, I saw two figures sprint at Marcus on either side of him. Vladimir and Stefan.
I blood curdling scream tore through my throat as I lunged at them, just as they launched themselves at Marcus.
No! No! No! No! No!
NOT MY MARCUS! PROTECT! MUST PROTECT! PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT! MARCUS MARCUS MARCUS! PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT!
I was unstoppable as I grabbed Stefan and flung him into Vladimir, much like I did with Alice and Jasper.
I physically couldn't stop myself if I tried, I was too consumed with the need to protect my father. I wrapped my shield around them again, trapping them inside as I threw myself out of my own shield and charged towards the monsters that thought they could hurt a hair on my father's head. They were going to pay!
Grabbing Stefan's foot I lifted him up and slammed him into the ground, before whirling around and swiftly removing one of Vladimir's arms with a satisfying crunching noise. I backhanded Vladimir before turning back to Stefan and hauling him to his feet, only take off his hand. I quickly wrapped my shield around him and squeezed as hard as I could, dismembering him and flinging his severed torso into Vladimir, Stefan's head in my hand. I could feel the strain on my body from bring forth a third shield while I already had two active.
Vladimir roared when he saw his disassembled friend's limbs thrown all over the place.
He crouched down and lunged at me, reaching over and grabbing my hair, lifting me in the air. I screamed in pain and rage before reaching down and grabbing Vladimir's head, cracking his head roughly to the side.
He cried out dropping me. I scrambled to my feet before kicking Vladimir back into someone's hold. It was Felix. I'm guessing he saw me fighting them off and figured I could use a hand.
I jumped up on Vladimir's shoulders and with wrapped both of my hands around his neck. I gave him an insane grin, filled with rage and madness before digging my fingernails into his skin, slowly tearing his head from his body, relishing in every second of it.
Once his head was officially decapitated, I left Felix to dismantle the rest of him before returning to my place, but I didn't step back inside the shield as I saw Santiago and Afton return with the kid and a whimpering Jacob.
They approached me, roughly dropping the wolf down in front of me. I looked into his brown eyes and saw hatred, pain, and concern for the kid. Without even thinking twice I lifted my foot and slammed it down on his neck.
He gave a strangled cry, which was silenced as his eyes turned back, just like Seth's did.
"No! Jacob!" I heard the kid scream as she struggled in Afton's unmoving grasp.
I slowly turned my body to her, her brown eyes connecting with my bloody ones.
Walking up to her I snatched her from Afton's grasp and held her up by her bronze hair.
"So this is the cause to so many dead!" I snarled as I roughly shook her, causing her to cry out in pain. "Look!" I roughly turned her head to the fight. "Look at how many people are dying for you! Because of your mother's selfishness, everyone dies! Including you,"
She cried and wiggled in my grasp, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she screamed.
Something glinted, catching my eye.
There was a silver locket resting on her chest. I reached up and yanked it from her neck, smirking when I heard her scream. I ripped it open to see a picture of Bella and Edward inside. I flipped it over and saw the writing on her locket.
"More than my own life," I spat as I read the writing, "How fucking noble of you Bella."
I held the kid up, "Scream," I demanded her.
She stubbornly shook her head.
I backhanded her across the face, my patience long since gone. "Scream,"
She shook her head once more.
So I reached over and slowly began to pull on her little arm, smiling through clenched teeth as she whimpered in pain. Until a loud crack erupted.
That did it.
She screamed as loud as she could as I twisted her broken arm, capturing Bella and Edward's attention, like I was hoping for.
"Renesmee!" I heard Bella scream. Renesmee? That's what she named her kid? Was Bella just asking for this little brat to be beat up at school? "Ana please," Bella called to me. I stopped and turned to Bella who was halfway across the battlefield.
"Please, Ana," she begged, "Don't hurt my daughter. Do what you want to me, I don't care, just let her go..." My eyes softened when I looked into Bella's venom filled ones.
She saw my resolve flatter. "Ana... don't do this please... sister. Spare her,"
We stared each other down for less than a minute before I sighed, lowering Renesmee to the ground, in front of me. Bella sighed in relief as Edward relaxed, thinking the worst was over.
"No," I grinned at them darkly before reaching out and snapping Renesmee's neck in one single movement, killing her.
I snarled at them before marching out into the battle.
Edward started running towards me, diagonally left from my position, while Bella ran diagonally from the right. I started running towards them.
Bella reached me first. She sprang at me, more furious than I had ever seen her, but her rage was no where near mine. I slammed into her, sending her soaring in the air, like a rag doll before slamming back into Edward. They got on their knees and intertwined their hands together as I sprinted at them.
Edward picked Bella up and swung her around, using her to kick me in the chest just as I reached them. I cried out whirling around and righting myself just as Edward tossed Bella towards me. She kicked my shoulders, spinning me around, yet again, as she landed on the other side of me.
Edward came up behind me and grabbed grabbed my skull in a headlock. I could feel my muscles crying out in pain as Edward tried ripping off my head.
I heard a furious roar from Marcus, but I couldn't let him out of my shield. I had to protect him from Bella and Edward. I knew if they couldn't get to me, they would go after him instead. If they killed me they would be satisfied with my life.
Acting on instinct, I grabbed his hands and twisted them around, holding his hands together in one hand, while my other tried to decapitate him.
I grunted as I pushed more pressure on him, hearing the squealing sound of marble like skin breaking. But Bella quickly jumped on my back and began to pull at my own head.
With a great deal of force, I threw my head back into Bella's knocking her off me before kicking Edward in chest. He landed so far away that he actually crashed into the shield that held the Cullens.
While he was distracted I quickly turned to Bella. We entered a dance like fight, her body lissome and deadly as I tried to block every punch she threw my way.
Our bodies flexed around each other as we both dodged every move and missed every punch. We were too evenly matched, I realized before seeing an opportunity and taking it, kneeing her in the stomach, breaking her concentration before I took punched her in the face.
I saw Edward sprinting towards me and I knew I needed to get rid of Bella. I couldn't fight the both of them at the same time or I would lose. So I turned and kicked her, sending her flying back... right where her dead daughter laid. I heard her cry of despair so I knew it worked.
I swiftly ducked down dodging Edward as he jumped for me, missing me by a hair. I needed to distract him and break his concentration. Anger. I needed to get him angry, then his judgment would be clouded and I could finish him off.
So I thought of the one thing that I knew would set him over the edge.
I thought back to when I held Renesmee before my feet, feeling her little neck at my hands and the utter satisfaction when I wrung her fragile neck and killed her.
He roared at me, his entire being shaking with anger as he charged at him, his eyes glazed over, not focusing on anything but killing me for revenge. He was so focused that he didn't notice Felix run towards him until it was too late.
The big hulking figure tackled him to the ground, before heaving him upwards, both of his arms restrained behind him.
I calmly walked up towards him.
"I'll kill you!" he roared as he struggled against Felix. It was pathetic really, that he still thought he could come out on top.
I reached up and grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look directly into my eyes.
"If you love your daughter so much... go join her," I roughly cracked his head to the side, his body falling to the ground.
Turning around I face a distraught Bella, holding a very dead Renesmee in her arms, her eyes widened when she the head that was in my hand.
Without thinking twice, I tossed his head in the ravine, before doing the same to his body.
That did it.
She was really pissed now.
Gently placing her daughter on the ground, she flung herself forward towards me. I met her halfway and way and punched her right in her little mouth.
We continued our dance, although it was faster and more deadlier than the first. She slammed my body to the ground, before grabbing my leg and flinging me in the air.
My body painfully slammed to the ground as I skidded across the snow, towards the ravine. My body slipped and almost tumbled down to where I just sent Edward not a minute ago, but luckily for me I found purchase on the stone wall and heaved myself up.
My eyes immediately found Bella's as I clambered to my feet. She charged me and I let her. At the last second I flung myself out of the way, sending her crashing to the ground. She almost fell into the abyss too, but I grabbed her hand before she could escape her punishment.
I hurled her in the air, watching as she, yet again, fell to the ground. Before she had the chance to get up, I ran to her and slammed her back down, straddling her and I held onto her shoulders.
"Look around you Bella!" I roared into her face as she hissed and still fought against me, "Look at all the lives you destroyed over your selfishness! Everyone is dead thanks to you!"
Her eyes flickered around the field, taking in the amount of dead bodies and limbs carelessly strewn about the place.
All of her friends and witnesses had been killed and a good chunk of the Volturi guard had been torn apart, including Demetri and Alec.
"This is all on you sister," I snarled in her face. "You know... it's kinda of funny when you think about it... if you had just let me be with my Marcus, I would've defended you with my last breath. With your mental shield and my physical one... we could've been unstoppable."
A took a deep breath as I looked into my sister's soon to be dead eyes.
"And all of this is just because of a broken pendant," I spat at her.
I savored the look of fear of her face as I grabbed her head.
"You wanted everything... and you were willing to risk it all just for that... well I have one thing to say to you Bella..."
Gripping her head more firmly, I listened to the sweet sound of her skin breaking underneath me.
"Go fuck yourself,"
I tore her head clean off before tossing it behind me, her stiff, tense body sagging underneath me as I climbed off of her limp body. I looked around to see the Volturi guard were burning the bodies of our enemies while reattaching limbs to their fallen comrades, Demetri and Alec included.
Tiredly, I turned and walked towards the Cullens. I reached inside my pocket and pulled out the broken pendant, the same one Bella smashed and tossed it to Carlisle after tearing down both of my shields.
"Run," I whispered to them, my gaze on their backs as they took my advice and fled.
I couldn't hold myself up anymore. I fell to my knees.
"Marcus," I was in his arms instantly and everything was right with the world.
When I pulled Bella's head off... I finally felt peace.
"I love you daddy... so much,"
A/N: I honestly don't have anything to say at the moment. Bella and Edward finally paid the price for wanting everything. I can't believe how far this story has come. All that's left now is the epilogue.
lostfeather1: Actually, in the middle of writing this chapter, I came up with an idea for another Aro/Caius/Marcus/OC story. I don't have all the details worked out yet but as soon as this story is done I'll get to work on that pronto. So I'll have to see how that is going to work out before I plan on uploading anything else at the moment.
This was a big chapter for me to write and I would appreciate nothing more than to hear your thoughts in your reviews. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I love every single one of you! One chapter left and then I hit the complete button. It's always bittersweet.