Sorry for any mistakes.
-o0o-
My hair blew in the cold wind as we ran through the snow covered trees. The my mind was completely focused and filled with deadly thoughts. My legs worked hard as I passed everyone around me.
I looked to my right and noticed Jules trying to keep up. She looked just as angry as the rest of us. I nodded at her and kept going. I had no time to talk. Even though we had come a day early, I didn't want to take any chances.
When we got to to the field, Vlad's soldiers were already there waiting. They stood in a massive, neat formation. All of them stood at attention, ready for battle. There was absolutely no expression on their faces.
"Fall in," I commanded my allies.
Within seconds, they were in formation behind me. Ready for war.
"They're coming," Alice said quietly.
I nodded to her and waited stoically. I wanted to see their disgusting faces one last time before I destroyed them. They had crossed the line too many times. To lay a finger on my mate meant war. Our secret be damned.
"They smell like shit," Rosalie mumbled, covering her nose.
"Language, Rose," Esme scolded half heartedly.
My fists clenched as they made their way through the sea of their soldiers. Apophis smirked at me. His scarred face creasing grotesquely. I could imagine my fists turning it into a bloody mush of flesh.
"You're early. You always did love a fight, Enyo," Vlad smiled at me as if we weren't here to kill him. My eyes searched for Victoria in vain.
"That is true. If I remember correctly, you always had a knack for losing," I said in a deadly calm voice.
"Ah! The kings have decided to grace us with their presence. It has been centuries since I saw you last. How has life been," Vlad deflected, glaring at me.
Aro stepped forward, eyes hard and cold. Victoria was like his daughter and he would not let anyone harm. I could tell that my brother was impatient to wipe them off the earth.
"We have been fine until now, dear friend. Your plan for our future is not one we will allow to come to fruition. It saddens me that we must resort to violence," Aro said in a fake tone.
"What he means to say is, you're a fool and we will live to see you all burn," Caius snarled. I held him back with a hand.
Vlad and Stefan's army stepped at his threat causing mine to do the same. I waved them back into to their places. There was no need to start the battle prematurely. Though I itched to rip Apophis' face off.
"Caius, you always were shrewd. We will forgive your disrespect this once. Tomorrow, I will have your head on my mantle," Stefan sneered before walking away, Vlad and Apophis following.
"Victoria will be here tomorrow," I called through gritted teeth. They didn't even have the courtesy to look back at me.
"If I want her here, she will be," Apophis said gruffly.
I wanted to lunge at him so badly, but a hand pulled me back just as I began to move. I took deep breaths to calm myself.
I was tired of being patient. Tired of letting these low level embeciles fuck with me and mine. These thoughts just made me angrier.
"It's alright. We'll get em tomorrow," Jules said, trying to be positive.
I sighed and turned around to watch my friends and family build a large bonfire. A smile spread across my face but it quickly vanished. Many of them will not survive tomorrow.
"It's okay to be afraid for them. I know how you feel," she sighed sadly. I looked at her in confusion.
"How is that?"
Jules pointed at the other soldiers and rolled her eyes. I could instantly see the large group of werewolves glaring at her as they dispersed. One of them was particularly angry.
"That used to be my alpha and that's his pack. I feel bad for what's going to happen tomorrow but it has to happen. Just like you feel bad for putting your people in harm's way. Some things are just necessary," she said, shrugging.
I nodded, eyeing the rogue werewolves. There was so many people that needed to die for us to remain safe, for Victoria to be back with me, for our secret to remain a secret. I just didn't want my family to apart of that group. I am a selfish creature at heart.
Later that night, I sat beside Jules and the Cullens as the others told their tales under the star filled sky. The cold winds surrounded us and the sounds of wolves howling in the trees brought a certain somber mood upon us.
Apart of me wished for morning to never come. Because it would bring the end of happiness and the end of peace. I caught myself staring up at that massive castle many times, wondering if Victoria was okay. If she was in pain. I hated myself for not being able to help her.
The sun did not care for our foreboding. The large orange sphere lifted up from the horizon as if taunting me. With it came Vlad and Stefan's soldiers, scowling at us with hatred in their cold eyes.
My stomach lurched as I watched Apophis stroll out with Victoria slung over his shoulder. Her body was limp and lifeless, turning my entire body cold. I wanted to run to her and kill the bastard without mercy.
Something was wrong.
Vlad and Stefan came to stand in front of their army. I watched helplessly as Victoria was dropped to the ground like a sack of flour. She barely moved at all.
"What did you do to her," I growled, shaking with rage. I could feel that she was alive but completely drained.
"That doesn't matter. We will give you one chance to turn around and leave with your lives intact. If you pledge your allegiance to Apophis, you may live," Vlad announced elaborately.
Not one of my people moved an inch and my confidence went up.
"No, I will give you one more chance. If you pledge yourself to me and mine, and give up this ridiculous idea of ruling over all humans, I will let you live. I am the Phoenix. Life and fire incarnate. You stand absolutely no chance against me and mine," I spoke authoritatively, struggling to keep my eyes off my injured mate.
I watched many of their faces become fearful. They seemed to go from statues to actual people with feelings.
"Your leaders will burn in the hottest fires you have ever seen. Your friends will burn. Your families will burn. And for what? An idea of absolute power? Is this idea worth dying for? If not, stand with us."
As some of them began to move, the three leaders scowled at me evilly. My entire body tensed as Apophis reared back to deliver a deadly blow to Victoria's stomach. By this time, I was done playing at peace.
I was across the field at record speed with a foot planted in the middle of his chest. Time slowed to a crawl as everyone looked on in outrage and glee.
"Destroy them," Caius roared, beckoning our army forth.
And the fight was on.
As Apophis skidded across the field, I struggled to wake Victoria up. Her eyes were open but she was not moving at all. Her eyes had bags under them that spoke of a horrible thirst.
"Come on, baby. Wake up," I whispered to her.
I slit my wrist quickly and shoved it in her mouth, ignoring the few scars that desecrated her beautiful face. When she began to drink I sighed in relief, only to have the rest of the air in my lungs kicked out of me.
I pushed myself off the ground swiftly and ran to meet Apophis head on. He smirked at me as I raised my fist to strike him and countered it easily. I roared in fury. He repeatedly dodged my strikes with the agility of a cheeta.
We went back and forth without either of us getting an edge. Every punch I landed, he answered it with one of his own. He dodged my flames like they were nothing. It was like fighting Victoria but on steroids. His height was a major problem.
I cringed as a strong kick landed to my midsection, followed by the hardest punch I had ever received. I went flying into a group of battling werewolves and shapeshifters as if I was a rag doll.
The werewolves immediately forgot about the shifters and pounced on me all at once.
All I could see was claws as they rained down blow after blow. I dodged their jaws by inches and called upon my fire as fast as I could. The shifters jumped away to watch as they went up in flames.
When I looked back, I could not see Apophis anywhere. Even worse, Victoria was gone as well. My fists clenched in frustration.
"Fuck," I growled, racing off to find them.
I ran through the battleground, ripping off the heads of fledgling vampires and turning werewolves to ashes as I searched for them. Any mercy I held in my heart was gone. It took the grace of a higher being to keep me from killing Vlad's defectors.
"Get off me," Irina growled as a werewolf knocked her down.
I ripped off my opponents head as quickly as I could and dashed over to her. I placed my hand on the beast's back and washed it fall over in agony. Irina looked at me with wide eyes before I quickly ran off to find my mate.
"Where is she," I roared in fury.
My eyes scanned the battlefield frantically. It was chaos. Limbs lie in the mounting snow. Wolves and shifters alike lie die in the middle of the field. Vampires dragged themselves across the ground to reach their legs. I felt like I was going insane.
Suddenly, everyone stopped and I became confused. However, my eyes widened when a massive crack in the earth began to open up. It shook the earth with such ferocity that I nearly fell over. This was my cue to bring the fire.
"Ashtan!"
My heart stopped when Victoria's scream reached my ears. My eyes fell upon her in horror. In the distance, Apophis gripped her head in his hands, ready to end her.
"You are no goddess. You are weak and your mate's death will be because of it," Apophis sneered.
So many emotions erupted inside me at once. So much rage. I ran with the speed of a god. The familiar feeling of fire enveloping my body came, but this time, I did not push it down. I embraced it to the highest degree.
I allowed myself to implode.
I roared as a sharp pain erupted in my back. It felt like needles poking into the skin of my back. As they burst through, my agonizing screams turned to deep growls. Apophis' eyes widened with fear as my feet lifted off the ground.
"You do not touch my mate," I snarled visciously. My wings spread apart, flames dancing over them.
I flew towards him with fire trailing beneath me. The screams of my enemies echoed through the field. My sole purpose became his death.
As his hands began to twist frantically, I swooped down and kicked him with ferocious strength. I didn't even stop to watch him knock over trees in his wake.
I dropped to the ground and grabbed Victoria. I checked her over for wounds diligently, making sure she would be okay. She pushed my hands away gently.
"I'm fine. Go and get that motherfucker. Bring me his head," she growled quietly. The fire in her eyes urged me on.
I was reluctant to leave her but I could hear Apophis getting to his feet. I squeezed her hand gently and lifted up into the air with a flap of my wings. Power flowed through my veins like electricity.
He ran towards me bravely, but I could smell his fear. It permeated the air and made me smirk. When he jumped into the air to grab me, I gripped his arm tightly. The sound of the bones breaking made me smile.
He screamed in agony and I dropped him like dead weight. As soon as he hit the ground, he ran as fast as could into the woods. His fleeing only served to rile me up. The anticipation is always the sweetest.
"Coward," I sneered, flying after him.
Apophis zig zagged through the trees holding his useless arm, trying to get it to heal correctly. I followed him closely and reveled in the fear that coursed through his entire body. The chase had always been my favorite part of the kill.
When he came to a massive mountain face, he stopped. I hovered in the air and watched various emotions flash across his face. He steeled himself and crouched.
"I will not die as a coward," he spat at me.
I descended to the ground and watched him stare at my massive wings in awe. Flames clung to them as if they themselves were the feathers. I spread them out lazily and smirked at him.
"Apophis, the Egytian god of death and destruction. A god to be feared. A god to be wary of. You are none of these things and yet...you brought harm to my mate," I said calmly. I had him exactly where I wanted him.
"It needed to be done to get your attention. You could bring in a new era of power for us all with the power you wield. I would gladly serve you. Every human and supernatural being would follow you. I know you have thought of it," he said frantically, suddenly emboldened by my calmness.
I let myself imagine this world he spoke of. A world where I am the queen of the damned, so to speak. A world where all beings bow to me and follow my laws rather than the frivolous rules they follow now.
"I have seen the evils of humanity. I have seen the lowest of the low. I have been burned at the stake. I have been discriminated against for only the color of my skin. I have been a slave and much more. All of these atrocities by the hands of humans."
Apophis straightened from his crouch as I slowly inched towards him. A hopeful expression replaced his fear. He seemed to relax as I spoke.
The most beautiful lesson I've ever learned is to become your enemy. One has to love their enemy as they love themselves. And when I understand them completely, I destroy them.
"You see. Under your hand, you can get revenge on the humans for what they've done to you. All of us would thrive under your rule," he said, trying to placate me.
When I was close enough to smell his breath, I stopped. The feeling of something poking at my shield made me tilt my head at him curiously. The last time I felt that same sensation was in the presence of Armand.
"Vladimir didn't lie to me. You truly are gifted," I whispered. A look came over his face.
"Ah, ah, ah. Pride goeth before the fall."
I gripped his neck tightly and pushed down on his shoulders with massive force. Apophis screamed and then gurgled as I crushed his windpipe. I bit into his neck with my massive fangs, tearing it apart and gulping his powerful blood until it was almost completely gone.
I stared into his eyes as his spine snapped. A wave of pleasure rolled over me when his body detached from his head. Blood spurted onto the snow beneath him, melting it upon contact.
His face was stuck in a look of utter horror. His eyes, wide and empty. It was an aesthetic that I could get used to.
"You die so beautifully, god of death." I flicked my wrist and watched his body burst into flames. "It was nice while it lasted."
When I exited the trees, the fight was nearly over. However, Vlad and Stefan were the only real opponents left to defeat. The kings were facing off with them while everyone else stood to the side of them, watching.
I titled my head in confusion. Did they really want a fair fight? As fair a fight as they could get while outnumbering the two traitors. To their credit, Vlad and Stefan did not look afraid. I pondered just how strong Apophis' mind control was.
The rest of their army, no matter how small the number, seemed to have awaken. But the two leaders still looked deranged. I wanted to wake them up and pardon them. Give them another chance to live peacefully.
Then, I remembered I had already given them too many chances to begin with.
I stepped out into the clearing with my wings stretched out completely. All eyes turned to me in awe and fear. Vlad and Stefan glared at me with the coldest eyes as I lifted their progeny's head into the sky. My people cheered wildly.
"What have you done," Vlad wailed running toward. Only to be intercepted by the guard.
"You are the beast! You will fall! I vow it," Stefan roared deliriously.
I smiled, deadly fangs glistening in the sun, as Victoria rushed to my side. I handed her the head as if presenting a gift. She took it with a maniacal smile. She stood beside me stoically, ready to defend me at any second as I would her.
"Your childe is dead, as is your army. The only reason you still take unneeded breaths is because I and my family allow it. The Volturi's motto has always been that we do not give second chances. We have failed to stay true to it with you embeciles. Not on this day," I said calmly, gesturing towards the Volturi kings and the guard.
They advanced slowly as the two insane ancients backed away in fear. I watched with cold eyes, absolutely no remorse. A part of me wanted to kill them myself but this was not only about me. They had threatened every vampire coven here. I watched as they all surrounded the two and felt nothing but pride.
The Volturi was redeeming themselves.
"No," Vlad screamed as Stefan was torn apart. He screamed and began to fight, only to drop to his knees in agony.
"Pain," Jane whispered, smiling evilly. I titled my head in confusion as Irina slipped her hand into Jane's.
Ucheche and Nazeem laughed and grabbed Vlad's arms with glee. Their red eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty excitement. The vampires and werewolves around them chanted them on as their mates advanced.
I turned to Victoria silently and watched her smile at the scene in front of us. My beautiful mate, alive and well. My realization could wait until another day. I wanted to feel her presence and the happiness that spread from her through the bond.
"I love you," I whispered quietly. I could feel the fire inside me cooling down as Vlad's screams echoed through the trees.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save you before they hurt you-"
Victoria placed her finger over my lips gently and caressed my cheek. Chills racked my body and I sighed in contentment. My wings, now extinguished, curled themselves around her protectively.
"I understand. It's okay. Now we have eons to be together with, hopefully, no interruptions. I would go through that a millions times just to make sure you and our families remained safe," she murmured, staring into my eyes with such love.
I kissed her lips softly and looked around at the battlefield. The bodies of the dead were now being tossed into massive bonfires. My heart hurt for the Quileute and the few nomads that had fallen. We could not survive this fight without casualties. It still hurt my heart.
In the distance, I saw the Cullens wrapping Jules' leg in a torn shirt. She waved at us happily and jabbed her thumb at the pack of werewolves behind her with a smile.
I waved back and rolled my eyes. I assumed they had made up, and the Cullens had gotten a new family member in the process. Carlisle always did have a need to expand his family.
"Your little girlfriend is sticking around, I see," Victoria chuckled. I gave her a confused look.
Before we even had time to reunite with our families, Caius had to ruin it.
"What will we do about these beasts? We've gotten rid of the lesser beasts but what of the Lycans? We cannot let them live after their betrayal," he ranted.
Aro and Marcus looked around at the scene for a moment and sighed at their brother. He knew not his own misguided prejudice. Some things never change.
"Brother, shut up," Aro sighed, causing Victoria and I to laugh.
Standing there beside my mate, underneath the sun shining so brightly through the clouds, I felt happiness. I looked towards the castle and with a smile, I declared it mine and Victoria's home away from home.
We had survived this day and I had trust in every smiling coven around me that we could survive anything else that came our way. For, my power was not yet at it's peak, but together, we were unstoppable.
Whatever the future has in store, we will handle it.
Together.