A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 29-

Marcus's POV-

"I don't know what is wrong with Caius." Aro complained, his head in his hands as he melodramatically created everything where there was absolutely nothing. "I wonder if some witch has casted a spell on him." And there we go with the over-exaggeration! "No, seriously. He set all the servants assigned to him free, and now refuses to hire anyone else. Instead, he wants to do every mundane chore with his own two hands. Imagine! Just yesterday I saw him sitting by his bathtub, washing all the underwear he owned, as he sang some cheery song shipman sing, completely engrossed in his work. And if that was not enough, he then ironed each underwear; who irons their underwear, before arranging it back in the cupboard, grinning wide in accomplishment as he then went ahead to arrange the rest of his cupboard- in sections. All blacks in one corner, the few of the other color in another corner." I hid my laugh, attempting to look serious, letting him continue, "It is like he has had a personality change. He refuses to enter the throne room, or engage in any official matter. In fact, and I didn't believe this till I saw it with my own two eyes, yesterday he was sitting with the servants in their chamber, refusing to even go back to his room. They literally had to beg him to leave! Imagine!"

"Well," I smirked in amusement. "I get what you are saying…"

"It is not funny!" He wildly protested, waving his hands in air, his childish protest nothing but humorous.

"I ought to disagree." I mumbled through my laughs, unable to control myself for any longer.

Gosh, Bella!

I haven't laughed this hard in ages.

What have you done to my brother?

"Just tell me, what should I do now?" he looked close to crying, and while I felt bad for him, I didn't feel as bad as to help him out of it. "Should I send him out on a vacation?"

Wait.

Vacation as in vacation, or vacation as in a permanent visit to the Gods?

"No." I instantly shouted. He may have once been the most violent and hated vampire in our world, but Caius was still my brother, and after what Bella had brought to my notice, Aro's vacation wasn't simply a vacation one returned from. "Let's not send him out on a vacation. Just. Instead, why don't we send him out to live with one of the covens we are ensured are friends. Dora can accompany him. It would be a needed change for him."

Yes, that would be an indirect escape from the tower for Dora too.

"You think that would be good for him?"

"I believe so." I tried my hardest to not appear desperate. Aro was a lover of other people's misery. If he saw that you craved for something, he would instantly steal it and keep it close to him, refusing to ever let you be any happy.

Aro hummed in agreement. "But in the recent times, we hardly have any friends remaining…"

"Carlisle." Honestly, that was the first name that came to mind. I hope he wouldn't mind.

"You think Carlisle will be okay with that?"

"Of course." I fibbed with all my heart. "He is one of your closest friends. He would be honored."

Sorry, Carlisle, for pushing this revamped Caius on your head!

My sympathies are with you.

"Okay then." Aro sighed. "I will inform Caius of our decision. Dora can accompany him."

I nodded my head in agreement, appearing as indifferent as could be.

"That reminds me," he ran a hand through his hair. "I have organized a meeting in the throne room in exactly half an hour from now. Just you, me and Jane. Earlier, Caius was supposed to join, but eh."

I smiled wide. "I will be there."

He nodded his head briefly, exiting my room, as I thought back to what my beautiful mate would be doing at the moment.

Bella's POV-

"So, who's next?" I raised an eyebrow in question, the triumph of our plan succeeding so far visible in each of our eyes. "Chelsea, Alec or wait, Demetri?"

"Bella," Charlie smirked wide, "Lesson number 1 of life- eliminate the sharks and whales first; the small fish are easy to deal with."

"Okay." I nodded my head in contemplation. "With Caius being out and Marcus obviously on our side…that leaves…"

"Jane." The four of us mumbled at the same time, smirks mirrored on each of our faces, as we looked forward to eliminating this mighty shark out of the game.

"So, how do we go about with this?" I enquired; my eyes narrowed together.

"Listen up closely," Charlie, the mastermind behind our success, announced the next part of our plan, our fingers crossed in anticipation of the victory we knew was headed our way.

Jane's POV-

"I understand, Alec." I let out a sigh, pretending to be sympathetic of his situation. Honestly, he was the one that needed to understand and accept the facts. I was his leader now- Mistress Jane. I couldn't be seen chit-chatting with a peasant like him! I had a reputation to behold! Earlier things were different. We were equals. But not any longer.

I was his owner now.

And he would have to respect that fact.

"You are my sister, Jane." He stated. "I miss talking to you. I miss spending time with you…."

"I have responsibilities now." I shrugged in indifference.

Not that I didn't like spending time with him, but I now had more important work to do.

And honestly, he was a pretty boring person. He did not like to unnecessarily fight or even keep a grudge, making me wonder at times if we were even related.

More importantly, with Brother Caius acting all up, the responsibility of creating terror in the name of the Volturi, was now on my delicate shoulders. And so obviously, I would not waste precious time discussing his non-existent problems with him.

So, what if I ordered him to apply nail polish on my toes? I was his leader; couldn't he do that much for me?

"Jane…I just…" he paused, wincing, "we are the witch twins…"

"Correction." I rudely cut him off. "We were the witch twins. We are not equals any longer to categorize as twins."

What? It was a fact!

"I…I really don't get why you are behaving like this." he appeared at the end of his wits. "We have been through so much together…"

"Yes, and this is just a new, permanent chapter of my life. Be happy for me, Alec."

"I am." He unconvincingly muttered.

"You know what, whatever." I waved him off. "I don't agree with this attitude of yours, and hence as punishment, you will not be fed for the next six months."

"You can't be serious?"

"Oh, I am!"

"Well, I refuse to accept this punishment."

"You can't do that!" I scowled in annoyance. "I am your leader."

"Watch me do it."

How dare he?

"Okay then. You will not be fed for the next eight months, now."

"I will go for a hunt right away."

"You will do nothing of that sort!"

"Watch me do it!"

"ALEC."

"JANE."

'We cannot trust him. He is no brother to us.'

"Alec, I am warning you. You better respect me…or…"

"Or what? What will you do, cry baby? Start crying?"

"I am not a cry baby!" I growled out at him.

"You used to cry all the time as a kid." He smirked in supposed victory. "Mother almost thought of giving you away, such headache worthy your tantrums were."

"You are such a liar!"

"I am elder; I would know."

"Yes, by a few minutes." I shouted the words out, glaring at him in fury.

'We cannot trust him. He will betray us.'

"You know what, get out of my sight. I don't wish to see you any longer."

"You can leave, too."

"Alec, don't test my patience."

"Or what?"

'Kill him. He deserves to die. How dare he disrespect us.'

"This will be a lesson for all." I declared to the room, brutally ripping his head out of his shoulders and squashing it under my shiny black heels, his lifeless body falling to the ground with a massive thump.

"Ja…ne…" the letters were garbled, a prayer visible in his eyes.

'Do it.'

"There is no forgiveness in our world, Alec. You knew better than this."

It hardly took a few seconds, my inner voice ensuring me that this was the correct thing to do.

Finally, when nothing remained of him but ash, I let out a sigh, mourning the last member of my family that I had had with me.

I may have lost my brother today, but it was necessary.

It was a lesson to every vampire living in this castle and outside- Jane was merciless.

She did not care who you were to her; if you disrespected her, she would give you a punishment that would fit.

'What have you done?'

What?

'How could you do this?'

You told me to do this! I complained back to my inner voice. It had guided me in upholding the law and teaching a lesson to those who did not know any better.

'He was your brother. He was your family.'

But I…

'You deserve to die.'

No, I don't.

'Throw yourself in the raging fire.'

I won't.

I did not want to die.

'You need to do this.'

I won't.

I was stronger than my mind.

'Think of all the innocent vampires you have tortured; the covens that you have destroyed. Think of your brother; he was simply being playful. You killed him. You are a horrible person.'

Was I?

'You believe in being fair. This is being fair. Punish yourself, too.'

But…I…

'The fire is lit. Do it. Do it. DO IT.'

I could no longer hold back, the power of my mind too strong to go against, my eyes shut as for once, I paid the price for my wrongdoings. I had tortured uncountable beings over the centuries, their images in front of my eyes as I joined my brother in the next world, a plea of being forgiven on my lips.