(19) "The Trade-Off Was Never-Ending."

Odessa ran through the city to get to the closest lookout. There were five in total: One on the north side of the city, one on the south side, one on the east side, one on the west side, and one that circulated throughout the city in case someone slipped past. The last one would be tricky to locate as they had no set location, but the other four would be easy to find. She silently wished they were dead by the time she reached them as she knew Aro and Caius would show no mercy for what had happened. It was a law that vampires were not allowed to hunt within the city limits. Odessa once thought that law was put in place simply so that the Volturi could live under the radar undetected. Now, she wondered if it was a stipulation the city officials put in place. Odessa always did wonder how the Volturi was able to bring in large crowds of people every so often without creating chaos.

Group feeding was not Odessa's favorite activity. Not only did she feel uncomfortable feeding with others, but she also hated the idea of feeding on children. It wasn't often that children made it into the group, but Odessa couldn't help but be uncomfortable with it happening. Usually by the time the group feeding came around, everyone was thirsty and ready to sink their teeth into something, so she didn't hold it against them heavily. Still, she didn't participate in them. Sometimes Alec would feel her tenseness and would take her out of the city limits to eat. It was easier feeding with Alec because she didn't have to worry about him accidentally attacking her due to his emotions being in overdrive. He made sure she ate first before he found something for himself. Sometimes, he'd find two people for them, and they'd drink together. Odessa liked those times the most because both were full at the same time and could experience the satisfaction of being full together. After they had their fill, they'd find some place to lay down and look up at the stars. It was silent and all they had was each other in the moment, but it was enough.

Odessa remembered the last time they had done that. She didn't know if it was because they had just fed, if it was the way the stars were particularly bright that night, or if it was the way Alec had looked at her, but they had spent the night in each other's arms. It was the most intimate she had been with anyone. She had been lost to the sensations of Alec's smooth hands running over her body, his tender nips as he bit into her skin passionately, and his biting fingers as they latched onto her hips to enable him to plunge into her. She had never lost herself to someone with such a fervor, and by the time they were done, the sun had risen to replace the soft glow of the stars above. She wished they could spend time together like that again, but they had to deal with the likes of Vera and her group of opposers first.

Odessa found the guard stationed in the western part of the city first. She searched the perimeter in which the guard was given and found her a few seconds in. She was nothing but a pile of ash, and the only thing that made her discernable was the Volturi crest laid haphazardly on the pile. Odessa grimaced and picked up the crest. She investigated the surrounding area to see if she could produce any clues, but she found none. She sped off to find Afton and Chelsea to inform them of what she found.

They were walking around, observing things and running in and out of buildings. Odessa caught them when they were closing the door of a small home. She grimaced when she caught a whiff of blood and wondered what had happened in the tiny home. Afton and Chelsea stopped moving when they saw her and walked towards her.

"What happened here?" Odessa asked.

"The people who lived in this house were murdered," Afton said with a frown. "Their necks were snapped, and their blood was drained from their bodies."

"That's terrible," Odessa commented.

"We haven't found anything that could lead to any known vampire either," Chelsea told her unhappily. "Aro won't be pleased."

"He won't," Odessa agreed. "I found the guard stationed nearby; I am assuming she was killed and burned. The only thing I found that could identify her was her crest." Odessa held the heavy object up for them to see. "For their sake, I only hope they all faced a similar outcome."

"We still have quite a bit of area to get though, so we're going to go," Chelsea said. "Let us know if you run into anything on your way to your next destination."

Odessa nodded her head and headed towards the southern guard. This guard met the same fate as the last one. Odessa tisked and collected the Volturi crest before taking off again. On her way to the easter guard, she passed Demetri. He motioned for her to stop so he could talk to her about something he found. She slowed down and stopped a respectable distance from him so he could talk.

"I am sorry for interrupting your duties, but something I found is concerning. I was hoping to bring it to your attention now rather than later," Demetri said calmly.

"If you feel that is best," Odessa responded. "What is it?"

"A scent I came across is slightly familiar. I did not think of it much until I saw you."

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

"It is a scent that has clung to you before."

"Recently?" she asked. If it was recently, then there was a chance it was Vera's scent, and he could help locate her.

"No. It is a scent that came up from your adventures out of the castle."

"Thank you for letting me know, Demetri. I will try to remember those who I encountered during that time," she said. With a nod of Demetri's head, she ran off worriedly. There were only so many that she had visited during her time away from the caste. She had gone home to collect her belongings with Alec, she had visited the Cullens, and then she had visited Nahuel and Huilen. Demetri should already know the scent of the Cullens as he had been in contact with them multiple times, so that only left a handful of people. Odessa shook her head as she refused to think about what it all meant. Maybe she had unconsciously met a vampire on her way back to the castle after her fight with Serena.

As she came upon the eastern lookout, she shook her head in shock and quietly but quickly descended upon the guard that was still alive. He was frozen as he sat on the ground with a stone expression on his face. Odessa waved a hand in front of his face to try to garner a reaction, but the guard didn't react. Odessa frowned and placed her hands on her hips as she tried to figure out a way to bring him out of his trance. Her eyes brightened and she quickly sat down in front of him before she slapped him hard across the face. Shocked, the guard sprang up and wildly looked around before settling his gaze on Odessa.

"Odessa!" the guard yelped in surprise. "I am confused. Why are you here?" The guard looked around again. Then, a dawning realization crossed his face as he took note of the shining sun and lack of stars in the sky. "I don't understand."

"An attack was conducted last night on the city," Odessa explained. "It was stealthy and nothing we could have seen coming. You were in some sort of trance when I found you, and I slapped you to get you out of it."

"I- I don't know what happened. One minute I am patrolling the area, and the next minute, I see you," the guard told her truthfully.

"They must have someone on their side with the gift of hypnosis or something like it. That would explain why you were the way you were. Unless, of course, you are a traitor," Odessa tested him.

"I would never!" the guard shouted abruptly. "I would never betray the masters or the Volturi! I owe them my life!"

"Then, you don't have anything to worry about," Odessa lied. She knew Aro and Caius would exterminate him as soon as they extracted information from him. However, she needed to get him to the castle first, and with his coherency and lack of injuries, that task would be harder with him knowing the truth. She saw a look of relief flash through the guard's eyes as she motioned for him to follow her. "I still need to check over the northern sector of the city before we can make our way back to the castle."

"What of the masters? Won't they want me to check in with them?"

"They are in a meeting with the city officials at the moment. They want us to finish our tasks first before we speak with them about what we have found. Things are tense right now, so I would rather finish first. You understand, right?" She tilted her head backward and side-eyed him as they ran through the city.

"Are the masters upset?" the guard asked tensely.

"How do you mean?" she asked carefully.

"They won't be angry with me?" the guard rephrased his question.

"Of course not," she denied quickly. "It was out of your control. We had no information on them, so we had no idea they would have someone with such a gift. Do not worry. They will understand." She hoped it was a good enough bluff to ease him. She couldn't afford to lose him in all the chaos. She looked at him again and saw the doubt still lingering in his gaze. In the corner of her peripherals, she saw his hands twitch, and when she looked back up, she saw his eyes dart to the side. Right as he started running away, she grabbed a hold of his essence and made him run in front of her. She sighed as she knew his idea of fleeing would only make his punishment worse.

She made it to the northern part of the city and immediately found the guard in pieces. The upper half of his body was still intact, save for his left hand and his right ear. His lower half was torn off and laid off to the side. Odessa grimaced at the scene, then clenched her teeth in irritation as the guard woke up and began screaming. She walked up to him and leaned over him to snarl in his face. He cowered and whimpered in pain as his left hand clutched his right wrist.

"Shut. Up," she growled out. "I do not have time for your insufferable screaming. I have enough to deal with, what with this idiot trying to flee." She gestured towards the guard she had under her control with frustration. "Now, I have to carry your sorry ass and all your sorry ass parts back to the castle!"

"Such a dirty mouth for someone so beautiful," a remarkably familiar voice said smoothly behind her. She rolled her eyes and controlled the eastern guard to move so she still had a line of sight on him. She faced Alec with an unimpressed look and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I am not in the mood, Alec," she said.

"I can't imagine why," he said with a smirk.

"If you are not going to help," she began as she gestured towards the guard under her control, "then you should leave."

"So mean," Alec muttered playfully. He utilized his gift and cut off the guard's senses. Odessa sighed in relief as she let her control slip. "Tough day?" Alec asked.

"I am just frustrated with what has happened," Odessa confessed. "This idiot tried to run," she said as she gestured towards the guard under Alec's control, "this one would not stop screaming," she said as she gestured towards the ripped-up guard, "and Demetri gave me some information I would rather not think about."

"What did he say?" Alec asked, immediately latching onto Odessa's stress and trying to figure out a way to soothe it.

"He found a familiar scent lingering in the area."

"Vera?"

"No, something older from our time away from the castle."

"We only interacted with two groups of people during our time away," Alec pointed out.

"I know," Odessa said sharply. "I do not want to talk or even think about it right now."

"I understand your hesitance; however, it is something you will have to face sooner or later."

"I know, I know. I just-" Odessa choked up as she tried to hold her emotions at bay. She bit her lip and turned away from him. She felt him smooth his arms over her shoulders and turn her over so he could envelope her in a hug. She scrunched her face up and breathed in his scent as she contained her tears. They left her eyes, anyway, as she opened her mouth and struggled to say, "I do not want another person I thought I could trust to deceive me. I cannot go through it again."

"I won't let them hurt you, Odessa," Alec said strongly. "No matter what happens, I won't allow anyone else to tear you down. You are in my care now, and I love you too much to see you suffer any more than you have. I am truly sorry you are going through this, cuore mio."

"Will this continue to happen during my life?" Odessa questioned quietly. "Am I cursed to be betrayed constantly?"

Alec pulled away from Odessa, looked in her eyes, and fiercely said, "I will never betray you, not again. The pain I felt leaving you down there in that cell was immense, and I regret my decision to purposefully hurt you. I know I can be indifferent and cruel, and I know that sometimes I lack the empathy to truly understand someone, but when I am with you, I want to try. Cuore mio. You are my heart." He placed his hand over her fast-beating heart and basked in the warmth radiating from her skin. "And I cannot bear to hurt my heart again."

Odessa lurched forward and kissed Alec. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. As his mouth moved against hers in sync, she couldn't help but feel like she could trust his words. She wanted them to be true. With the amount of work Alec was putting in for their relationship to work, she knew they had to be true. Odessa pulled away when she heard a throat clearing behind them. Heat rushed to her face as she saw Jane calmly tapping her foot against the ground with a raised eyebrow.

"Sister," Alec greeted Jane.

"Brother," Jane replied. "Now is not the time to be sucking face with your mate."

"I do apologize, sister. I had to cleanse her dirty mouth somehow," Alec leered.

Odessa hit his chest as she sputtered incoherently.

"Oh?" Jane asked inquisitively.

"Oh, indeed," Alec joked. "It was amusing hearing Odessa curse."

"I did not mean to!" Odessa squawked indignantly. "It just came out." In response to the smirks given to her, she continued, "I was frustrated, is all!"

"Of course," Jane placated. "It has been a rather frustrating day. Alec and I have not found anything of importance to report to the masters."

"I found plenty," Odessa snorted. "Are you almost finished with your investigation?"

"Almost," Alec answered. "A few more houses filled with gruesome scenes and we should be done."

"Are they that bad?" Odessa asked.

"Whoever attacked did not take their job lightly," Alec confirmed. "It is rather tragic so much unnecessary blood was spilled."

"Agreed," Jane said shortly. Then she looked at the guard covered in thick mist and asked, "What happened here?"

"He tried to run away," Odessa said. "I tried to trick him into following me to the castle, but he must have figured that he would be killed once he spoke to the leaders."

"Leaders?" Alec asked.

"I am not comfortable calling them master, but I do acknowledge their position within our clan."

"Our clan?" Alec asked. "When did these changes transpire?"

"Anyway," Odessa said as she embarrassingly changed the subject, "I have to get back to the castle with these two idiots before I lose my mind."

"Good luck with your endeavors, then," Jane said. "Alec, come. You may swap venom with your mate as soon as we're done."

"Go before she embarrasses us further," Odessa urged as she gave Alec a small push in Jane's direction. "I will see you later."

Alec grabbed her hand and gave the back of it a kiss before he went off with Jane. As soon as he released his control over the eastern guard, Odessa took control of him again and had him start walking back to the castle as she proceeded to gather the parts of the decapitated guard. She ran as fast as she could and deposited the guard on the ground as soon as she stepped foot in the throne room. Aro, Caius, and Marcus were already there. Marcus was sitting on his chair with a surprisingly fierce look in his eyes, Caius was pacing the room ferociously and impatiently, and Aro was busy staring at a painting on the wall with a distant look in his eyes. Felix, who acted as a guard for the leaders, stood alertly against the wall. When Odessa opened the door and dropped the guard, they stopped what they were doing and looked at her expectantly.

"The western and southern guards were dead upon my arrival," she told them. "This one," she gestured towards the guard under her control, "was disoriented when I found him on the eastern side of the city. I think he was put under some sort of haze or hypnosis. This one," she gestured towards the whimpering one on the floor, "was decapitated when I found him in the northern part of the city. I have not asked him anything as he has done nothing but whimper since I found him."

"Why is he under your control?" Caius questioned harshly.

"He tried to run," she said simply.

"Thank you, Odessa. We will make sure to thoroughly question them," Aro said. "I am sure the others will be back soon." Right as he said it, Demetri, Alec, Jane, Chelsea, and Afton walked into the room. "It seems we are only missing Heidi. Odessa, be a dear and bring her here. Take five of our regular guards with you, as well. Have them patrol the city while we discuss our next moves. And do tell them to be on their best behavior else they end up like these two."

Odessa nodded her head and gathered five lower guard members before racing out of the castle. She tracked down Heidi quickly and found her calmly walking around. Upon seeing her, Odessa slowed down and waved at her. "Heidi!"

Heidi glanced over in surprise before she approached the hybrid. "What is it, Odessa? Do the masters need us?"

"Yes, they are requesting your presence in the throne room. Everyone is finished with their tasks, and the leaders wish to discuss our next actions," Odessa told her.

"Alright," Heidi said. "Let's go."

Odessa thought it was strange that the city was so quiet. Usually, it was bustling with people and noises, laughter and smiles. Now it was empty and looked more like an abandoned town rather than the culturally rich city it was known to be. The lack of noise was a curse and a blessing as she could hear the exact moment someone tried sneaking up on them. Odessa swiveled around and blocked a hit coming straight for her head. A vampire she had never seen before stood before her with an evil smile on their face.

"Odessa!" Heidi shouted. Odessa looked over and saw that Heidi was surrounded by three vampires. Heidi was holding her own, but she couldn't fight against all three at the same time and her movements were quickly slowing. Odessa took control of Heidi's three opponents and froze their actions.

"Heidi, run!" Odessa yelled. Heidi looked conflicted as she looked between her opening to run and Odessa. "Go! I will be fine!"

In her haste to help Heidi, Odessa failed to notice the vampires descending on her. She was hit hard and blacked out. All she could hope was that Heidi got away.