(21) "Why Don't You Just Tell Me Who Wins?"
Odessa hadn't expected the headache that ensued as soon as she captured everyone within her gift. The variety of colors and essences was a lot to take on at once, and Odessa couldn't help but wince at the pounding sensation that immediately began. It didn't help that she hadn't fed in a few days. Doing such a wide range and huge attack without feeding almost immediately before was bad. And Odessa knew that - should have known that. She had been too hasty and panicked to really think about what she was doing. However, this could play out in her favor. If she played her cards right, she could dismember many of the opposing vampires before she'd have to release her gift.
Odessa glanced around her as everyone within the vicinity was frozen. They were still able to talk, as her gift only affected the parts of the mind that affected motor skills and emotions, and a cacophony of disgruntled voices filled the air. Those from the opposition stared at her with hatred and fear, while those in the Volturi stared at her with annoyance. She smiled sheepishly at her coven mates as she apologized with her eyes. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't pick out those to release. It was harder to do so when everyone was mixed together and all over the place. If they had been two separate entities - two separate groups - then she would have been able to let all the Volturi go and keep the opposition frozen. But that wasn't the case.
She saw movement in her peripherals and balked at the unfamiliar smirking face running straight at her. She had no choice but to let everyone go to defend herself against the oncoming attack. She jumped back as the vampire tried punching her and ducked as another vampire tried ambushing her. Chaos ensued around her as her gift was released. Odessa cursed the vampire in front of her as they had ruined her plans. It had been strenuous to have everyone under her complete control, but she had been willing to off enough members of the opposition before her control slipped to give the Volturi an advantage in the fight. That plan was out the window. She winced as the vampire connected a punch to her face and caused her to stumble backwards. The vampire took advantage and pounced on her, trapping her beneath their grip.
"Looks like the almighty and powerful Odes isn't so almighty and powerful," they sneered in her face.
"You know Vera, I am guessing," Odessa grunted out as she tried getting out of the hold.
"Vera is the change we need; she's the future of the vampire community," they said.
"Vera is nothing but a rat," Odessa spit out.
"She wanted you on our side," they continued talking. "The whole point of kidnapping you was to persuade you to help us. Guess your sisters failed."
"Whatever information you had on me must not have been that great considering I have never been close with them." She pushed against the vampire and escaped for a moment before they held her hands against the ground. "How did you escape my hold?"
"It wasn't hard," the vampire laughed. "My gift allows me to negate gifts that are emotion-based. Vera told us how your gift works, and I had no doubt my gift would negate the effects of yours."
Odessa cried out in anguish and pain as the vampire pressed down harder on her hands and wrists. She looked around wildly before she made eye contact with Demetri. He eyed her situation and immediately ran over to help her. He picked the vampire up and ripped off their head before holding a hand out and helping Odessa stand.
"Thanks," Odessa breathed out in relief.
"Well, Alec would surely be heartbroken. Besides, everyone quite likes you. It would be a shame to let you die," Demetri remarked.
"Wow," Odessa deadpanned as she assessed the situation. There was fighting everywhere, and it seemed the opposition was more or less on the same level as the Volturi. While they had powerful vampires like Alec, Jane, and Demetri, their gifts weren't formidable during the large battle. The opposition, on the other hand, had a lot of members and was able to easily overwhelm them.
"I don't suppose you could freeze everyone again," Demetri commented.
"I wish I could, but that earlier bout was too much. I cannot do that again so quickly, unfortunately," she said. She looked around the area and spotted two familiar vampires who were on the same side as her during the last major battle she was a part of: Stefan and Vladimir. They were happily fighting against two Volturi vampires - lower guard from the looks of it - and had no idea she was glaring at them with distaste. They had the audacity to call the Volturi scum when they existed. Just their presence - just the sight of them! - aggravated Odessa to a point where she couldn't help but want them dead. Taking advantage of Demetri's proximity, she took a hold of Stefan and allowed the lower guard member to face off against Vladimir. Luckily, the guard member had the upper hand and killed Vladimir swiftly.
Stefan cried out and tried to reach out for Vladimir but couldn't. Odessa watched on with glee as Stefan was next to be decapitated. It was easy with him being so still and full of emotions. With that taken care of, Odessa focused on trying to find Vera. Vera was the one who started it all; she was the hope the opposition had. She had to be dealt with. She grew frustrated as she couldn't find her but was distracted as she was attacked again.
The battle continued, but the number of vampires dwindled. At one point, Odessa was fighting next to Alec, and as she made eye contact with him, she couldn't help but smile. Oddly, it was fun fighting an enemy with her mate close to her, especially since both had the upper hand.
"I was worried about you, you know," Alec began conversing with her as he fought his opponent. Odessa guffawed as Alec's opponent snarled at the implication of Alec's multitasking.
"I am here, am I not?" she replied as she ducked under a particularly vicious arm swing.
"Still, when you didn't come back with Heidi, I worried."
"Heidi made it back without harm, then?"
"She did, but she was a mess. It was a wonder how the masters understood what she was saying." He threw a punch and connected with a jaw.
"I am glad she made it without harm. I was worried."
"Next time, please be more concerned with your own safety."
"There is going to be a next time?" she asked a s she grunted with the force it took to throw her opponent down and stomp their head off.
Alec finished off his opponent as he answered, "Hopefully not." Then, he walked towards her and pulled her in for a kiss. "With you, though, there is no telling what could happen."
"That makes me feel so giddy," she said sarcastically. Movement around them subsided as Aro killed the last opposing vampire. It was silent as everyone took in the outcome. As she looked around, Odessa couldn't help but notice one of the leaders was missing. Marcus was nowhere to be found, and neither was Vera. Odessa's nerves grew as she frantically looked around for the reason it all started. "Where is she?"
"I believe she is on her way in now," Aro said as Vera flew through the closest doorway and fell to the floor. Marcus stormed in after her with an inimical expression on his face. "It was a very bad decision to try and attack our wives," Aro placated. "Marcus is very protective of his sisters, you see." Marcus snarled as Vera stood up and panicked as she realized all her allies were dead. She made eye contact with Odessa and immediately tried to beg for help.
"Odes, please," Vera begged as she tried walking towards Odessa. Alec growled in warning and stepped slightly in front of Odessa. Vera paused at his actions but didn't take her eyes off Odessa. "Please, we've known each other for years."
"You are right, we have. You have not changed since the day we parted," Odessa clipped.
"Please, help me, Odes," Vera said as she continued to walk forward. "Together, we can finish this. We can finally get rid of them and be free."
"What you have done is atrocious. You even had the audacity to bring my family into this. I will not help you."
Vera growled as she lunged forward desperately trying to cling onto the one familiar thing in the vicinity. Before Alec could do anything, Odessa grabbed a hold of Vera's essence. It reeked of desperation, anguish, and anger. Vera fell to the floor in a heap and began sobbing at the realization that her plans failed. Odessa couldn't help but realize that she had been in this position one too many times. Joham, Jennifer, Maysun, Vera. Who else would she have to do this to? Who would be next? Alec? Jane? Heidi? Santiago? Felix? She faltered as she couldn't help but let sadness envelope her. She didn't want to be the one to end Vera. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
Alec placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes as he walked around her to stand in front of Vera. "I know," he whispered sympathetically. He grabbed a hold of Vera's head and watched her squirm in his hold with glee. He was happy one of the last people to cause his mate distress was going to die. And the fact that she was going to die by his hands was so much better. "I hope you understand what you've done," he told Vera. "You failed." With a hard twist, he ended her existence.
"Well," Aro started as he dusted some ashes off his suit. They were already in the process of burning the bodies of the dead, not wanting to waste time in cleaning up the mess. "We have much to talk about and plan."
"I couldn't agree more, brother," Caius said as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. The smell of burning bodies permeating through the air was harsh, especially to the sensitive noses in the room. "Might we do it in a cleaner room? I can hardly stand the smell."
"Of course," Aro replied. "We will need to speak with the city officials, as well. Heidi, be a dear and fetch them for us, would you?" Heidi nodded her head and left the room. "I want this all cleaned up before they get here."
As the leaders left the room to converse, Odessa moved to help clean up. All the elite guards were still alive; only a couple lower guard members had died, and a few had been injured. As she picked up a leg to throw into a pile of remains, Alec stopped her. She looked back at him and saw the reassurance in his eyes.
"Come talk with me," Alec said.
"We have to clean up," Odessa said as she gestured towards the mess.
"Don't worry about cleaning up. The lower guard members will handle everything," he reassured her as he gently pulled her towards the door. She hesitated before allowing him to lead her out of the room and away from the mess. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jane, Demetri, Santiago, and Felix leave. She wondered where Chelsea and Afton were, to which Alec informed her they liked to stay and help the lower guard members. He led her to the garden - her favorite place to go when she had a lot of things on her mind. She took a seat on the bench and gripped the underside of the bench, leaning slightly forward and staring down at the ground. Alec placed a hand on her back and rubbed it a few times before he pulled her close to him and gave her a hug. She leaned into his touch and listened to the quiet murmuring he was doing in her ear.
Words of reassurance and affirmations winded into her ears and circled around her eardrums before floating into her mind and drifting down into her heart. "I love you. I'm sorry you're going through this. We'll get through this together. You're so brave. I know it was hard, but you did amazing. You don't ever have to do that again. I'll protect you."
It was endearing. She never thought Alec would be the type of guy to show affection and console her like he was. She appreciated it as she couldn't shake the negative feeling surrounding her. Vera had been misguided, just as Jennifer, Serena, and Maysun had been. Besides her revengeful ways, Vera had been a good companion. Seeing her existence end was a final reminder that they had drifted apart. Odessa would always cherish their ten years together, and she was sure that if Vera hadn't succumbed to revenge, she would have been a lifelong friend.
She pulled out of the embrace and pulled Alec in for a deep kiss. She poured her appreciation and love into the kiss, wanting him to feel how strongly she felt in the moment. When they separated, Alec gave her a peck on the forehead, her left cheek, her chin, her right cheek, her nose, and then her lips again. Odessa giggled at the sweet sensation that washed over her from his actions and hummed in contentment.
"I was frightened when Heidi ran into the throne room without you," Alec confessed. "I am elated and relieved no harm came to you."
"I am sorry for worrying you," Odessa apologized. "I could not let them harm Heidi, though."
"You are surprisingly close to Heidi," he noted.
"We talked and hung out a little. I understand her and she understands me. I," Odessa paused for a moment before sighing and confessing, "I have come to see the Volturi as family and friends."
"That is," Alec breathed out, "that is good to hear. I am glad."
"I have missed you, Alec," she confessed. "I feel like we have not had time to spend together lately, and with the argument we had before everything escalated, I feel like we hit a bump in our relationship. I felt a distance between us."
"I understand why. It was not my proudest moment, and with the separation from each other after such a huge argument, I don't think it helped us grow closer."
"It did not. I know there is still so much we have to do in terms of the aftermath of the attack, but do you think we could go on a date when all this is over?" she asked shyly.
"Of course," Alec murmured as he placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head. "I know you love fish, so I thought we could dine at the new Asian restaurant in the next city over."
"But you do not eat human food. It would not be fair for you."
"It would give us a chance to talk more, and any time with you is valuable to me," he told her. "Why do you like fish so much?"
"I think it is because fish is rich in iron. I do favor meat, a lot, too. Spinach, too. Plus, it is delicious," she answered.
"Good to know."
"I got you a present. In all this chaos, I forgot to tell you."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, did you get me?"
"I am not telling you," Odessa giggled. She stood up quickly and walked away from him. Alec followed her, chasing after her and lightly tickling her sides every time he caught her. She shrieked at one point when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and lifted her off the ground. He chuckled at her antics and placed her feet back on the ground. He leaned his head down so that his mouth hovered over the junction where her neck met her shoulder. He grazed his teeth over her pressure point and relished in the way her breathing hitched. He scraped his teeth over her skin hard enough that she felt it but soft enough so it didn't pierce her skin. Then, he suckled at the spot. Odessa wrapped a hand around so that she could hold his head in place and let out a breathy moan to encourage him further.
The sound of a throat clearing caused her to groan and Alec to place one last kiss on her neck before moving away from her. He let the smile gracing his face fall as he turned to face who interrupted them. Demetri.
"I hope I am not interrupting too much," Demetri said with a smirk.
"Not at all," Alec replied smoothly.
"Yes, you did," Odessa replied at the same time as Alec. "You had my back during the fight. What changed?"
"The masters want to speak with everyone," Demetri informed them. He gestured for them to follow him as they made their way to the throne room. The city officials were just leaving, trying hard to smile at every vampire they passed. Odessa could tell they were fake. Once everyone was in the room, Aro addressed them.
"After speaking with the city officials, it has been determined to label the mass murder in the city as a fast-acting influenza. The bodies of the dead have already been collected, and a joint funeral will be held for all those lost," he said. There were whispers of agreement in the decision made.
"Unfortunately, there is another matter we must discuss," Caius said with a frown. "With the recent attack, we cannot afford to be passive. There have been too many underground whispers to not take action."
"Caius is right," Aro said. "We cannot allow our community to think we are weak, especially with everything that has happened in the last year. Therefore, Caius, Marcus, and I have come to a decision. In a month's time, we are going to host a ball."