AN: Thanks SM for sharing your world and letting us play with your characters.
I'm just going to leave this one here and run back out before the hate mail arrives... Carlisle and Felix are bad, so bad. It's not my fault. Sorry.
Happy New Year everyone!
OUT AND ABOUT
"This is dangerous. I don't like this, Carlisle," Felix complained as he changed his clothes.
Carlisle watched him from the doorway to Aro's bedchamber. "It's only mid-afternoon, we have hours before the guard party will start. Do you really want to go back and play happy families in the library?"
"No, definitely not!" Felix replied as he dressed himself in one of Aro's shirts and dress coats.
"It fits!" Carlisle exclaimed, as though it were some sort of omen.
Felix knew stealing Aro's clothes to go on a bar crawl was a bad idea. Either one of those things is a bad idea ... let alone the two, he corrected himself. Checking himself out in his parent's mirror, Felix decided there and then that he was going with Carlisle. He looked good. Really good. He couldn't remember the last time he wore anything other than the black guard uniform.
Carlisle came behind him. "It's on my head, Felix, not yours. You won't get the blame for this," he said, confidently.
Felix scoffed at that. "Have you even met Aro? If you think I'm not in this up to my neck you are deluded!"
Carlisle walked to the door and opened it wide for them both to leave the tower. "You are always up to your neck for one thing or another, Felix."
Wearing a cocky smile Felix had to agree.
They stayed silent as they moved through the castle. They didn't pass a single guard.
"Good fortune is shining on us today!" Carlisle crowed as they left the castle grounds.
Felix felt exhilarated! He had never been to the ale inns surrounding their home, ever. He knew Aro would find out. He always finds out, he thought, but for now he doesn't know and if I am going to end up having my ass handed to me I am going to make it worth it! Felix-logic in perfect working order again.
Carlisle looked less happy than Felix did.
"Why are you so pissed off about Atia?" Felix attempted to broach the reason for Carlisle suddenly becoming his best buddy.
"What makes you think this is about Atia?" Carlisle replied defensively.
Felix laughed. He was king of acting stupid because he was pissed off, he could recognise it a mile away. "You are purposely fucking with Basileus because he's taken a mate and he's going to hand you your ass in a sling for it."
Carlisle shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about. Atia has nothing to do with this."
Felix smirked and nudged his uncle. "I know it's about Atia. You know I know. I know you know I know. And we know Basileus knows!"
Carlisle returned the nudge, though his was harder. "We're a knowledgeable family," he said, laughing. Though he didn't confirm anything.
"You know I don't have any money, right?" Felix said, sounding a little embarrassed.
"I have money." Carlisle waved away his concerns.
"Where is it from?" Felix asked with trepidation. He knew Carlisle didn't have any money of his own.
"If I don't tell you, you aren't implicated" Carlisle breezed easily as his rattled his money pouch.
"Oh for fuck sake," Felix exclaimed, bringing the two of them to a halt. "It's Basileus' isn't it." Felix accused. Carlisle didn't answer. "It is though, isn't it? Don't answer, just don't." Felix threw his hands to his head and started to pace. Fuck, we are in so much trouble already and we haven't even gotten to the inns yet. Oh my god, Aro is going to fucking flay me!
"If they gave us money we wouldn't have to take it." Carlisle said easily.
Felix quit his pacing. "I can see that one working when Basileus is tearing a strip off us."
Looking around, Carlisle could make out the bar he had in mind to start their crawl. "First ale house." He pointed out in the distance. "Are you in or out?" he asked a now stressed looking Felix.
Closing his eyes and knowing he was already in for a world of pain for all he had already done, he sighed. "I'm in."
…
Not long after Basileus had returned to the library, Sulpicia took her children home.
Demetri felt like a well chastised little boy every time he had glanced to his mother on their walk there. Once they were safely inside their private rooms, he plucked up the courage to speak. "Sully, I need to talk to you."
Sulpicia rounded on her son. "Yes, you do. What have you done for Magnus to ban you from the guard hall?"
"Oh, that." Demetri's heart sank. He didn't want to talk about that right now. "I may have mouthed off to Freyr," he admitted, biting his lip, "and I pushed Magnus," he added. "But that's all of it, I swear. I didn't see the point in bothering you and Aro with it."
Sulpicia scoffed. "Evidently!" she replied sarcastically.
"Magnus hit me really hard, mom." Demetri said dramatically, trying, and failing to get his mother on side.
Sulpicia rolled her eyes. "And, your other little stunt? The one that saw you over your grandfather's knee in front of our entire family?"
Aro hadn't told her about Demetri taking the guards into Basileus' suite when it happened. I will be having you about that, dear husband, she thought.
"I have taken all the shame I am willing to feel for you and your brother today and it's only the afternoon!"
Oh man, she is so pissed off, Demetri thought, hearing his mother rage at him. Such an occurrence was rare. Rare, but not unheard of.
"Go to your room, Demetri." Sulpicia ordered, collecting her book from the table.
"But I really need to talk you about Felix and Carlisle." Demetri pushed. He didn't want to disobey Sully, but this needed to be said.
Raising her eyebrows to her boy's defiance and approaching him slowly, she replied. "You should be more concerned for your own hide right now, not theirs."
Demetri had the sense to look to the floor submissively at least.
"You heard Basileus ... there is method to this madness, apparently." Though Sulpicia didn't believe any good was going to come from sending Carlisle out again to cause even more trouble and she was fuming that Aro had allowed their son to be used in this whole charade.
"Yes, but that revolves around Felix and Carlisle screwing up in the guard hall ... and they aren't in the guard hall." Demetri blurted out.
"What?" Sulpicia questioned, hoping she'd misheard.
"They have left the castle. I felt them leave." Demetri confirmed, referring to his tracking gift.
Dropping the book and grabbing hold of both Demetri's arms, Sulpicia shook him a little. "Where are they?" she asked, sounding frantic.
"I can see an ale house," Demetri replied, wincing at the force of his mother's hold on his arms.
"Where?" she asked again, more forcefully this time.
"I wouldn't know without going out to track them, I just see an ale house!" Demetri whined as he tried to pull himself free.
"Should I tell Basileus?" he asked quietly, not relishing the idea of grassing his brother up to the man, but genuine concern would force him to if he had to.
Sulpicia shook her head and fetched their cloaks, handing them out to her three children.
"Please take the twins to Marcus and see if you can all stay with him until I collect you," she told Demetri.
Jane and Alec smiled and put on their cloaks. They enjoyed seeing Marcus; they could get away with far more with him than they could Aro, and he never told on them either.
Demetri was considerably less pleased. "I don't need a babysitter," He huffed, sounding very much like someone who would need a baby sitter.
Sulpicia knew she didn't have time for one of Demetri's tantrum. Ripping the cloak from his hands and swinging it around his back she addressed him sternly. "Demetri, if you want me to help you with Aro you will go to Marcus, and you will behave impeccably whilst you are there."
Demetri's shoulders slunk but he allowed himself to be pulled from their chambers and out to the castle floor.
"Go!" Sully ordered before flashing to the library.
…
"I received word this morning that Caius and Athenodora are due to return. They should be with us within the week." Aro told his father.
They, along with Eleazar, Carmen and Atia were seated in the library. Actually, Eleazar stood - understandably.
"Good, good. I wasn't overly enthused at the idea of having Marcus and Caius out on separate quests at the same time. There is safety in numbers."
Aro rolled his eyes. Always so conservative, he thought to his father. "I think we have enough vampires in attendance to cover coven safety – and that's excluding the 30 or so guards tucked away inside the castle."
Basileus wasn't convinced, but he wasn't cruel enough to remind Aro of the relatively recent attack on the castle by a whole hoard of vampires that killed his own sister and a good ten guards.
"You two could still go with Marcus, you know?" Basileus said, turning to his eldest son and mate.
"It's fine, Dad, I told you already." Eleazar replied quietly.
Basileus watched Carmen's reaction. She seemed so disappointed and the thoughts he intruded on confirmed it. "I think you should go," Basileus said, sounding resolved.
Seeing Carmen perk up convinced him it was the right thing to do.
"But what about ... " Eleazar began, only to be cut off by his father.
"Eleazar, I said you should go."
Carmen looked desperate for her husband to agree, but she understood the family dynamics. "It would be most impolite to leave just as Atia arrives," she said, hoping someone ... anyone ... would disagree.
"Oh nonsense, my dear. We will just have even more to talk about on your return." Atia replied, waving away her concerns.
"Fine, we will go to Greece." Eleazar agreed.
Carmen's excitement was palpable as she dived up from her seat and embraced her husband.
Aro felt a little jealous. He could hardly remember the last time he left the damn castle. "It's not just a holiday El, there are outposts that need looking in on, ear to the ground and all that," he said moodily.
"I know the drill, little brother." Eleazar returned, patronising Aro a little.
"You and Sully should take a break from the coven for a while," Carmen told her brother-in-law, knowing Sulpicia would jump at the chance for some time away from the castle and all the pressures of Aro's work.
"I have too much to do, my dear," Aro replied, feeling sorry for himself again.
"That's true. And, you have made your job even more troublesome if what I have heard is correct?" Basileus asked.
Aro fretted a little, wondering what he had done now. "What's that then?" he asked nonchalantly, keeping his concern from his face.
"I believe you announced to the guards that Felix and Demetri are your sons?"
Aro released his deep held breath in relief. "That was last year."
Basileus smiled to himself. Only earlier that day had Demetri used the same excuse. "Have there been any repercussions?" Basileus asked, looking to Eleazar, too, in the hope of a more impassionate response.
"No. I have had to remind Felix and Demetri to tone it down a little, but I haven't revoked it. Haven't had to." Aro shrugged.
Eleazar nodded along.
"Caius has let it go unchallenged?" Basileus pushed.
"Caius has been too busy grieving his loss to worry about my sons' status." Aro replied with another shrug.
The shrugging was getting on Basileus' nerves. "Hmm, I expect he will return having gotten over his grief - so be prepared."
Aro rolled his eyes. "I know, and I am. I have told them both to stay under the radar when he gets back. I know how to deal with Caius!"
Basileus thought back to the very many times he'd had to intervene in relations between Caius and his son and did a mental sigh at what was, no doubt, another coming storm.
Everyone's attention turned to the library doors swinging open with a frantic looking Sulpicia standing behind them. "My love, there may be a problem with Felix and Carlisle. They have left the castle," she blurted out as she flashed towards her husband.
"WHAT?!" Aro exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"Are you sure? How do you know?" Basileus asked, hiding the broil of emotions circulating inside him.
"Demetri." Sulpicia confirmed. "He can see an ale house but would need to leave to track them. For now I have sent him and the twins to Marcus' chambers." Sulpicia was visibly upset, which only escalated Aro's agitation.
"Your plan has backfired spectacularly," he accused his father, rather viciously.
Basileus bit the inside of his mouth in an effort to distract himself from his son's vitriol - he couldn't react to it; he knew he deserved it. "Let us not get ahead of ourselves. If we give them enough rope ... " he started to attempt to placate Aro, but Aro wasn't having that.
"I don't want to give my son any rope. I want him safe! I want him home! This is between you and Carlisle," Aro spat back, pacing the short distance between his own vacated seat and his father's.
"Felix is going along with it of his own free will." Basileus reminded his son.
"Free will?!" Aro repeated in anger. "He's a bull-headed teenager going along with a supposed adult who is telling him this shit is okay!" Aro was half yelling now, all pretence of calm, and there wasn't much to begin with, was now lost.
Basileus knew Aro was about to blow and they would both live to regret that. Getting to his feet and matching Aro's stance, he shoved his son lightly. "If we go out there and drag them back it will only fuel their belief that they are the wronged party rather than the wrong doers."
"We can't just sit here whilst they run about Italy on a bender!" Aro, stupidly, pushed Basileus back!
Bad move. Aro saw his father's eyes blacken. Shit, he cursed himself.
Quickly looking to Atia, who's witnessing of Basileus performing a veritable smack down would cause him the most shame, Aro noticed her pulling on her cape.
"Where are you going?" he asked, hoping to deflect his father's attention, at least.
"Whilst you two stand about arguing, I will go and find Felix and Carlisle." Atia replied plainly, as though she were addressing children and not the creator and king of the vampire world.
Aro thought that was just as ludicrous as it was for his father NOT to go on the search.
"No, no, no ... "
Atia soon hushed him, and to Aro's surprise, he felt compelled to shut up.
"I will find them, and I will watch them. So long as they are under no threat, I will leave them to their own devises and follow them home. If something happens I will bring them home myself."
Aro scowled at the women, feeling patronised by her tone. "Are you going to allow this?" Aro asked his father in shock, mainly surprised that the man hadn't left already!
Basileus smiled mischievously to his boy. "Atia has certain talents that suit her to the task."
Aro, along with his wife, Eleazar and Carmen all turned to face Atia, who had apparently disappeared ... clothes and all ... only for a moment, and then she reappeared in the same space!
"Wow, amazing!" Carmen was amazed and voiced everyone's thoughts.
Sulpicia still was concerned. "Felix is very strong. Very."
Atia smiled kindly. "Not when I am around, my dear." Waving away her concerns. "I suggest you all abide by the original plan unless I bring them home myself. That way something can be saved from this evening." Atia reached up and kissed Basileus. "Goodbye, my dear."
Encompassing her in his huge arms he told her appreciatively, "thank you for doing this."
Atia smiled, as though it were nothing. "And to think I worried family life would bring an end to my adventures," she said, and then disappeared again, leaving to persue her new family members.
…
Felix and Carlisle had managed to get through five ale houses hours since they had fled the castle. They had already been far too free and easy with their vampire abilities in the first two inns, raising eyebrows of the villagers drinking there. By the time they made it to the third bar, both had drunk so much ale that their stomachs were full and they had to vomit before they could consume anymore. Naturally, for vampires, both had blood in their systems and seeing two incredibly well dressed and unbelievably handsome young men throwing up thick blood-red ale had caused the patrons some distress.
Felix, being younger and more susceptible to alcohol, particularly considering he was hardly over lasts nights' intake, became too rowdy in the inn keeper's opinion and he was asked to leave. Felix allowed himself to be forcibly escorted from the bar but accidentally snapped the barkeep's arm in the process.
Carlisle, in his drunken, state found the whole thing highly hilarious.
By the time they entered the fourth inn, both Felix and Carlisle were gunning for a fight. They swaggered into that bar eying every man in there with malicious intent flowing through their glares.
Even though he was well dressed and with an impressive stature, Felix still looked young and a few of the tavern patrons thought they could take on the youth when Carlisle and Felix refused to pay for the ale they supped.
Felix had long forgotten that he was supposed to conceal his vampiric identity and allowed the fools to punch him, increasing in force until one snapped his wrist against Felix' marble-hard torso.
The humans had no sense of the pair being vampires, though they knew what the mythical beings were. They did peg Felix, along with Carlisle, as 'other', as 'mystical', with the qualities of a witch or some sort of demon.
Though Carlisle had enjoyed the release of his frustrations through the floor show Felix had provided, hearing 'demon' thrown around and directed at the pair of them brought an end to his fun. He was instantly transported back to the many occasions he'd been chastised by the pastor, who frequently used the same term.
"We need to leave, Felix." Carlisle said abruptly, shaking with the strength of the memories whirling around his head.
Felix seemed not to hear his uncle, nothing registered on his face as he continued to goad the humans who had now formed a minor mob in response to the boy's impassive damaging of their friend.
"Felix!" Carlisle shook his nephew roughly. "We are leaving! Come on!"
Hearing Carlisle growl, the humans stood back. His feral, guttural noises scared them, and as fear so often does, the mood within the group of dangerously ill equipped humans turned to an angered frenzy!
Being run out of the ale house hadn't been the intention when Felix and Carlisle had walked in there, but if you could have asked either of them, they would have to admit that they found the chase exhilarating.
The fifth, and final inn on Carlisle's hit list for their bar crawl contained rooms to let above the bar. The sort of rooms that are let by the hour or so, depending how quick you were.
Carlisle paid for two rooms, one each for himself and Felix. He felt no remorse over the immoral position in which he had put his young nephew. Indeed, the logical side of his brain was so impaired by all he had drank over the last couple of days that he thought proving how immoral both he and Felix were to Atia would hopefully scare the woman away for good.
Felix had been bang on the nail over why Carlisle was acting so disproportionately petulant to his usual manor and in his mind, at least, Basileus had pushed him there by taking a mate. He hadn't considered, for even a moment, his father's own happiness in all of this, having sunk into a self-centred, self-destructive mode from the moment they'd left England.
Basileus was sure the good pastor's death would have, at least in part, caused his son's personality transplant.
The only times Carlisle had considered the pastor at all he pushed the memories deep down inside, and he had refused to talk to Basileus at all on the matter. The reason for this wasn't as Basileus had assumed – Carlisle didn't blame Basileus at all. It was his own lack of guilt over his human father's death that, oddly, made him feel guilty!
Felix couldn't care less for his uncle's motivations, he was having one hell of a time on the back of Carlisle's mutinous behaviour and this sort of opportunity rarely presented itself to the young guard ... even in his over-privileged, if slightly stifling, coven life.
Felix had stripped off and lay spread out on the well-worn bed before his purchase had even closed the door.
"My, oh my! You are a big boy," the woman swooned.
It was rare she had cause to service handsome young men, and for a change the sultry overtones to her voice and sexual sway as she walked towards her bedfellow were born of genuine desire.
"You are so cold," she told him in surprise. He felt dead to the touch, and hard like stone.
Felix's laughter reverberated around the room. "I need warming up, that's all," he said as he pulled the waif-like whore on top of him.
She bothered her lip. I cannot believe I have landed this gorgeous hulk and Bea has had to take Pollo, again. I can hear that rancid old fool grunting through the walls! Poor Bea, she thought as she looked the adonis in her bed up and down.
"I can help you with that," she replied quietly, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Felix laughed again. "I'm sure you can."
Less than half an hour later, Felix was leaving his room, though not in a post-coitus haze as predicted.
"CARLISLE!" he roared as he threw his uncle's door open.
Carlisle lay on his back whilst his whore sucked on his cock. "Felix, what the hell ... " Carlisle leaned up on his elbows - nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes.
Felix stood in the open doorway wearing clothing only from the waist down with every inch of exposed skin doused in blood.
"Ahhhh!" Carlisle's whore began a muffled scream, her mouth still full of Carlisle.
Wide eyed and panicked, Carlisle held onto his whore's head and forced his cock deep into her throat to quiet her screams. It only took a few moments before her gurgling subsided and her twitching limbs became limp.
Carlisle's eyes flew frantically from the bloodied-up Felix to the dead whore in his lap, back and forth like a frightened child. "What happened?" he hissed as he threw the lifeless woman from the bed. Flashing to the door, he pulled Felix inside.
"I, I, fucked the whore to death!" Felix admitted, eyes full of regret, utterly disgusted in himself. "I drank her blood," he mumbled, as though that wasn't obvious by his eyes alone ... which Carlisle noted had already taken on the red hue of human blood consumption.
He decided not to tell his nephew about that right away.
Carlisle ran his hands through his hair. What the fuck am I doing? He questioned himself as a moment of guilt burst through his self-centred façade. He ripped the sheet from the bed noticing how heavily stained the threadbare coverings were and wondering what possessed him to lie on the damn thing as he threw it to Felix.
"Wipe the blood off. We need to get out of here."
Before Felix had made much progress, Carlisle was dressed. "You're a vampire for god sake - hurry up," he called as he peered out the door. Seeing the landing was clear, he flashed to Felix's room to retrieve the boy's boots and coat. Seeing the state of his nephew's conquest, he fell back into the wall.
Blood splattered the walls and even the eves above were dripping with the tempting red liquid. The whore, what was left of her, laid splayed out on the broken bed – hips smashed with one leg barely attached. Her face was missing as though Felix had eaten away at her flesh. The scent of the blood was so strong, so alluring.
Carlisle felt his throat burn with desire for the succulent blood. I have to get out of here, he told himself as he bundled Felix's clothes into his arms and flashed back to his nephew.
"Where are we going?" Felix asked, still in a daze with blood crusting around his hair line.
"Home, Felix. We're going home." Carlisle told him, plainly, as he pulled the boy over to the window.
With a final look over his shoulder Carlisle scanned the room for any forgotten belongings. Seeing the young woman he'd murdered lying carelessly on the floor gave Carlisle cause for pause. No, its too late anyway, I need to get Felix out of here, he told himself resolutely.
They jumped out of the window, free of the inn and the horrors they had left behind.
The evening sky was clouded and gloomy. As the fresh rain pouring from the heavens washed away the last of the blood, the reality of the situation hit Felix in a mountain of shame. He was ready to cry.
"I can't face Aro yet. I can't," he told his uncle, knowing what waited for him when they returned to the castle.
Carlisle laughed. Not a happy laugh, no. A nervous laugh that only served to prove to himself how utterly fucked they were.
"Nor can I. We need a drink first. Nobody knows we were here, we can still go to the guard hall," he suggested as they started to leave the scene of their crimes.
The guard hall, Felix thought, are you fucking joking! "Carlisle, I really fucked up." Felix stated the obvious. He was still half dressed and looked a slouched, sorry state.
"Nobody knows, just keep your mouth shut." Carlisle placated.
Felix shook his head; he knew better than that. "Aro will know, Basileus will know," he glumly replied without even a glimmer of hope to his tone.
"No they won't, they only look for things they think they already know. Just don't think about it and they won't find it in your head."
Felix stopped walking and pushed Carlisle. He didn't really know why; he certainly didn't blame his uncle but he was frustrated with the guy's blasé attitude to the whole situation – to everything, in fact.
"Don't think about it? I just fucked someone to death!"
Carlisle ignored his nephew's physical stance. He knew Felix wasn't angry. He's upset, he's just a kid, he thought. Throwing an arm around the boy and starting them both walking again, he told him, "Well, we can learn from this. Human whores are a no go. We will stick to vampire whores."
Felix laughed despite himself.
As Carlisle pulled Felix along, they soon hit a steady vampire run.
As she watched her new son and grandson leave the scene of their crimes, Atia returned to her physical state. "Well, well boys, what a deliciously interesting adventure you have had."
…
Carlisle had to dress Felix when they reached the woodland surrounding their castle home. He also had to convince the trembling young guard that his father wouldn't kill him and that they may as well go to the guard party and have a drink whilst they could still walk ... which really didn't ease Felix's fear in the slightest!
"Good evening, your Majesties." Magnus greeted with a mocking bow as the pair strolled into the guard hall.
"Magnus." Carlisle replied abruptly, eying up the guards on offer for round two.
Magnus zoned in immediately on Felix's eyes. "What happened to you, young one?" he asked caringly, trying to move the lad over to the side of the hall where a desk was set up for dealing with guard administration.
Felix resisted. "Nothing, nothing. I don't know what you're talking about." Felix bristled under Magnus touch and tried to pull away.
Magnus held him steady and looked into his glowing red eyes - he could feel the boy's anxiety.
"Your eyes are bright red! What the hell have you done?" Magnus asked, drawing the ear of every guard in the hall.
"What?!" Felix asked in shock. They can't be red already, surely not, he thought whilst shooting an angry, panicked look to Carlisle who hadn't told him of the state of his eyes.
"Here, drink this." Carlisle ordered gruffly, handing Felix a goblet of bloodwine.
Magnus pushed Carlisle away and focused on the young guard. "Felix do you need to talk?" he asked with a hand on each of Felix's slumped shoulders, choosing not to comment on his attire - he had never seen the lad in anything but the black guard uniform and he recognised instantly that his jacket belonged to Aro.
Felix shook his head and knocked back the bloodwine Carlisle had offered in one, hoping it would steady his nerves and maybe even change his eyes back.
Carlisle attempted to put himself between Felix and Magnus, though to Carlisle's strength, Magnus felt like the immovable force.
"No, he doesn't need to talk to you, he's fine." Carlisle replied, his jaw set tight and amber eyes beginning to blacken. If Carlisle thought his temper flaring would cause Magnus to back down, he was mistaken.
Magnus placed his open hand on Carlisle's chest and walked the younger man towards the wall. "I wasn't asking you, Carlisle."
Magnus was brimming with confidence, something which had alluded him the night before when he'd been totally caught off guard upon encountering Carlisle's attitude. He slammed Carlisle into the wall next to his desk, resulting in an audible huff from the angry blond as his lungs involuntarily emptied by the force.
Magnus didn't relax his hold and Carlisle swore he was blushing as the attention of every guard turned on the cocky, stubborn son of the creator being taken in hand.
"I'm his uncle, if he needs to talk he can talk to me," Carlisle spluttered as he finally managed to breathe.
Magnus just shook his head and laughed. Then he spotted Felix trying to draw another goblet of wine from the barrel. "You aren't having any more to drink," he called over his shoulder.
If Felix had heard him, he chose not to listen as he knocked his drink down in one.
"Felix, I said no. Now back off." Magnus had to release Carlisle to prevent Felix taking a third cup. Slapping the boys hand away from the barrel, hard, caused Felix to drop his goblet to the floor. "Go home." Magnus told him gently. He could see Felix was in a bad way.
Carlisle swaggered over and placed a protective arm around his nephew. "We aren't going anywhere," he spat at Magnus.
Magnus laughed in his face. "This is my guard hall. If I say you are leaving - you are leaving."
Carlisle looked around the hall. Every vampire in attendance was listening to this conversation – if nothing else, his pride wouldn't allow him to back down now.
"You can't pull rank on me, Magnus. I am above you," he said, and then corrected himself, pulling Felix in tight. "We are above you."
Magnus fixed his eye on Carlisle and shoved Felix to the side. "Not in here you're not. And I dare say, outside of here you're not." Every step Magnus took forward, Carlisle took one back until he was against the wall again. "You can leave now or I will escort you out."
Of course, Carlisle ignored the Master of the Guard and made to walk around him. Not that he got very far.
Magnus slammed Carlisle back against the wall and pinned him in place, holding Carlisle's left arm above his head. Carlisle's whole left side was exposed and without the protection of his pined arm - he knew what was coming and he felt incensed as Magus easily removed his belt with his free hand.
The physical difference between the two men was staggering and Carlisle blustered in his humiliation. "You will regret man handling me, Magnus, I will be ... " CRACK!
"Do you think I will regret that?"
Magnus smirked as Carlisle did his level best to hide the pain. A slash of fire burned across the side of his unprotected thigh.
CRACK! "How about that one? Will I regret that one?" Magnus asked matter-of-factly.
Closing his eyes, Carlisle bit into the side of his mouth to distract himself from the sting.
"Do you want some more?" Magnus whispered. Even his voice pissed Carlisle off.
CRACK! Magnus delivered another searing lash of his belt, this time across the very tender area to the side of Carlisle's stomach.
That one caught him out. Carlisle hadn't expected a strike there and released a high pitched squeak in response before he hurriedly got himself back to his stoic facade.
"Take your fucking hands off me!" he ground out through his tightly set jaw. He could taste his own blood running to the back of his throat from where he'd bitten a chunk from his cheek.
Magnus cocked his head to the side and seriously considered giving Carlisle a proper belting there and then. No, he's not ready to take that from me. He considered reading the broiling emotions emanating from the young man in his grasp.
"I think you need to take a break before I'm willing to deal with your attitude." In a single fluid movement, Magnus flung Carlisle over his shoulder, much to the other guards' delight, and to Carlisle's eternal shame, with hooting and jeering!
Felix hadn't watched Carlisle being taken down, his fear for his own ass was a greater worry right now. He grimaced hearing the guards cheer but was startled at suddenly being snatched up from his seat by his neck.
"Walk!" Magnus ordered gruffly.
Carlisle tried to lean up to a less humiliating position but as soon as Magnus felt the young man shift his weight he planted a single swot as hard as he dared to Carlisle's rump before pushing up on his legs, forcing him to dangle unceremoniously over the master's shoulder.
"Who the fuck do you think you are? You are going to regret this!"
Magnus laughed heartily. "Yes, you have said that already. Let's see if you're right, shall we?" Magnus breezed through his gravelly voice as he lugged Carlisle along.