PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL
Caius breathed a deep sigh of relief when Henri finally left him to talk with Tao of the African coven, though he pitied Tao having put up with the jerk.
The covens started arriving a little after dawn and by then, noon, Caius had already taken three shots of the dirty drug with the French leader. He was still level headed and he wasn't slurring his words; he simply felt calm, which was lucky as he would have twated Henri for some of his comments otherwise!
"Insufferable prick," Caius muttered, adding a fourth glug of dungeon blood to his goblet of bloodwine.
"I thought you liked him?" Demetri said, taken aback by the sudden change in Caius - he and Henri looked to be bosom buddies, Demetri had thought.
"Good," Caius said, taking a moment to gasp as the taste of dungeon blood hit his senses. "That's the impression I want Henri to have."
"Why would he believe anyone likes him?" Demetri sneered. "He's scum."
Caius looked to the boy and nodded. "He thinks we are the same," he admitted, shamefully.
Demetri felt a flash of anxiety realising he had just insulted Caius to his face, however unintentionally.
Caius was quick to wave the boy's apology away. "It's enough to make a man question the way he has lived his life, isn't it?"
Before Caius could morose too much, Basileus was at his side, guiding him and Demetri towards the English coven leader.
"My dear," Basileus said, waiting behind Hilda.
"Basileus," Hilda replied, before turning to see who he had with him. "Ah, Caius."
"Hilda," Caius returned with a bow. "The Creator has been telling me of your correspondence, have you had much success yet?"
Hilda shooed Noella away so she could talk plainly. "My ladies are quite against my plans, Caius," she admitted. "They think burning humans before I turn them to be somewhat inappropriate. I was rather hoping you would take the gauntlet on behalf of our kind and sell me the rewards of your labour."
"You want to buy vampires from the Volturi?" Caius asked. His eyes glinted, already thinking this could prove to be a lucrative venture.
Hilda was pleased to see such interest. "If you can create a vampire with the gifts of the twins, or your Russian sibling set, I will send you, personally, a gift to match the tribute I paid Aro today."
"Personally?" Caius asked.
He noticed that Basileus didn't seem to object. Caius would hand over whatever payment Hilda offered to the running of the coven … less a little for his expenses, of course.
"Can you think of any other ways to bring about extraordinary talents in vampires?" Hilda asked, eager to speak with someone who was willing to discuss such things. Her own ladies had been repulsed by her ideas.
"It seems to me that extreme pressures in human life transfer to vampiric gifts," Basileus offered. "Even on a rudimentary level, human experience feeds into vampiric nature."
"I have found that, too," Hilda replied. "It's odd that no one else is interested in this.
Demetri positively baulked at that. Odd that no one is interested in burning people alive?! What the fuck is wrong with you all?! he thought, looking between the three vampires who were discussing such horrors as starving, freezing, suffocating, drowning, and other such atrocities as easily as if they were shooting the breeze.
"What other ideas do you have," Hilda directed to Caius.
"There are many things, my lady." Caius mused for a moment, thinking back to the list he had made the day before. He didn't want to give away too many ideas, so he settled on, "We need not restrict ourselves to physical conditions, there's always psychological to play with, too."
"Have either of you ever scared a human to death?" Basileus asked, hinting that he, indeed, had.
Caius thought back through his existence. "Not intentionally."
If it weren't for the dungeon blood in his system, he may have walked away from the conversation at that point. His interest had been piqued by the offer of reward, but the short trip down memory lane Caius had put himself through had turned his stomach. His mind went immediately to Lucius, and the state of the poor wretch when he'd left him in the dungeon that night. It wasn't so much that Caius felt the boy deserved better - Lucius had caused merry hell in their coven and he wanted rid of the boy as much as anyone else did. But the horrors of that night had turned into days for Caius in his come down and the whole event had scarred his psyche.
"I wonder what would come about from such a thing?" Hilda asked, unperturbed.
"As do I," Basileus said, wiggling his eyebrows in excitement for coming opportunities to test vampiric makeup.
Neither Basileus nor Hilda seemed to notice the effect the conversation was having on Caius, or Demetri for that matter.
"This is wonderful, Caius," Hilda exclaimed. "I really think this could be big business and it would certainly fit with the tone of the alliance. I only want men," Hilda said quietly. Her coven had enough strong females and though she had sworn to never have a man in her coven, after spending some time with the Volturi, and indeed the other covens in the alliance, she had decided it was time to add some of the weaker sex to shake things up a little. "No rush," she added. "I want the gifts more than the men."
How charming, Caius thought. "Understood, my lady, I'll get started after the ball."
Basileus and Hilda soon drifted away.
Demetri tried to leave, too. "I'm going to talk to my Dad!" he snapped when Caius pulled him back.
"No," Caius said sternly. "You need to stay with me and away from Felix." When he actually looked at Demetri, he took a step back. The boy looked pale, even for a vampire. "What's wrong with you?"
"It was just hearing about your new job …" Demetri drifted off thinking about the proposed conditions Caius would be putting humans through. "It's wrong."
Caius cared little for human life, as a rule, though he felt the same way as Demetri about the task he had been set. Not that he would let the boy know that. He had his pride, after all.
"We need to replenish the guard anyway, we will just be adding a little gift-engineering into the process." Caius was trying to convince himself as much as Demetri. "The humans won't suffer for long before they are offered immortality in return."
Demetri looked askance to Caius' reasoning. "You make it sound like a transaction!"
"Is it not?" Caius asked, still working things out himself.
"No!" Demetri snapped. "You are talking about setting people on fire before you bite them!"
That drew a few close vampires to the conversation!
"Will you shut up!" Caius barked.
"How much pain do you think is a fair price for immortality? And, all so you can make some easy cash!" Demetri called out, bolstered by the mutterings he heard behind him, all expressing disgust for the work Caius does. ('Does' because very few knew that Caius no longer worked in ANY capacity!)
"Out, now!" Caius snapped. He didn't wait for the boy to move, he took Demetri by the arm and dragged him through the doors to the great hall.
Demetri continued his complaints as they went. "You don't know how fucked up Jane and Alec were when they came here."
"What are you talking about?" Caius spat, pushing Demetri clear of the doors and, therefore, an audience. "Aro set them straight to work."
"They held it together really well in public, but at home, at night …" Demetri tailed off remembering what his baby brother and sister were like when they first arrived in the coven. "Being set on fire fucked with their heads!"
"Watch your mouth," Caius snapped at the boy. Though his mind was elsewhere, he just wanted something to say to the brat.
"You are talking about torturing innocent people for an experiment and you think the words coming out of my mouth are the problem?!"
"Demetri, I am not arguing with you about my work …"
The boy cut him off. "Work?!" he repeated as though the word had no place in their conversation.
"Yes, work!" Caius walked away a few steps. "I don't have a choice," he admitted quietly.
Demetri scoffed at that. "You don't do anything you don't want to do."
What on earth gives you that impression?! Caius thought. Demetri was too young really to be aware of the changes Caius had made in his life, or to understand that the man wanted nothing more than to tell Basileus to get to fuck with his new plans for gift engineering. It was there though, all hidden in the change of his tone as he admitted he didn't have a choice.
"Here," Caius said giving the boy his half goblet of bloodwine. "A bit of blood will do you good."
Demetri took a giant gulp from Caius' cup. His eyes lit up when he realised there was dungeon blood in it! He didn't remind Caius of the fact. Demetri only had a tiny amount diluted in a whole goblet of bloodwine, but it was enough to chill him out and to leave him feeling a little dazed.
Caius took it as a win when the boy stopped arguing with him and brought them both back into the throne room, none the wiser to his mistake. It didn't even occur to him when he added a fifth shot to his goblet and knocked it down in one.
Magnus made a bee-line for the pair of them. He wanted to check in with the younger master and took the chance to speak with him before Henri could intercept.
"Demetri, take your sister to see the lions, young one?" Magnus didn't wait for the boy to reply as he quickly pushed the girl to her brother. "I'll be watching," he added, pointing to the window where Xola and Marcus could be seen, along with Alec riding the larger of the two beasts the African coven had brought with them.
"How's the conversationalist?" Caius asked, jutting his chin towards Liam looking gormless as everyone else interacted around him.
"Witless as ever," Magnus quipped.
Liam had served his purpose as far as Magnus was concerned. After a couple hours trying to talk to the guy he felt much calmer, if a little frustrated, from making inane conversation with a man who mostly grunted his replies. He might have retained that calmness had he not clocked the state of Caius' glassy eyes.
"How many shots of that shit have you had?!"
"A couple," Caius replied, averting his eyes. He knew it was pretty pointless lying to Magnus, but he felt the need to at least try.
Magnus wasn't having that. "Try again," he hissed. When Caius failed to reply, Magnus went to his fallback. "Four?" he asked, reading Caius' emotions. "Five?" Yeah, Magnus thought, getting a hit through is emphatic gift. Five. "We're barely halfway through the first day, Caius!" Magnus hissed, giving Caius' arm a shake.
"I'm fine!" Caius snapped in reply, shrugging off the juggernaut's hold.
Ironically, he wouldn't have been so bolshy towards Magnus on the matter of dungeon blood without the dungeon blood in his system! Caius had been the one who wanted to come off dungeon blood, and if he wanted to go back on it, it had fuck all to do with Magnus.
Except, Magnus was the one who had supported him through his last few bouts on the drug - he had kept Caius safe, even from himself, when he had been on a raging rampage, and he had gone out of his way to help Caius through the difficulties he faced with Basileus, too. Magnus had every right to say his piece, he felt.
Magnus glared down at Caius shaking his head very slowly, willing himself not to erupt in the throne room.
"Give me the bottle," he demanded, hand outstretched and waiting, daring Caius to refuse. "I'm not having a repeat of the last time you were on this shit."
Caius scoffed and went to walk away. He didn't get very far when Magnus clamped a giant hand on his shoulder.
"Give me the fucking bottle or I will take it from you."
Caius felt the hackles rise on his neck, not helped by seeing Henri watching his altercation with Magnus from a short distance away.
Henri had ended his conversation with Tao, quite rudely, simply to watch what the juggernaut would do with Caius. He had noticed that Caius had to ask the Creator for the dungeon blood, which didn't happen at the first ball. We went through some cloak and dagger theatrics. Henri remembered that they had mostly visited Caius' chambers or the dungeons to indulge, but Caius didn't ask for permission.
It wasn't that Caius wanted to impress Henri - he thought the man a cretin, but he knew the way a mind like Henri's worked (perhaps because his own mind worked that way, too, on occasion). Henri already viewed Caius as lesser, at least lesser than Aro. If Aro was the leader of the Volturi, and Henri led the French coven, then Caius was below Henri - at least in Henri's mind. It was the same reason Caius had fed on humans before the ball. Not to impress Henri, but to give the French leader less to feel superior about. There had been a few veiled digs on that score from Henri at the first ball and many more at this one. Foolishly, Caius prized nothing higher than his pride, and he couldn't ... he wouldn't ... lose face in front of Henri.
Caius took the bottle from the pocket of his cape and flicked the stopper out onto the floor at Magnus' feet. Then he poured a good shot and a half into his cup, all the time smirking to the older coven master.
It was a real dick move, especially considering all that Magnus had done for him. But Caius put that help aside for the moment. In fact, Magnus wasn't even a feature in this thought process at all. His objective was not losing face - proving he was a leader of the Volturi, equal to Aro, definitely equal to Henri!
Magnus was floored by Caius' disrespect, let alone his petulant defiance. His lip twitched into a snarl. Keeping the growl rumbling in his chest subdued was proving difficult.
"Fucking have it!" Caius said, thrusting the bottle towards Magnus so the sticky residue around the rim scraped against the Volturi crest on his tunic.
The moment Magnus released Caius' shoulder to take the bottle, Caius flashed away, leaving Magnus to collect the bottle stopper from the floor like some sort of servant. When he looked up, he saw Henri's gurning face.
"Collecting the rubbish, I see. How apt."
Magnus stood up with the bottle in hand and wiggled it to Henri. "Certainly am," he said with a happy smile, popping the stopper back in the bottle.
Henri sneered at the coven master and went to take the dungeon blood from Magnus. He didn't get it. Magnus threw the bottle to the floor before he had chance, letting it smash on the marble. The black, sticky liquid spewed out, and splashed Henri's boots.
Magnus continued to smile as the whole throne room silenced and stilled. "Oops," he said, loud and smug.
Henri wasn't so stupid to actually start anything physical with Magnus, he just enjoyed winding him up.
Magnus, for his part, knew he could easily crush the creature if he wanted to, without consequence, and he was sorely tempted to do it. No one would miss you, Magnus reasoned.
Basileus flashed to Magnus' side, ready to intervene should the juggernaut do any of the things running through his mind. "There would have to be some consequences," he whispered to Magnus with a friendly arm around his shoulders, completely ignoring Henri's complaints.
Magnus rolled his tongue around his cheek. "From you?" he asked quietly.
Basileus nodded and tapped his cane into the floor. He felt Magnus shudder briefly but heard the master considering whether the punishment would be worth the reward.
"It won't be," Basileus assured him.
Henri continued wittering before them, getting louder with his increasing frustration over being ignored by just about everyone.
"When it's time," Basileus said to Magnus, referring to killing the French leader, "you can have the honours."
Magnus chuckled. "I suppose that will have to do."
"Tao!" Basileus called over to the African leader. "I believe you and your brother are known for your strength, are you not?"
"Could you offer some competition, chief?" Tao asked Basileus. He wasn't too sure how he felt about wrestling with the Creator of their kind.
"Not me, my friend, I'm far too old for such sport," Basileus said, pushing Magnus to take a step forward. "But I offer you our juggernaut for your games."
Magnus and Tao left together, only stalling to ask Felix to join them. The boy was mightily pissed off when Aro refused to let him leave his sight.
"Henri," Basileus turned on the French leader. "I suggest you watch them brawl, and whilst you do, consider what will happen when Magnus eventually gets his hands on you."
Henri's mouth dropped open at the clear threat from the Creator. Not 'if', Henri thought, he said 'when'!
Basileus towered over the smaller man and leaned down to his ear. "Go. And. Watch," he said sternly. He made sure his voice was heard by all so there was no mistake in Henri being chopped down a peg or two.
Henri went. He told himself it was to get away from the Creator, and not simply because he had been ordered to do so. He may have told himself that, but it was clear to all that the man had no choice.
Once all were clear of the spot, guards rushed over to scrape the dungeon blood from the floor.
It wasn't long before Demetri had been sent back inside to find Caius. He had spent his time outside arguing with the twins over whose turn it was to ride the lions. Jane and Alec had to stay out there, as Marcus and Magnus were out there, too, so Demetri was the one to be sent away.
That pissed the boy off. He had started the tribune ball in a foul mood, been sent into furious disgust by Caius' new job, and then rejected (as he saw it) in favour of the twins. They always get their own fucking way. Pair of brats, he thought bitterly.
When he entered the throne room and saw Felix sharing a little herb with his father, he shook with rage over the unfairness of his life. You would NEVER let me do that with you, the boy thought to his father.
By the time Demetri sought out Caius, he wore a thunderous expression. Seeing Caius talking with Amun certainly didn't help matters for the kid. Demetri tried to slip in beside Caius as they spoke, but Amun was quick to address him. Or rather more annoyingly, Amun addressed Caius about Demetri.
"So, how have you ended up babysitting this one, Caius?" Amun asked. "It looks like Aro's children are on a short leash tonight."
His tone was even, as was his way. Amun was rarely overly friendly. It certainly wasn't aggressive or patronising, though.
But that's how Demetri took it. Wanker, he thought. Do you miss anything? He even added a 'cunt' for good measure. All inside his head of course, which is where Demetri's annoyance with Amun had taken residence since the last ball. Annoyance may be too tame a word. It was verging on murderous hatred at that point and poor Amun, (which is not a phrase one would use lightly) hadn't done much to deserve such scorn.
Benjamin attempted to talk to Demetri, which was met with frosty silence. Amun raised an eyebrow to the insult but decided not to push it. He could see the child looked uncomfortable.
Caius saw something else in Demetri - the boy looking very much like he had before he had started arguing with him earlier and he did not want that happening in front of Amun! He quietly passed the boy his goblet and allowed him to take what he wanted.
"Is it wise giving him a drink?" Amun asked.
Caius shrugged. He doubted the boy would get chance to drink enough to cause trouble that weekend. "As you said, Amun, I have him on a short leash."
"I don't want a repeat of my last visit," Amun said, looking to Benjamin standing at his side, bored.
"Be sure to keep an eye on your own then," Caius said, taking back his cup from Demetri and knocking down the last of the goblet.
The dregs of the dungeon blood had sunk to the bottom of his cup so that last bit of bloodwine was thickest of all with the coven drug. The earlier calming affect had long since dissipated. Caius was now in the second phase of dungeon blood effect - the phase he and Aro used to seek on the drug during their binges. He felt alive, a little agitated, but he tried to ignore that part and concentrate on the buzz in his veins.
"I am," Amun said confidently. "Though there is no need - they won't repeat the same mistake." He glared at Benjamin until the boy confirmed he wouldn't be so wantonly disobedient ever again.
"Neither will Demetri," Caius returned. He had a chip on his shoulder over Henri, and Magnus come to that, and those feelings bolstered by the dungeon blood saw him wanting to defend the boy's status along with his own.
"He must have changed, he would have done in my day," Amun said dismissively.
Again, it wasn't with malice - Demetri had been in Amun's coven as a teenage newborn and like all teenage newborns, he had been difficult to manage at first.
Of course, Demetri didn't see it that way. But then, the only young newborns he had ever met were the twins when Aro brought them home and they were treated with kid gloves by everyone in the coven which was a world away from his treatment at the hands of Amun.
Caius twitched at the Egyptian coven leader's comment, too. "Well he isn't your ward anymore, is he."
"He wouldn't get away with scowling at visitors if he was," Amun replied to Caius before turning to the boy. "You should be more courteous to your guests, Demetri," he chided gently.
"So you know I am here?" Demetri snapped. He didn't wait for Amun to reply before he continued. "Why don't you speak to me about me?"
Caius sighed internally. He had no more bloodwine to offer the child and he didn't really know what else to do with the kid to control him. "Watch your tone, boy," he hissed, to no avail.
"I don't have to watch my tone with him," Demetri snapped in response, spitting 'him' at Amun.
"I can see the Volturi doesn't take a hard line on discipline, but I am …"
Demetri didn't wait to hear what else Amun would come up with to insult either him or the coven. "They do," he said. "They just aren't cruel cunts like you."
"Cruel cunts?!" Amun repeated loudly. "How dare you talk to the elite of the vampire world with such derision."
"Amun, Demetri is part of the elite of the vampiric world," Caius reminded the Egyptian leader, though he had pulled the boy behind him slightly, so Demetri couldn't add to his shame. "The Volturi elite, no less."
"Are you trying to imply the whelp is above me, Caius?!"
"Demetri is Aro's son," Caius reminded the man. "Are you trying to imply you are above your king's children, Amun?!" he asked, turning Amun's phrasing on its head.
Demetri positively glowed at Caius' defence of him. That was, he did, until Caius turned on him and manhandled him out the grand doors and into the short hall leading to the west tower. The passageway didn't go anywhere else, so it was relatively private which Demetri was grateful for - he had guessed what was coming.
"You embarrass yourself and our coven with your insubordination!" Caius growled, slamming the boy into the wall chest first.
Demetri threw his hands back to protect himself, fully expecting an assault from Caius. The master simply laughed and removed them, pinning his hands tightly to his back and holding them there. Caius smacked Demetri's backside harshly. Only once, but that was enough for the boy to shriek in response.
Demetri was sure that was Caius' full strength - it didn't sting, like a strike from his father would have, it thumped, the pain felt deep and he was sure he would have bruising from the blow.
Caius kept the boy in position and shook him roughly to get his attention. "Do you need another one or will that keep your mouth shut for a while?" he growled, close to Demetri's ear.
Demetri wanted to answer but true to form he was busy being a tad dramatic.
Caius rolled his eyes to the heavens. How on earth does Aro put up with this shit?! he wondered, releasing the boy and taking a step back to calm himself.
Demetri set to rubbing his throbbing backside. He knew he had a round of fucks coming from Caius, though he didn't understand why. "But you stuck up for me!" he complained
"I did," Caius snapped back in agreement. "And, I would have done so without your insolence, Demetri."
Demetri gulped down his venom and wiped at his tear stained face. Caius had backed him up with Henri already, so why didn't I just let him deal with Amun, too? He knew why, really. His resentment for Amun and the harsh life he had lived after he was first turned needed vengeance.
Demetri's form of vengeance, being only fourteen, was childish. He just wanted to tell the man what a cunt he was, and he'd done it. But he didn't feel any better for it. His throbbing backside had taken some of the joy away, but Demetri still felt bereft of the satisfying vengeance he had hoped for.
Felix had wound his brother up to the point of explosion about having to see Amun again, but, even that hadn't really happened in a few years. There had been the odd comment from his brother in that time, but nothing to warrant Demetri's attitude, though the war between the two boys over Demetri's faulty venom, and the like, certainly hadn't helped the boy's psyche and Demetri was understandably on high alert.
Felix is no reason to be losing my shit with everyone, he castigated himself, wishing he could get a hold on his emotions. What the fuck is wrong with me today?!
All in all, Demetri was a confused child who desperately needed some reassurance, but as he had spoken to no one about any of the thoughts and feelings consuming his mind, no one had thought to offer him any.
"I'm sorry," he eventually replied, quietly. He meant it too.
Caius softened his stance a little now his initial anger surge had sated.
It would appear that surge had taken the buzz of the dungeon blood away, which he was most annoyed with. I need another shot to get back up, he thought, only remembering Magnus taking ... and smashing ... his bottle when he found his cape pocket empty. Fuck! I can't ask Basileus for the second bottle yet. Would he even give it to me now anyway? he wondered. Caius decided to distract himself with Demetri's problems instead - it was preferable to thinking on a coming altercation with Magnus over more dungeon blood (because he was taking more whether the juggernaut liked it or not!)
"You lived with him for years, didn't you?" Caius asked, referring to Amun.
"Yeah," Demetri muttered, still rubbing at his backside. "He was a cunt then, too."
Caius reached out and slapped the boy's cheek for his language. Felix got away with cursing in front of Aro, but Caius knew Demetri rarely did so he was only doing what the boy's father would have done, he reasoned.
"Ow!" Demetri whined dramatically. Caius hadn't hit him hard, but it was the boy's way.
Caius scoffed and leaned into the wall. He was in no rush to return to the guard hall. This event was proving more difficult for the coven leader than he had anticipated. "How was he a cunt?"
Demetri mimicked Caius' actions "He was a vicious bastard …" he stopped talking and winced, looking up to Caius with one eye. "Sorry," he offered.
Caius looked down at him for a moment, but he felt a little off balance, drowsy even. Fuck me I need more, he thought. I can't be on a comedown already! "Worse than me?" he eventually asked Demetri about Amun.
"Much."
Demetri hadn't been asked by anyone about Amun. Aro actively avoided the conversation so as not to bring up unhappy memories for his son. But Caius seemed to be willing to listen and Demetri just needed to get it out.
"You are a hard ass but only when it's called for. Mostly. Amun just flew into rages and would smash up whoever was near. Which was usually me, as he kept me close. He said it was because I was young, but it was because of my gift, I knew that. Everyone thinks Aro collects gifts, but he cares about the whole coven. Amun never cared."
It was a depressing appraisal of the Egyptian coven from a resentful child. Aro would have recognised that, Basileus would have, too, or just about any other adult member of the coven. But Demetri wasn't telling anyone else, he was telling Caius, and Caius was feeling pretty resentful himself at that moment, and he was halfway to totally fucked, too.
"Are you sure you weren't as mouthy there as you are here?"
"I hardly spoke at all," Demetri said emphatically, grateful for an audience. "I didn't dare."
The boy carried on, telling Caius all about his hatred, however unjustified, for Amun and then he moved onto Felix. He told Caius how he had always been in Felix's shadow, and no doubt always would be, and how Felix had tormented him, winding him up about his faulty venom.
Demetri wasn't 'true' Volturi because he didn't have Aro's venom. Without Aro's venom the boy wasn't really connected to Basileus, either, in any meaningful way. A child's complaint, really, and one that should have been responded to with some encouragement, some confirmation that venom didn't matter, that Demetri was Volturi true and a vampire in his own right, not just as an adage to his brother … but this is Caius we are talking about.
Caius felt all of the things Demetri felt! He had never realised it before, but with his drug addled brain working in odd ways, he found an unlikely kindred spirit in the boy. He had lived his days in Aro's shadow, he was the only master without a connection to Basileus, he had been badly treated by Basileus for centuries before Atia arrived and set the Creator straight about who was to blame for Aro's fuck ups.
Demetri continued to talk, unaware of the effect he was having on the coven leader at his side. "He used to threaten to have me submit, too," he said quietly. "I didn't even understand what that meant until I came here, but he would threaten it all the time and the rest of the coven found it hysterical."
Demetri shook his head to rid it of the cruel taunts from his old coven members. It was then that he noticed Caius' furious face. "You look angry," he whispered tentatively, suddenly wishing they had an audience so Caius would be less likely to murder him.
"I am," Caius ground out in reply.
Demetri panicked. He wasn't sure what he had said to piss him off, but he wanted to backtrack desperately. "I said I was sorry, please don't tell Aro."
"I'm not angry with you."
Caius felt a broil of emotions. He was pissed off with Amun stepping up to him and even more so with the clear depravity and harshness he had shown to the boy. He didn't even think to question the truth of the chlid's tale. But most of all, Caius was pissed off with himself. He was forced to think of his own behaviour over the years and he knew he couldn't honestly say he was better than Amun. He was trying to be, but his history would be around to haunt him for a good while yet. It really wasn't a good time for Caius to be reminiscing about his bad ways, even less so to be thinking on what a raw deal he got in Volturi life generally.
"Let's get a drink," he said to his young charge. He put an arm around Demetri's shoulders and guided him back into the throne room, though truthfully he was using the boy to steady himself as he walked!
Aro caught Caius' eye as soon as he and Demetri returned to the great hall. It was clear Aro was asking about Demetri, especially clear as Amun was currently raging into his ear and gesticulating wildly in the boy's direction.
Caius merely shrugged and pulled Demetri in close, guiding him to the bar.
Aro sighed. He had hoped Caius would go over to him and explain the situation, as it was, all Aro could do was listen to Amun's complaints about his son and fellow master.
"Hey Felix," Irina drawled sidling up to Felix and Benjamin. "Long time no see."
Ben immediately backed up a step. For once, it wasn't because of Amun - Tia wouldn't have liked him hanging around with Irina and by the goofy expression Felix wore Benjamin guessed it would be a 'private' conversation.
"You are a sight for sore eyes," Felix replied quietly, so as not to alert his father.
"I look good, don't I?" Irina said, twisting a little to make the best of her form.
Felix chuckled and pulled the Denali girl in close. "And so modest, too. I have been looking forward to seeing you again and picking up where we left off."
"Where we left off?" Irina pretended to think for a moment. "Oh! You mean when you were dragged home by Daddy and put in the corner?"
"Erm … no …" Felix tripped over his words having the unexpected thrown at him like that. "That's not what happened," he lied. "It wasn't like that … fuck."
Irina laughed at the boy. "I'm playing with you, Felix."
Felix sighed in relief. He couldn't have people thinking that about him, whether it was true or not. "Good looking and funny, aren't I a lucky guy?"
"You could be lucky," Irina said suggestively, "if you can break away."
"I am supposed to stay with Aro ... " Felix tailed off. How am I going to explain this without looking like a total twat?!
"If you obey all the rules, you will miss all the fun."
"It's not a rule," Felix huffed, insulted (but not too insulted - he still wanted to fuck her again.) "Just in case he needs back up or something."
Irina threw Felix a pitiful look, one that crushed a large part of his ego. "I can tell when you are lying."
"I'm not lying, I can leave if I want to." Felix looked over his shoulder to his father, who was still arguing with Amun about Demetri. Slipping away actually looked possible.
Irina took his hand and started to lead him away. "Come on, then."
"FELIX!" Aro roared, ending his conversation with Amun to drag his boy back.
Felix didn't even look Aro in the eye, or Irina for that matter. "For fuck sake," he muttered.
Sadly he had muttered a little too loudly and Aro clocked him across the head for it. Yup, there goes my fuck, Felix thought watching Irina walk away laughing at the young prince of Volterra. "I wasn't going anywhere," he huffed, thoroughly pissed off with his father for embarrassing him in the fucking throne room. Again!
Oh, yes you were," Aro ground out, unhappy with his son for defying his simple command of staying with him, thoroughly pissed off with his son for embarrassing him in the fucking throne room. Again!
"Why did you have to do that?" Felix hissed. He took to rubbing his head now everyone's attention had turned back to their conversations. "Amun was chewing your ear off anyway, I was only talking!"
Aro scowled at his son. After hearing about Demetri's dreadful behaviour, the last thing he needed was Felix defying him too. "You shouldn't have left my side and you damn well know it."
Okay, Felix couldn't argue with that. "There was no need to slap me," he settled on saying.
"Try it again and see what you get," Aro returned menacingly with a hand firmly clasped on his belt buckle. "I don't want you around that girl, anyway. She's trouble."
Felix watched Irina trying to flirt with Afton. Chelsea looked ready to kill them both. "I like her," he said. He knew Irina was trouble, she was like his female counterpart!
Aro followed his son's eyeline to the girl in question. "Yes, I can well imagine why you like her."
"You have to admit she is hot, Dad."
"Not compared to your mother," Aro commented, knowing it would disgust his boy. It had the desired effect. "I thought you and Corin were sort of a thing?"
"Are you joking?" Felix spat. "Me and Corin haven't been anything since you raped her."
"That's a bit strong!" Aro huffed, squaring his shoulders. "I wouldn't call it that. I was in a bad place, son …"
"Yeah, I know," Felix cut his father off to save him some stress at least. He knew Aro wasn't really 'Aro' on dungeon blood. that didn't excuse all the awful things he did on the oven drug, though. "I don't think she will ever forgive me for leaving her with you that night."
Aro felt a flash of guilt over that. "Do you want me to talk to her?"
"No, I do-bloody-not!" Felix shook his head at the idiotic request. He did his best impression of his father as he said, "I'm sorry I raped you, Corin, but will you fuck my son again?"
Aro slapped a hand across Felix's mouth and kept it there. "Too loud!"
Rather than reacting to the sting, Felix started to smile. He peeled his father's hand away. "Mom still doesn't know, does she?"
Aro's shoulder slunk momentarily. "Before you get any bright ideas like trying to blackmail me with this information, I would warn you that if you even try I will have to tell your mother all the gory details and it will break her."
Felix was affected by that, but not nearly enough in Aro's mind, so he sealed the deal.
"And Corin would magically disappear, too. So keep your mouth firmly closed as though your life depends on it." That was enough.
"I wouldn't have said anything," Felix replied childishly.
Yeah right, Aro thought. He wanted to cheer his boy up a little, though, after ruining his hopes for copping off with the Denali girl. He looked out the window and saw that Magnus was having a roaring time fighting off Tao and Xola single handedly. "Why don't you go and wrestle with the African coven?"
"Erm …" Felix looked questioningly to his father. "Because you said I wasn't allowed."
"Go on," Aro encouraged. "Don't get wondering off. If Magnus comes back inside, you come with him." Aro didn't expect Marcus would come inside without those bloody lions that he was still simpering over.
"Feeling guilty?" Felix asked slyly.
Aro raised his right hand high. "You will be feeling something in a minute if you don't go!"
Felix fled happily. Some rough and tumble was just what he needed.
…
Felix only had a couple of hours outside. It was still light out when Magnus decided he'd had enough, so the boy had no choice but to head inside, too.
"You look exhausted," Aro commented as soon as his boy was close. "Wrestling must have really taken it out of you. Are they stronger than you?" he asked, a little concerned as he looked out to Tao and Xola continuing in their final match against each other.
"As if!" Felix replied, yawning.
"You can stop that right now!" Aro shot out, pulling Felix to one side of the great hall.
"I can't help it!" Felix whined. He was knackard, and the bloodwine he had managed to sneak past his father from his uncles had only served to tire him out.
"You're going to have to go home ... "
"What?!" Felix backed up a step. "That isn't fair, I haven't put a foot out of place!"
"Calm down!" Aro hushed his boy. "I'm not punishing you, Felix. You're tired - you need to sleep."
Between the bloodwine and the wrestling, Felix was shattered. But he didn't want to miss anything and there was no way he was being sent to bed like a child. Not without a fight.
"I'm not that tired, and I'm not going anywhere."
Aro pulled Felix in close. "Be careful, son," he warned quietly.
"Dad, please!"
Aro checked the clock. "It's only six. Go and get a couple of hours and I'll come and wake you at eight. You have been here since dawn. I even allowed you a few drinks."
Felix looked sheepishly to his father. "I didn't know you knew."
"Of course I knew!" Aro chuckled to himself at the idea that he wouldn't know! "Eleazar asked me if he could slip you a goblet or two ... to keep your spirits up ... and I agreed."
Felix folded his arms across his chest. Part of the enjoyment in drinking for Felix was getting one over on his old man. "I suppose you knew about Carlisle, too."
"No. I did not." Aro's chuckles ceased immediately. "How many have you had?"
How do I answer that? Felix wondered. "Since the covens first arrived?"
Aro snatched his son's hand and fished through his memories, quickly discovering just how many Eleazar and Carlisle had slipped the teen between them. "Felix!" he admonished. "You have had a bloody skin-full between the pair of my brothers! You are going to bed, now."
Felix's eyes flew wide open as he looked around the hall to see if anyone had caught the childish order. "Shhhh!"
"Oh you think that will be humiliating, huh?" Aro said teasingly. "Try defying me and you'll see what humiliation really is!"
Felix stood firm, he was drunk enough for a battle of wills with his father, if that's what Aro wanted.
Aro shook his head slowly. Okay, son, he thought, I can up the ante if you want. "Do you remember what happened after the first coven ball?" he asked simply, reminding his son of his previous battle of wills that saw him answering to half the masters, an uncle and the Creator in one sitting in the very public space of the guard hall.
The memory sure took the wind out of Felix's sails. "Yes, bitterly."
"I'll fetch you at eight," Aro said, ending any further discussion.
He didn't say anything else. Felix walked away, heading for his bedchamber and a few hours to sleep off the bloodwine.