AN: I'm posting Midsummer in two parts because I haven't got it all finished but I wanted to something up on time after you've all been so understanding! Hope this is okay :)

Midsummer Mess - Part 1

Freyr's helpful advice to Dora had worked a treat. Caius had taken her short, whispered words to heart – he downed tools in the dungeons, taking Dora away from the coven for the whole of April. It had, he felt, been just what they needed. They reconnected, they enjoyed each other, they had the sort of fun only a vampiric couple with Caius and Dora's tastes could appreciate and appreciate it they did! But… that was April.

May, Caius had to return to work, and though Dora, still following Freyr's advice, tried to limit her time with Irina for Irina's own good, she soon fell back into the pattern of meeting with the other inbetweeners and Irina followed. Still, May was okay, overall. Caius didn't mind the inbetweeners in his chambers for Dora's parties if the two of them remained on good terms, too. He even enjoyed the odd party, here and there. With the animosity between Magnus and Odi continuing, Caius and Dora had swapped out Irina's constant presence for Odi's. But he seemed good company for Dora, and Caius had even grown fond of the kid, so Odi wasn't coming between them.

When June came around, however, things took a turn for the worse. Following a fight with Tanya, Irina fled Eleazar's apartment and sought refuge at Dora's. Dora couldn't turn her away, especially when Irina threatened to leave the coven altogether. By the Midsummer Games, Caius had suffered two weeks of Irina's presence in his chambers, and all the previous repairs to his marriage had been undone. The only thing that kept Caius from moving into the dungeons was the fact that even Dora seemed to be getting annoyed with Irina now she was living with them. That gave him some hope.

Irina knew her abrasion was wearing thin with Dora, but she seemed unable to temper her attitude. The best she could do was retreat to Eleazar and Carmen's place on occasion… which had other benefits.

Expecting her quarters to be empty, Kate was, at first, startled by the rustling coming from Carmen and Eleazar's bedchamber. They were in the guard hall preparing for the midsummer games, so she knew it wasn't them. Hearing her elder sister's self-satisfied chuckle, Kate swung open the door.

"Are you stealing money from Eleazar and Carmen?"

"Hardly classes as stealing, Kate."

Irina replaced the heavy chest lid carefully, turned the key and popped it back on the high shelf above the bed.

"I take what they leave lying around," she smirked, lifting the two small sacks of coin with a jingle. How she loved the sound of free money.

"You've stolen the key to their chest, Irina!" Kate's tone was dark and accusing. Most unlike the usually quieter of the three girls. "Hardly classes as lying around, does it?!" she continued. "How could you do that to Eleazar and Carmen after all they've done for us?"

Irina's eyes flashed black. She dropped the sacks to the floor and glared at her supposed sister. "Are you fucking serious?!" she asked with her venomous tongue. "They keep us captive here like prisoners and you are grateful to them?!"

Kate took a half-step backwards. She liked Eleazar and Carmen, both her and Tanya did. And they enjoyed their life in Volterra… until, that is, Irina reminded them of why they were there. Actually, even in those moments, Tanya still quite liked her life in Volterra, despite the reason for their stay, but Kate always wavered. She decided to go in a different direction to avoid riling her sister to anger.

"I thought you liked it here now?" she said gently. "Now you have friends…"

"Friends?" Irina scoffed. "Cash cows, more like."

Satisfied that Kate wouldn't try and stop her, Irina stooped to the floor to collect her cash as she continued her gloating.

"Dora has more money than sense, clearly. Carlisle's no better."

Irina paused to laugh again thinking of how easy it had been to convince them all to pay into a kitty for their drinking. Even easier to skim off the top, she reminded herself.

"Renata, Corin, Odi… guards give up their wages so easily." Not that Odi has much to offer, she huffed. Little fucker is always in my way, too.

Kate blinked slowly as the realisation dawned on the girl. "Are you stealing from them all?"

"Not all of them, Felix has little of worth to offer. Although, he's proving useful in his own way."

Irina reached into her bag. Taking out a pouch, she loosened the tie and showed Kate the contents - hash.

"I'm just re-appropriating funds, Kate," she chuckled. "From them to me."

Kate shook her head, mouth hanging loose, unsure of what to do. She had truly thought Irina was settling into coven life. She and Tanya had talked about it - they were sure Irina was relaxing into the coven, enjoying it, even! How can you steal from them all?

"But they're your friends…"

"They're a means to an end." Irina gave Kate a raised eyebrow until the younger sister turned her frosty glare away. "Look at you getting all sentimental," Irina said mockingly, flicking Kates hair from her face. "You've been weak since Mother plucked you out of that village and you always will be."

With that, Irina took her cash bags and hid them inside her cloak. "I'll see you at the games," she told her bewildered little sister, before leaving the west tower.

Kate spent the rest of the morning wondering what to do. Sitting in the guard hall amongst her new family, Kate grew ever more anxious as the plans were drawn up for the afternoon game. Her mood wasn't helped by Irina cosying up to her so-called friends, buying them drinks with stolen cash. Wrong, she thought. So wrong.

Tanya wanted to stay in Volterra, of that Kate was sure. She also agreed that Volterra was the best place for them. They both believed, however, that their situation was precarious at best. Irina could ruin their chance at happiness, at stability, if her theft was discovered. Deciding against coming clean with Eleazar and Carmen, but needing to clear her own conscience, somehow, Kate felt she had only one option… Dora.

At least if I tell Dora to be warier, I'll have done something, she thought. And maybe she will kick Irina out and she'll come back to the west tower? If she's with us I can convince her to… No, I can't convince Irina to do anything. Stick with telling Dora… something. She wasn't sure what to say, exactly, but setting her mind to the task, Kate planned to find a moment with Dora, alone, during the games.

It didn't take long for a moment to present itself. Around the midway point when cannon balls were flying left, right, and centre, Kate sidled up to Dora under the pretence of passing her a spare ball.

"You shouldn't trust her," Kate hissed, getting in close.

Dora thought she'd misheard. "What did you say?"

"My sister, you can't trust her, Dora," Kate replied. "None of you…"

She broke off to catch a cannon ball being levelled at her chest and launched it towards Demetri. A satisfied smile chanced her lips as she made contact with the boy.

Dora rolled her eyes to the girl. "Have the two of you fallen out again?" The Denali girls' arguments were soon becoming the stuff of legend!

"No, but I found something out this morning and I'm telling you that cannot trust her."

Kate stopped dead on the pitch and looked at Dora. She felt so guilty. Kate was the type to absorb other people's guilt, doubly so when they, like Irina, seemed to make no attempt to take the guilt on themselves.

"I can't say anything else," Kate said, sighing sadly. "Irina's not a good person, but she's still my sister." With a final beseeching look, Kate implored, "Just don't trust her, Dora."

Dora wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't stupid – she knew Irina was a difficult customer. Caius hates her, she thought. But then Caius wasn't much of a 'people person'. So does Odi, she reminded herself. That was more significant. Odi was an affable kid. He was having a few problems with his father, but that was unusual. Though Freyr had tried to keep her true opinions to herself in the main, Dora was aware the shield maiden didn't trust Irina.

Even with all that in mind, Dora had carried on seeing Irina. 'She's never done anything to cross me', she had said. With Irina damn near living in the ground floor suite, the cracks were showing in the once strong friendship, however. Dora had begun to privately question certain aspects of Irina's character and behaviour. The double standards she applied to various coven members, and the vitriolic way she spoke of the Volturi family were two of the more obvious issues. But there was something else, too. Something Dora couldn't put her finger on.

Kate's warning had served to push Dora into thinking more deeply about the girl in her chambers, but Dora didn't know what to say to Kate on the matter!

A distraction came with Afton and Alexander attempting to kill each other mid-game. You could always rely on those two to have a scrap at the most inopportune moment. With the flurry of activity, there were only two vampires unmoving on the pitch - Dora and Kate. Realising they would soon draw attention, Dora gently pushed Kate aside.

"But…" Kate began to object.

"I heard you," Dora whispered in return. "I just don't want you to get caught."

With most of the coven crowding around to watch the fight – or end it, in the masters' case - Dora took the moment to slip away and head back to the north tower for some time to think things over.

…

Caius looked down at the pair of drinks on the bar.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" he asked, pushing one back.

Odi stuttered to start with. Caius had been joking about with him in the north tower that morning. They hadn't really spoken during the games, but Caius rarely did speak to him in public. He wasn't nasty to him, though. Not anymore.

"Well?!" Caius snapped, shouting in his face.

Odi gulped. "It's for your good lady, master Caius."

"Do you see her standing here?!" Caius' annoyance with his mate ditching him again was being directed at Odi in full. "Why would you serve a drink to someone that isn't here?! Do you think you're funny or something?!"

Wide eyed, Odi looked around for help. He was glad when his father flashed to the bar to intervene, but he still refused to look the man in the eye. Magnus noticed his son's ire and chose to ignore his petulance for the moment.

"Caius," Magnus smiled to the younger master, getting between Caius and Odi. "Do stop berating my staff."

It sounded like a request to anyone listening, not so much to Caius when Magnus took a tight grip on his shoulder and pushed him to the side of the hall.

"Where is she?" Magnus asked quietly.

Caius scoffed in return. "She, who?"

"Don't play dumb."

Magnus kept his voice down low even though Caius seemed intent on announcing his dysfunctional relationship to the entire hall!

"Dora," he pushed when Caius refused to answer. "She was alright at the games, what's happened?"

"Home," Caius snapped. "And fuck knows!" With a growl directed at the earwigging guards, he added, "How the fuck would I know?!"

"You need to get your mouth under control," Magnus said, still maintaining his quiet, calm demeanour.

Caius positively vibrated in front of him. You've worked yourself right up, haven't you? Magnus thought with a sigh knowing he was the lucky sod who would have to bring Caius back down.

Naturally, with the mood he was in, Caius took the juggernauts quiet exhale as some sort of personal attack. "Yeah?" he drawled, full of sarcasm. "Well you need to get your staff under control!"

Odi looked over askance to the pair of coven masters, still unsure as to why his actions were deserving of such scorn.

Caius clocked him and loudly added, "Fucking moron serving drinks to people he can't fucking see."

Magnus moved himself to block Caius' eyeline to Odi. "I imagine Odi assumed Dora would be with you," he explained, patiently.

"Why would he assume that?" Caius wasn't backing down anytime soon. Odi's a prick, he thought. Are you trying to draw attention to the state of my marriage? Prick! "He shouldn't assume anything, anyway! Who the fuck does he think he is?!"

Even as he spoke, Caius felt regretful. Odi hadn't done anything to warrant such an explosive display, but Caius' pride was at stake with the rumours flooding the coven regarding his station, his marriage – even his sanity! - and someone had to pay for it.

With all his blustering, Caius hadn't seen Magnus and Basileus having a silent conversation conveyed through knowing nods and facial expressions. When he did notice, he found a new object for his indignation.

"Why are you making eyes at him?!" he asked Magnus through gritted teeth.

Magnus moved again, this time to block Basileus' eyeline to Caius!

"Because you are drawing a crowd with your mouth, and…"

"So, what?!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand, Magnus made to direct Caius out of the guard hall with the other.

"Fuck off," Caius snarled, pulling his arm away from the juggernaut.

Magnus was copping for all of Caius' bad moods recently. He could handle them, and he would always rather Caius ended up bitching at him rather than someone else who wouldn't understand where all the anger was coming from. Nonetheless, between Caius' mood swings and Odi's petulance, Magnus found his patience wearing thin.

Leaning in close to the younger man's ear, Magnus spoke just loud enough for Caius to hear, "I don't want to work today, but I'll make an exception for you if you force me to."

Caius' eyes budged before darting about the guard hall to see if anyone had caught sight of Magnus taking hold of his belt buckle as he spoke.

"You're supposed to be on my side, you know?" Caius hissed back.

At least he's quieter, Magnus said to himself. "We are on your side…"

"No," Caius cut him off sharp. "I want you on my side," he said, first jabbing Magnus in the chest and then himself. "Freyr's on Dora's side, can't you stand up for me?!"

"I'm trying to, Caius," Magnus replied. "You aren't making it easy raging at me all the time or picking on my son when you're in a bad mood."

"Isn't that the whole point of having a kid brother?"

Did I say that out loud? One look to Magnus' gurning smile told Caius he had. Fuck.

"Come on." Magnus threw an easy arm around Caius' shoulders, hiding his chuckles. "Let's go and talk this through."

Having watched the interaction from across the room, Atia turned to Freyr, full of concern.

"It's alright," Freyr breezed. "Magnus will talk him down."

Basileus had every faith in Magnus, but he still wasn't happy. "Caius needs to stop kicking off in front of everyone," he said to the ladies. "Every time he's in public there is some sort of commotion."

"Caius is looking for confrontation," Freyr explained. "He's doing well not taking his frustrations out with Dora on Dora."

Atia nodded along. "If I've learnt anything about Caius since I joined this coven it's that he will find a way to sabotage himself if he can."

Freyr agreed. "I swear, Caius is turning into the most emotionally complicated man in the coven!"

It was a claim neither Atia or Basileus could deny, but it came as a surprise to realise how true Freyr's words were. Especially for Basileus. Caius had been an abrasive coven member for centuries, but he was rock solid in that abrasion. He rarely wandered into other demeanours like 'nice' or 'worried' or even 'stressed'. He was just Caius. An evil cunt, as Felix and Demetri used to refer to him.

Now he's all over the bloody place! Basileus mused, and once again felt the surge of guilt for being the catalyst to Caius' emotional upheaval. Will my coven ever recover from Lucius hold?

He was so lost in thought over his own failings that he nearly missed the little gem Freyr slipped out to Atia, "Caius said he was going to end up back on dungeon blood at the rate he's going."

"He said what?!"

"I haven't told Magnus," she told the man, meaning 'don't you dare, either'. "But I'm keeping an eye on Caius, don't worry."

"That will only compound his problems," Atia said, shaking her head at the very idea.

Caius' last bout on dungeon blood had been biblical! No one knew that he was taking the odd shot of it here and there. It was having no effect on his moods, though, of that Caius was sure. Magnus might have said differently being the one to manage the man's unpredictable temperament!

"I pointed that out," Freyr, replied. "But what would I know?"

Atia tutted into the air. "These young men think they know the world inside out."

"The older ones aren't much better." Freyr gave her mate a wink as he retook his seat.

"Are you complaining about us, again?" Magnus asked.

Freyr giggled. "It makes for a good start to the evening, love."

Magnus returned her giggle in a mildly mocking tone before kissing her cheek. "We're low on the ground tonight," he said, looking around.

The guards, once so keen on the elite bringing the drama to the party were becoming wary of Caius when he was drinking. Since Irina had taken up residence in his chambers, Caius had reverted to type, as far as the guards could see. Back to the sullen, volatile, easily angered coven master he had always been. Caius knew what the guards thought of him, which didn't help his conduct towards them one little bit!

Though the coven leader hadn't returned with Magnus - he'd gone back to his mate to apologise for their latest slanging match - many of the guards had given up on the idea of celebrating and returned to their dorms. No one had to explain, it was becoming a regular occurrence.

"Afton and Alexander are in their dorms after their display." Freyr still sounded disappointed in the pair. "Along with a few of the cheer leaders."

"Sent to their rooms on party night?!" Basileus whistled at the shield maiden. "You are a harsh task master, my dear."

"Magnus doesn't work Midsummer and I won't whip them," Freyr explained. "So, dorms it is."

"I ask for one day off a year, is that really too much?" Magnus clamped his hand over the creator's mouth before he could respond. "I wasn't asking you," he said, knowing Basileus would tell him it was far too much!

"Master!" Phillipe appeared at the foot of the stairs leading to the guard dorm, breathless, and worry etched on his face. "You're needed up here!"

Basileus delved into the man's mind. "Afton and Alex, again."

"There goes my day off!" Magnus heaved himself up from the table. "I'm ready to cancel Midsummer."

Irina slumped down at the inbetweeners table. That's what they were calling their table. Perfectly position half way between the masters' office doors, and the glazed doors leading to the grounds where the elite sat. the other inbetweeners were there, less Dora, of course.

"This party is depressing!" the Denali girl said in a huff.

Looking around the half empty guard hall, the others had to agree. Even Felix was without his usual enthusiasm. With so few in the guard hall, Odi didn't even need to be on the bar.

"I'm so bored I'm actually willing to work today," he said, wondering if his old man would still pay him for sitting around.

"Magnus is upstairs dealing with Afton and Alec," Renata told the kid, knowing what his worry would be. "You'll be alright with us for a while."

"What about when he comes back?" Odi replied. "You lot will have to start ordering drinks soon."

"You could put free drinks through whilst the overlord is away," Irina suggested. Free drinks tasted so much better than bought ones, and her drinks were always free one way or another.

Odi kept quiet. He was certain his father was suspicious after the Easter party. Odi had a habit of being a little light fingered - Odi called it light fingered, Magnus called it being a thieving little shite - so he wanted to put a few events between that suspicion and his next dip in the till.

Having already discussed his fears with Carlisle, the Volturi prince came to his rescue. "Odi doesn't need to put drinks through," Carlisle explained, dropping their kitty bag on the table.

Carlisle had been elected holder of the kitty, as the most honest amongst them. Irina had resisted with all her worth, but she had been outvoted. That was one thing Irina and Aro agreed on – democracies are for the weak. She would have much preferred a dictatorship and herself at top of the tree.

"We have enough for tonight," Carlisle told them happily.

Irina turned sly eyes on the man. "Only because of my contribution," she sneered. "You three barely put your hand in your pocket."

It was an accusation levelled at the three male members of their group and not one of them, not Felix, Odi, or Carlisle, could offer anything in their defence.

Corin took Felix' hand under the table and offered him a squeeze to tell him it was okay. "We don't mind," she said, "Do we Ren?"

Renata did mind, actually. But she loved Corin like a little sister and she was happy the girl had her boyfriend back. She wished Chelsea was about to hang around with, but as Afton had himself on lock-down, Chelsea would be spending the evening in the dorms, too, no doubt. Because of Corin, and only Corin, Renata smiled and agreed with the girl.

Scowling, Irina looked from one inbetweener to the next. It was no fun playing with the gormless if they were going to be so supportive of each other. But what to do? Irina smirked as an idea came to mind. Sure, we probably have enough to pay for drinks to night if we're sensible with the kitty… but if we blow the kitty early, Renata and Corin might start looking at you three a little differently? All she wanted at that point was to cause some strife to keep her amuses for the evening.

"If we have enough for tonight, I say we put it too good use."

Irina scooped the bag from the table and headed off to the bar, ordering a round of the expensive whiskey usually only purchased by the coven masters.

…

A few rounds of whiskey later, and things were spicing up. Conversation had moved to parties of old, with one party in particular taking Irina's attention - the one when Lucius had convinced Carlisle and Felix to spike the bloodwine with dungeon blood.

As the others laughed, Irina schemed. Offering to go to the bar again, Irina soon returned with a round of Bloodwine A. The weakest the coven brewed, reserved for children and feeds.

"What the fuck?" Felix explained, realising what he was drinking.

"That's it," Irina shrugged. "The kitty is bust."

"No way?!" Felix groaned, Odi sounding similar.

"Already?" Carlisle asked.

It was a hefty bag of coin to begin with, but the whiskeys had wiped them out early.

"Not enough for another round," Irina said, sounding sad. She scattered the few coins left onto the table to show how unfortunate they were. "Odi, you're going to have to put some drinks through."

"Nu uh," Odi said, shaking his head. "I can't, I escaped by the skin of my arse at Easter,"

"Magnus isn't even here," Irina reminded him. The coven leader had spent the entire party stuck up in the guard dorms. "Don't be such a pussy!"

"He's checking the till totals against the barrels," Odi spat back in a similarly unpleasant tone. "I'm not risking it."

Irina soon snapped back at Odi. Within mere moments, the two of them were arguing, hissing at one another across the table. The amount of whiskey they had drank no doubt contributed to their grievances with one another. Carlisle and Felix rolled their eyes to one another but let them get on with it.

Yeah, it's alright for you pair, Renata said to herself. It was one thing the elite arguing amongst themselves, they could get away with it. Guards couldn't. Odi might have walked the line between the two, but Renata and Corin were guards, proper. I'm too drunk for this shit. We need to get out of here for a while, she thought, looking to the younger girl.

"Come on," she whispered to Corin. "Let's check on Chelsea."

Corin knew the score as well as Renata did, and she didn't want to be embroiled in Irina and Odi arguing, particularly not if their argument ended the way it had at Easter. They quietly excused themselves from the table.

Irina couldn't believe her luck! You're making this too easy for me, she smirked to herself. Getting the pair of guards out of the way left the easily manipulated young men to her devices. Abruptly ending her argument with Odi over his gutlessness, Irina changed tack.

"You know what you were all saying about Lucius, and the dungeon blood…"

She drifted off, hoping they would come up with the idea themselves. With Odi, Carlisle, and Felix looking cluelessly to each other, Irina huffed and planted the seed herself.

"If we added a bottle worth of dungeon blood, we could take at least four goblets of bloodwines from the barrel, for free, without Magnus knowing by weight."

Carlisle backed up in his seat. "No."

"That's a great idea!" Felix crowed.

"This is a bad idea," Carlisle told his nephew. "The wheel was a good idea - that was a notion at best!"

Odi ran the idea over in his mind. "There's a barrel of the weak bloodwine behind the bar that's on the way out…" he mused aloud. "Only a couple of gallons left in it. If a gallon is eight tankards, we have sixteen pints… or is that the other way around? A dungeon blood bottle holds two pints…"

Yes, Odi was worse for wear from the whiskey.

"Will you do it or not?!" Irina pushed. Doing the sums was boring and pointless! Doubly so when the kid could barely add up. He'll be taking his shoes off at this rate to help him count!

"I'll put it in the drinks," Odi agreed, though he still sounded reluctant. "But someone else is going to have to fetch the dungeon blood."

"Where would we even get it from?" Carlisle asked.

The dungeons were locked up and only Caius and Basileus held the keys. It was a pointless suggestion in his mind. Stupid, futile idea.

"All the masters keep dungeon blood in their chambers." Irina pointed out the elite table across the hall. "And they are all here, so their chambers are empty…"

Carlisle, Felix, and Odi all gulped in unison.

"Eleazar keeps a bottle, too," Irina reminded them. "I'll fetch that one if you fetch your fathers' stores."

"Steal… from my father?" Carlisle whispered across the table. "My father who is the creator of our kind and can read my mind at will and isn't the forgiving type?" He paused to laugh at the very idea. "No chance!"

"Yeah…" Felix looked just as nervous. "I'm not really up for stealing from Aro, either. A bit of hash was one thing. Dungeon blood is heavy duty theft in my house."

"Why do you keep saying stealing?" Irina shook out her hair and rolled her eyes at the gutless wonders. "The overlords go on and on about how this coven is an 'all for one, one for all' sort of set up - we are just as entitled to use the resources as anyone else."

It may well have been the whiskey, but Odi felt a burst of pride. He had offered to put the dungeon blood in the bloodwine. Squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest, Odi felt pretty good about himself. It was a rare occasion where Odi wasn't the wimp!

"You pair are utterly gutless," he chuckled.

"Because you would take from Magnus' chambers without blinking, of course," Carlisle countered.

"I would," Odi replied with a shrug, not really thinking about the statement he was making.

"Would you fuck!" Felix shot at him. "I'll take Aro's if you take Magnus'."

"Yeah," Carlisle was quick to get in on that action. "I'll fetch the one from my father's chambers, if you get the one from yours."

Both Felix and Carlisle were confident that Odi wouldn't take Magnus' bottle, and therefore neither would they have to take their father's bottles.

Odi started backtracking quick! He couldn't steal from his father's chambers… sure, he'd been topping up his kitty contribution with the coin he found lying around at home. But that's different, he told himself. And, yes, he had been giving out free drinks that his father would have to pay for eventually. But that's different, too, he told himself again.

"We could just ask Dora for her bottle," Odi suggested, hoping it was a way out for him. "She'd give it us."

"She doesn't want to be disturbed," Irina told them, dashing their hopes.

"Oh dear, Irina," Odi drawled. "Is your hold over her slipping?"

"No!"

Irina cursed her initial reaction when the three of them laughed at her.

"I mean, I don't have a hold over Dora." Shit! "We're friends," she insisted. "Stop trying to change the subject, Odi. Are you going to worm your way out of it being your usual, cowardly self, or are you going to take the bottle of dungeon blood from Magnus and finally contribute something to our drinking?"

Ouch! That punched Odi in the guts! Felix and Carlisle looked just as uncomfortable with their less than secure financial contributions being brought into question.

Irina leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Are you telling me I have more guts than the three of you? Really?" It was clear the lads needed more of a push. In for the kill, she thought. "No wonder you're all single."

"I'm not single, thanks," Felix reminded her.

"Single-ish," Irina qualified. "I think you could do with reminding Corin that you aren't a complete child now and again. There are a lot of other vampires knocking about that she could turn to, Felix."

There we go, Irina thought, seeing Felix' whole demeanour change. You're up for it now.

"And what about you two?" she asked, looking to Carlisle and Odi. "You're supposed to be adults, right? Why are you acting like scared little boys?"

"Perhaps I have a stronger conscience than you?" Carlisle replied.

"Conscience?" Irina burst out into full on guffaws. "That's just a polite word for being a coward."

"I'm surprised you and Aro don't get on better with that sort of thinking." Carlisle folded his arms and grumbled into his chest.

Irina pushed her chair back sharply, causing a screech as the wooden legs reacted against the stone work. Placing her hands on the table, she leaned over, glowering at the three of them.

"Renata has paid in, Corin has paid in, I've paid in," she stated. "You three need to bring something to the table or you can go back to sitting with mommy and daddy."

Carlisle looked over to his family. He loved them all, very, very much. But they weren't as much fun as he would like. They all made him feel inadequate, one way or another. He certainly didn't want to go back to trying to keep up with their conversations for which he had little contribution. Contributing to the kitty by way of a bottle of dungeon blood seemed easier at that point…

Odi wasn't about to go and sit with the elite. That would put an end to his time in the guard, and he was already hanging on by the loosest of threads.

Felix, though. He rolled the idea over in his mind for a moment. He didn't want to steal dungeon blood. It was a category A crime in his mind. Besides, with how Aro had been on the drug, it had bad connotations for Felix. Irina had been right, however. He had to do something to keep his girl… There were just too many reminders of Felix' age in the coven and the last thing he wanted was for Corin to figure out she could have a better time with someone else, someone older, someone without the restrictions he had, someone who could contribute and buy her a drink occasionally!

"Come on," Felix huffed, dragging himself to his feet.

The other two followed, slightly bewildered, and a little unsteady with the whiskey taking over their senses. Once the four of them were in the masters' office, they solidified plans. Very simple. Fetch the bottle, meet back in the masters' office to give them to Odi. Very, very simple. So why did the lads feel sick to their stomachs whilst Irina skipped off towards the west tower?!

"Are we really doing this?" Odi asked once Irina was clear.

"What choice do we have?" Felix replied, slopping off towards home.

When the four of them regrouped. The lads were ever so pale. Foreheads glistened with the dampness of their skin. Sweating was not normal for a vampire. Extreme heat, or extreme emotional strain - they all knew which had caused the unusual response!

"Don't you look a state?!" Irina breezed, bottle-less.

"Where's Eleazar's bottle?" Carlisle asked the girl.

"Oh, I couldn't find it," Irina replied, hiding her smile behind a lock of hair she pulled across her face. "He must have moved it."

Odi felt a growl brewing. "Are you serious?!" he snapped, wishing he could rip Irina's head off.

"Three bottles are enough," she told them calmly, as though addressing small children. "That gives us a good twelve free drinks and we will get fucked off those if theres dungeon blood in it."

Not the fucking point! Felix thought after her, with a few more murderous thoughts added on. The lads watched as Irina sauntered back into the guard hall and retook her seat with Renata and Corin. Not a care in the world, Felix thought as he looked on. Bitch.

Still, they all followed, hiding bottles in their cloaks and surreptitiously giving them to Odi once he was he was seated at their table.

"I thought you were working tonight?" Magnus asked, seeing his son lounging about with his mates.

"Oh!" Odi damn near had the shock of his life! "I am, Dad. Just taking a break."

"If you want paying, I want to see you working," Magnus told him before going back to his table.

Odi nodded to his father before turning wide eyes on the inbetweeners. "Why is he back here?!"

"Whats the problem with Magnus being here?" Renata asked.

She and Corin had no idea what the lads had done. When Felix explained about the dungeon blood, the guards were quick to tell them how foolish they had been.

You've all taken leave of your senses! Renata thought in horror. "You could have put drinks on my tab and paid me back!" she told them through hurried whispers. "Or Corin's tab, or Carlisle's!"

All the guard had tabs. All adults, too, actually. It was only Aro's spawn and the Denali girls who were denied such privileges. It goes without saying that Odi had to be careful what he put on his tab with his parents running the guard hall. Likewise, Carlisle felt the need to be careful with Basileus' over protective streak.

"What could they possibly pay you back with?!" Irina fell into a fit of giggles. "This is the only way the boys can contribute.

It really stung the three young guys in question when neither Corin or Renata could offer anything in their defence.

"But my Dad…" Odi tried again.

Irina worked quickly to resolve the situation. "He's only drinking ale anyway," she said, spotting the man's glass in hand. "We could slip dungeon blood into the bloodwine without him knowing."

"You want me to put dungeon blood in the bloodwine barrel with my old man sitting across the room?!" Odi spluttered his words and had to repeat them a few times to be understood. "Do you think I'm stupid?!"

"You don't want me to answer that, Odi," Irina replied.

"You were stupid to steal from Magnus," Renata told him categorically. "He's going to cut your hands off."

Odi sneered back to the coven shield. "Your implicated now," he reminded her. "If you don't tell Magnus, and we both know you won't, you're in just as much trouble as I am."

Oh, for fuck sake! Renata was done. Odi was right – she wouldn't grass on him. Guards didn't grass on each other. Guards certainly didn't grass on adult elite coven members. Renata wasn't entirely sure what Odi classed as these days, but either ay she wouldn't be running to the coven leaders with any information.

"I can't believe you took dungeon blood from Aro," Corin said quietly to her boyfriend. "He's going to find out, he always does."

Felix nodded along, looking glum. He fully expected Aro to find out at some point, he was simply hopeful that the 'some point' would be a while away in his future!

"I felt like I had to…"

"Since when were you so weak?!" Corin questioned at him.

She had never thought of Felix as weak before. Fun, lacking forward thought, sure. Even a little hot-tempered at times. But such weakness was unprecedented.

"I was trying to impress you!" Felix snapped back.

Corin threw her head back, glaring at the celling. Knob! "I'll be really impressed when you're back on restriction and I can't see you for months."

Shit! Irina's plans were in danger of going up in smoke over a lover's tiff! I think not! "Do you want in on this, or not, Corin?"

Corin knew they were fucked anyway now. Stealing dungeon blood?! Idiots! But still… if it's going free… "I won't object to some being slipped in my drink."

Renata would usually have been more sensible, but, as with the other inbetweeners, the rounds of whiskey had gone to her head. That, and knowing she was done for regardless, she opted in.

"I will object if I don't get some slipped in my drink," she said, steeling herself for being caught.

If I drink enough dungeon blood perhaps I can sleep through the round of fucks?

That's it, Odi thought. I'm doomed. "Fine," he snapped, stalking to the bar. Fuck.

Magnus really was the lynch pin for the midsummer celebrations. After the rowdy games of the day, most of the other coven members could happily spend the evening resting, but Magnus' enjoyment of the day was so infectious that they all joined in. The juggernaut had spent most of the party upstairs deciphering who was at fault between the minor brawls that had broken out. When he returned he wasn't his jovial self, so Basileus and Atia decided to call it a day. Marcus hadn't bothered attending the celebrations, either, so Freyr went with them, telling Magnus she would see him at home after the party had ended.

"So, I'm staying here on my own?"

Freyr kissed his cheek. "It's your guard hall, love," she reminded him with a playful smile.

It wasn't long before the younger Denali girls admitted their exhaustion. The twins soon followed. Even Demetri wanted to go home, despite Adrianna's efforts to have him stay longer.

The inbetweeners froze when the coven king strolled over. Aro did enjoy the effect he had on people!

"We're calling it a day, son," Aro told his boy. "If you're staying, you're behaving,"

"Sure thing, Dad," Felix replied, trying to keep his eyes steady and praying Aro didn't notice how drunk he was.

Aro went without word, but Sulpicia had pulled Carlisle aside before following her husband home.

"What did she want with you?" Felix asked when his uncle returned.

Carlisle smiled ruefully at his nephew. "Sulpicia asked me to look after you." He couldn't keep the smile from his face knowing it would wind Felix up rotten!

Felix scowled as the entire group joined in on Carlisle's laughter. "Cheeky cow!"

"She won't ask you again after tonight," Renata drawled, eyes rolling around as the first sips of dungeon blood took effect.

Carlisle chuckled along. Somewhere deep inside his head, he knew he should have been bothered – Renata's right, the inner voice told him. You're getting high with your nephew. This is a very bad thing. He heard it, he even agreed with it, but right then when the musicians began a fresh tune and his body tingled in delight, he simply didn't care.