It's a long, dead life!

by BDE

We join the Volturi in 1663 when Carlisle was turned for his long, dead life and family drama. Aro, Caius, and Marcus are trying to rule the world. Felix, Demetri, Jane and Alec are creating havoc as child vampires and the Denali sisters soon join them. Mature scenes - Corporal Punishment (spanking/discipline) and offensive things, but its the Volturi, so what do you expect?

150. Odi the Outcast - Part 2

Odi The Outcast - Part 2

JANUARY 4TH

Following along behind Magnus, Caius trudged into the middle floor suite. Still hungover from the night before, he wished to spend the morning doing some of that resting young vampires enjoyed. He knew he had a bollocking coming from Magnus for kicking off in the guard hall. He probably should have quit drinking when he'd been sent home, but whiskey seemed such company for a man down in the dumps… Caius regretted that company now his head pounded with every footstep.

"What's he doing here?" he asked as soon as he set eyes on Odi.

Odi scowled at the knob invading his living space. "I live here."

"You live in the dorms," Caius sneered, reminding Odi of his words in the guard hall the evening before: 'I'm not leaving - I'm a guard, guards belong in the guard hall!' Prat.

"You live downstairs in your precious private chambers that I'm not allowed to breathe in."

That earned Caius a sharp look from Magnus as the juggernaut wondered what arguments he had missed between the two as he hadn't heard that nugget before.

"Well I'm here now," Caius told Odi, avoiding Magnus. "You can go."

Odi scoffed and settled into his seat, plumping his cushion for effect. "I don't think so, pal."

"Pal?" Caius repeated, stalking towards the kid. "Fucking pal?!"

Magnus had to act fast to get between the two, pushing Caius back a step and Odi back into his chair. "That had better end as quickly as it started," he warned.

"Chuck him out and its done with," Caius suggested.

"Chuck him out and its done with," Odi corrected, getting back to his feet.

And so they descended again into fresh argument. Or not so fresh, as they seemed to be repeating the same shit they had the night before to Magnus' ears. The same shit that had earned him another round of fucks from the creator over the continued disturbance in his coven. Disturbance that Magnus had assured Basileus he would contain.

Slowly, to give them time to react, Magnus unbuckled his belt. No reaction – bitching back and forth continued. He pulled it through the loops. Still no reaction. Taking hold of the buckle end, Magnus allowed the other to slap against the floor but with their arguing, Caius and Odi failed to notice. Right, that's it.

Whipping the belt around behind him, Magnus cracked it sharp, first for Caius and then for Odi.

"Why did you do that?!" Caius asked, backing up. Odi concentrated on rubbing the sting out of his thigh - Caius wished to do the same but he wouldn't lower himself to such a childish display.

"You are too busy arguing to listen to me," Magnus explained, nice and calm. "I don't like shouting, so let's see if you can hear this," he said, and whipped out his belt a second time for Odi.

"Ow!" Odi gasped, hopping out of the way from a third strike aimed at his legs. "Dad!"

Caius' turn came next. "Magnus, no…" the rest of his words strangled in his throat as Magnus wrapped his belt across Caius' backside.

"Tell me no again, I dare you," Magnus replied, going for a third strike. "Do I have your attention?"

He was rewarded with a pleasing 'yes sir' in duel reply.

Magnus bobbed his head and took to his chair. He kept the belt in hand, just in case. "Last night, I spent half of my time telling you to cool off, I'm not doing that again."

It had been a shit show. Magnus had alternated between telling Odi to cool down his sneering and jeering and telling Caius to back off with his death threats.

Caius thought he'd done well offering Odi a drink at the beginning of the evening as a kind gesture. Which, of course, the little cretin rejected by giving it Irina and Kate. After that, and a few whiskeys, he wasn't feeling so giving towards the kid. Worse than that, he actively wanted to hurt Odi.

"I was only trying to be nice to you because your mother asked me to," he told Odi, quite cruelly (and stupidly, as he'd said so in front of Freyr!)

Odi. Was. Livid.

"You're running around telling people to be nice to me?!" he asked his mother, accusing her of babying him.

"It's just because we love you," Freyr said to her baby boy. She wasn't babying him – she was trying to protect him.

Odi shoved passed his mother to flee the piercing eyes of every Volturi guard in the damn coven. "Love me less!" he called over his shoulder without looking back.

Freyr fixed her sights on her husband, calling on him to do something, to take a stand, to sort it out! But nothing. Magnus made some wishy-washy statement to Caius to remind him that he should avoid displaying personal problems in the guard hall. "Such things require your private attention not public opinion," he had said.

"Is that it?!" Freyr fumed.

When Magnus said he would talk to them both later, in private, Freyr took off for the west tower. She called on Basileus, begging him to do something before things could get worse. She didn't like going against Magnus. Freyr was a 'stand by your man' type. But her fear of losing Odi, or Caius for that matter, forced her to intervene and pull in the big guns. Of course, it was Magnus' fear of losing Odi or Caius that was holding him back from taking a firmer stand in the first place. The guard masters shared the same goals and the same worries, they simply had different ideas for achieving those goals and placating their concerns.

Basileus arrived in the guard hall not long after. He made a show of chucking Caius out and he was none to quiet with the round of fucks he gave Magnus in the masters' office, either.

Shaking that wretched memory from his mind, Magnus got back on track with his sons… or whatever the hell they were to him.

"You know the score, Caius," he began. "You keep your animosity behind closed doors or Basileus will be involving himself in this… situation."

"Like in the training fields?" Odi suddenly had a fantastic idea. I want to go to the guard hall and have a fight with Caius!

Magnus arched an eyebrow at his boy's growing smile. I know what you're thinking, son. "How do you think you would fair against the creator?"

Odi gulped. Forget the fight.

"Sit down," Magnus requested, eyes full of understanding and fruitless hope. "Let's work this out together."

Well that didn't work - for one, Magnus was the only one willing to talk civilly, and Caius and Odi's grunts to each other soon turned to sharp words and then all out arguing again.

"Right!" Magnus jumped to his feet. "That's enough!"

Caius and Odi's eyes simultaneously flew to the belt in Magnus' hand. No, he said to himself. I don't care what Basileus thinks, or what Freyr thinks, come to that. I can't beat you into liking each other!

He threw his belt to the floor and pointed at the door. "Both of you out, now!

"Me?!" Caius asked.

"Obviously!" Odi shot at him. "This is my home, not yours."

Magnus scrubbed his hands through his hair, holding his hands at the back of his neck and took a moment to breathe through his frustrations.

"Listen, I understand why you are pissed with him," he said to Caius. "And I understand why you didn't think you were doing anything to cross him," he said to Odi. "I'm not choosing sides on this, so you can go to the dorms, you can go downstairs."

"You're chucking me out?!" Odi asked, wishing his mother was there. She wouldn't chuck me out, he thought. Then he remembered what Freyr had done the evening before. She goes around the coven telling people to be nice to me. Fucking humiliating.

"What you did was immoral, Odi," Caius sang out. He didn't mind being sent away so long as he was getting one over on the kid.

"Being called immoral by the male slag of the castle?" Odi asked, laughing. "A bit rich!"

"ENOUGH!" Magnus bellowed at them both. "OUT!"

The door sprang to life with a curt knock before swinging open. Aro entered with a curios smile. "Afternoon," he said, appraising the room.

Caius and Odi continued to glare at each other with Magnus between them, "Erm, Aro…" Magnus stumbled over his words trying to explain the situation.

"Trying to have them kiss and make up, huh?" Aro laughed, earning a 'fuck you' from Caius.

"Something like that," Magnus huffed. "Unsuccessfully." He turned to his son, knowing if Aro was there, Odi shouldn't be.

"I'll go to MY room and get out of your way," Odi replied, eyes dancing with his 'win' over Caius.

"Go to the guard hall and get yourself a drink," Magnus suggested. Reaching into his pocket he retrieved a few coins for his boy and set them in his palm.

It was Caius' turn to smile wildly.

"You're letting him stay?" Odi asked his father, jabbing angrily in Caius' direction.

"Go," Magnus said, firm but kind. Not that Odi cared for his kindness at that point. He dropped the coins to the floor and flashed from the middle floor suite.

Odi drifted through the coven in slow motion. He ended up in the guard hall, of course, as he had nowhere else to go. He would rather not have been there with all the bloodwine floating about. I should have taken the money, he thought thinking of the coins in his living chamber. He wouldn't lower himself to go back and ask for them. And as he was seriously pissed with his mom, too, he wouldn't ask her for money, either.

Turk… no. He couldn't ask Turk again. He loved the guy too much to put him in such an awkward position. It was bad enough that Turk had been buying his drinks in the first place. Good of him, very good of him. But Odi couldn't ask him to go against the coven masters. Magnus had told Turk not to serve his son drinks unless they went on his tab, so Odi couldn't drink, period.

When Odi walked in to the guard hall, he rolled his eyes to the heavens and waited for the sudden turn in his direction. And then the whispers. Rather than backing away and hiding, or shrivelling up inside, Odi brazened it out. "Fuck you all," he sang out. When you're bottom of the pile with no hope to climb higher, there's not much point in playing nice anymore.

Oh, thank the gods! Irina and Kate were there at the outcast table. That's what it was in Odi's mind, and he was happy to have a place at their table. At least it was a place somewhere. Even better, Corin was with them! The outcasts are growing in number, brilliant!

Corin regaled them all with the horrors of her day. Caught in the king's chambers twice in two days was bad luck, horrible luck, but Odi sure was glad to have someone else's dramas to concentrate on for a while. She didn't give them many details, though, as when Renata and Carlisle arrived in the guard hall and sat at the inbetweeners table, Corin joined them.

Odi kind of wanted to follow, but he didn't want to be there when Caius arrived. Doing the walk of shame away from his friends because Caius had rocked up would have been too painful for the kid to bear. Still, it had been nice to have Corin with the outcasts for a while at least. Maybe we could find more outcasts?

Magnus swept through the guard hall like a man on a mission. "We need to pay a visit to your dorm, young one," he announced, clicking his fingers at Corin as he passed her table.

"Why?" Corin croaked, knowing damn well why!

Magnus paused mid stride. He didn't turn, he didn't need to. The whole guard hall froze with him, waiting for Corin to sort herself out - guards did not question the masters. Guards obeyed without delay, without objection and without question.

Irina and Kate started whispering about Corin could have done. Sure, being caught in Aro's chambers uninvited wasn't great, but Magnus wasn't one to make a show of people as a general rule. Odi had to explain that guards were not permitted in the master's chamber without invite, and that Felix' invite wasn't enough of an invite anyway.

Irina was glad she'd only enjoyed the male guards in their own dorms. Although…hmmm. She banked the information for future use in case there was ever a guard she would like to cause some trouble for.

"I'm not sure whether questioning the miserable old bastard was brave or stupid," Odi mumbled. "But bless her for trying." He tutted to himself realising Corin was braver than him. Or stupider? He wasn't sure.

Sensing her impending doom, Corin jumped to her feet. "I mean, yes, Master," she called, following Magnus who thankfully starting walking again.

Sometime later, Felix strolled into the guard hall seeking his lover. He was treated to Odi's usual reception in the guard hall – muffled whispers and questioning eyes. Odi noticed that Felix wasn't as affected by the reception as he was, presumably because the Volturi price had his father's ego. Odi fancied getting the dirt from his young friend, but before he could, Felix was already at the foot of the guard dorm stairs being cut off by Magnus.

"Do not step foot on these stairs, young one."

Odi winced at his father's tone.I'm good to wait, he thought. Like everyone else in the guard hall, Odi hung onto every word watching as Felix became more confused and more uncomfortable.

"This doesn't look good," Kate hissed across the table to Odi. "Why is Corin in so much trouble?"

Irina wanted an answer to Kate's question, too. After her solitary brush with the juggernaut at Midsummer, she found herself feeling slightly sorry for Corin. She much preferred dealing with Eleazar, or even Basileus. Both of whom seemed too scared to try anything so awkward as discipline with her. Well, there was that smack from El when he split up her fight with Tanya, but Irina was hoping that would be a one-time thing. He looked more bothered than me by it, she reminded herself with a smile.

"I'm not sure," Odi replied to Kate. "But I'll find out."

He waited for his father to fully retreat before leaving Irina and Kate at their table and flashing to Felix. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea!"

Renata placed her hand on the Felix's shoulder from behind having just left Corin in her dorm.

"Corin asked me to pass a message on," she whispered into Felix's ear. "Aro told Magnus about the bathroom."

"Oh, shit!" Felix cursed, dropping his head to his chest.

Renata gave him a disapproving 'hmmm'. "Corin's on restriction for a while," she explained. "Don't make things worse by sneaking into her dorm."

Renata widened her eyes as a small smile started to creep onto Felix's face.

"I'm serious, Felix," she hissed.

Renata wouldn't humiliate her friend by telling Felix and Odi that Magnus had punished Corin for her repeated misuse of the king's chambers, but she wouldn't give Felix the chance to get any stupid ideas that would see Corin suffer again, either.

"Corin is in serious trouble with Magnus over all of this. Be fair to her and give time for the dust to settle, okay?"

Putting together the scant information Corin had provided, and the details from Renata, Odi worked out what had gone on. They are both braver than me, he thought of Corin and Felix. Brilliant. Odi's parents had lived in their own chambers for decades, and he'd had a room there with them for his personal use during all that time, but he'd never dared taken someone there for a throw down. Pft! He tutted at himself. Who do you think you'll be taking, Odi?! Damn it, I am actually talking to myself now. Am I really this lonely?"

"You can't follow me, either," Renata told the boy. Carlisle, Dora and Caius were at the bar, which was where she was heading, but Felix was no longer welcome there. "Aro has asked us to give you a break for a while," she explained. "He said… he said your behaviour has shown your immaturity and it's inappropriate for you to hang around with us."

"He's done what?!" Felix felt a fury over taking his concerns. "That utter bastard!"

"Aro hasn't spoken to me about him," Odi said, clearly questioning why he had been excluded. Particularly as he had seen Aro only an hour or so earlier. He might have told me if Dad hadn't thrown me out?

"Well…" Renata didn't really want to spell it out to Odi, but it was clear he was going to force her to. "You aren't really hanging around with us anymore, are you?" she said gently. "And you're younger anyway, I guess…" she broke away seeing Odi looking so crushed. "If it helps, you aren't missing too much. Chelsea and I are having a girls' night at Dora's tonight, so you wouldn't have been going to that anyway."

"That doesn't help," Odi said, looking like a puppy who'd just taken a boot to the ribs. He felt like one, too.

Renata tried to wrap arm around his shoulders, but he pulled away too quickly. "There's a card game tonight," she said, revealing some inside info. "Your Dad's hosting it for Basileus and Aro, Eleazar and Caius, but not Carlisle. Why don't you arrange to see him tonight?"

That sounded like a minor sweetener to Odi. He offered a half smile to her attempts to help him out, but he still felt like the coven pariah.

With that, Renata left them to their brooding.

"So that's it?!" Felix turned and spat out to Odi. "I'm an outcast. Just like that I'm a fucking outcast!"

Odi shrugged at the boy and looked over to what was left of the inbetweeners. Carlisle and Renata gave him a quick wave before returning to their conversation. Renata was working on Odi's behalf setting him up on a play date with Carlisle, but Odi didn't know that, so he scowled. Then he caught the contemptuous expression on Caius' face. He'd been giving Odi the same look since his return to the coven after Halloween. Cunt. You weren't even an inbetweener in the first place.

Seeing Afton and Chelsea joining the ranks came as a bitter pill to swallow. Not only had Caius taken Odi's place in his group, but Caius - the miserablestist fucker in the Volturi (and no, Odi didn't care a jot that miserablestist wasn't a real word) - had even brought new friends into it. Older friends, making sure Odi could never return to the inbetweeners because now the group wasn't 'in between' anymore. They were the grown-ups and Odi was an outcast.

Worse than all of that, was the fact that Odi missed Caius most of all. For all the horrible things the kid had been thinking about the coven master, his heart ached for the friend he had made in the man, and he missed him.

"Odi?!" Felix gave the kid a jab in the chest to get his attention.

Forgetting his troubles for the moment, Odi gestured to the table where Irina sat with her sister, waiting for him to return. "Join the club, buddy."

"With her?" Felix asked Odi from the corner of his mouth.

Odi shrugged again. He wasn't particularly happy about hanging out with Irina, either, but she was all he had, depressingly. "It seems the three of us are all outcasts. At least we can be outcasts together. Kate's okay."

"Felix!" Magnus bellowed into the guard hall. "Home, now. I'll take you myself if I have to, young one."

That was enough to see Felix scooting out of the guard hall, narrowly missing the swipe Magnus took at him as he passed.

Odi would have liked for Felix to join them to increase their numbers. He and Irina had talked about it briefly - the outcasts in the coven could easily outnumber the inbetweeners if they weren't too choosy about who they allowed to join. That had made Odi laugh - as if he had a right to be choosy! I don't even have a right to feeds these days, let alone friends.

He started a new conversation with Irina and Kate, wanting to firm up some plans for gaining more followers. Odi just about managed to stop himself from saying 'getting more friends', because that would have been too pathetic for words. He had a feeling Irina and Kate knew that's what he meant anyway.

Soon enough, Magnus arrived at the outcast table and appraised the scene. The girls had been well behaved, which gave Magnus cause for concern. Irina was only well behaved when she was plotting, in Magnus' opinion. Still, he couldn't chuck them out for behaving. Odi, though. He needed to go home.

"Remember what we said yesterday?" he asked his boy.

"I don't remember saying much at all," Odi replied, refusing to look at the man.

Magnus sighed. "I told you to check in at home a little more. And after last night…"

"You chucked me out of home," Odi sneered. "Are you chucking me out of here, too?"

"Aye, I am." He hadn't meant to sound so sharp, but the pressures of his job and home life combined were getting Magnus down. Softening, he squatted down on his knees and turned Odi's chair a little to see him better.

Oh my fucking God! Odi silently cursed at the gesture. Could you be any more embarrassing?!

"Ren said she's fixed you up with Carlisle tonight."

Fixed me up?! Dad! Odi heard Irina snigger beside him. He might have called the girl a bitch if he hadn't heard Kate do it, too. Kate wasn't a bitch, she was genuinely nice, so if she found it funny it must have been. You're treating me like a fucking toddler!

"You'll want to feed before you go out, won't you?" Magnus asked. "I know you don't want to put drinks on my tab. That's fine. Get some bloodwine at home so you're ready for tonight. Have a re…"

Magnus so very nearly said 'rest', so very nearly. Odi's wide, panicking, angry eyes cut him off just in time.

Without warning, Odi stood up and nearly knocked his father off his feet in the process. He hadn't meant to do that, but the result didn't necessarily displease him either. Still, he wasn't about to hang about in case his father decided to do anything else to embarrass him. What else could he do?! Odi asked himself. He supposed the guy giving him a swat in the guard hall would have been worse and high tailed it out of there before Magnus had chance.

Arriving home (though it didn't feel much like home to him at that point) Odi slammed the door behind him and was annoyed that it didn't splinter, or break its hinge, or do anything but swing back open at him. Like it was mocking him!I'm not strong enough to break a fucking door and the fucking thing won't even close?! He booted the bastard as hard as he dared, and then promptly fell on his ass grabbing his probably broken toes. The main doors to the elite chambers were solid oak. He might as well have kicked a tree trunk. Vampires were strong, but they had limits. From his floor level position Odi could see a boot sized indent - he was happy with that. His foot hurt, though.

Shuffling across the floor, he was glad to be alone so no one could mock him. He ended up in front of the fire where he pulled off his boot and peeled off his woollen sock. No bleeding, thankfully. But his toes looked bruised. At least they aren't broken. How could I explain breaking my toes against an inanimate object? I'm so pathetic I bet everyone would understand if I had.

Concentrating on his pounding toes at least distracted him from the smell of bloodwine in his chambers. His mother kept a contestant supply of bloodwine simmering in the fire place so the whole middle floor always smelt of warm, luscious, sustenance.

Odi refused to drink any, though. Magnus had told him drink it, so there was no way he would. No matter how much his throat burned for it. Carlisle will buy me a few drinks. I'll just tell him I've forgotten my money. No big deal. He won't mind. His father actually provides for him, so he always has cash. Not like mine. Having Carlisle buy him bloodwine would really stick it to his old man, too, he decided with glee.

Hearing someone coming up the stairs, Odi quickly grabbed his sock and boot and limped to his bed chamber. He wasn't in the mood for company.

Dora and Mom.

Slightly better than anyone else it could be, he realised, but he still didn't fancy breaking bread with them. No. Fuck them. Odi opened his wardrobe and decided to change. He was still wearing his guard uniform every day but when he clocked himself in the mirror he realised how stupid that was. I'm not a guard. A guard is part of team. I'm not in a team. He idly wondered whether the outcasts could come up with a uniform of their own. Peasant cloth would be appropriate, he mused.

He pulled off his tunic and threw it to the corner of his room. Usually it would be hung, if clean, to be worn again. But he didn't plan on wearing it again. His shirt was creased to high heaven from wearing the heavy tunic all day, so he stripped that off, too. Taking out a new shirt, a slightly more stylish one - where did this come from? He seemed to have a few in the same style. Mom must have made them for me - he redressed and checked himself out. It was a little big on him, but only a little. I look… good.

Most of the elite men had a great selection of fashionable wear to choose from, but Odi had always rejected their dress as being above him and something he didn't wish to associate with. He was a guard. But I'm not a guard, he thought, searching through his wardrobe. Not anymore. He seemed to have a lot more in there than he remembered from the last time he looked.

Freyr took care of his clothes. Odi quite literally dumped clothes that needed laundering in a pile on his floor and they magically reappeared, clean and pressed, on a chair in his room a few days later. It was a marvellous system. He rarely bothered with his wardrobe at all. Simply wore and re-wore the same linens, tunics and britches that appeared on his chair.

Wow! He came across a few full suits. Those long fancy coats Aro and Eleazar wore - and Caius, the primped prick - and the other guys. Three of them. Each with matching waist coats and britches. He wasn't quite ready to jump up to such modern fashions by wearing the full kit, but he decided he wouldn't feel too daft in a coat. He took out the plainer of the three, mostly black with silver stitched trimming, and slipped it on.

Back to the mirror.

He felt a bit of a dork. The coat came to his knees, as it was supposed to - that was the fashion after all - but he felt like a dork. I look like I've raided my Dad's wardrobe! No, then it would reach the floor.

Could he go out like that, really? Could he go to the guard hall and walk in there, face all the stares and sit at the bar in his elite get up and have a drink with a Volturi prince? Fuck it, why not? With that thought, Odi braved the living chamber.

Freyr and Dora clocked his new look immediately - it was hard to miss when the kid usually only wore guard tunics, scruffy ones at that as he wasn't particularly bothered by his appearance, and therefore not all too careful with his clothes.

Odi waited for them to say something to him, but they didn't. They merely turned to each other with small smirks and Dora telling Freyr, "I told you they would fit him."

Well that was weird, Odi thought. But it could have been worse.

Feeling bolstered by his new decisions, to embrace being an outcast, to reject guard life, to scrounge a drink out of Carlisle and stick two fingers up at his father in the process… actually, that last part sounded a bit weak. Scrounging drinks isn't elite at all. Is it outcast? he wondered. Okay, so that still worked. Having a little cash would help his confidence, though.

"Mom," he began, subconsciously deepening his voice. "I need some money for tonight."

"Just put your drinks on your father's tab, love," Freyr told him as she ladled out fresh goblets for her and Dora.

"I'd rather starve," Odi snorted with an air of self-surety one shouldn't possess when asking mommy for pocket money.

"Then you won't want my money, either," Freyr told him with a shrug. "Your father may be willing to play these games with you, but I am not."

"Get told," Dora whispered, giving him a nudge with her shoulder.

She was only playing with him in the way they usually played with each other, but Odi wasn't in the right frame of mind for it and shoved his shoulder into her much harder causing Dora to drop her goblet of bloodwine.

"Hey!" Freyr burst, giving the kid a good slap in the process. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"It's fine, it's fine," Dora answered for him, flashing to the bathroom to fetch a wash cloth.

When she returned, Fryer took it from her and gave it to her son. "Clean this up," she said, pointing to the floor. "And check your attitude, Odi…"

Freyr went on but Odi didn't hear her. He was doing all he could to shut her out. He wasn't listening to her ranting and he wasn't cleaning the floor either. Dora dropped it, he thought.

It didn't take long for Freyr to notice she was being ignored. "Odi," she called. "I told you to clean up the bloodwine. And take that coat off before you start, roll up your sleeves."

Odi didn't move. He simply glared back at his mother and offered her a one shouldered shrug. It was like a red rag to a bull for Freyr. Flashing to her boy, she was mere moments from giving him the tongue lashing of his life when she noticed his eyes.

Oh, my darling, she thought, softening immediately. "Your eyes are black, you need to sleep."

"I don't sleep." Odi was starting to wonder how many times he would have to explain that to his nearest and dearest who should already bloody know!

"Rest," Freyr corrected. "You need to rest."

"No, I don't," Odi insisted. "I need to earn some money so I can buy my own drinks…"

"Your eyes…" Freyr started again.

"My eyes are black because you've taken me off every shift going, and I can't afford to fucking feed."

"Forget your eyes," Dora huffed, snatching the washcloth from Odi's hands and throwing it to the bloodwine on the floor. "Your attitude is abysmal."

"Who's asking you?!"

"Odi!" Freyr admonished.

"It's fine, I'm going down now anyway." Dora had made quick work of cleaning up Odi's mess and planted the sodden cloth back in the boy's hand.

"For your special Girls Night?" Odi sneered, rolling his eyes for dramatic effect. "Are you sure you should be mixing with the guards? I don't think your husband will approve."

Dora didn't dignify the kid with an answer. Saying good night to Freyr, she headed for her own chambers.

Freyr shook her head and went back to the bloodwine pot. One side of her wanted to give her boy a slap, another wanted to wrap him in her arms and promise him everything would be okay in the end. The side that wanted to slap him was stronger, she had to admit.

"Starving yourself to prove a point?" she mumbled, pouring out a goblet for the boy. "Drink," she instructed, passing over the cup. "If it is simply a lack of blood, your eyes will return to normal and your attitude will disappear."

"Mom!" Odi whined as his mother walked him to the sofa and forcibly sat him down.

"I'll give you an hour," she said. "If there's no change, you're going to bed."

"I'm meeting Carlisle in less than that at the guard hall!"

"Not in your current state you're not."

Freyr knew she would have to supervise the boy if he were to stay in her chambers, so she busied herself tidying the room and set up the guys poker game. Odi watched her flashing about as he muttered over the unfairness of his life. He didn't drink the bloodwine, though. Fuck that. He wasn't being commanded to feed like a child. Not on your life, woman! He wouldn't have dared say that out loud, but it felt good telling his mother where to go in his head.

And then came the fateful sound of Magnus and Caius heading up the stairwell. Odi cursed and dropped his chin to his chest.

"Has it been an hour yet?" he mumbled to his mother.

Freyr merely tutted in response - he knew damn well it hadn't been.

Magnus saw his boy sitting crossed legged on the sofa with a face like a slapped arse. He really didn't want to have ask his kid to leave again, but he couldn't afford to have Caius and Odi kicking off in front of guests. He'd convinced Basileus that the animosity had ended between the two in public viewing and he wasn't sure whether he could keep the Caius and Odi from brawling in his chambers. Would my chambers count as public animosity? Basileus would take it as public if there were witnesses, he realised. Aro and Eleazar will surely count as witnesses. Damn it.

"I thought you were going out tonight?" he asked the boy, trying to keep things breezy.

"So did I," Odi replied in clipped tone. "Ask her."

"Her?!" Caius repeated. Kid has a death wish.

Magnus wasn't having that! "Do you want to try that again, son?"

"He's doesn't want to be here so he's being a whiny little brat," Freyr explained.

"Being here isn't the problem," Odi muttered. "Being with you lot is the problem."

All three turned on him, none sure what he'd said but all guessing it was nothing good.

"I'm fine," Odi said a little louder, standing. "May I go now?"

"Caius, love," Freyr called, collecting the young master and pulling him close to Odi. "Give me your reading of his eyes."

"Forget his eyes," Caius pulled back to get a better view of the kid now he was standing up in all his finery. "Where did his clothes come from?"

Odi tried to push his way through, but between his mother and Caius it was a no go. Caius actually pushed him back a step instead and then walked around him. That's when it struck him.

"Is that my coat?!" Jerking the coat to one side to get a better view, he added, "And my shirt?!"

"No," Odi spat back, sorting his coat out. "They were in my wardrobe."

"Only if you took them out of mine!"

"Caius," Freyr said calmly. "Dora passed them on to Odi as you have never liked the fit," she explained. "She said you knew. She said it was your idea."

Caius scowled. He remembered Dora going through his wardrobe with him after his new clobber had arrived fresh from the tailor. A pile had grown between them in the middle of their bed of all the items Caius no longer wanted which Dora could refashion into something else. There was another pile of brand new, unworn items that he simple hadn't cared for. Caius had forgot about that. Of course, when he had suggested the pile of suits and shirts be given to Odi, he was on good terms with the kid. More than that – if Caius was going to take Odi out with him he wanted him looking better than some castle scrubber in his grotty guard uniform.

Perhaps it was the memory of how he had felt about Odi then, or perhaps it was having Freyr giving him the 'don't you dare screw this up' look, Caius wasn't sure, but he softened his stance and forced a smile for the kid.

Caius straightened out the lapels of the coat for him. "You look good," he complimented the boy. "Might need taking in on the shoulders a little."

Freyr breathed a sigh of relief, though naturally, Magnus assumed it was his 'chat' that had convinced Caius to behave. Bless him.

"It certainly will need taking in if he keeps refusing to feed," Freyr added, joining Caius in inspecting her boy's new look.

"Vampires can't lose weight mom," Odi quipped, hoping his father didn't pick up on what she had said.

"Refusing?" Magnus asked. "I told you to drink your fill here if you were going to keep being pissy about putting drinks on my tab."

"I don't need to drink!" Odi snapped at him.

"His eyes, Caius," Freyr prompted. She wanted her boy to drink some blood and go to bed. That's what he needed, and she was pretty sure Caius' verdict would prove it to Odi, too.

Caius took Odi's face by his chin and twisted the boy into the glow of the fire light. The kid begged with his eyes for Caius to give him the all clear, but Caius couldn't do that – Magnus would know he was lying.

"Tired and emotional," Caius appraised. "And starving."

Well that is a damning verdict, Freyr thought. Worse than she'd expected, actually.

"I'm a little hungry," Starving?! Odi repeated to himself. Dramatic much?! "I'm neither tired or emotional."

"You feel it to me, son," Magnus added, taking his boy from Caius and twisting him back towards the fire light.

"Hungry?" Odi asked with hope.

Magnus shook his head.

"You're not going to the guard hall like this, Odi," Freyr said before Magnus could suggest anything else. "It will end in tears."

Odi smiled at his father. Magnus wasn't his favourite person right then, but he was a better bet than his mother if he wanted to continue his plans for the night.

Magnus looked between his wife and son and back again. He and Freyr had already had a row about the whole situation with Caius and Odi and he didn't fancy another one with his mates on their way round. Be sensible and back up the missus, he told himself.

"Rest up tonight and you can go to the hall tomorrow."

Satisfied, or rather, relieved, Freyr went off to get changed for her evening. The guys were holding their card game as her place, so she was heading to Atia's.

Once his mother was out of the room, Odi tried his father again. "I don't need to rest, Dad…"

"Sounds like he needs a nap to me," Caius chuckled at the boy's insistence.

How can you be so nice one minute and a complete jerk the next?! Caius' allegiances gave Odi whiplash. "Who the fuck asked you?!"

"Bed, Odi," Magnus ordered. Just as he feared, Odi would be staying home and he and Caius would do their best to land him in the shit with the creator. Marvellous!

Odi resisted when his father tried to steer him towards the hall to the bed chambers. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Because its nearly midnight already," Magnus explained. "You are clearly tired, hungry, and you have a bad attitude."

"I don't have a bad attitude, I have a shit family."

"Do you indeed?" Magnus huffed, trying again to steer Odi in the right direction. The little sod kept dancing out of his hands.

"Time to put the baby to bed, Magnus," Caius sang out, taking a seat at the table Freyr had prepared. "Its guys night in."

"Don't start," Magnus warned the man whilst wondering where the hell the other guy had gone who had been so nice only minutes earlier.

"Guys night in?!" Odi sneered back. "What the fuck do you think I am?"

"A cretin? A jerk? A two-faced snake? A bit of a prick?" Caius shrugged. "I could go on."

Magnus released the growl building in his chest, scaring the crap out of both Caius and Odi. "Knock it off!" he roared in frustration.

What a perfect moment for the creator to stroll in, followed by Aro and Eleazar.

"Sounds like you're having fun without us, Magnus," Basileus said, lips twisted into a wry, knowing smile.

"Something like that," Freyr replied, re-entering the main chamber ready to leave.

"Freyr, my dear," Basileus greeted, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Atia will be hunting you down if you aren't in my chambers soon."

"Don't worry, Basileus," she said, collecting her cloak. "I'm not hanging around to disturb your night."

Having worked out it was his wife's charms that was working with Caius, Magnus kind of wished she would stay and help him keep the kids under control.

"Are you joining us, Odi?" Eleazar asked, unaware of the level of animosity between Caius and the master's boy. Irina had told him a little, but she didn't know much herself. "I'll fetch Carlisle…"

"No, he's not," Caius slipped in before Eleazar could go any further.

"Why not?" Odi asked. "I might want to."

"You've already been told why not," Caius reminded him "It's time for you to…"

Magnus flashed between the pair and cut Caius off at the quick. "Go to your room, son" he said to his boy, thinking it sounded better than the 'go to sleep' that Caius would surely have said.

"Fine." Odi collected his own cloak from his space on the rack. "I'll go to my dorm room."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Magnus asked, snatching the boy's cloak from his hands.

"Do you want me to answer that?"

Aro whistled into the air hearing Odi's retort. Basileus simply waited for Magnus to act. Caius was quite keen on seeing some juggernaut versus Odi action, too. Ever the peace maker, Eleazar went for distraction.

"What are we drinking tonight, Magnus?"

Aro was much more interested in alcohol than one of the coven brats being handed his ass and soon joined Eleazar searching through the bottles Freyr had left out for them.

"Why do you lot always rock up empty handed?" Magnus asked. He busied himself with refilling the bloodwine pot above the fire. "Did your parents not teach you to bring a gift for your hosts?"

"What can I tell you? My parents set such a bad example," Aro quipped, one eye on his father should he take a swipe at him for the comment.

"You had better mean those human things you had," Basileus replied, settling himself into the chair next to Caius at the table. he told Aro to take the seat to his right, so he would be close by should he need reminding how to behave.

No sooner than Aro had sat down, his father clocked him across the head for his cheek. It was relatively good natured for Basileus, though.

"We can't bring gifts, Magnus," Aro explained. "Never trust a gift from a Greek."

Basileus looked incredulously to his son. "The phrase is 'beware of Greeks bearing gifts', you Philistine."

"I'm the Philistine?!" Aro shot back. "You wrote that about our own people!"

Aro had him there. "I was pissed with my vampiric stock when I wrote that. It may have been a mistake in hindsight."

Coming back to the table, Magnus told them, "There's bloodwine, as always. Whiskey, as always," then his eyes landed on the bottle in the centre of the table. "Oh, try this," he said, popping the stopper and pouring some into each glass.

"Nothing in that special little safe of yours?" Aro asked as Magnus poured.

"Aye, there's plenty of dungeon blood in there," Magnus replied, rolling his eyes to Basileus - Aro hadn't been pleased to discover that only the octogenarian members of the elite would be keeping dungeon blood in future. In special little safes, no less!

"That's me, you, and El sorted then," Basileus said to Magnus with a wink. "What about the immature brats who can't handle it?"

"Any need, Dad?" Aro scowled. "Any need?"

Basileus smiled back at him. "Any need for you to keep bringing up the safes?"

"There would be no need at all if I had one."

"If you were mature enough to possess the contents I might have considered getting you one." Basileus was quick to throw Caius to the flame, too. "I'm not sure why you're laughing, Caius? You're in the same position as him."

"Whoa!" Eleazar exclaimed having taken a swing of Magnus' new wine, and again deflecting a crisis at their table. "This is good!"

"It's nice, isn't it," Magnus said proudly. "I brought it back from France a few years ago."

Basileus went next, equally impressed as his eldest son. "You've been holding out on us, my friend." It was like nothing he had tasted before. No wine, at least. It fizzed on the tongue and tasted sweet! "Are you saving it?"

"Not particularly…" before the words had left his mouth, there was a table scrum for the bottle. "I have three more bottles up here, and more in the dungeons."

Aro gestured for the man to bugger off down to the dungeons and fetch the rest.

"You think we'll need more than three?" Magnus asked. He was planning a night on the whiskey.

"Aro will need more than three," Caius said, nodding at the door also.

"Because Caius is a saint who doesn't drink a drop." Odi tittered to himself from the sofas. "Unless its dungeon blood, of course."

Magnus had completely forgot the kid was still there.

"I'll fetch more wine," he told the group and then gave Odi a good shove into the bedroom hallway. "You will go to your room."

"Bet I don't," Odi said, rooted to the spot.

"Bet he does," Basileus told Magnus with a nod.

Magnus wouldn't have been against Basileus involving himself in his family affairs usually. He firmly believed that it took a village to raise a child. With the unfriendliness of the last few days, however, Magnus felt nervous leaving Odi in the creator's care. That said, if Basileus could get Odi to his bed chamber, then the opportunity for hostility between Caius and Odi would lessen immeasurably – which would be better for everyone.

Once Magnus had gone, Basileus clicked his fingers for the boy to join him. "Whats wrong with you, Odi?" he asked when he was in grabbing distance.

"Tired and emotional," Caius explained. "And starving."

"I am not," Odi insisted.

Basileus could hear Caius' thought and he knew the man wasn't simply trying to wind up the kid.

"Look at his eyes," Caius suggested.

"How would you even know from my eyes?" Odi asked. "It's not like you have a gift - you are completely gift-less, right?"

"It's not a gift," Basileus explained. "It's a talent."

From all his years raising newborns in the dungeons, Caius has the talent down to a fine art. He could tell between the briefest of shades what a vampire needed. Basileus always trusted his word on such matters.

"Does he sleep?" Eleazar asked. Tired had been thrown around a few times and he wasn't aware of Odi sleeping.

"Not really," Aro said, waving his hand for a refill when Caius picked up the bottle. "More like Irina."

"I'm nothing like Irina, thanks."

Aro wondered briefly if Felix was in the room hearing such abrasion. "I was referring to the fact that you need to sleep occasionally."

"I don't fucking sleep!"

"He likes to call it resting," Caius explained. Smirking, he added, "He thinks it sounds more grown up."

Aro laughed along with Caius. "Aww, bless him."

"I wish you pair would try sounding grown up," Basileus boomed disapprovingly. "Odi, we know why you wish to keep it from the coven that you sl… rest."

That near slip cost Basileus a warning growl from the angry young vampire. Odi was lucky Basileus could hear the kid's thoughts and how stressed he was, or he might well have taken the boy over his knee at the table! I'm getting soft, he thought. That's Magnus' doing!

"No one here will tell anyone else," Aro assured the boy. "You have nothing to worry about. Get yourself to bed before you land yourself in trouble." He hadn't left his brood at home only to suffer someone else's.

"No," Odi replied. He walked back to his sofa and returned to his cross-legged position, glaring out the window into the night skies.

"Excuse me?!" Aro started to stand until Basileus settled him back down and when to sort out the kid himself.

Standing in front of Odi, or rather, towering over him, he asked, "Who do you think you're talking to, boy?"

Odi didn't reply verbally – he let his face do the talking.

"Wipe that look off your face, or I will."

Continuing to glare out of the window, Odi kept his smirk right where it was. "I can't be held responsible for what my face does when you talk."

Seeing Basileus raising his hand, Caius felt compelled to act.

"He's starving, Basileus," he called over. "He's refusing to feed. That's what's wrong with him."

"Why's he doing that?" Eleazar asked.

He had lived for three hundred years and spent much of that time with Aro's kids, but he was still finding out how young vampires worked. Having the Denali girls had taken him by surprise and he was doing his best to learn about all issues pertaining to the care of young vampires. Refusing to feed was a new one on him.

"I am not refusing to feed." Odi tutted and looked away. "I am simply refusing to be forced to feed."

The adults in the room all gave each other a look. Odi knew what look it was. The look that said, 'aww, bless the stupid immature child and his irrational logic'. Considering he knew the look so well, one might have thought that he would take notice of it. But no. It simply made Odi dig his heels in further. That said, his nerve was failing him as the creator towered over him. So much so that he was glad when his father returned to break the tension.

"What a very loud silence," Magnus remarked. He set the bottles down on the sideboard and placed his hands on his hips. "Would you rather go to your room?" he asked his boy. "Or stay here and explain yourself to me?"

Odi watched in dismay as his father moved one hand from his hip to place it on the buckle of his belt. What am I doing?! the boy asked himself. I'm making myself look such a fool. To preserve the last of his pride, Odi flashed passed Basileus and stamped down the hallway, entered his room and slammed the door. Okay, so that didn't really help the looking like a fool thing, but it had felt good at the time. What felt less good, however, was listening to the fuckers discussing him from the next room!

"Why is he starving himself?" Basileus asked Magnus.

"Pride," Magnus replied, to a chorus of pity laughs. "I know, I know," Magnus continued. "I've insisted he feeds, but he's trying to show me who's boss."

"I've had Felix trying to show me who's boss," Aro jutted in, and then regaled them all with the horrors of living with a teenage boy who snuck his girlfriend in through the window. "He came home playing the big shot," Aro went on. "Until the belt came off."

Aren't you all so funny? Odi fumed from behind his door hearing them all laughing along. There were even the odd congratulatory chinks of wine glasses telling Aro what a good dad he was, and how you can't let kids get away with breaking the rules. Arseholes.

"I get the same with Odi," Magnus jumped back in. "That boy can listen, ignore, and forget at the same time, which is quite an achievement for a vampire."

More condescending laughter as Odi fumed. The absolutely bastards!

"You'll have to get this feeding thing under control, my friend," Basileus said, getting serious. "We can't have him developing a blood lust for the sake of his pride."

To Odi's surprise, his father readily agreed! "If he doesn't drink soon, I'll force feed him."

"Give me a shout if you want someone to hold him down."

"I think that had better be me, Caius," Basileus said, knowing the young master would enjoy the job far too much.

In the midst of all the laughter and mocking conversation, Carlisle turned up looking for Odi.

"He can't come out tonight, Carlisle," Magnus explained awkwardly. "I'm sure he'll be out tomorrow."

"If he feeds," Basileus added with raised eyebrows to Magnus.

"Aye," Magnus agreed. "If he feeds."

"Can I see him, at least?" Carlisle asked.

Magnus looked back to the hallway and then to Carlisle again. "Best not, he's not in a very good mood."

"He's sulking, gobbing off, and has been sent of bed."

"Very helpful, Caius," Magnus said shaking his head. "Thank you."

"Stay and join the game, brother," Eleazar suggested. They were beginning a fresh round so it was no hard ship to deal him in.

It was a better offer than going home alone, so Carlisle took the seat his brother had offered.

"Don't you have plans?" Aro asked, clearly unhappy about having his baby brother tagging along.

"None that I need to honour," Carlisle told him, picking up his cards.

Caius wasn't doing so great being nice to Odi, but with Basileus there he thought it would be a good idea to show he held no ill will against Carlisle. "Aro, don't be such a dick," he said, tutting at his co-master's immaturity. "Let him play."

"Bit rich coming from you!" Magnus thought it, Basileus said it. They both cracked up realising they were effectively speaking as one.

Things had been tense between the two for a few days and it was nice to kick back and relax without Magnus feeling on the verge of another bollocking, or Basileus feeling on

the verge of being forced to issue one.

Magnus and Basileus may have felt better, but Odi felt ten times worse. Especially now Carlisle was there, too. It just wasn't fair! And he knew that was a childish thought, but he didn't care. His life sucked!

He stood in his room shaking with rage as the conversation started up again, still on troublesome kids, only this time his mate was there to hear it. And they didn't even hold back. Aro filled Carlisle in on what had happened with Felix and Corin – Odi was sure that story hadn't been quite so embellished the first time around – and then Eleazar added in his own stresses dealing with the warring Denali girls. Aha, Odi thought. That explains why Irina and Kate are so pally now. Irina must be trying to make amends with her sisters… she can't be all bad, then, he mused.

And then conversation turned back to Odi.

No, Dad! Odi whined, banging his head against the door.

Magnus had either forgot his son could be awake and listening, or he simply didn't feel the need to hide the details of correcting his child. Odi knew it was likely the latter. Magnus had always aimed to praise in public, and punished in private, which Odi was grateful for. But this same issue had been a sticking point for Odi since as far back as he could remember – Magnus' idea of 'private' was quite different to Odi's. When it came to discipline, Odi's private consisted of him, his father, and only very grudgingly his mother. Magnus cast a wider net with his idea of private. He included the same three, but also his close friends and family. Always had, even back in their human days. In more modern times, that meant Caius and Dora were in on the private, as were Basileus and Atia and Marcus. And now it seemed, Aro, Eleazar and Carlisle! Basically, for Magnus, if you were close enough to be invited into his private chambers, you were part of his inner circle.

Carlisle is my friend, Odi thought to his old man. Not yours.

Odi didn't even care that Carlisle was being subjected to the same treatment by Basileus. Even Aro had a few details revealed by the creator as the merry group played cards and drank their stress away. Quite frankly, Odi didn't give a shit if they were suffering some mild embarrassment - he was suffering extreme! He did notice that Carlisle and Aro appeared to be laughing along, however. It would be better to be out there doing the same than sat in here like some sort of dysfunctional child in shame.

"Dad," he called, cracking the door open. "Dad!"

Caius gave a dramatic sigh - loud enough for Odi to hear him. "Isn't he meant to be 'resting'?"

"DAD!" Odi tried again. "Could you come here, please."

"No," Magnus called back. "I'm winning, and I can't trust these bastards not to swap the cards."

"As if we would!" Aro barely got the words out for laughing - he so would!

"Please, Dad."

"You'll have to wait for the round to end."

Okay, Odi said to himself. He could use the time to calm himself down. Prove he's level headed. Not tired and emotional. He suddenly wished he'd drank the bloodwine his mother offered earlier. Siting on the edge of his bed, Odi concentrated on his breathing. Nice and slow, in and out. Shit, that's making me tired. Quick slaps to his cheeks to wake him up a bit.

"What now?" Magnus asked from the door way, watching his boy with amused eyes.

"May I… I mean… Carlisle's here…" Odi gave his father his very best puppy dog eyes and added. "I've calmed down."

Magnus folded his arms. "You're still tired and your emotions are fraught," he said, reading the boy's current state.

"I'm calmer though, aren't I?"

"Aye, a little." Magnus sighed, knowing he would surely regret what he was about to do. "You've already offended the creator and embarrassed yourself. Any more cheek, and I'll be embarrassing you."

More, you mean? Odi thought, though he kept the sullen thoughts from his face.

"Do you understand me?" Magnus asked, eyeing his boy.

Odi bounced to his feet. "Yes, sir."

Magnus followed his boy back to the table. I must be mad.

"Seriously?" Caius asked when the kid came into view.

"Deal him in," Magnus replied, pulling a chair over for Odi and planting the kid in it.

"Caius, don't be such a dick, let him play," Aro sang out in much the way Caius had to him when Carlisle took a seat.

"It's different."

"I don't see how," Aro shrugged. "Deal the kid in." He didn't understand Caius' issue with Odi and he was bored of the guy's bad mood. He also quite liked getting Caius back for having Carlisle join them.

"Carlisle is your brother," Caius shot back to Aro, eyes flickering to Magnus and Basileus as they both knew how he felt about Odi (or had felt). "That's the difference."

"Carlisle is my son, Odi is Magnus'," Basileus pointed out. "There's no difference."

"Aro has three sons," Caius reminded the man. His annoyance taking over good sense. "Should we go and round up all the coven brats?"

"Caius, I won't tell you again." Basileus rested one arm on the back of his chair so his whole upper body turned in Caius' direction. "Deal. Him. In."

I'm not getting another kicking for Odi, Caius thought under the creator's oppressive glower, and made to pick up the pack of cards.

"Yeah, Caius, deal me in," Odi sang out, smug smile plastered on his face.

Nope. Can't do it. Caius shot to his feet. "I'm going home."

"You can't go home," Magnus reminded him. "Dora's having a girls' night."

"I'm sure they'll be happy to have me join in."

Caius was nearly out the door when he heard Odi say, "Maybe me and Carlisle should come, too?"

With so little warning between thought and action, Basileus didn't have chance to intercept Caius. Like a bird taking flight, the aggrieved coven master dove into the air, over the table, and took Odi down to the floor.

It took the combined efforts of Basileus and Magnus to drag Caius away from the kid, luckily before he'd done too much damage. Magnus concentrated his gift on Caius to bring the man's emotions down to an even keel, and just when he had, Odi, unrestrained and in an unexpected act of vengeance, booted Caius in the head!

Magnus caught hold of his boy and dragged him to the opposite side of the room, but Caius and Odi continued to rip into each other verbally. Most of their words were thankfully muffled with Magnus squeezing the air out of Odi in a bear hug and Basileus squashing Caius into the floor.

"Lads," Magnus called out over the din to the Volturi brothers. "I think we should call it a night."

Aro picked up the bottle of wine from the floor, somehow unbroken. "Do you mind if I take this bottle?"

"Take two," Magnus replied, jutting his chin in the direction of the sideboard where the other bottles were safely stored. He just wanted them out of the way before either Caius or Odi said something too damning.

Aro beamed.

"Bring it to mine," Carlisle suggested. "We can finish the game."

Basileus told them to shut the door, and then he levelled his disappointment at Magnus.

"I told you to sort this out," he said, disgusted at the display he had witnessed.

"Not everything can just be sorted out at your whim." Magnus paused, fixed Odi into one arm and clouted the little sod with his free hand. "Some things take time."

"Fuck time!" Basileus bellowed back, also pausing to give Caius a slap. "Look at the pair of them!"

Neither Odi or Caius had paid any attention to strikes they had received, and neither had noticed the others had gone. Their full focus was concentrated on telling the other what a prick he was.

"I've made it clear I'm not choosing sides…"

Not choosing sides?! Basileus. Was. Done. He lifted Caius slightly from the floor and then slammed him back down, knocking the wind right out of him. Leaning down close to his ear whilst he was recovering from the shock, Basileus told him, "You calm yourself now, or I'll call for your…"

He didn't have to finish his sentence. Caius immediately stilled. He didn't even breathe. 'I'm calm,' he replied through his thoughts. 'I'm calm'.

Odi couldn't possibly have heard what Basileus had said to Caius, but his curiosity took over his anger and he calmed, too. (It wasn't actually his curiosity - it was his father's emphatic gift, but Odi didn't need to know that.)

Dragging Caius to his feet, Basileus next shoved him in the direction of the upturned table and chairs. "Sort that mess out!" he commanded.

Magnus felt his temper flare hearing the creator ordering Caius about in his own chambers. It had been galling to watch Caius being kicked about in the training fields two days before - Magnus hadn't agreed with it happening, but he had reasoned it away. There was no good reason for Basileus staying and commanding Caius when he was in the same room! That said, there were two sides to Magnus and Basileus' relationship - their friendship, and their roles in the coven. Something told Magnus Basileus would be leaving their friendship out of whatever he had planned.

Clicking his fingers at Odi, Basileus told the kid to start helping with the clean-up, too.

Yup, Magnus sighed. This is the creator, not my mate.

After issuing a few threats to the pair, Basileus took Magnus aside. "They think you're choosing between them anyway," he explained. "They both think you are choosing the others side by not choosing theirs. Pick one and tell the other to suck it up.

Magnus shook his head. "I can't do that."

"For fuck sake, Magnus!" Basileus boomed and balled his hand into a fist. He didn't punch him, but he really wanted to. Simply to stop himself going through with it, Basileus moved back a few paces. Jabbing angrily in Caius and Odi's direction, he ground out, "They are causing a shit storm in my coven and neither of them care who knows about it so long as their precious secrets are kept! I'm done."

"What do you mean?" Magnus suddenly felt more anxious than angry.

Caius, too, felt a flash of fear. Oh fuck. Wide eyes on Basileus, he tried to work out what then man was going to do. Is he going to tell everyone? He fretted. Revealing the secret relationships going on in the north tower was right up there with Caius' greatest fears. Then another fear crossed his mind, one perhaps even scarier than having his cover blown… Magnus' 'or else' had been that Caius would have to fall back under Basileus if he refused to listen to reason. Please, not that. Anything but that!

Basileus dragged a hand down his face as he firmed up his plans then gave a curt nod to Magnus. "I'll leave you to sort out their relationship, but I'm sorting out their behaviour as you are clearly unwilling to step up and deal with them."

"Huh?! What?!" Magnus took a moment to work out what that mean. I'm not turning them over to you! "No… wait…"

Basileus shook off the juggernaut's hand on his arm. "Leave," he told him.

"These are my chambers, Basileus, and they are my… sons."

"Fine. I'll take them to my place and drag them kicking and screaming through the castle to get there." Hearing Caius' thoughts, he added, "Yes, you will be screaming, Caius, I'll make sure of it."

"I won't let you take him from me."

Basileus barrelled around and glared at Magnus for daring to speak against him so openly. "You can't stop me," he warned, voice low and dangerous. "If you want to preserve his pride, you'll need to leave."

Magnus cursed himself. I'm as bad as the kids letting my emotions get the better of me like this. He couldn't object to the creator's decision, not with how final he seemed. At least if he could stay he could be there for his sons in some way. Better than abandoning them to your mercies.

"Let me stay," he asked, in a more sombre tone. "I won't interfere, my lord. Please allow me to stay."

Basileus' mouth dropped open. "I'm not your lord."

Magnus was glad he'd taken it as an insult - friends don't lord it over one another, but that's exactly what Basileus was doing to him. Magnus offered a sad smile and bowed his head. "Oh, but I think you are."

"If that's what you really think then you know better than to question my authority."

"I'm not questioning your authority, my lord," Magnus replied, his head still bowed. "I'm merely making a request."

"Fine. Stay. Just stay out of my way."

Magnus muttered his thanks and took himself to the front door to wait where he worked on keeping himself in check. It was the furthest away he could get without leaving, so seemed appropriate.

Basileus scowled at the deferential display Magnus was putting on, seriously unimpressed. Actually, he might have been scowling at his guilt over causing said display… but he couldn't think on that - he had Caius and Odi to deal with. He was already regretting saying he would do it, but as he had, the only way forward was to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Atia will have my balls if I've fucked things up with Magnus.

With that depressing thought in mind, Basileus collected his cane from the table where one of the lads had placed it and fixed his sights on Caius.

"Get over here."

In here? Caius groaned. With Odi present? Hoping Magnus might suggest something more appropriate, he chanced a glace in man's direction - Basileus wasn't standing for that. "Don't you dare look for him now. You had you're chance to follow Magnus' advice and you ignored him, so now you're answering to me."

Caius hung his head as Basileus continued to rant at him.

"I gave you a kicking two days ago for your viciousness against your peers…" Basileus heard Caius' thoughts as he repeated 'peers' in a disgusted tone. "Carlisle is my son. Odi is Magnus'. That makes the pair of them your peers. Any arguments?!"

"No, my lord."

"Prepare yourself," Basileus told the young master. "You are wearing far too much for what I have planned."

"He's always wearing too much. He looks like a priest." Odi started tittering. "Or a girl."

"It's called fashion, you prick, and any one with their own money around here wears the same." Caius looked Odi up and down who still wore his gifted coat in a similar style. With a sly grin he added, "Even the scroungers like you."

Magnus lost control of his barely suppressed growl for a moment which saw Basileus, Caius and Odi all turn to him in surprise. "Please give Caius a slap for that last comment."

"Happy to oblige," Basileus said with a small bow of his head. And then he cracked Caius good and proper across his. "Don't be cruel!" he warned, repeating what he'd heard in Magnus' mind.

Caius sucked in his breath at the sting. Basileus slapped him right where Odi had booted him! He soon jumped back a step when the creator threatened another one if he didn't start stripping.

Stalling for time, Caius slowly slid his coat from his shoulders and placed it carefully on the table, smoothing out imaginary creases.

"It's just a coat," Odi tutted, rolling his eyes at Caius display.

Caius cut across the kid with his eyes. "It's called a justacorps, you cretin."

Odi gave a snort. "Justacoat," he said, mangling the term.

Before he could stop himself, Caius took half a step towards the boy, only to have Basileus appear in front of him, tapping the end of his cane on the floor.

"You really are begging for this, aren't you?"

Caius felt his stomach flip. Any questions he'd had about what Basileus would be wielding against him disappeared, along with his nerve. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

He went back to undressing, unbuttoning his waistcoat next and adding the garment to his coat.

"Do you know what this is?" he hissed to Odi. "Or don't they wear waistcoats in the slums?"

"Prick."

Basileus gave Caius and Odi a growl for those comments.

"Keep it up, Caius," Basileus sang out, reminding everyone of Aro with his tone. "You'll regret it before anyone else does."

Cursing his own inability to keep his trap shut, Caius set to methodically untucking his shirt, making sure it was entirely free before moving on to his cuffs and unfastening his cuff links. He dared a look up at that point, still hoping Magnus would rescue him from Basileus' mercies before it was too late.

In that moment, Caius finally clicked on this whole performance was as much a punishment for Magnus as it was for him and Odi. The man looked bereft. Leaning with his back against the closed door and his arms folded across his chest, Magnus kept a firm hold of his own biceps to keep his hands from forming fists and thumping the creator.

Setting the cuff links on the table, Caius noticed Odi still glaring at him, with the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face. Doesn't even have the sense to be scared, Caius tutted to himself before forcing himself to turn away.

Basileus answered the young master's thoughts with a mirthless chuckle. "He has more sense than you." Pulling out a chair, Basileus took a seat and laughed again, that time with humour. "You know, Caius, you are usually much more contrite when you face me. Should I assume this display is for Magnus? Are you trying to fool him into believing you are always objectionable to correction as you have been so often with him?"

"No, my lord."

"Spit my title like that again and you'll be spitting your fangs out next, boy."

Caius baulked, but quickly apologised.

"He isn't objectionable with me," Magnus spoke up. He knows I'm fair.

Basileus caught his silent comment, of course. "Yes, he is, my friend. I have seen," he added, tapping his temple. "You're too soft, you're also not interfering in this."

Now fully understanding that Magnus wouldn't, make that couldn't come to his rescue, and Odi would watching whatever happened with demented glee, Caius took to grumbling his annoyance under his breath and undid the three buttons on his high collar. After that, there was nothing left but to pull his shirt over his head and drop it on the table.

Basileus was right on one score - Caius never dared voice his objections in the creator's presence during their previous dances with 'correction'. But all those times seemed so long ago, and Caius wasn't that man anymore. Regardless of the crime back then, whether justified or not, Caius had seen himself as a victim of the creator's discipline… which usually amounted to the creator's anger, as opposed to correction. Caius had no hope of a fair trial, and certainly not of a fair punishment. It was a simple case of 'you're getting what you get', so keep your head down and your mouth shut and you might save yourself a strike or two. Magnus didn't work that way. He would have Caius convinced of his need for correction long before he took the man to task, so Caius had no argument to offer.

Caius could see the difference between the two men - it was glaring, after all - but he didn't think much on it. Basileus was the creator of vampiric kind - a busy man with a full family of his own. If Caius had brought himself to the attention of the demi God, it was his own damn fault and he'd take what was due. There was no bitterness there anymore, merely a pragmatic appraisal of the score.

Odi, though… having the kid standing across the room whilst he took what was due, whatever that would be, that was getting to Caius.

"Aha!" Basileus called out. "Odi, my boy. You are bothering him."

"He doesn't like me breathing."

Caius heard Odi sharing a laugh with the creator and something inside him clicked. "No!"

"No, what?" Basileus asked, cocking his head to one side.

Caius ignored the man and turned to Odi, though he was careful not to make it look like he was approaching the kid. "Don't laugh with him, Odi. He's reeling you in, and he'll turn on you as quickly as he hooked you." Caius looked back at Basileus with disgust in his eyes before turning back to Odi. "It's how he plays with people. Don't let him play with you. You're a good kid - do not let him change you."

Having a limited knowledge of the creator worked, Odi wasn't entirely sure what Caius meant. But he knew Caius was trying to help him, sticking up for him for somehow. Even after all the hurt Caius had inflicted on the kid, Odi still smiled, grateful for the scrap of care the man offered.

Magnus couldn't hide the smile from his face, either. He had never been prouder: Proud of Odi for always being so willing to forgive; proud of Caius for putting aside his anger (if only for the moment) to protect Odi; and a little proud of himself, too, knowing that, despite what Basileus claimed, he wasn't doing a bad job of bringing them all together as a family under trying circumstances.

Basileus stood up very slowly, very purposefully, hoping to intimidate Caius for his insult. "What did you just say?" he ground out, all good humour gone, however fake it may have been.

Caius held his ground, but he couldn't find his voice.

"Lost for words, huh?" Stepping forward, Basileus pushed Caius back a step by a jab to the chest. "Or come to your senses?"

His shoulder swung back, but Caius kept his mouth shut. He'd said all he dared, and he was glad he had, but he wouldn't say more. Not until Basileus collected his cane, at least - he soon whispered a meaningless sorry when he saw that damn thing in the creator's hand.

"You're not using that on my sons, my friend."

Basileus looked back to Magnus with a raised eyebrow in question. "So, I'm your friend again now?"

"If you are, you won't use that on my sons," Magnus replied, relaxing his stance. "You can't do that to them."

"You've done this to them both."

Magnus grimaced, but agreed. 'I know that you would like to see me conduct things differently, but there are times I would like to see you conduct affairs in your family differently, too. We're different, my friend. But I don't necessarily think either of us are wrong. Don't take your annoyance with me out on them. I fear it will affect our friendship'.

Caius and Odi looked between the two men. It was clear Magnus was speaking to Basileus through thought alone, but both wished they could have caught the audio version to see where their hopes lay. Whatever Magnus was saying, they could both see it had put Basileus on the back foot.

For the longest time, no one spoke. It slowly dawned on Basileus what a cunt he was being. An evil cunt, he thought, using the same term for himself that his grandsons once used for Caius. He didn't like that one little bit. Magnus is right, we are different, and that needs to be okay.

He could still feel the tension in his bones. That's when he realised what his real problem was - he was upset. Upset that Magnus hadn't whipped the little sods into complete obedience in the first place (though he now regretted ordering that anyway), upset that his best friend in the world had called him 'my lord' the way he had, and upset with Caius for laying open the very worst part of his character so brazenly when he came to Odi's defence. Damn it!

There was one thought he couldn't voice even in the privacy of his own mind, but Basileus showed Magnus that he was putting their friendship over his need to be right, over his own ego, by placing his cane on the table next to Caius' clothes.

Magnus released a shaky breath. 'Thank you'.

Basileus bobbed his head and crossed the room to the man. "I still need to do something," he breathed, barely above a whisper.

"I know that," Magnus replied. "One of us needs to whip them so it might as well be you now you've calmed down," he added with a cocky smirk.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Basileus snorted. "Take all the time you need with mending their relationship, but I want any future animosity dealt with before it affects other coven members."

Magnus could see his own softly-softly approach had made things worse, not better. He should have learnt that two days before when Caius kicked Odi around the training fields, or at least when Odi had taken a swing at him. Letting things go was making everything worse. That would change.

"You can still be fair whilst being firm, brother."

Magnus looked like a drowning fish for a moment hearing the term of endearment coming from the creator. Basileus, too, looked perplexed with his word choice… but it had slipped off his tongue so easily!

"Right," he said, pulling himself together and returning to Caius and Odi. "Let's get on with this, shall we?"

Caius looked to Magnus again with a renewed hope for help, or at least a clue. Magnus shrugged back at him.

"If it's not him, it's me," he said, as though that would offer any solace to his sons.

Basileus started laughing reading their thoughts and told Magnus, "They choose you."

"Tough," Magnus replied, laughing back.

Bollocks, Caius and Odi thought combined, assuming they were getting the cane after all. Caius huffed and walked to the wall, placing his hands at shoulder height and spreading his legs a little. Odi was quite impressed - he would need to be dragged to that wall and held in place if the creator wanted to wallop him with his cane!

"No, I don't think we'll do it like that after all."

Caius looked back nervously, wondering what the hell Basileus was on about. "Oh no. Not that. Anything but that!" he turned back to the wall and fixed himself in position. He would need to be dragged to that chair and held in place if the creator wanted to wallop him over his knee!

Basileus waited with his foot up on the chair he had previously sat in, smiling calmly to Caius and patting his knee.

Fuck no. Just no. "I'm sorry, okay?" Caius rushed, still facing the wall. "Odi, I'm sorry. I'll back off. We're not alright yet. But we will be. I'm not there yet so I'll back off until I am."

Basileus and Magnus smiled at him with genuine warmth. "Nicely done," Basileus said. "Now get over here."

Oh hell! "Please, my lord…" Caius couldn't do it. He couldn't beg.

He knew he had it coming, and he knew nothing he could say would stop Basileus when he had set his mind to the task. Though Magnus apparently has that power, he thought bitterly. Admitting defeat, Caius made his way to the creator. Putting both hands on the mans' shelf-like thigh, he went to hoist himself up and over, only to have Basileus push him off.

"Drop them," he said, pointing at Caius' britches.

Caius laughed at first, then the horror dawned on him. You're serious?! "If I drop my britches I won't be wearing anything," he pointed out. "Could I at least put my shirt back on?"

That got a snigger from Magnus, Basileus, and Odi! They weren't teasing his discomfort, it was just quite the surprise to hear Caius cared about such things! He rarely wore more than shorts in his own home, and often not even those unless expecting company. In fact, Basileus could well remember the time of the early Olympics back in Greece when he had allowed Aro and Caius to join the games and compete as 'Gods' for the mortals - both stripped naked, as was customary. Nakedness just wasn't an issue for most men of their time.

Naturally, Basileus shared this with Magnus and Odi, with Magnus soon adding his own thoughts. Mainly that Caius' chambers were kept so stiflingly hot with every damn fire lit at all times - rain or shine - that juggernaut frequently stripped down to his britches in the ground floor suite whilst wishing Dora would bugger off so that he could lose those as well!

"This is different!" Caius insisted, reaching for his shirt.

Basileus slapped his hand away. "I've spent enough of my time here this evening as it is. You've dragged this out long enough, Caius." He set to work himself unbuttoning the man's britches. "Freyr will be back before we get started at this rate…"

That was all Caius needed to be reminded of for good sense to kick in. He ripped the final button clean off and dropped his britches, along with the last shreds of his dignity, and threw himself over Basileus' knee.

Crack! "Good lad," Basileus said, adding another solid smack to the man's upended rear.

A good lad?! Caius repeated to himself. Is there anything more demeaning?!

"Other than the position you're in, you mean?" Basileus asked, replying to Caius' thoughts and never once breaking his stride.

Before long, Basileus had Caius panting through the building burn, and with only a few more forceful smacks, Caius was grunting and even gave the odd yelp in response.

Magnus widened his eyes to Basileus, conveying that was enough. If you bring him to tears in front of Odi, Caius will never make peace with him, he warned. He was right, too, and Basileus knew it.

Pausing, but holding Caius in place, he asked Magnus, "How does he feel to you?"

"Mortified, mostly." Magnus hid his smile behind his hand as he amended his statement. "Make that almost entirely now we are discussing him."

Caius whimpered - he had been aiming for a groan but it definitely came off as a whimper.

"There's some regret there, too," Magnus offered to bring an end to Caius' torture.

"Then I'd say we're done for the animosity and the brawl." Before Caius could remove himself entirely, Basileus tipped him back over. "Not so fast," he said followed by a rapid-fire set of slaps to the back of Caius' legs. They came so think and so fast, and not to mention unexpectedly, that Caius released a pained gasp before getting himself under control.

Whilst he was still catching his breath, Basileus set him on his feet and clicked his fingers for Caius to pay him attention.

"That was for messing me about," he explained. "You know better."

Caius remembered learning that lesson early in the creator's coven. "You snapped my wrist for it once," he said, eyes flickering to Magnus knowing he wouldn't approve and would hopefully give his buddy shit for it.

Basileus sighed and rolled his eyes knowing exactly what Caius was doing. "Take your brat back before I'm tempted to do it again." He shoved the young master in Magnus' direction, but it was good natured.

Caius wasted no time in whipping his britches back up. It burned all over again as he did so but standing between two of the greatest men in their world was not the time to have your bruised backside on show. Not for any longer than necessary, at least.

"You okay?" Magnus asked, passing over Caius' shirt.

Oh yeah, absolutely fine and fucking dandy. "You didn't have to stand so fucking close." No sooner had the words left his mouth, Caius had regretted saying them. They were all for his head, really.

"Sounds like he wants to you have a go, too, my friend."

Magnus placed a comforting hand on Caius' shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze whilst silently absorbing a little of his over-wrought emotions. He flicked his free hand out to catch Basileus. "Stop scaring my kid, you mean old bastard."

Caius took his time pulling his head out of his shirt so he could hide the faint smile he wore. The last few days had sucked. Really sucked. He'd had a kicking from the creator in front of half the coven - more than half the coven - and he'd gone toe to toe with Magnus a few times. Not to mention how shitty he felt for the way he had treated Odi…really shitty. But a few times that night Magnus had nailed his flag to the mast and called Caius his. 'Mine'. 'My son'. 'My kid'.

Magnus had even tried to hold Basileus off to begin with. And Christ knows what he said to get the guy to put that cane down?! Though Caius wasn't sure whether that was something to be grateful for after ending up over the creator's knee with an audience so close by! Still, he appreciated Magnus' intentions would have been good - they always were. All in all, an horrendous night, but somehow it was an improvement on the last few days, which I hadn't thought were that bad… until tonight. Caius wasn't a big thinker, so that made absolutely no sense to him whatsoever!

Odi was much simpler to deal with - he learnt from Caius' mistake of dragging things out and preferred the option of going over Basileus' knee for a spanking rather than grappled to the wall for a canning. Preferred wasn't quite the right word, there - Odi would have preferred a goblet of bloodwine to settle his nerves and being sent for a rest. He presented himself at the creator's side, but then his bottle went, so he dropped his chin to his chest and waited to be instructed.

"Are you waiting for an invitation, son?" Magnus asked, prompting his kid to get his arse in gear.

Basileus quirked a smirk at Magnus and hauled Odi over his knee in one swift movement. "You clearly don't wail these lads enough if they need prompting for every action."

"I didn't realise there was a target to aim for," Magnus chuckled back.

Crack! "This is the target," Basileus rather empathetically explained.

Odi had thought Caius' turn was excruciating with the protracted time from beginning to end, and the near naked state of undress, but he definitely found his own turn worse. Having his old man and the creator continue their mild jibes at one another over this head - or ass, actually - whilst Basileus warmed him up through his britches was beyond bizarre.

Caius stayed out the way, doing his best not to watch, or at least not to be caught watching. How come he gets to stay fully clothed when I had to be ripped of every shred of my dignity?! Caius quickly took a look at Basileus and shook his head. I don't need an answer, thank you, my lord.

Basileus closed his mouth as he was about to offer a reply, as he had been doing with Caius' thoughts for much of the night. Fair enough, he thought.

Odi knew he should have been paying attention to whoever was taking the time to correct his behaviour - he was sure he'd heard his parents tell him something like that a few times over the years. But he couldn't. He blamed Basileus and his father for conducting a conversation around him far too distracting, and Basileus wasn't' putting all that much effort it, anyway. Besides, Caius had given the kid more to think about than either the creator or the juggernaut that night. He said he was sorry, Odi told himself. He said he would forgive me. Not yet, sure, but he would. He said we'll be okay.

Without any warning, Basileus hauled the kid up and plonked him down to sit on the table top. Odi gave a loud yelp, reacting properly for the first time during his punishment when his backside made contact with the hard wood. Paying the reaction little attention, Basileus brought his face in close to Odi's.

"When a man is down, and you are no longer under attack," he said, Odi already wincing because he knew what the man was referring to. "You do not kick them in the head. Its uncivilized."

"I'm sorry, my lord."

Basileus stood back and gestured to a now partially dressed Caius. He had attempted to put on the waistcoat and justacorps, or justacoat as Caius now thought of it, but quickly changed his mind. Both garments were rich, thick, heavy material and grazed the back of his knees, as was the fashion, which was just too much contact after being spanked by a vampiric demi god.

Odi looked to the man shyly and offered his apology to the right person.

Caius bobbed his head, accepted, and flashed from the middle floor suite.

With a clap of his hands, Basileus declared the unpleasantness over with and started pulling Magnus to the door. "Come to mine and collect your mate or she'll never leave."

Magnus paused to grab his cloak. "I'll tell Freyr you said that, shall I?"

"Good God no!" Basileus choked out. "She'll kill me off!"

"I might tell her," they heard Odi call from across the room where he stood rubbing the sting out of his backside.

Magnus swung his cloak around his shoulders and fixed the clasp at his neck as he made his way back to his youngest. Wrapping his arms around the kid, he kissed the boy's head and told him, "You had better be in bed when I get home, son."

Odi groaned but nodded along. He had been tired before, now I'm shattered! He didn't go to bed, though. Waiting just enough time for Basileus and Magnus to be clear of the north tower, he crept down to the bottom floor.

"Caius," Odi called, opening the door a smidge. Dora still had Chelsea and Renata there, but he couldn't wait. "Are we okay now?" he asked. "Well, not right now, but we will be, right? Like you said?"

Caius wanted to say yes. He really did. It would have been so simple to do and he wanted to. But when his eyes fell on the guards in his chambers he just couldn't do it. Renata knew about Odi and Dora. Worse than that, she knew about his reaction to Odi and Dora. His reaction shamed him most of all and Renata was there watching, waiting to see what Caius would do. So, true to form, Caius embodied the bastard persona he was so well known for.

"Fuck off, Odi."

He hoped the kid had seen the sad smile he offered as the door slammed in his face, but even if he had Caius doubted it would make up for so cruelly dashing Odi's hopes of a repatriated family.

When he turned back around, Caius came face to face with a triple death glare from three angry young women. Renata and Chelsea wouldn't have dared look at him that way out in the coven but bolstered by Dora's insistence that in her chambers they were her equals, even if she couldn't make that apply anywhere else, they felt perfectly confident in offering Caius their scorn.

None of you are fucking me tonight, are you? Taking a step towards the bloodwine, Caius felt the searing sting in his backside and shrugged. Well I'm in no state to fuck you anyway. Just before the bloodwine touched his lips, he realised the mistake he was making. Basileus hadn't told him he couldn't drink blood, but Magnus expected him to wait after any kind of punishment until he had expressly received permission to feed. He silently set the goblet back down and started limping towards his bed chamber.

Dora flashed in front of him before he could leave. "Why did you do that to Odi?" she asked, sensing a sadness in her husband's tired eyes.

"Because I'm a prick."

Odi went back upstairs, into his room, collapsed onto his bed and cried himself to sleep in utterly confused frustration. The only thing he felt for certain was that he would always be an outcast. Not an outcast - THE outcast.