"Listen carefully, boy," Stefan said, his dangerous tone causing me to reluctantly pull my gaze away from Felix and towards Stefan, who even though not overly tall himself still towered over Hugo. "Your role is quite simple. When we give the signal, you light this scum on fire."
"What?" Hugo stammered, eyes wide. "I won't- you said I wouldn't have to kill anyone!"
"I lied," Stefan growled, grabbing his arm. "And he is the enemy. This is your assignment. You use your gift, no questions asked. Or else you will regret it."
Hugo's voice was a little more forceful this time. "No! I won't do it. I don't want to kill anyone."
"Foolish boy!" Stefan snarled and cast him aside. "Stay where you are, we'll deal with you later."
"Where is Caesar? I want him here for this," Vladimir said, looking down at Felix in disdain.
I felt like I was going to be sick. I couldn't just stand here and let Felix die. Even if it meant showing my hand to the enemy. Felix was my friend. The shadows swirled at my feet in the dim room, more than willing to act against the coven I loathed.
A hand closed around my upper arm and drew me back several paces into the crowd. Caesar murmured harshly in my ear. "Don't be a fool. You reveal yourself now and we all three die. There is nothing you can do. In the grand scheme he is nothing. This is what it means to be at war."
He released me and shouldered his way through the crowd. "I'm here, masters. Apologies for the wait, my duties took me elsewhere on the grounds and it took some time for Adrian to find me."
"Not to worry. Look at what we found." I pushed my way back to the front as Stefan seized Felix's crest and snapped it off his neck. "A Volturi guard, their most revered brute. There were two, but unfortunately this one held back our forces so that his companion could escape."
"Has a party been sent out after the second vampire?" Caesar asked.
Stefan waved a hand. "There's no point in it, he's long gone. No matter, however, as this one is more than enough to send a message."
"Though perhaps, Felix," Sulpicia purred, circling around him, "we would be willing to be more… lenient should you give more information about your new queen."
Felix snarled and surged against his captors despite Xander's gift stealing his sight. Athenodora tutted. "Now that's no way to act, is it? It's quite simple, Felix, really. Give us information and we let you live."
"Never," Felix snarled. "I will never betray my queen."
"She's just a human, Felix," Sulpicia said, scoffing. "Humans are nothing. Is she truly worth your life?"
"Yes," he replied instantly. "I would die for her. Without question. My loyalty is to the Volturi, but it is my choice to follow her, to trust her. To die for her."
"You're a fool, then. More of a fool than we thought," Vladimir spat, grabbing a torch off the wall. "Your death accomplishes nothing for your side. However, we appreciate your most noble sacrifice."
"It wasn't completely in vain," Felix said, eyes searching for me as if his sight hadn't been stolen. "We got your sensor."
"I hope it's worth the price you're paying for it," Stefan snarled.
Felix chuckled lowly. "Oh, it is. We will win. You will burn. Just how it was always meant to be. Everything will be okay."
"Shame you won't be around to see it," Vladimir jeered, motioning with a hand.
Somehow, Felix's eyes found mine as his head was ripped off. And then Vladimir lowered the torch and he was nothing; nothing but smoke and ash, another victim in a never-ending war.
I roared along with the other vampires who made up the audience; the sound of my fury and grief was drowned out by the rest, who stomped their feet and cheered at the death of Felix Volturi.
The smell of sickly-sweet smoke filled my nostrils and I was half-blinded by rage as I stared at Vladimir, Stefan, and the queens, who celebrated their victory. My hands shook.
They would die for this.
"Back to your posts!" Caesar bellowed.
"Doyle, Sam, take our little fire starter and teach him a lesson in obedience," Stefan ordered. "And you, Cullen," he said, his eyes settling on me, "the boy's disobedience reflects poorly on you. As such… clean this mess up. Caesar will provide you a box. Put the ashes in there, and his crest." Stefan flung Felix's crest at me. "We'll send it with our regards to the Volturi."
"Yes, master," I said, feeling hollowed out by pain and guilt. I had stood by and watched Felix die. Stood by and watched my friend die.
Felix was dead.
I knelt by his still-smoldering ashes as Caesar set a box beside me. He didn't say anything- he couldn't say anything with Stefan and Vladimir so near- but his eyes conveyed his pity. The queens had disappeared and the two original Romanians had stationed themselves on their thrones, paying me the barest notice as they conversed between themselves in Romanian.
"What are you waiting for?" Stefan snapped when he noticed I was kneeling motionless by Felix's ashes.
"Just making sure the fire is out," I muttered.
I scooped Felix's ashes by hand into the box. In a way I was almost thankful for the lack of a broom; it seemed irreverent to use a broom on the ashes of the person who had sacrificed his life for me. By the time I had finished and set his crest on top, my hands were blackened by ash.
"Very good," Vladimir said, eying my work with approval. "You're dismissed. Adrian will handle it from here."
I didn't even bow to them, simply turning on my heel and leaving. I didn't care if I had offended them. Let them follow me and demand respect. Let them stop me while my hands were still stained with Felix's ashes. Let them stop me so I could rip off their heads the same way they had ripped of Felix's. Let them stop me.
But they didn't.
The shadows swirled around me, for once worried instead of vindictive, and I sank to my knees as soon as I crossed into the forest, wishing for tears that I knew would never come. I forced myself to stand, forced my feet to carry me to where my burner phone and crest were hidden. I stared at the burner for a long time. I wanted my parents. I wanted my mates. I just wanted to go home, where I was hidden from all of this; where I didn't have to see the pain and suffering that came as a result of Vladimir and Stefan's actions.
But that was why I had came here, wasn't it? To save those I loved. My mates, my family, my friends. I had came here to save them.
I remembered what Maxim had told me before stepping aside and allowing me to leave the castle. "Don't thank me. When you get there, and you face them, you'll wish I'd have stopped you."
He was right. I wish he had stopped me. But he hadn't, and I had a job to do.
I called Caius. He picked it up right away, sounding near frantic. "Amore, it's nearly twelve, are you-"
"Felix is dead," I said numbly.
There was a long stretch of silence. Caius' voice was soft, nearly disbelieving. "What?"
"Felix is dead. Vladimir and Stefan, they- they killed him. I had to watch, I couldn't reveal myself or we both probably would have died, but it's my fault, I should have at least tried-"
"No," Caius said sharply. "I mourn for Felix, truly. Despite what I may say about the guard, I do care about them. But I would choose you over him. Every time."
"They're sending you his ashes. As a message. So at least there will be something to bury," I said, staring blankly into the dark trees.
"What of Demetri? We haven't heard from him," Caius said.
"He escaped. Felix gave himself up so Demetri could escape. The Romanians summoned Hugo so he could set Felix on fire, but Hugo refused," I said. "He's paying the price for that. Where are-"
"Aro has been working with our lesser tracker to find Demetri and Felix ever since they failed to check in a few hours ago. I sent Marcus off to help train the guard after you missed your check-in to try and take his mind off of things," Caius said. "It seems I rightly assumed that the two missed check-ins were related. Renata, Jane, fetch my brothers immediately. They need to know what has happened."
"They're not following after Demetri, at least. They don't see the point. Killing Felix was enough for them. I guess they found Demetri and Felix just after they killed Hiram, the sensor. So the mission wasn't a complete failure," I said.
"How long do you have before you have to return?" Caius asked.
I shrugged even though he couldn't see me. "I don't know. Probably not long. I want to go home, Caius," I said, my voice cracking.
"I know, amore. I know. I want you home, too," he murmured.
I heard the door as it opened on the other end of the phone. "Mia cara, are you alright?"
"We were worried, what's happened?" Marcus asked.
I opened my mouth, the words catching in my throat. Caius spoke in my stead. "Felix is dead, brothers."
"What?" They both said at once.
"How? What happened?" Marcus asked.
"And what of Demetri?" Aro added.
"Demetri is safe. Felix gave himself up so that Demetri could escape. They killed the sensor, Hiram, but I guess they were close enough to the border of the Romanian territory that they were found before they could slip away. The queens offered to spare Felix's life if he gave up information on the new queen of Volterra, but he refused. Said that he would never betray his coven like that, his queen like that. He died for me," I choked out.
"This is a sadness," Aro murmured.
"We'll need to get in contact with Demetri as soon as possible," Marcus said. "His gift no doubt allowed him to know the moment Felix died. But he needs to be prevented from doing anything rash, as their bond was one of the strongest soul sibling bonds I've ever seen."
"We'll send out our other tracker and Santiago to bring him in at once," Aro said.
"I should go. I need to check on Hugo. Doyle and Sam won't have killed him, but…" I trailed off.
"Why is Hugo being punished?" Marcus asked.
"He refused to kill Felix," Aro said. He must have seen the early portion of the phone call through Caius' memories.
"Perhaps good will come of this yet," Marcus said. "One thing Vladimir and Stefan have never learned is that force often causes more problems than it solves. And, if I'm not mistaken, their brutal actions may have just lost them their greatest member."
"You can tell? From the bond?" I asked.
"I can't see all of Hugo's bonds, only his to yours, but it is quite strong. I quite suspect the child would follow you anywhere," Marcus said. "Go find him, before your absence is noticed by others."
"Okay," I said. "They're going to die for this. I'm going to make sure they die for what they've done."
"So will we," Aro said, deadly serious. "No one harms my guard and gets away unscathed."
When I finally made my way back to Hugo's room, I found it empty. I didn't like it there without him, devoid of his cheerful presence, so I went instead to Caesar's room to wait.
I sat down on the bed that was never used. A part of my brain had taken to repeating Felix's final moments with crystal-clear clarity while another part worried about Hugo, Demetri, and everything that I stood to lose should the Romanians claim victory in this war.
It was impossible to say how long I sat motionless in Caesar's room, staring blankly at the wall. Time seemed to pass differently as an immortal, or perhaps it had simply lost the significance it had once held when I was human.
The door swung open, pulling me from thoughts that were continuously spiraling downwards into oblivion.
"He'll be alright," Caesar grunted, kicking the door shut with a foot. Hugo laid motionless in his arms. I shot to my feet.
"What happened? What did they do to him?" I demanded. My newborn instincts could take little more of this, of the people I cared about being harmed and killed; I knew if anything further happened today I would snap.
His lip curled. "Tortured him under the guise of discipline. I ventured down to get him when I felt they had carried on long enough. They had taken his head off. They weren't going to kill him, but it is one of the most demeaning and painful methods of torturing a vampire. Hugo will awake after a little while, once his venom heals him up completely. It's a longer process than what it takes to reattach an arm or leg."
"I'll kill them. I'll rip their heads from their bodies. See how they like it," I snarled, twitching towards the door.
"You do that and your guardsman's sacrifice was in vain," Caesar said, gently laying Hugo on the bed. "I understand that it must have been difficult for you. And I am sorry for your loss, truly. But this is war, and if you had revealed yourself there would have been no way you, your guard, or myself would have escaped alive."
"Felix was my friend!" I snapped, suddenly angry at him. "And I stood by and watched him die on your orders. I could have gotten us out unscathed. Hugo, too."
"And then what good would we be? Look at the big picture. We are of most use here. This is war. There will be losses. Family, friends, innocents. War claims them all, it always has and it always will. I have seen the rise and fall of empires. I have watched human and vampire alike make mistakes and pay the price. If you had tried to save Felix, we would have died. It doesn't matter how powerful of a gift you have. There are too many of them. We would not have made it out of that castle alive."
"I wouldn't have asked you to step in!"
"It doesn't matter. I approved your presence here. I told Vladimir and Stefan that your intentions were honorable. My cover would have been blown just as thoroughly as yours if you had chosen to attempt to save your friend. I saved both our lives."
"By forcing me to let him die! Don't pretend to know what it's like!"
"You forget, Rowan, that I've lived a very long time," Caesar said lowly. "I've fought in more wars than you could name, witnessed the deaths of countless allies and enemies alike. Your own mates have ripped friends from me because of foolish crimes. Do not presume that I do not know how you feel."
I grit my teeth, loath to admit that he was right. That not attempting to save Felix was the right decision. "I'm sorry."
"You are forgiven. We are under a lot of stress. I meant what I said earlier; I am sorry for the loss of your friend. I'm sure he was a fine man, one that did not deserve to die. Most who meet their ends in war do not. He died so you could live, remember that. Let his sacrifice fuel you."
"I will," I said. Felix's death would not be in vain, and I didn't need Caesar's encouragement to let it further push me to claim victory over the Romanians. "What will you do, Caesar? After all of this is over?"
"Assuming we survive, you mean?" He asked with a wry smile.
"Yes."
"I don't know. I've been a nomad for a long time. I don't exactly have anyone to return to. The only one who ever had that honor was my brother, and we both know how he met his end," Caesar mused.
"You could join the Volturi. I'd like it if you would. Believe it or not, I've actually grown kind of fond of you," I said, smiling faintly.
"I would never pledge fealty to the Volturi. They are, in some ways, just as bad as Vladimir and Stefan. However," Caesar said, holding up a pacifying hand at my offended expression, "I would not hesitate to pledge fealty to you."
I blinked. When had I earned so much of his respect that he was willing to pledge his loyalty to me? "I'm honored."
"It is nothing you have not earned," he said. "In all my years I have never met anyone, human or vampire, quite like you. You will make a good queen."
Our conversation was halted as Hugo stirred, our heads snapping towards him. I moved to his side as his eyes opened. He thrashed wildly, still dazed. "No, no, no, don't, please!"
"Hugo, it's okay! You're safe, it's okay," I said, grabbing his shoulders. "You're in Caesar's quarters, he brought you here."
Hugo launched himself into my arms, trembling as he buried his face into my shoulder. "Fue horrible, rogué pero no pararon-"
"Shh, you're safe. I won't let them hurt you," I murmured, carefully moving so that we were both seated on the bed. Caesar was surveying Hugo with concern but made no move to interfere, allowing me to comfort the boy.
"I don't understand. The masters said I wouldn't have to hurt anyone," Hugo whimpered.
"The masters are cruel men. They know nothing of kindness or mercy, Hugo. It was never their intention that your hands remain free of innocent blood- or venom," I said softly, running my hand rhythmically through his dark curls.
He lifted his head to peek up at me through his lashes. "I don't want to be here anymore, Rowan."
"I know, Hugo, I know. Neither do I," I said.
"You chose to come here," Hugo said. "I didn't."
I hesitated for the barest of seconds before making my decision. "I came here because I was left with no other choice. The man Vladimir and Stefan wanted you to kill, his name was Felix. And he was my friend."
⊱ ────── {.⋅ 𝕍 ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Uhhhhhhhhhhh... sorry? You all are free to kill me for this, honestly. However, as you see how the aftermath of this unfolds, it was unfortunately necessary. Also, it is war, and none of the big players dying made no sense when you consider it realistically. If it makes you feel any better (or worse, idk, depending on if Felix was your fave or not) the other two options that I had considered to kill off during this scene were Santiago or Demetri. So do with that information what you will.
Big shoutout to you guys for all the reviews you left me last chapter! I was honestly blown away and I'm so thankful for all of you that chose to comment with your thoughts. There was a fair amount of theorizing, and it seems that most of you were in denial that I would actually go so far as to kill off Felix. After next chapter I'll be able to explain my full reasoning, but as of right now there are still some scenes I have to get through first. I know you probably hate me for this, so do be sure to let me know just how much in the comments (don't be too mean pls lol). In the meantime, here are a few responses to the many amazing reviews I was left last chapter.
xlDarkstarlx: So I was honestly impressed by how accurate your guess was about what would happen. I swear I had that whole scene written out before you reviewed (some of it, including the actual death, has been written for several weeks now). Unfortunately, it is war, and not everyone will make it out alive. I hate doing this to my characters (and my readers, but I'd be lying if I wasn't evil cackling when I read like every single review last chapter with people freaking out). Thank you so much for commenting (and I wouldn't say no to a bunch of anon comments, haha!). Hope you're staying healthy and that I didn't cause you too much emotional damage.
QuiSixx: So Demetri is safe, but Felix... not so much. I've known this was coming for a while and I was still hesitating through the whole chapter like "maybe there's some other way I can cause certain events to happen without having to kill him" but that's unfortunately not the case. Thank you so much for your support, I appreciate it so much!
interceptor1997: It wasn't easy for me to write it, so I can imagine it was way worse for you guys. But like you said (and like Caesar said) it's war and there will be losses. Sorry for the sadness I know I caused :( Thank you so much for commenting and supporting me! I am so grateful for it!
That's all I've got for you guys today, so again a big thanks to all those who have reviewed last chapter! You're free to come at me with pitchforks regarding this one. Stay safe guys and I'll chat with you all next update!
Translations:
Fue horrible, rogué pero no pararon - It was horrible, I begged but they wouldn't stop