I woke up flat on my back. For a moment I was seized with the overwhelming fear that I was still being influenced by Maxim's gift, but the feeling flitted away as soon as it had come; I had never remembered Maxim's influence before - though I had come close - so what I was experiencing now must be real.

I checked my watch and my heart lurched. It was just past four-thirty in the morning, which gave me an hour to make the hour and a half trip to the battle field. Even as I began running the shadows engulfed me, allowing me to pass through walls and take a straight line out of the castle rather than being confined to the halls.

The shadows felt different somehow, responsive to my wills and whims in a way they never had been before. I barely stopped to grab my crest, the shadows reaching out like an extension of my arm to grab it and I was off running again with it thudding reassuringly against my breastbone.

The scent trail of the army was easy to follow. I needed only to focus on pushing myself to run faster, faster, faster until the world around me faded to nothing but the scent trail I was following and the ground beneath my feet.

The first rays of sun peaked above the horizon as the sounds of battle reached me. There were sudden cracks of noise, like boulders crashing together, and I could see smoke rising some distance away. I pushed myself to run faster, thankful that I still possessed my newborn speed.

A little further and I saw the still-burning remains of a vampire. Only by scent did I know it was Ana, as her face was already burnt beyond recognition. I didn't stay to ponder who had been sent to kill her, but Bella was high on my list of guesses. I moved on, following the sounds of battle now instead of the scent of the army.

All of a sudden the trees gave way to a massive clearing. It took me several seconds to make any sense of the confusion. I spotted Caesar first, fighting alongside Marcus and Aro. They were a devastating force. Maxim was nearby, viciously protecting a dismembered guard; I could not tell who it was, but Maxim's gift was ensuring attackers stayed far away from his fallen companion. I saw Carlisle and Esme fighting in tandem, an elaborate dance that their foes could not keep up with.

The Romanian coven possessed greater numbers, but their lack of proper combat training was clearly their downfall.

I instinctually searched for Caius, whom I had not yet seen, and realized three things in rapid succession:

The first was that on the opposite side of the field, he was being restrained by several of the Romanians.

The second was that Doyle was stalking towards him, intent on the kill.

The third was that if I did not reach him, Caius was going to die.

I started running. Anger buzzed through me and I felt the shadows gathering as my desperation grew. Doyle was almost on him. I would not make it in time. Go go go-

I was halfway across the field, much too far away, when the world blinked. For the barest second there was nothing but darkness and then I was upon Doyle, the shadows rolling off of me as I grabbed him around the neck and slammed him to the ground, ripping into his throat with my teeth and twisting off his head with savage pleasure.

My name swept through the battlefield as I tossed Doyle's head away, fangs still dripping with his venom. Caius had used the shock of my appearance to break free, swiftly beheading his remaining attackers.

I didn't wait for the surprise of my arrival to fade before I jumped back into the fight. Assured that he wasn't in immediate danger of being killed, I didn't spare Caius another glance. I didn't need the distraction. My gift made me a deadly opponent; the shadows ebbed and flowed over me like a second skin and needed only the barest prompting to solidify and turn me even more lethal.

I twisted off another head, throwing it full force at the back of one of the Romanian's army. It was enough of a distraction that Santiago escaped the massive newborn's hold and decapitated him with ease.

"Quite the entrance, queenliness!" Santiago said, catching the newborn I flung at him and quickly removing his head. "Very dramatic. I approve."

"You would!" I said with the barest of grins. To my right I glimpsed Jane and Alec tag-teaming against Xander with brutal pleasure.

"Which others of these bastards helped kill Felix?" Santiago asked when he got another chance to speak. "Demetri isn't the only one hell-bent on revenge."

"Doyle and Xander are already dealt with, but Sam is all yours," I said, nodding towards where Sam was fighting against two of the lower guard.

"If you'll excuse me," Santiago said, saluting me before forging off through the battlefield towards his newfound target.

I was swarmed almost as soon as Santiago ceased helping keep the newborns at bay. As anticipated, I had become a target as soon as my identity was realized.

"Need a hand?" An unfamiliar vampire had taken the empty place beside me and we fought almost back to back. He lacked the robes that the guard wore, the only indication he was with the Volturi being the crest around his neck.

"Wouldn't say no," I said, able to use less and less of my ability now that the sun had risen. But the weakening of my ability mattered little for Caesar had trained me well.

"I'm Garrett. Kate's mate," he said, intercepting an attacker before I could be sprung on from behind. "You're Rowan."

"So Kate finally found herself a man, huh?"

"I'm a lucky bastard. She's a hell of a woman," he grunted, shaking himself free of two newborns as I threw a third off of him. We worked well together; I could recognize a fellow soldier, even if his situation was quite different from mine.

"Ro-bear!" Emmett bellowed, throwing himself into the fray beside me. He seemed to be channeling his exuberance at seeing me into smashing our opponents to bits.

"Dad!" I exclaimed happily.

Garrett grabbed my attention once more. "It's nice to meet you, Rowan. Talk later?"

"Absolutely," I agreed, and Garrett shot me a final grin before beheading another newborn and vanishing into the fray. The throng seemed to be thinning as we gained the advantage.

Finally, through the chaos, I saw them.

"Help me get over there," I said to Emmett. It was now too bright to use the shadows to travel unseen.

"Sure. Let's work quick. Others are eying them up," Emmett said, following my gaze. I fought even more seamlessly with him than I did with Garrett, and with Emmett's strength it was easy to battle through those who stood in our way.

"Keep the rest at bay," I said to Emmett, darting lithely under the last of the newborns that stood between me and the queens.

"You," Sulpicia hissed when she saw me.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling out for the shadows that remained for me to use. "Me. I was right under your nose this whole time. Maybe you never noticed because you thought the only thing a queen could be is a massive bitch."

Sulpicia snarled and sprung at me. Mistake.

I stepped lightly aside, the shadows I had summoned snapping out and coiling around her neck, her screaming subsiding as her head was cut off. If the remaining Romanians hadn't realized their queens were in danger, they knew now.

Sulpicia dropped to the ground at my side, her head rolling away. My gift had dispensed of her before she could even reach me.

My eyes were now fixed on Athenodora. I was not even sure how the former queens had survived so long. Caesar had coached them but their fighting skills were minimal. She was too slow to dodge as my fingers closed around her throat.

"Mercy," she whispered, which gave me pause. Emmett was keeping others at bay, so it was just us, two queens facing off at last.

"Mercy?" I repeated, a question.

She asks me for mercy, after all she has done? I look across the field at my mates, the men for whom I have suffered unspeakable things. I see Caius, who she had spent centuries upon centuries with, who is now out for her head, who would make her death a torment. Who even now is working his way towards us, rage on his face and in his heart, and I know despite all she has done to me that I cannot subject her to him.

So I kill her, and it is an act of mercy.

There were twin roars from across the field and I saw Vladimir and Stefan rushing at me. I crouched, prepared to face them alone if necessary, when they are intercepted.

Vladimir was ripped off course by Demetri, who joined forces with Caesar to achieve the revenge they both craved. Stefan did not stop and I knew he would not until I was killed. Emmett stood at my side, tensed and ready, but Stefan never reached us.

Marcus pounced on Stefan with less than ten yards between us, the two of them rolling away. Marcus was shortly joined by Aro and Caius and all three were ripping into him gleefully.

I realized with a jolt of horror that Hugo was tailing after the kings, circling the scene patiently. He did not see the newborn sneaking up on him from behind. But even as I began to act Hugo's would-be attacker dropped, writhing, to the ground. Jane was close by, a small smile on her face, and Alec met no resistance when he removed the vampire's head. I breathed a silent sight of relief that Hugo had others looking out for him.

There were very few Romanians left. Demetri had just set Vladimir alight. Nearby, Edward ripped off Holt's head before moving towards Emmett and I.

"How many left?" Emmett called to him.

"Eleven," Edward responded as Hugo gift sent fire crawling across Stefan's skin. "Five have deserted but I can still hear their thoughts close by."

"Take Emmett, Santiago, Jane, and Garrett to round them up. If you lose any we can send out Demetri for them later," I said, falling naturally into a leadership role.

Edward grinned at me. "You got it, Ro."

Hugo flitted to my side, wrapping me in a tight hug. "You made it!"

"Told you I'd be here," I said. "Let's make rounds. You have some fires to start, if you're up to it."

"I am," he confirmed.

"Rowan!" Rose cried before we could begin.

"Mom!" I said, laughing as I staggered under the force of her hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"I was so scared for you," she said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I did what I had to," I said as she stepped back, examining me. "I'm okay. Really."

"I'll be the judge of that," she said.

"I'm Hugo! Rowan's my M-" he abruptly cut off, looking embarrassed.

"Hugo's my son," I said, ruffling his hair. "Meet your grandson, Mom."

Rosalie couldn't have looked more thrilled than if I had said I had bore Hugo myself. "It's so nice to meet you, Hugo. I'm Rosalie."

"Mama told me about you," Hugo said, smiling shyly.

"Why don't you go with her to burn remains, Hugo?" I suggested, my eyes sliding towards where I could see the kings. In the aftermath they had taken control, Carlisle with them as they worked on returning chaos to order.

"Okay!" Hugo chirped. Rose smiled in understanding and patted my cheek before leading Hugo away.

I walked towards my mates; it seemed a long time since I had been able to move without hurry or fear, and my entire being settled as I drew close. Arms enveloped me, swinging me up off the ground, and a laugh bubbled out of me.

"I love you," Marcus whispered, capturing my lips in an urgent kiss.

I was pulled away from Marcus as soon as our lips parted, wrapped in Caius' crushing embrace. "You saved my life," he said, resting his forehead on mine.

"Of course," I murmured. "As if I would let you die."

"I thought I was going to. And all I could think of was you." My eyes fluttered closed as he brushed his lips over mine, conveying through it a thousand words he could never voice.

Aro took my hand then, tugging me to him, burying his nose in my hair. My mind was shielded from him until I could come to terms with all that had happened to me within the Romanian castle. But it was not something I would think about now, warmed by the dazzling sun and finally reunited with those I loved.

"I feel at fault for this. For what you had to go through," Aro said, his voice so soft that none could here but us.

"I don't blame you for any of this. We cannot control the actions of others," I said, my voice just as soft. "Even if you were at fault, I know I would have still made the choice that I did. It was my path to walk. I don't regret it."

He simply shook his head, staring down at me in awe. "You are the sort of woman wars are started for."

"This war really was a repeat of the Helen of Troy incident, if Helen had actually been an undercover spy," I pointed out.

"You're right," Caius said, a laugh in his voice.

I sobered a little as my eyes swept over the battlefield. "How many casualties?"

"We don't have a count yet," Caius said. "Where the hell is Santiago? He would know."

"I sent him out to round up the stragglers," I said. "Edward, Emmett, Jane, and Garrett are with him."

"Good thinking," Caius approved. "With your brother's gift, Demetri may not even be needed."

"So convenient," Aro sighed.

I spotted Caesar across the field, slowly picking his way towards me. Maxim was by his side. "I'll be right back," I said.

Aro, following my gaze, reluctantly dropped his hold and I jogged across the field to meet them. Caesar smiled when he saw me. "You did it."

"We did it," I corrected. "I never could have done this without you. Either of you. I cannot thank you enough for all that you've done for me."

"It has been an honor to fight this war at your side," Maxim said. "If the offer is still open to me, I will gladly continue to remain at your side as your guard."

"Of course it is," I said. "And what of you, Caesar? What will you do now?"

"I have said something of the kind before and so I will say it again. My loyalty lies with you and you only. If you were to travel to the ends of the earth or the gates of hell, there I would follow you."

"I have been through hell, Caesar. And if I had to pass through again, there would be no one I would rather have by my side," I said, and he smiled.

"You made a rather spectacular entrance, you know. Appearing out of nowhere and relieving Doyle of his head," Maxim said, the three of us walking back towards the kings who had resumed restoring order to the battlefield.

"All thanks to you," I said, bumping my shoulder against his. "I think I unlocked a new facet of my ability, too."

"To be expected, now that you are free from your fear of it," Maxim said. "Care to elaborate?"

"Shadow travel. I remember running across the field, trying to save Caius, terrified knowing I was never going to make it. I was halfway across the field one moment and the next precisely where I desired to be, ripping Doyle's head from his neck," I said, savoring the memory.

"That's a very natural progression. You could already hear others through the shadows from some distance away. I'm surprised I didn't think of such a possibility before," Caesar said.

"Rowan!" Marcus called for me. "We have a list of casualties."

I materialized by their sides in an instant, thankful for my speed and dreading to know whom had been lost.

"Seven permanent deaths, four dismemberments," Demetri reported, dipping his head towards me in greeting. "Carlisle is working on aiding in reassembly as requested and the four in question should be just fine after waking and a feeding."

"Who's dead, Demetri?" I asked bluntly.

"The casualties were primarily composed of the lower guard, I doubt you were familiar with any of those five. Vince, Bartholomew, Francine, Igor, and Hattie," Demetri listed.

"I knew Vince," I murmured, recalling the friendly vampire that had accompanied Afton on several missions. "And the other two?"

"Corin." I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Marcus slipped an arm around my waist, offering silent support. Demetri looked to the ground. "And Irina."

"Irina," I repeated, my voice a strangled whisper.

"I'm sorry," was all Demetri said, eyes compassionate.

"Demetri, take Renata and track down the search party that is out. Edward's heading it up. Help them find any remaining stragglers that may have slipped by them," Caius ordered, a clear dismissal.

"How did they die?" I asked quietly.

"Corin was overwhelmed early on. She was ripped apart. I attempted to guard her after she had been dismembered but ultimately failed," Maxim said, sorrow in his eyes. So it had been Corin whom he had been fighting so fiercely to protect.

"Irina died saving Hugo before you arrived. The one in the Romanian coven with sight deprivation used it against her. By the time others realized she needed aid, it was too late," Aro said. "I witnessed it happen but was too far away to help."

"Not your fault," I mumbled, staring at the ground. "The rest of my family-"

"They know already," Marcus said. "Irina died a hero's death. She will not be forgotten."

"None of them will," I said, feeling hollow with grief. "They deserved a far better fate than the one they received." I leaned into Marcus' side, and for a long time we stood in silence.

"We've returned with the search party. Every straggler has been found, ripped apart, and burned," Demetri reported on his arrival back. "That should be all accounted for. Caesar is working to confirm and others are following behind disposing of the ashes."

"Excellent, thank you Demetri," Aro said. "After that work is complete, we can return home."

Home.

At long last, I'd be going home.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ V ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Well, here we are. The end of Penance- kidding, kidding. I'm just kidding. Fear not, friends, Penance is not over yet. There's still some story to tell yet and a certain Cullen has to get married. I really had to debate on how many characters I was going to kill here, but since I didn't want to make you too sad (especially after Felix) I went with just a few. Corin and Irina, you will be missed :( I hope you enjoyed the fight and seeing some of the aftermath. Rowan will be getting a full, proper reunion with her family and the guard in coming chapters, but it was a lot to put here without feeling forced. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, I hope you're excited now that Rowan is back with her mates and family/friends - I know I am. I missed writing them. Though I will admit that I loved writing the whole Caesar-Maxim-Hugo-Rowan dynamic that was going on within the Romanian castle and am definitely going to miss it. It was a lot of fun.

Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint and that you're looking forward to reading the aftermath of the fight and Rowan's experiences at the hands of the Romanians (okay, I KNOW you're looking forward to that). Here are some responses to your reviews:

xlDarkstarlx: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! So I was planning on having the battle be more than one chapter, however I forgot the part where I'm not overly good at fight scenes and didn't want it to be too drawn-out. Fortunately Penance isn't quite over yet, so you'll get to enjoy it for a while longer, but it is winding down. I DO have another story in the works which I'll probably announce next chapter here (but if you want to find out earlier keep an eye on my Wattpad). It's not a Caesar/OC but with all the cries I've been getting for one I may have to start considering writing one... we'll see. Thank you for reviewing!

Hoobeehoo: I'm happy that you enjoyed Tenebrous and Penance enough to binge read both! That's quite a bit of dedication considering they're a little lengthy, haha. I hope you enjoyed this part!

I have one more thing to say before leaving you guys to cry over the couple losses from the battle: I'll be out of town for most of the next 2 weeks, so unfortunately you probably won't see another update from me until the beginning of August. Just wanted you guys to be aware (and thankful that this chapter's end wasn't a cliffhanger). Anyway, thank you all for reading and supporting Penance and I will chat with you all in the next update!