As I rounded another corner, an all too familiar scent hit my nose but, before I had the chance to process it, a cold hand clasped over my mouth, muffling my screams.

I was dragged into a room on the right and the door was quickly slammed behind me. The hand finally left my mouth, and I opened my mouth in order to scream again before I came to the realisation of who it was.

Demetri was looking down at me with an expression of exasperation and amusement while Corin simply looked beyond relieved that I wasn't dead…yet. Also in the room were three lower guards who I did recognise from seeing them around the castle on occasion.

"You're alive!" Corin launched herself into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist. "I can't believe it, you're actually alive! And here, with us! The Romanians didn't find you!"

I sighed and hugged her back. "I just wish I could say the same for my mates."

She climbed back off me and took a step back with a frown. "The Masters? They've got the Masters?"

A quivered breath left my lips and I nodded. "I didn't see them take them, but I think I know where they are."

"Come, we must discuss what happened to you." Demetri led me over to the edge of the bed and the others gathered around while one of the guards placed a few items of furniture blocking the door.

"What do you mean? What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Everything, from when this all started," he replied.

"Okay. Well, I guess it all really started when Alice warned me about it through a phone call an hour or so ago. She didn't say what was happening, she just told me to do what I would usually do and, when the time comes, follow my gut instincts."

"Alice…Alice as in the seer from the Olympic coven?" Demetri asked.

"That's the crazy child I'm on about, yes. Anyway, later on I was walking from Aro's room to the library when I heard a scream. One of the lower guards was being tortured for information by some guy who was bigger than both Felix and Emmett Cullen. She refused to say anything and he ripped her head off. I went back to Aro's room only to find that it was trashed and my mates were gone. Suddenly, I had a vision weirdly enough."

"A vision? I didn't realise you have foresight as well?" Corin questioned.

I shook my head. "I don't, but I saw the three of them, I couldn't see their faces, but they were in the dungeons slumped against the floor. The high-pitched ringing was giving me a headache even through the vision alone."

"How were you able to see that?" Demetri asked.

"No idea. I assume it's probably a bond thing, because there's no other way I could've had a vision that vivid of the three of them only. The mating pulls are getting really annoying as well, and there's just this constant…vibrating in my heart. Anyway, the vision disappeared after a few seconds, and I began heading over to the dungeons when Santiago stopped me."

"Where is Santiago?"

Guiltily, I looked down and shrugged my shoulders. "He's gone. He took me up to the east quarters and wanted me to wait there but I left in anyway, which was when you found me."

"It's a miracle you're still alive, Mistress," one of the guards inclined his head.

"Thanks, but you can call me Eli." I extended my hand out.

He shook it happily. "Tate. This is Magnus and Esmeralda, but you can call her Esme for short." He gestured to the friendly male and female guards beside him.

I smiled at them weakly and turned back around to face Demetri. "So what happened to you?"

"I was following the scum with Felix when we tracked them back to Volterra. When we arrived, it was too late, and the castle had already been besieged. Felix took a different entrance, and I don't know where he is now."

"What different entrance?" I asked.

"He entered through one of the many underground tunnel systems, although I have gathered that there are many Romanians down there so I highly doubt he made it through successfully. I made it to this room, your old bedroom, since it is the closest guest room to the throne room. Corin was already here, she's been hiding here the entire time."

"Smart." I raised my eyebrows at her and she smiled proudly at me. "So, what now?"

"Now, we're the only ones left," Magnus responded.

Demetri hummed in agreement. "It is down to us to take down the remainder of the Romanian coven. Do we have any idea of numbers?"

"The man I saw earlier, he said there were 20 of their coven looking for me," I told them.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Demetri quickly dashed over to the desk and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a few sheets of plain paper as well as a pen with the Volturi logo printed on it. Somehow, he managed to instantly sketch out a plan of the floor of the castle we were on.

"How did you do that? I get lost as it is, and you've already memorised it?" I asked in disbelief.

He laughed. "I have worked here for a very. Long. Time. This is a plan of the entire floor we're on. We are here," he drew a circle around one of the rooms on the map, "and the throne room is here."

"Most of the Romanians including the coven leaders are currently in the throne room according to Santiago," I added.

"Which is why this will be our sole point of attack," Demetri agreed.

"We need to get down to the dungeons as well. That's where my mates as well as half of the guard are being kept, and we're going to need all the help we can get."

"We don't have long, not long enough for us to release the others and destroy the Romanians," Demetri informed me. "We must divide and conquer."

"What do you suggest?" I asked.

He hummed in thought. "I suggest we send Magnus and Esme to the dungeons, Tate to the corridors to take out any remaining Romanians he comes across, and we three will go to the throne room."

My heart was aching at the thought of not prioritising my mates' safety. "But what about the kings? Maybe I should go down to the dungeons as well."

"With all due respect, that is a terrible idea," he scoffed. "No, you are our only hope Eli. You are the only one with the ability to single-handedly take out an entire coven."

"You want me to use my ability?"

"I've seen you do that tornado thing in the training room a few times," Corin suggested. "If you could get your dust to fill an entire room such as the throne room, that should be enough to take them out."

I glanced down at my boots. "I don't know if I can. I've never used that much of my ability at once before, I don't know what would happen. Is it really a risk worth taking?"

"We have to try," Demetri insisted. "We have complete faith in you. Corin and I will wait outside and ensure the doors are fully sealed so no dust is able to escape out of the room. This is our best option."

"You think?" I asked.

"You are our queen, you have authority. That is the plan I recommend, unless there are any alterations you would like to make."

I thought about it for a moment. "No, that should work. You'll need to lock the throne room doors from the outside and there's a good chance the Romanians will try to leave, so be prepared to force it shut with all the strength you can muster. I doubt there are many Romanians in the dungeons, so that job should be easy enough. Magnus, Esme," I addressed them, "once you have released those trapped down there and destroyed whatever scum have them locked up, bring them to the throne room. By then, the coast should be clear."

Both of them nodded understandingly. The paper we'd used to plan out our attack was now covered in lines going in all directions between the room we were in, the throne room, and the dungeons.

"Everyone know what the hell they're doing?" I checked.

Tate raised his hand slightly. "You said to take out any Romanians I see on the corridors. Any specific route I should take?"

I picked up the paper again and studied it for a few moments before gesturing him over. "You will travel in the opposite direction to us, covering this floor first. There are only maybe two left down these halls but, once you're finished, move on to one of the lower floors. If someone spots you, don't pick a fight if you know you're going to lose, just run my child," I instructed.

He nodded with an excited grin as everyone began to pump themselves up ready for the big attack. I quickly hugged everyone in turn and we stood ready by the door.

"I love you all my chi'ren, don't die," I tried to lighten the mood with a slight yet sincere smile.

"Let's go." Demetri opened the door and we didn't waste any time in leaving.

Running at full speed was risky since the sound of the air whooshing past us could easily attract attention to ourselves, so we had to walk at human speed instead which was beyond irritating. Tate, Magnus, and Esme took the opposite direction to us and I could only just hear their footsteps becoming increasingly distant.

As we walked, I held Corin's hand while she gripped onto my arm nervously. Corin wasn't exactly a fighter, having been stuck entertaining the ex queens for such a long time rather than ever getting involved in combat, so her nervousness really showed through.

I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll be okay, I promise," I whispered.

She faintly smiled and I could feel her death grip on me loosen slightly. Demetri was on my other side, constantly checking left to right for Romanians. He froze suddenly and tugged me back by the arm.

"Ssh, don't use your ability for this," he hissed.

I opened my mouth to ask him what the hell he was on about when a Romanian appeared from around the corner. His eyes locked with mine and he made a move for me before Demetri leapt at him and managed to take him out with ease. Before I knew it, the head had been removed and discarded a few metres away in the corridor.

"Are you okay?" My eyes scanned him for injuries but fortunately I saw none.

"I'm fine," he assured. "You need to save your energy for the throne room if we are to have any chance of success."

"Agreed."

Once we made it to the throne room, we could hear voices from inside. Rather stupidly, there was no one guarding the doors, so there wouldn't be a problem with me strolling in.

I adjusted my jacket quickly and shifted the bandana in my hair. "How do I look?" I whispered under my breath.

"Like a supermodel about to slay the scum," Demetri answered with an encouraging nod.

With a sharp breath, I pushed open the door and strutted in. I heard it slam behind me and the lock bolting over the wooden door with a harsh thud. Stefan, the dark haired dick, was on Aro's throne while Vladimir leant back on Caius'. Somehow, I wasn't bothered at all by their presence there, instead just desperate for the closure their excruciating deaths would bring.

Their eyes widened and their grins turned up when they spotted me, assuming I was turning myself in. Oh, were they in for a shock.

"I'm back!" I held my arms open casually. "Did you miss me, dickheads?"

"If it is not the Italian whore. You have changed since we last saw you, you little slut," Vladimir spat.

I hummed. "That's my mates' thrones your weak asses are sitting on by the way, in case you didn't notice. I would give you a choice to leave before I destroy you, but I think we've moved past that point, don't you?"

"Destroy us? You are nothing but a pathetic little whore of a woman. You'd better watch your filthy mouth rather than simply filling it with your Volturi's dicks," Stefan sneered, which earned collective chuckles from across the room.

I shrugged. "Oh you poor thing, at least theirs are longer than yours."

With that comment, two of their coven members came for me from either side. I didn't even have to think twice before two streams of blinding white dust came from my palms, one from each side. My hands were out by my sides and one of the streams reached a Romanian, causing him to disintegrate quickly into nothing.

They all stared at me in shock and the other guy receded back a few steps.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," I raised the pitch of my voice tauntingly. Thank Aro for that lesson, it really grinds on the enemy's nerves.

Vladimir growled. "What did you do to him, you-"

"Eliana," I cut in. "I think we're past the ridiculous, childish name-calling, Eliana will do."

Damn, irritating them was just too much fun, especially knowing that they really couldn't do anything to stop me. I could hear Corin's faint giggles outside at this conversation which only pushed me to keep going.

"Surrender yourself!" Stefan commanded.

I laughed mockingly, the two streams of dust dying out again since I knew no one would mess with me now. "Yeah, no, I'm not doing that. Allow me to quote you, Stefan, from the little speech you gave me just before you ruined my life: 'If it was down to my choice, I would burn you, rape you, stab you, torture you right now until there is nothing left. Instead, like any good punishment, we will take things slow'. I, however, as the good person I am, will make your punishment quick, yet quite the opposite of painless. You've seen what my gift did to your little friend, what was his name?"

"Daniel," one of the coven members on the side muttered.

I turned around to him briefly. "Thank you, but don't think that gets you out of this execution as well. My gift is to disintegrate vampires."

There was an awkward pause.

"Nothing? Not even maybe a gasp? Or a subtle whimper? No? I was hoping for a better reaction than that if I'm honest. Anyway, enough wasting time, any last words?"

"I will not let you do this!" Stefan yelled, standing up from Aro's throne.

Closing my eyes, I began to raise the dust around me. It acted like its own life form all together, making its own decisions. It spun in circles around my body while I held my arms across my body with my hands on my shoulders. I could hear the chaos around me as the Romanians attempted to flee.

I focused on everything they had done, allowing—no, encouraging the flashbacks to come back to me. Every touch, every stab, every burn, everything was manifesting itself into my ability. I no longer let it turn to fear, instead to pure, unadulterated rage.

The burning sensation enveloped my entire body and it felt like I was on fire, but I kept expanding out my gift further and further, like a rubber band waiting to snap. I winced at the numbing pain but ploughed through it in anyway. I had to do this for my mates.

For my mates.

With one final burst of energy, I cried out in pain as the dust crashed forcefully around me, spinning at high speed in the same direction around my quickly weakening body. The panicked shouts in Romanian suddenly disappeared, along with every inch of energy I had left.

The dust clattered to the floor and disappeared.

They were gone.

Though I had no energy left to feel relieved. My knees gave way underneath me and I felt myself falling to the ground in a heap. I heard the door bursting open again, and three figures were quickly leaning over me.

Everything faded slowly out to nothing and my vision seemed to disappear while my hearing blurred distortedly.

"Eliana, cara mia, no, no-no-no, please, stay with me…"

I opened my mouth to reply but I was interrupted when I delicately slipped out of consciousness into the blissful silence.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Author's note: Again with the cliffhangers, I just can't help it at this point. Eli really gets her kickass bitchy queenliness on in this chapter, so proud :'3

But she did it, the Romanians are gone. I already said earlier that these dramatic bitches were making a comeback, but obviously not for long. It obviously had to be Eli who destroys them once and for all, but still it's a little disappointing that she doesn't get to do a shared execution with Caius.

Side note, I randomly started writing a Marcus fanfic which I'm probably gonna share at some point sooner or later since cinnamon roll needs more love than he gets.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading, be sure to leave some feedback because I love to hear your thoughts, stay safe, and ily lots!