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Disclaimer:
I own no part of the 'Twilight Universe'. Only the idea to this story. This is strictly for fun.
Author's note: Unbeta'ed
Hi to all of you. Here is the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.
IMPORTANT:
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SLIGHT SCENES OF VIOLENCE AND A BIT OF SWEARING! DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE DISTURBED BY THAT! -OR TOO YOUNG FOR THIS KIND OF CONTENT.
Previously:
"I say we should pass judgement now."
We, the 'witnesses', nodded.
"Caius?" He turned to face his brother who had hardly said a word, his eyes still black as coal.
"Guilty, on both accounts," he growled in answer.
Aro nodded.
"Sulpicia? Athenodora?" He inquired again.
They answered as one,"Guilty, on both accounts." When they had spoken the last word, their eyes were black as well. In response to his mate's ire Aro's eyes darkened rapidly, too.
"Marcus, brother?"
"Guilty. And I petition to be allowed to conduct the execution personally," he snarled.
"Granted," Aro and the wives agreed.
"On one condition," Caius bargained, and Marcus' head shot towards him.
"I want to partake," he said and smiled cruelly.
Chapter 36 (Demetri's pov):
I couldn't prevent the shiver that went down my spine and the hairs of my neck stand up. But I was not alone. I could see that Felix, too, shivered slightly.
Never had I seen Master Caius smile like this. It didn't bode well for what was about to happen.
"I want a hand in it as well," Lady Sulpicia said, stepping forward, head held high and a dangerous glint in her eyes. Master Marcus' head whipped to look at her and she nodded at him, a silent conversation.
Slowly a wicked smirk appeared on Master Marcus' usually haunting, emotionless face. He rose a few inches still, standing at his full height for probably the first time in centuries. An uncommon air of authority seemed to seep out of every pore.
The redhead still dangled from his hand where he held her above the ground.
A short glance passed between Master Aro and Lady Athenodora, I just caught it out of the corner of my eye. She nodded.
"We will lend our hand, too," Master Aro stated, leading his sister forward. The family stood together now, surrounding Master Marcus and the convicted woman; a strong unit.
"Very well," Master Marcus agreed, a wry smile lightened his features for a moment.
"You can stay now and bear witness or leave this room. Decide now, the door will only open when the punishment has been dealt," Master Aro boomed, looking over us.
I knew it wouldn't be pretty, and curiosity froze me to my spot.
No one left.
These were the superior rulers of our kind, mighty, strong, untouched by time. A wave of pride swept through me. I was part of this, they were my role models. I would strive to become like them.
"Good. Keep out of our way and silent. Jane, Alec you guard the doors." He shot the twins a sharp look and they nodded.
"Let us begin!" he exclaimed then, back to his usual cheer. They all looked feral, eyes black, pose tense, teeth bared, their gazes locked on the soon to be victim.
"Ladies first," Master Marcus smirked. "I will be the one to finish her though," he reminded his brothers and sisters. The wives nodded, blood lust, or rather the lust for revenge was written in Capitals over their features.
He set the female free.
She grabbed her throat, trying to reduce the pain, that probably still lingered form the hard grip.
Her eyes swept the room in despair. It seemed to dawn on her, that the only exit, the doors, were well guarded.
"Why? Why would you hold a mere human above me? She is worthless! She is not even one of us! She is beneath us!" the redhead screamed in indignation!
The ancients froze in fury, their eyes got impossibly darker. No one dared to insult the family, and Isabella, human or not was one of them now.
To my surprise Lady Athenodora was the first to act. She was in front of the female and had her thrown into the wall across the room before the woman had time to react. She growled dangerously.
"Isabella is family now. We protect family. And speaking of being beneath us: You are beneath everyone in this castle," our lady screeched and flung her to the centre of the room again. "You are a savage! A coward!" she stalked towards Victoria. " You went after a harmless, defenceless human in your need for revenge, because you knew you'd never be able to win against the coven! You are filth!"
Before Athenodora reached her though, Sulpicia stood next to the confused woman. Our Master's mate had moved too quick to be registered.
"You are a cruel, self-serving, sadistic witch! You tortured a young, weak woman to avenge a death that was your own fault. You don't leave your mate! You stay by his or her side until the end! You hurt my sister! You'll pay!" in a swift movement she had ripped out a chunk of hair from the carrot head who had landed on her feet and was now taking an offensive stance against Lady Sulpicia, then lunged.
"Hahaha!" our Mistress laughed cruelly, now standing behind the attacker.
"As my sister said, you are beneath us, you are not even a challenge!" she kicked the legs out from under the enemy, causing her to fall gracelessly.
"You will never play your sick games again, nor will you ever hurt anyone, least a member of my family," Master Aro whispered deadly as he strode towards the unlucky one, his eyes fierce, unforgiving and full of rage.
"I have witnessed a lot of gruesome things, have committed many sins in the time I walked this earth, but you, you top them all. Isabella is my little sister, she is as dear as can be to me already, you'll regret the day you set your dirty eyes on her! I will avenge the pain you inflicted on her, and the murder of her father! You'll be begging for death long before we'll grant it in an act of mercy, I promise!" With that he charged. I watched on in morbid fascination. After a few moments though, I closed my eyes. I had never seen one of the ancients so out of control, and yet still perfectly in control. I had witnessed and committed atrocities, but never anything like that.
I heard screams, the sound of a vampire being ripped apart, but I knew what ever he did was not just mere dismemberment. I smelled the venom clearly. It saturated the air, thick and heavy.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk, Aro, you spoil sport, safe some of her for me," Master Caius' voice was colder then ice, yet he sounded eerily cheered. "I'll have to put her back together before I can deal my part of the punishment," he told the room sounding put out.
"Ah, brother, yes forgive me, I might have gone a little further then I intended," Aro apologized, though there was not an ounce of repentance in his voice. "And I acted much too quick," he tagged on regretfully. I could imagine him, viewing his handy work.
"Hm, yes, I quite agree," you never had much patience for such things our fair haired leader scolded sarcastically. They were playing a cruel game.
He said something else, but I didn't understand, he had slipped back to their native tongue.
The next thing I could discern was a sizzling sound.
In my curiosity I risked a glance.
Master Caius was using his own venom to mend the parts lying about back together.
I shut my eyes again. I knew how much it hurt to mend yourself with your own venom, I couldn't imagine, what it would be like to feel foreign venom in your wounds.
'Worst torture ever' was the only thing I could come up with.
I began to think about other things, to distract me from the things going on around me.
Once there was a change in pattern, I could hear the sizzling again and the growl then was distinctively Master Marcus that followed. I didn't want to see what kind of torture he had in mind for her, but as there was yet again a raise in screams, I knew it would be worse, then what Master Caius had done. Master Marcus was avenging the pain this thing had inflicted on his mate. In his frenzied mind nothing would ever be painful enough.
I had never had a mate, but I knew, that his ire would naturally be worse than Master Caius' or Master Aro's. After all, they had 'only' punished a transgression against their sister.
I made a mental note to never let any harm come to Lady Isabella during my watch. To die in a fight would be painless in comparison to what Master Marcus would put me through.
After a very long time, silence reigned and Master Marcus' growls had died down.
"Demetri, Afton, amass the pieces," Master Marcus' order rang loud in the silence.
At once my eyes shot open and I began to collect the tiny parts. He had shredded her, literally. There must have been way beyond a two hundred particles.
Afton had flown into action, too. Other members of the guard stepped in to help, as well. The command in his voice too stark to be ignored.
When everything was neatly piled we stepped back to our respective posts. No one had uttered a tone. We were all stunned into silence.
The family of ancients stood tall, a united front on the dais, looking down on the moving pieces.
Marcus held the place in the middle for once, looking feral, yet flawless as before, not even a crease in his cloak. He exuded authority, strength, superiority. The scales fell from my eyes; I had underestimated him all these years.
I had heard of his nickname 'God of war', but I had always thought it was unwarranted.
Master Aro wordlessly handed him a box of matches, that he took instantly, his eyes never moved from the heap at his feet.
"The judgement has been passed," Master Marcus stated with grim satisfaction, as he dropped the burning piece of wood. The pieces caught fire instantly and burnt to ashes. He stood tall behind the column of purple smoke, his dark ruby eyes glittered dangerously. He had risen like a phoenix from the ashes, or rather like an avenging angel.
Nobody spoke. When there was nothing but the ashes left, Marcus looked towards Aro.
"I will be at Isabella's side. We all," his eyes turned to Master Caius for a moment, "can discuss matters there."
"We will join you shortly, brother," was the short reply.
With no other word, Marcus descended the few stairs, and went straight for the double doors, striding through the ashes carelessly.
The twins wasted no time to fling the doors open for him.
"Clean this up, please," Master Aro spoke to the room. He took his mates' hand and let her from the room, as did Master Caius. None of them cared for the ashes. Nothing stood in the way of this family.
When they had left, we all relaxed visibly.
"Well, f**k!" Afton cursed, shocking us all out of our stupor.
"You can say that again," Heidi mumbled and shook her head.
"It lasted three hours?" Chelsea exclaimed after a short glance at her watch.
"New record," Alec stated dryly. Leave it to the twins, to stay so cool.
"Okay, we can leave then. Corin, Afton, you clean this mess up, please. I'll file the report," I informed them. They nodded.
We kept files on every trial that had been held here in the past few centuries.
End note:
Hey folks, so here is the chapter we all have awaited for a long time. It is quite tame, I know, but I was afraid it might get pulled had I been too explicit. I will post a different version, rated M, that will be more detailed. Please do not read that one unless you are allowed to do so by your nations law!