Cullen's Hound
Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue; the fact that I don't own Twilight is a bunch of poo.
Ch. 16: Rise of the Hound
BPOV
When the family left Isle Esme five years ago, we all realized that it was only a matter of time before the fucking Volturi came after us. Not just because Aro, one of the Kings, had a hard on for collecting gifted vampires but because they would eventually find out about me. Carlisle made sure that we were prepared for that time. Jasper, Dina and myself more so than the others. The three of us were the best fighters in the family, no matter how much Emmett bitched that his strength should count for something.
During my change, when I fought against the Nomads, the shield around my mind dropped and Dina had been able to link to my mind and read my thoughts. At one point, she even linked in Jazz so that he could witness my power. Our father later theorized that keeping the three of us linked during a fight might be very advantageous for the family. In between teaching the others a crash course in hand to hand combat, we practiced being linked to each other and had some startling results.
One of which was that while I wasn't able to project the mental shield that protected me form most vampiric powers, any minds Dina linked to me reaped the benefits of it.
Carlisle also believed that the Volturi would capture us first and then make an example out of one of us. Being seen as the weakest link of the family, I was the obvious choice for this. He went on to further postulate that the mole inside the Italian Coven would make themselves known and assist us. My father was correct in his assumptions because during the journey to Volterra after our capture, I found a message in brail on the underside of my seat belt in the plane. While Felix had been absorbed in groping me, I had been able to read it. The hidden missive confirmed my father's beliefs.
Once I was thrown into my cell at the castle, I opened up my power and learned everything I could about our captors. When Dina linked the family together, we started to plan. The plan was the oldest one in the book, Trojan Horse. Jane needed to use her power on one of the others so the enemy believed in their own superiority while I played the helpless victim. After a few minutes, our trap would be sprung.
In theory, that was a good plan but it that knowledge hadn't made it any less stressful. As I was being dragged down the hall by Felix, Dina linked to me for a second then told me Jane used her power on Esme. I started to see red but calmed myself with the fact that by the end of the day, that little witch was going to be ash for doing that to my mother.
I waited for Felix to get on with it after Marcus finished his spiel and Carlisle picked me to fight. Despite the fact the Italian fuck was about to go down like the Titanic, the next several minutes were going to hurt.
AroPOV
I watched as Felix circled the doomed cripple. She stood there without a clue as to what was about to befall her. My Champion flashed forward and slashed across the girl's stomach, which had torn her shirt and left a long gash that oozed venom. Bella screamed then doubled over in pain. While still in that position, Felix struck her in the back of the head and drove her into the floor.
A fearful whimper escaped the one called Rosalie as she watched her prone mate get kicked in the ribs then fly into the opposite wall and caused several cracks to appear. Before Bella recovered, Felix punched her in the chest then tossed her to the foot of the dais our thrones sat upon. My faithful servant flashed in front of her then lifted her by the throat. After shaking her violently, he slammed her into the floor.
Felix had started to laugh when the cripple had gotten in a lucky strike and kicked him across the room. Bella stood and I noticed Carlisle's first companion nod grimly. The deaf and blind girl faced the direction of her family, unaware of Felix's next attack. My jaw, along with the rest of the Volturi's, dropped when she effortlessly block not it but every other attack he made.
The next ten minutes shattered whatever beliefs I held as I watched Bella strike Felix so that he flew across the room. Before he struck a wall, she was there first to deliver her next blow. Her attacks and movements were so fast that not even a vampire's keen vision saw them. The only thing anyone had seen were gashes appear on his body as if by magic while he was flung around the room like a ragdoll. There was the sound of tearing metal then Felix's disembodied head struck my chest and landed at my feet. The remainder of his body parts were cast about the room.
I heard when Carlisle gave the order to attack and countered it with the command for my dear ones, Jane and Alec to unleash their powers upon the fools. Any satisfaction I had that this little coup would be over quickly ended when my dear ones' powers failed. The Throne Room erupted in chaos as Carlisle and Jasper attacked Caius, Alice dispatched Alec, Esme destroyed my Jane and Rosalie killed Chelsea. Renata was nowhere to be found and I attempted to flee when Marcus stopped me by grabbing my throat before he pulled me to him.
"Did you think I was so easily fooled about what happened to my wife, Brother," he hissed.
The rest of the Guard stood by mutely because the thrall Chelsea had held them in was lifted. Everyone else grew silent when the doors to the right of the thrones opened and a vampire that they all believed dead for over a thousand years glided into the room. Panic filled me and the last thing I witnessed before Marcus ended my existence was Didyme kiss her husband's cheek.
RPOV
Once the fight was over, I ran over to check my baby's injuries. I was so wrapped up in making sure she was alright that I hardly noticed when a set of doors opened. It was everybody whispering the name Didyme that made me look at the vampire who entered. Even by vampire standards, she was exceptionally beautiful. Her auburn hair hung loosely down to her back and the embroidered gown she wore was accented with a purple robe. Red eyes locked on Marcus and she kissed his cheek before he turned Aro into a bad memory.
Marcus ascended to the middle throne that formally belonged to Aro. Didmey moved to Caius' old throne and both indicated that Carlisle should occupy the third. Once all three were ensconced in their places of authority, Marcus addressed all of us.
"A millennium ago, my beloved Didyme and I planned to leave the Volturi. Her brother, Aro, became enraged and plotted to keep us here. Caius lured me out of the castle to hunt while Aro cornered my mate. There was a vampire named Juan that could change other's appearances, scent and memories. My traitorous brothers hired him to alter Didyme then betrayed their pawn. When I came back from my hunt, Aro was kneeling over a pile of ashes that he claimed was my wife, sobbing.
"In his hand was a torn piece of fabric that reeked of the Romanian, Stefan. He spun a tale about how Stefan had come to make peace only to find Didyme alone and destroyed her. It is common knowledge that I lost my will to live after that. Less than a day later, Renata joined the Guard. For centuries, I believed the lie, my only thought being to find a way to revenge myself upon Stefan.
"One day, I overheard Aro and Caius talking about getting rid of a prisoner in the dungeon because it was too dangerous to keep him. For whatever reason, I went to the dungeon and found Juan. Years of starvation and torture had driven him nearly insane. He told me that he had changed my wife and altered her memories. I helped him escape in exchange for giving my beloved back to me when the time was right.
"I staged a fire in the dungeon then left of England a week later. It was there that I planned my revenge. When I returned, I had to play at being bored and detached so the others would not suspect anything. During the time, Aro began his unholy experiments; I secreted Renata out of the castle and had Juan restore her memory. As long as she never touched his skin, the pompous fool would never know. I also formed a group called the Network to gather the evidence to destroy his ambition, once and for all.
"Two days ago, Aro told me of the capture of my son and most of his Coven. I knew the time had come to finish what I started and end his reign of terror," Marcus explained.
"The time has come to rebuild the Volturi and make it what it was supposed to be. However, that is not my task to complete. I have spent enough time without my Didyme. Therefore, I abdicate my position as King and give up my right to rule in favor of my Heir; Carlisle Cullen Volturi," the ancient continued.
The chamber erupted in a cacophony of voices wondering how anything was going to be rebuilt. Movement drew my eye and I noticed Bella put on a grey robe that had been thrown on the floor then limp towards the exit. I wasn't the only one that had seen it because our father called out to her.
"Where are you going, Bella," he asked drew everyone's focus to the retreating vampire.
"Bella is dead. Like the ancient Irish hero before me, I'm the Hound. Whenever there is a threat to our kind, I'll be there to fight it. Rule well father and bring us peace but remember that I'll be watching," my love stated plainly then left. We all stared after her, even after the doors closed.
I was out the door seconds later and made my way to the garage. Bella was limping near the city gate when I pulled up next to her in my recently liberated Mercedes R3 convertible.
"Hey, sweet thang, you headed my way," I called out to her.
"I don't have any gas money to offer you," she replied with a frown.
"I'm sure we could work something out," I shot back and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
Bella let out a wind chime laugh and climbed into the car. When I asked where we were headed she just told me to go north.