This chapter rated 'M' for dark themes, violence, adult content, language, and other messed up shit. Seriously, this is your WARNING.
Previously: Welsh is killed, Riley trains the armies, Bella wakes up, Jack the Ripper is awesome, and things settle down as Bella takes over.
Bella's P.O.V. (3111 words):
"The devil's voice is sweet to hear." ~Stephen King
.:!*!:.
Waking up as a vampire was strange. I felt the burn in my throat that I knew would be there, all my scars had remained, and the world looked completely different. After a few seconds of initial shock, I felt like myself again, much to Jasper's disbelief.
I fed off the human that Jasper had brought me after his own hunt, and then he filled me in on everything that had happened in the last three days. While he told me of Welsh's death, Riley's training of the newborns, and what Maria's claim on me meant, I thought about the conclusion I'd come to while I'd been burning.
This was bigger than I'd known back at Vic's camp. I wasn't just dealing with being a pawn of Maria, I was her queen. I was the game changer, and she wasn't just using me to take over the South. She was using me to win a revolution, a revolution I was completely against. I'm sure Riley was already aware that I was going to try to find a way to help the Volturi. My issue was that Jasper's news sent chills of horror down my spine. I was a virgin for goodness sake! The thought of becoming sexually active with the Mistress of the South made me sick. Not only did I not bat for that team, but she wouldn't be gentle, and I hated the woman!
I was in over my head. I could admit that to myself now. There was no way I could do this. Riley and Jasper had been right, and I should have heeded their council. I could already feel myself reverting to the cold numbness. I was growing dark already, and it terrified me.
"Thank you, Major." I said, surprised at the calmness of my new, musical voice. Jasper nodded, and he grabbed my wrist as I went to stand. I stopped, but I didn't move toward him.
"Remember that you are not alone. You have true allies." He whispered to me, concern and love in his tone. I turned to look into his eyes, and I wondered if Peter could have been right about the whole mate thing. I hoped he was wrong. Jasper deserved better. He had beaten this world, and I could feel in my newly frozen veins that I would fall to it. I nodded in reply and pulled my hand from his grip.
Riley had done a fantastic job readying the newborns. Jack the Ripper, as I renamed him, was fascinating. His gift was like nothing I'd ever heard of. When he used it on me like I'd ordered, I'd begun to itch worse than I ever had in my life. My first instinct was to tear it from myself by any means necessary, it was so painful. I flinched, and my shield kicked in. Thank God I'd been right about that, or Jack would have killed me. I smiled and sent Riley to train the others. I liked Jack, and I hoped that if I could win him over, he'd fight with me and the Volturi instead of his creator, when the time came.
Jack was a quick learner, and it didn't take much time before he understood that his gift was like any other part of him. He soon managed to control it the same as he'd learned to control his new strength. It wasn't long before I sent Jack the Ripper back out with the others and took my place giving orders. It also wasn't long before the sun rose and Vladimir returned. Maria came and whispered in my ear to meet her in her quarters. I nodded in the affirmative and told Riley that he and Jasper were in charge before following Maria into her tent.
Maria stopped before jumping into her underground area and turned to me.
"Vladimir is going to demand complete respect, and I expect you to show nothing less." Maria ordered, her features cold and serious. I wasn't so sure I would do what she expected, so I gave a vague reply.
"I'll keep that in mind, Mistress." I said, nodding to show my understanding. Maria rolled her eyes.
"He tells me to kill you, and I won't have a choice. This is much bigger than you." She warned, actually softening up a bit, and she wouldn't look me in the eyes. Confused by her reaction, I felt myself soften a little as well against my will.
"I understand, Maria." I whispered, letting my hard demeanor fall. At first I was worried that I had overstepped my boundaries by forgoing her title, but she just looked into my eyes for a moment before nodding once and stepping into the underground quarters. Her gaze had looked so vulnerable, so meek, and almost warm. I shook my head sharply. What was I thinking? This was the cold Mistress of the South. She had no warmth in her soul, and any she used to have died with her mate centuries ago.
Maria lead the way into an isolated part of the cave system. Vladimir was standing there waiting for us.
"So this is Boss Swan." He said, walking closer to me. He got within a foot from me and raised an eyebrow. "She is very controlled, Maria."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I was right here, and he was talking as if I wasn't.
"I chose her for a reason, Vladimir" Maria replied in a calm tone.
"Does she have a gift? Does she know who I am?" He asked her, and I huffed before speaking. I wasn't going to take his crap.
"'She' is right here, sir. Shall we get down to business?" I asked, but I stuck out my hand and continued speaking before he had a chance to do so himself. "I am Boss Swan. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
"You're a mouthy one, aren't you?" He said, a fire burning in his eyes. I didn't lower my hand. "Who do you think you are, newborn?"
"Look here. I will respect you if you respect me. I have agreed to fight for you, plan this revolution for you, and train the army that will win you back your empire, but I did not sign up for being treated like the dirt on the bottom of someone's fucking shoe." I extended my hand a little more. "I know exactly who you are, Vladimir the Alungat. It's time you realize who I am."
He raised an eyebrow slowly before a grin spread over his face. "I like you Boss Swan. Call me Vlad. What shall I call you?"
"Call me Swan." I answered with a grin of my own as we shook hands. Maria seemed to be proud, irritated, and shocked all at once. She walked over to an elegant rocking chair she had in the corner and sat to silently watch mine and Vladimir's interaction.
"My brother and I have been planning this for a very long while." He began.
"I'm sure." I replied dryly, causing him to smile slightly.
"Yes, well, Maria and I have been talking of making a Herculean army to take down the Volturi since the Major's own time a hundred years ago. I'd been prepared to fly here, but I got a call from Maria. She had some rather bad news. The Major had fled North. Without him, we did not have anyone with the fortitude to do the job." Vladimir looked at me steadily for a moment. "I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when Maria contacted me just over three weeks ago. She asked me if I'd heard the stories yet. I had, of course. There was a human second-in-command taking land, celebrating victory after victory, training newborns, and all under the jurisdiction of a new, laughable Warlord that didn't even mark her own territory.
"I had dismissed it as myth. Everyone had, except Maria. She believed you were real, and she had already started to plan how to make you hers. That is why she sent those scouts. They were all just to get your attention. I thought it was a bit too obvious, but I guess it was fool proof. You had to have known the Highest Army was the only one that truly stood in your way of total domination."
I nodded. "Yes. The scouts sent the right message. I was aware that she knew I was coming, one way or another."
"Speaking of, it is one way or another that we will end the Volturi... every last one of them. That's what this has always been about, but Aro is mine, and Stephan would light me up himself if anyone else took Caius." He rolled his eyes before growing serious. "I'd like to give you the honor of killing the third king, Marcus. What do you say, Swan?"
"I would love to." I said, smiling my darkest smile, and Vladimir returned it right away. "What do you say we begin official plans within the week? Could you get a floor-plan of Volterra drawn up that quick, Vlad?"
"Oh, don't you worry about that. My brother and I have mastered drawing that damn place to scale in our spare time this last millennium. I'll have it done in three days." He replied, offering his hand. I shook it and turned to Maria. She stood silently and lead me to another, obviously more personal part of her quarters. I didn't make a sound. I had the sinking feeling in my stomach, and I also had a good idea what was about to happen.
"You have balls, Swan." Maria growled out, none too happy. I laughed slightly.
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't have balls. Normally, I'd correct you and say I have guts, but I don't really think I do anymore." I remarked dryly before lifting an eyebrow in her direction. "Do vampires have guts, Mistress Maria?"
"You push your luck!" She ground out between her teeth. She was in my face in the next moment, looking two inches up into my eyes threateningly. "Do not forget that I own you!"
"Do not kid yourself." I whispered, losing my ire. Now, I just wanted to go out with a bang. With Riley and Jasper in my mind, I slowly began to move my face down closer to her as I spoke, making my way to whisper in her ear. "I cannot be owned. There are few things that have a hold on me, and there are even less people that have such. What makes you think that you could own someone like me, someone that continues to defy every rule and law of nature?"
Maria took a step back, looking indignant. "I just do not understand you." She said, her eyes narrowing.
"What?" I muttered, caught off guard.
"Victoria told me all about you. You were timid. You hid behind the Cullen Clan like a scared rabbit. She found you broken in the woods, barely able to speak. You were delusional, saying 'he's gone', over and over again." Maria said, her eyes seeming to light up slightly. "Eight months later, you're scouting, training, and leading armies. You are known world-wide. Aro wants to recruit you, for God's sake!"
If I'd still had a beating heart, it would have skipped. Maybe I could service. Aro wanted me in his guard! I would take joining his collection to this Southern hell any day. Before Maria could sense my out-of-place excitement and hope, I explained. "Emotion is a powerful tool. After a hundred years with the Major I would have thought you'd know that."
"What emotions could have possibly changed you in such a way?" Maria asked, looking unconvinced.
"I was angry and vengeful, but most of all, I was hurt. My emotional pain was almost as bad as the physical pain of the change, only I lived with the former for over a year. That's how I was able to stay silent during my transformation. I am no stranger to pain." I nearly spat, finding myself upset that I was being questioned. "Yes, I changed quickly. I found my strength, and I stand up for myself. How I got here was a hard and long road, Maria, and it would be in your best interest to remember that."
"Si. Very well." She agreed suddenly, catching me off guard. Her voice went very serious, and the air grew tense. "Now, it is my turn. I am Benito Alverez's only remaining creation. I am Mistress Maria of the South, leader of the Highest Army, creator of the God of War, the one to finally introduce venom to Boss Swan's veins, longest living Warlord, and the future Queen of the Western Territory! You may defy laws and rules of nature, but I am above all of that! Consider me gravity. Even the immovable Boss Swan answers to her. Get me?"
"Yes, ma'am." I replied with conviction, straightening up. The air grew thicker, and I struggled to swallow the venom that pooled in my mouth. This was it. I brought Riley and Jasper's faces to the front of my mind. That gave me the strength I needed to detach myself enough to do what was necessary to get us out of here with our vengeance... and in turn, our freedom.
"I knew I made a good choice." Maria purred, her fingers dragging from one shoulder and across my back to the other as she walked around me. "My little Swan."
The dense air increased with her words. It felt unnatural. I said nothing.
"Your silence is very out of character." She mused, tapping her chin twice with her index finger as she came to a stop in front of me. "I am glad that you know how to show your respect for me. You're different from the others. I do not know what it is, but you have an aura to you that not even the Major had. I saw it even while you were in your weak, human state."
I still said nothing. I kept my eyes cast forward. I knew what was coming, what was expected of me, and how this would end. Riley and Jasper became harder to visualize as I struggled to breathe.
"On your knees." Maria ordered suddenly, bringing her fists down hard on my shoulders before opening her hands into claws. I obeyed her command and fell before her. She dug her nails into my shoulders just enough to break the skin. I dared not cry out or tense. She leaned down to whisper into my ear. "Make your request."
"I wish only to please you, Mistress." I replied in a voice barely above a whisper, making sure to keep my face devoid of emotion. The words tasted like vinegar and rust as they tumbled out of my lips.
"Request granted." She replied simply, lifting her dress up and around her waist. Grabbing my hair, she hiked her leg over my left shoulder and forced my face toward herself.
I went cold. I did what was expected of me. I went numb.
The numbness didn't last. A short time later, something started bringing me away from the safe place in my mind. It was a voice... a smooth, Hispanic voice.
Each caress froze my veins and set my skin on fire. There was a battle taking place in my soul. Half of me knew that these pretty words were just Maria casting her spell on me, as she did with all her second-in-commands, yet there was a traitorous half of me as well. This side was gaining ground.
"You have such strength. I may never have another." Her words broke down the first of my walls.
"You will never leave me, Swan. I need you." She whispered as she removed my shirt. I fell in a little further.
"I think you could mean more to me one day. I believe I could love you." Another piece was chipped away, but it didn't seem unwanted anymore.
"Please, tell me your name. I want to know you." She insisted in a kind voice between soft kisses. I began to question all I'd heard about her.
"You were right. I could never own you. I feel as if I should belong to you, and not the other way around." She admitted, a dry sob suddenly breaking free. I couldn't help it.
I lifted my hand to cup her face and traced her cheekbone with my finger. "My name is Isabella."
"Isabella." She whispered reverently, with an intense compassion, and the air didn't feel so heavy anymore. This time I was the one that crushed my lips to hers.
.:!*!:.
Third Person P.O.V.:
Boss Swan floated out of the tent with the dark grace of a fallen angel. Her gaze went directly to the other side of the camp, where her eyes connected with the eyes of the Major. He understood the emotions coming off of her. They had once been his own. She had been defeated, and it had only taken one time alone with the Mistress of the South to break her.
Her stare shifted to meet the intense gaze of her second-in-command. Riley felt a dread fill him, stronger than anything he'd ever felt. While his red eyes held a mirage of emotions, mainly sympathy and sorrow, her newborn irises were void. There was hardly a trace of her former self left, and this look was both an order and a plea. She was reminding him about his promise. He could almost hear her cold, confused voice in his mind.
Take them and flee.
Riley nodded once slowly, and without warning, he twisted around and decapitated the God of War with a practiced twist of his hands. Riley was sure the Major would never leave Boss Swan otherwise. Lifting the Major's head and body into his arms, he ordered for Jean and Richard to follow him as he ran toward Victoria's camp to collect the Captain and his mate. Jean covered their scents, and Richard used his gift to will their safe passage. Peter and Charlotte were waiting for them when they finally arrived, and the two joined them on the run North without a word, with Peter insisting he carry the Major. Riley made it all the way to the Kansas border before he looked back. With a strangled roar, he fell to his knees and pushed his nails into the hard ground. Silently, Peter began to reattach the God of War's head, and as the sun rose, Riley wept burning tears of blood and venom.
A week later, in Monterrey, Boss Swan had appointed Jack the Ripper as her second (even though something about him in that position on her flank felt off) and had executed Paul. She had began to organize the army into sections. She and Vladimir had started drawing up plans for the revolution. Boss Swan belonged to the Mistress of the South, and she worshiped her creator's public strength and private weakness. Mistress Maria was everything to her now. There was one face, though, that kept appearing whenever she'd close her eyes. She wished she could remember the blond, scared man's name...
A.N.: Yeah, so before you all come after me with pitchforks and torches, I have some news to share. I uploaded this chapter early because I found out I'm going out of town over the President's Day weekend (an American holiday that's landing on the 20th this year). I'm not going to have internet, so I won't be updating this weekend. Next update will be on the 26th of February.
I'll just go hide now...