Attention! For those of you who didn't like the Cullen's being killed do not read this chapter.
I am serious.
Don't read this and complain "oh my goodness! how could you kill everyone!" Shut up. Don't like. Don't read.
Last chance
Ok don't say I didn't warn you.
I don't own twilight.
POINT OF NO RETURN!
Chapter Twenty: Caius
It was an interesting strategy.
That was the word. Interesting.
I was not going to admit I was impressed.
Yes it was effective and rash enough to escape suspicion from the local passer-by's, but it was unorthodox and risky.
So yes. I was impressed.
Jane was carrying Isabella as we ran towards the castle, a rather odd sight, seeing as Jane was physically three years younger than Isabella, and much smaller.
Now was not the time to be amused.
Of course though, the girl's plan would not have worked if the Romanians had thought out their plan of attack in more detail. The majority of their forces were inside the room, meaning that if we escaped outside without them- which we did, we would have a head start and find it easier to escape. It was a well-thought out plan though, and brilliant had it not been for Isabella.
True, if she had not acted there would have been a massacre, and the resulting mess would have been very hard to cover up, and a yelling at from Aro which I would have to endure. However Jane and I would have been able to survive… Although Jane wouldn't have. The fight would have undoubtedly been fatal for Isabella, and the guard had grown quite attached…
For lack of a better phrase, that was bad.
For centuries now, the Volturi had not had a single weak point, from the outside we were indivisible, unconquerable and all-powerful, but now it was known that we harbored a human, and that thereon would be out weakness.
A slightly hysterical laugh directed my attention to Isabella, who was laughing with Jane. "Did you know that I forgot my bags?" she laughed, her brows knitting together slightly.
Jane laughed too, albeit nervously. "Trust you to think of something like that!"
There was another laugh. "Well what else am I going to focus on? The fact that I just started a food fight in an Italian restaurant by throwing a plate of food at a vampire- and believe me I am still trying to get over the shock of actually managing to hit him, I was afraid I would miss, or that he'd use vampire speed and duck out of the way… But I probably took him by surprise." She laughed again, a definite note of hysteria in her voice.
A half-smile crept across my face, only to be shoved away forcefully. There was something about the girl… Questions about her that I needed to be answered, and yet at the same time… I did not want to be answered. Since when was I afrai-…
No.
Since when was I so cautious of situations like this?
I had not felt this way… Not felt this anxiety and lack of knowledge and security since… Since…
Since Athena.
It was not that Isabella reminded me of her… Nor that when I saw her I forgot Athena –perish the thought- it was that when I saw her… Was with her… It was easier.
It was not the same reaction that I had whenever I encountered the foul mangy beasts the werewolves where all my hate and restricted emotions rose to the surface…
It was like the walls I had put in place were simply not there anymore, and I could think of Athena without either feeling hate so intense it swept me away on a wave of fury, making me want to destroy anything living, and lash out on everything possible, or such despair it felt as though I was drowning on unneeded air.
Perhaps it was more than just what-
"Master Caius!"
I was rudely jerked out of my thoughts as Jane gestured at the tunnel entrance to the center of Volterra.
Against my will, even with the ever increasing attacks from the Romanians, my lips twitched as I recalled why Aro had sent me after Jane and Isabella.
It would be interesting to see how Jane would react.
~~~(o.O)~~~
As always, the guard came back with no news.
Demetri tracked their scent as far as he could before it disappeared into the Mediterranean and as his gift could not trace them, they were effectively blind.
Aro had set up guard members around the entire city as an extra precaution, and thankfully the situation in the restaurant from before escaped suspicion.
"Are you going to ask him or not?"
I had not realized that Aro had been grasping my wrist, and I glared at him. "Mind your own business," I snarled. "-and what are you talking about?"
"Marcus." Aro sighed, even though he was perfectly aware that I knew what he was talking about. "Are you ever going to ask him what has been plaguing your mind since three months ago?"
"I… I do not know of what you speak of."
Aro shook his head. "Caius, I know you are lying."
I angrily wrenched my arm out of his grasp, "Even if I was, it is none of your concern."
"Brother, it is my concern, you cannot keep wallowing in a lake of your own memories, give Bella a chance. I know you have been softening to her Caius, I have seen how she sometimes looks at you…"
I clenched my teeth. I did not know which was more irritating- when Aro was being childish, or when he decided to begin attempting to be understanding. And then there was the blasted flare of hope that ran through me when Aro had said the last sentence… I found my voice, but it was robotic and frigid. "There is no chance to give. I have told you- there is nothing there to be of your concern."
"Then why do you not ask Marcus?" insisted Aro, grabbing my shoulder as I turned away from him.
"Because! Because I am afraid! You know it as well as I do myself!"
Aro fell silent, and I shook his hand from my shoulder, pacing to the window in his room. I would never have admitted it… Never…
"Afraid of what exactly?" Aro's voice was soft, so damned empathetic… I cursed the fact that even though I was older than him, he was technically three years my senior, whereas sometimes I looked barely out of adolescence.
"You know what I am afraid of! And if you do not wish to add more insult to injury then do not make me say the words, and say them yourself if you know me so well!"
Aro sighed and sat fluidly in a nearby chair. A pointless motion, but a habit over the millennia. "You are afraid that you love her."
Of all the possible things he could have said- it was the worst. Even if he had said I was afraid of rejection- as pathetic as the words sounded- it would have been nothing compared to what he said now. And what was even worse, was that it was true.
When? When did it all dissolve from justified hate into something that was so unfamiliar, yet so familiar at the same time? Four months… Four months and already all of this was unravelling…
"-you are afraid that you are betraying Athenadora, that by allowing yourself to give Bella a chance you are forgetting her… You are afraid you are giving up everything you have fought for the past few centuries, and you think that you have no right to ever have anything that you had with Athena with anyone else. You love Athena so much, enough that she will never leave you, but so much that if you even try to begin a relationship with Bella you think that she will be a replacement and you will never accept-"
"SHUT UP!" I roared, grabbing Aro by the throat, hauling him from the chair he sat in, and shoving him backwards, the foot thick stone wall crumbling like dust around us, sending the two of us falling to the floor in the next room, my brother pinned beneath me.
"-and you are afraid that above all that you do love her regardless of everything I have just said, even if you believe you have no right to be. And you are afraid that you will love her enough to actually pursue your emotions and afraid that if you do-"
"SHUT UP!"
I slammed him down harder, seeing cracks form around his neck beneath my fingers as I tightened my grip. "She has Cullen, and even if all you said was true it would be pointless to pursue the idea-"
"So you admit that it is true-"
There was the sound of stone cracking as I dug my fingers deeper into his throat. "I admit nothing, only to point out that what you say is useless as she is happy right now, and it is better for the both of us if when she leaves, she leaves just as ignorant of the situation as she is now!"
"Then it may interest you to know that she is no longer with Edward Cullen."
My momentary lapse of concentration allowed Aro to shove me backwards, as he quickly stood, smoothing out his robes, the cracks in his skin already healing.
"You- what?"
"Ask Marcus yourself." Aro gestured to the side.
I had forgotten that the room beside Aro's was Marcus's, and that we were now standing in the ruined half of Marcus's room, in which Marcus was seated on a chair on the other side of the room, observing us with his customary bored expression.
"What?" I hissed. I was in no mood for games, and already I was longing to be gone from their presence. "I imagine you heard everything."
Marcus inclined his head, his red eyes flickering, betraying the fact that beneath his mask he was actually interested in the happenings around him. "About Bella and the Cullen then? Well what Aro says is true, she long abandoned any feelings for the boy around three weeks after her arrival here, but she only consciously realized a week ago. Perhaps a day before you decided to leave your room Caius."
I took a deep unneeded breath, trying to bury my wretched pride- pride that along with the sorrow, tied me up just as much as the grief had, and addressed Marcus, if not Aro, who knew all my thoughts, Marcus would be the one person to understand moderately my situation. "And my… feelings of Isabella?"
But then fate had never favored me, and nor did it now.
"-and why do you call her Isabella?"
It was such a trivial question, and yet it seemed of particular importance to Marcus, as he leaned forward in his chair, his uncaring mask replaced with one of uncommon intensity.
I shook my head, although against my will, my lips curved upwards slightly. "It... it has always annoyed her to no end."
Marcus sighed, an almost wistful look crossing his face. "And therein is your answer."
~~~(o.O)~~~
Bella
"OH MY GOD!" I squealed, amazingly girlishly as I hugged Jane, bouncing up and down on the heels of my feet.
"I know!"
Jane's hair had come out of its customary neat do, and was hanging in ragged strands all over her face, but she was beaming with joy. Her diamond sapphire ring from the 16th Century sparkling on her hand.
"Oh my God!" It was like I couldn't stop saying those three words over and over again.
"I know!"
Yeah. It wasn't just me.
I didn't know whether to feel ecstatically happy for Jane, incredulous because it was only five minutes ago that we had just run away from other crazy vampire Romanians and she had totally forgotten about them, or just plain dumbstruck that Jane was now engaged to Felix, who she'd only been dating for around three weeks.
Vampires really must measure time differently.
"So when's the wedding?" I asked, finally managing to say something other than the previous three words.
"Maybe in a few decades or something… It'll take a while to plan! Will you help me?"
Decades?
"Um. Sure… Yeah…" Did vampires have constant access to Father Time or what? "Um… about before… Did Aro send anyone out after those vampires at the restaurant?"
Jane stopped dead, her ruby eyes widening. "Oh no!" she swore, shocking me, as I'd never really heard her swear before. "-I hope Master Caius has done that- because I completely forgot!"
Typical Jane.
In any case, I didn't think I had ever seen Jane look so happy ever before. Her brilliant red eyes were shining like a blood-red sun, and her smile could have parted clouds. She radiated happiness, and I couldn't even judge them for their weird timing.
I didn't know all the details, only that according to Jane, it was perfect.
Yeah, that was all I could get out of her- that it was perfect. She wouldn't tell me how exactly he proposed, or where he did it, only that is was, and I quote- 'the most romantic and perfect thing ever!'
It didn't even seem weird for me that my seemingly 15 year old best friend was getting married in 'several decades'.
It explained a lot of things though, Felix's previous distance, spending more and more time with Demetri and Aro…
Caius had undoubtedly been sent out to fetch Jane earlier this evening so that she could meet Felix, something I doubted he'd been happy with, and when we had gotten back- I didn't even have time to wonder whether or not Aro had sent out the guard to catch the rouge vampires, Felix had grabbed Jane's arm and practically dragged her away.
An hour later, she had come back beaming and almost literally walking on air.
~~~(o.O)~~~
Cliché as it sounded, the Volturi gardens were beautiful at night. The warm Italian air was cooler now, and as I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other on the rough (but somehow fitting) rock hewn path, I couldn't help but feel empty.
I knew I was only eighteen- or nineteen in a few days actually- and I wasn't the type to go running after boys and be desperate to be in a relationship, as I had told Jane… Just, she was getting married now, I had heard news that Jessica was engaged too- to Mike Newton no less, almost everyone I knew in a steady relationship… And even though I was technically still with Edward… I had no-one.
Yup. Loner.
The moon sat up in the sky, glowing, surrounded by all the stars.
Like me.
The moon was surrounded by the stars, part of the picture, but at the same time, so separate, so alone. In the night sky there was only one moon, and that one moon stood by itself.
A light tread sounded beside me, but I didn't look up.
It was a perk of living among vampires- you got used to people sneaking up on you.
It was Caius.
"Hi." I muttered.
"Hello." Was the smooth reply.
Momentarily silenced, I kept on walking, gaze fixed on the sky.
"When's your birthday?" I blurted out, then wishing I could sew up my lips.
To my surprise, he actually answered. "The day I was born?" he paused for a moment. "We did not document time as we do now, but I would assume my birth was around the ending of December… Perhaps the 30th? Or the 31st?"
A small smile crept up on my lips. Somehow the date seemed fitting. The end of the year, yet so close to the beginning of another. "Cool."
"And yours?"
I was mildly surprised at his continuing the conversation. "Sept 13th."
"That is in four days."
I was startled he knew that, but then he must keep track of the date. "Yeah. It is."
"Do you want a gift?"
"NO!"
The word came out much louder and harsher than I meant it to, perhaps because of the shock of the question, or maybe because just then I tripped, and manners kind of went out the window.
Caius automatically caught me, and I froze as for a split second his stone arms were around my chest, before he released me. "Are you that against receiving gifts?"
A smile was curving across his face, even though it was obvious to me that he was trying to hide it.
He looked so… so handsome when he smiled… The hard aristocratic features of his face, which rather fittingly belonged on a roman statue, morphed into a welcoming smile…
A warm fuzziness rose up in me, filling me up from my toes to the tips of my fingers. I couldn't help the responding smile to stretch across my own face. "Not really. And why are you smiling?"
He met my eyes full on, and I swore I melted right then and there. "Give me a reason not to."
And maybe it was because he had asked me to, or maybe because I had lost control of my body for those few seconds, but before I knew it, I had shoved Caius into the pond that we were walking by.
~~~(o.O)~~~
Not universally my best idea.
Had I eaten something weird this morning? Extra caffeine in my coffee? Drugs in my scrambled eggs?
First I start a food fight to detain a couple of vampires, and now here I am shoving Caius into a pond.
And laughing.
Yeah. I was laughing.
As Caius surfaced, a lily pad flopped right on top of his silver head as he glared at me with mock hatred? Mischievousness? I couldn't tell.
An ice cold hand wrapped itself around my ankle, and yanked me in.
I was too shocked to scream, or squeal, or even yelp as I fell for an eternity, and then hit the water and went under.
It was cold.
Well okay, not cold, cold, but in comparison to before- it was very cold.
I surfaced, spluttering and trailing algae and pond weed, weakly flapping at Caius, splashing water in his face.
His expression was too much.
The lily pad had slipped sideways, so that it was now hanging over one ear, and his damp hair gave him a bedraggled look, like a dog that had just been dunked in a bucket of water. I supposed I didn't look much better, but that didn't stop me from almost choking as I went hysterical.
A blast of cold water in the face jerked me back to my senses.
I gapped at Caius, who was smirking. "You. Did. Not."
He shrugged. "I did."
"You might want to reconsider your words."
"Give me a reason to."
A challenge then?
Bring it on.
With a yell I leapt at him, splashing water in his face and trying to drag him under, forgetting of course, that he was a vampire.
He was behind me before I knew what was going on, and suddenly my legs disappeared from under me, and I lost my balance, swallowing what must have been half the pond in the process.
It didn't even occur to me that this was Caius, not Felix or Demetri who I could go crazy with, only that right now was fun and right now was crazy, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Half an hour later, we clambered out of the pond, me soaked wet and shivering, and Caius just as bad, minus the shivering part.
He was laughing along with me as we walked human speed back to the castle, and I didn't think for a second about how odd this all was- Caius's odd personality change…
This seemed so natural. Like second nature.
I entered the throne room, wanting to pass through to my room and get a much-needed shower, and came face to face with Aro.
He was beaming at the both of us, like there was a secret message being communicated between Caius and him, while I was left in the dark. "Hello! Have fun?"
I didn't ask how he knew- it was kind of obvious, but I nodded anyway. "Yeah. Just… Going for a shower…"
I skirted around him, but stopped when he held out something with a familiar emblem on the front.
"This just came a few minutes ago… I assume it is not the usual way you communicate with the Cullens is it not? I did not open it yet though."
It was an envelope.
Confused, I took it, hastily drying my hands unsuccessfully on my dripping pants, and broke the wax seal with the Cullen's coat of arms on it.
Time slowed down, as I saw what was inside. My eyes were widening with horror, the words from those around me slurred and muted…
The pieces of paper fell from my hands, as I saw what was on them.
My heart had stopped, yet it was pounding away in my ears, so loud I thought I would go deaf from the sound, or lack of sound, of it.
This was wrong…. A sick joke….
I was shaking my head, trying to deny what I could see right before me…
They were fake… They had to be fake…
…fake….
Thirty or so color photographs spilled from my hands, scattering across the marble floor.
Hands were reaching out, steadying me, but all I could see was the pictures… So many of them…
It wasn't right… It wasn't right… Just minutes ago…. Just seconds ago…
The blackness was creeping in at the edges of my vision….
There were so many… So many photos, but my eyes only had room for one.
A picture of the woods, mismatched body parts scattered across the clearing, odd oval shapes visible through the grass.
The Cullen's decapitated heads.
The images burned into my mind, even as the blackness covered my vision, I could still see the two words, printed in block capitals were scrawled across the page.
"Your fault."