WARNING: TORTURE/MURDER, BRIEF INCEST BETWEEN ALEC AND JANE.
Chapter Fifteen
In the world I was to rule after the next two trials I had barely tipped my bare human toes into the depths of its waters.
Waters of poison.
Waters of blood.
Waters of venom.
Waters of death.
Waters of pain.
Waters of many things, and these things could consume you until you were nothing more than another corpse drifting across the surface. Slowly destined to sink downwards to the bottom like heavy rocks filled with weighted down sand.
Or you could sink into the waters and rise up instead of sink down, rebirth and immortality being your reward instead of only death. You wouldn't know what your destiny was, unless you had enough strength and determination to rise up to the surface of the waters even if there were rocks and chains weighing your legs and arms down.
I wished nothing more than for me to be floating on the surface of those waters as Aro would enter me, thrusting into me with a passion and hunger no mortal man could ever have. To have stamina which would never end up dying away, a flame which would never be blown out. Desire always flows through your veins, ready to lure another's desire to them. And Aro could use this, and he still wanted to consume me as much as I wanted to be consumed but it was not time.
I had never been a patient person, at least not when it came to things that I really wanted.
I wasn't patient back in Phoenix, I did things on a spur of the moment.
Renee never gave me repercussions for those questionable events that unfolded without her knowledge, for she was too busy caught in her own questionable decisions.
We were on two different paths and our paths were never touching each other's, no matter the fact that I had to come from her path to be born.
My path would forever be able to be walked on, and not hers.
Hers would be lit on fire while she would be barefoot, and soon she would be eaten away by the said fire. Her soles would be burned away, the embers taking away the skin and eventually the muscle and make the bone of her feet turn into blackened ash.
I knew it was time for my second trial.
It had only been two weeks, but I wanted to feel close to Aro again.
I wanted to have his fingers brush against my abdomen, his lips feathering their kisses against my skin. That head resting against my abdomen once more, as he had done for me since we had learnt we had a breeding kink. He wanted to brush his fingers against my abdomen and feel a little foot or hand press into my uterus lining, revealing themselves for a moment or two. He wanted to whisper in his native tongue, then the Italian tongue, and eventually he would get to English but he wanted our child to learn as many languages as possible.
I was pacing back and forth in the parlor room, while Athenodora was sitting in her signature chair with a flute of wine in her hands. The red wine was sweet, yet sour at the same time. I had the taste upon my tongue in the past, yet I was not as much of a connoisseur as my destined sister-in-law was.
Then again, she was over a thousand years old so she would learn the secrets and wonders of wine.
Not everyone could say that.
The parlor room doors opened, making me turn my head and notice Demetri entering the room before he bowed his head and placed his fist against his chest. Telling him to rise up, Demetri had a look of marvel in his crimson eyes as though he couldn't believe he was about to tell me something he thought wasn't possible. Yet here he was, with news that would benefit me, and I had a feeling I knew what it was he was about to tell me.
"We've found them, your highness. Shall I take you to them?"
Smoothing down my dress I was wearing, I nodded my head and stepped forward. Athenodora arched one of her eyebrows in intrigue before she took a long sip of her wine. She was interested but she was letting me know she would wait for me to tell her what all this was about. I shot her a thankful look before I left the parlor room with Demetri.
I had started searching for these people when I became determined to become a true mother to Alec and Jane. I knew it would take time for me to actually develop a true motherly bond with them. After all, emotions weren't my thing. I was still dealing with the knowledge that apparently, I could love now, since my consummation with Aro, and knew eventually with time I would end up becoming the mother they needed and deserved.
I was led down to where the dungeons were, noting there was dried blood that was caked on the stone floor and the walls around us. Screams of torture were around us, while there were those begging for their lives. Some had gone insane from the long time they had been in captivity, letting out wails of insanity. I merely walked past them as though I was going through a clothing store listening to the latest pop music that was playing in the background.
Reaching the cell where the people were, my eyes landed on the ten people that were crowded together. One of them was a Priest and he was holding Rosaries and muttering prayers in Latin. There were others that were wrapped around each other, hugging for warmth and comfort. There were no children, I had not allowed those that were related to the current prisoners to be in the cells, and I knew that they would soon be sent to orphanages after I was done with their family members.
"So, you are the descendants of those that managed to escape from my children's village. The ones that should have been killed that very night. Yet here we are, and you will soon find yourself tortured until you will wish for death."
I could see movement in the corner of my eye and smiled when I saw Melione stalking in the lineaments. Only one could see her eyes glowing in the darkness, she was at home and there was so much contentment. I crouched down and made sure my silk black dress that had a Victorian Era aesthetic to it didn't brush too much against the dirtied stone floor. She came over and let me run my fingers through her fur, the softness an anchor.
"Demetri, bring the children in an hour. I would like some time with our Priest."
Demetri opened the cell door and pulled out the Priest before he could even react to the door being open. He shut the door and locked it, before he went over to where one of the torture tables were. He tied the Priest to the table. Bowing his head down towards me, he left me with just the rustle of movement being the only evidence of him being there to begin with.
Turning towards the Priest I went forward and placed my fingers against the holy man's cheekbone, which was starting to wither with age. He had very little hair and there were bags under his eyes, letting me know if he wasn't going to succumb to the torture, I would give him he would end up dying within a few days.
"I should not be surprised that your ancestor was the pastor of the village. Your faith has turned against you, my children still live. My children still are lovers, and that will never change. So, pray to your God, while you still can."
Turning away from him I went over to the torture items were, some of them hanging up on the walls while others were sitting on a table, ready to be used. I picked up a few items and went over to where the Priest was spitting out words of ill towards me. I rolled my eyes at him, and his attempts to persuade me or banish the demoness that was in me. I knew this wasn't going to be the last time I would end up having holy men tied up to the torture table.
Grabbing the thumb screw, I hooked each hole into his thumbs, making him stiff as he seemed to grasp the severity of the situation.
I started humming quietly a Christian hymn and he growled at me in anger at the audacity of me humming a song from his religion in mockery. I made sure that the thumbs were perfect in the holes and began to tighten the screws, knowing I would continue to do this until I would manage to rip the thumbs off of his hands. I smiled the whole time, as he began to scream in horror at his thumbs being squished by the device.
Eventually I managed to rip his thumbs off, sending blood squirting from his numbs where his thumbs used to be. Some of the blood came up and hit me on the cheek. There were some that fell onto his robes, his clerical collar a stark reminder of how he believed in a god, when in fact I was certain that we were all damned. Especially these biblical sheep that were actually wolves.
Sitting the thumb screw off to the side, I went over to where the next torture device was that I wanted. The flaying device.
I pulled up his pants and went towards the meaty part of the shins before I began to carefully and precisely cut off the skin. I dug the knife hard enough I knew I would eventually find his bone. I looked up from the bloody mess in front of me and instead let my eyes land on the Priest once again, only to see that he had passed out from blood loss.
The doors to the dungeons opened and then I heard a gasp. I glanced over my shoulder, noting Jane and Alec standing together with their hands intertwined. Jane perked up and rushed forward, her eyes going from me and then towards the Priest. She turned to me, questions swirling through her eyes and her mind as she wondered why she was here with Alec.
"Mother, what is this?"
I motioned my hand towards the dying man in front of me before telling her, "I wanted to prove my determination to show how serious I am with the role of being your mother. You know it will take time for me to hold fond feelings, but this is the first thing I have decided to prove. This man is the descendant of the pastor who attempted to murder the both of you and murdered your first father."
Jane brought her hands up to her mouth and she jumped up and down, as though I had told her I had bought her something from the mall she had been pleading for.
Behind her Alec came forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him so he could press his nose against her throat. She giggled and elbowed him against his side. He gave two quick kisses against the side of her throat.
"Please, you can feast on him if you want. There are others who were found that are descendants of the other villagers. I will leave you if you wish."
I moved out of the way properly and barely had time to react before they moved forward and feasted on him. His skin had become so pale, but the feeling of the venom coated teeth made him come out of his consciousness. He began to scream in horror as the children leant over him and ripped off his skin before they drank the blood of the holy man.
I went to head back to the door that led upstairs when a hand touched my arm. I slowly turned around, noting Alec standing in front of me coated in blood. I barely had time to react before he hugged me, making me stumble back. He leant up and kissed me on the cheek in a sweet manner and moved away from me sheepishly at what he had just done.
"I have never seen my Jane so happy other than when she had met you. It's very rare to have her this happy, and to know that you've given her this happiness twice in a few months makes me come to the realization that you want to be our mother. I know it will take some time for us to become accustomed to this new progression in our family, but I feel that it will turn out well."
Jane came skipping over and leant up against Alec, wiping away some of the blood from his cheekbone. He gave a soft, intimate look. She kissed him on that same cheekbone before she turned and looked at me.
"Mother, will you wash my hair in the bath? I've always wanted a mother who could wash my hair."
My mind went towards the memories of Renee saying she would wash my hair when I was a toddler. I sat in that bathtub for over an hour, waiting for her, until the water would turn freezing cold. Then I got out of the tub and cleaned myself off. It turned out that Renee had drunk too much wine after dinner and had passed out. I ended up curling up on my bed, body shivering some still from being in a freezing cold bath and cried myself to sleep.
The next day Renee took me out to the ice cream parlor and got me a banana split sundae.
She was trying so hard to show that she could be a mother, and when one of my preschool classmates came into the ice cream parlor Renee lied through her teeth to the classmate's mother. Telling her how she treated me to a spa day last night, getting me some sweets from the gas station that was not too far away and putting bath beads into the water.
It was obvious the look on my face let the mom know that wasn't the truth, but she listened to Renee's made-up story anyway. She knew there would be no point in saying anything about my face. Renee was known for lashing out when someone tried to put a bad spot on her. It would be embarrassing for everyone in the situation along with those that were just bystanders.
"Yes…I'll wash your hair. Forgive me if I'm not that good at it," I remarked, earning a nod from Jane. She wasn't intimidated by the fact that I wasn't someone who had a good experience with girly things, such as having my hair washed by Renee or getting makeovers. Heck, I was only invited to sleepovers because they felt sorry about me.
Jane took my hand in hers and led me upstairs and down the corridors. I knew we were an odd pair. Jane was so invested in having me as her mother that no one wanted to deter her from it.
That and I was certain if they ever said anything about the whole situation Aro would find them and make them wish they had never been turned.
Well, him and Alec, they would have tag teamed for it.
She reached two simple wooden doors and pulled out a silver key, one that had different swirls and blood diamonds embedded into the silver. She placed it into the keyhole and opened the door once the door clicked open. She entered and I trailed after her.
There was no need for a parlor room, but the bedroom was quite large.
A king size canopy four poster bed with the richest of crimson silk and black fur from black bears spread across the bedspread gave an medieval aesthetic to the room.
Other than the crimson velveteen loveseats and chairs from the nineteenth century which faced a decorated table that was black marble. A flat screen television was propped up on the wall, in order for Alec and Jane to watch whatever they wanted. A golden harp was angled near the heavy draped windows with a matching-colored velveteen bench. There was also a violin and piano that were in another spot of the room. There was enough for all this and even more, but it was nowhere near being too claustrophobic with knickknacks.
She continued to where the bathroom was and opened it.
It was a more modern aesthetic than I expected. White and black marble along with red accents. The tub was like the one that was in Aro and mine's bathroom. A chandelier was hanging right above the tub, but it was black wrought iron with Edison Bulbs that were lit. There was no toilet but that was to be expected, but there was a sink. A ceiling to floor antique standing mirror was leaning against the wall, there was gold gilded that was framed around the mirror.
Starting the tub, I sat down on the edge of the tub.
My fingers pressed against the stone clay material of the tub.
I smiled softly, as I realized that she would never have to worry about having parents that would love them for utter motives. Charlie was a good father, but he was quite absent and seemed to care more about his job than me. Renee, well she was as toxic as they come.
I only turned away from looking down at the water when it was disrupted, and Jane climbed into the hot waters. She sighed happily and leant her head back, the bubbles from the bath soap I had put in smelt like roses. The lights around us sent out different lineaments, making her skin look even more unnatural and inhuman.
"Thank you for trying."
I brought myself away from my musings and noted that Jane was peering up at me with those large red eyes of hers. I craned my head to the side to let her know I didn't understand what she meant. Well, I did somewhat but didn't know completely.
"I mean…Father told us that you're trying. You have PPD. This doesn't come easy. Alec and I only show our true emotions with each other, and father. I know that I can come to you for problems now. Your findings of the descendants of those that tried to kill us meant more than you can imagine."
Grabbing the shampoo and a cup to collect water before pouring it on her, I motioned for Jane to duck her head under the water. She came back upward, and I poured some shampoo in my hands. I began to lather up her head, hearing a sigh from her. She loosened up completely and allowed me to take care of her, something that I once again wished Renee had done for me.
"What's my grandmother like?"
I paused where I was, the cup of water in my hands.
The bubbles were starting to dissipate, and I picked up the bottle of body wash before pouring a little bit more onto a bathroom scrub. I handed it to Jane, and she focused intently onto washing off what blood still seemed to stick to her skin.
She paused and bit her lip before looking off to the side, guilt consuming her features like she was a little girl realizing she had said something inappropriate.
"I–"
"She's a bitch. Plain and simple. I've been trying to kill her since I was thirteen. I plan on killing her and my stepdad, Phil, after I become a vampire. She never deserved to become a mother," I declared, making a silence resonate around us as Jane took in all I had said.
"We'll help you kill her."
I almost jumped out of my skin when I turned and saw Alec coming into the bathroom. I shook my head at him, aggravation at him coming in here when I was helping wash his sister's hair.
He had probably taken over a thousand baths with her and this was a safe haven for the both of them. Yet, this wasn't something that he should be doing when his future mother was helping wash his sister's hair after killing someone. He needed to have stayed in the bedroom or sit outside of the bathroom against the wall so he could speak to us through the crack of the door.
"What are you doing here? Get out!"
Jane shouted as she picked up the bathroom scrub and threw it at her brother, where it ended up hitting him straight in the middle of his face. Bubbles were floating in the air from the perfect angle of her throw.
Alec chuckled some in amusement as the bathroom scrub fell into his hands like a bouquet thrown by a bride in a church. He came forward and sat the item back into the depths of the soapy water before he reached his hand up and rested it against the side of her cheek. He was clean and fresh, probably realizing he wouldn't be able to bathe with his sister this time.
"I was checking in on my favorite girl. You can't get onto me for the concern. Usually, I am the one who washes and bathes her, and she does the same for me. I had to borrow Demetri's shower and put on that terrible Axe Body Spray shampoo and conditioner. He uses it too much," Alec defended as his nose cringed back at the thought of the stuff. I did agree with him silently, the Greek guard did in fact wear the stuff too much.
"Besides, I thought it would be a nice thing to bond with our new mother. I came into the bathroom at the right time. It seems as though our dear grandparents need to be taken care of. It is the least we can do for you helping find the descendants of our village," Alec added a moment later, making me twitch the corner of my mouth.
So much possessiveness came over me.
Not towards protecting the children from my mom and stepdad, but for claiming the death and torture of them for so long. In all my fantasies and dreams I never imagined that there would be someone else who was helping me. I was selfish, plain and simple, I didn't want to imagine a place where I would ever allow them to join me in killing them.
Yet, I knew it had taken me some time to get this far in my relationship with the children. I knew Alec had started to trust me and wanted to bond with me after so long. I couldn't just turn to his sister and tell her this wasn't going to be possible because I was the one who was meant to kill Renee and Phil. I wasn't supposed to have help. Having help meant I was weak.
Finally, I nodded my head slowly.
Jane had already finished washing herself and had unplugged the tub.
Alec came over and wrapped her tiny body with a fluffy towel. She came out of the tub, making sure she wouldn't slip onto the ground and hurt herself. Though I doubted that vampires could slip or trip, they had perfect coordination.
"Okay, we'll make a family outing. Once I become a vampire, I'll introduce you to your grandparents. I'm sure they'll be delighted to meet you."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: there's the latest chapter of 'Born to Rule'. Next chapter the twins learn about Bella's future pregnancy.
as always: Twilight doesn't belong to me
-it'semmynotemma
