𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠¹| 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 ✓

IV.XII

The Kings left the castle without a word. They changed into "human clothes", as they liked to call them, and made their run towards Fork.

They stood at the entrance of the little town, rain pouring onto them. Lucine's lifeless body is held tight in Aro's arms.

"Why don't we turn back?" Caius asked, anxious to leave his little sister with vampires he deemed unworthy of such an important task. "Why don't we burry her amongst the rest of our family? Let her rest with mother and father?" He continued to ask. "They- We are not her family anymore. She loves these people as if they were her family. We must abide by her wishes and let her rest here." Marcus told his brother sternly.

Aro hadn't spoken once since they began their journey here. Only glancing down at his sister and caressing her cold pale skin wishing she were still warm and alive. Wishing for all this to be nothing but a bad dream.

Sadly, vampires don't sleep.

They ran through the town, hoping no human would take notice of them.

They stood outside the Cullen's home. Bella was awake, the child had grown. Charlie was there too, he ran over a week ago when Carlisle called him to let him know that Lucine had left. He could care less now what his daughters were or weren't. He just wanted them to be okay.

The Cullens sensed them outside, quickly making their way out, Charlie hot on their heel. They all stared at the Volturi with curious angry eyes until Rosalie let out a hellish cry, her eyes landing on Lucine's limp body. Emmett quickly held her, hiding her eyes from her lover's body.

"What is this Aro?" Carlisle asked, angry as he tried to not look at the girl's body. He had grown to care for the girl. "Don't get the wrong idea. We came to make peace. To give you our sister." Marcus spoke. Aro was still too distraught to speak.

"Lucine," Charlie spoke in a whisper as he walked closer to her. Tears fell down his face in a race. "Charlie don't," Edward warned but Charlie could only see and hear his daughter that lay limp and lifeless in the arms of a strange man. He stood in front of them, reaching to touch his daughter but Aro pulled her back defensively. Aro stared down at the man and back at his sister. Pain and sorrow distorted his face as Marcus put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "It's time to let go, brother. Our Lucine passed on years ago. Let them mourn theirs." Aro was shaking. If he could cry, he would be a mess of tears.

Hesitantly, he put his darling little sister in the arms of a man she called father for the past eighteen years. Charlie held her in his shakey arms, holding her head in the crook of his neck as he cried in hysteria at the loss of his daughter.

No words would come out. Just screams of pain. His vision became blurred from the tears and his knees gave out from beneath him. Jasper was quick to catch him and set him down. Jasper looked down at Lucine.

She looked peaceful.

A look she held so rarely while alive.

He clenched his jaw as anger rose in him from the pain and sorrow he felt. But he knew better. He knew Lucine wouldn't want to see him angry.

Everything stayed quiet. Just the sound of the rain and the hellish cries of her loved ones. Bella stayed frozen in Edward's arms. She couldn't process what was right in front of her.

"You knew Carlisle. Didn't you?" Aro finally spoke, sending shivers down Bella's spine. "What do you mean?" Aro stared him dead in the eyes, not moving from his spot. "You knew her time was running out and you didn't care to inform us. If we knew earlier, we would've come sooner." Carlisle looked at his children, Alice kept her head down. "I had no clue. If I had known I would've told you. I was there when you three were still mourning the loss of your little sister. I know how much she means to you."