Bound To You: Marcus Volturi

Chapter 52: Avoiding Your Husband

"NO!" I turn away in horror, sobbing violently as I hear an awful cracking sound as Theresa's body slumps to the floor, broken. "Demetri, remove the body." Marcus's voice is void of emotion as he returns to us.

I stay in my position, knelt on the floor beside Caius's throne, laying my head on his knee, my tears turning Caius's trouser leg wet. His hand caresses the back of my head, stroking the hair and smoothing it down. "Hush, my baby girl." He whispers. The others depart until only Marcus remains by our sides.

"Caius?" He prompts. "Don't worry. I'll take care of Lee." Caius replies, and Marcus steps closer to hug me goodbye. "Lee?" He whispers.

"Leave me alone!" I snarl, sobbing into Caius's leg. Marcus blinks at me and sighs. "Leave her be, Marcus." Caius says, and Marcus reluctantly drifts away. Caius waits until the door closes before speaking.

"It's over, Lee. Everyone's gone. Look at me." He coaxes, not even flinching when he sees my ugly red face and bloodshot eyes from crying. It's not something I do often, and if I do cry, I look like a dying pig. Beetroot face and a little snout nose which twitches in the aftermath of my outburst.

He sighs at me. "What should we do? Would you like to go for a walk?" He prompts, tilting my chin and looking pitying at me. "I know you didn't want that girl to die, but she would have been a fatal blow to our coven if we let her live. Surely your family's lives are more important, little one?"

"Yes, Dad." I hoist myself up off the floor and drag my weary self out of the throne room. "Where are you going?" He calls after me but stays by his throne. Good question, Caius. Where am I going?

I'm going to see Liam.

Weird idea, I know, but I've just witnessed a death for the first time and I'm in desperate need of a pick me up. Perhaps Priest has some painkillers for my headache or some anti-depressants. I'm just feeling so down right now. I don't think I've ever been so low in my life, and I don't think I've ever cried so much.

I stumble idly along the corridors until I reach Liam's door and stagger in. Athenadora looks puzzled at my entrance and rises from her perch at Liam's bedside. "Lee? Why are you walking as if you're drunk?" She asks blatantly.
If there's one good quality she has, she's always straight to the point.

Then she peers closer at my face and frowns, her eyes narrowing. "Wait a minute. Have you been crying?" Her voice softens and her hand cups my chin. Liam, who'd been laying quietly on his bed, sits up, and looks at my face, the rare sight of trauma in my expression and appears just as puzzled as Mum.

I try to avert their curious eyes by switching the topic to Liam. "How is he?" I ask her, glancing at Liam's arms, where his cuts from yesterday have gone from an angry red to a soft baby pink. "The skin is healing " She comments, glancing at him. "Whatever Priest gave you worked. It must be good medicine, but of course, we expected that from Priest." She says smugly.

"I'll be back in a moment. Will you watch Liam?" She's off down the corridor before I can answer, so I perch beside Liam on his bed who's face remains emotion-free, but seems to be calm and relaxed at least. He glances at me to awknowledge my prescence but then turns his attention back to the wall he was staring at.

"How are your ribs?" He asks. "Tasty and covered in Chinese sauce; just the way I like them." I joke and his face lifts in a half smile, and I know for that split second that my Liam is still there somewhere. Somewhere far, but the boy I love is still there.

"I meant your cracked ribs. The ribs I broke when I hit you." He adds quietly, a hint of guilt in his expression as he pulls his knees to his chest and wraps a fluffy blue blanket around him. "They're fine." I pat his knee. "They told me to say hi." I tease. "And my nose, and my head, they said hi too." I add and he sighs.

"I'm sorry about that too. I lost it. Big time." He shakes his head, then the shaking progresses so he starts to bang his head against the wall while talking. "I. Hate. My. Self...."

"Stop it!" I grab his shoulders and clamp his head firmly against my shoulder. "You'll give yourself a headache you idiot." I tut at him and he gives me an eye roll.

"Good. I want to hurt myself." He snarks.
"Enough of that." I say firmly, play punching his shoulder.
Athenadora saunters back in, with more of the lotion for Liam's arms, while Liam groans theatrically. "Stop complaining." She orders, applying some to cotton swabs.

She runs it over his arms and he moans from the pain, turning away from the sight and burying his face in the pillow.
I stroke his head to comfort him as Caius did yesterday. "Everything's ok." I murmur.

"It stings like a bitch." His muffled words come from under the pillow. "Yeah, I know." I smirk and Mum tuts at me.

"What's up with you anyway?" He snarks. "Weren't you crying when you came in?"

"Marcus killed a girl in front of me when I told him not to." I shrug my shoulders.
"No biggie."