break; a.v. [ hiatus | rewriting ]

chapter xix

Apollo watched the camera of Ciaus marching himself down to the cells, before it cut out. THe camera didn't go into the dungeons. His heart went out to him. He had been with Anethedora for almost 2,000 years, and now she's with someone else, and taking away everything he has ever loved. He turned off the camera and stood by the window that stared out into the woods. Apollo has grown to hate going outside, so he's been verging on starvation for far too long.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" He asked no one in particular. He just watched the trees sway. The squirrel scampering up the tree. Everything was so alive and moving. That was the most bizarre thing. He felt like a lovecraftian creature. A monster of stone that was hard to imagine. Who didn't need to move, and had a habit of collecting dust while watching the cameras. After a couple more seconds pretending to be human once more he left his new home.

Everything was loud. He stepped carefully and was careful to walk into the wind while looking for his prey. The leaves crunched under his feet, and his clothes rustled with each movement.

Before long he found a large Apennine Chamois. He had learned about them in a scavenger hunt type book in one of the rooms. He crouched low to the ground trying to get a good angel to pounced on the mammal.

He had grown used to the odd taste. It was like he could only live off food made by children with little parental supervision. Questionable tastes you can't quite pinpoint, but you really hope you never have to taste again. With luck this could last him for three-or-so days.

On the way back to his cabin he caught a smell that he recognized lal too much, Alec. A smile had taken over his face as he ran into the house calling for him. Alec was found caressing the scavenger hunt book Apollo had been using.

"Whenever Jane and I had been here we used to use this book. Even went as far as to nickname everyone an animal in this book." A bittersweet small had taken over his lips. He was only a head shorter than Apollo and looked to be thirteen, but he was far older than him, "But, that's unimportant. I need to get you somewhere far away from here. There was an attack, and there is no one left who can fight." Alec tightly smiled and somehow found a suitcase and stared placing the outdated clothes Apollo had been wearing for the past weeks into the bag.

"Wait, Alec." He placed a hand on Alec's moving ams. He seemed off. Like a life size marionette doll. His movements were sudden and jerky as if he had no control of himself. As Apollo focus on Alec a faint purple shimmer hovered just over his skin. He had seen it before when he trained with Darcia, but at the time he just thought it was a trick of the light. On a whim he hoped he would be able to break her hold over him. She said it was weaker when she wasn't making direct contact with the person. Alec had halted his movements to stare at Apollo in confusion. He listened to every word too eagerly. The Alec he knew was prone to asking questions, and small forms of rebellion for entertainment.

Apollo shook his head in a dismissive manner and Alec went back to work allowing him to focus on the gimmering shell. He imagined it gently cracking, like an egg shell. With the swift tap, it cracked. He hit again a bit more forcefully this time, and the glimmer started to slowly fade. He hit again, this time Alec gasped as it he was coming up for air after being drowned, and the glimmer completely faded away.

"Those sons of biscuit eaters." Alec swore and did a dramatic head swivel towards whatever direction he perceived them to be. His face pinched together in anger as dangerous as War herself. It didn't look right on the face of a young child. Apollo sat on the couch and pat the seat next to him.

"Alec, what happened?" He asked. The cameras didn;t come with a microphone so his understanding of the event were sketchy, at best.

"Well, your sister,' He sneered the words, "and the queens took control of the castle. They hurt Jane, they even had Chelsea weaken my bond to her. They tortured us." His voice grew thick when he spoke of Jane. Apollo's face must of shown his horror.

"So, you really didn't know?" He asked observing his hands move. There was this oddness about vampire skin. It was perfectly smooth, but each movement sounded like rocks scraping against each other.

"Of course not, Alec." Apollo grabbed his hands and looked deeply into his eyes begging him to believe him, "You are my family, all of you. I wouldn't ever intentionally harm any of you, I swear." Jane's story of their father flashed briefly in his mind as Alec's eyes watered and he looked at his hand.

"Our connection is broken and I feel like I'm missing part of myself. They made me forget my love for her, and only think about your safety and getting you as far as possible for Volterra." His voice cracked and his head fell into crook of Apollo's neck as his fingers ran Alec's hair.

"It's okay, we'll save them. I promise, I won't let them hurt our family." His voice was so soft it was as if he was afraid to destroy to solomon air surround around them.

The two comforted each other. Telling each other stories about the others. Hidden in the words were guide "I miss them"s and "I love him"s, that we're heard without needing to be said. Alec had more stories of course, but Apollo had amassed quite a few about Aro, and Anton, even a good bit about Jane. Their laughter mingled with broken voices, and sad hearts. Despite the joy in the words the sorrow was impossible to hide. If only they could just save their family.