The Fates

Part XXI: Caveat

Chelsea was being carried by the throat into the reception by Marcus. Heidi, Demetri and Donatella were stopped. Marcus' black eyes looked at Demetri. He was hungry.

Chelsea fell violently on the ground. She screamed and Marcus clenched her jaw. He held her so tightly she couldn't breathe. Of course, there wasn't need to breath for creatures like them, but that didn't make it any more comfortable.

"Shut up," he hissed.
"Go now and remove Corin. If I see one drop of blood in my room I will end you."

Her eyes misted. Marcus' employees could only stare. She zipped out to do his bidding.

"Marcus? Forgive me, if I am too demotic with you but what has happened? I have never witnessed this behaviour from you."

Marcus' eyes went to Demetri's beet-coloured eyes.

"You will soon know the reason."

Marcus knew Demetri. He was not Aro's; he was bound to the Volturi, like him by Chelsea. Demetri's face frowned. He opened his lips but Chelsea came with Corin in tow.

Marcus growled. He could smell faint traces of Makayla on Corin. What had that vampiress done to her? Demetri did not voice his question.

Marcus had turned and grappled Corin like a big bass by the throat. He shook her like a Jack Russell did a hamster when it caught it.

"Why?" was all he said as he choked her.
Corin gazed in horror at his beady black eyes. He was crushing her windpipe.

"Master Caius willed it...h..he said the girl was to be destroyed."

"I shall break your neck. No-one enters my room without permission. And the girl is not to be touched, understood?

If you do kill her or even make attempts say goodbye to eternity. I will deliver you to Hades myself."

It was nothing anyone in the castle had ever seen. Marcus had fangs! Where had they sprouted from? She garbled and nodded.

"Y..yes! Never, ever again." Corin spat.

He discarded her on the floor and she could no longer speak, her vocal cords were minced.

Marcus faced Heidi, Demetri and Chelsea in darkening shades of grey garbs.

"Come with me, and bring that with you!" he said pointing to Corin's huddled form lying before them.

Donatella's heart was hammering. He looked at her, hungry. His blank face twitched. His eyes were black, even the sclera.

He looked demonic, with his sharp incisors flashing at her. She cowered. He exhaled and they retracted. The sclera became white, but one could still not distinguish his pupil from his iris.

"Continue your work and if vampires of this coven pass tell them I have told them to all remain in their quarters until tomorrow afternoon."

She nodded, fearfully. He continued walking.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Aro stood and Caius' face wrinkled in surprise, so he was no longer forty but fifty.

Marcus was not deceased. Behind him followed Demetri dutifully but slow in step. Corin was being helped into the room by Heidi's hand on her back. Chelsea was ghosting Marcus, now his puppy. They all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"Close the door." Marcus' eyeball lolled on a crippled Corin. Her tan face had gone white. She closed it in a daze she usually inflicted on others.

"We may council. Sit down."

Aro and Caius looked at one another.
"What?" Caius said trying to not lose face in front of his employees.

Marcus had a mask.
"Sit. Down."

Icicles entered their hearts. They all held their chests in surprise. He had never sounded this resilient. So, Caius in a daze himself sat. Aro gathered the situation and sat too. Marcus gestured to his brothers. Demetri bowed.

"Yes," he said and sat on the step on the dais. Heidi looked at Marcus and when she saw the coldness in them, she followed to sit next to Demetri. Chelsea and Corin, tails, between their legs were going to the defeated vampires but Marcus' cold hands fell on each of their shoulders.

"Not you ladies, sit here."

He was looking at the floor where his feet were. Dirtied by blood, mud and urine. They looked at him as children and he looked at them as if they were dogs. They sat by his feet, on the filth.

"Lines have been crossed and that cannot be mended. How dare you tell Corin to kill my friend." He said accusatorily.

Caius balked.
"She is human!"

"Does it look like I care? Do it again and whoever you send no matter their importance to this coven I will decapitate them."

His eyes narrowed. A cold sweat broke on all their foreheads.

Aro knew he was serious.

"What if she knows of our existence?" Aro said.

Marcus looked at Demetri.

Demetri scoffed: "Unlikely given she came back after her tour group's demise. She did not seem in the least affected. She must have not made it inside to see us slaughter them."

Aro's shoulders dropped. Darn, that was the only way to force them to kill her.

"Ok, but why not feed on her?"

Marcus' veins burnt and chuckled darkly.
"Do you want her?" he said his blackening eyeballs staring through him.

There was a double meaning there that no one knew but him and Aro. Aro gulped he didn't want to kill her.

But he needed to! To show he had not gone soft to the vampires, but he needed someone else to do the deed, which is why he had let Caius slip past, but that too was a failure.

Marcus dawdled to him. He bent over him and whispered in his ear, so only he could hear.

"I know your relationship to her, but I will be damned if I let you destroy your mate, all in an attempt to remain in power. You do not want her? Fine, I will take her away. You finally will know what it is to suffer and respect me for it."

The others watched Aro surrender to him. Was Marcus now their leader?

"This exchange leaves not this room. Anyone who questions my actions from this point further, deals with me. And the girl, if she does return, I am to be informed first; I decide her fate not the likes of you."

Everyone quietly accepted his terms.

"Corin bring, Melanthe to my chambers. Heidi take Benjamin and go get Ms. Bianchi. Demetri with me."

They submitted to his voice.

"Yes, Master," they all said and went to do his assignments. Demetri stood at attention at his side.

"And what of us?" Caius said. Aro was silent, defeated for a time. He had to carefully think of his next move.

"Get out my sight, the lot of you."

His onyx eyes burnt as coal and Caius was trounced.