Till Death (Volturi / Twilight Fanfiction)

41: Expulsion

Silence.

Grey light.

Thrones sat upon tormented, innocent souls. 

Yet still, there was silence.

The room's white marble was sterile beneath the fog. Sun's rising light mingled with the slug's maliced decay creating a sort of blurred effect to the room. Taylor no longer saw double yet she struggled to focus still. Nonetheless, it was simple enough for her to tell that her vision was being altered by her injury and what else by that of the slug. Through Taylor's anger, both fueled by the events since arriving in Italy and her argument with her love moments ago, she did not notice the other presence in the room. She threw to the ground her duffel bag of bones and stalked about the sewer grate as a predator to prey. Around her shoulder, she still held her smaller bag given to her by Marcus.

As soon as the doors were shut behind her she made sure to refresh their barrier of black salt. Each door was bordered with the stuff, even the openings in the ceiling held within them a thinning trail of black salt. That was the most difficult for the crew to pour as it was very high up. And the lines were weak. It was all they could do, all Agatha could think to do to help her daughter. The walls held runes stuck to the marble by temporary means (at the asking of Aro who did not wish to see his room defaced). They were held together by a blood-soaked twine and were numerous. However, these rituals would do little to deter the slug. He did not believe in them. It was what Taylor had Marcus retrieve that would really pack a punch.

With a frustrated grunt at the lack of response to her fury, Taylor retrieve a large gallon jug from Marcus' bag. She knelt near her duffel and unzipped it to reveal the carcass within. Unamusedly she poured the gallons' contents over the dismembered skeleton making sure to soak each ivory in the thick substance. She capped the remaining leftovers and set it back within her bag, turning about her knees to do so. It was as she gripped the zipper that she heard a voice. Pitying, but not so booming.

"It has been a very long time, since I have been adorned with oil." He spoke from behind. He was far behind, Taylor could tell that. Gritting her teeth and mentally preparing herself she quickly zipped the bag. Tossing it about her shoulder as she stood to face the thrones. She set her face, standing towards him sideways as if ready to flee. She certainly was. Taylor was walking a fine and dangerous tightrope then. "I would thank you for the blessing but...I do not believe you're ordained."

"I'm not." Taylor answered flatly. The thrones were still domineering in their own rights. Apathetic to the suffering they had witnessed. Taylor imagined, if sentient, they would not appreciate who sat upon them now. In the middle throne front and center was a plainly handsome man with hair the color of honey, stubble about his chin, and striking green eyes. He was dressed a bit more modern then, only a bit. Brown trousers and a loose-fitting cream blouse snatched at the waist by some leather, jewel ornamented piece. Taylor could tell it was nothing he had worn in life. That wasn't strange to her though, he was not presenting himself as the slug...he was obviously attempting a different approach.

Amused he looked slowly about the room with head rested upon his hand as if bored. He lifted his brows to further show his humor as his eyes flickered from one rune to the next and finally settled upon Taylor. He laughed, barely.

"This is your plan to defy me then? Some pagan tricks to keep me in line?" Taylor did not answer. Tomás straightened himself, leaning against the chairs' backing as if he held the need to do so. He tutted. "Dear Taylor, just because I am momentarily contained here does not mean I do not have the means to stretch out my influence. Some spirits don't at all mind my feastings, they're more than happy to consume what I allow them to." Taylor held back once more. Her mother would not leave her father unprotected. Taylor had to have faith in that. She could not be distracted by this thing's tricks.