Something Darker (Book Three)

XXXIX. The Head

Salvatore led the way as we passed through the door, into a large, dated sitting room.

The room was decorated with worn, musty furniture and had a roaring fire in the fireplace that was nestled between a few floor to ceiling windows, which revealed how high we truly were in the towering castle.

In the middle of the room, a tall, big boned woman in an elegant floor gown and a dramatic wide brimmed hat sat in an overstuffed armchair.

"Lady Moreau," Salvatore said, bowing his head slightly, "This is—"

"The Volturi. I'm aware," the woman said, her voice low and raspy.

Salvatore hovered by the door as the guys and I followed Jane deeper into the room.

Lady Moreau tipped her chin up and smiled, refusing to stand for us. "So the rumors are true, then?"

"Excuse me?" Jane asked flatly.

"Your coven has grown weak over the years. After the way the Olympic coven stomped all over you. The rest of the vampire world still cannot fathom why Aro took that sitting down," Lady Moreau shook her head; her expression was oversaturated with disbelief. "It sounded too good to be true, if I were to be completely transparent with you. But considering how sluggishly you've handled this..." she trailed off, gesturing about the room.

"We had more pressing matters to address first," Jane said, making a point to insinuate that Lady Moreau wasn't worth nearly as much of our time as she thought she was.

"Is that so?" she replied with a tight smile.

Jane, the guys, and I continued to look on expressionlessly.

"The Cullens had a perfect opportunity," Lady Moreau pressed on when it became apparent that Jane had no intention of responding, "and they wasted it. They had the manpower, the wolves, and they had you on their home turf. Imagine what they could've accomplished if they weren't so...forgiving."

"You don't really think you're the first one to dream up this sort of ingenious little plan, do you?" Jane asked with a catty smile. "Putting together an army with the intent to overthrow us? Hardly a new concept."

"How horrifically unoriginal," Alec mocked her.

"Pathetic," Jane added mercilessly.

"Even so," Lady Moreau said, trying her hardest to disguise her growing agitation, "I doubt anyone has executed it as well as I."

"We're not impressed," Jane said.

Pitch black rage flashed across Lady Moreau's face for a fraction of a second.

I stood up a little taller and zero in all of my focus on her, waiting for her to do something immeasurably stupid.

"Our kind has wasted enough time under your coven's rule hiding away from humans," Lady Moreau said, growing more grandiose with with each word that left her mouth. "We are the apex predator! We should be on top, ruling openly over the feeble, mewling human race. "Limitless land, endless riches - we deserve it all!"

"And you think you would be able to run things as well as we do?" Jane scoffed. "You can't even keep your carpets clean. What makes you think you could run a government body? Even your own parlor is a pig sty; and I doubt your other living quarters are any better."

Lady Moreau smoothed out her expression and plastered another smile on her face. "No matter," she sighed. "Your opinion doesn't hold any water anymore."

For a brief moment, my attention was drawn away from the unfolding altercation by a feint noise in the distance. It was so quiet that I didn't think anyone else had picked up on it.

"Felix. Demetri," Jane called upon them.

Both men stepped forward in unison, ready to obey an unspoken command.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lady Moreau smirked.

Jane tortured her, causing her to fall to the floor as she writhed in pain. Jane leisurely stepped closer to her.

"You've exposed our existence to countless human," Jane said, listing her crimes aloud, "You carelessly churned out an unlawful number newborns and have failed to control or train them. You've broken countless other laws," Jane said, torturing Lady Moreau again, "but I don't have all night to stand here and run through them all."

"You must pay for your crimes," Alec said.

Lady Moreau let out a loud, raspy laugh as the noises outside of the room grew louder.

As the sound grew closer, I realized that it was scuttling, as if there were creatures clambering around the corridors and in the walls.

Felix and Demetri stepped in and pulled Lady Moreau up on her knees by her arms, manhandling her without consideration.

"Do what you must," she sneered, "You'll never be able to escape this castle without my assistance; not alive."

At that moment, my covenmates finally picked up on the growing ruckus.

"We're not alone," I said grimly, shooting a glance at Jane before settling my gaze on Demetri, who stared back at me intently. "Newborns," I said. "More of them. Many more."

"Farewell, Volturi soldiers," Lady Moreau cackled cruelly, "Though, I'd still be more than willing to call off my fleet if you release me."

Jane stared at her expressionlessly. "Put this miserable woman down like the animal she is," she commanded Felix and Demetri.

Without hesitation, Demetri mercilessly snatched Lady Moreau by the head and tore it clean off of her shoulders before tossing it into the roaring fire in the fireplace behind him.

Once our target was executed, we all looked at Jane, waiting for her decision in regards to our next course of action.

The noise outside grew exceedingly louder; we didn't have any time to spare.

"Sister," Alec said with tension in his voice, "What do we do?"

Jane stared at the fire, pondering our options motionlessly.

"Sister!" Alec exclaimed, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her.

Salvatore tentatively stepped forward from his place by the door, drawing all of our attention. "I think I may be able to be of assis—"

Just then, the double doors behind him swung open, and before he could finish his sentence, countless newborns crashed into the room like a tidal wave. In a matter of seconds, Salvatore was swept into the sea of bodies and was easily torn to pieces by the tide.

"Fuck!" I screamed the the room swelled with more uncontrollable monsters, "Does anyone else have a fucking plan?!"