The Shadows of the Sun

Chapter Ten

I'm not sure how long I was left there for before the door opened again to permit Felix and another burly guard I did not know. They both seized me roughly by the arms and lugged me to the throne room. I was scared. I was scared of what was going to happen to me or to those I loved. The doors to the throne room were thrown open and I prepared myself for the worst.

"Ah Kaiya, I have summoned you due to the incident that occurred earlier in the day between you and Felix." Felix's grip tightened painfully on my arm, a silent promise of pain. "Due to this being the first infraction there will be no formal punishment, however that will not be the case if it were to happen again. Instead, we have decided to simply take preventative measures. Demetri appeared, holding an onyx cuff and choker. The room tensed, waiting for my reaction. I did nothing though. I stood silently as my wrists were held firm by the two hulking vampires and the dampening stones were clipped on both my wrist and throat. Why? I guess I was doing it to prevent any further punishment from taking place. I had no desire to be harmed and I did not want anything to happen to Finn, so I took it silently. I tuned out the rest of the conversation, as it was not directed at me, and eventually I was returned to my room in the same ungraceful manner I was brought down in. Once there, I slept.

The next four months passed without incident. I ate, slept, and trained. My onyx cuffs were never removed, giving me a severe disadvantage when training. I was unable to flare, my speed was reduced to that of a very fast human, my strength was not better off. I did not heal as quickly, I could not create any weapons. I could still fight decently with them. It was harder, as the blades never seemed to have quite the right balance, but I did my best. Felix repaid me back many times over for almost killing him. There was little variation in the days, but something felt different about today. Demetri was late retrieving me for my training session, and informed me that the kings had requested my presence in the throne room afterwards. Training proceeded much the same as usual, a sparring match with Felix. Afterwards I was dragged to the throne room where I was forced to bow before the kings.

"Ah Kaiya! My brothers and I have decided it is time for you to join in with the more regular activities of our guard. You will join them on a mission to the United States where you will exterminate a small coven that has been revealing their presence and species to numerous humans." I was debriefed on the mission and told we would leave in an hour. I was returned to my room, where I found blood red robes waiting for me on my bed. I assumed I was supposed to wear them like the other members of the Volturi guard wore them. As much as I didn't want to, I put them on. To my great surprise they were rather comfortable and were easy to move in. Not something I expected. Demetri and Felix showed up to take me to a car where Jane and Alec waited, then we were off. We took another private jet to Virginia, where the rogue coven resided. I sat there in silence. I was excited to finally be able to leave the castle and feel the sun on my back and the breeze through my hair. I was occasionally permitted visits outside, but under heavy guard and only on castle grounds. As I stepped off the plane I felt freer than I had in months, a feeling that was immediately shattered when I was told to get on Demetri's back so he could run. I did what I was told, simply because I was in a good mood. We ran for a little bit only stopping when a dilapidated cabin could be seen in the distance. I climbed off of Demetri's back, glad to be on my own feet again. I hated riding along. It gave me a weird feeling of nausea and weightlessness. All four of the vampires fixed me with an appraising look.

"What?" I demanded.

"Do not do anything stupid." Jane warned before stepping forward and unlocking the onyx cuffs that resided on my wrists. I subconsciously rubbed them. My thoughts ran wild with this newfound freedom, and it must have shown on my ace because all the vampires tensed, gazes fixated on me. I tried my best to remind myself that my time would come, but it was not right now. They would be expecting it. I didn't have a needed advantage. I didn't know how to protect Finn. Staying here would protect him. Staying with them would protect him. I took a deep breath, then looked back at the Volturi guard.

"Are we doing this or not?" I questioned with a different kind of determination in my voice. The determination to bid my time and be free of them once and for all. But for now, it was the determination to do my job to the best of my ability to gain their trust, which could definitely have its benefits in the long run. That seemed to snap the vampires out of their suspicious air and they began to stride forward confidently toward the cabin. I trailed behind a bit. I was not too keen on starting physical fights with vampires, I just ended them. I suppose I would have to get used to it if this was to be my life for the next however long until I could get my crap together. Jane reached the cabin door first and stepped forward to the door, knocking. A lean but powerful booking male answered the door cautiously.

"Hello, we are here in representation of the Volturi Kings in Volterra. It has come to our attention that you and your coven have begun to blatantly disobey the rules and regulations set in place by the Volturi regime.These infractions include the failure to remain inconspicuous by cleaning up after yourself as well as revealing yourselves to humans. The punishment for such crimes is execution." That was our cue to jump them. Felix grabbed the man that had answered the door and removed his head while the others rushed into the house. There were three other vampires in there. Two females and one male. I took on the male, making quick work of him as he seemed to have little to no fighting experience. It appeared the others were in the same boat as me, as they too finished off the remaining two vampires in a succinct fashion. We were heading out of the cabin when I scented it. A woodsy smell of pine mixed with earth and mint. Finn. Another smell accompanied it. It was metallic and sharp, blood. Before I could think I launched myself in the direction of the blood, ignoring the shouts of the vampires behind me. I ran and ran. I pushed myself harder than I ever had before. The scent of blood was thicker now, almost completely covering the smell of the brother I loved so much. I finally came across a small cottage, and laying in front of it, in a pool of his own blood, was Finn. I rushed to his side. His eyes were closed.

"Finn," I gasped, kneeling down next to him, ignoring the wetness that seeped into the fabric on my knees. He slowly opened his eyes

"Kai." He croaked. The blood seemed to be coming from a deep gash on his abdomen. I pressed down on the wound. His eyes widened. "Behind you!" He gasped out. I whirled. Three werewolves were advancing from the treeline. It was barely dusk. They should not be out yet. They launched themselves at me. I barely thought before I flared and jumped into battle. Kill them, help Finn. This was my sole thought as I fought them. I was weaker thanks to the onyx, but I held my own. I twisted, clawed, and bit until they were reduced to lifeless forms. I had several wounds, some decently deep, but nothing fatal. Finn was a different story. I crashed to my knees before him, knowing what was going on but scared to confirm it.

"Finn, Finn." I shouted. My voice edging on hysteria. I reached out a shaky hand and gently touched his neck. Cold, clammy, dead. He was dead. I frantically checked for a pulse, fully aware I would find none. I sobbed over him. My brother, my protector. He loved him and helped me when no one else would. I had failed to do the same for him in the end. I wished I had killed the wolves slower, made them suffer. I could smell them on his wound. They did this to him. I don't know how long I knelt there before cool hands were on my shoulder, pulling me to my feet. I whipped around, of course, the Volturi were there. Demetri went to go pull me over to them, but a snarl that was purely lioness ripped from my throat.

"Kaiya." He warned. Then I lost it. I flared and charged them. They dodged. I continued to attack, but they just dodged all my attacks. Why wouldn't they fight me? After a few more attempts Jane looked and Alec and a misty haze spewed from his hands. I ignored it, then realized that was a mistake when I was suddenly floating in a world of nothingness.