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It's been a couple of weeks since Edward went back to Forks and his departure had me realizing just how much I missed being home. I only had a few more weeks left in Volterra and I was more than ready to leave. But I still didn't have what I came for. So leaving wasn't an option.
I got up from my bed and wandered down the hallways to the kitchen. I entered the kitchen quietly, glancing around curiously as I noticed no stray guard wandering around. I abandoned the thought of making a sandwich and poked my head in the hallway. I saw Demetri walking my way and I quickly put myself in his path.
"Where is everyone?" He looked surprised to see me and it puzzled me.
"You should head back to your room, it's safer there." He said and stepped around me.
"What's going on?" He turned around and sighed impatiently.
"It's execution day." He said it like it was a holiday they celebrated.
"Is that some vamp holiday you guys celebrate?" I chuckled.
"Something like that." He glanced behind me before motioning for me to follow him. "Stay beside me and don't even think about straying." I nodded and followed him. "Execution day is where we kill whoever we have in the dungeon that committed a crime, usually serial killing."
"You're telling me that I've been near murderous vamps this whole time?" I gasped.
"Did you not forget who you're staying with?" He smirked.
"Good point." I sighed. "So who's dying today?"
"We're on our last kill." He explained. We stopped at the doors leading to the giant throne room. "Stay behind me." He opened the doors and I slowly trailed behind him. Part of me was yelling for me to go back to my room and forget everything I'd seen, but another part of me wanted to see it happen.
"Oh geez." I gasped quietly. Some of the vamps took a small glance at me as Demetri walked me towards where Jane stood beside the big three. He positioned me next to Marcus' chair and Marcus sent me a small nod.
"Perfect, another audience member." Aro chuckled darkly. Everyone turned to me and I shifted nervously. "Let's get to it. Bring out the last ones."
Another set of doors opened and two vamp guards dragged in a girl with pitch black hair. They tossed her onto the ground in the center of the room, everyone in the room shifting to cover any gaps or escape routes. The vamp girl struggled to lift her body off of the ground and she let out pained groans as she moved.
"State your name," Aro ordered. The girl ignored him and pushed herself to a sitting position. "Your name." Aro's tone had me flinching and I ignored the glance Demetri sent me.
"Jennah Garner." My eyes widened at the name. Before the girl could lift her head, the doors from before opened again and two more guards dragged out another person. The person's face was covered and the guards dropped the male vamp on the floor. He landed beside Jennah and I knew it had to be someone close to her as she moved closer to him.
"Wake him." A guard stepped toward him and nudged him roughly. The male vamp gasped and sat up, clutching his side.
"State your name." Jennah opened her mouth to answer him and Aro shook his hand at her. "No, him."
"Greg Rosen." I took a step back as the guy revealed his face. Jennah and Greg glared at Aro as he chuckled at them.
"Weak names." Aro continued to chuckle. "Suits you. Weak names, weak vampires."
"State your crime," Caius ordered. Jennah and Greg looked at each other before shaking their heads.
"Fine, someone else will do it for you." Aro snapped his fingers and Arielle handed him a folder. Aro glanced around before his eyes landed on me. "Clary, come here darling." Jennah and Greg's eyes widened at the sight of me as I walked toward Aro. "Read their crimes." I hesitantly took the folder and opened it, trying not to look at my old friends.
"Jennah Garner, crime is murdering her boyfriend, brother, and parents in cold blood. Greg Rosen, crime is murdering his sister, brother, and grandmother in cold blood." I felt tears run down my face as I saw pictures of Asher and Thomas' dead bodies.
"Clary, are you alright?" Aro beckoned me towards him. "Why are you crying over these criminals?"
"I know them," I whispered.
"How?" Caius glared at me.
"I went to school with them in Forks. I knew the people they killed too." I hastily wiped away a tear that rolled down my cheek. "Who turned them?"
"Who turned you?" Caius demanded with a low growl.
"Her name was Victoria. But she's dead now." Jennah answered.
"Edward killed her." I clarified.
"You're telling me your boyfriend is one of us?" Greg spat out.
My hand instinctively went to my baby bump and Greg's eyes followed my movement. "And he's knocked you up too." He chuckled darkly, painfully moving his body closer to Jennah. "You could've just gone out with me and saved yourself all this trouble."
"I didn't like you. Not like that." I shook my head. I felt Killian beside me before I saw him. He nudged me to stand behind Aro's throne before I could say anything else.
"Enough!" Aro demanded. "Let's get on with it." Aro waved his hand and guards stood on either side of Jennah and Greg. "Your punishment for your crimes is death and for your disrespectful comments towards my guest, my guards are going to enjoy themselves so much more. Jane, Arielle, you two get the girl. Demetri, Felix, do what you want with the boy." The four guards gathered around my old friends and smirked viciously.
"You know Clary, I hope you die too." Greg didn't get the chance to say anything else, Felix decided to rip his tongue out. I turned my head away and tried not to react as their screams pierced the air. I was seriously regretting leaving my room now, more than before.
"Alright, enough. No need for the overkill." Aro chuckled. "Clarissa darling, come here." I shuffled towards him, leaving my hiding place. "Go with Caius. He has something for you." I glanced at Caius and he was taking his time standing up from his throne. He walked towards a set of doors behind his throne and I followed him silently. He opened the doors and we walked into a small room full of bookshelves and tables. It was a smaller version of the library.
"Here." He walked over to a table after closing the doors and handed me a book. I took it and flipped it open to the bookmarked page.
"It's in Latin," I mumbled.
"Yes, I'm aware." He scoffed. "There's information about your pregnancy in there that you should know."
"Like what?"
"Some of it critical, some of its minor details." He perched on the tabletop, eyeing me with an irritated glare. "But there is one important detail you should know."
"And that is?" He stood up and took a step towards me, grabbing the book from my hands and closing it.
"Having this baby," he gestured to my stomach. "Could kill you."
