until dawn (marcus and bella )

chapter 9

MPOV

"Was the directive when I first assigned you as Isabella's guard in anyway unclear?"

Heidi avoided eye contact at my icy tone. I am in the conservatory outside the throne room. Not only was the Cosa Nostra not here, neither were my brothers. After checking both their studies (Caius was currently engaged with Athenodora and I have yet to actually find Aro) I came back here to see if I could find a guard that knew where Aro was. I had just noticed a suspicious lack of vampires when Heidi approached me attempting to look as small and chastised as possible. Needless to say I knew that something had happened. Bellowing for Aro upon hearing her stuttering rendition I was about to take off for the gardens when I hear Aro yell back that he was with Jane and Sulpicia with Bella.

"No, Lord Marcus," she whispers out.

"Therefore I must conclude that you fear Jane's retribution more than mine. As part of the guard we the Volturi provide you with everything you need. Endless food with little effort required, boundless entertainments, all the comforts you can think of within reason, and protection against all other covens and rogue vampires. We the Volturi do not unnecessarily risk the lives of our guards. We do not send you on suicide missions, or into places with unknown results. All we ask in return is that you follow orders." I pause for a moment before I ask darkly,

"Do you know what I did to the werewolf that was suspected of murdering Didyme?"

Heidi by this point isn't even attempting to look as though she is maintaining eye contact with my person. Instead she is focusing on the floor by her feet. "I do not Lord Marcus."

"I spent over a year seeing what exactly affected Children of the Moon the most. Turns out silver does an alright job but vampire venom mixed with silver nitrate works best. Put some on the edge of a blade, inject it, fill the inner hollow of a bullet with it or just pour it like acid. The last is slower of course but just as painful and effective. Then after I finally felt satisfied I burnt its pieces slowly." In the next moment I have her neck in my hand pinned against the walk. She looks up at me with fear in her eyes grasping uselessly at my wrist.

"Let me assure you Heidi the last centuries have not been spent with me learning nothing of import. Whatever Jane has done to Isabella I will do to you ten-fold. And let me assure you, that Jane knows nothing on how to hold a grudge in comparison to me." I drop her to the floor and watch her stagger to catch her balance.

"You will turn in your cloak and find one two ranks down. Then you have a choice. You lose your hands for 3 months or you don't feed for 6 months and you are responsible for all human interactions, obtaining food and disposal. Your control will maintain perfect standards as always throughout the time. You will not survive the consequences otherwise. Pick."

"If I cannot maintain control the entire time period, Master?" she asks flinching at me.

"Then you better not choose that option."

Heidi nods jerkily. "The hands then, my Lord."

"Retrieve your new cloak, then report to Anton and inform him. Leave now, and do not let me see you again for at least a fortnight. I can barely stand the sight of you."

Heidi bowed deeply. "Yes, Lord Marcus."

I watch her skitter out the door coldly. I know my control is short at the moment and if I begin her destruction I do not believe that I will stop. If it comes down to it I will torture and kill every single member of the Volturi guard to protect my new mate. There are contingency plans in place if we must start the guard afresh. I think it is time the guard realizes as much.

BPOV

"Dry your eyes- no, do not use your sleeves, Aro will cause a fuss. Here I have handkerchief here somewhere." Sulpicia says to me some minutes later.