Penance ↠ Volturi Kings {2} ✓

024

I woke up flat on my back. For a moment I was seized with the overwhelming fear that I was still being influenced by Maxim's gift, but the feeling flitted away as soon as it had come; I had never remembered Maxim's influence before - though I had come close - so what I was experiencing now must be real.

I checked my watch and my heart lurched. It was just past four-thirty in the morning, which gave me an hour to make the hour and a half trip to the battle field. Even as I began running the shadows engulfed me, allowing me to pass through walls and take a straight line out of the castle rather than being confined to the halls.

The shadows felt different somehow, responsive to my wills and whims in a way they never had been before. I barely stopped to grab my crest, the shadows reaching out like an extension of my arm to grab it and I was off running again with it thudding reassuringly against my breastbone.

The scent trail of the army was easy to follow. I needed only to focus on pushing myself to run faster, faster, faster until the world around me faded to nothing but the scent trail I was following and the ground beneath my feet.

The first rays of sun peaked above the horizon as the sounds of battle reached me. There were sudden cracks of noise, like boulders crashing together, and I could see smoke rising some distance away. I pushed myself to run faster, thankful that I still possessed my newborn speed.

A little further and I saw the still-burning remains of a vampire. Only by scent did I know it was Ana, as her face was already burnt beyond recognition. I didn't stay to ponder who had been sent to kill her, but Bella was high on my list of guesses. I moved on, following the sounds of battle now instead of the scent of the army.

All of a sudden the trees gave way to a massive clearing. It took me several seconds to make any sense of the confusion. I spotted Caesar first, fighting alongside Marcus and Aro. They were a devastating force. Maxim was nearby, viciously protecting a dismembered guard; I could not tell who it was, but Maxim's gift was ensuring attackers stayed far away from his fallen companion. I saw Carlisle and Esme fighting in tandem, an elaborate dance that their foes could not keep up with.

The Romanian coven possessed greater numbers, but their lack of proper combat training was clearly their downfall.

I instinctually searched for Caius, whom I had not yet seen, and realized three things in rapid succession:

The first was that on the opposite side of the field, he was being restrained by several of the Romanians.

The second was that Doyle was stalking towards him, intent on the kill.

The third was that if I did not reach him, Caius was going to die.

I started running. Anger buzzed through me and I felt the shadows gathering as my desperation grew. Doyle was almost on him. I would not make it in time. Go go go-

I was halfway across the field, much too far away, when the world blinked. For the barest second there was nothing but darkness and then I was upon Doyle, the shadows rolling off of me as I grabbed him around the neck and slammed him to the ground, ripping into his throat with my teeth and twisting off his head with savage pleasure.

My name swept through the battlefield as I tossed Doyle's head away, fangs still dripping with his venom. Caius had used the shock of my appearance to break free, swiftly beheading his remaining attackers.

I didn't wait for the surprise of my arrival to fade before I jumped back into the fight. Assured that he wasn't in immediate danger of being killed, I didn't spare Caius another glance. I didn't need the distraction. My gift made me a deadly opponent; the shadows ebbed and flowed over me like a second skin and needed only the barest prompting to solidify and turn me even more lethal.