𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 [𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔]

•16•

With an even deeper frown then he already sported, Marcus relented. They–meaning Aro–had done enough to anger her in the last day then he thought was even possible. If what his brother had learned was painful to her then he wouldn't pry. He only hoped that Caius would share his sentiments.

"That...is fair."

Aro relaxed at this. He'd been sure that his brother would nag and push him. Despite his calm nature Marcus could be tediously overprotective and demanding, so this? It was a pleasant surprise that he had given up so quickly.

Silence settled over them both but it was welcomed. The last couple of hours had been a disaster, one that Aro would make sure was never repeated. He had lost valuable members of his coven all through his own hand.

Staring vacantly at the dark wood of the table, he didn't move or even blink.

"What of the bodies?"

"Disposed of, of course. It took me quite a while to clean up your little mess after you vanished." Marcus teased and chuckled, eager to lift the tense and almost nervous atmosphere. They had done enough worrying to last a lifetime.

"They're easily replaceable." Aro muttered, no care or concern in his voice.

With a scoff, Marcus rolled his eyes. "Doesn't make the task any less taxing."

Aro nodded his assent, finally lifting his eyes from the table and the endless void of troubling thoughts he'd been drowning in. "When Demitri returns I'll see to it that he and Felix scout for any possible new recruits for the lower guardsman...and a new receptionist."

The last part was added as an afterthought. They were also replaceable. Too replaceable. There was a new receptionist every few weeks at this point. A result of Caius's fits of rage that he often took out on them.

"On that subject, where did you send him off to? After your little spree you disappeared." Curiosity mixed with frustration for Marcus when Aro simply gave him a secretive glance.

"You will find out soon enough."

Their staring match was abruptly broken by the doors of his office flying open, hitting the stone wall with a loud crack.

They were held in place by shock to see Nora standing in the doorway, her chest rising and falling rapidly to compensate for her harsh breathing. Her eyes, dark and daunting, travelled around the room before they locked onto Aro. Like a bull being antagonised by a red flag she charged towards him, stopping in the middle of the room behind the glass reading table.

Marcus stood straight, not daring to approach her given how high strung she was but, he was desperate to at least know she was alright. "Nora? What's the matter, my love? You should be resting."

No words fell from her lips, she just continued to stare at Aro, so relentlessly and penetratingly that he felt like he was frozen in place. Cautiously, he stood from his chair and walked slowly around his desk, as if he was taming a wound up snake ready to strike.

Her body began to shake, so slight that if you were not immortal you wouldn't notice. All at once her anger exploded and with a feral yell she snatched a book off the table and threw it straight at him. "YOU LYING, SNEAKY LITTLE ASSHOLE!"

With comically wide eyes he ducked just in time, the book hitting the wall behind him and tumbling to the ground. "Wha–What?!"

She continued to rant, so quickly and loudly that it was unitelegeble. His wide eyes found Caius hovering behind his raging mate, looking on with cold detachment. When their eyes connected he could see, he was unapologetic–perhaps just as angry as Nora.