MAKE THEM GOLDEN, caius volturi

fall of a star ⸻ 019

My eyes widened at his grip, trying to yank away but with no avail.

"Atul!" I furiously looked at him, my teeth gritting in confusion, anger, and slight fear. Why was he doing this? What happened to the man I met not even days ago? "Let me go!"

"Such a prize," He whispered, ignoring my demands. I struggled some more as his fingers traced my face. "Caius will be most disappointed when I take his treasure away from him. But I suppose..."

He trailed off and my eyes went as wide as saucers.

"I suppose it'll be worth. When he looks at your lifeless body and knows how we felt when he killed my my father," He finished.

I stopped struggling for a minute as my breath caught in my throat. My body froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up at his words.

His father, he said.

The father that nearly destroyed vampires.

The father that massacred countless humans.

The father the Volturi had destroyed right in front of him and his siblings.

But-

"I thought Lord Khan was your father," I said fearfully, wincing at the harsh grip Atul had my wrist.

He scoffed. "My uncle will never compare to what your mate took from us that day," He spat. And then suddenly, his grip on my arm was forgotten as he moved it to my throat instead.

I cried out and brought up my own hands to claw at his. But it was no use; I was no match for a full vampire. His strength outnumbered mine by a tenfold, holding my neck tightly and crushing the necklace I had on.

I heard the golden chain fall to the ground with a 'clink!' and gasped for breath as Atul's eyes met my own.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when I crush your neck," Atul growled.

I closed my eyes so that I wouldn't have to see the burning hatred in them. If I was going to die, then the last thing I wanted to remember was the face of my mate, and the faces of my family.

Not the vengeance in his eyes or the satisfaction he got from killing me.

But, as it turned out, fate had other plans for me.

I gasped for breath once again as Atul's grip suddenly loosened, a blur of red flying into him and releasing me from his hands.

Air filled my lungs and had never tasted so sweet as I bent over and gathered my breath. Through teary, bloodshot eyes, I managed to make out the face of my savior and the sight was bittersweet.

Prionka growled at her brother as she held him by the neck, cracks appearing in his marble skin moments before she threw him to the ground. The sounds was like thunder and echoed through the summer air, making my head throb even more.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She hissed at Atul, her red dress like a shield in front of me.

My throat was on fire and my lungs were still screaming from the lack of oxygen, but somehow I managed to stand on wobbly legs and Prionka pushed me behind her. The crown on my head still laid in tact, if nothing else.

"She is your Queen, Atul! You cannot harm her like that!"

"Her mate killed our father!" Atul spat back at her, eyes shining with betrayal. "And yet here you stand- protecting her like the crown on her head truly means anything!"

"It does!" Prionka hissed. As I coughed, feeling a little woozy but managing to piece myself back together, she turned to me with worry casted over her features. "Nadine-!"