HIDING HERSELF AWAY in one of the numerous studies that no one ever ventured near on the above-ground floors, Aurora found herself sobbing tearlessly into her hands, her head tucked into her knees, her tailbone sharp against the marble floor. Her breath came out fast and hard, close to a pant as she fought to ground herself to anything. But there was nothing and no one to catch her.
What was she doing?
"What are you doing in here?"
She froze.
The absolute last person she wanted to see right now.
Regardless of whatever hate he now harbored for her, his presence was like oxygen to her lungs, even while she was drowning.
"Where's your convent of crimson?" He stepped into her unintended sanctuary slowly, dark eyes razing each shadowy corner as if there were any other devil in the room to challenge him, before finally landing on her shaking, hunched over form.
Funny, she had never voiced her nickname for her security detail to anyone else before. How in-sync they still unknowingly found themselves despite the far divide between them. Still, his presence, as cold as it was, was a needed distraction.
"Sorry," he mocked, folding his gloved hands behind his back. He peered down at her, colder than ice. "I believe they call themselves the Solis Order now?"
His idea of a joke was cruelty, twisting the knife deeper.
"Go away." Her voice warbled terribly as she tried to fold herself into a smaller ball. She could hear the leather of his shoes scruff against the stone, faster now, more determined.
Some silly part of her wished he would just pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything would be okay, that he loved her and he would take away her pain. But she could be ever so delusional. And she didn't love a lie, she loved Alec. In spite of his sadism and deeply flawed viewpoints.
He crouched down in front of her. "What is it?" He doesn't relent—that was who he was. "If you're this upset over the little cult, you should not be involved any further."
"It's my mission, Alec."
"It's the Guard's problem," he corrected her, "This is a mess for the trained and experienced to handle, so as to not dirty your saintly hem."
Shaking her head, she dragged her hand over her face, as if forcing her mask back on. She scoffed at him, gathering her skirt up. "Fine, I'll go."
"Running away again? I thought you moved past that, pet."
Aurora narrowed her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to play anymore games, Alec." She stood up swiftly, nearly bumping her head into his chin, all the while glaring up at him. "Frankly, if you're going to be overdramatic because you're bored, go bother someone else. I'm not going to entertain you, you asshole."
He clicked his teeth behind his snide smirk. "There she is."
Her lower lip quivered. "Alec, just stop."
"Stop what?"
"You're being mean, Alec," she exclaimed, exhausted from playing his game, as childish as it was, it befitted their dynamic. He raised his brows at her, maintaining that cool aloofness in spite of her obvious distress. "Just leave me alone." She pushed past him, but his hand caught her forearm, pulling her back to face him.
His voice was low and edged with steel. "Tell me why you were crying first."
She wrenched her arm from his grasp. Through all his warped viciousness, Aurora could see right through it. She'd always had. Even if it was beyond exhausting.
"Why wouldn't I?" She looked up at him with shining eyes. There were probably a thousand good reasons for her to be crying.
He stared at her unblinking. "You make the bed you lie in, do you not?"
Ah. Still mad.
"Well, we used to share one too," she muttered bitterly. Alec remained unscathed. She regarded him tiredly. "We'll never go back to what we were before, won't we? It would be so much easier if what you believed had been the truth indeed."
She had pictured it plenty; choosing Jasper, fitting herself into the Cullen family dynamic, moving from town to town, a grand wedding with everyone they loved attending. It would've been the right choice. The easy one. Simple.
Boring.
His lips had curled in annoyance.
Aurora sighed at that. She knew he preferred to pretend they had never been lovers in the first place. Alec could never admit to weakness or failure. Even when it came down to her.
"Perhaps you do desire freedom, then."
"I don't desire what I can never have—had," she corrected herself.
"You have all the power in the world, Aurora. Everything is yours," Alec proclaimed, a laugh shadowing his tone. Again, his eyes were hard. "You made sure of that."
"Not everything." She looked up at him, sadness and softness all at once.
"Oh, please," he scoffed, crossing his arms.
She couldn't understand why he still wouldn't leave her alone. Instinctively defending her in the throne room. Following her into the study. Clearly, he harbored ill feelings toward her, but somewhere far beneath there was something begrudging him to care, in his own twisted, dark way.
Something clicked then, like the spark to a lighter as rage suddenly twisted her misery into fury. Pain. Heartache.
Aurora exhaled, standing up and brushing dust off her skirt. Her tone brightened, steeling as she was emboldened with self-assurance. It didn't matter what she wanted him to do—all that mattered was that she held the power. "Whatever reasons you like to convince yourself of to stay away from me—it's all pointless. All of it. The fighting. The hurt. The pretenses." He raised his brow at her sudden shift in attitude. She shook her head at him. "How despite everything, I'm still in love with you."
She watched the words sink into his skin, watching him fight against the visceral reaction to her prudent proclamation. The initial shock, the sharp exhale, the furrowing brow, and then ruby eyes hardening. Turning cold, shifting to sheer animosity, in fear. Of love.
Predictable, wasn't it?
That the scariest thing to a man feared by the rest of the world was love.
"That's unfortunate."
And Aurora snapped.
She had grown used to his game and lack of emotional availability. But she was tired now.
"Fuck you," she spat out vehemently, and reeling before he could interject another jibe, her hand flies in his direction like a dagger, long nails clicking together in emphasis of her fury. "Not another word from you!"
Alec is stunned into silence at her command. He was raised in war and order. Violence was his language. So she would make him listen.
She went after him, not caring that she invaded his personal space. He didn't flinch. "You believe love makes you weak. What's so wrong about that? I hurt you when you overheard my conversation with Jasper the night of the masquerade. But it was never about that," she shook her head, feeling so foolish and blind, "I see now why you've kept away from me all these months, with such animosity and disdain—I convinced myself it was the power—you couldn't handle me having my own, but I was wrong."
She had believed that resentment had grown in the space between them that she called hurt, his was all the more bitter. But he had always ensured she was powerful and respected. His indifference made no sense to her. Not after all they've been through. And she didn't fight for him, only to let him go like some pathetic loser.
"I'm sorry it's taken me this long to see the truth that your heart isn't too dark and withered as you make it seem. It's fragile. You are afraid of loving me. Of what loving me means for you and your duty and this way of life we live. We don't have to be miserable here. And the sooner you realize so, the sooner we can be free." She laid it all out in the open. "I am devastatingly in love with you. So, what now?"
He said nothing. Dark eyes flickering with his own undoubted internal battles. To submit was against his very nature and she was no longer holding off the blazing fire within her.
Mouth trembling, but chin held high, Aurora nodded in finality. "Then leave."
This time, he had the choice.
He lets her cry alone at last, in the dark, dusty room.
She had once thought love was a pure thing, but it could be very twisted and wicked indeed.
Eventually, the pain ebbed away as catharsis seeped in like morphine. She had spent enough time crying over Alec and the choices that led her to choose this fate. In the end, some things she couldn't control after all.
Morosely, Aurora took in the abandoned room she wished to wither away in with greater attention.
What was this place anyways?
Built-in shelves filled with books and untouched artifacts lined two opposing walls. A desk was pushed into the corner with a few rolls of yellow-brown parchment that looked far too delicate to touch and a long-dried ink jar. A grand, yet dusty golden harp as tall as Aurora was placed in the corner of the room. The study was extremely outdated, one of the rare rooms within the castle she discovered actual dust in. It was strange that the very meticulous castle staff steered clear of this room in particular. That was until she noticed the portrait on the wall.
A very old painting was mounted in gold and bronze above the stone fireplace. The woman's beautiful sun-browned dark curly hair was lit by the sun behind, giving her an angelic halo-effect, only emphasizing her glowing deep olive-toned skin. But it was her sharp, yet kind gaze that captured her attention. Her garnet eyes were flecked with warmth that juxtaposed the Volturi-crested pendant and jeweled crown she wore.
Didyme Volturi.
"It hardly captures her true essence," a quiet voice said from behind.
She had been so enraptured by the room and the painting, she had ignored the world around her. It could get so annoying, listening to every bit of noise and scenting every odor in the air. Another reason why her security detail had been deemed necessary. She tended to tune out her surroundings. Not exactly the fine-tuned vampire everyone expected her to be, beyond powerful, but very much so emotional and too careless with her safety. She was still too human.
"Master." Her eyes widened as Marcus filled in the space beside her. Up close, he was nearly her height; just another person with a broken heart. She stepped back, lowering her head in respect. "I apologize—I didn't mean to intrude."
The Volturi king held up a gentle hand before Aurora could run away with her tail between her legs. "Please, Aurora. No one ever comes in here anymore. Not even me."
He looked around the small room affectionately. She could see the memories swarm in his vision, just as she could see the deep, abysmal heartache.
"What are you doing here?" Alec had asked her suspiciously.
It was no wonder now—Aurora had discovered Didyme Volturi's personal study.
And had a mental breakdown in it. Twice.
And had yelled at Alec.
Very respectful.
She smoothed over her hair and brushed any dust and dirt off her skirt in attempt to look more put together, even if her emotions were still bursting at the seams.
"I haven't been in here in so long," Marcus revealed in a sharp whisper. Being in his mate's personal study was painful, but the wonderful memories ingrained within the room lightened his heavy heart. His expression lightened as his gaze caught the light trickling in. "Dyme used to always keep those wide open, no matter how much Aro fussed at her," he gestured to the iron paned windows that were coated in such a deep layer of dust that it was foggy. "She would fix him with a glare and remind him that should any human get within visual of the room six floors above ground, then the coven had greater things to worry about. That was before planes were invented, of course."
Aurora stifled a laugh, not expecting the old king's dry sense of humor. Though, she admitted it was familiar. "It's true."
"She was very, truly special," he said, sounding the happiest Aurora had ever heard the somber ruler in all her time with the coven. "Dyme was a wonder of the world—naturally she was called to our kind's nomadic tendencies. How forever unfortunate the world is to be robbed of experiencing her light."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Aurora said, even if it had been half a millennia, even if she had never known the woman.
The love felt for Didyme was truly eternal. Undying. Persevering.
She could only ever hope to be that loved.
"All power has a price. Unfortunately, our position in the coven placed a heavy burden upon Didyme's heart," he revealed grimly. "Aro understood our desires to abdicate our duties completely, of course. But after she was taken from me, from all of us, my dreams to leave died with her. Didyme was the heart of our coven. She cared for each and every member who joined us like she had raised them herself—especially the Twins, most of all."
"Alec and Jane absolutely adore her—they revere her," Aurora said sullenly. It made sense why the Twins opposed the idea of romance and mates and happy endings. Whether Alec's behavior was a trauma response or not, Aurora was exhausted of it.
The old king gazed upon his deceased love's image mournfully. "She saw herself as their mother for all intents and purposes. After her death, my grief allowed for my inattention to their psyche. They appeared content with devoting themselves to absolute duty, no matter the cost."
Wounds freshly open, Aurora relished in the shared vulnerability of the conversation. No doubt, Marcus knew the decay of her and Alec's relationship. "They don't believe in love."
Marcus sighed. Perhaps he felt more responsible for their nature than anyone else. "Alec and Jane believe their immortality and power renders them wholly invincible, and thus have not cared for the things in this world that appear more temporary than not. Seasons. Fashions. Mortals. And happiness most of all."
"But immortality is not forever. To be alive is to change, as much as our kind tries to deny it." She felt as if she were speaking borderline blasphemy, but Marcus shared no ill will. He even seemed...impressed, an expression she wasn't entirely sure was even possible.
"You are one of the few who realizes this truth." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "I hope you inspire others to do the same."
"I think I've inspired enough." Aurora glanced at Marcus, a little lost upon how he had completely opened up to her out of nowhere. He wasn't exactly the most vocal of vampires in the castle; in fact, this was the most she had ever heard him speak. "Master, if I may ask, why share any of your musings with me?"
"Often, things do not appear as simple as they are." He looked at the painting thoughtfully, as if conversing with his mate on matters of wisdom and advice. "There are those who seek to snuff out a spark before it becomes a flame. You must persevere."
His riddled answer granted even more questions than conclusions. She fully stared at him. "To what end?"
He merely turned to exit. "It comes upon us when it's far too late to snuff out the lit ember. Spend your time here as you so please, Aurora," Marcus requested, resting his hand upon the old door frame. "Return the light that belongs to this place, she misses it."
000
"You."
Her Crimson Convent had eventually found Aurora lingering in Didyme's study. Aurora was quick to be led back to the throne room on word of dinner time. Seeing Jane coming her way with a thunderous expression was a surprise. "Oh, hey, Jane."
Excruciating pain slammed into her head like a train.
She collapsed to the hard floor, gasping, screaming, burning.
The fire was unbearable.
"Padrona!"
Her crimson convent attempted to help. But there was no physical fire to subdue nor relief they could provide. They turned to the assailant pleadingly.
"Donna Jane, please release her at once!" Yvonne, her bodyguard was exceptionally brave to stand up to Jane.
They were trained to handle external threats and assassination attempts. Not passive aggressive grudges. Aurora couldn't blame them for hesitating to stop Jane, one of the very people in charge of selecting them for the position in the first place, without hurting her, and then dooming themselves.
One.
Two.
Aurora looked up. Enough.
Immediately the pain disappeared.
Jane didn't falter, nor offer an explanation, knowing the element of surprise was all the time she had to hurt Aurora.
Immediately she was swarmed by red. Her bodyguards helped her up, expressions of mild concern and confusion on their faces as Aurora appeared fully unharmed. "Are you alright, padrona?"
"Leave us," Jane dismissed them, glaring at Aurora.
"Padrona?" Rohini repeated.
Aurora measured the blonde's tense demeanor. There was only one subject that could ever resort to such a strong reaction.
"It's fine, Rohini." Aurora nodded at her bodyguards. "I'll see you all at dinner."
It wasn't necessary for all of them to be here for this. Technically, if Aurora was in the company of any of the elite guards, she was adequately safe. And the fewer people that heard this exchange, the better. For both her pride and Jane's.
"What was that for?" Aurora questioned incredulously, binding Jane to the wall as if she were one of the 500-year old portraits. Somehow, she had a feeling the elite guard wasn't just testing her reflexes.
"You are a damned curse!" The blonde spat out. The blonde's black heels scraped against the wall in resistance to no avail. Her ruby eyes tore through Aurora's very figure, as if incinerating the heavy jewels, the shoes, the gowns and the power she held. "You've ruined my life, and my brother's. And you might just destroy the rest of us."
"What are you on about now? I didn't exactly want any of this. Trust me, I am not cult leader material." She wasn't sure what she had done now to strike Jane's ire. If Jane was upset that she didn't want to be bait for the stupid farce of a mission, then there were other ways to express her opposition. But this was Jane, so again, not that surprising.
"So you keep insisting," the blonde scoffed, glaring at her wrists that were stuck to the wall at Aurora's will.
The distress of Jane's demeanor went much deeper than any misled cult and rank misgivings. This wasn't just any temper tantrum. Aurora frowned deeply. "What the hell is going on? Seriously."
"Alec is gone," she snarled, her teeth bared and eyes wild. "And it's all because of you."
There was a full beat of silence.
Aurora blinked, snapping into reality of the moment. "What?" she said in a fraught whisper, her mind racing to the worst situation imaginable. "He's gone?"
She nodded wordlessly.
The echoes of Didyme and Marcus' fate, her master's anguish so fresh in her mind immediately propelled her thoughts to the worst-case-scenario.
Jane gasped as the pressure pinning her to the wall dropped and she slid down to the floor, regaining control of her own body.
Tears sprung to Aurora's crimson eyes. It was as if all oxygen ceased to exist. "H-how?"
Jane stared at her ludicrously as she adjusted and smoothed down the lines of her black suit. "He's not dead, you stupid girl." For she could never accept a world in which her twin brother no longer existed, even as a misunderstanding. "Alec left for bloody Siberia."
"What?" She was very confused. And still very emotional.
Exhaling sharply, Jane repeated herself. "Alec has gone off by himself to Siberia to track down the cult."
"Without you?" she restated dumbly. Well, she did feel incredibly stupid to start crying at the thought of the unspeakable. She was in a much too vulnerable state—she needed to gather herself together quickly before anyone else were to catch her.
Jane tilted her head, ruby eyes narrowing darkly. "Don't be dense."
"How is this my fault?"
"How isn't it?" Jane scoffed in an all-too-familiar way. "For the last year, every stupid, reckless thing my twin has done is because of you. Bending rules. Ignoring protocols. Showing mercy. And now, he didn't care to wait for something as simple as backup because of you. If his utter carelessness gets him hurt...know that this was nothing in comparison to what I will do to you."
Aurora laughed. And laughed harder. She felt almost drunk. "I told Alec I was in love with him and he ran away."
The guard looked at her as if she were positively stupid. "You must mean my brother was so driven to eliminating all threats to you, that he willfully traveled halfway around the world without regard for his own safety in the name of your protection."
The controller paused, tilting her head considerably. "When you put it that way, maybe that sounds more noble."
The twin rolled her eyes. "Lovesick fools." Jane sighed exasperatedly, throwing her hands up in the air. "Why did I even bother?"
There's some admission of guilt in her tone that Aurora couldn't let slide by. Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "What did you do?"
Despite her fight against the compulsion, the truth escaped from behind her gritted teeth like shards of glass. "Perhaps, it was I, at your ascension ball, who convinced Cullen that he still had a chance to rescue you and that the private gardens were coincidentally secluded."
"And you made sure Alec was there to misinterpret things."
"I was protecting him as his sense of self-preservation is lacking these days. Lying to me is one thing, but our Masters...It was for his own good if he had picked duty over desire...perhaps they are now one in the same. His unfortunate love for you has made him foolish." She did not mince her words.
"What the hell?"
Jane shrugged. "As well as I thought you'd pick Prince Charming, confederate soldier. Still, my brother never stopped being obsessed with you. Convincing Aro to grant you personal bodyguards. Removing you from night patrols and risky missions. Even going so far as to warn off all the other social-climbing guards to leave you alone. He just believed you didn't want him."
"Jane, you're a real bitch." Aurora stared at her, her head pounding with all the revelations. "But, I respect you for wanting to protect Alec. Even if we're all adults."
"I'll always protect my twin, no matter his strange tastes," Jane shrugged. "In the end, I think we all learned a valuable lesson here."
"Alec is an idiot?"
If she had said that to Jane in any other situation, she'd find herself ablaze in pain. But there was some sort of understanding between the two girls, for the first time.
And so instead, the blonde merely nodded in response as she said in agreement, "Precisely."
"Weirdly enough, I guess I'm just relieved you aren't being a overly protective-sister, a la Crimson Peak."
Aurora wasn't sure Jane understood her reference, but she remembered a long time ago Alec mentioned his twin enjoyed gothic horror movies. It was the only form of mortal media the vampire partook in. The resulting revulsion on the blonde's face answered that question.
Jane nearly gagged at the mere insinuation. "You're sick for that. Don't ever suggest such a foul, offensive thing again! How vile. He used to stick his boogers in my hair," she scrunched her nose in disgust. "Men are all disgusting—even my brother."
For the first time in a while, Aurora let out a sharp laugh. "Truce?"
"Let us find Alec. And I may consider it."
000
A. N | and we are moving right along! honestly wtf is wrong with alec hes so toxic my scorpio king 🙄🙄 any guesses to why he's really acting like that?? also if it hasnt been obvious marcus and didyme are our tragic foil pair reflecting alec and rory