A/N: Ugh, I am so sorry guys. I was so, so stuck on this story, it was only coming out in bursts and I got really frustrated with it. It was basically keeping all of the other stories for this fandom on hold because it was like nope, I refuse to be written, nope nope. Anyway, this is the last chapter because I always planned on it being the last chapter and I don't think I have another one in me for this story.

I feel like this chapter is crappy, read at your own risk, I was pretty desperate to finish.

Update: April 16, 2017

Chapter 18

Footsteps echoed through the room and she looked up from her place on the floor. The shackles that chained her arms and legs to the floor rattled as she shifted slightly, her eyes trained on the cell door, wariness evident in her gaze. The footsteps stopped and she could make out the form of a woman in the darkness, her eyes still blearily from the lack of blood. "Oh good," the woman said, "You're awake, I wasn't sure if you would be or not."

"Who are you?" She rasped out, trying to focus her eyes.

The woman stepped into her line of sight and move close enough for her to see clearly and a hand gripped at her hair. She stared wide-eyed into the dark red eyes of the vampire in front of her, her brain supplying the name to go with the face only a few seconds later: Sulpicia, one of the queens of the Volturi. "What do you want?" She asked a different question, only for it to come out as a croak due to the lack of blood in her system.

She felt the hand in her hair shift slightly to get a better grip and the queen's other hand came up to cup her cheek. Nails bit into her skin, but she didn't flinch, didn't wince, she had not reason to anymore, no physical pain this woman could cause would even compare to what she already felt. "You were trying to hurt my mate," Sulpicia said finally, her eyes dark and dangerous. She shook her head, no she would remember if she did that. "Don't lie, I see everything Victoria," the queen sneered. "You stalked my mate, hunted her, blamed her for something she wasn't responsible for because she was the weak link. She was the easy target."

It came filtering back, slowly, fragmented, but everything came back. Her mate, the game, those stupid vegetarians vampires, and that human, she could remember stalking the girl, the torn mating bond causing madness to settle in her mind, letting a haze descend over her clouded memories. "She… she killed my mate," Victoria rasped out, doing her best to sound more like a hiss than a pitiful whimper.

Sulpicia's grip tightened, her nails digging into the skin of Victoria's face. "She did not kill you mate," the woman hissed, hers far more successful, "She was human at the time and not responsible for the actions of your mate choosing to hunt her at the request of a narcissist. You chose to go after her because you are a coward and picked her as your target rather than the large coven actually responsible for the death of your mate." The queen released her completely and shoved the woman away. "You're pathetic."

"Why are you down here speaking to me then if I'm so pathetic," the redhead bit out, struggling to right herself with the heavy chains hindering her movement.

The queen was silent, staring out in the dungeons rather than looking at the vampire crumpled on the floor. "Do you know of my gift?" She asked, seemingly ignoring Victoria's question. "I can see into your mind with a single touch, everything you've ever done, everything you've ever been through, everything you've ever thought, nothing is hidden from me." She circled around the collapsed vampire, nudging her lightly with her foot. "My sister can see bonds, she's seen your broken mating bond and the fractured bond to your coven. I could see the madness descending over your mind, the price of losing your mate."

"What's it to you?" Victoria spat out, "You won't let me get my revenge, kill your precious little mate, what do I have to live for? My mate is dead, my heart and soul are rotting in my body as we speak. I can't have revenge, just kill me."

"I thought about it," Sulpicia admitted, "I thought about just ending your life. But my mate asked for a second chance for you, the chance to get your revenge on those truly responsible for your mate's death."

"What do you mean?" The redhead asked suspiciously, pushing herself off the ground to properly look at the queen.

"The Cullens." Victoria stiffened, a weak growl building in her throat. "Yes, exactly, we've found them. They've been working for my manipulative, psycho ex-husband, cooperating with the horrible schemes he's been working on. We're going to war, if you agree to leave my mate alone, you may come with us and take them out yourself."

The younger vampire stared thoughtfully up at the queen before nodding her head. "I will agree to your terms if you agree to one of mine. If I survive this battle, then you must kill me, I can't… I can't keep living like this."

Sulpicia agreed to Victoria's request. "It would be cruel to force you to continue living with your severed mating bond. My mate wishes you to have a second chance, but I will explain it to her that this is how it is meant to be." The queen nodded her head at the imprisoned vampire, "I will send down one of my guards with blood. You have a few days before we attack, we have to move quickly or they will slither away like the snakes they are."

The queen stalked out of the dungeons, leaving the red-haired woman dreaming of revenge as she was chained in her cell. Sulpicia paused her steps just outside her chambers where her mate was waiting for her. She knew that her young mate wanted the woman to have another chance at life, to break away from who she was, but it was impossible. It was impossible for a vampire to carry on if their mates had passed; they would be driven into a rage to slay the ones responsible for their death or would immediately seek death themselves. For Victoria to have lasted as long as she has points to an incredible amount of determination, and Sulpicia was partially disappointed. If she had been anyone else, she would've wanted them for the guard. Hunting her mate though, that was unforgivable. No, she would gladly grant the woman death, tearing her apart and lighting each piece on fire, but she would have to explain why to her mate.

"Isa-" Sulpicia started as she opened the door befor noticing that the room was devoid of a 'living' presence. She stared around the room in confusion for a moment before closing the door again and heading towards the one other place her mate could be, Heidi's chambers. The queen had just crossed into a different wing in the castle when she saw her mate barreling towards her down the hallway, a furious expression etched on her face. Sulpicia grabbed the brunette before she could continue down the hallway passed her unseeingly and pulled her into a nearby room. The quarters were empty having belonged to a guard that was disposed of decades before so a layer of dust was caked on the floor and furniture.

Sulpicia didn't have to wait long before the younger vampire finally imploded. "Those, those imbeciles," Isabelle seethed, her crimson eyes darkening. "I can't believe they're just going to hide with their heads in the sand and not do anything."

"Whom are we talking about?"

"The Cullens!" The brunette spat out, "The ones that are here anyway, Rosalie, Emmett and Alice. I went told them that we're probably going to be going to war and rather than agreeing to fight with us, they're going to stay here and avoid the whole thing!"

The dark Queen just hummed and nodded her head, "I expected this."

"What?'

"Isabelle," Sulpicia purred, running her fingers through brunette strands, "They have no other choice, I doubt they would have been able to fight. Carlisle is Rosalie and Emmett's sire, and the third one, Jasper, he's Alice's mate. If he dies, she will seek death to join him, so she wouldn't have fought against him. As for the other two, they seem more like pacifists really, and probably wouldn't have been able to go against their sire when the time came."

"Those… those people have done such horrible things, how can they just do nothing?"

"I've lived through history where people did nothing as tyrants took over and horrible things happened around them," the older vampire replied, "It is sadly a trait that vampires retain from our human lives." Isabelle just hummed, her face still pinched in a crossed expression. "There's something else," Sulpicia started, knowing that she best tell her mate Victoria's request while the brunette was already upset. "The nomad, Victoria, she agreed to fight but only if we kill her if she doesn't fall in battle."

The younger vampire glanced up at her mate for a moment before looking away and nodding her head. "I suspected that," she whispered, "Don't get me wrong, I'm unhappy and I believe she deserves to live but even I recognize she doesn't want that."

"What caused the change of heart?" Sulpicia questioned, "I know you were adamant that she was to live."

Isabelle smiled sadly, "I imagined if I was in her place, I imagined if it was you that died. I would tear apart the vampire who did it and burn them before tossing myself in the blaze. So I can understand her, even just a little."

"It'll be alright Isabelle," the queen murmured, pulling her mate in close so the girl could tuck her head in under her chin. "I promise, everything will be alright. We'll both come out of this alive."

"But can you promise that everyone is going to come out alive?" Isabelle whispered, a haunted look on her face.

Sulpicia sighed, "I can't promise that. It is another unfortunate aspect of our long lives Belle, we must come to grips with the fact that we will lose those we care about at some point, especially with how vicious our world is."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Isabelle murmured, her lips brushing against Sulpicia's neck.

"All I can promise you precious is that you and I will survive this confrontation," the queen promised. "Because as much havoc you would visit on the one who brought me down, I would burn this entire world if anything were to happen to you, this I promise you."

Aro paced in front of his throne, a frantic urgency present in his movement. Something has been off, wrong for weeks, something that was just out of his grasp. Ever since Edward killed himself nearly a month ago, it had been nagging at him, pulling at his mind. How did the boy take out of his control? It was a great loss for his work, not only losing the potential for Edward to continue to reproduce using the chosen vessels, but also Carlisle had been inconsolable and was virtually useless to him. Esme was far more useful, vicious, never had a more accurate portrayal of Lady MacBeth graced the stage than the caramel haired woman's entire being. He wouldn't be surprised if she was Lady Macbeth in a former life.

The woman was spitting fire, looking for someone to blame for her beloved son's death; she fully believed that Edward wasn't to blame for his actions that someone had forced him to do what he did. Aro ignored her for the most part; while he was displeased that the foolish boy killed himself, the empath Jasper was a tolerable replacement, an improvement in some areas. The scarred vampire was much more tolerable, and easier to control by manipulating his empathy abilities. Forcing an emotional cocktail of lust and compliance on the unruly vampire had him docile and using the vessels for hours.

Something was still off though, something nagging at him, almost as if he had forgotten something… His train of thought was interrupted by one of his hybrids running into the room. "Ma-master," he squeaked out panting. "W-we, um, the scouts, they've…"

"Stop sputtering and speak!"

"We've received word, the Volturi, they're mobilizing. The spies believe they may be coming here," the hybrid finished, shrinking back a little at the dark look on Aro's face.

"And how did they find us?" The older vampire hissed out, his arm flashing to grab the hybrid by his neck and squeezed.

"They-they don't know," he gasped out, clutching at the arm.

Aro let out a growl and tightened his grip around the throat in his grasp, hearing a sickening crack. He leaned forward and sucked the blood and venom out of the dying hybrid before tossing his body to the ground. "Get rid of that," he said when a few more guards ran into the room. "And get Alec, I want to see him in my chambers."

He strode out of the room without waiting for his orders to be followed. The nagging sensation in his mind finally solidified. They were looking for him, they had found them somehow, but they wouldn't get them. No, he wouldn't let them come and destroy everything he had worked for. They couldn't take what was his, if he couldn't have it, couldn't keep it, no one could have it, he would just have to start over, fulfill his dream and give his mate as many children as she wanted for as long as she wanted them.

Walking into his chambers, Aro found his mate gazing down at the boy asleep on their bed in curiosity and longing as her fingers brushed through his hair. He had gone through a growth spurt recently, appearing as a child of ten rather than a little boy. Aro knew that a few more growth spurts and it would be time to cull the child and provide his mate with a new one; he would just have to kill the boy earlier than planned this time. He resolved to give Sasha two children the next time to make up for taking one from her early.

"My love," he greeted, walking up to the woman and kissing her lightly on the neck. "I'm afraid I have some bad news…"

"You're going to have to kill him aren't you?" She asked, glancing back at her mate.

"I'm afraid so my dear," Aro murmured, "Those Volturi scum are coming, and we will go out to meet them. But I can't have any of the vessels or any of the hybrids fall into their hands, so I'm afraid I must cull all that cannot fight, including the boy here."

Sasha nodded sadly, "I thought something was coming. And after his most recent growth spurt, he has gotten bigger but not old enough for that time anyway." She normally lost interest in the hybrid children when they started appearing around ten years old, maybe slightly older. The boy sleeping peacefully on the bed appeared around eight years old so she knew it was coming; Sasha could feel herself starting to pull away from the child and Aro's presence circling, protective as he readied to dispose of him at a moment's notice.

"I'm sorry my love, you know I hate to get rid of them before you're ready," the older vampire replied, pressing another kiss just below Sasha's ear. "I will make sure you get two children next time though."

"Two girls," Sasha said softly, "It's been boys the last few times."

"I'll make sure of it my love," Aro promised. "But we must hurry. I have plans to go out and meet the enemy in battle. I will not allow them to compromise our fortress here." Sasha glanced away as her mate drained the blood and venom from the boy lying on the bed and quickly ripped apart his body. When vampires were ripped apart, it sounded like concrete and metal was being torn asunder, but with hybrids that still retained some human fragility to their forms, it sounded like wet cloth or sticky leather was being ripped. Sasha was used to it by now having spent years listening to Aro dispose of the children she had grown tired of, but this time the sound bothered her.

"Where is the battle to be my King?" Sasha questioned, a light purr in her voice. She was furious at the Volturi for poking their noses where they didn't belong, but this just meant that she would be queen sooner than anticipated. Their army was vast, their hybrids and vampires strong, the Volturi wouldn't stand a chance.

"Some place isolated so we won't be disturbed by humans," Aro sneered, "Some place that will forever be marked with carnage, a remnant of our victory that future vampires and hybrids will know and revere."

"And I will stand by your side through this my love," the woman replied, "I will be there with you when you finally destroy those Italian bastards."

Aro looked worried for his mate, "Are you sure Sasha? Your children might be there, your first changelings, you still have strong feelings for them. Would you be able to face them after all these years?"

"I left them for you remember, I left them to be with you," the blonde replied, pressing a hungry kiss to her mate's lips. "I chose you. I care for them yes, but you are my mate. If they get in our way, get in the way of what we're planning, what we're trying to accomplish, they will feel my wrath." She grinned, a smile full of wickedness and malice, "I am they're sire after all, I can make them feel more pain than they have ever felt before."

"I still don't think it was a good idea to bring them," Athenodora muttered as she glanced back at the Denali sisters. "I mean, Sasha is their sire, their beloved mother. Will they be able to see her die? The giant oaf, the midget fortune teller and the ice princess stayed behind for that exact reason."

"You didn't express such concerns about the Whitlocks when they agreed to fight with us," Didyme stated as she stood next to her sister. They weren't far from where the battle would take place, the location having been decided upon earlier and implanted into Aro's mind, courtesy of Ben.

The blonde queen snorted, 'They're warriors, soldiers, they'll fight even if their sire shows, and they know that the plan is to capture Jasper and let Isabelle work a bit of her magic on him, even if she has to keep him in that state so that the tiny psychic doesn't die a terrible death at the loss of her mate."

Sulpicia ignored her sisters as they bickered and turned her attention to her mate who was at the very edge of their encampment. The brunette flicked her crimson eyes around warily, searching the shadows around them as if looking for unseen assailants lurking in the dark. "Are you alright precious?" She murmured, sliding up behind the shorter vampire and wrapping her in her arms.

Isabelle leaned back into her mate's embrace, but her eyes never strayed from the darkness around them. "I'm worried," she confessed, "I'm worried that something is going to happen. We don't know anything about these hybrids or how many they have, Ben and Leah weren't able to get that information."

"It is a war Isabelle," the queen reminded her, "We will get hurt, probably lose some people here with us now, but they understand that and are still here."

The brunette sighed, "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Just remember that you have to get Jasper with that void power you have, that is the only way to ensure that he survives the fight and has a chance afterward to be with that pixie mate of his."

Dyani and Ayla melted out of the shadows and approached the group at a fast pace, interrupting the various conversations happening among the group. "They're coming," Dyani hissed, "They're several miles north east of this point. There aren't any humans within miles of this area, which is good because the numbers that are coming immense."

"Ben and Leah should be heading to their base to see who they left behind," Sulpicia said, "They can't participate in the battle, doesn't mean they can't get more information."

"They have the easy part then," Athenodora said, "We have the fun part. Caius! Prepare the guard! We will meet these interlopers head on, any show of fear on our part is a sign of weakness."

Isabelle shot her mate a look, one full of love, worry, fear, excitement; the lust for battle, for a fight, was built into every vampire's DNA, no matter how peaceful they were or if they were pacifists in their human lives. It was part of being a territorial predator, something primal that woke within humans as venoms burned through them and changed them into vampires. Isabelle knew that her mate was a warrior in her human life, same as Athenodora, so the bloodlust ran deep in her, rooted in her very bones. There were no guarantees in war, no guarantee at who would come out alive on the other side, but Isabelle knew that her mate would fight tooth and nail to survive, as would she, or go down taking out all who came at them.

The ragtag group of Volturi royalty, guard and their temporary allies wove into the trees and through the woods to the clearing just on the other side. It was only a matter of minutes before the other army appeared with Aro and Sasha at the front. The Denali sisters let out a mix between a sob and a growl at the sight of their mother but didn't move from their position behind the Volturi guard.

"You have been misbehaving Aro," Didyme stated, eyeing her brother in distaste, "Imagine our surprise in finding out you're still alive, especially when you were supposed to have been executed for your crimes already."

"Misbehaving is such a subjective term dear sister," Aro returned, a wide almost manic smile on his face as he clasped his hands together in a sick form of amused glee. "See, I believe that I am a revolutionary, creating a way for us to live on without the necessity of humans or having to choke down animal blood." He paced around a bit, taking slow deliberate steps. "Just imagine it, a world where vampires are at the top of the food chain as we should be, humans in the minority as our servants, satisfying all of our needs. It's a perfect world, one that I have been working towards with my hybrid army."

"One that you will rule over I presume," Sulpicia said, her eyes narrowed. She tracked the movements of her ex-husband, her former lover, her gaze hardened into a steady glare.

"Someone needs to keep a firm hand on things," the dark haired vampire smirked, before turning to Sasha. "With my beautiful mate by my side, we will rule the world, keeping order and peace among all vampires and hybrids. Don't you want to live in a world like that?"

"You mean a world devoid of humans except those you select, where you rape women to make your hybrids and keep them on as your body slaves, where the majority of full vampires are dead except the ones that you choose?" The dark queen continued. Her words were cold and unyielding, causing many of the hybrids to shift uneasily on their feet.

Aro just held his hand out in an uncaring expression, "Sacrifices must be made in the quest for a utopia. Vampires will have to comply or be weeded out in the new world order, it is the way all revolutions work."

"So that's what this is then, a revolution?" Athenodora clarified.

"This is us changing the world," he answered, "But you tell me, you're the one that came with the intent to destroy us."

Sulpicia's glare hardened, "What you're doing is wrong Aro, what you've done is wrong."

"All great empires started with the ruling party telling the rebellion that they were wrong," the man replied. "And now, now is time for the revolution, for a new age to start. We will start with you, and then the humans, purifying the world of their filth."

The battle started differently than how Isabelle thought it would. She had seen tapestries, paintings, and movies depicting great battles, wars between multiple factions. She always imagined there would be a long pause, a moment of silence before action; the calm before the storm. Then people would start moving in slow motion, as time would catch up with itself until there was a great clash and violence would sound, breaking the spell of silence.

It was sudden, like the blinking of an eye; Isabelle would've missed it if she weren't a vampire. One second everyone was still and then the next there was a great clash of violence and sound, like gunfire and cars crashing into each other. Aro's army easily outnumbered them four to one, but what the Volturi lacked in numbers they made up for in skill. Isabelle used what her mate and Dora taught her and ripped through the hybrids and enemy vampires, hissing in pain as bites started to litter her arms and neck.

For a moment, Isabelle was left alone, vampires and hybrids swarming around her. Her unnecessary breath was coming out in pants as she hissed in pain from the gouges and bite marks that dug into her marble skin. The air was thick with the smell of venom and smoke as snarls and the sound of metal tearing echoed in the clearing. Heidi was fighting off two large male vampires that were torn between being drawn in by her gift and wanting to rip her apart. Jane was locked in a battle of wits with her brother Alec, both of them hurling insults at each other in their native language, an old form of French that she couldn't understand. Athenodora and Caius were ripping through hybrids like butter as they closed in on Sasha, while Victoria had her sights set on Carlisle and Esme. Isabelle's eyes searched for her mate and found her fighting with Jasper, her gaze set on Aro's twirling form as he fought with the Denali sisters and the Irish coven.

Isabelle's eyes narrowed when she saw her mate growl in pain as Jasper latched onto Sulpicia's arm and bit into her flesh. She felt rage coursing through her and her eyes narrowed. Her power tingled just under the surface of her skin and arcs of purple electricity raced along her arms down to her fingertips. The shadows on the ground darkened, and moved around Jasper, enveloping the empath in darkness. The male vampire reeled back in shock, swatting uselessly at the shadows but it was a futile act; the shadows seeped into ears, mouth and eyes, causing him to seize a little as purple lightning danced around his form. His eyes turned solid black and he dropped to the ground, twitching occasionally as spasms wracked through his frame. Sulpicia glanced over at her mate and they stared at each other for a moment across the battlefield, sharing a brief quiet moment before it was disrupted by hybrids that continued to swarm. The dark queen turned and went after Aro while Isabelle turned back to the incoming hybrids. Her gift was difficult to control against numerous enemies so Isabelle didn't bother trying to use it against the hybrids and vampires coming at her.

Suddenly a large vampire grabbed her from behind and managed to rip her arm off, causing the brunette to cry out in pain. She whirled around to face the vampire, but before she could get a good look at him, Isabelle felt an intense pain around her neck and everything went dark.

Sulpicia felt it the instant Isabelle's head was ripped from her neck and her body changed course, her anger fueling and clouding her vision. She tore through vampires and hybrids, her fingers slicing into them like a knife into warm butter. It was only a matter of seconds before the dark queen was tearing into the large vampire that dared to attack her mate, rendering him into small, unrecognizable pieces. "Heidi!" Sulpicia bellowed as she gathered her downed mate, gingerly applying venom to her neck at the various bites she saw along her torso. The mahogany haired vampire appeared just as the skin and muscles around Isabelle's neck started to re-fuse together. "You are to stay with her until she recovers, add more venom if necessary, it's time to finish this," the woman growled though her words were clear. She paused long enough to make sure that the guard understood what she wanted her to do and would follow her instructions to the letter before turning and running after Aro again.

The coward had turned tail and run, leaving his mate and his army to fend for themselves. Rage drove her speed, outmatching his desperation and she eventually caught up with her ex-husband. "Your gift won't save you now," she snarled wrenching him backwards by his hair and tossing him back towards the fighting vampires. Caius and Athenodora had just ripped apart Sasha, tossing her into the flames, which caused the Denali coven to fall back behind the conflict, the three sisters grieving once more. The fighting ceased as soon as Aro's body collided with the ground, a loud crack echoing in his wake.

"Sulpicia, be reasonable," Aro stuttered out, trying to push himself off the ground but the dark queen pressed one of her feet into his back. "I was just trying to save the vampire species, make us better, give us the world we deserve!"

"By killing off vampires that disagree with you, vampires that don't fit in your perfect worldview," Sulpicia growled, pressing her foot harder into his back. "Not to mention the billions of humans that live on this planet as well."

"They are vile creatures, look how much of the world they've already destroyed in the few thousand years we've been alive! Vampires are superior in every way, there wouldn't be need for all of this unnecessary waste or filth."

"Sustaining life by only drinking the blood of hybrids will not work," Sulpicia insisted, "Eventually the venom would build up in their system and they would no longer be hybrids, then where would you be?"

Aro snarled, refusing to be told that what he strove for, a world free of chaotic vampires and humans was impossible to attain. He attempted to buck the older vamprie off of us back, but Sulpicia could read his movements as sure as she could memories. His eyes widened in fear as Sulpicia ripped off his arms and legs, leaving just his torso and head intact. "Sulpica please, don't do this," he begged, watching as his ex-wife started a fire not too far from his head.

"Don't do what Aro?" The woman asked with a falsely curious tone, "This?" She ripped off one of his toes and dropped it into the fire, enjoying the look of pain on the man's face as he felt the appendage burning. This was a special form of torture she saved for the most evil or annoying of enemies. When a vampire's head is disconnected from their body, their nervous system goes dormant until it is reattached. If the head is still attached to the torso, the vampire can feel each limb as if it were still attached. It was a simple but effective form of torture.

"We can rule the world Cia," Aro pleaded even as she ripped off more of his toes and tossed them into the flame, "It will be pure, ultimate dominion over everything, not having to hide from humans and their inferior governments. We can be as we used to be love."

Sulpicia paused and her eyes narrowed; a growl built in her chest, and she tossed the remnants of his legs into the fire, relishing the pained scream as it left his throat. "I was going to be merciful and remove your head before tossing the rest of you into the fire," the woman seethed, her eyes dark. "But you had to call me love; the only one with any right to say that is currently having her head reattached by her sister." Sulpicia glanced over and saw the mahogany haired guard tending to her downed mate, applying venom as needed to heal the bite marks and help Isabelle's head reconnect to her neck. She looked back at Aro and dropped his arms into the flames before gripping his hair and yanking him off the ground. "I hope you enjoy eternity in hell," Sulpicia sneered, tossing him into the fire.

"Kill them all," the queen ordered to her watching guard, allies and sisters, and immediately, the remnants of Aro's army were torn apart even as they fled. Sulpicia took Heidi's spot as the guard disappeared after the fleeing army, running her fingers through soft brown hair.

"Is it over?" Isabelle asked, her face scrunched in pain as flesh sizzled back together.

"Yes," Sulpicia murmured, lowering her head to lick a trail of venom along the crack on her neck.

"How many did we lose?"

The dark queen glanced over at Heidi who glanced around the battlefield. "Santiago, Renata, some of the lower guard, and Victoria. It looks like Jane ripped apart Alex and tossed him into the fire, so we might lose her as well. He was her brother after all, and before this time, they were always together."

"Monitor the situation and report back if it changes," Sulpicia ordered, and the mahogany haired guard nodded, her attention straying back to the petite blonde huddled at the edge of the field.

"Your sisters?" Isabelle questioned and Sulpicia glanced around to locate her sisters and their mates.

"They are fine my precious. Dora and Caius are still gleefully kicking body parts into the fires and dancing in the ashes, and Didyme and Marcus are checking on the remaining guard and our allies."

Isabelle nodded and remained still for a few more minutes while her neck continued to heal. "Can we go home?" She asked, "I don't, I don't want to be here anymore."

Words of refute died in Sulpicia's throat and she nodded. Scoping Isabelle off the ground, she cradled her mate carefully in her arms and turned to her sisters. "I'm going to take Isabelle home, follow me when you can. Don't forget to bring Jasper with you," she said, nodding at the still unconscious vampire. "He'll be spending quite a few years in our dungeons."

"We'll clean up, don't worry Cia," Didyme told her, "We'll make sure that no trace of what happened here will remain."

The dark queen nodded and ran off, holding her mate closely in her arms. By the time they reached Volterra, Isabelle's neck was healed completely but Sulpicia still held her as she strode through the castle. Before she could head in the direction on their room, the last conscious members of the Cullen family approached them.

Isabelle tugged at Sulpicia to let her down and the queen complied, setting Isabelle down to face the Cullens. "Jasper is alive," the brunette told the pixie like Cullen. "I've trapped him with my gift though."

"He will be our prisoner for a long time," Sulpicia said, "Even when he comes out of Isabelle's gift, he will have to be punished for his crimes. Chelsea can deaden your bonds to him, but you will not be able to stay here during his punishment. In fact, I would like you all to leave as soon as possible; your parents are dead, but the remnants of what they did will still be felt by the guard due to the ones we lost. I cannot guarantee your safety if you were to remain."

"We were going to leave anyway," Rosalie responded. Emmett followed after her as the blonde woman disappeared back down the hallway. Alice lingered for a moment, staring mournfully at the two before she too followed her coven mates.

The two women changed directions and Isabelle went to Sulpicia's study while Sulpicia went down to the dungeons to release Carmen and Eleazar. She told them that Aro, Sasha and the Cullens were dead, and that the Denali sisters might need them. The two Spanish vampires left without a word, and Sulpicia returned to her mate in her office.

"What's going to happen now?" Isabelle asked as she curled into Sulpicia's lap.

"Well," Sulpicia started, thinking over the question. "Our friends and allies will probably return to their homes. We will hold a festival for the fallen guards before returning to our daily lives. Then," she said, leaning closer to her mate, "I plan to show you the world. Your first few months in this life have been scattered and difficult, I want to show you all of the good things about this life."

"Sounds perfect," Isabelle murmured, kissing her mate's jaw lightly.

"This may be the end of the war," Sulpicia said, her lips brushing tender kisses across Isabelle's face. "But it's a new beginning for us, the one we deserve." The two settled in and waited for the rest of their coven to return, already dreaming about what the future had in store for them.

A/N: Okay, so that's the end. I'll get working on the next chapter of Beyond the Forge, which had been stuck behind this one. In the mean time, some of you guys have found me over on Ao3 which is where I'm posting all of my Supergirl stories. My current story is sitting at around 120,000 words and still growing so it's turning out to be quite massive.

Til the next time.