AN: The song I used is Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons. Feel free to listen to it as you read. It will help set the tone. This is a long chapter. Oh, and it’s kinda dark, but…it’s at night during a storm so…yea. Not much I could do about it. Enjoy!! 🙂

Touch my mouth

And hold my tongue

I’ll never be your chosen one

I take a deep breath and peek out from the window. The visitors are all here and seated while Victor stands smugly under the marriage arch. I shudder, thinking of how he had me enthralled. He could have made me do anything. I plaster a smile on my face as an eerie wedding march plays from some hidden orchestra. It was time to show them just how wrong they were to think they had me helpless and dumb. With one last pray to an ever silent god, I step out and begin my walk up to the altar.

I’ll be home, safely tucked away

You can’t tempt me if I don’t see the day

I think back over the past two weeks as I walk towards Victor, who seems awfully far away. If my family had kept me, what would these last two weeks been like? Would they have been as much of a hell as reality? Would my parents and sister hate me like they do now, or would they have grown to love me?

The pull on my flesh is just too strong

It stifles the choice and the air in my lungs

Better not to breathe than to breathe a lie

When I open my body and breathe a lie

I think of Elijah and our last moments together. How long could we have kept up the secret if plans hadn’t changed? I reach the aisles and scan across the vampires as they watch me. Evelyn smiles while Lucedio sits by her side, cold as ever. I look between the three.

“I will kill you all before the night is over, even if it kills me too.” I declare in my mind.

I will not speak of your sin

There was no way out for him

Victor smiles at me as I take my place beside him. He looks happy, but he’s a great actor. I know the only thing he’s happy about is taking me to his bed. Against my arm I feel my wand, stiff and yearning for blood. It’s probably more excited than his is.

The mirror shows not

Your values are all shot

I study him as we face each other. We’re both beings fueled by hate. I guess in a way, we’re more similar that Elijah and I are. We both want people punished. The only difference is I’ll be the only one alive to punish the ones I want to by the end of the night.

But oh, my heart was flawed

I knew my weakness

“Under that hard shell and those sharp fangs, you’re as human as your father. No amount of bravado can change that.” Elijah’s words echo through my mind.

Elijah, my…my what? My paramour? Whatever he is to me, I do care for him. I guess that gives Victor and me two differences, and one weakness to me. Victor finishes his vows and all eyes look to me expectantly. Thunder shakes the skies above us and I smile for the storm that’s about to be unleashed upon the Ambrose family.

So hold my hand

Consign me not to darkness

“Victor.” I say softly, pausing.

I can feel the stillness the air, the calm before the storm. Out of the corner of my eye I see movement from the passage way that leads to the catacombs. Late guests? No…Whatever it is, my move is now or never, so I move quickly, pulling my wand from my sleeve.

“I’ll grind your ashes into the mud beneath my feet.” I smile and let loose a spell just as the first raindrop falls.

Crawl on my belly til the sun goes down

I’ll never wear your broken crown

My spell misses as Evelyn jumps for her son, knocking him out of the way. At the same time something crashes into me, sending me flying across the practice field. I land hard, staring up at the black clouds above me that billow and growl like an old god awakening. In my hand I can feel the hard bone of my wand secure in my grasp. As the icy droplets begin to pelt down on us I hear shouts and fighting begin to break out.

I took the rope and I fucked it all the way

In this twilight, how dare you speak of grace

The noise of another body nearby brings me to my feet. Sheets of rain are pouring down, hindering vision. Fire will be useless now, unless I can get under the heavy trees on the other side of the courtyard. I catch Lucedio’s silver eyes following me just before his body does. I run for my life, knowing I can’t do much in a hand to hand fight. Just as he’s gaining, a bright flash fills the air. At first I think it’s lightning, but the bloodcurdling screams of vampires tell me otherwise. I glance over long enough to see a vampire woman, my sister, throwing another ball out. She ducks behind a tree before it explodes in a mass of light again. I don’t have time to wonder why she’s here.

Crawl on my belly til the sun goes down

I’ll never wear your broken crown

In his arrogance, Lucedio lets out a scream right before jumping at me, giving me enough time to turn and face him. I catch him as he’s lunging for my throat and wrestle against him, trying my best to fight his strength. If I can just get him off me long enough to fire off a spell. He pushes me back towards some bushes until my heel hits something small and hard. Potions.

With renewed energy I thrust forward, pushing him back. It buys me enough time to reach down and grab a bottle. As he advances towards me again I launch the bottle. The sound of shattering glass joins the cacophony of noises already filling the courtyard as it shatters at his feet. Thick brown smoke begins to wrap its way around him, but not quick enough to stop him before he jumps and latches onto my neck.

I’ll take the ropes and fuck it all the way

In this twilight, how dare you speak of grace

No, this can’t happen. Not yet. I still have Evelyn and Victor to hunt down. Lucedio’s strong though, even with the potion beginning to pump through his body. I feel him tense, getting ready to rip my throat apart, but suddenly he’s unlatched and flying away from me.

Through the rain and darkness, another figure is wrestling with Lucedio, but I don’t go help. Not yet. Instead, I search through my potions and find the one I need if I’m going to survive long enough to kill anyone. I pull the cork out and down the vile liquid. Instantly the wound begins to heal back, leaving only blood within a few moments. With only one more left, I’ll have to use it wisely.

Crawl on my belly til the sun goes down

I’ll never wear your broken crown

I scoop up the other bottles and make my way over to the two fighting figures in front of me. I may have been saved, but Lucedio is my kill. I fire a spell off at the two, throwing them apart.

“Back off. I don’t need your help!” I yell at my savior.

He steps forward and I freeze as I stare into eyes that match Lucedio’s.

“Elijah?” I whisper, confused.

Elijah steps towards me, reaching out to pull me to him. His lips are parted like he’s about to speak. Before he can, Lucedio lunges at him. Time sees to freeze as I see Lucedio’s fangs pierce flesh and Elijah’s eyes fill with surprise. It speeds back up as blood sprays across my face and Elijah falls to the ground.

“No!” I scream, pointing my wand at Lucedio.

He stands, just barely, a cruel smile buried under the blood of his son that covers both our faces. Around us I can hear the fighting of the others. Lighting and the magical balls my sister is throwing fill the courtyard with occasional flashes of light through the darkness of the storm. At my feet I can hear Elijah struggling for breath.

I can take the rope and I can fuck it all the way

But in this twilight, our choices seal our fate

I let loose a fire spell with as much hate and anger as I can muster. Every emotion that’s swirling in me I channel though my wand. The fire makes it through the lesser rainfall the trees give us and latches onto Lucedio. I want to stand there and watch him burn, but I know Elijah doesn’t have long.

I pick him up and pull his arm around my shoulder. Blood and rain water soak us both. I walk towards the gate. As I glance behind me, I can see the fight dying down. There are more witches than vampires now.

In the lessening fray I spot my mother, father, and sister. I could drop Elijah now, and fight with them. I could show them how strong I am and how wrong they were to let me go. I could hunt down Evelyn and Victor and finish them off.

Elijah’s foot catches a stones and we stumble. I keep my grip on him and clench my teeth. My decision was made before I knew he was even coming back. I turn my head from my family and enemies, and carry Elijah away from the battle.