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"Where are you taking me?" Tashi looked to her left, squinting her eyes in suspicion as her mate drove. "Do you trust me?" He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as she smiled. "You haven't done much to earn my trust, so I'm unsure," she shrugged. He chuckled softly, "good point. But, trust me, you'll love this place." She raised a brow, "it's not someplace you've taken your wife before, is it?"

"Ex-wife," he corrected, "and no, I've not taken her here. I didn't really take her anywhere."

"Weren't much of a romantic, were you?" She mused.

"I was, I am, it just wasn't for her. Our relationship was...different. We were friends before we married. She had a mate, his name was Joshua. But he wanted to take her away from the Volturi and Aro wouldn't have it. She was a valuable asset to the coven." Caius said, and she furrowed her brows in thought at his words. "..and let me guess. Aro killed this Joshua...and he forced you to marry so she couldn't leave. But if that's true...how could she have left now?"

Caius glanced at her, and normally, he would never tell secrets kept within Volturi walls, but he couldn't find it in himself to lie to her. "Aro let her leave...because he wants you to replace her."

Tashi scoffed in disbelief, until she saw his face...he wasn't kidding. "No. No, there's no way. He's mad. I would never join. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't. That would be like...giving my life away and throwing the key into the ocean." She exclaimed, not realizing the car had already stopped. He sighs, "don't be sorry, I already knew what your answer would be." Her face falls and she watched as he stepped out of the car. She's quick to follow after him, stopping when her eyes fall onto the familiar path.

"I know this path. Why are we here?" Tashi questioned, her golden eyes glazing around the woods, memories flooding her mind.

"Trust me. You want to know what's here." Caius extends his hand to her, and she knew that look he wore...it was guilt. With some hesitation from her side, she reached out and took his hand. He led her down the path, rocks pressed into the earth. It was like stepping back into time for her. Then her eyes landed on the cottage, it was the shade of black, the roof no longer standing, the scents of charcoal and smoke filling her nose. That night on the back of her mind.

She stopped, her eyes wavering over, seeing this felt like torture. "I can't do this. Why am I here? Why are we here? Is this some kind of way to torture me? I don't understand. Why would you take me here?" She held a hand over her mouth, eyes filling with venom, and if she was human, she'd be crying a waterfall.

His eyes softened, he knew this would be hard, and if he could take away her pain, he would. But she needed to be here. He had to show her before it was too late. "I was trying to tell you. I gave you the bracelet. I gave you the ring. You just...you couldn't pick it up. You couldn't figure it out. I didn't want to do this. Just showing you this place will get me in a lot of trouble with my brother. But, I can't keep this from you any longer. I want no secrets between us. And I can't bear see you in pain any longer. Trust me, Tashi. Please, just trust me."

She took a deep breath, her hand tightening around his, "I trust you."

He kept her close, the two approaching the burned down cottage. The door was broken down, kicked to the side. She took a shaky breath as she followed him into the place. She wondered how it was still here. It had been centuries since that night occurred. She'd figured it'd be taken down, changing with the different eras, but no, it remained the same. He led her to the back, and let go of her hand as he stopped in front of a rug. She looked down at it, her brows furrowed, "there's a cellar under there...we just kept it locked and never used it."

"I know. He told me." Caius replies, pushing the rug to the side and reaching into his pocket for the key to the lock.

"He? Who is he?" Tashi questioned, but he didn't answer, just focused on unlocking the chain. He pulled it off and lifted the doors, revealing some stairs that went down. He stepped down and turned, looking up, he extended a hand to her. "Trust me, it's okay," he soothed. She sighed, taking his hand, he helped her down the steep stairs. He led her down, it was dark, you couldn't see anything.

She looked around, feeling another presence in the cellar. Caius reached a hand forward and pulled on a string, light filling the room. And then her eyes landed on him. He was real. She felt like she was seeing a ghost. It couldn't be. She saw him die. She watched him die. She watched as Caius removed his head from his body. Takashi was alive. He was real. He wasn't a dream. He wasn't a memory. He was alive, and he was staring right at her with wide eyes, his jaw clenched. "Tashi, get away from him!"

"You need to calm down!" Caius spoke, the girl still standing there in shock.

Her brother fought against the chain, but he was too weak. "Don't tell me to calm down! Why have you got her?! You've already tortured me enough, leave her out of this! Please, just kill me! Don't hurt her!" He pleads. Within a second, Tashi had her mate pinned to the wall, her hand wrapped around his throat as he held his hands up in surrender. He figured that would be her first reaction. "What kind of sick joke is this? My brother is dead. Who is this?"

"This isn't a joke. That is your brother. Look at him. He's real. He's alive. That night, what you saw, it was just an illusion. Aro knew you had special powers, and your brother was the only one who could find you. He refused to give you up. Aro couldn't kill him because his powers were too good to go to waste, so we kept him down here in hopes that he'd eventually give up on fighting and join us. That day never came, so we just...kept him here."

Tashi blinks in shock, looking back at her brother. Caius sighs, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key. "If you don't believe me, here's the key to the chains."

A shaky breath escapes her lips, she takes the key, releasing the hand she had around his throat. She rushed over to her brother, kneeling down in front of him, she cupped his face, feeling just how real he was. "Kashi?" She smiled warmly. He coughed weakly, "you have to get out of here. It's a trick. He'll kill you. They'll kill you. Leave me." She shook her head, "no, no, it's not, he would never hurt me. I'm not leaving you."

She quickly unlocked the metal cuffs that kept him chained. He collapsed forward and she caught him, helping him to his knees. "I'm here, I've got you." She soothed, running a hand down his loose curls as he clutched onto her body, making sure this wasn't another illusion. "You're real," he mumbled, holding onto her tighter. "I'm real, I'm real. I'm right here, Kash. I got you. I'm here now. You're safe."

Caius looked up the stairs, growing more alarmed, "we should go, they've guards around here that could be back any minute."

Tashi nods, helping her twin to his feet, he shook his head, a sharp glare on the blonde King. "No, I'm not going anywhere with him. He's gonna take us back to Aro. They'll kill us. They'll make you watch." Takashi said. Caius sighs, that was something Aro had planned when they originally discussed what they'd do if they found her. But now that she was mated to him, Aro had wanted to use this to get both of the twins to join. "Look, I know you hate me, and you have every reason to, but right now, if we don't leave, they will kill you and this will all be for nothing. Do you want to be free, or do you want to stay in this cellar for another century?"

"I've got poor control. I need blood," Takashi explained, referring to the fact that he couldn't be trusted around humans until he regained his control.

"I have some in the car, you'll be okay. Can you walk?" Tashi asked, her eyes strained with worry.

"I can try," he grunts. Tashi helped him up the stairs, Caius at the top on lookout. "We have to hurry, I hear them coming." Takashi squints at the light, his red eyes glancing around the burned cottage, memories of that night in the back of his mind. "Kallie...where's Kallie?" He looked around for any sight of her. Tashi furrowed her brows, her eyes meeting Caius's. "She's alive?" Caius nods, still looking around for any sight of the guards.

"She's at the castle in Italy." He answered.

"We need to get her," Takashi says desperately.

"We will, I promise." Caius said as they reached the front of the house, only to be faced with the three guards. "Master? What is going on?" One of them spoke, red eyes glaring at the prisoner. "Well, you see-" Caius sped up, removing the man's head from his shoulders. The other two tried to run until Tashi threw out her hand, causing them to freeze, she brought them to her knees. Takashi let go of her so she could use both hands and he walked up to the two guards who tortured him throughout the centuries. Taunting him with blood, making him see things, speaking ill of his sister and fiancé.

"I've been waiting a thousand years to do this." Takashi expressed, grabbing onto their heads, and they disintegrated into dust.

Tashi blinked in shock, dropping her hands, "how'd you do that?"

"It's my power. I fought back that night. Killed half of their guards. That's why they chained my hands." Takashi explained, dropping to his knees weakly. Caius goes to help him but he glared at the blonde, "don't touch me." Tashi quickly attends to his side, helping him up. "Come on. Let's get out of this graveyard." They got to the car, and she helped him into the back despite how confused he was at the vehicle.

Caius got into the driver's seat as Tashi got into the back with her brother. She pulled open the cooler and handed him some blood, it was animal blood, but it would suffice for now. "Why is he helping us?" Kashi questioned his sister, referring to the blonde King. Tashi glanced down at her hands with guilty eyes, "he's my mate, Kashi."

"You were with him...the entire time I was being tortured?" He blinked in shock, a feeling of betrayal washing over. She quickly shook her head, "no, no, I had no idea. I thought you were dead. I seen it with my own eyes. All these years...if I had known, I would've got you out much sooner." She took his hands in hers, guilt still bubbling up in her chest. If she had just sucked it up and went back to the cottage, she would've been able to save him.

"I would've taken her to you sooner, but I needed her to trust me. I couldn't risk her killing me if she found you." Caius added in defense of his mate. Kashi glanced at the bracelet she wore, the dots starting to connect. "That's why you took my bracelet." He nods in confirmation, glancing at the twins through the rear view mirror. "Did you want it back?" Tashi questioned, going to take it off but he stops her, "no, you keep it. I want you to have it. It looks better on you anyways."

"I'm taking us to a residence I own. We can stay there, catch you up." Caius explained.

Kashi shook his head in objection, "no, no, we can't. We have to get Kallie. If they find out I escaped, they'll kill her." Tashi's eyes softened, she always admired the love her brother had for the woman. "We will, but first I have to figure out how to get her without anyone finding out. If Aro knows I did this..it won't be good for any of us." Caius responded. Tashi nods in agreement, giving her brother an assuring look, "I promise, we will save her. I will get her out of there."

They got to the large house, it was in the middle of the woodsy area, so there was no chance of humans finding their way into the area. It was very disclosed. Certainly a good place to hide out. "How long has it been?" He questioned, looking around the house, it looked so modern and new. Everything was so different. It was like stepping into the future. Tashikah's eyes fell, "a very long time."

"I need to clean up. Where can I do that?" He asked, feeling exposed in his trousers. He didn't even have a shirt, due to it being ripped off.

"Bedroom down the hall to your right. There's a bathroom connected to it, and some clothes in the wardrobe you can wear." Caius said, pointing down the hall. Tashi could still see his hesitancy to leave but with a reassuring look from her, he was walking down the hall to clean up. "I still just...I can't believe he's alive. I almost forgot what he looked like. I almost forgot what he sounded like. It's like I'm in a dream. None of this feels real."

"I assure, it's very real. And I'm extremely sorry for keeping this from you." Caius spoke, leaning against the counter, hands tucked into his pockets, not even meeting her gaze. "Don't be sorry. You gave me my brother back. Nobody else could've done that for me. You put your own life on the line for me. I owe my life." Tashi said, brushing her hair back. He looked up, meeting her golden irises, "you don't owe me anything. If I hadn't took him from you all those years ago, this wouldn't be happening."

"Except it is happening, and you still saved him. This is the most human I've felt in centuries, chéri. You made me feel human again. Don't you understand that? You did that for me. You gave me my life back." She cupped his face, brushing the stray hair from his race. "That's all I wanted for you, to be happy," Caius expressed, moving his hands to her waist.

"I know, and I'm really happy. I got my brother back. I'm happy." Tashi smiled, leaning up and connecting their lips in a slow intimate kiss.

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"She's down in the dungeons, I know that for sure. Demetri usually watches over her. I don't know how to get her without anyone finding out." Caius explained, they were currently discussing the plan to get Takashi's mate out of the castle. "There's got to be something we can use against him. I'm sick of him being in control. I'm sick of him controlling you. I can't have it." Tashi expressed, frustration evident in her heart.

"There is...something." Caius mumbled unsurely, the siblings eyes falling onto him with expectant looks. "What is it?" She questioned.

He stood up, running a hand over his hair as he considered it to himself. It would ruin everything. But, maybe it'd be worth it. Aro wasn't the best leader. If Caius had to choose a leader, it would've been Marcus. "What I'm about to tell you, it's been kept secret for centuries. I swore to Aro, I would not tell anyone. But, I'm sick of being stuck in that castle, unable to live my life." He sighed, walking over to a shelf and picking up a book, he opened it up and picked out an old woven journal hidden inside it.

"Marcus had a mate. Her name was Didyme. She had a gift, she could make people happy, sometimes even fall in love with her, though she only reciprocated feelings for Marcus. They wished to get married, and leave the coven. They didn't care for Aro's plan to rule the vampire world. Aro pretended to give his blessing, right before he killed Didyme. His whole confession is written in this book. He told me to burn it, but I kept it, cause I knew one day, Aro would get out of control and we'd need to kill him."

"Marcus didn't avenge her?" Takashi questioned.

"He doesn't know, does he?" Tashi asked, getting a nod from her mate.

"There's this vampire in the guard, her name is Chelsea. She has the ability to sway loyalty, and manipulate emotions, all that stuff. Aro used her to make Marcus loyal to the Volturi. A few centuries ago, I had wanted to take leadership myself, so he had Chelsea use said abilities to keep me in check. If Aro found out I helped you escape, he would do the same thing to me, that he did to Marcus, except he would break our mate bond and make you loyal to the Volturi.  Both of you would be forced to serve him." Caius spoke, sitting back down, handing the book to his mate.

Tashi's eyes wavered over the book, thinking of ideas. "We can tell Aro I found out about my brother, and how I helped him escape. He won't kill me because my powers are too useful. Tell him, that in return for my brother and Kalliope's freedom. I will marry you, and join the Volturi as your Queen." She said. "That's insane, we're not doing that. You're not marrying into their coven," Takashi argued.

"No, no, this makes sense. He'll do anything to keep her alive. She's not actually going to marry me, we'll just say she will and he'll believe it. Then I'll tell Marcus about Didyme, and he'll kill Aro himself. He can do it. He's the only one who can get it done. Marcus will always be Aro's weakness, it's why he keeps him loyal. Marcus will take place as leader, and he'll let me leave to be with you." Caius said, completely sure of the plan.

"Are we sure about this? We can trust Marcus?" Takashi says, not as convinced as his sister was, but then again, he had tons of trust issue, so you couldn't blame him for being on edge. "Marcus is the only one in the Volturi that I trust. He will do right by Didyme, and he will do right by me." Caius confirmed, his mate flipping through the book, everything written inside it was horrifying to her. It was like seeing into person's brain, but a sociopaths.

"We leave in a week. We get your strength up, and teach you control. Then, we're off to Italy." Tashi stated, setting the book onto the table and standing up.

"Italy? I thought the Volturi resided in Greece?" Takashi questioned in confusion.

"We've got a lot to catch you up on."

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a/n: plot twist 🤭 had this planned out in my head and it came out so perfectly 🤍

incase ur confused, i follow the movies but i do use some plots from the books!!

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