krobie - Tumblr blog

krobie · 3 years ago

Note

What if in the AU The non Alice cullens found out that she was almost killed by Edward, what would they do?

It's sad that I have so many damn AU posts in which Edward murders Bella it genuinely took me a minute to figure out which anon was referencing.

It's this one, by the way.

Well, part of the thing with that is Edward has Alice on his side. The Cullens aren't going to find out and it's not something any of them would ever guess either.

If rumor spreads, if the Cullens at some point visit Volterra and Aro takes Carlisle aside and goes, "You know, old friend, I don't know how to say this but... Your son murdered his wife." Then they won't believe it and Edward will easily poison the family against naysayers.

This would be believing the absolute worst of Edward and without irrefutable proof, they will not do it.

But Let's Pretend They Do

Maybe they catch Edward in the act somehow. His murder of Bella is pushing her into a beach bonfire in front of everyone. They rescue her just in time, even managing to save the leg Edward tore off and threw in there.

Well, if the other Cullens find out we end up here.

They'd be first horrified, confronted by this ugly, awful, truth and then the cookie crumbles and the coven falls apart.

Carlisle doesn't know who Edward is anymore, he doesn't know the truth about anything. Everything he thought he knew about Edward is a lie.

This is before Edward's met Aro, so he doesn't return to Volterra to find out the truth, but I do think he deliberately splits paths from Edward and offers Bella sanctuary with him.

Esme at first argues desperately against this. Edward must stay, he's unwell, he didn't understand what he was doing, they have to be there for him and help him heal. They can pull through this if they try.

Given Bella's life is on the line, Carlisle is unmoved, he's still leaving and Edward will not come with him. He's of course devastated inside, will need months to reflect on this and grieve over the Edward he's lost, but this choice has to be made.

Esme ultimately chooses to go with Edward, he needs her far more than Carlisle does, and is devastated at her marriage ending like this. Carlisle is as well, neither of them saw this coming, and yet looking at it in retrospect it seems obvious.

Rosalie and Emmett stay with Carlisle and Bella. Rosalie is appalled and horrified, in shock and not sure what to think, and still very conflicted over Bella. However, what Edward attempted was monstrous, and just as Carlisle doesn't know Edward anymore neither does Rosalie.

And where Rosalie goes Emmett goes. Emmett, for the record, thinks this is all extremely fucked up but doesn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole. If you asked him, which no one will, then he... may have seen a few red flags here and there. Just a few, mind you, Edward was always crazy when it came to Bella. Not crazy in love, either, just crazy.

Alice also goes with Edward which means that Jasper goes with Edward.

It's the divorce of the century.

Given the point of this is to save Bella's life and get her as far from Edward as possible Carlisle forsakes a) all the money b) all the properties. They all have ties to the Cullens and it'd be all too easy for Edward to track it down.

Granted, Edward also has Alice with him, which would certainly help him along but Carlisle also doesn't want to make it ridiculously easy. More, beneath all of this, is a need to break away from Edward and the Carlisle Cullen of the last century.

Edward is very dear to Carlisle and this is a huge blow.

All the memories he has of making this coven, Edward was there for, excepting his few years of absence. Edward was the first person Carlisle turned, the first person to come back to the diet, and such an important person in Carlisle's life.

Now Carlisle has essentially lost Edward, and everything he's built over this century. The homes with so many memories, Isle Esme, all of it has lost something.

Better to forsake all of it and leave it all behind.

As a result, the Cullens 1.0 get to live on Carlisle's doctor salary, the Cullens 2.0 get all of Alice's money and all the properties. Rosalie misses those cars so dearly. God, why does Edward, who tried to murder his wife, get rewarded with the cars?!

The Cullens 1.0

However, I think the first thing Carlisle does is move the family abroad. This will help with the clean break, the leaving the Cullen coven as it was behind and trying to move forward. They change their surroundings completely and go to Europe.

And they probably do visit the Volturi as Carlisle, a) needs a close friend he can talk to about all of this, b) Aro might have insight Carlisle lacks into how this could have possibly happened and why Edward would even do this, c) it's probably best he stay off the grid for a little while to let the Carlisle Cullen name die down while Edward's being... Edward.

Also, more pragmatically, for all Edward has Alice's visions he surely would not be mad enough to attempt to kill Bella while she's in Volterra. This will give time for Esme, Alice, and Jasper to get through to Edward and perhaps figure out why this even happened.

Bella's an absolute wreck, flip flopping between denial and numb apathy. She joins Marcus in the garden to stare at the wall for hours while she contemplates the fact that Edward, the love of her life, tried to murder her.

She asks Marcus if Edward ever truly loved her.

Marcus tells her that she doesn't want to know.

Carlisle tries to offer Bella therapy, but he's in desperate need of it himself.

Aro tries to offer her therapy, and then realizes that Bella's even worse off than he suspected. Though he is delighted at her gift as well as Carlisle's presence, and he enjoys Rosalie and Emmett. He schemes to get the Cullens 1.0 to stay in Volterra, to convince Carlisle of the necessity of Bella's gift for the guard.

Also helping is that while in Volterra she has sanctuary from her murderous lover. This is a very convincing argument that will see them in Volterra for a good long while.

Emmett challenges Felix to arm wrestling competitions and, while still weirded out, fares the best out of the entire family.

The Cullens 2.0

Edward has a complete meltdown. It's all falling apart. He never foresaw this, never wanted this. Instead of saving Bella's humanity she now knows he's a monster, sees him as nothing more than a murderer, and now he may never see her again.

And Carlisle, Carlisle knows just what he is! Worse, he not only knows, but he rejected Edward just as Edward feared he would. This time, it's not Edward leaving the diet and Carlisle, it's Carlisle leaving him and Edward cannot return the prodigal son. He will never see Carlisle again.

He personally ruined Carlisle and Esme's marriage.

He ruined everything.

Edward likely decides to kill himself. He has failed in everything, ruined everything he touched, and he is a monster worse even than other monsters.

Bella is now a demon and it seems she will be forever, Alice hesitantly tells him that she's in Volterra now, where Edward cannot reach her.

There is nothing for him now and he never should have become this demon in the first place. If he could kill Bella, the finest thing in creation, the least he can do is kill himself.

He forces Jasper to do it.

He blackmails Jasper, if Jasper doesn't do it, then Edward will break every law the Volturi have ever made.

He will embrace the monster he is, the monster they all know he is. He will turn hundreds of humans into newborn and set them loose on human cities, he will turn dozens of children in their cribs, he will walk naked in the sunlight and let every human see exactly what he is as he eats their women and children.

He will cause such terror and desolation that the vampire world will speak of him for decades to come.

And if Jasper relies on Alice, well, he will be forcing Alice to outmaneouver and out think Edward at every opportunity. And she will slip up, because Edward will act on impulse or else she might not be looking in his direction at a critical moment.

They have forever and Edward is patient.

Jasper, of course, does it as he does all hard things in life.

He tells Esme that Edward went to live on a farm.

The Cullens 2.0 never hook back up with the Cullens 1.0.

185 notes · View notes

krobie · 3 years ago

Text

🖼 Worth A Thousand Words 🖼

•Part One•

🍷DEMETRI VOLTURI X HUMAN READER IMAGINE🍷

It's no secret that the paintings of Castillo Volterra hold many secrets within them. But what if one of those paintings held so much more than that? What if an entire other world existed? What will it mean for the Tracker? After all, they say a picture's worth a thousand words... Right...?

• fluff; angst; language; brief mention of blood; TW AIR RAID SIRENS

♡ Taglist: @wallwriterstuff @raindancer2004 @alecvolturiswifeforever @primswan @like-rain-or-confetti @captain-yeet @captainxholmes @kpopgirlbtssvt @aro-is-gay-af @imaginetwilight2704 @perfectcolortreestudent @vamp-army @volturiwolf @volturi-stuff @mytwilightimagines13 @avyannadawn @maxnificent

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✴DEMETRI'S POV ✴

I cast an anxious glance out one of the windows as I walk by. Today is an extremely overcast day here in Volterra, the rain beating down on the rooftops above like there's no tomorrow. A brief flash of lightning illuminates the stonework of the hallway, casting shadows on the walls, before it fades.

While I know damn well the entire Guard has no missions for the rest of the day, there's still a part of me that suspects and fears that Aro might send us all out in that mess. As I pass Felix in the hallway, he shoots me a grin. "Almost feeding time, aren't you coming with us?" he asks. I shake my head no, a guilty little smile on my face.

"No... I, um... I fed yesterday. Poor darling, she never suspected a thing." I admit. Felix shakes his head at me, a smirk now in place. "You're shameless. Ah, well. You'll be bored out of your mind, I guess." he says. A loud clap of thunder sounds then, making us both jump a little. I let out some nervous laughter, shaking my head again. "Not really. I thought I'd visit our art gallery. You go on ahead, give the Masters my best." I murmur.

He shrugs, nodding and giving me a light smile. "See you later then, I suppose." he says, before taking his leave. As I continue on down the hallway, the familiar doors to the art gallery loom ahead, the gold filigree in them shining ever so slightly in the dim light from the oil lamps burning in the hallway wall sconces. Pushing open the doors, I quietly enter the room, before shutting the doors behind me.

Almost immediately, the motion activated lights spring to life, bathing the room in a soft glow, illuminating all the paintings and sculptures. Oh, how I loved this part of the castle...! There were so many interesting places and people to see, all without ever having to step foot outside the castle walls. As I walk along the length of the room, one painting in particular catches my eye.

It's a rather large one, positioned above a sitting bench, the colors a bit more prominent than in the other paintings. It's a picture of a huge cathedral, not unlike the style in old England, with willow trees and grassy fields surrounding the property, and a stone archway leading into a dimly lit tunnel, to the right of the painting.

I don't recognize it; it must have just been hung up recently. As I get closer, a flash of movement from the canvas suddenly catches my attention. "What in the world...?" I mutter to myself, as I take a few steps towards the painting.

There's no way I saw what I think I just saw... There's no way. Suddenly, right before my very eyes, another flash of movement draws my attention to the left side of the painting. There, in the background, a young woman stands next to a tall willow tree, her fingers moving idly through the grass around her. Almost like she can sense she's being watched, her eyes dart up to meet mine.

A startled look passes over her face, before she turns and runs across the painting, ducking into the stone archway. I quickly lean forward, reaching out towards the painting, my nerves on edge. "Wait!" I call out, my voice echoing in the silence around me. Incredibly, as soon as my fingers touch the painting, my hand seems to disappear through it, like there's something on the other side.

I quickly climb up onto the bench, before stepping into the painting. Almost immediately, bright colors, sights, sounds... Even the smells... All of it seems to assault my senses, all at once. A light breeze ruffles my hair, and I can hear the faint sound of water behind me. As I turn to look over my shoulder, I see the art gallery of Castillo Volterra reflected back at me in a pond.

The water still ripples slightly, almost like something had disturbed it only moments ago. As I watch, the gallery slowly fades from my sight, until the blue sky of this place is the only reflection remaining. Even more baffling, my clothes remain dry, despite my sudden arrival from out of the water. "W-what... What is this...!" I whisper to myself, a brief sense of panic filling me. A sudden voice behind me to my left sounds out, startling me.

"Y-you're not supposed to be here, they're going to have your head on a pike when they find out!" a young woman's voice calls out. Quickly turning around, I see the same woman from before, hiding in the shadows of the archway. She appears to be human, I can hear the beat of her heart from where I'm standing. She watches me nervously with wide E/C eyes, her breath trembling ever so slightly.

I take a few steps towards her, and she shakes her head at me, quickly backing away, further into the shadowed tunnel. "Please..." she whispers, pleading with me. Even from where I'm standing, I can see that she's very visibly frightened of something. My heart aches a little for her, as I reach out towards her. "Dolcezza... I'm not going to hurt you, I promise..." I call out softly.

A quiet, shaky laugh leaves her mouth, as she stares back at me. "You... You think I'm afraid of you, whatever you are? I fear for you, they're going to kill you if they see you...!" she answers, shaking her head at me. Another sharp pain wracks my insides as her words sink in: she has no concept of fear when it comes to the monster, himself. No... She instead fears for the safety of said monster...!

"Please, help me understand... What is this place??" I ask, taking another small step towards her. She hesitates, still unsure of what to do. "At least tell me your name, sweetness. Please..." I plead with her. She sighs, the sound coming out broken and breathless. "My name is Y/N... And you're in London." she says in a shaky voice.

This place doesn't feel like the London we have now, it feels... Different. A little off, even. "When is this place? What year?" I ask. Y/N lets out another nervous laugh like before, her teeth catching briefly on her bottom lip. "It's 2007..." she says softly. But wait... That doesn't make any sense.

Back in Volterra, it was already 2014...! I knew this, because it was exactly 6 or 7 years ago that the whole fiasco with the Cullens went down. Some of us were still sore about it, to this day. "I'm... In the past...?" I whisper aloud, more so to myself than to Y/N. Before she can answer me, there's a sudden loud noise in the distance that I didn't think I'd ever hear again. It's a noise that sends chills down my spine, a sound that makes my blood run cold.

It's the sound of air-raid sirens going off, a signal that something dreadful is coming, something unavoidable. A brief glance over at Y/N reveals a panic-stricken look on her face, her E/C eyes wide with terror. "Dolcezza, get inside. Now. Go, go...!" I say quickly, walking towards her. This time, she doesn't protest or try and get away from me, instead letting me take her by the hand and lead her further into the tunnel.

"Where does this go, Y/N?" I ask as we walk. She lets out a shaky breath as she struggles to stay calm. "It leads beneath the church. There's stairs that go up to the main floor." she answers. Before either of us can say anything else, a loud boom echoes from outside, making the ground around us and underneath our feet tremble from the force of it.

Y/N lets out a panicked whimper, her hand reflexively squeezing mine a little harder than normal. The poor girl is utterly terrified, I can tell from how quickly her heart is racing in her chest. "Shh, sweetness. We're going to get you to safety, don't worry." I promise in a soft voice, squeezing her hand gently. Within the space of a few minutes, we arrive at the end of the tunnel, stepping out into an empty room.

There's very little light here; the dark seems to surround us on all sides. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone, powering it to life and turning on the flashlight function. Y/N lets out a startled gasp from beside me, but doesn't say anything as I hold my phone up to see the room a little better. It's an antechamber of sorts, a small room, really.

Five pillars, one in each corner and one in the center of the room, provide support for the upper floor. A spiraling set of wrought-iron stairs leads up to the floor above, against the back wall. Another boom echoes from outside, and the ground rumbles beneath our feet again while little clouds of dust filter down from the stonework ceiling.

All the while, the faint sound of the sirens is still very much audible, even from in here. Y/N lets out another soft whimper, moving closer to me without seeming to realize it. As I move my phone around me, the light lands on a wall sconce. A lone torch sits there, which gives me an idea. Reaching into my pocket, I see if the small silver lighter I keep with me is there. I'm in luck; it's there.

Thank the gods Aro insists on half the Guard carrying these little objects around, in case we have to torch any disobedient Newborns...! Pulling it out, I hand it over to Y/N. "You know how to work these things, I assume?" I ask softly. She nods, taking the lighter from me and clutching it tightly in her hand. Her other hand still holds onto mine though; she's almost reluctant to let go, afraid even.

"Tesoro... I need you to let go, so you can light that torch for me. That way we can see. I'll be right behind you, don't worry." I reassure her. With a trembling breath, she slowly lets go of my hand, walking over to the torch. It takes her a few tries before she finally gets it lit, the soft orange light filling the room instantly. I give her a soft approving smile, as she hands the lighter back to me.

"Keep it, Y/N. You never know when you'll need it." I murmur. A look of surprise flits across her face, before she quickly pockets the small object. As I sit down on the stone floor, leaning up against one of the pillars, she sits down next to me, scooting as close to me as she can get. "So... I have to ask. How safe is that church above us?" I begin.

She looks up at me, an expression of confusion on her face. "You... You're a demon, right? I thought your kind couldn't enter sacred ground." she says. I chuckle softly, shaking my head at her. "No, vampire, actually. And that's a myth, by the way. I hope you know that." I answer. A wry little smile tugs at the corner of her mouth, before it disappears.

"That church... They've destroyed the sanctity of it. They use it now for their base camp. For the war they've torn our country apart with." she says quietly. There's a great sadness in her voice, an emptiness of some kind. "Who's destroyed it, Y/N...?" I ask. She hesitates for a moment, before looking up at me. "The Russians." she breathes, her eyes starting to water a little. Russians... No, she couldn't possibly mean...

"Wait, like the Soviet Union?" I ask, confused. She shakes her head, her lower lip trembling. "I don't know. But it's bad. They've already destroyed most of the other neighboring towns and cities, and I have a feeling my hometown here in London is next." she whispers. None of this makes any damn sense; the London I knew in 2007 wasn't war-torn...! It was peaceful! What even happened here??

"How is any of this possible...? The London from my time wasn't at all like this, back then..." I say. She sighs, a trembling little sound that echoes out into the darkness beyond where we sit. "Your version of London was probably different than ours. Ours is probably a different timeline. I don't know how it's possible, just like I don't know how you got here." she explains.

"I mean, one week ago our country was only on the brink of war. I had been sitting there by the pond, like I always used to do, and then three days ago, something weird happened. A single nail came out of the pond, landing in the grass next to me. I had kept it, because I thought it was weird at the time. And now today, you show up." she continues.

A nail.... I wonder if someone had dropped it by accident when they were hanging the painting, and it had gone into the painting like I did. But that still doesn't explain then why nobody else discovered the secret of this artwork before I did today.

"Y/N... How do things work in this world? Please tell me it's not like a magic Wonderland-type world, with talking animals and such..." I start slowly. She laughs at me then, the poor human actually laughs at me...! "Ohh, haha, wouldn't that be nice! But no. Unfortunately, this world is just as real as whatever world you come from. Speaking of... Where did you come from?" she whispers.

Part of me doesn't want to tell her, for fear that she won't understand. Or worse, what if she does understand, and no longer wants to be near me, anymore? Oh, gods... I don't think I could bear it if she--! Wait. Wait, wait, wait. This new set of emotions within myself, these feelings I'm getting for her, the overwhelming urge to want to keep her near me... Is she...? Oh gods alive, is she my mate...?!

"I... I'm from Italy. A city called Volterra. Our kind reside there permanently in a castle. The year there is 2014." I say weakly, my voice wavering a little. Her eyes widen momentarily as she looks up at me, her mouth curving up in a wobbly half-smile. "So you're like a prince, come to save me then?" she asks in a low voice. Oh, I can't take much more of her brokenhearted little face....! She's going to make me cry, I swear it...

"How many of you are there?" I whisper. The loneliest look I've ever seen on a human passes over her face then, her eyes watering anew. "It's just me. I have no family left." she whispers. "How old are you, Y/N?" I ask, dreading the answer. "I'm... I'm 22. My birthday was four days ago. Right when the war started." she tells me. There's so much pain and heartache in her voice, it makes my heart twist with an agony in my chest.

"Um... You... You never told me your name." she suddenly whispers, wanting to change the subject. I nod, letting my gaze wander away from her, to stare out ahead into the black depths of the room. "It's Demetri. Demetri Volturi." I murmur.

There's a quiet pause, as the two of us sit in silence. It's at this point that I realize just how quiet it truly is. The air raid sirens have finally fallen mute, and the new silence that surrounds us is almost deafening. Even the loud booms from outside have stopped...

Finally, Y/N speaks again, and the single word that comes out of her mouth has my gaze darting sharply back towards her, as more of those raw, brand new emotions overtake me. "Demetri..." she breathes, letting my name roll off her tongue in the sweetest little way. I'm not entirely sure if it's a good thing, but there's a part of me that absolutely loves the sound of my name coming out of her mouth.

I realize with a sudden jolt why it feels so good to hear her say my name. It's true, then... She is my mate. But why would the fates give me a mate from a different timeline? Why would they allow me to step back here, to this place? Was there something I was supposed to do here?? Pulling myself from my thoughts with a light groan, I lean my head back against the pillar, staring up at the stone ceiling.

A tiny, shaky breath from beside me quickly draws my attention. Y/N has started to shiver a little, her body trembling from the cold. I'm probably not making it any better for her either, having her this close to me. Unfastening my cloak, I remove it from my shoulders, placing it around hers, instead. Her eyes dart up to meet mine, a question in them.

"I forget sometimes how you humans get cold easier than us." I murmur quietly. She nods, letting out a grateful hum as she pulls the fabric closer to her in an effort to keep warm. As I watch, she subtly presses her nose to my cloak, breathing in the scent. A tiny smile flits across her face, as she closes her eyes and rests her head on my shoulder.

As we sit there in the silence, an unspeakable amount of pride and adoration fills my heart, making my eyes water a little. Here was this human, who upon first meeting me, showed no signs of fearing me, instead choosing to fear for me. This human, who in a time of great panic, sought comfort in the one person she thought she could trust...

I only hope that she continues to trust me; I know now that I want nothing more than to keep her alive and safe and whole... As selfish as it sounds. I just wish that it had been different circumstances we'd met upon. The very notion that an entire city, no... An entire country... Can so easily wipe out another, has me fearful for humankind.

How can humans be so callous and cruel to one another? It honestly makes no damn sense to me; you'd think they could go a whole day without at least thinking about killing each other...! Yet another one of the many reasons why I was glad to leave my human days behind me...

Y/N lets out a mumbled groan as she drifts off to sleep, hugging my cloak tightly to herself. Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Sleep well, tesoro. Leave the worries behind for me..." I whisper, wrapping my arms around her. She sighs in her sleep, the sound one of total weariness and resignation. Somewhere far off in the distance outside, a lone boom echoes softly.

Leaning my head back against the pillar again, I close my eyes and focus on relaxing my body in an effort to "rest" like my little human. Behind my eyelids, I can see flickering light, a sure sign that we won't be in the dark this evening. The entire time, I sit there quietly, patiently... With my sweet Y/N curled up next to me and the worries of today slowly being forgotten, but not lost completely. Whatever tomorrow brought for the two of us, I'd be ready...

》》 ■□■□■□■ 《《

🖼 READER'S POV 🖼

Voices. You can hear voices. Immediately, your eyes snap open, struggling to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. Something soft and warm is wrapped around you, and your cheek rests against something hard and cold, like ice. Lifting your head, you see someone sitting beside you. Your heart picks up its pace in your chest a little as you remember the events from the previous night, and who this stranger is. He's your saving grace... Demetri...

His eyes appear to be closed, but when more muffled voices sound from above the two of you, those eyes quickly open, revealing those strange, bright red irises. He turns to you with a tight smile, one void of any humor or enthusiasm. Placing a finger to his lips, he points above you, at the ceiling. "Do not make a sound, Y/N. It's them." he whispers. You nod, your heart beating frantically in your chest.

Almost like he can hear it, he gives you a soft kiss on the top of your head, before helping you stand up. His cloak starts to slide to the floor, but Demetri quickly grabs ahold of it, placing it around your shoulders once more and fastening the clasp. As he does so, the voices suddenly get louder, closer. A hushed whimper leaves your lips, before you can stop it.

Demetri shoots you a pleading glance, before he moves you behind him, standing in front of you. "We have no time left for us to run, Y/N. I need you to keep quiet. Please." he murmurs, his voice and face somber. You nod, pulling his cloak tighter around your shoulders. As the voices grow louder, Demetri lets a tiny hiss slip past his lips, his fists clenching at his sides.

Within seconds, the faces of three men appear on the stairs, chattering amongst themselves in Russian. Their chatter stops when they see you and Demetri, however. Mixed looks of anger and disgust creep across their faces, before one of them sneaks a glance at you as you hide behind Demetri. The disgust slowly changes to a look of malicious intent, a sly smirk appearing on his face.

"Posmotri, chto u nas zdes', yagnenok." he says in an aside to the others. They both smirk back at him, before giving you the same malicious look as the first guy. "Davayte snachala poveselimsya s ney. Zastav' yego posmotret'." one of the other men says, giving you a slight wink. Demetri lets out a snarl from in front of you, the sound echoing through the room. "Poprobuyte i posmotrite, chto poluchitsya! Vy budete kopat' sebe mogily!" he hisses angrily.

All three of the men instantly lose their smirks, instead turning their glares on Demetri. One of them spits in his direction, that look of disgust from before now back on his face again. A warning growl slips out of Demetri's mouth, as he turns to look over his shoulder at you. "Y/N, tesoro. I need you to cover your ears and close those eyes. Whatever you do, do not open them until you feel me touch your hand." he tells you, his words coming out in a rush.

You nod, doing as he asks. During the next few minutes, you're not exactly sure what happens, but you can hear what sounds like screaming, even with your hands clamped tightly over your ears. Darkness resides behind your closed eyelids, and your breath comes out in trembling gasps, your heart pounding in your chest. Right as you think you're going to pass out, you feel a light tap on the back of your hand.

When you open your eyes, you see Demetri standing in front of you. There's a few drops of blood spattered on the front of his shirt, and his eyes seem to be a brighter red than before, a grim look in them. As you start to lean to the side to look around him, he shakes his head at you. "No, please... Don't look, sweetness. You don't need to see it." he murmurs, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

You nod, letting him take you by the hand and lead you wordlessly out of the room and back down through the tunnel. The light at the end of it hurts your eyes a little as you and Demetri get closer, stepping outside. Tears spring to your eyes as you finally take in the sight in front of you. Several of the willow trees have fallen, and in the distance, still-smoking husks of buildings sit abandoned, blackened by the damage they took last night.

Demetri clears his throat then, drawing your attention. "Y/N, I need to ask you something. Please. And... Please know that I'm asking for the sake of your safety. What do you have left here? Would you be willing to leave with me?" he asks quietly. Is he... Is he talking of you coming home with him...?

Back to Italy...? Your gaze drops down for a second, before meeting his again. When you open your mouth to answer him, your voice comes out a little bit weak. "Demetri... I'm.. I'm not sure I should leave." you whisper. A brief pause creates an almost uncomfortable silence, until you see the expression on his face. Oh god, what have you just done...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• "Dolcezza" = "Sweetness" (Italian)

• "Tesoro" = "Darling" (Italian)

• "Posmotri, chto u nas zdes', yagnenok." = "Look what we have here, a little lamb." (Russian)

• "Davayte snachala poveselimsya s ney. Zastav' yego posmotret'." = "Let's have our fun with her first. Make him watch." (Russian)

• "Poprobuyte i posmotrite, chto poluchitsya! Vy budete kopat' sebe mogily!" = "Try it and see what happens! You'll be digging your own graves!" (Russian)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: This was... An adventure. As always, I apologize for the cliffy, but... I had to do it to 'em. 👏🏻 I'm legit excited for this series though... Like, war-torn England, and angsty Demetri, and stolen kisses later (maybe?)... It's all too good. 😍 Lemme know what you guys thought of this one. Thanks! 💙💙💙

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

94 notes · View notes