ɪ ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ ᴍʏ ʙᴇᴀɴ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪꜰ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ɪᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɢ ɪᴅᴇᴀꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ. ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴛᴇ. ɪ'ᴠᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ɪᴅᴇᴀꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ.

ᴡᴇ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴍʏ ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ʟᴏʟ. ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ʙᴇ ᴀ ꜱʜᴏᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ʏ'ᴀʟʟ.

No battle training could have prepared me for the idea of war. Never in my entire life did I think that I would ever be involved in something like war. The entire concept of killing people for food was still a bit iffy in my mind, but I allowed myself to feel no grief over it. Now, killing children, even if they were immortal children, was on my mind. Yes, they were killing machines and needed to be stopped, but seeing a child go through all of that just made me want to vomit. I had to remind myself that their parents or their loved ones would want me to save them from themselves, to put them down so that they could be in a better place if there was one.

My reasoning skills would have to outweigh my maternal instinct for the time being.

"Il mio amore, we need to leave," Aro croons from the couch, picking out a cloak for me to wear into battle. It was actually quite useful according to the guards, able to slap them in the face when the enemy came too close to them.

"Time to kill some people," I sigh. My mate kisses my head and pulls me into a tight embrace. We had everything planned, but even the idea of my mates being in danger put me on edge, my instincts pulling me to do everything that I could to protect them.

"I promise that this will not be a regular thing once the Romanians are destroyed, my precious mate," Aro whispers into my ear, holding me close to him. "Just stay with Marcus. Caius and I will be able to hold our own. Always."

I nodded, moving away from him, now turning to Marcus, who had just entered our nest in order to get me. Staying close to my sire was, in the end, the best option for me, as he would be able to pull me to him through our different bonds. His face turned solemn, my mate led me out of the comforting purple room.

The Volturi would have to cross through the sea. Since I did not learn how to run on water yet, I would have to be carried by Marcus.

We would come in through the mountains. Nobody knew that we were coming. No other covens would join us in this battle. It would be us, the Volturi, against them, the Romanians. A battle that had lasted over two millennia and had accounted for the losses of too many beloved members of the Volturi, including my mate's sister and my other mate's wife.

Our Coven would not allow them to live any longer, not after everything that they had done.

They have no idea that you are coming. They do not even know that you are gifted. Word of your gift is muddled, as most of the vampire world hates the Romanians and are unwilling to speak of your gift. Vladimir has someone named Ward that can throw off Demetri. If you kill him, you can kill Vladimir. What about Stefan? Aro will have his chance and he will use it wisely. Do not tell him. Okay.

"Come here, tesoro, close your eyes and hold on," I listen and jump on him, purring into his chest. It was more to comfort myself rather than a show of my happiness, which was basically nonexistent due to the impending destruction of many people.

When Marcus started to run across the water, it felt like we were floating. The water underneath us could be heard rippling, but never allowing us to fall through, like Marcus had somehow learned to bend it to his will. The wind soared through my hair as I heard some of the guard cheering, causing Jane to yell at them to shut up. We were lucky that most of the humans that you could find out here were not out today, as that could cause a huge problem. We couldn't risk our exposure, even if it meant that we would have to take the long way.

After a few minutes of running, Marcus and likely the rest of the guard had stopped. "Open up your eyes, tesoro," Marcus pats my head.

Doing as he says, I open up my eyes, finding myself immersed by the hills and mountains that littered the Romanian countryside. There were no cities, just rolling hills and beautiful trees. The grass was a bright green, a sign of the lack of human contact with it. Birds chirped all around, scurrying away. None of the wildlife seem to like humans or vampires. We are predators, Anna. You're right. I guess they have every right to fear us. They don't get that we aren't the Cullens. Damn, the Cullens.

Before I could continue the conversation, Marcus had started to run through the hills, speeding through any brush that he came across. Closing my eyes once again, I allowed Marcus to take me to one of their bases. Demetri had done his best and had found out where the immortal children were being held.

No newborns in here. We are still in the clear. One of their women, Tyra, is taking care of the children. She has a strong bond with all of them. Take her out before taking out the children.

"Any new information?" Marcus asks.

"No newborns, only immortal children. They have a mother in there. Maeve says to kill her first," my mate nods, putting me down on the ground. The two of us watched as three immortal children walked out of the building, their skin glowing in the sun, much like ours was. This is dangerous. They can't just be out in the open! We need to get in there before any humans show up and find out the secret.

Tyra followed her children out, wandering with them, humming a lullaby. God, what kind of person would do this to a child? What did the kids do? Live? I get that they are kind of cute, but they can't age! They won't be able to grow and mature like a kid. That's the whole point of being a mother, to watch your children grow and raise them to be responsible adults.

"Is that the mother?" I nod, taking Marcus' hand and speeding behind the building, making sure that she couldn't see us coming. We both had lighters to start the fire that would be her inevitable demise. The crimes that she had committed were too great.

This is your chance, Anna, take it. I listened to Maeve, who had never been wrong before, and sped up behind her, pinning her head to the ground. She screamed before I ripped her head clean off, her body falling to the ground. Quickly, Marcus joined me, taking off the rest of her limbs.

Any more mothers? No, they could only have one. The children wouldn't accept more than one mother. Good, I don't want to deal with that bullshittery anymore. Aro has killed over half of the Romanians and their allies. They were not expecting visitors. Good on him to be honest.

"You go inside and gather the children. Jane and Alec have offered to kill them. I know how you feel about the whole killing kids thing," Marcus consoles my inner conscience. I nod, going inside.

Small laughs could be heard from inside the compound. They had made so many. How they had kept all of these bloodthirsty things alive was beyond me. All of their giggles haunted me, knowing that I was bringing them to their death just felt wrong, even if what I was doing was right.

A few of the children came out of their rooms, bloody smiles on their faces. I smiled back at them. "Hey sweeties, your mommy needed to go and do some work so she sent me to go play with you outside," I lied. The pain in my chest increased. I was happy that I was unable to cry as an immortal because if I were still human I would have been sobbing on the floor.

Then again, if I were still human, these kids would have already killed me.

"Yay! Play time! Play time!" A blonde girl cheered, a younger boy cheered along with her, holding her hand. This is so messed up, but it has to be done. Don't feel so guilty. These kids won't understand the concept of death. They lose their memories when they turn and are sheltered. Jane will make sure that they do not suffer.

Nothing that Maeve said could calm the agony that made me want to run and hide from these children. They didn't deserve this. They should have been allowed to be human children who got to grow up.

It just proved how monsterous the Romanians really were, to create these children.

Leading the children outside, Marcus had already created the fire. Many small children ran outside, running around the fire and happily holding hands with each other. I looked away as Jane arrived at the scene.

"Mother, do not be sad," Jane tried to console me. Their mother had already been burned and now my own soul daughter was here.

"Oooh! Pretty lady! Nice lady is your momma?" One of the children asked. He looked to be about five years old and had a head of red curls.

"Yes, child, she is my Momma. She is a very good Momma and always lets my twin and I train with her. Her mate is our coven leader," Jane tries to hold the children's attention so that she could throw them all in the fire. "We should play a game."

"What kind of game, Jane?" Marcus asks, giving me a knowing look. I fake a smile and wave goodby to the children, walking into the building. I would have to make sure that no other children were hiding about. I also needed an excuse to miss the immortal children's deaths. I couldn't live with myself if I watched them die.

The halls of the compound were paved in blood and gore from the immortal children and their insatiable thirst for human blood. Too many men and women had already been slaughtered by them. How the Volturi didn't figure out about this sooner was beyond me. From what it looked like, this place had been inhabited for years.

Nothing, not a single immortal child. There were so many outside. I guess they just follow each other around like some sort of twisted family, wanting to play games with any adult vampires they come across. I can see how people would want these kids, but doing that to a child is just...it's just so wrong. How could someone do something like this when they know that immortal children are illegal? That they could and would slaughter entire villages? It just doesn't make any sense anymore. Do people just not have consciences anymore?
While I trailed the now abandoned halls of the compound, I came across a list of names. Names of the children that Jane was killing outside. Luckily, they were not screaming or crying. Hopefully they had died a peaceful death.

Go into the infirmary, Anna. I turn around before realizing that it was in fact Maeve who was speaking to me. What do you mean, go to the infirmary? Are there more immortal children? Why didn't you tell me that? No, there are no more immortal children, but you need to go to the infirmary in here. I promise that it will be worth it. Tell me what you have planned, Maeve. Don't be secretive with me right now. I would not be secretive if it were not for your own good. Please, just listen to me before it starts.

Before I could question Maeve further, I heard a small crash down the hall. Right at the infirmary. Rearing my head towards the door, I could hear the faint beat of a heart.

That was, until I heard the bloodcurdling scream that came from inside.