Marie Diaz never asked to be turned into a vampire, although she could see the benefits- like that fact it kept her from returning to jail. There were other benefits of course, the speed, the strength, the mate.
Marie found she quite liked the idea of a soulmate. They're meant to be perfect for you. To love you unconditionally. She found she craved that. Love. She'd lacked it in her human life, and in her vampire life she was alone.
Marie Diaz had been twenty-one for two years. Certainly impressive. She'd lived in the USA until she didn't anymore. After her human life, she found herself despising the country of her birth. This prompted her move. She chose Spain.
So, perhaps Spain isn't the best place for a sparkly vampire, but Marie rolled with it. Marie rocked not being noticed. She enjoyed her invisible existence, she simply watched from the shadows. During her time watching, something shifted in Spain, something dark and sinister.
Marie found she'd never want to participate in the vampire wars. But that left her to simply watch. It was a sight she'd gladly never see again.
Marie never knew about the Volturi. Well, at least until she found four vampires in her home. They dragged her out, and (obviously bored of her struggling) used the youngest boy's power to numb her senses. If Marie wasn't freaking out she'd have made a snarky comment about how she only enjoyed sensory deprivation in bed. But she was, so she didn't.
When Marie regained her senses her automatic response was to hit the closest person to her. The man before her looked shocked once she had slapped his left cheek hard enough for delicate cracks to appear.
The room was filled with a stunned silence. Feeling uncomfortable, and pretty certain she was going to die, Marie became defensive, "You can't just drag someone from their home and not expect a bitch slap!"
The whole room snapped out of its shock when the man before her burst into peels of delighted laughter.
"Brother?" They angry looking blonde queried. The man stopped laughing in favour of staring at Marie. Just staring.
After several minutes of silence, in which Marie grew more and more uncomfortable with the attractive man's staring. She scanned her eyes over the man appreciatively. He was certainly attractive. His hair was long and chocolate brown and Marie had the distinct urge to braid flowers into it. His eyes blazed the same scarlett as Marie's own, although his skin was much paler.
Awkwardly, Marie peered around the man in front of her to the two men still sat on the thrones. The one on the left had a soft smile on his face. He appeared completely at ease. Angry blonde, who was sat on the right, was tense and alert. She glanced between the two men, "Umm," Marie hesitated, "I think I broke him?" She glanced worriedly at the staring man.
The peaceful man raised his eyebrows at her, "How odd," He commented dreamily, "It is as if you do not feel the bond." Angry blonde's gaze snapped to his. As if he'd received some kind of answer, he relaxed in the throne, expression calm instead of a thunderstorm.
"Bond?" Marie questioned. "Do you mean the tingly feeling in my hand or the fact I want to rip my own hand off for hurting him?" Blondie snorted with amusement.
A half smile tugged it's water onto Tranquility's lips, "Both." He answered.
"Right," Marie drew out the word. "So how d'you know we're bonded (ya know, before I confirmed it)?"
"My gift," Tranquility shifted in his throne, full attention on Marie, "Is to see relationships, bonds, between people."
"Oh," Marie nodded. "That's pretty cool."
Tranquility smiled at her, "Do you have a gift?" He inquired.
Marie nodded, her expression seemingly sincere, "I can sass anyone into oblivion." A chuckle broke from Tranquility's lips. "Would you like a demonstration?" She gave him a sickly sweet innocent smile.
Tranquility grinned at the cheeky twinkle in her eyes, "If you would."
"Of course." Marie nodded, "A good example would be to tell Blondie to wipe the smug smile off of his face, nobody needs arrogance from a bottle blonde." Maria converged sighing and tutting in her teasing.
Blondie merely raised his eyebrows with an unimpressed expression, "Did you just imply my hair is not it's natural colour?"
"No," Marie denied bluntly, "I straight up said it's dyed."
Blondie gaped at Marie as if she were some unknown creature. Tranquility laughed joyously, it echoed in the stone room. Suddenly Tranquility and Blondie are next to Stares-a-lot. "I am Marcus," Tranquility introduced, taking Marie's hand and placing a delicate kids on it. "These are my brothers: Caius-" He gestured at Blondie, who gave her a smile and a head nod (Marie figured he probably wasn't angry), "And Aro." Finally Stares-a-lot blinked and stepped towards Marie.
He took Marie's hand and bowed, "Mio amore." He greeted, placing a soft kiss on Marie's hand before straightening up. He gestured theatrically around them. His voice echoed, "Welcome to Volterra!"
"Great," Marie drawled out. She shifted her weight to her right left and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why was I brought here in the first place?"
A shadow clouded over the trios faces. Aro sighed, "There are, ah, unfortunate events occurring in Spain-"
"You mean the wars?" Marie interrupted. Aro sagely nodded, "What's that got to do with me?"
Caius began to speak next, "Such wars are illegal-"
"Yeah I'd hope so, they're horrible." Marie scoffed.
"And as the upholders of the law," Caius continued as if she'd never interrupted, "It is our job to catch all involved, so we are having, ah, meetings."
Marie raised her eyebrows with an unimpressed expression, "You mean interrogations." She rolled her eyes, "You know, you could just knock on the poor and be like: 'Vampire police! Will you come with us to Volterra for questioning about the wars?' Then if they try to run away do the knocky out thing." She waved her had in the general direction of the quartet who had abducted her.
Caius gaped at her. Marcus smirked with amusement, whilst Aro laughed loudly. Quiet snickers could be heard around the echoing stone room. That reminded Marie to actually look around.
The ceiling was high, leaving a great expance above their heads. Intricately painted angels and demons were painted on it, and Marie found herself curious as to how they did it. The room was large, almost circular. People were stood around the room, identical black cloaks over their shoulders, intricate identical clasp hold them together: a circle with a 'V', two red jewels and a coat of arms.
Whilst Marie studied the room Aro took the time to study her again. She was of Hispanic decent, he was certain. She had glossy brown hair that almost looked black. Her eyes were a pretty burgundy. That worried him slightly. He knew that her eyes should be the same bright scarlett as his own and the darkening was due to lack of feeding. She enticed and entrapped him simply by existing. He was in awe.
When her eyes focused on him again, Aro held out a hand, "May I?" Marie stared at his hand.
The mate bond screamed he would never harm her, but she simply didn't understand what he was asking. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, a slight frown on her lips, "May you what?" She inquired.
Aro smiled at her, Marie's lips automatically smiled too. She loved his smile, she decided. She also decided that finding your soulmate could make anyone into a sap so she'd simply have to deal with all the sentiment she was feeling.
"My gift," Aro explained, "Is to see everyone thought a person has had with the touch of a hand."
Marie considered this for a minute. She'd have to trust him greatly to allow it, and it startled her considerably to acknowledge that she did indeed trust him that much. 'Stupid, wonder mate bond,' She thought to herself. With minimal hesitation she placed her hand in Aro's.
Aro was enraptured by what he saw. Her thoughts ranged like a vibrant rainbow, or sparkling fireworks. He found himself wishing to laugh at every snarky thought she had, and cry at every negative one. He watched her blurry human life, and her lonely transition into vampirism. He felt physically sick at her childhood, people's constant words of her being no good. Burning rage flared through him at the knowledge she was left alone to transition. He was awed at her self control and saddened at how lonely she had been after it. Finally, he got to the wars, the whole reason for this escapade. Her saw her thoughts of the torn apart bodies and the acrid burning smell. Wars were forbidden for many reasons, mostly due to their cruelty and death tolls. He watched as Marie had watched. It was as if all of the answers were displayed in her mind. She was the most observant person he'd ever met, logical and clever too.
Once the thoughts had finished, he dragged Marie into a strong hug. She was slightly startled, yet relaxed almost immediately into her mate. In a tone that only the three brothers, and Marie, could hear, Aro explained what he saw. Aro spoke quickly and quietly in Italian and Marie found his voice soothing her into a highly relaxed state of mind.
"Dearest ones." Aro finally addressed the whole room. "It appears we have a new lead on the Spanish wars. My brothers have all of the information necessary. I will be indisposed for the next few days," Marie's lips quirked up at that, "So I wish you all well and safety until I see you again." Marie found that cute. It was his own adorable way to tell his coven, his family, he cared for them and would miss them in the days he would not see them. "Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri." Aro called. Suddenly Marie's abductors were before her. "Marcus and Caius will explain your mission. Be safe, dear ones."
Felix gave Aro a grin, "We will-"
"Don't worry for us, enjoy your time off." Demetri continued his mate's sentence.
Alec and Jane spoke as one, "Congratulations, Aro." Marie smiled, it ringed her of an odd family.
Aro smiled at the guard before placing his hand on Marie's back, "Shall we congregate to my rooms?" He implied that there was only one answer he wished to hear. With a small smile, Marie nodded. Aro led her out.