Nothing Left to Lose
Gianna was working late that night. Now that her work had become somewhat of a habit and she usually spent her time sorting though the same paperwork and disabling curious investigators from gaining any information on her employers—a task which required her guaranteed success lest she have a death wish—she couldn't help but let her mind wander as her hands performed the same actions hour after hour. Yes, her life may be wasting away slowly, but did she really have a choice? Not really…
Ever since she had stumbled into the wrong alleyway, a curious tourist from the town of Positano, she had been a captive of this eerie place. She was forbidden to ever leave for the Volturi were always watching; waiting to make sure that she never exposed them to the rest pf humanity.
Yet, despite her utter fear of the powerful vampire coven, Gianna longed to be like them.
Various members of the Volturi "family" promised her eternal life one day if she stayed loyal to them. The trouble was no one ever specified how long. Sometimes, Gianna wondered if maybe it was all a bluff to see how long a silly human girl could be fooled.
But did she really have another choice other than to hope to gain some of the same power? After all, she'd never see her family again, she wasn't allowed to leave, she hadn't seen the sun directly (not through a window pane) in what seemed like years. She really had nothing left to lose…so, what was wrong with hoping?
His voice. The voice of a little boy—well, not so little, really. Young, around 13 or so. She'd never asked his age. Well, the age he appeared, anyway.
"Buona sera," he greeted her, his subtle English accent faintly present in the words. His burgundy eyes—a bit darker than she usually saw them—held her gaze, not boring into hers but actually appearing genuinely pleasant.
She took a deep breath. "Buona sera," she smiled at him nervously. Her throat suddenly felt so dry. She swallowed quickly and accidentally dropped a folder she'd been holding. The papers fluttered all around her desk.
"Ti aiuto," he swiftly dropped to his knees and began scooping up the papers off the floor, "let me help."
Gianna's hands were still shaking, the reason for her previous mishap. Trying desperately to regain composure—it was just Alec, after all—she managed a quick word of thanks. He had them all stacked neatly back in the folder before she could sit upright in her chair again.
When she had righted herself, he wasted no time but took both her hands in his and gave a gentle tug. It felt like a child's tug, but Gianna knew that he could have flung her over her desk if he'd wanted to. Not that she hoped he would. She luckily hadn't yet experienced physical punishment from any of the Volturi, only warnings.
"Vieni con me," he said quietly, "I want to show you something."
Too wary to refuse, Gianna let him guide her towards the outside. As they drew closer, Gianna fleetingly wondered why he'd want to risk being seen, but then she decided it'd be less wise to question his motives.
Once outside in the humid night air, Gianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself, savoring the comfort of the moon's soft glow upon her face. It was less comforting tonight but still moonlight always managed to calm her in these sorts of moments. Alec had also conveniently stopped, his hand in hers.
"Walk with me, bella."
A bit disconcerted by his sudden affection, Gianna thought she'd speak up. "May I ask where you take me?"
"I thought that perhaps you might be hungry," he responded simply, "Many of us are at this time of night. You can't be expected to work, work, work day in and day out without a little leisure time now and then."
Gianna shuddered a bit but continued on with him. She expected it must look to others like an older sister taking an evening stroll with her younger brother.
After about a mile of walking, they came to a small restaurant. Alec made a suave show of ordering a glass of red wine for both of them.
"Per l'apparenza," he grinned at her after the waiter had left, "just for show."
Gianna smiled shyly in return.
Alec seemed surprisingly sincere and harmless tonight so Gianna decided to just enjoy her night out. After all, she wasn't sure the next time she would be given such a liberty.
Before long he had told her his life's story of how he had become one of the night walkers. He and his twin sister Jane, who frightened me only a bit more than Alec, had been victims of witch hunters in 16th century England. Aro was forced to rescue them from the stake while their mother screamed from the crowds. He and his brothers had had their eye on the twins for a while but had not expected to change them at such a young age. However, the burns were already so bad that Aro had no choice but to transform them that night. Gianna listened solemnly to the story. She'd been burned once by a candle flame as a child but she couldn't imagine having such searing pain all over her body. The thought of such torture coming to young children made her feel like weeping. Alec—how he reminded her of her own little brother back at her home by the sea. Another person who she'd probably never see again. Yes, vampires were cruel in their own right—but then again, so were humans. Men who hurl innocent children into the flames are just as much monsters as those who drink the life from them.
After she had finished her Torta della Nonna, a luxury which she hadn't had since before falling in with the Volturi, Gianna felt a little more at ease. The cake was so sweet and so warm that it made her feel safer somehow. The wine certainly helped, as well. Alec had insisted that she have another glass before he paid.
When a window opened on the second story of the restaurant and a young violinist began to play, Alec did something quite unexpected.
"Posso avere questa danza?" he asked politely, almost suave. "May I have this dance?"
Gianna licked her lips. She hadn't been asked to dance since her cousin's wedding, about 8 years earlier. That coupled with the strangely alluring combination of her native tongue and his own had her oddly stunned.
"S-sì," she slowly managed.
Alec smiled excitedly, his white teeth gleaming in the lamp that lit the patio. Despite the fact that her wine felt as if it was sloshing about in her belly, Gianna struggled to stand gracefully as he took her hands in his once again. She was the older woman here and she wouldn't forget that.
They started out with a slow dance, Gianna gently following the lead of her young partner as the night drew on. There were many other couples dancing, something which Gianna gladly noticed and thankfully she wasn't that much taller than Alec. He was about her height, in fact.
Thank you for accompanying me tonight," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts, 'you've no idea how utterly lonely it gets sometimes. I mean, I have Jane and all and the rest of the guard but they're awfully boring after a while. And Jane is well—my sister. I do find myself longing for the companionship of another sort sometimes. Of your sort." He glanced at her then through his eyelashes, the lamplight playing off his alabaster flesh. He was coming closer to her. Suddenly timid, she turned her face slightly to the side, enough to avoid his gaze but hopefully not enough to risk offending him.
"I am but curious. How old are you exactly?" she managed in as subtle a voice as possible.
"In earthly years, my sister and I have recently passed our 423rd birthday," he replied smoothly, "so we bear knowledge of someone who has lived life about four times more than yourself. My sister appears to be a 14-year-old child but any man who hears one word from her lips is instantly enlightened. I'm sure you've noticed that we have a sort of…aura about us."
"You all do," Gianna put in without thought, "all so beautiful, so full of perfection."
"Why, thank you," he said, "I could say the same about your language. I so love to speak it. After all these years, Jane and I still strive to get over our native accent."
"Oh, you speak it wonderfully," Gianna added again rather awkwardly, "you remind me of my younger brother, Ciro, when you speak it. He was always so sweet and polite, mostly with the women." She stopped. Was she honestly trying to give him any more ideas? Better to stay clear of any potential encouragement.
"How old are you?" Too late.
"I am 20 now," she replied, reluctantly truthful. It was so difficult to lie around them as well. One always felt so exposed beside someone so flawless and full of mystery!
"So in earthly years, you are six years my elder," he mused thoughtfully. "Yet in our years…" he leaned his head against her chest, one had slipping from her lower back to the side of her thigh, "and accurate time, I am old enough to be your grandfather many times over."
Gianna shut her eyes and swallowed noisily, wishing she could break their fluid movements to take this boy's hand off of her leg. Oh, why had she ever agreed to leave her desk? Then again, it wouldn't have made much difference anyway. They always got their way in the end. That was why she was still here—why she would remain here forever, most likely never free to decide for herself again.
"You know, I've been watching you for a while now," Alec continued against her ear. The music had picked up pace. Still, his graceful movements never failed to keep pace with the melody. "Aro has told me of tour longing to become one of us. He can see it. So much like a yearning to be rich or famous, only unlike those desires…it can never be undone. You'd be filled with unbearable regret if it wasn't what you really wanted in the end. We're impossible to kill, so suicide is not an option either. But, you seem like a smart girl—there was a light skip in the beat now and Alec spun her around effortlessly. "So, tell me, Gianna…" he drew her back to him and met her gaze, his eyes nearly all black now with just a hint of crimson at the centers. "Would you like eternal life? I could give it to you—right here-right now. I'd get you home safely; others would just suspect you to be an intoxicated maiden in the arms of her chivalrous escort. And believe me when I say—he dropped her low for the song's finale—that'd you'd be doing us both a favor." Suddenly, the darkness in his eyes had a new meaning. Not that she hadn't been aware of its general indication, but she had been much too flustered by all his flirtation and by the unexpected yet long-awaited outing to notice it before.
"I-I don't know," she stammered, "I'm frightened."
"well, let's look at it rationally," he said as he began swaying her to another slow song, "why would you want eternal life?"
"Well, it's a curse but it does give you power and all," she reasoned shakily, "but the pain—still, that's all that I fear really. I want more than anything else to have more say in where I can go and what can do and not live in dread all the time. So, other than the pain, I have no other fear."
"Hmm," Alec seemed to deliberate for a moment, "and what of any family or friends. Surely, you couldn't hope to see your brother or parents again without thirsting for their lives. Yet, it is the family which we miss most when we're taken against our will. Now that you have a choice, do you wish to rid yourself of any opportunity to see them again?"
"You know the answer o that," said Gianna startled at how defiant she suddenly sounded, "if I'd had any choice in this life, I would have gone long ago. I can't ever go home because I might tell someone about where you hide to await your prey."
"Sounds logical to me," Alec replied with a smile and once again rested his cheek against hers, "so what are you really saying here? What is your choice?"
"I have no real choice in anything anymore," Gianna insisted hating the sudden lump that had formed in her throat, 'just stop playing with me, Alec. Go on. Either way, I lose…"
"But that's just it, Gianna," said Alec softly into her ear, his great caressing her throat, "you have nothing more to lose."
The beautiful melody continued to play and people continued to dance and enjoy the romantic evening. Gianna let herself slip into a memory in which she and Ciro played happily on the beach as the sun set over the horizon. Indeed, she was holding hands with her brother as they floated together on the gentle waves of the sea—when Alec placed his lips upon her throat.