One: Captive by Surprise
The castle loomed in front of Leslie Harmon. It was unlike any structure she had ever seen, even in the small village of Volterra, which was chock full of structures. Leslie started to move towards it, feeling pulled towards it regardless. Volterra castle seemed just as intimidating as it had when she'd seen it on the big screen months before in the second Twilight movie. She turned towards Avery and her other friends. "I don't think we she go in there."
"What? It's not like your precious Volturi are in there anyway. They're fictional." Avery crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You've been acting so weird this trip."
"I saw them, guys. I really did. I don't want to go in there, so you guys go." Leslie took another step backwards.
"Watch out!" Before Leslie could side step, she found herself in the arms of a tall dark figure wearing a red robe. "Um.. sorry..."
"Be more careful." The figure righted her, and turned continuing on his way. Leslie blinked, pretty sure she had just run into one of the Volturi guards. She wasn't sure. That's impossible. Just because we're in Italy, and in Volterra, does not mean the Volturi exist! Plenty of people use real locations.
"Let's get out of here." Avery sounded a little odd. "That was a bit creepy for my taste." Avery took her by the elbow, and they started walking away from the looming structure.
They were almost at the hotel when a large crowd tore into the streets in celebration. Leslie felt Avery's grip on her slip, and she was right in the middle of the revelers. "Avie!"
"Les! I'll meet you back at the hotel!" It was so loud, Leslie couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. She spun around, trying to detect it from another angle. Then she saw them. More robe clad figures. Two of them were the size young teenagers. Jane and Alec? She blinked. When Leslie looked again, the whole procession was gone. The girl was about to turn in the direction she thought the hotel was in when she suddenly tripped again. This time, it was down a flight of stairs.
***
"It's amazing she isn't dead."
"Quite. She has remarkable bone structure." An icy hand touched her wrist. It felt good there. Her wrist felt less painful. Then she felt pain all over again, as the hand lifted her wrist, turning it. Without opening her eyes, Leslie imagined the hand's owner was examining her. "Not a single fracture."
"Though her leg did sustain a minor one." A third voice chimed in. "Demitri had a hard time lifting her, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to without hurting her too much." The new voice feminine. "We should send her out, before she wakes up."
"Oh no. That wouldn't be hospitable at all, dear." Voice one said. "Let us wait. She should be awake soon enough."
Just as he finished speaking, all feeling returned to her body. It was feeling Leslie could have dealt without. "Ugh... I feel like I tried to jump the grand canyon...."
"It was a failed attempt." A familiar voice said now. "I did say to be more careful, young one." For some reason, the familiarity of the voice made Leslie feel sick to her stomach. "You're fortunate that we were out to make sure you did not die where you fell."
"We?" Leslie remembered the robed army she'd seen walking through the square. "So... I wasn't imagining it...." She struggled to sit up, but found she could not. "Ugh..."
"Don't move." Another voice said. A boy about her age leaned over the bed. "You're stuck here for now."
"Uh, that might be a bit of a problem. My class leaves tonight, to return home." Leslie tried to sit up again, but she still couldn't move. This time, it was not pain that held her down. She could not make her muscles work. She felt a chill run down her spine.
A pale skinned man with dark hair, dressed all in black came over to her. "You see, dear girl, twice now you have inconvenienced us. Furthermore, I have seen into your memories. You know who we are. We cannot allow you to leave here alive."
Aro. She studied the others from her place on the hard cot. The boy who had spoken to her was definitely Alec. She turned her head slightly towards the familiar voice. With his hood down, Leslie was able to see his facial features now. Felix. I knew it! She knew she was in big trouble now. How was she going to explain how she came to know her information. Leslie tore her eyes away from Felix when Aro spoke up again.
The elder pulled her into a sitting position. "You're far too young yet, to be changed. How old are you?"
"Almost fourteen...." Leslie thought about Avery waiting for her at the hotel. "Look, I... I know of you, yes, but.. you can't exist. Not really. You're in a book!" She felt herself beginning to panic. If the real Volturi were like the ones from the books, she knew she was in real trouble. She did not have Alice or Edward Cullen to save her.
"Perhaps she can stay on with us instead of killing her." Somewhere from behind Aro another voice spoke up. "We could always use more hand maids around here."
"That is an intriguing idea, Caius." Aro turned to Leslie then. "You will stay here. Become one of our errand runners. If you live up to our expectations, perhaps you will join our ranks when you are of age." He turned to Felix then. "Since you found her, it will be your responsibility to make sure she does exactly as we tell her."
"Of course. Perhaps, however, it would be wise to have her do simple reception work with Gianna until her leg heals fully. She will hardly be able to run errands with a broken leg." Felix nodded.
"So true. Then you will take her down to Gianna in the morning. For now, a room is in order."
"W-wait a second.... I have family, and friends that are expecting me!" Leslie regretted her outburst the instant it was done. Aro stared hard at her. "I mean... they'll..."
"That is no concern of ours. It would be in your best interest not to anger us, my dear." He nodded to Felix. "Go and take her to her new home, if you would."
"Of course." Felix picked her up off the bed, and walked out of the room with her.
****
"You should be careful with your words here, Leslie. They are not usually so lenient."
If she hadn't been so shaken by the fact that she was effectively being held prisoner by vampire royalty, Leslie would have stopped to wonder how Felix knew her name. But instead, she voiced her more immediate concern. "My family...."
"Forget them for the time being." Felix dropped his formal air then, as they reached a hall lined with over a hundred doors. The hall itself seemed to go on and on. It reminded Leslie of something out of a carnival fun house. However, there was nothing fun about this situation at all. Felix set her down, letting her lean her weight against him as he opened the door. "Your new room."
The room was pitch black. Leslie's heart beat in her chest. She imagined she could hear it echoing in the halls. "It's so dark...."
"Light is earned around here." Alec's voice replied. He stood behind them, holding out a tray of food and drink. "Here is your dinner. You will get no more before morning, so you should eat it carefully."
"That will be all, Alec." Felix frowned. "Set it by her bed." He took Leslie into his arms again. If she had not been ordered to remain there, Leslie would have found this almost comforting. Felix was not rough with her. It surprised her, as she remembered the Cullens' encounters with the Volturi. She cringed as Alec left the room that would be hers. Felix dismissed him with a slight nod, and walked into the black hole with her.
