A/N: Started this a while ago, figured I'd best finish it and get it up. Again, as always, starring our dear Demetri, and this time, another supernatural creature. Vampires can't be the only ones out there, after all! I regret that it is so short, and that I had to end it at a one-shot, but I feel it's best conveyed as drabbles towards the end. That and I'm a lazy bones with another multi-chappie fic to focus on.
Disclaimer: SM owns all, except for Nissa. She is mine. :)
Demetri could have sworn he had seen something, a flash of gold, out of the corner of his eye. As he turned round and round, however, he saw nothing. Must have been an illusion, he thought to himself.
Nissa watched him carefully from behind one of the sacred trees. What was he hunting, this strange creature? For, a human, she was sure he was not. He was something else entirely, something she did not understand. So she watched him with curious eyes, always following his movements, always just a few steps behind, hidden by the nature she treasured so much. Something about him fascinated her. She had never left home for such a long time before and had never come into contact with a stranger.
Nissa cocked her head to the side, unsure of what he was doing here, so close to her village. What are you looking for, kind stranger?
Demetri's head turned faster than light and it was then that she saw his eyes. Red as the blood she was now sure he drank. She had been raised on the stories. Vampire. Nissa hid away from view for she knew she bore a resemblance to a human, much as he did, in this form, and that he would likely not hesitate to attack if he saw her. But what was he doing here? What was his purpose for visiting? And more importantly, what was he after?
She knew that the right thing to do would be to go back and tell the Seelie Court that a vampire was lurking in their midst and that she should assist them in finding him. However, something about his manner and the way he was being vigilant told her that he was indeed after something other than her kind. Everyone knows, after all, that it is impossible to locate a fairy and their place of dwelling in the vast woodlands of the north. Her coven, one consisting of Nordic fairies, lived in a secluded part of the Swedish and Norwegian wilderness in a realm all of their own. To the East, near Finland, resided the Unseelie Court, the less benevolent of their kind.
She wondered if perhaps those were not the fairies whom he was after. He kept sniffing the air like a dog, eyes darting from side to side, his instincts kicking in. What could you possibly be looking for?
Demetri heard footsteps in the forest, his advanced hearing giving him the vigilance he required when on the hunt. But these footsteps were different, somehow lighter than the ones he had been tracking before. Clearly not the steps of a werewolf. At first, he had chosen to ignore it, deciding that whatever it was, it did not mean him any harm. But no matter where he went or what direction he took, those light sounds were never too far behind him. He turned as quickly as he could and once again, a vision in blue and gold danced before his eyes. A small snarl escaped his chest, alerting the creature, whatever it was, that if it wished to survive, it should stop following him. But said creature did not desist.
"Alright, then." He said, finally. "Show yourself. There's no use running, I'm a tracker."
Nissa gasped lightly and hid behind a tree. Was he bluffing? Could he really track her back to the village? She knew, deep down, that she could not take that chance. Imagine, a vampire finding his way into her home! The chaos and uproar that would ensue. No, she had to stay perfectly still. But his voice. Something about his voice was beckoning. And she had been about to show herself to him when she heard the steps of a creature even more feared than a vampire: werewolf.
And the vampire didn't know! It was coming up, advancing slowly behind him. Nissa did what no self-respecting fairy would ever do just then. She came from behind the tree and changed herself back into sprite form, shrinking and regaining her wings.
She flew past the vampire in question and landed on the werewolf's back, working her magic and pulling his fur, scratching at his skin. Demetri turned around, alarmed at the sight before him, for he had not seen the fairy and immediately began to attack the werewolf. It crossed his mind as to why the large animal was not fighting back at him and why it was whining before he had even begun attacking but put it to the back of his mind, focusing on the task at hand.
Nissa held on to the fur as steadfastly as she could when the beast was thrown into a tree and her along with it. With one bite from the vampire, the werewolf slumped to the ground in defeat, practically crushing Nissa with every breath. She squealed but the sound would hardly be enough to capture the vampire's attentions. I am going to die here, she thought. It was then that she decided to shift back into her more human form so she could at least try to use her strength to push the now dead wolf off of her.
"Please." She whispered. "Help me!"
Demetri whipped around and cocked his head at the sight of a beautiful, ethereal-looking woman under the large, bulky werewolf. Hurriedly, he lifted the creature off of her and she crawled out from under it, breathing heavily.
"Thank you." Nissa said, leaning back against the tree, harnessing its power to regain her strength.
"Have you been following me?" Demetri asked in a more vicious tone than he had intended.
Nissa opened her eyes and he slowly became lost in her pools of blue. As much as it pained her, she had to do it. She glared at the vampire and he fell to the floor, his vision blurring. Before he hit the hard ground, however, Nissa caught him, cradling his head.
"Hush, now. Sleep. All will be well."
Nissa took great care to make the unconscious vampire comfortable while he slept, placing soft leaves under his head and all over his body to shelter him from the cold. She didn't know if vampires could feel cold, but it was better to be safe than sorry in her eyes. After all, he had not yet done her any harm, so there was no reason not to take the necessary precautions against the elements.
While he was out, Nissa scanned her eyes over his sculpted form. He was certainly very handsome and something about him inexplicably drew her in. Ah yes, the predator/prey scenario. Of course he was enticing, he had to lure humans to feed. Why else would they ignore their natural instincts of flight? But he was no danger to her in this state, so there was no harm in taking in the way his frosty hair was spiked ever so slightly, framing his perfectly sculpted features. With a tentative hand, Nissa reached out and touched his face, caressing his cheek ever so softly to wake him, not bothering to recoil at the cool temperature, as she was used to it in this climate. Slowly, his eyelids started to flutter and bits of his red irises started to peak through. In case he lashed out, Nissa changed back into her form and fluttered a safe distance away behind a tree.
Demetri had never felt quite so disoriented in his entire existence. He slowly sat up and looked around him, trying to place himself and figure out what happened. There were leaves all around him, which he eyed with curiosity, and shook off himself. It was only when he sensed a familiar tenor nearby that it all came back to him. That woman! The one who had helped him and then... incapacitated him? How on earth had she managed to do that? He was one of the most lethal vampires the world had ever seen! Clearly he had a lot to learn about what his kind was susceptible to, even after all this time.
He stood up straight, like a predator on the hunt. He wanted answers but did not want to startle the creature, whoever she was, before he got them. Demetri had been about to voice his demands, using his irresistible charm to coax her out from hiding but before he had the chance, she walked out from behind the tree, back in her human form.
"Hello." She said, her voice ringing like bells in Demetri's ear. At his lack of response, she took a few steps forward and extended her hand in a gesture of peace. "I hope I didn't scare you."
Demetri's eyes widened. Scared? Him? That could never happen. Although, he would admit that this creature's ability to put him under did make him anxious. But never scared. "What is that? What did you do?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, not entirely sure if he had seen her change forms.
A slight hiss escaped him, causing her to take a few steps back. "Don't... toy with me. What exactly did you to me back there? It's not often anyone or anything is able to attack us in such a manner."
It was Nissa's turn to widen her eyes in surprise. "Attack?" She asked in a bewildered tone of voice. "No, you misunderstand, I did not mean to hurt you. It's a natural reaction of ours, to induce sleep."
His ears perked up slightly. "Ours? Are there others like you?"
At this sudden inquisition, Nissa's expression steeled up. She was not supposed to reveal the secrets of her kind. At least not to strangers. Dangerous, red-eyed, blood-drinking, powerful, beautiful strangers.
Demetri could tell that it would be difficult to get information out of her, so he decided to try a different approach. Heidi wasn't the only vampire, after all, that was able to charm others, almost to the point of hypnotism, with her looks and knack for lulling her prey into a false sense of security. Perhaps this spell-bindingly mysterious creature would be susceptible to his more devious talents. "Of course, how rude of me. I've not introduced myself. I am Demetri. And by the way you're looking at me, I think you already know what I am."
She nodded subtly. "A vampire, yes. I've never actually seen one in person before, but I've heard of them on occasion."
"Well, here I am." He said, his voice dripping with honey. "And what is your name?" He asked politely.
Her eyes narrowed in distrust. "I cannot tell you. It is dangerous."
"Come now, darling, I've told you mine." Demetri rolled his eyes. "Besides, how can a name be dangerous?"
"For my kind, it is." Nissa whispered.
Demetri was intrigued. "How so?"
"A name is power." She said resolutely, chiding him. "One should not give it away so easily."
"And what exactly is your kind?" Demetri asked, wanting to know more about her. Who was this marvelous creature?
"I'd rather not say, if you don't mind. You might use it against me." Nissa did not want to hurt this man but she did not want to hurt her people, either.
"I saved you, did I not?" Demetri reasoned. "If I had wanted to harm you, believe me, I would have by now." That hardly reassured her. "You're not human, so out with it. What are you?"
"We are called many things. Sprites, fairies, faes, nymphs... you may take your pick." She explained. "Yet we all have the same purpose. We live in and worship nature. I myself am a dryad, we live amongst the trees."
Demetri's eyebrows furrowed. But that was impossible... wasn't it? "You mean you're a fairy?" He asked, with a tone of doubt, challenging her admission with his gaze. "A real fairy?"
Nissa scowled. "Asks the vampire. What, if your kind can exist, mine can't? There are werewolves, so why shouldn't there be fairies?"
He held up his hands in surrender. "I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you. Of course you exist, silly me." He cocked his head to the side, taking in her form. "I am like you, though, I've never come across one of you. I didn't think you'd be so... enchanting."
Nissa blushed at this comment. She was not meant to consort with trespassers in this way. In fact, she was not meant to consort with them at all. "Thank you." She replied cooly, not wanting to encourage him. "So, what are you doing here? Hardly anyone ever comes to these lands."
"I was on a mission." He replied honestly. "We'd heard about the Child of the Moon wreaking havoc up here and I was sent to terminate him."
"So you're an assassin, then?" She asked, fear starting to creep into her eyes.
He thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I am." He said, more to himself than to her. "But that's not all I am. We're creatures of intellect, as well, like yourselves, I imagine. Would you tell me more about them?"
"Would you like me to make you fall asleep again?" She asked, sweetly. "I imagine you haven't slept in centuries. How old are you?" A small laugh escaped her.
He had heard this legend. The one that said how fairies were impossible creatures, always teasing, always playing tricks on others. But those others were usually humans and most definitely not vampires. He had a bigger bite than mortals did.
"Over two thousand." He replied, cockily. "Yourself?"
A small smile flitted across her face. "A good bit. As most fairies in my home."
"And your home is where?" He asked, hoping his charm and wit would prevail.
"Nice try." Nissa threw back at him. "I'm not so easily persuaded into divulging secrets of my kind."
"Alright then." Demetri said curtly. "I give up. That was my last attempt. Gentleman's honor."
Her eyes narrowed. "Forgive me, but you seem nothing like a gentleman." At his slight pout, she adopted a chiding tone. "Asking the name of a fairy as if you had the right to know."
"Forgive me, but I am not well versed in the proper etiquette for dealing with fairies." His smile grew wider. "This is amazing, your existence. Does that mean there are other creatures out there? Apart from us, I mean. Witches and goblins and elves and the like?"
Nissa's expression turned grim. "They have been known to lurk in the shadows, yes."
"Fascinating." His eyes flashed with unfettered curiosity. Aro would be very interested to learn of this. "What about-?"
"I think I've answered enough of your questions, sir." Nissa told him, quietly. "If you'd like to know more, take it up with the Elders. I'll not be entertaining your inquiries any longer."
He closed his mouth mid-sentence. "Alright, fair enough. I did promise to stop, after all, and I shall keep my word. But sincerely, you must come with me to Italy."
"Italy?" She repeated. "Are you mad? You must be. I can't leave the forest, it's forbidden." Her eyes flashed with disapproval. Clearly this man knew nothing of her race of people. "I'm not here to be at your disposal. I need to get back to my village, so if you'll be on your way-"
"My masters would love to meet you. Perhaps our kind could come to an agreement with you, an alliance of sorts." He offered as peacefully as he could. He knew he had to be careful with his offer, for Aro was a collector. If he even hinted at the possibility of her never coming back home, she would retreat back into a realm where even he could not follow. Yes, he had to approach this as carefully as possible to ensure the right answer.
A curious glint appeared in her eyes. "An alliance... such that this forest could be offered protection? That werewolf was not the first incidence in the area. Could you really offer us that?"
He took in a breath, allowing him enough time to think how to respond, for part of him knew he had her so close to accepting the offer but the other part did not wish to lie to her. He, however, had other masters to serve than his passing fancy. She was nothing to him, but could be everything to the Volturi. And that was his purpose here. "Yes. My masters are very accommodating and, with your cooperation, you could represent your people to them, put your case forward, and we could come to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement."
"I see." She replied, taking it all in. "But what could we offer you?"
"Knowledge." He explained. "There are clearly things in this world that we are not aware, and it could be useful to us to learn from beings, such as yourself. We would then, in turn, protect these lands from its enemies."
Nissa nodded, knowing this was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure protection for her forests from villainous forces. "That would be good, I think."
"Excellent, we can leave as soon as you're ready." He said with a smile and a slight twinkle in his eye at his successful luring skills. "Will you be alright to travel in that dress?" He asked, noticing her light blue ensemble for the first time, appreciating the way it caressed her form.
"I won't be leaving now. I must speak with my Elders first." At this, Demetri's patience was waning. He was expected home ages ago, and Aro would be wondering what delayed him so. Before long, he was sure they would send Jane or Alec, or perhaps both, to follow his scent and try to locate him, thinking he'd gone rogue or something of the sort.
"What if they don't allow it?" He asked, feigning concern in his features. "That is, what if they do not desire our help?"
Nissa frowned. "Why wouldn't they want the forest to be protected? It is our greatest desire, to live in a world of peace."
"My dear, we're hardly harmless creatures, and we don't exactly have the best reputation, I'm sure, in your world. They could prevent you from leaving." He said, trying to convince her that it was now or never. "And I would hate to be without your company on my journey back."
She shook her head. "Perhaps, but all the same, I cannot take such drastic an action without consulting them first. I will be but a few moments." She said, determinedly, but with a smile. "Will you wait here?"
He gave her a curt nod. "I will await your return most eagerly, Miss."
"Very well." Nissa said, turning around and transforming back into her fairy form, relishing the sharp intake of breath by the vampire behind her who was clearly astonished at her special powers. Quickly, almost too fast for even him to follow with his eyes, she fluttered away into the trees and back to her homeland.
The hazel tree where her people lived, though similar to the ones around it in this endless forest, was unmistakable to her. Only her kind could see the specks of gold in the leaves, the aura surrounding the tree that had housed them for so long. Nissa smiled as the familiarity of her home reached her, flying into a small hole in the bark and descending into their civilization. In her excitement about the prospect of an alliance with these mysterious Italian vampires, Nissa had not taken notice of the figure that had been following her and was now inspecting the hole through which she had flown.
The town of Kippen was everything one would expect a fairy dwelling place to be. Small, white houses with thatched roofs and nice, big windows, adorned with all sorts of decorations. The cobble-stoned streets that led all the way from the entrance to the Court of the Elders stretched throughout the entire city, meandering to accommodate the homes and various other buildings. Nissa had come with a purpose: to speak to the court let them know of her intentions, as well as the possible good news of protection from future supernatural attack. Celebrations were sure to be in order but when she arrived in the main square, there was nothing but panic.
Fairies everywhere of all ranks and orders were fluttering about nervously, shouting, pleading, even praying to their tree goddess that all would be alright in the end. Nissa's confusion was soon clarified by whispers of the word "vampire" and suddenly she knew. Vampires had a distinct sweet smell, like that of saccharine, and having been in close contact with Demetri, she was likely reeking of it. It was not long before the Elders had made their way to the square and singled out Nissa as the perpetrator, the one responsible for all this chaos: the one who had fraternized with a vampire.
When Demetri had been sure this nameless creature was out of his reach, he pulled out his mobile phone and rang home. The latest receptionist, an Italian woman called Francesca, answered.
"Good afternoon, Demetri. Master Aro has been inquiring about your progress. What should I relay to him?" She asked, dutifully obedient as all those who preceded her in the hopes of immortality in exchange for her services.
At her mock politeness, he inwardly scoffed. "Tell Aro there has been a new development. I will be delayed, but it will be more than worth the wait. I've acquired someone." He explained, his admission causing Francesca to gasp.
"Oh- I, um-" She stuttered, taken aback. "I see. I shall inform Master Aro". The fear in her voice was evident. Their human employees always hated to be the bearer of bad news, as it usually ended with Aro or Caius' teeth in their throats before they could begin to apologize. "Is there anything else?" She asked, her voice dripping with trepidation.
"No, that is all." He said, not wanting to give too much away. "I assure you, he will be very pleased with our arrival. They will all be." Upon hanging up, he'd heard a loud scream come from deep within the tree he'd been leaning against, and proceeded to crouch defensively in case he had to do battle there and then. He was not entirely sure how fairy warfare worked, but there were surely enough of them to take him out if one of them, a weak female, at that, had been able to incapacitate him.
He stood back up from his crouch when he saw that it was only the same fairy from before, though she looked worse for wear, tears brimming in her eyes as she took in his form, standing so close to her sacred home. With a whimper, Nissa began to fly higher and higher away from his reach and away into the forest, before he could even say anything. Without a moment's hesitation, he started to track and follow her. There was no way in hell he was going to let her out of his grasp. He had given Aro something to look forward to and should he return empty handed, the Masters would not be pleased and he would likely have to endure a small session with Jane. That was hardly what he wanted from this mission.
As he ran, however, his eyes caught the glint of something off the ground. A tiny speck of gold laying on the lush forest floor and he stopped quickly to pick it up. There was some script written elegantly on this small piece of what he took to be jewelry, not too familiar with the metalworking of female fashion, and squinted to see it, even with his perfect eyesight. "Nissa." He read aloud and in a flash, a very familiar and very angry flying figure appeared in front of him.
Her first reaction after changing her form was to reach to her neck and it was then that she realized what had happened. Her posture stiffened and as she turned to face him, her blue eyes narrowed. "Why would you do that? Have you really not heard the lore surrounding us? Do you have any idea what you have done?"
Demetri lifted his hands up in surrender. "How do you mean? I'm not quite sure I understand."
She left out a sigh of frustrated exasperation. "To call the name of a sprite bends her to one's will. And you have now called mine, which is presumably what you wanted." Nissa explained accusingly. Pointing to the necklace in his hand, now slightly larger after her transformation, she continued. "It would appear that luck was on your side. I must now do your bidding, whether I wish to or not."
Inwardly, Demetri was smiling. She was right, it would seem that this time, Lady Luck was with him, indeed, for now she was under his spell and had to return with him. But outwardly, he had to maintain her trust and help to diffuse the anger flaring in her blue irises. "You seemed upset earlier. What happened to cause you such misery?"
Nissa's face grew dark and she looked downwards in shame. "I was banished from..." She hesitated, not wanting to reveal the name of her village, but she was no longer welcome there. What harm could come of telling him, her now master, the name of her home? "They banished me from Kippen."
A look of guilt crossed his face. "Because of me? Because I wanted you to come back with me?"
"No. Because of me. And my foolish actions, trying to speak to you. According to the Elders, you could destroy us all if you wished to." She glared at him head on. "Creatures of intellect! You're nothing more than a creature of death."
This time, he did not have to feign being hurt. He genuinely was. Of course, he knew that others, even of his own kind, did not view the Volturi as friends, but if there was anything they valued, it was the arts. And he did not wish to be viewed as a monster, not by anyone. "Is that what they told you? The same ones who banished you from your home?"
She nodded slightly. "What reason have they to lie to me? They were very clear, your kind are not to be trusted. Why should I believe any different?"
"If you come with me, I'll show you." He offered with earnest eyes. "We're not monsters. Please, come with me."
And just like that the tears flowed freely from her eyes and something deep inside him stirred. "A command. Perfect, I was hoping you wouldn't figure it out."
"I beg your pardon?" He asked.
"I must go with you, you've called me by name and now you've commanded me to. I've no choice in the matter." At his skeptic look, she shook her head in frustration. "You really do not understand, do you? The gravity of what you've done."
"What I do know is that my Master is anxious for my return, as well as to meet you. I don't want you to feel forced... but I'd like for you to come with me." Like hell he didn't want her to feel forced. He wanted her to come at any cost but, now that she was, without a shadow of a doubt, there was no harm in getting her to trust him. Such trust could prove useful in the future.
A feigned smile of comfort flitted across her lips. "I appreciate your attempts at kindness. I could use it after what's happened."
"What did happen in there? Were they very harsh?" He asked, not sure at all how the laws of her people worked.
She shook her head dismissively. "It doesn't matter, it's too horrible to discuss. We should set out if we are to make it all the way to Italy."
He nodded curtly, pleased with her acquiescence, but he knew that her fight would not end there. He may have verbal control over her, but he recalled something similar that he and his Masters had heard of happening in the Cullens' precious pack of mutts - the Alpha command, and how one of them, the one now married to their half-breed offspring, had been able to cut ties and assert his own dominance. Perhaps this creature would figure out a way to do so, as well? He hoped not, at least not until he had the help of Jane and Alec to restrain her. "Can you run?" He asked, and then looked to see she had already transformed into her winged body. "Ah, I see. You'd prefer to fly. We must make a quick stop somewhere inhabited, I'll need to feed."
With that, they set off in the direction of civilization, Demetri always checking to make sure that her tenor was behind him.
"You are not bothered by my diet?" He asked incredulously, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.
Nissa simply shook her head. "We do not trust humans. Why should their fate matter to us?"
"May I ask why you don't trust them?" He asked sweetly, knowing he was pushing the boundaries. She was already coming with him willingly and that was a lot easier (and far more enjoyable) than the alternative. Aro would be absolutely thrilled!
She toyed with a tendril of her golden hair. "You promised no more questions, Demetri." She said, almost hesitant to use his name, unused to having the right to speak it. "But if you insist, there was a time when we did interact with them. Helped them, even. But then they turned on us, thought us evil, and we were forced into hiding. Even now, we often have to leave home for fear of it being destroyed by their powerful machines. They don't respect nature as they used to, you see, and would not hesitate to destroy us."
And it was then that he realized he had her eating out of the palm of his hands, for she too had been victimized by humans, as had his kind for millennia.
"I assure you, you'll find none of that in Volterra." He said with a feigned smile.
Demetri flinched as he took in her state, weak and brittle - nothing like the vibrant creature he had once known. What had the Aro done to her? Sure, she was starved of the life force the forest gave her, but the state she was in! It was beyond forgiveness, but not beyond repair. "Come with me, we're getting you out of here."
"Why should I trust you?!" She asked, vehemently, anger flaring in her once kind and innocent eyes, now burdened with pain and regret. "You tricked me. You brought me here, against my will, and turned me over to them. Took me away from what I need to survive. Let them use me."
The accusation in her eyes, once so full of life, caused him to turn away, not being able to bear the gravity of what he had done. "It was a mistake bringing you here. You deserve to be free. Nissa. Come with me." He pleaded. "You'll never have to see me again."
She scoffed, which made him look at her again. "You can't just leave me somewhere. I'm already yours." She explained, her voice giving way. "Take me home and leave, and I'll be no better off. But if you stay with me..."
He nodded. "I'm never leaving you." She closed her eyes, nodding, and he scooped her up in his arms, leaving Italy - his home - forever. Because he had a new home. Demetri now resided in the heart of a fairy, and she in his. "Not ever, my Nissa.
For she had no need to call his name to bend him to her will. He had been hers from the very beginning.