Preface
"Hello my dear," The old vampire said flashing a too white smile.
"We're here to see an old friend," I replied.
"It greatly depends on what friend that is. You know, dear, that my friends come and go as they please. He may be here, he may not," Another smile from another old friend.
"Oh, Aro, I've missed you."
Hannah's POV
My eyes were dark as coal. I've waited far too long to hunt. My throat burned horribly. I slipped on the tight red dress and fixed my blonde hair. It would provide as perfect bait for stupid teenage boys who regarded themselves as invulnerable.
I'd always found hunting fun. Like dinner and a show. For the past fifty years it had been the same routine every Friday night. Find a party, walk in, and find the most delicious human in the place. It was the way I was taught and the way I will remain to do so.
I walked out of my pent house, located in the city that never sleeps: New York. It was a dream to live here. So many different nationalities. It was like a continental buffet. I laughed to myself.
I was changed in 1962 at the age of seventeen. It was the perfect age. Perfect for hunting, though I'm sure it would be easy to hunt at any age. The halls rang with sounds from every room. Men and women, children with televisions, and my favorite, a party. Room 473.
Of course the owner had a big man with a velvet rope in front of his door, because every party was the biggest party of the year. I walked up and smile seductively. "Hello," my voice chimed
"Hello Miss. I cannot let anyone in here without an invitation." His eyes glazed over as he looked at me. Ew, old men.
"But can't you make an exception for me? I was invited but he ran out of invitations." I placed my hand on his wrist. "It would make me very happy."
His old heart sputtered. "I think Mr. Walt would be very happy to have you at his party." He removed the rope from in front of me and opened the door.
"Thank you," I strutted in. The door closed behind me and I rolled my eyes. This was no doubt one of the worst parties I've been to.
People were sprawled out on the couches and chairs, intoxicated out of their minds. Some were in the corner smoking and others made sluggish movements on the dance floor. I could smell the over spiked punch. It didn't take long to find the 'Mr. Walt' the door man was talking about.
I stood disgusted in the center of the room, surrounded by men. All very intoxicated and not one over twenty years old. One with slicked back black hair stumbled forward and leaned on my shoulder, his hand resting on my butt.
"I don't remember inviting you, but I'm happy I did." He slurred. Ugh, his blood smelled of alcohol and he reeked of vomit.
"Yes, me too," I put on my poker face and hid the disgust I felt. I put my hand on his chest as the men dispersed. "Is there somewhere we could go to be alone?"
"Yeah, come with me," He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into a room. It would be okay to kill this man. Alcohol poisoning was already eating away at his system.
He started placing sloppy kisses on my neck and nipping at my earlobe. He didn't smell that great, so I just got it done and over with. I moved too fast for him to understand what was happening. I threw him on to the bed, leaned over, and sank my teeth into his neck.
He tasted good, besides the after bite from the alcohol. I moaned as the warm blood trickled into my throat. Too soon he was drained dry and I went out to find one or two more.
Out of three men, the last tasted the best. The corpses were all gathered into one room and I was getting ready to plant a cigarette on one of them and light the room on fire but an insolate girl ruined those plans.
She opened the door and found me leaning over a body. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just looking for-" She cut off mid sentence. Apparently she had been looking around the room and saw the other two dead bodies. She opened her mouth to scream.
I was up and across the room and a flash. I clasped my hand over her mouth and nose. "You scream and I kill you." I spoke in a low harsh voice. There was no need to tell her I would have to kill her any ways. I pulled her into the room and removed my hand.
"What are you? What did you do to those people?" She whimpered
"I believe the answers won't make a difference to your escape plan."
Her eyes widened. "You're not going to let me go are you?"
"Finally," I clapped my hands quietly. "A smart one, who realizes they aren't going to make it through the night."
She whirled and made a move toward the door. I had her around the neck before she could even move much farther.
"I told you not to move."
"No, you didn't," She choked out.
I smiled, "Sorry, thought it was implied." I sighed. I would do away with her now. I brought her closer and sniffed her neck. She wasn't intoxicated, at all. Her blood was pure. "You will taste delicious." I told her.
I bit into her neck before she could say anything. She gasped a little, but stayed quiet. I took my time drinking from her. So rarely did I ever taste pure blood.
I stopped drinking from her before her heart stopped. I never used my ability on people. It made me want to keep some of them around. I touched my hand to her forehead.
She had power, lots of power, and it was all focused on one thing. She had an ability of her own. I was going to keep her. The venom was already in her system, changing her. She was still paralyzed in fear.
Before I knew what I was doing, I lifted the girl. I zipped through the party room, past the door man, and straight to my home. My stomach sloshed with blood.
Very soon, I would have a companion to hunt with me.
(Here we go! We start an Epic adventure of blood lust, pain and friend ship today!
Wish us luck!)
Lissa's POV
I'd been at the party for about an hour and i was bored out of my mind. I'm not really a partier and i don't drink but my friends had convinced me to come. Now i was alone on a couch with people all around me passed out or vomiting. Not exactly my idea of a good time.
I saw a girl earlier who didnt really fit in with the crowd. She was beautiful but I'd only seen her a few times. I assumed she was probably hooking up with some guy. I immedietly thought of Jason. He was my boyfriend and he came here with me. He was nowhere to be found now though, I decided to go look for him to tell him I was leaving.
I found a bedroom and walked into it but what I found was... well, horrifying.
I stopped apoligizing mid-sentence for walking into well to presumable drunk people doing things they wouldnt remember tomorrow. I realized there were three dead bodies and not people having sex.
"What are you? What did you do to these people?" I stuttered, mortafied.
"I believe the answers won't make a difference in your escape plan ," she answered.
I looked over to see Jason laying dead on the bed. "Your not going to let me go, are you?" I asked.
"Finally," she clapped her hands."A smart one, who realizes they arnt going to make it through the night."
I turned as fast as i could toward the door but I wasn't fast enough. Her arms wrapped around my neck and at that moment I knew I would die.
"I told you not to move," she said sounding irrtated.
"No you didn't," I struggled to say, deciding I woulnt show how helpless I was in these last moments.
"Sorry, I thought it was impied,"she said as she brought me closer. Then was when I realized what she was. She was a Vampire. "You will taste delicious." The last words I heard. They came from a vampire.
I was sure I was dead, but then, why was I still thinking? I couldn't remember anything except that Jason was dead. And those eyes. The last ones I saw before I died. Bright red. Filled with blood. Jason's blood. My mind was foggy but I felt counciousness creeping up on me. My eyes opened.
I tried to move my arms up to my eyes but everything felt so heavy. Was this what death was? Why was it so hard. After a moment I could reach my eyes and when I did i felt a breeze over me.
My mouth burned. It was burning so bad I thought I was on fire. Was I in Hell? Oh, God how did I end up here? I'd never done anything! The burning! But it was only in my mouth. Nowhere else, just my mouth. I starred up at the fan on the celing. In the same second there was a person over me. Blond hair, red eyes. Oh God.
"W-who are you? What are you? Why am I hear? God, why is my mouth burning!" I asked her.
"Your mouth burns because you need blood. Your here because I brought you here. The rest is irrelevent. Here." She tossed me a little bag of red liquid. Blood...
Suddenly the burning was all I could think about. And this blood... it was the only thing that would stop the burning. I bit the bag open and drank the blood. Much to my suprise, it was good. It made my body lighter. Easier to move. I was so confused. Not only was my streangth greater with blood but my eyes... I could see everything! It was like looking under a microscope.
I gasped. "I'm a vampire."
"Thats right," she smiled
Hannah
"I'm a vampire," She breathed, eyes wide and fearful. What did she have to fear? She was invulnerable now.
"Yes, you are." I smiled at her, "I assume your throat still burns."
She nodded, "It hurts. Bad," She clutched her throat with so much pressure her neck had little cracks in it. "Please, make it go away."
"Okay," I took her stone hand from her throat and dragged her towards the door. "So, street people or party goers?"
She stopped in her tracks. "I don't want to eat people."
I opened my mouth to calm her down and realized I still didn't know her name. "What's your name?"
"I'm Lissa, and who are you? That was one of my first questions that you never asked."
"My name is Hannah, I was changed in 1962. I've walked this earth for 66 years so far. My mentor is gone. Long gone," I added a silent and you should be happy you have yours.
I heard speak under her breath, "You look good for your age." I chuckled. I looked my companion again. She looked very different from what she had. She had been beautiful for a human, but now she was perfect. Thick auburn hair that had a slight wave to it, a curvy figure that was nicely suited to the sparkly disco ball-like dress I had dressed her in, and astonishing red eyes. I didn't bother to ever where contacts and cover up my eyes. Everybody already thought I was wearing them.
"If you don't want to eat a street person, then how to you presume we get rid of your thirst." I raised a brow at her.
"Do you have any more bags of blood?" She asked.
"Yes," I rolled my eyes and went to the stocked freezer in the corner. I pulled out a few bags- some for her, some for me.
I watched as she calmly ripped the top and drained them. As the blood poured into her throat, she shivered. I set the bags down and went into my bed room. My beautiful ebony bed sat in the middle of the room, next to the grand piano. I sat on the bench and started playing.
Wonderful, vibrant sound filled the room, turning my slight guilt into easy happiness. Silent footsteps approached, but I ignored them and kept playing. She stopped and listened until I was done.
"Can I go home now? The burn doesn't hurt as bad." She sounded satisfied.
"The burn won't ever go away." I told her. The small flame in my throat burned brighter.
"Then I will keep drinking blood, but I still need to go home. My family will wonder where I am."
"They already do. You were reported missing two days ago.
Plus, I think they would notice how different you look." I gestured toward her. "I'm sorry, you can't go home."
I watched her lips quiver. She wanted to cry. I envied her.
In this life human memories fade, you forget. I don't remember anything. At least hers were at most a little blurry. I couldn't tell you my parent's names; she could tell where they lived. I wished I had memories- fond ones, full of family and the love I can't remember even feeling. Maybe I had had a love; maybe I had been dating someone. But now I would never know.
"Can I at least leave them a note or something?" Her voice was thick with unshed tears.
"If you would like, but we must leave soon. I left a trail in my wake, so we are heading towards Europe."
"But I don't want to leave," Her brows scrunched together.
"Unless you want your family to get in some trouble with you sniffing around, and possibly killing them We can come back in a few years, after everybody forgets." I stood and moved away from my piano. "By the way, we need to go shopping before we leave. There is no way I'm leaving without new clothes."
"Fine," She huffed. "I'm going to go see my family one last time."
"Just don't let them see you, and be back before dawn."
"Whatever," She left the room at a slow pace. I guess she hadn't realized her potential and I probably should have taught her a little more. I'll just teach her when she gets back though.
I poked one of my piano keys, listening to its lovely sound. I would miss it dearly when I was gone. Correction- when we were gone.
I thought having a companion would've made my life better, but this one was…. Different. She never listened to me or heard what I said. She wasn't grateful. Most other newborns were too consumed by blood lust to do anything more than hunt. She had life, and humanity.
And sadly, I'd lost my humanity so very long ago.
As I left I felt the burn getting stronger. I walked down the street awkwardly and noticed people staring at me. It was late in the evening, probably about 7 or 8 but the sun still seemed bright and my eyes were irritated at it. I suppose it's my new senses.
My home was only about a 15 minute walk Hannah's room but it seemed longer with all of my straining to avoid walking near people. The burn was as bad as when I woke up now but I had to see my family one last time. I walked to the side yard so I could look into the living room window.
I saw my living room, just the way it was before I left. The matching couches with mismatch pillows on them, the T.V. that was older than my father. My father… I wished id told him I loved him before I left… all I said was see you later as I walked out the door. I saw him now, holding my mother as she cried presumably over me. Mike, my little brother was sitting in the chair across from them. He didn't seem to understand, he was only 7 after all.
I was suddenly aware of the burn and how strong it was. And mikes neck… such lovely veins and the blood running through them… he wasn't my brother now, he was food. He looked so good.
Wait.
That's my little brother! I can't eat him! Oh god, I have to get out of here. My father was strong; he would take care of them. "Goodbye," I whispered.
I took side roads back that no one would be on. I thought I would get lost but it seemed I didn't even need to think about where I was going. I walked back and was in the room in to time at all. It seemed id only been gone about 45 minutes.
"Your back, good. We can leave now. I see you didn't eat anyone," she said as I came in.
"No I didn't eat anyone. Where are we going to go? Paris?" I asked.
"Were going shopping first, come on, let's go."
I stood but in my peripheral vision I saw something. My reflection. Only, it wasn't mine. It looked like, well me only a more beautiful version. My skin was like porcine and my auburn hair seemed to go down my back in a way it never had. But what had caught my eye was something red. My eyes. My eyes were bright red. They looked horrible and menacing.
"My eyes!"
"Well, I think they look nice. If you don't like them, you can wear contacts to cover them up. They'll screw with your vision though."
"My god, what have you done to me? Why did you change me?
Hannah's POV
Shopping was uneventful. Lissa wouldn't let me buy much for her. Just a few water proof flannel shirts that would hold up well when running for long distances and sturdy jeans. I did convince her to get a dress but it was a plain baby pink that only reached mid thigh. It was admittedly cute.
I splurged a bit more. I had dozens of out fits and dresses. I had grabbed a few flannels and pairs of jeans similar to Lissa's but mine were in a different color.
"Why do we need 'sturdy' clothes?" Lissa asked.
"Because we are going to run a lot," I said as I unlocked the door to my room.
"Run? Are you crazy?"
"You're a vampire and you're asking if I'm crazy?"
"True," She gave a tinkling laugh. Her eyes went wide when she heard her laugh. "Oh my gosh, it sounds so different." She probably would've cried if she could.
"We are different. Do you want to know why I changed you?" I asked her
"Because my heart wouldn't stop beating," She replied. "You told me that while we were walking past the museum."
"That was one reason. The other was the power you had inside you." She gave me a look that said she had no idea what I was talking about. "Some of us have special abilities apart from the ones we already have."
"The ones we already have?" She interjected.
"I'll explain later," She nodded and I continued. "My ability is the ability to feel the power people harness within them but I have to touch you to do it. When I bit you the other day, I could literally taste your power, I just didn't know what it did. So I changed you to find out what you were holding inside yourself as a human."
"So you think I have an ability too?" She asked
"I applaud your powers of deduction." I clapped and laughed at her. "Yes, I think you do. We just have to find out what it is and I know a person who can do that." I stood up and walked towards my room, gesturing for her to follow. I grabbed my bags on the way.
"Is that who we are going to see in Europe?" Lissa seemed to like questions.
"Yes, I think he's still there."
"And if he's not?"
"Then you got to see Europe for no absolute reason at all," I smiled.
"Okay I can do that," She smiled and then turned serious. "Now tell me what you meant about other abilities."
After explaining the advantages of being immortal I made her pack her things. She hadn't brought anything back from her home and wouldn't let me buy her much, so her already light bag was even lighter.
We were packing in back packs so we were able to carry them while we ran. It was mostly for convenience.
"How are we supposed to get across the water?" Lissa asked yet another question.
"I have people." I told her.
"Okay then," She rolled her eyes and shoved her new hair brush into the bag before pulling the draw string tight. She heaved it onto her back and spoke. "So are you ready to go?"
"Almost, I have one last thing to do. Come on," I opened the door and waved her out of it. She started out walking but when I flashed by her she picked up the pace. She kept up with me easily.
"Where are we going?"
"To buy a thousand dollar sundae," I got a strange look. "Every week I buy the most expensive sundae in the world and give it to a homeless man named Fred. He eats the ice cream and gives the solid gold spoon to charity. He keeps the crystal cup to pay for his booze."
"You do realize that's weird, right?"
"No, it's really not. I feel that if I give back to the world in some way then I can pay them back for the human life I take."
"Oh," She followed silently after that. We wove through the streets quickly, making it to Serendipity 3 in no time. {That's the real name of the place} I walked in with Lissa right behind me.
"Hello, Miss Hannah," The man in the foyer greeted.
"Hello, Roger. I'll have the usual to go and an extra, please." I smiled and Roger made his way toward the kitchen to get my order. They usually had it ready but since I ordered an extra, we'd have to wait. "We have to wait for a minute," I told her.
"Okay," She nodded. "Do you have to pay extra to keep the cup and spoon?"
"No, it comes with the sundae." Roger came out then and handed over my order. "Thank you, Roger. I won't be back for a while. I hope to see you again." I embraced him with one arm. Roger was the closest thing I had to family, since he was one of the few people I saw often.
"As do I Miss Hannah," He pulled back and smiled at me. "Have fun."
"I will, Roger." I walked out of the restaurant and started toward the corner. Fred was always on the corner. As soon as he saw me her perked up. Either because he was out of booze and knew what was coming or because I was a pretty woman, I was never really sure which. "Hey Fred," I greeted
"Hi, Miss Hannah," He said in his rough voice.
"Here's your sundae. Don't forget to give the spoon to the orphanage this week. I'll go and check to make sure you did, okay?" I handed him the sundae and raised my brows.
"Yes, Miss Hannah," He grinned with his mouth closed. "The orphanage down the street or the one on the other side of the city?"
"The one down the street please." I smiled at him one last time. "I won't see you next week Fred, so here is a golden spoon for you to keep. Don't spend it too fast." I handed him the last thing and started to back away. "Bye Fred, don't forget."
"Bye, Miss Hannah." He looked down at the sundae and the extra spoon. We were gone before he looked back up.
I had basically just lost my only family, my living family at least.
"What's the other one for?" Lissa asked as we ran towards the harbor where our boat out of New York would be waiting.
"It's payment for the ride." I slowed slightly when I smelled the crisp, salty air.
"Oh," She followed me for another five minutes before we made it to the vessel. It was nothing extravagant, just a white boat with a sail and a small living space.
"Aaron?" I called.
A man was in front of us in a flash. "Hello, Hannah." He glanced at Lissa behind me. "So this is the girl you changed? She doesn't seem special at all."
"I can sense her power. You should know that I just don't change people for any old reason." I nudged him with my elbow. "So, come on bro. Are you going to sail us across the ocean? I promise she won't try to eat you."
He glanced at the sundae Lissa was holding. "Is that for me?" He asked. Aaron was completely human. He was born 20 years after I was changed so he was about 30 years old. My real father was his father but he was only my half brother.
"Yeah," Lissa handed him the ice cream and stepped back, obviously trying to control herself.
"Okay, I can do it for the ice cream and she can't eat me." He went below the deck to find something to eat it with.
"Well, this is going to be… difficult," Lissa commented.
"Never said it was gonna be easy, but never fear. I pack us a year's supply of blood. You'll be fine." I patted my bag. I was partially surprised she hadn't seen me pack it.
"I hope so," She whispered before wandering to the front of the boat.
"I hope so, too. If you eat my brother, we are screwed." I shook my head and headed under to find him.
(Sorry it took so long to post! I hope this is okay! And here is a picture of the Thousand dollar Sundae. It's a real thing in New York City and I really want to eat one someday. Doesn't it look good? I mean, who wouldn't want to eat gold?)
The boat ride took a very long time. In reality it was maybe a few days but for me, it was a lifetime. Every minute was a struggle not to just suck every drop of blood from Aaron's body. He was so nice and I felt bad for wanting to eat him. His blood just smelled so delicious… I mostly stayed in the small bedroom in which I couldn't sleep. It was strange not having to sleep but I never got tired. I was up at all hours of the night smelling Aaron's blood just a few yards away…
I wished now that I had let Hannah buy me more clothes but I just wasn't in the shopping mood. I'd been looking at everything with new eyes and constantly struggling not to eat the first person I could grab. Honestly, id just wanted to hurry up and go.
I missed my family so much it hurt. I felt so alone now and I knew I would never be able to see them again. I wished so much that id been able to just say good bye. I felt emptiness in my chest and even though Hannah was here, I felt I'd be alone forever. It was me alone with this god awful burning. It would be a constant struggle. What had my life become?
"You ok? Need some more blood?" Hannah said as she walked in.
"No, I'm ok. I'm just thinking, "I said not looking up at her.
"About?"
"Everything," I said after brief hesitation. "Everything is so different, it's hard to believe my life has altered so much in so little time," I said feeling as though I may cry. Could I cry?
"It's for the best, don't you think? You have true power now. You can live forever, you never have to worry about getting old," she said, trying to make me feel better.
"But how am I really supposed to live this way? I can't sleep, I can't love, I can't even walk near a living person without wanting to rip their throat out!" I said getting worked. "This is nothing like all the stories where it's so fabulous being a vampire. This is torture. Every second is agony."
"The burning goes away. Well, not completely but it will lighten and you'll learn to ignore it. Life gets better. Really," she said still trying to comfort me but slightly giving up hope. I assume she expected me to go into hysterics at some point.
"Thanks but I don't really want to live my life trying to ignore something that will always be present," I said sounding a little rude. I didn't care. "Can I have some blood," I asked getting excited as she reached for it.
"We should be arriving in a day or so, so just bare Aaron a bit longer."
After she left, I started my thinking again. This time I was thinking of power. I was definitely curious to find out if I really could do something special. I hoped so, or this was going to be a long eternity.
Part 2:
When we arrived in Europe, I was instantly hit with the scent of blood. Oh god, it was everywhere. There were people everywhere and all their blood was definitely going to make me lose control. Id lasted he entire boat ride with Aaron and now I was going to make it for nothing. I was going to reach out and grab this young girl behind me. I could hear her heart. It was fluttering. Her age was around my little brothers. I suddenly felt the loneliness suffocating me.
Wait. I didn't have to do this. After all I hadn't when I thought of it. But god, I wanted to. No, the burning wanted me to. I was giving in to the pain. I was letting it control me.
"Could we, um, hurry up and get to wherever were going?" I asked touching my throat.
"Right, it's just another block," she answered with a wondering look on her face.
Every minute was a struggle, but id made it. We were now in the lobby of a very extravagant hotel. I could hear conversations all around me. I heard a few men, presumably here on business, whisper about the two women that just walked in. yes, it was likely we would always draw a lot of attention because of our looks. I wasn't sure how I would get used to that.
The manager, whom was male, made a point to show us to our room himself. I saw the way he looked at us. Hannah flirted a bit, no doubt to get a few benefits while staying here. He was whipped the moment he heard her speak. After we were left alone, Hannah immediately got the blood out. She apparently needed some as did I. it tasted so nice. And oh was I relieved from most of the burning.
"You, uh, should probably start drinking real blood," Hannah said a little uncomfortably.
"What do you mean," I asked a little confused. "This is real."
"I mean, well, human blood. It will make the burn go away for much longer periods of time," she said quickly so I couldn't protest.
"Human blood…" I recalled the night we had met. Jason. She killed Jason to get rid of the burn. "You killed him. You killed him to relieve yourself. Why? He deserves life. He was a good guy, you know. Had a respectful job, family that loved him, lots of friends. Me. He had me," I said getting angry. How could I have forgotten Jason?
"It will help with that too. The outbursts. The pain, sorrow. Blood will help. You, uh, you were involved with him?" she asked casually.
"I loved him. And you killed him for no other reason than because you throat was stinging."
"What was I suppose to do? It's the way we live. It's the way you'll live. It's not exactly easy to find people no one cares about."
"I have to live that way? What's wrong with, just taking some? Like in books, they just take a little," I asked feeling a bit sick.
"Well I suppose you could, if you can stop yourself. It's not an easy thing, but, well I hadn't thought over how hard it'd be to walk here for you. Then when you asked if we could hurry, I thought how hard it should be. You should have lost it the moment we got off the boat. There's something in you, more control than I've seen. You may have potential, turning people. Not everyone can do it, but you could. I'm sure of it," she said a smile forming on her face. She seemed excited at the idea.
"No, no, no, no. I don't want to be this way and I sure as hell am not making anyone else like this. It's cruel. No way," I said getting more blood.
"Well I guess it is a little early to be making those decisions. But really, you should try human blood. It's better."
We left about an hour later to go meet this guy who could tell me what I could do. Hannah said he lived sort of far and she wanted to rent a car while we were here. So off we went.
Hannah
We drove down the winding roads as quickly as possible. Lissa looked like her thoughts were a hundred miles ahead of us. Mean while I was stuck at the conversation we'd had earlier. Was her great power resistance? Not that it would come in handy unless I wanted an army of vampire- which would surely get me killed by the Volturi- but she had potential.
"Where exactly are we going?" She asked abruptly.
"We are going to a small village called Volterra in Italy. A good friend of mine will tells us what your power is."
"Oh, how long will we be staying?"
"I'm guessing about a week or less. I want to go a few places before we head back to the states." I wanted to stop and see a few old friends, but no way was I going to tell her that. She'd probably freak out.
"Okay," She went back to staring out her window.
The next few hours were silent, I don't even think she breathed for most of the ride. On the bright side, Italy was beautiful in the summer. Rolling hills of green, simple animals spread across the land, and the ever beautiful patches of wildflowers that colored the world. It was calming as I started the drive up the treacherous winding hill that would have any human scared out of their wits. The climb was short lived, though. There was absolutely no traffic, making it possible for me to drive straight through the gates.
As soon as my front tires hit the pavement of the inner city, four cloaked figures appeared- two on either side of the car. To the human eye they would be impossible to see, to us they were doubly more lethal than anything else that could possibly hide in the shadows. I pulled into an alley and climbed out of the vehicle, motioning for Lissa to do the same. The four cloaked figures descended on us in a matter of seconds. I immediately recognized one of the scents.
"Well, Dimitri, I'm surprised they even let you come greet me." I smiled warmly at the cloaked figure standing in front of me.
He pulled down his hood, exposing his beautiful face. "Hannah, it is always a pleasure."
I laughed, "As if I didn't know that." I stepped forward and embraced him. "It is good to see you old friend."
He chuckled and pulled away. "We will chat later. Jane, you may escort us back to the chamber."
Lissa stepped close to me, so that she was almost glued to my side. "Do not fret, we will be fine. And don't resist Jane, sometimes the most deadly of powers is hidden amongst those with angelic faces."
Dimitri walked behind me, keeping a hand on my back the entire time. Here in Volterra was where I had discovered my talent. After greeting Aro and feeling the power the coursed through his frozen veins was amazing and I couldn't wait to do it again. I could sense Dimitri's abilities were not up front. He kept them harbored behind mental blocks. Still the rush of power was ever present. It was like adrenaline.
Jane had Felix, the fourth cloaked figure (with the third being her brother), lift the grate. She slipped through gracefully and landed with little more than a thud. We followed, Alec, Felix, Lissa, Me then Dimitri- who pulled the grate back in place before we continued down the hall.
Lissa hesitated to follow but I pushed her forward saying, "Just go, they won't hurt us."
She nodded bravely, "I'm not so sure about that." Her eyes flicked Jane's way. I held back my laughter and pushed her forward.
The tunnel would be long and cold to a human but it was comfortable if not a little moist. There was a sweet trace of a human's scent left behind. It was intoxicating. "Has a human been down here lately?" I asked.
Jane glanced back at me, "Hannah, you should know by now that the Volturi's business is theirs and theirs alone."
"You're right. My apologies, Jane." I bowed my head. We soon made it to the hard metal door that would lead to an elevator to take us up. We waited patiently until the elevator made that annoying 'ding!' sound that hurt my ears.
"Where are we?" Lissa asked- apparently unaware that every other vampire in the place could hear her.
"We are in the Volturi's main building. This is basically their center of operations." I explained.
"Oh," She turned back to the others, her eyes wide.
Jane and Alec led us across the lobby and through the corridor, until we reached the thick wooden doors that stood between us and the Volturi. She pushed them open.
At the same time, two beautiful women turned toward the doors and away from the plants they were tending to. "Hannah!" One of the women cried. "How great it is to so you, darling."
"Hello, Sulpicia. It has been too long." I told her. Aro's wife and I had become fast friends during my first visit here. She and Athenodora absolutely adored me.
"We must talk when you are done. I cannot wait to find out what you have doing all these years." She smiled at me with a lovely smile.
"Okay," I grinned at her one last time before turning to see Aro, Marcus and Caius sit on their thrones. I bowed and Lissa followed my action. "Hello Aro, Marcus and Caius." I greeted.
"Hannah! I see you finally found yourself a companion." Aro said in a sing song voice. "But I must ask. Why are you here? You left the Volturi years ago and I don't presume you are here to merely visit?" He grinned.
"Oh, Aro. You know me so well." I laughed. "You were always like a father to me. But you are correct. I'm not here just to visit- though we should keep in mind that that is a bonus. I need help with something."
"And what is that, my dear?"
"My new companion, Lissa, has an ability. Though we have absolutely no idea what it might be. I was hoping to talk to Eleazar." When I said Eleazer's name, Caius's expression hardened.
"I'm sorry, child. Eleazar is no longer with the Volturi. He found his mate and they left a few years back." He looked genuinely sad, though it masked stronger emotions that lie beneath the surface.
"Well, then I'm sorry for wasting your time." I bowed again and moved to turn.
"Hannah, if you would let me, I would like to try." Aro offered.
I turned back to him. "Thank you, Aro." I took Lissa's hand and took her directly in front of Aro. I kept a hold of one hand while Aro took the other.
He closed his eyes. And then my world exploded with power.
I wasn't sure what was going on but I noticed Hannah flinch. Not with pain, I couldn't quite identify her expression. I suppose the only person tat knew what was happening in her head was her. I felt a tickling on my brain as Aro touched my hand. It was the strangest feeling. It was like nothing I'd ever felt. It was over as quick as it had begun. He let go and looked at me, slightly puzzled.
"I'm afraid I can't see her ability. I can sense her power but I haven't a clue what it is. Her thoughts are interesting, she sees life so simply yet, in such a complicated manner," he said, curiosity filling his voice.
"Yes, well I suppose we will have to figure out where Elezar is or figure it out ourselves. Thank you Aro, for your help. It's always nice seeing you and your family and guard as well," she said with a smile, not seeming to care about what he said about my thoughts. My thoughts?
"Excuse me, um, what did you do, just now?" I asked feeling awkward. I didn't know any of these people and then just asking a question everyone seemed to know the answer to.
"Oh child, you didn't explain it to her?" he asked Hannah. "My apologies, I have a unique ability. When I touch your hand, or anyone's, I can see every thought you have ever thought. Every single thought, no matter how insignificant or small. And yours, well you have very unique thoughts. You see life in such a simple way and therefore, I believe your gift will be simple but great. You know how to accomplish things in a simple way and in such a way that gives you what you want." He seemed to be studying me now; I was still pondering his gift.
"How does your gift work? How do all these thoughts appear to you? "I asked.
"Just as if they're my own. I can in a way, sort them and find what I'm looking for rather quickly," he replied simply.
"How convenient," I muttered. "You don't find it as maybe, an invasion of privacy?" I asked, feeling more confident now. I knew Hannah get a bit uneasy. I didn't see why everyone was so afraid of him. Well I suppose with his guard, I saw why they were afraid. I just didn't see why everyone started following him as their "king" in the first place. I wasn't afraid of this guy.
"Well, of course I ask first. I wouldn't use my gift without permission." He seemed surprised at my boldness. As did the others. Their faces were much more dull and uninterested. Why did their faces always look like that/ why were they so white?
"I find that hard to believe," I said under my breath but loud enough that any human could have heard.
"All right1 time for us to go, thank you again Aro!" Hannah said hurriedly. Guess she was scared. Or embarrassed. Probably the latter. She seemed to have respect for them and wouldn't be happy at my rudeness. Oh well.
We left after Hannah gave a few hugs. Jane again escorted us. We walked back to the car. Hannah wasn't as friendly with Jane as she was with everyone else. Wonder why.
We got in the car and just started driving. I wondered if she had any idea where we were going. I didn't ask for the simple reason of I didn't feel like talking. I was caught up in thinking of my ability. Still wondering what it might be. The visit with Aro hadn't changed anything. We still had no idea what I could do. I was just hoping the car wouldn't burst into flames. That would be kind of cool though. I just sat for awhile. Thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. I thought about my family a lot. I missed my brother. I wished I could be with them now instead of in this car, going nowhere.
I found myself wanting to fly. Just soar through the sky like a bird. It would just be so nice to just go through the skies, feeling the wind shape around my body. Not having any cares about powers of blood. Speaking of blood…
"Blood, can I have some blood? Please?"
"Right, right. Of course. We can stop and get some from the back," She said pulling over.
We got our and looked in the bags in the trunk for the blood. We didn't have trouble smelling it. I ripped it open fast, I was so thirsty. Hannah told me to get a few and take them to the front with me. She didn't want anyone to see.
I was walking to the front with four bags of blood when I saw the bird. It was on the road, not far from me. There was gum or something on the road it was eating. I stared at it. I heard its heart beat. Then I thought about its heart and what was in it and I leaped. That blood was living and running through veins and a lot different. I was on top of it before the poor bird even realized what was happening. There were feathers in my mouth and since it was the first time I'd had blood that hadn't come from plastic, I had a little bit of trouble getting through the skin. Like a third of a seconds worth of trouble. It tasted so… good! It was so alive and fabulous! I didn't know how Hannah could deal with that bagged stuff.
"Lissa! Stop! Come on, get in the car!" she said running over to me. "Lissa, let go. The bird doesn't taste as good as you think. It probably has rabies or something." Ew.
"Can I get rabies?" I asked, breaking away. I didn't think I could but hey, you never know.
"No but still, that's just gross," she laughed taking the bird. She threw it into the woods. And the woods were about a mile away… I felt a little embarrassed. "You can resist a crowd of people, but not a bird. Weirdo." We both laughed.
Back to our travels. I wondered how long this would take.