I don't own Twilight, or any movie, show, or song quotes in here. If you know where they're from, great; if not, don't worry about it. Thanks.
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1. Leaving
"She's nothing but a nuisance," Jane muttered. "An annoying, talent-thieving human. A human, Aro! Not one of us. She mocks us!"
"She can't help what she does!" Demetri argued.
"Peace," Aro said calmly. "She has done nothing wrong."
"Nothing wrong?" Caius scoffed. "She's trying to gain control!"
They argued in the tall chamber, assuming I couldn't hear them. Jane was right, though. I was technically a talent-stealing human. I could do everything they could, and more. I could hear like them, see like them, think like them… run like them… My heart swelled at the memory of running.
It was an intense combination of speed, clarity and heart-pounding adrenaline – at least, it would be, if their hearts were still beating.
"Being human, surrounded by vampires," I whispered. "What fun this is. At least Demetri likes me…."
"It's not that bad," Gianna whispered back. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
"You are. I just… I don't know if they'll keep you. Or me. I highly doubt they'll keep me. Jane will make me wish I was dead. Caius already does. Although, he wishes every other person was dead, so…"
Gianna chuckled nervously. I looked at her, and she smiled at me. Her dark skin seemed unnaturally pale around her pretty green eyes. She had her hair tied back, and it didn't help hide her stress.
She was my friend – we were in the same boat, at least. Two humans, working for the royal family of vampires, with limited or no choice in that decision. She was usually at ease here, waiting for the day she becomes a vampire.
"I'm so normal," she said. "You're amazing. You can change your appearance when you want, and you… what? Absorb abilities of people around you?"
"That's it in a nutshell," I sighed. "They don't like it. They said I would be useful, but I haven't been able to do anything. And now they won't change me because they're afraid I'll be so powerful, and I'll try to take over.... Gi, how am I supposed to control a whole race? And a city? What the hell?!"
"Don't worry." Gianna patted my arm and stood up. She walked across the big room to her desk.
I looked up. I couldn't see the ceiling in the tower. I glared at the door leading to the Volturi's little hideout for half a second before I felt the anger flow through me. I thrust the violent thoughts away and tried to concentrate on… something else.
"If you won't get rid of her," Jane threatened from the other room, "I will."
Before anyone could respond, she stormed silently from the room, making the thick wooden door crash against the wall. She walked towards me, looking ready to kill.
Instead of waiting for the attack, I stood up. I smiled smugly at her as she crumpled to the floor. She writhed and shrieked, her baby face contorted with pain. Alec – who was her male equivalent – stood five feet away, looking scared.
I looked past them all, towards the leaders, the three in the blackest cloaks. Aro looked amused, Caius looked deadly and Marcus – the unenthusiastic one – looked relatively bored. As usual. I rolled my eyes, and Jane lay panting on the ground, free from the illusion of torture.
"I'm leaving," I announced. "I'm going to find other people. People who appreciate me for what I can do. I want a family, not a force, not a coven. I want family. This is horrible. I feel like an unappreciated puppet –"
"You may leave, child," Aro said kindly. "Come visit sometimes!"
"Okay," I mumbled. "I will only come back if you do one thing for me."
"Of course!"
"Listen to Gianna."
I turned quickly and wrenched another thick door open. I took fifteen steps before I decided I was going too slowly. I broke into a human run – which was also too slow.
My feet barely touched the ground as I flew through the darkness. Although, with the sight I had, it was actually quite bright.
I still found it amazing to be able to travel like this. I should have been exhausted after about a second of running. Somehow, it felt like I was just walking. I didn't get tired, my breath came normally, and my heart didn't explode from the exertion.
Where I was running to, I had no idea. The only thing I knew was that I was running away from my past life – if you could call that a life. Working for vampires wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I'd lost count of the days I'd spent with the Volturi….
A week, a month, seven months, a year… I counted as I sped through the sewer. I remembered my numbers as I jumped up through the small gate. I listened for any sign that someone was following me. When I heard nothing, I continued.
I snuck into the dark alley unnoticed. Even though the sun was up, the walls and buildings surrounding me blocked the light. There were no people around – they would probably all be in the square, celebrating the dumbest holiday ever.
Saint Marcus Day. I snorted. Like he could have done anything. He was so subdued, I had no idea why Caius hadn't gotten sick of him.
I looked down at myself. I had to be able to get through crowds unnoticed, and today was the perfect day to wear red. This world was so ironic – the colour for the day celebrating the vampire was the colour of the blood the vampire drank. How very original it was.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Demetri whispered from the sewer gate. "Don't pretend like I can't get you."
"Why would you want to get me?" I shot back.
He chuckled, and in a second, he stood in front of me. He resembled a dark grey blob with his thick cloak. "Hello," he said, smiling.
"Who sent you?" I asked calmly. I wasn't stressed like a normal person would be. This situation was normal to me. Besides, I knew Demetri would never try to hurt me. Without help.
"You, technically. Gianna wanted to give you something before you left, but you were so excited to leave, she didn't get the chance." Demetri handed me a box about as big as both of my hands side by side. I wasn't ready to open it just yet. He also tossed me my tiny backpack, which I slung over my shoulder.
"Please tell her I said thank you," I said, peering at the brown box. "Tell her, if I decide to… visit… she'll be the first to know."
"I will." He looked down at me and I saw my own sad reflection in his crimson eyes. Dead straight but messy brown hair, changing brown eyes, pale face, very light freckles; and the rest of me tucked in my deep grey cloak, apart from my hands.
Then it was gone, and he turned to walk away.
"Bye, Demetri."
I blinked, and he disappeared. I looked down at the box in my hand and wondered what was inside. I sighed, opening it.
There was a post-it attached to a long, rolled-up piece of paper, telling strangers not to read the paper unless I said so – written in my weird and somewhat messy writing. I pulled out the paper and read about the day I came to Volterra.
In the 13 years I've been alive, I've never been this comfortable. Not necessarily in the environment, but I don't feel cold or hungry, or like I have to even breathe. I barely remember who I am here – I've only told people to call me Lo because I can't remember the rest of my name. Gloria? Florence? Loraine? I have no clue. Doesn't really matter anymore, does it?
I'm sitting in an alley. I got this pen and paper from someone who seems to live here – it seems more like a festival city than a residential place… I've seen a lot of people today, and some of them seem… a little strange. I passed someone wearing a dark grey cloak earlier; he sort of looked at me like he knew me…
I see him now. He's coming to me.
And that was when Demetri came and introduced himself. Then he took me to the Volturi's hideout, and I discovered my ability to use other peoples' abilities. I remember using Jane's first, to get myself away from the thirsty vampires….
The thought stopped there, and I shuddered. It was both the darkest and lightest days of my life. I turned away from the place where Demetri disappeared, almost unwilling to leave.
But, in the end, I forced myself to forget. Hoping for the best, my feet began to move.