Edited: 12/25/2012
Chapter 1
Panic Rising
Slowly a warm haze broke through Aniela's pleasantly blank sleep. She felt fuzzy all over, her mind felt fuzzy, her mouth, her throat, even the blood running through her veins felt fuzzy. Aniela tried valiantly to rush through her awakening, her memories starting to return to her, but the harder she tried the more tired she felt. As her body resisted her efforts, panic began to mount in her.
She was in the Volturi's lair, thousands of miles away from home at the mercy of red-eyed, blood sucking demons. What happened to her brother? What happened to Quil, Embry and the rest of the tribe? What happened to Jacob? The thoughts and questions continued to swarm Aniela's head, her panic ascending with each one.
As her panic reached a new height Aniela was suddenly aware of everything around her. A frantic beeping sounded from her right. The beeps increased speed until a moment later when Aniela finally burst through the veil between her dark abyss and consciousness. At once her eyes snapped open, darting around her surroundings, and she struggled to sit up. A small cry escaped her lips.
She was in an unfamiliar from and, again, panic rose in her chest, filling her with a hysteria that she couldn't control. With another fearful cry she pulled at the EKG pads attached to her chest. The sticky glue holding them to her chest pulling at her delicate skin. Flinging those aside she scrambled off the bed. She got a few steps away before she felt a tug form her left wrist. Hardly realizing what it was - only knowing it was holding her back - Aniela ripped the needle from her arm, not caring as blood rushed from the wound. Her flight or fight instinct was running in hyper drive, heavy on the flight. The only thing Aniela cared about was getting out of the room.
Escape. It was all she was focused on. Escaping the Volturi. Nothing else mattered. She didn't pay any mind to the small rivulet of blood running down her hand from the IV she tore out of her wrist. Aniela threw open the door and spared only a hasty glance down each direction of the hall before she dashed to the right, running as fast as her weakened muscles could take her.
The hall was decorated with rich tapestries and her foot falls echoed with soft pattered from her bare feet on the stone floors. She ran for a few minutes before coming to a split in the hall. Not pausing to look down the two different directions Aniela turned to the left and was greeted with a stone wall.
The air in her lungs rushed out with a soft whoosh as she fell to the ground. Dazed Aniela put a hand to her head to steady the spinning world and looked up curiously. Gasping she scrambled back, her heart firmly logged in her throat.
Before her stood the biggest man she had ever seen. He towered over her menacingly and his muscles made her tremble. His black hair was cropped short and hardly reached three inches in length. He had a dark skin tone, but it looked odd pared with the white pallor he got from his vampirism. He was handsome like all the vampires in the world, but he outsized all the ones she'd seen. He stood, like a wall in the center of the hall. Blocking the path Aniela would have taken he gazed down at her with an amused expression reflecting in his blood red eyes.
He stepped towards Aniela and she scooted back at his advance, keeping the distance between them. Again the hulking vampire took a step towards her and again Aniela scooted back. They did this tango a couple more times. Finally the guy took another step near her Aniela's back pressed against something hard and ice cold.
Tensing automatically she knew what was behind her. Looking up only confirmed what she had thought. Standing behind her was another man, not nearly as big as the one in front of her, but still terrifying in his own right. His olive complexion, much like the other guy, had a chalky offset and his shoulder length black-brown hair stood out against it. He, too, wore a look of amusement as he gazed down at her on the floor.
This time when the vampire reached for her Aniela could only gasp in fear as his cold hands wrapped completely around the top of her arms like iron shackles, bruising them instantly. With a simple tug from the vampire behind her Aniela was up and dangling four or five inches off the floor. Her heart thundered in her throat, choking her with terror.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her fight or flight instinct instantly forgetting all thoughts of flight and turning to full fight mode. Gathering all the strength in her body Aniela started to struggle with the fierceness of a desperate woman. The hold on her arms didn't increase at all as she thrashed, kicked and screamed with despair and fear.
The guy in front of her easily stilled her movements with a painful slap to the face. Her cry echoed as she felt something in her cheek crack. She could feel the left side of her face begin to swell. Tears ran down her face as she once again began to fight. The vampire in front of her raised his hand once again, but before he could move his hand more than an inch towards her already battered face another startlingly pale hand halted him.
Looking through her one un-swollen eye Aniela could see another figure standing beside the monster in front of her. The new figure was slim, almost small compared to the other two. His skin was as pale as the others, but his seemed to have no under tone of color. He was almost translucent looking. It was a shocking contrast from his long black hair and startling red eyes. He seemed to float as he moved forward to address the two vampires around Aniela.
"Tsk, tsk, Felix. This isn't how we treat our things; we treat them with great care." The new vampire said, his tone a regal reprimand.
"Sorry Aro." The vampire, Felix, replied lowering his arm.
Aro looked at the big vampire and nodded slightly before turning his blood thirsty eyes back to Aniela. "Aw, my little Angel," He purred as he lightly traced a cold finger down Aniela's cheek. His red eyes closed for a moment before opening again. "There's no need to be frightened. We left everyone back in that little town unharmed. Well, relatively unharmed."
Aniela flinched at the smile that spread over his blue lips. Her breathing increased again as flashes of her friends back in Forks flashed through her mind. They were quickly followed by memories of her brothers and then by her mother's death.
Aro's smile widened as Aniela thought of her mother's face, almost like he could see it as well. "Ah yes, she was beautiful. You look a lot like her, and your blood is just as sweet."
Aniela whimpered softly, her terror mixing with rage at the fact that he had the audacity to even mention his mother in front of her. He had no right to even think about her, let alone talk about her after what he did.
"Shut up!" She hissed, her voice almost hysterical.
Aro frowned a little and turned his attention to the vampire holding Aniela. "Demitri, it seems our guest is feeling a little cranky, I think she needs to rest. Will you please escort her back to her room?" He spoke as if asking a question, but the command wasn't to be mistaken.
Aniela could feel the vampire behind her nod his head at Aro's request and, with unnatural ease, Aniela was put over his shoulder. He held her like a sack of potatoes, her head hung down the vampire's back with her legs resting down his chest. The world spun as he turned to walk back down the hall.
With as much effort that she could muster Aniela struggled as the vampire identified as Demitri carried her down the hall she had just ran down. Her struggles did nothing to help her; Demitri easily took control and stilled her futile thrashing by wrapping her in his arms. Aniela looked around frantically as they drew nearer to the room she had just escaped from minutes prior. Her desperation grew the closer they got. Tears danced down her face unchecked and she cried out in misery when she was carried over the threshold into the room.
"Quickly lay her on the bed, but be careful. I will not have you damaging her more than she already has been." Aro said, shooting a pointed look at Felix.
Demitri gently laid Aniela on the bed, but almost instantly had to restrain her as she tried to get up and fight. Aniela could feel her wrists bruise under his steep grip.
Aro looked to Felix and motioned to the door. "Go get the doctor. We need to keep her sedated. Be quick about it."
With a curt nod Felix was out of the room and down the hall.
"Oh and Felix," Aro called, his voice barely rising, "Tell him to bring enough for a few months." There was a grunt of conformation and Aro turned back to Aniela.
She was laid on the bed, Demitri holding her wrists down to the bed as she flailed her legs. The left side of her face was completely inflamed. She could hardly see between the tender purple flesh of her left eye, but tears still leaked from both eyes.
"Why?" She sobbed, "Why are you doing this?"
Aro moved closer to the bed, his hand gently stroking Aniela's black hair like one would pet a dog.
"You mean why aren't you dead yet?" He asked before answering his own question, "Because my dear, it would be a shame to have something so precious be gone so fast. This way we will be able to enjoy our delectable treat more than just once."
At his words Aniela began to bawl. She couldn't take in enough air through her sobs, her erratic breaths turning into hyperventilating heaves.
"Now, now, hush little Angel. It'll be ok." Aro cooed as he continued to pat her head in an almost sadistic reminiscent portrait of a parent calming a frightened child.
Aniela continued to cry and kick, she didn't know for how long, but finally footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. The doctor, she blearily recognized him from before, was led into the room by Felix. He had a black medical bag in his hand and he went straight to work. Directing Demitri to hold Aniela's left hand out palm down the doctor pulled out a needle and medical tape. He quickly found the vein and inserted the IV needle into her skin.
Aniela cried out, not with pain, but with the knowledge that soon she would once again be trapped inside her mind. Once again she would be unable to stop vampires from taking her blood. Unable to protect herself from the nightmares that terrorized her in the darkness. She struggled, trying to wrench her hand from the grip around it, but Demitri's strength prevented her from doing anything more than scream when something in her wrist snapped.
Hearing the snap Aro turned his eyes to Demitri, the exasperation he was feeling glowing in his crimson eyes. "Be careful!" He hissed.
Demitri shrugged helplessly and changed his hold on Aniela so he was no longer putting pressure on her, now broken, wrist. Aniela whimpered, pain ridden from her abused face and wrist. It only took a moment or two before the same numbing sensation began to work its way through her body as it had the day before.
Slowly her awareness faded and she blinked confusedly up at the doctor. He was looked at her swollen face, prodding it gently, before he turned his attention to her injured wrist.
"Her left cheek is fractured, just a little bigger than a hair line I'd say and her wrist is broken." She heard him tell Aro as he faced the vampire.
"Well can you fix it?" Aro asked, his tone suggesting that the doctor would have some serious issues if he were to answer with anything other than a yes.
"Of course, it'll just take a little bit." The doctor said. He turned his attention to his medical bag and began taking out some supplies. He took out what looked like bandaging and a jar of ointment before he approached Aniela. As he opened the jar and made to apply some of the salve from inside it on her cheek Aniela's vision faded to black.
