FORGOTTEN
Chapter Two
AUTHOR'S NOTE / RECAP:
All-in-all this story will be fairly short, around 10 or 11 chapters total. I've been thinking of doing different POVs for it, but I'm still unsure about that. We left off with Isabella waking up from nothingness to Aro hovering over her and welcoming her to his home in Volterra. Bear with me and enjoy.
WARNING:
This isn't your average Twilight tale, although, it won't necessarily be considered dark. You should be forewarned that there will be cussing and possible smut. It isn't rated T for nothing.
DISCLAIMER:
I regret to say that I do not own Twilight or the characters from the Twilight saga. Those belong to Stephanie Myer and it is her sandbox that I'm playing in. I mean no disrespect to her and no copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER TWO - Isabella
BELLA POV
The dankness never left me. I was constantly surrounded by damp tunnels and concrete. If my eyes were open so I could see the intricate stone work, I wouldn't think much had changed from my time in the darkness. But it had.
Seven years had passed.
I had awoken with nothing but my name and fell into the fold of Aro's coven, the Volturi. I wished I could say it was easy. In truth, it was anything but. My existence felt like I was constantly walking a dangerous tightrope. One wrong step, a simple slip, and it would be the end of me.
The Volturi was law, vampire royalty, and I constantly felt as if I didn't belong. I was always out of sync with the rest despite the constant reassurances received from Aro, their leader. My body fell in step easily and my face always held a mask of indifference to keep from standing out, but my mind was elsewhere. It was on freedom and the sunshine reflecting off of my diamond skin. It was on hazy flashes of thick, bronze curls and golden eyes that held me captive.
My interaction with others was limited, but I was usually ignored. The majority saw me as a pariah; a social outcast in my very small vampire community. Ha! That was rich. The ones who weren't unsettled by my unknown past were either jealous of Aro's unwarranted attention I received or seeking some kind of benefit of the sexual variety. Some ignored me, which I preferred, but others despised me.
As if the she-devil felt her name being summoned from the depths of hell, Jane appeared at the end of the tunnel. Her angelic, child-like face gave the impression of sheer innocence, but many knew her name and it was always laced in terror. I didn't blame them.
Jane had a gift. It was powerful and, from what others had told me, excruciatingly painful. She could cripple you with a glance, causing your body to feel like you were burning alive, tied to a stake and left to roast for eternity. I took their word for it, having never experienced the torture for myself. And I never planned to.
I, too, was "gifted". They called me a shield, but it felt more powerful than that simple label offered. Their category was true, though, because my mind was blocked from other mental gifts. This included Aro's evasive mind reading and Jane's painful torture.
I actually awoke from the nothingness with uncanny control of my ability. Where it took others years, even decades, to master their gift, mine was effortless. I could retract and extend my shield beyond my personal mental capacity and either expose my own mind or protect those around me. No one knew of my ability to pull my shield back, but everyone knew of how I could protect others. That was why I had moved up the ranks in the guard so quickly. Aro saw the potential and seized the opportunity.
Jane, still yards away, curled her lip back over her pearl white teeth. "Aro is requesting your attendance in the throne room." She said 'request', but I knew of the command behind her words. What she actually meant was that there was a potentially dangerous visitor who needed to be dealt with and I was needed for protection; a mental body guard for the royal trio.
Where others in the guard marveled when their master specifically requested them, I despised it. Behind Aro's nice façade and pleasant smiles, I could sense it. I was a pawn in the grander scale, a tool to be moved and played with, used and discarded. Despite my awareness, I had no choice. No past, no memories, no family, no home, and no choice.
My head bobbed minutely with a curt nod. The little witch paused for a fraction of a second then sneered in disgust. Ah. She must have tried her silent attack again. It seemed to be a daily occurrence and I was, like normal, grateful for my ability. Jane spun on her heel and her retreating form filled the tunnel until she took a sharp left into a hidden grate.
I followed silently, but kept my distance.
The throne room was bare and yet, somehow, it managed to be ostentatious. Three large chairs fit for kings lined the back wall. They sat on a small platform that was slightly higher than the rest of the room. The whole scene screamed that they thought themselves better than the rest. They knew they were royalty. Add that to the excessive amount of guards kept on hand and it became overbearing. Any vampire would feel anxious while awaiting the outcome of their fate at the bottom of their empire.
Just like I had assumed, everyone was already inside, speaking quietly amongst themselves with the royal trio already seated. Aro instantly noticed my entrance and grinned a wide, toothy smile. It gave me the creeps. "Ah, Isabella." My name rolled from his tongue with unwanted reverence. I didn't wish for his attention and I certainly didn't want all eyes to fall on me. The hall stayed silent as I breezed through, light on my feet and always on guard.
I stepped onto the raised platform and slowed my approach. The last thing I wanted to do was give Felix, Aro's massive personal body guard, a reason to tackle me again. He knew I was of no threat to the trio, but found humor in rubbing his overly large body against mine as I struggled to get free. That was not a good memory and definitely did not wish to repeat the incident. "Good day, Aro." I nodded in acknowledgement; nowhere near the curt greeting I gave to Jane, but not exactly friendly either.
His face held fast, but there was a minute change in his eyes, as if he expected a different, happier greeting. It was like that every time, but I never faltered and I never called him 'master'. "Sweet child, join us. We're expecting a visitor."
I gave a brief smile. "Of course, Aro." As if I had a choice. His words were pleasant as always, but there was never a choice. I was to stand behind him, slightly to his right, and protect. I shielded the trio and, normally, the entire guard from any mental attacks. Resisting this subtle command was futile, as I had learned when I was first offered the position.
Just over five years ago, Aro had discovered my ability. When he realized I always had control of my gift, he was outraged, furious I hadn't come to him immediately. I feigned ignorance and played as dumb as I could. My instinct was to keep my gift hidden, but that didn't work. I tried to refuse the place I was offered in the guard. I had no interest in being a part of what they considered justice. Hours after my refusal, I was slowly reattaching all of my fingers and toes. My jaw was locked in pain, waiting for the cracks in my usually flawless skin to heal, when Aro approached once again. He asked me once more, with the same sickly sweet tone and I answered automatically. "Of course, Aro." My answer has never changed.
I squeezed my fist reflexively, testing out my digits and feeling the phantom burn of having them slowly removed. My feet carried me to my designated spot and I watched as Renata, another gifted vampire who seemed to be more of a deterrent than an actual physical shield, took her place on Aro's other side. The only difference between us was that she placed her palm on Aro's shoulder and would remain physically connected to him until dismissed. Her gift worked stronger when in contact with another and it allowed Aro to see her mind at all times. I, however, kept my hands to my side, grateful that no one knew of my ability to pull my shield back and expose my own thoughts and weaknesses.
"Enter!" Caius, the snowy-haired royal, boomed. He was always impatient and quick to jump after a fight, weather it was warranted or not.
The massive, wooden, double-doors opened, revealing a man. Though he was a vampire, without a doubt, his frame was on the small side and it made the grand entrance seem anti-climatic. His approach to the trio was timid as his eyes darted around the crowded room. Surely this man already knew his fate? I had never watched another enter this room and leave on their own accord.
The pleasantries and Aro's façade grew tiresome. I never caught the man's name, nor did I hear his crime. All I knew was that he was found guilty in just a few short minutes and sentenced to death, as they all were. I watched, detached from myself, as Felix approached him, walking around the poor man like he was pray, before pouncing. He pulled the head from the man's shoulders in one shift motion, filling the throne room with the sound of shattering marble and a fading scream. The shiver that ran down my spine was barely suppressed, but I refused to show my true emotions in front of the entire guard.
Soon enough, we were all dismissed and I wasted no time in retreating from the dreaded room. I followed the winding, dank halls, walking miles in a few minutes to find my private quarters. Most of the Volturi didn't require their own quarters except for extracurricular activities, but I had requested one. Just the once, I used Aro's favoritism of me to my advantage and asked to have my own room, as far from the others as possible. At the time he seemed displeased with my request, by granted it regardless and I was eternally grateful.
I swung into my room, shut the door behind me, and placed my back against it. Too much. The day had taken too much out of me and I needed to rest despite the fact that we, as vampires, couldn't sleep. I closed my eyes and slid down the thick wooden door until my bottom hit the concrete floor.
My predictable routine did not disappointment and I was soon wracked with tearless sobs. They broke forth from my throat and rattled my chest as I clutched at my shirt, trying to hold my insides where they belonged. This felt vulnerable, it felt human, and it felt right. I sat there, as I did nearly every night, and gasped out my sorrow while trying to decipher why my chest felt empty, like a hole had been pushed through where my dead heart sat.
AUTHOR'S END NOTE:
Done. Now we know what's going on with Bella, well, Isabella to be exact. It seems she's been with Aro and the Volturi for seven years since she awoke from the darkness. Where are the Cullens? What about Edward and Renesemee? I suppose we'll find out soon. Be sure to review and let me know what you're thinking. Enjoy!
