Disclaimer: sighs Twilight belongs to Stephenie. Everything else is mine.

Dedicated to mon soleil, l'ange des anges: Heaven.


Bought and Sold

"I am asking you good-naturedly, Julien," Aro stated in his peculiarly cheerful style. Julien snapped in response, "Enough! I'm not yielding."

"Jane?" At Aro's command, illusory pain shot through him, making Julien growl and thrash, fighting against the torture. His usually-crimson eyes had turned black in his suffering and rising fury.

The pain subsided and, as his vision cleared, Caius and Marcus appeared beside Aro, who now walked closer to him. Julien felt apprehensive and was ready to bolt if necessary in spite of his restrainers. Aro stopped in front of him and placed his hand on Julien's forehead. This last one roared in protest.

Images dashed through their mind, earning several whimpers from the victim. Finally, Aro drew back his hand and looked at him amusedly.

"So you are attached to Anneli, are you not? And you are indebted to Hadrian…"

The mentioning of the latter yielded a number of growls and mumbled of "traitor" and "hypocrite," among other unmentionable terms. Aro stepped toward Marcus and Caius, casually saying, "Imagine! Our friends Kenneth and Karienne are leading our rival coven!"

Marcus smirked and motioned with his head toward Julien, whose straight face had crumpled into agony. "And the little one over there does what?"

Aro grinned. "He is a treasure! Think about it. He is a very detailed and accurate GPS and a track-eraser! So, you see, Hadrian's talent to find supernatural gifts still works rather well. Such a shame he has left our ranks." With that said, he sighed.

Caius had raised a brow upon the mentioning of the GPS but had no time to reply, for Aro interrupted by turning to Julien and saying, "Fifteen days! That is the time you have to tell me where they are. Either you tell us willingly and we will pardon your lives, or we find them and kill them all."

"Starting with you," added Marcus, who chuckled to himself amusedly.

Julien's expression had turned into a glare, but he made no sound of understanding. With a wave, Aro dismissed him and the guards holding Julien dragged him away to his cell.

The doors swung closed behind them and Caius inquired, "What else did you see, Aro?"

The addressed spun to smile. "The most wonderful bait, Caius. He has a little sister living in Port Angeles, neighbor to our friends the Cullens. Of his human life, she is all her cares about, so much he watches over her! Ha, ha, her guardian angel!"

A cruel smile slipped onto Caius' face. "Ah, I understand." Then, turning to Felix, commanded, "Find William."

This William was a natural charmer, with the appearance of a warrior angel with now-blackened eyes. Those eyes evoked experience and, somehow, self-restraint. He stepped into the inner sanctum with the acquaintance of many years and greeted the Volturi.

"Very well, my friend," said Aro. "Come here! I want to share this memory with you."

William chuckled at Aro's impermeable cheerfulness and proceeded to connect his mind to his own. A suntanned human girl in her early twenties appeared in his mind quickly.

"Saw that?" inquired Aro. William nodded. "She is in Port Angeles, Washington state. Track her down and watch her closely—in fact, she must be conscious of your presence and who you really are."

He frowned momentarily. "Very well, Aro. Anything else I must know?"

"Fifteen days."

A lopsided smile crawled onto William's lips as his already-black eyes darkened with the bloodlust. "At fifteen days."


Angel: Me again. I won't harrass any longer. Review if you like. The Cullens will come in soon enough...

INSPIRATION: "Die Like This" & "Innocent" by Fuel. "House of the Rising Sun" by Muse. "Half a Week Before the Winter" by Vanessa Carlton.