Chapter Three ~ Ending a Life
The night air was perfumed with all the scents of the forest and my nose was tickled by the sweet smell of rotting wood and the scent of animals in their slumber. There were other scents as well, and these were not as welcome.
As I ran through the shadows cast by the trees, the nocturnal hunters and prey scurried out of my way and the taste of fear was sharp on my tongue. The other scent was that of a human who had most likely wandered unthinkingly into the woods to clear the mind. Even as humans feared the dark, they also took comfort from it. The same darkness that enveloped them in a soothing blanket also hid dangers, and humans, as always, tended to ignore their instinctual fears, passing them off as childish imaginings. If humans had any inkling about the creatures that waited for them in the dark, they would never leave the four walls of their dwellings.
Not that those four walls would protect them.
The scent of the human would not have normally been unwelcome, but in the current situation, with my curiosity burning to be quenched, the scent was a distraction that I resented. The ever-present thirst burned my throat and triggered a hallow ache in my stomach, reminding me that I hadn't fed in days. I paused as the scent intensified, willing myself to ignore the human and follow the more pressing scent of my query. It was extremely hard for me to turn away from a meal, especially when I was so thirsty, but the thought of the mystery vampire gnawed at my curiosity and finally won.
Streaking through the trees after the vampire, I examined the scent I was following. It was a pleasant smell, a combination of sun-baked terracotta, pomegranates, and carnations. Somehow, it reminded me of something from my past, before I was reborn as a vampire. The memory was vague, decayed with time, but the feeling remained. It was a calm, comforted feeling that came from the memory and it reminded me of happy times. I frowned, puzzling anew over the mystery vampire.
Abruptly, the trail of scent ceased, and I stopped, confused. Pulling myself from my train of thought, I looked around, wondering if I had gone too far. Did the vampire know I was following? Or had I missed a turn in the trail? I backtracked and could find no deviation from the main trail. Again, I stopped at the end of the scent and looked around. There was nothing special about the trees that I stood in, nothing to indicate that this would be a logical place to stop. The only answer I could come up with was that the vampire was deliberately trying to throw me off.
Miffed, I sniffed around the clump of trees, but could find no further trace of the vampire. The scent of terracotta, pomegranates, and carnations ended suddenly in the thickest formation of trees. It was as though the vampire had been plucked from the earth into the sky…
Realisation dawned on me and I almost laughed. Acting quickly so the vampire would be caught unawares, I jumped straight up into the branches overhead and came face to face with a wide-eyed female with wild black hair. Her lips formed into a surprised "O." I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.
"Why are you following me?" she demanded, her dark brows furrowing. "Come to tie off loose ends?"
I felt my own eyebrows rise at her accusation. "Loose ends? Of course not. It matters not to me that you witnessed justice done. I was merely curious as to who you were." I stared earnestly into her black eyes. "I've not come to kill you. I mean you no harm at all."
The female raised an eyebrow at my words and I could see that there was sarcasm in her eyes. "Justice?" she said, barely concealed hostility in her voice. "You call what was done to those vampires justice? Your coven slaughtered them. What had they ever done to you?"
"To me personally? Nothing. However, they broke the law and their punishment was just." I averted my eyes from those of the wild female and looked upward toward the heavens. The stars gleamed and winked at me and the moon was nearly full. Sitting back on the branch, I breathed deeply and savoured the scent of the forest.
"What law?" The female's voice was softer now. "I was not aware that we had any laws."
I laughed humourlessly to myself. "Of course we have laws. Well… only one, in truth. We must remain hidden from the humans. Any action which threatens to expose us is a violation of that law. The coven you saw created an immortal child. And now…" I trailed off as I lost my train of thought. The wind was blowing the female's scent toward me and I was again struck by the familiarity of it.
"Now they are dead."
I sighed. "Yes, they're dead. Just punishment for putting our secret in jeopardy."
The female relaxed next to me. "I do not see how," she said, running white fingers through her hair. "It is only a child."
"That is the problem. They are only children and they act as such. Like the rest of our species, they never change, so they remain a child forever, never learning, never maturing, forever temperamental. It would be so easy for one of them to expose us all in a fit of rage. They're dangerous and illegal." The wind was blowing again, caressing my face like a thousand feathery fingers, and I was distracted again by the female's scent. So alluring…
"Well, if you are not here to kill me, then why are you here, Senior Volturi Soldier?" she asked, a smile playing along the corners of her mouth.
I couldn't help but laugh. "I must say that I've never heard that one before. Please, call me Eleazar. And I've already told you, I was simply curious about you."
"Carmen." The female extended her hand to me. I took it gladly and nearly gasped when an electric shock tingled up my arm. From the shocked expression on Carmen's face, I could tell that she had felt the same thing. How strange…
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Carmen." She smiled widely at me and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Tell me, Eleazar, why did you stay behind to track me while your coven returned to its home?" Carmen asked, locking me in a gaze that brought back the electric feeling from a moment ago. At first, I could not answer; I was too caught up in the expression in her eyes to concentrate. Carmen smiled gently and cocked her head to the side, shaking me from my reverie. The electric feeling did not leave.
"Have I not already answered that question?" I grinned at her, not able to keep the teasing tone out of my voice. There was something about this female that struck a chord within me, something I had never encountered before, and I was at a loss to identify what it was. Any plans that I had had to quickly return to Voltera, any plans of leaving at all, vanished in an instant. Perhaps if I kept this female talking, I would discover what it was about her that intrigued me so.
"Well, yes, in a way," Carmen allowed, looking away from me into the shadows of the forest. "I supposed I was mostly wondering about why you did not leave with your coven. You've said that you were curious about me, but was that really enough to keep you from going home?" She brought her eyes back to mine and I could see curiosity and something unidentifiable burning in them.
I glanced away from her burning gaze to stare at my hands. I could feel a slight frown on my face, but did nothing to smooth it out. I did not feel the urge to hide anything from this strange creature. In fact, I wanted her to know me, to understand me and my actions. This was something new to me; though I was close to my coven, I had never really felt the need to share any part of myself with them. Naturally, I would answer truthfully when asked questions by Ásdís, but I had never felt the need to explain myself to anyone before. So many new sensations I was feeling after meeting this Carmen; I felt almost dizzy.
"I supposed I just wanted some time to myself, to be away from those I see everyday. I wanted some privacy to manage my thoughts, to think things over before going back to them. Though it is absolutely necessary to uphold the law, I find that it is not always easy to stomach destroying so many. I wanted a chance to clear my head of those horrible images." I sighed. "I really dislike the violence, but we must fulfill our purpose." I could not meet Carmen's eyes, so distracted by my demons as I was.
"Eleazar," Carmen breathed, reaching out a hand to turn my face back to hers. Her touch seemed to sink below my skin, into the bones of my face. My eyes widened as I took in the expression in her eyes. There was compassion, but again there was something unidentifiable, something so tempting, that I did not understand. "Eleazar, you have such a kind spirit, I can see that. And I can see that it hurts you to do what you do. So why don't you leave? Go your own way for a while?"
I shook my head. "I could never do that."
Camen smiled a bit indulgently. "Why is that?"
I shook my head again. "What else would I do? We do what we do for the greater good, to protect our species. My time before I joined the Volturi was not pleasant; I wandered aimlessly, feeling lost, searching for a purpose in life. The Volturi provided that purpose and without it, I would again be lost." I let my expression drift toward sadness. "Without that purpose, what would be the point in existing?"
Carmen's smile never faltered, though the topic of our conversation had turned despondent. "There's an easy remedy to that, you know," she whispered, excitement flavouring her voice like some exotic spice. "All you need is a new purpose in life."
I could not help but laugh. "You make that sound so easy."
Carmen shrugged and laughed with me. "Can I show you something?" she asked suddenly, jumping lithely to her feet. Excitement burned from her eyes and I wondered what she could possible want to show me with such ardour. Regardless of my confusion, I jumped to my feet as well and nodded. She extended her hand to me and I didn't hesitate as I took it. The electric shock shot up my arm again, but I was growing used to it, learning to enjoy it even. Carmen smiled hugely at me for one fraction of a second and then we were flying.
The trees whipped past us at such an exhilarating speed that the sensation was remarkably like flying. With Carmen in the lead, we sprang from branch to branch, letting the wind whip our hair out behind us. Carmen's long, black hair tickled by face, and I leaned into it, enjoying the terracotta, pomegranate, and carnation scent of her. I felt a strange longing to reach out my other hand and braid it into the long strands, to bury my face in the flowing locks and breathe her scent deeply. The intensity of the longing left me feeling unbalanced, and I couldn't help feeling like I was a different person from the one I had been half an hour ago. I felt freer than I ever had before and the feeling made my spirit soar.
After a while, Carmen slowed her pace to a walk. She kept hold of my hand and I found that I liked this, probably more than I should.
"Might I ask where we're going?" I inquired, examining her face for any hint of an answer. She just smiled and said, "You might." I sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to give me what I wanted.
A few minutes later, a new sound added itself to the typical sounds of the forest. It was the sound of water lapping at a shore, of wind passing over an open expanse, and I wondered if this was where we were headed. Why would she want to show me a lake? Certainly, I had seen lakes before. What could there be special about this particular lake that she could want to show me? I was at a loss to answer that question by myself. Carmen noticed the confusion on my face and smiled knowingly up at me.
Presently, we cleared the trees that lined the small lake and the light cast by the moon was so bright, it was almost like walking out into daylight. I was momentarily distracted from my companion by the way the moonlight glimmered on the water, like a thousand diamonds. So pretty…
"What do you think?" Carmen asked, staring up at me. "Isn't it beautiful?" In the light from the moon, her skin shone, glittering faintly. It was mesmerizing.
"Mmmm." I reached out to stroke her luminous skin. Her face felt soft and warm under my fingers. "Beautiful."
Carmen smiled gently up at me and there was an almost bashful demeanour about her movements. She squeezed my hand before letting it go and stepping away. I frowned and was about to protest the action when something she did made me forget what I was going to say. She unbuttoned the dress she was wearing and it pooled around her ankles like some undiscovered liquid. She wore nothing underneath. My eyes grew wide and my mouth fell open as I took in the length of her graceful body. I struggled to find words to describe her, but I found none. Her beauty in the moonlight had me speechless.
"Do you always remove your clothes for men you've just met?" I asked breathlessly when I had regained some semblance of self-awareness.
Carmen laughed and the sound was like the pealing of silver bells. "No," she replied in a whisper that sent shivers down my spine, "only for you." She held my gaze as she walked slowly, sinuously into the water. All I could do, all my body would let me do, was remove my own clothes and follow her.
~*~
"I'm leaving."
I stood before Aro, Caius, and Marcus where they sat upon their thrones. Marcus, as always looked utterly bored and I found myself wondering what he had been like before he'd lost his mate, Didyme. Caius had his eyes narrowed at me and I fervently hoped that he would not make a scene. It was Aro that I had most of my attention trained on, for I knew that he would not take the news of my defection lightly. A frown appeared on Aro's face and his filmy eyes searched mine for a reason behind my announcement.
"Dear Eleazar, whatever has brought on this decision? If you are unhappy here, surely we can find a way to rectify your feelings. Surely there is no reason for you to leave us." Aro's voice was confused and sad as he spoke and I sighed; I knew this wasn't going to be easy.
"Please don't misunderstand me, Aro. I have never been so happy as I have been here, and I do not make the decision to leave lightly. I have put a lot of though into this, and I believe that it is the right decision for me. I cannot stay here anymore." I tried to infuse reassurance into my voice as I spoke the words that would hopefully make Aro let me go.
"Certainly there must be a reason behind this decision, dear one," he said, getting to his feet and advancing a step toward me. "What happened while you were away from us that has made you so eager to leave us?"
I sighed, remembering the very reason that Aro was asking about. I had spend the night and the whole day with my new purpose in life, and I was a little stunned at how hard it was to be away from her now. I had told Carmen to wait for me outside the walls of the city. I was going to meet her there and we were going to start our new life together. Anticipation coursed through me and I itched to be done with the formalities. Carmen had encouraged me to simply run away with her without the formal goodbye, but I had convinced her that it would be better this way, that no one would come looking for me if I explained my leaving.
"Master, since I've been here with you, my life has been filled with purpose and I cannot begin to thank you for that. But, until last night, I didn't realise what my life had been missing. I met my mate last night," I explained in a fervent whisper, hoping to make Aro understand, "and she is my life now."
"Could you not be with her and remain here with us at the same time? Surely your life has enough room in it for that." Aro's eyes bored into mind as though he were trying to keep me here by sheer force of will. I smiled serenely and shook my head.
"No, Aro, I don't think it does. I need a change, strange as that may seem to you. I've come to let you know that this is I want, that I haven't been threatened or coerced. I'm leaving, Aro, and I've come to thank you and to say goodbye." I extended my hand toward my former master as though I wished to shake his hand. Aro, of course, knew that I wasn't looking for a handshake. He took my hand in his, visibly eager to understand my thoughts. His eyes closed as he listened and reluctant understanding coloured his features as he witnessed the last twenty-four hours in my thoughts.
"I see," he said at last, letting go of my hand and sitting thoughtfully on his throne once more. "You will be missed, dear Eleazar, but I can see that you cannot remain with us. Go in peace. I wish you every happiness in this new life."
I smiled in triumph and bowed. "Thank you, Aro. For everything." I turned to the two other ancients and nodded my head to each in farewell. "Caius. Marcus." Caius nodded back, a grudging look in his eye. But Marcus smiled slightly at me and I believe I detected nostalgia in his expression. I felt my face go blank in shock; I had never seen Marcus smile before.
"Enjoy your new life, Eleazar, and wish the same to your mate for me."
All I could do was nod, so shocked was I. Marcus' face returned to its usual bored expression and he looked away. With a final nod to Aro, I turned on my heels and headed out of the room. On my way out of the building, I was stopped by a soft voice behind me.
"You're leaving, aren't you?"
I turned in surprise to see Ásdís standing watching me, a sad smile on her lovely face. I smiled at her and nodded.
"I have to," I said in way of an explanation.
Ásdís nodded to herself. "I'll miss you terribly." She met my gaze for a moment and I held my hand out to her. She took it and I drew her close and hugged her. "I'll miss you, too," I whispered.
"Will you promise to visit sometime?" she asked stepping out of the circle of my arms.
"Of course."
Ásdís smiled to herself. "Until we meet again, then, Eleazar," she said and she swept forward into a graceful curtsy. I smiled and bowed to her in return.
"Keep everyone in check for me," I joked as I stepped back towards the door. Ásdís smiled and nodded. I turned and left my old life behind forever.
It took me no time at all to reach the edge of the city and to leap over the wall. Carmen was waiting for me. She beamed as soon as she saw me and I swept her up into my arms. We kissed passionately for a moment, letting ourselves get a little carried away. All too soon, however, Carmen pulled back with a smile on her beautiful face.
"How did it go?" she asked, searching my eyes for any sign of anxiety. I smiled serenely at her.
"Smooth as butter," I assured her lightly, running my fingers through her hair. The scent coming off her skin made me shiver and I was eager to get away from the city. I took her hand and pulled gently. "Come, let's away."
Carmen laughed her bell laughter. "Do, let's."
We sprang into the night, flying down the hill away from the walls of Voltera. I was not sure where we were going, but I knew that I didn't care where we went, as long as I was with Carmen. I stared adoringly at my mate and she stared right back, the exact same emotions shining from her face. I couldn't help but give a cry of joy as we ran and Carmen laughed again. Our hands intertwined felt like eternity as we flew towards our new life together.
The End.