Chapter 4
BPOV
It's amazing really, how fast things can go from being so perfect to being so tragically wrong. One minute Edward and I are sitting at home, talking to the family. And the next Alice is screaming that the Volturi are on their way.
"They were taking out a small clan of newborns a few states over and they decided to check in on us while they were here!" She screamed. I didn't know much about them except for the fact that you do not want to mess with them.
"When?" Carlisle asked, worry etched all over his face. "Now." She whispered, the tension in the room was so thick that Jasper was holding his head in his hands and groaning. Sure enough, in a matter of minutes there was a knock on the door.
Carlisle stood and walked to the door, he opened it to reveal about a dozen vampires in grey cloaks. "Carlisle my old friend! How are you?" The one in the front asked. "I am well." He replied, gesturing for them to come inside. As they walked in the one in the front caught my eye, his red eyes made me shudder. "I see that you have added a new face to your coven! Please introduce us." He said. "Yes, Aro this is Bella, she is Edwards's wife, Bella this is Aro, one of the three leaders of the volturi. Behind him are Jane, Felix, Demetri, Alec, and their guard." He said. "Pleasure to meet you." Aro said extending his hand to shake mine. I hesitated when I saw the look on Edward's face but then slowly extended my arm and took his hand.
The look on Aro's face was strange; it was getting more and more frustrated. "How peculiar." He muttered. "You see Bella; my power is like Edward's here, though I can only hear peoples thought by touching them…except for yours." Edward smiled and answered for me. "I can't read her mind either; it was the same when she was human too."
"Amazing!" Aro exclaimed. "Tell me Bella, how long have you been a vampire? And please explain your eyes!"
"Actually…Edward bit me three days ago so I woke up this morning…and as a human I had an aversion to blood so as a vampire I have no bloodlust at all." I replied shakily. Aro's eyes widened and he was silent for a minute before Edward screamed. "NO!" He grabbed my wrist and turned to run but was immediately on the ground. I didn't have time to see what happened to him because the next thing I knew I was being dragged out of the house, kicking and screaming as I watched Edward trying to get to me."
"Edward!" I screamed. I tried reaching towards him but another vampire grabbed my arm and I then I couldn't see the house anymore. "Stop! Let me go! What did I do?" I screeched.
No one answered me for hours until it was night time and the vampires carrying me stopped running. I looked around and was that we were on an abandoned air strip and there was a private jet at the end of the runway.
"Please let me go home!" I yelled at Aro. "I'm afraid my dear Bella that I can't do that, you see I have the ability to sense when a vampire has great potential, and I sense that with you. So you are coming back to Volterra with us to serve in my guard. Do not fight it or I will kill the rest of your coven." He stated. I couldn't take it, the surroundings started to shake and then all I knew was blackness.
When I awoke I found myself in a strange room, I stood from the bed in which I had been laid and walked to the window. I looked out at what I quickly realized was Volterra Italy. Looking down I realized that my room was in the top of a tower, there was a courtyard below me with tall stone walls surrounding the grassy enclosure and there were a few vampires lazing around in the grass, I could see the purpose. The Vampires could be out in the sunlight but there was some kind of shield over the top. I wasn't sure but if my suspicions were correct I wouldn't be able to get through it and humans couldn't see through it.
I turned around and surveyed my room; it was large, with a twin sized bed against the stone wall, a desk on the opposite wall with a dresser and closet next to it, and a door directly across from the window. There was also another door that, upon opening I discovered to be a bathroom.
I had just starting heading towards the door when Aro himself walked in.
"I thought you were awake!" He smiled brightly at me, I glared in response. "Now don't be that way!" he said. "I only came to ask you if there was anything I could bring you to brighten the room. You see, this will be your room from now on, and I want you to have a comfortable stay."
I sighed and walked over to sit on the edge of the…my bed. "You can suck up to me all you want but I'm never going to like you Aro, I'll listen to you, won't try to escape only because I'm protecting my husband and my family. But If I had a piano in here I'd at least have something to do while you keep me locked up." I replied.
"Marvelous!" He exclaimed. "But I assure you, you will not be locked up. You may go wherever you wish in the castle. Feel free to explore these walls as long as you don't leave the castle. I'll have a piano brought up shortly but in return I want you to try and see what your powers are, I'm certain that your special but I'm not sure how yet."
I nodded my head and lay back on the bed with my hands over my face, feeling suddenly tired. "Aro can vampires get tired?" I asked as he turned to leave. "Ah…it seems that you have many human traits, sleeping, your face flushed when you became angry a few moments ago, and brown eyes. I'm anxious to see what else you can do." He replied. I only turned over on the bed in response. I heard him leave and the door close a few moments later as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
I woke up again as a vampire carried a grand piano sideways through the door and sat it in the empty corner with a thud. "Aro asked me to deliver this and then escort you to the meeting room to observe the business tonight."
I sighed. "What exactly is the business?" I asked. He rolled his eyes like I was a child and sighed. "Aro sends out scouts in the city to check for other vampires and if they see someone of interest they bring them in." He replied. I nodded my head and stood to follow him. He led me out the door and through the castle until we reached a room with wide double doors that he opened for me and gestured for me to enter. As I walked in I noticed that there were chairs lining the far wall and they were all full except for one directly on Aro's left.
"Nice to see you awake again Bella, please sit." He said waving his hand at the empty chair. I made my way to the chair, fully aware of the eyes on me as I did so and then took the seat, crossing my legs I waited.
After a few moments a vampire that I recognized as Felix walked in. "Master, it appears that the newborn's mate has followed us to Volterra and has taken lodging in the apartment building overlooking the courtyard!" He exclaimed. I gasped, my hand flew to my mouth and I felt a few tears fall out of my eyes. Upon seeing this Aro smiled and shook his head amused. "Very well, he poses no threat as of this moment so he can stay." He said and relief flooded through my body. After a Felix discussed other unimportant matters he left and other vampires came and went. I didn't pay much attention until three disgusting looking vampires came in…carrying a small girl with them.
"Master Aro." One started. "Knowing that my power is like yours I present this to you. This child was on the street and I noticed that she has potential that many great vampires did not have. We have brought her here to see if you would like to change her." He stated.
"NO!" I screamed jumping out of my chair. "She's just a child!"
Aro looked at me with humor in his eyes and laughed. "It makes no difference; the child may be an asset to me. Go ahead Michael." Before I could stop it the vampire that had spoken leaned down and bit the terrified girl's neck. As soon as he withdrew his teeth she fell to the ground screaming and clutching her neck.
"Put her in a cell until the change is complete." Aro said dismissively, not bothered at all by the screaming girl on the floor in front of him.
"No!" I yelled again, only this time it was in fury. "Let me take the child! Let me take her to my room with me until the change is complete! It will make no difference to you!"
He seemed to consider it for a moment before waving his hand. "Very well, you make take her." I glared at him and then ran to the child. "Shh, it will be alright." I murmured and slid my arms under her as gently as I could. As soon as she was in my arms I ran, I reached my room in a matter of seconds and climbed onto the bed. The child was shaking and sobbing but I was able to see more of her now. She was obviously an orphan, her clothes were torn and stained. She wore no shoes and her feet were covered in dirt. Her hair was light blonde and it fell in soft curls down her back even though it was tangled.
As she was lying in my arms I did everything I could to relax her but I knew there wasn't much I could do. I put my hand against her face and held her head to my chest as I began to sing.
I noticed that her shaking turned to a slight trembling as I sang so I continued with some lullabies and Disney songs that she seemed to like. I barely moved for three days, and the small girl seemed to be comforted by having me with her. Periodically throughout the days Aro would stop in to check on her but she was terrified of him and at one point I had to sit her on the bed and literally push Aro out the door and move the dresser in front of it so that he would get the message.
By the end of the third day I could tell that her change was almost over, she had newborn strength and her sobs were almost gone. I was still stroking her hair when she opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at me, she was still terrified but she seemed to trust me. "What happened?" She asked, her voice was beautiful, like an angel, but I couldn't stop the grimace from appearing on my face.
"I'll explain everything to you but can you tell me your name?" I asked. She nodded and said. "Cassie." I smiled. "That's a very pretty name, how old are you?"
She thought for a moment while she moved to sit at the in front of me before saying "Eight." I sighed; she would be eight forever, never even becoming a teenager. "Well Cassie, what I'm about to tell you may be confusing and scary, but I promise its going to be okay." I said and she nodded in response.
"The people here are…vampires, and when that man but you he turned you into a vampire too." I said and braced myself for her reaction. She stared trembling again and I put my arms out to her. She jumped into my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck and I stroked her hair again. "Why did he do it?" she asked.
"Because the lead vampire thought that you would be a great vampire." I replied. She sat back and I could tell she was thinking as she held my hand. "Why does my throat hurt so much?" She asked and I grimaced. "It means your thirsty, do you know what vampires eat?" Her expression was horrified. "I can't!" She yelled. "I don't want to hurt people!" I placed my hand on her cheek and hushed her. "Let's go talk to Aro, he's the lead vampire. You see the vampires I used to live with were nice and they lived like humans, they found that vampires can survive off of animals instead of people…I know that it's not that great either but its better then killing."
She sighed in relief and I stood up still holding her hand. Once I had moved the dresser out of the doorway I leaned down and picked her up, putting her on my hip so that I could protect her easier. We walked out of the door and down towards the meeting room when I noticed that there were a few vampires in the hall and one walked up to me. "I'll take her." He said and tried to take Cassie from me. "You will not!" I yelled at him and used my free hand to shove him as hard as I could into the wall. He flew through the wall and through several rooms until he came to a stop right at Aro's feet in the meeting room.
I marched through the holes in the walls until I stood in front of Aro. "I see that her change is complete, you may give her to me now Bella." He said. I cradled her closer to me and she buried her head in my neck. "I will not Aro! Cassie stays with me. She does not want to drink from humans and I want to take her out of the city to hunt animals." I said, lifting my chin and looking him square in the eye. Timid little Bella had left when I was transformed. He sighed and contemplated for a minute before answering me. "Very well, you may go, but believe me, there will be consequences if you don't return." I nodded my head in response. "While I'm out can I go buy some necessities for the two of us?" I asked. Aro nodded yes and handed me a credit card with my name on it already. I spun on my heels and marched through the castle until I got to the front door, there was a vampire sitting behind a desk and she stopped me before I went out the door.
"Aro said to give you this." She said handing me a key. "It's to the sparkly blue Prius." I took the key and nodded in response. Upon walking out of the door I realized that the door led to a garage. There were cars of all shapes and sizes and I quickly found the right car. "Cassie." I said as I strapped her in the front seat. "When we drive out of here I want you to hold your breath, if you don't you will smell humans and you might accidentally hurt them, you don't need to breathe anymore…it comes with being a vampire." She nodded.
I was thankful that it was an overcast day as we drove through the city, me using the GPS to find my way to the nearest forest, I learned a lot about Cassie. Her parents had died a year ago in a fire and she had been tossed out onto the street. During the car ride I was also able to tell her all about vampirism.
When we finally made it to the woods I go Cassie out of the car and sniffed the air to make sure there were no humans around. "Cass, I've never hunted before because I'm a special vampire that doesn't need to, but from what I know you need to follow your instincts, oh and breathe now." I said. Cass did as I said and I saw her eyes get darker as she smelled the dear in the area. She took off and I followed her from a distance, just to make sure that she didn't get into trouble.
She quickly killed and drank from three deer before she was satisfied so I helped her hid the carcasses before heading back to the car. We headed off to a Wal-Mart and I again had Cass hold her breath as we went in but I kept her safely on my hip just in case. I quickly grabbed a bunch of clothes for both of us, I also got us some shoes and other necessities like hair brushes before heading to the check out counter. Cassie obviously had to struggle a little bit, being a newborn and all but I was extremely proud as we loaded our stuff into the car and headed back to the castle.
After we had parked the car we carried our stuff back up to my room and I noticed that there had been a few changes. The twin bed had been replaced with a queen, and as I walked into the bathroom I noticed that there was now I Jacuzzi tub. It didn't really fit but It was better then the tub that was there before.
I was quick to make use of the Jacuzzi and I got Cassie into a nice bubble bath, I washed her hair and found her to be the cutest girl I had ever seen underneath all of the dirt. I wrapped her in a fluffy towel and carried her back into the bedroom where I put her in some sky blur pajamas for the night.
I wasn't sure how it happened, but I figured out one of my powers that night. I was able to give Cass the ability to sleep. I had just been thinking of how much I wished she could when she said. "I thought vampires except for you couldn't sleep? I'm getting reeeeally sleepy!" I gasped and a grin broke out on my face. "I think…that maybe I just made you able to sleep!" I said. Cassie jumped into my arms and wraps her arms around my neck.
What she said next caused tears to run down my face. "Thank you mom."
Whoa! That was a hell of a long chapter for me! Sorry if it jumped around a bit, Tell me what you think of Cassie? She will play a major role in the rest of this story! Ill write the next chapter soon but now in going to bed! Its 4:33 in the morning!