Truth
We were inside my to-be bedchamber when Didyme suddenly changed. Her movements were quicker, jerkier, although still graceful.
She had closed the door quietly behind us and then swiftly locked it.
"Ana," She began quietly, below a whisper. "You mustn't tell anybody that I told you this..."
I nodded slowly.
"As you may or may not know, my brother, Aro, the one with the long, black, hair who is overly ambitious has many past-times. One of these past-times is collecting vampires with different powers."
I nodded again.
"As you also may or may not know, vampires are always at their strongest when they have a soul-mate, and that's what Aro has recently taken up. Match-making. That's what he was on about with the whole mind power thing."
"Because Demetri can find people with their mental trails?" I mouthed.
"Yes."
"Oh." Was all I managed.
"Since Jane and Demetri were the only singles left in the guard, Aro tried to force them together with Chelsea's power, but it just would not work. Jane and Demetri worked against the bonds Chelsea was falsely tying them with, and eventually, Jane stood up to Aro and said that she 'was not going to be his little freaky mating experiment with the badger-weirdo.'" Didyme quietly imitated a voice which I assumed to be Jane's.
"So your brother is trying to... force me and Demetri together... in a more natural way?" I guessed.
Didyme nodded. "He found that trying to force Jane and Demetri together with false emotions just drove them more apart. He's hoping to bring you and Demetri together with real emotions which will drive both of you together."
"It makes sense... in a crazy, twisted sort of way." I muttered.
Didyme let out a high-pitched laugh. "If there's anything my brother is known best for, it's his crazy, twisted, way of looking at life."
I snorted.
"Remember to lock the door, Ana." Didyme cautioned.
"Why?"
Didyme grimaced. "My brother knows not of the word 'subtle', if he tells Demetri to spend passionate time with you, he will be meaning 'burst into her room, interrupt whatever she's doing, invade her personal space, and maybe even serenade her while she's getting dressed."
"Ah. Sounds like a good idea to keep the door locked."
"I must go now," Didyme frowned. "My brother... needs a word with me."
"See you some time... around?" I motioned to the walls.
Didyme grinned faintly. "Yes. Welcome to Volterra."
With that, she left the room.
Many hours later
There was a knock at the door, so, out of habit, I called, "Come in."
None other than Demetri walked through the door and closed it behind him.
"What are you doing?" He asked me.
I was sprawled across the floor, legs crossed in the air, behind me. My long dress still covered most of my legs.
"I am obviously reading." I replied.
"But why?" He seemed generally puzzled.
"Because I like reading."
"But... women aren't supposed to read..." I glared at him.
"This," I emphasized calmly "is now my room. My mother taught me how to read, and unless you have anything to say that is worth hearing, I suggest you get out of here. Before I rip your head off."
"Your mother knew how to read, too?" He shook his head. "What kind of mother teaches her daughter how to read?"
That. Was. It.
I wasn't sure if it was the fact I was a newborn, or the fact that I had been depriving myself of blood for so long that made me react so violently, I normally would have just lashed out at someone with my words, but I was somehow pushed over the edge...
A snarl came out of my throat, and before I could stop it, I had dropped the book and launched myself at him, teeth bared, ready to kill...
He back-handed me out of the way with a smirk.
I let out a huff. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
I turned invisible, scentless, and stalked quietly towards him.
He looked me straight in the eyes. "I know where you are, it's my power, I can find you. No matter how invisible you are."
I dropped my illusions,and feinted to the right.
I launched my self at him from the left instead, and I have to admit, I got lucky. I managed to wrap my arms around his neck, my teeth digging into his skin.
"What the hell is this?" Demanded a grumpy, child-like voice.
I knew without a doubt, it must have been Jane.
I looked back at her, and she was glaring daggers at me, although I felt no pain... yet.
Then I realized how this must look to someone who had not heard our slight argument.
Me, perched on Demetri's back, legs and arms wrapped tightly around him, in a futile attempt to strangle him, lips pressed to his neck, and obviously, my dress had hitched itself up a bit, my knees were visible.
I hated to imagine how much of a whore I must look to Jane right now.
With a disgusted growl, I dropped from Demetri and sent him a glare.
"Get out."
"I wasn't planning on staying!" He snapped.
With that, he stormed off, cloak billowing behind him.
I turned to Jane, and tried to keep my voice composed.
"What do you want?"
She threw a ball of folded up material at me, and I realized it was a dresses and a cloak. The cloak was a dark grey, although not as dark as Jane's cloak.
Jane marched over to the massive wardrobe, yanked everything out, and left the room. She paused on her way out, and added, voice full of fake sweetness. "We're hunting tomorrow. Be ready. No objections, since Carlisle is coming with us too."
She slammed the door behind her.
I briefly wondered if she was always in such a bad mood, but when I thought back to when she had walked in on me and Demetri fighting...
"What the hell is this?" She had demanded. Shocked?
Shocked.
A small spark of pain in her eyes, and something more... Betrayal and... Envy?
It clicked then.
Jane was in love with Demetri. She had wanted to be paired with him, had objected to it because she had to keep her pride because he obviously didn't care for her in the same way, at all.
I couldn't help it, a grin made its way onto my face, and the plan was already formed.
Even as a weak human, I had enjoyed a challenge, but this, this had to be the ULTIMATE challenge...
To make Demetri fall in love with me, which would be practically impossible, since he probably hated me already. To avoid the fiery agony that Jane would bestow upon me eventually.
It wasn't just a challenge.
It was a challenge and a half...
A challenge that I was not going to let myself lose.
