This is the chapter that inspired me to write this fic. The idea came to me one night and the rest built around it. It's inspired by the song 'Coma White' by Marilyn Manson.
I don't own Twilight or Marilyn Manson. I only own Luciana and this wicked plot.
There's something cold and blank behind her smile
She's standing on an overpass
In her miracle mile
"You were from a perfect world
A world that threw me away today
Today to run away"
A pill to make you numb
A pill to make you dumb
A pill to make you anybody else
But all the drugs in this world
Won't save her from herself
-Coma White by Marilyn Manson
Silence spread through the room when everyone became aware of our presence. Aro waited patiently until the last noise died.
"Welcome, my dear friends! I'm truly pleased to see you all here tonight."
He extended his arms towards the room in general, looking around for a moment before he spoke again.
"Tonight we're celebrating a very special young lady. Eighteen years ago today, she came into the world and astounded us all. Since then, we have watched her grow and develop as she turned from a beautiful baby and a headstrong little girl into an amazing woman."
I suppressed the urge to snort. An amazing woman? That was as much a lie as saying it was my eighteenth birthday.
"It's with great pride that tonight I present to you my niece, daughter of my brother Caius and his loving wife Athenodora."
This time, I actually did snort. Athenodora. Loving. Those two words just didn't go together. My father twitched but didn't look at me. My stepmother just ignored me, as usual.
"Ladies and gentlemen, meet Princess Luciana of the Volturi."
He stepped aside and indicated his hand towards me. The three of us stepped forward. Whispers erupted around the hall, and everyone stared, some people even pointed. It made me feel very uncomfortable.
Aro descended the stairs, and we followed. When the music started, he motioned me and my father to the dance floor. He was to have the first dance before passing me on to the other men, who were impatiently awaiting their turn. With sadness, I knew he was truly giving me away; he didn't want me as his daughter anymore.
A waltz started playing, and Father and I moved gracefully across the floor. I stared up at him, but he refused to look at me, even now.
"Father, I'm so sorry."
He gave me the smallest of glances but didn't speak.
"Father, please don't be angry with me."
He still looked away from me, but this time he did speak.
"You're a grown woman now, Luciana. You don't need a father anymore."
I gasped. I felt the sting of traitorous tears, but I swallowed hard; I refused to let him see me cry again. As we danced in silence for a little while, I looked around and noticed that more people had come onto the dance floor, circling around us. Young men dancing with older women, who I assumed were their mothers, were eying me appraisingly - no doubt awaiting their turn. I just wanted to dance with my father; I wanted him to be my father. I opened my mouth to apologize again when Aro cut in. My father accepted quickly and vanished before I had a chance to protest. Aro took my hand, and I knew he was scanning my thoughts again; I could feel it. I looked away, angry and upset at my uncle.
"Luciana, there are no secrets within this family; you know that." He spoke sternly in response to my angry thoughts. "Your father had a right to know what you did."
I looked up at him now, fury building inside of me.
"Don't be upset with your dear, old uncle, mia nipotina. Everyone makes mistakes. Your father will come around."
I couldn't help but be hopeful at his statement.
"Do you really think that? He's so angry right now."
"Your father has a terrible temper, but it will die down eventually. You're his little Princess after all."
He smiled a sickeningly sweet smile, and I felt a bit uneasy. I really wanted to get away from his intruding touch. He obliged and led me towards a blonde boy, dancing just beside us.
"Ah, signora Mancini, I'm delighted to see you. And this must be young Vincenzo."
The woman smiled at Aro adoringly; it made me feel nauseous. He took her hand in a seemingly innocent gesture, but I knew better. He closed his eyes and leaned in for a few seconds, causing the woman to blush. Then he opened his eyes and pressed a light kiss to her hand before releasing it. His focus shifted to the boy beside her.
"Vincenzo, may I introduce you to my niece, Luciana?"
The boy looked at me arrogantly. His eyes moved down and came to rest on my cleavage, making me feel very uncomfortable.
"It's lovely to meet you, principessa."
He took my hand and kissed it. The cliché almost made me roll my eyes.
"Would you care to dance with me?"
I looked at my uncle. He smiled and nodded his head in encouragement. Vincenzo took my hand and led me across the floor effortlessly; he was a good dancer.
"So, how come I've never seen you around before?"
"I went to school abroad. Switzerland."
That was the story that I'd been told to tell. The truth was I'd never even left the castle.
"Ah, so you've received a fine education?"
"The best."
"And what do you want to be when you grow up?"
He laughed at his own joke, which irritated me beyond belief. Vincenzo was an arrogant and self-absorbed guy, and I couldn't wait to get away from him. Unfortunately, he had me in an iron grip. For the next ten minutes I was forced to listen to his monologue about where he lived, who his family was, how much was in his trust fund and how everybody loved him. I was extremely grateful when Aro claimed me again, so much so that I didn't even feel upset when he once again invaded my mind. He chuckled at my obvious dislike for Vincenzo.
Much to my dismay, the parade didn't end there. I was introduced to Philippe from France, Charles from England, Dietrich from Austria and Jonathan from America, to name but a few. They were much the same as Vincenzo; trust fund brats that thought the sun shone out of their asses. I paid very little attention to what they were saying. My chance to escape came when Jonathan got a phone call during our dance and released me to take it. I all but ran into a quiet, dark corner where I hoped to remain unnoticed for at least a little while.
I glanced around to see if anyone had seen my escape and that's when he caught my eye.
Demetri.
My heart sank when I saw him leaning into a beautiful human woman. His hand was on her leg, and he was whispering something in her ear. I watched as she smiled shyly and blushed. When he brushed her hair out of her face, I couldn't take it anymore. A wave of sickness overtook me, and I turned to face the wall. I closed my eyes, clenched my fists and leaned my forehead against the cool stone. My chest hurt with the effort to keep my breathing steady, but my body betrayed me, and I released a loud sob. I kept concentrating on my breathing, trying to keep the tears at bay. It took me a few minutes, but eventually, I calmed down and opened my eyes. That's when I noticed Felix standing right beside me.
"Are you okay, Lucy?"
He put a hand on my shoulder as if to comfort me. I sighed deeply and looked up at him. He smiled gently.
"I'm fine, Felix. It's just been a long day."
His smile widened, and his eyes flashed knowingly.
"Yes, I heard. Loads of new impressions today, huh?"
He winked, making me blush again. Was there no end to my torture?
"Listen, Felix, I don't feel so good right now. I think I'm going to step outside for a moment if that's okay."
I tried to move past him, but he barred me by putting his hand up against the wall. He leaned in close and brought his other hand up to my face.
"Demetri tells me everything, you know. He said you were delicious."
I shivered; I didn't like where this was going. His fingers were stroking my cheek as he leaned in even closer.
"If you ever want to try that with someone else, let me know. I'll make you feel things Demetri never could."
I gasped when his nose brushed my jaw.
"Mmm…You do smell ever so sweet. I can't wait to taste you myself."
He laughed as he pulled away from me. With one last wink, he turned and rejoined the crowd.
I slumped into the wall, my knees weak and my heart pounding. Was this really what they thought of me now? That I was a mere toy to be passed between them? I drew a shuddering breath that burned my lungs. I couldn't breathe; I had to get out of here.
I scanned the room quickly and noticed my uncles and father in a far away corner, speaking to some of their guests. Jane and Alec sat side by side in silence; they seemed bored. The rest of the guard was scattered around the room. I didn't look for Demetri; I assumed he would be too preoccupied to notice my exit. Swiftly, I stuck to the walls as I made my way to the French doors that led to the beautiful castle garden.
The garden was my favourite place. The air there was so different than inside the dusty, old castle. It smelled like grass and flowers; every season had its own scent. I often came here to be alone. It was completely secluded inside the castle walls; the only place where the vampires could go out without the risk of exposing themselves. Still, most of them chose to remain inside the walls during the day, and hardly any of them used the garden.
I stepped out into the cool darkness and looked up at the stars. A single tear escaped my eye, running over my cheek. Everything that had happened that day finally caught up with me as more tears came down. Before today I had felt lonely, but never had I felt as isolated as I did at this moment. Sleeping with Demetri had been a mistake; I understood that now, but it was too late for regrets. A chain of events had been set in motion by my actions that couldn't be stopped. My father had cast me out, my lover was with another and Felix thought he could take his place. If that wasn't enough, my uncle had me dangling in front of all these boys like a piece of meat for the dogs.
Right then, the doors behind me opened, and a loud group came out. I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hand and hoped Jane had used waterproof mascara.
"Principessa! Here you are."
I groaned inwardly when I recognized Vincenzo's voice. I turned around and watched as the group approached me. Vincenzo was in front, a smirk on his face. He was joined by Philippe, Jonathan, Dietrich and Charles. I smiled politely.
"I was just on my way back in."
"Are you sure? The party is getting boring. We came out here to have our own little celebration."
He flashed me a grin and produced a bottle from inside his jacket.
"Care to join us for a drink? You look like you could use one."
"Yeah, join us; it's your birthday after all. You don't want to be spending it with a bunch of stuffy, old people, do you?" It was Charles that spoke this time, and he reached forward to take my hand.
A drink; it was an interesting thought. I'd never had alcohol in my life, and I had no idea if it would even affect me as a hybrid, but I could sure use the escape.
"Please?" Charles flashed me a silly grin and batted his eyelashes at me. I couldn't help but smile back. Maybe spending time with the humans wouldn't be so bad.
"Okay, I'll join you."
"You hear that? She said yes! Let's go and give the Princess a proper party!"
The boys cheered at Charles' words, and they all started pushing us towards the gazebo in the middle of the garden, where we sat down on the floor. Vincenzo pulled out his bottle, which turned out to be vodka, and unscrewed the lid. He handed the bottle to me.
"Ladies first."
I hesitated for a second but then decided today couldn't get any worse and brought the bottle to my mouth. I took a large gulp. The liquid stung my lips before burning my throat. I coughed loudly and shuddered at the disgusting taste.
"Blegh!"
The boys laughed, and Charles winked at me before grabbing the bottle and taking a drink himself. He then passed it on to Jonathan.
"So, Luciana," Vincenzo began.
"Please call me Lucy," I interrupted. He nodded.
"Lucy it is then. So, what do you do for fun around here?"
I thought about that for a second as I took another swig since the bottle was once again in my possession. I didn't notice the burn as much this time around; instead, a pleasant warmth settled in my chest.
"Fun… I don't know. I enjoy sword fighting?"
The boys laughed, making me feel a bit self-conscious. Charles made a grab for the bottle, but I held it to my chest before taking another mouthful. I was starting to feel slightly giddy. Charles grinned at me before snatching the bottle from my hand. I scowled.
"Not exactly the kind of fun I meant, Lucy. I mean, this can't be the first party you've been to? Surely a family this rich with a castle this big must throw parties all the time!"
I watched the bottle go from Jonathan to Dietrich with impatience; I wanted it back. It was thrilling to realize that alcohol actually affected me, and I liked the feeling it gave me.
"Yeah, they do all the time. I was never invited before tonight though."
"Really? Why not?" Charles looked at me questioningly as Vincenzo handed me the bottle again.
"I was too young."
I took another drink and one right after that. Some of the liquid spilled past my lips and ran down my chin. I wiped it hastily and licked my fingers.
"Easy there, Princess, save some for the rest of us." Jonathan looked worried, so I gave him my biggest smile to show him I was okay before taking one last gulp and handing it over to Charles. The world was spinning slightly. I thought it was hilarious and started giggling.
"What's so funny?" Vincenzo asked, and I turned to look at him. His face seemed slightly blurry around the edges. It looked so strange that I couldn't help but reach out and touch him.
"You look funny," I giggled.
Charles laughed loudly; the noise startled me, and I whipped my head around to look at him. The movement made my head spin for few seconds.
"Woah…" I breathed.
"I think you should take it easy for a while, Lucy; skip a round. Is this the first time you've gotten drunk?" Jonathan's worrying was starting to get on my nerves. I lifted my finger and pointed it at his face.
"You're not my father! You can't tell me what to do."
My words were slightly slurred, which made me giggle again because it just sounded so funny.
"Yeah, Johnny-boy, she'll be fine. She's with us; we'll keep her safe." Charles wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. I kind of fell into his side. It was nice and warm, so I stayed there and rested my head against his chest.
"Lucy, I might have something that would make you hold your drink a bit better. It can make you stay up all night if you want."
"Suuuure…" I slurred, snuggled contently into his chest. It sounded good to me since the alcohol had made my eyes a bit heavy, and I was having too much fun to pass out now. I was vaguely aware of Charles reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. He sat me up straight and handed me what appeared to be a tiny pill.
"What's this?" I asked him.
"Just something to wake you up a bit," he answered, "It'll make you feel like you're on top of the world, believe me."
I hesitated.
"Is it dangerous?"
He laughed.
"No, darling, we're all here with you; nothing bad will happen, I promise."
"And it will make me feel good?"
"It'll make you feel better than you've ever felt before."
I looked at the little pill in my palm and thought it over. What did I have to lose? Would it hurt to feel good for a little while? Determined, I popped it in my mouth and grabbed the bottle of vodka from Dietrich. I washed it down and looked around the circle of boys.
"Here's to feeling good!" I raised the bottle.
"Hear hear!" Charles exclaimed, taking the bottle from me. He handed it to Jonathan and stood up.
"Would her Royal Highness care to dance with me?" He bowed before me and extended his hand.
I giggled loudly.
"Her Royal Highness would very much like to do that," I replied and slid my hand into his. As he lifted me to my feet, I was hit by a slight case of vertigo that made me stumble into him. He chuckled and pulled me closer. The smell of alcohol and sweat penetrated my nose and almost made me gag. I didn't try to break free though; bad smell or not, it felt nice to be held.
He swayed me on the spot for a little while before spinning me around in circles, turning the world into a blur. Once my eyes regained focus, I looked up at Charles.
"You're very beautiful," he whispered.
I blushed and averted my eyes, but he persisted by putting a finger under my chin and lifting my face so I couldn't ignore him.
"Don't deny me the view of your pretty eyes, Princess."
I looked up and met his gaze. His eyes were a muddy brown; nothing special, but since I had only ever known the red eyes of my family, I thought they made a nice change. His hair was dark and slicked sideways on his head. He was quite ordinary, but yet so different than anything I'd ever known that I couldn't help but be intrigued. I wondered what he would think of me if he knew what I really was. He would probably love a wife that would stay young forever without having to pay for it.
Slowly but surely I was beginning to feel very strange. I became hyperaware of everything around me and was very tensed, yet relaxed at the same time; it was a strange sensation. My skin felt cold but clammy and was extremely sensitive; every nerve ending seemed to be so much more responsive. My eyes felt as if they were wide open, and I wondered whether I would be able to close them. I decided to try, and was happy when they did, but freaked out at the way my lashes tickled the skin of my cheeks. I didn't remember ever being able to feel that before.
"Wow…" I lifted my hand to my forehead.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Charles' voice seemed louder than before. It was as if all my senses were all of a sudden in overdrive, and when he pressed himself against me, my skin started tingling all over.
"Weird," was the only response I could form. Charles laughed loudly; the sound was almost painful to my ears. Everything was just so…intense. There was no other word to describe this feeling.
I gasped when I felt Charles' lips brush my ear, and I nearly came undone when he nibbled on my earlobe. However, this wasn't what I wanted, not who I wanted. I started panicking slightly. Everything just felt so strange; I needed to get away from him.
"Let's go somewhere more private," he whispered.
No! My mind screamed at me, willing my body to stay in place.
"Lucy?" He had released me to grab my hand and was now trying to pull me along with him. When he realized I wasn't moving, he turned to me. I noticed his smile was gone, replaced with a look of irritation.
"No," I whispered.
"Don't be ridiculous. Let's go." He tugged harder, making me stumble into him again. He dragged me a couple of steps before I found my balance and pushed him off me.
"No!" I shouted it this time. He looked confused for a second, then his face turned angry, and he advanced towards me. I braced myself to fight him off but was surprised when Jonathan stepped in front of me.
"She said no."
Charles and Jonathan glared at each other, neither one willing to back down.
"Just go inside, Lucy," Jonathan said, his teeth clenched. I hesitated for a second but then decided it was the smart thing to do, so I turned and ran.
"Fucking tease!"
Charles' shouting was followed by a loud thump, and I stopped for a second to see that Jonathan had punched Charles to the ground. I felt bad that I couldn't even stay to thank Jonathan for coming to my rescue and made a mental note to think of a way to thank him later. For now, I turned away from the fight and made my way back inside.
After the darkness of the garden, the light inside, however faint it was coming from the torches and chandeliers, hurt my eyes, and I blinked a couple of times to get adjusted. Strangely, every little move I made seemed very exaggerated; I could see my lashes before my eyes closed, I could feel my lungs expand with every breath I took. Once again the word intense came to mind. I started walking across the room slowly, looking for familiar faces. I found my father and stepmother at the far side of the room. Oddly enough, they seemed to be arguing. I watched as Aro stepped between them and tried to calm them both. Eventually, my stepmother turned and walked away, leaving my father and uncle. Aro grabbed my father's arm and quickly dragged him along into a dark corner where I could no longer see them.
I started moving again, unable to stand still for too long. Couples were dancing, gliding past me like ghosts. It was almost as if I wasn't really here, like I was dreaming. I reached the other end of the room where a large table was set up with food. With surprise, I noticed the large cake in the middle that read 'Happy 18th Birthday, Luciana' in pink icing. It was untouched, and I couldn't resist the urge to dip my finger in and scoop up a large chunk of the white cream. I stuck my finger in my mouth, enjoying the sweetness. I was about to go in for another scoop when a waiter passed me, carrying a tray filled with champagne in crystal flutes. I halted him and picked up a glass.
While sipping my champagne, I resumed my exploration of the room. I wondered where Father and Aro had gone and decided to go look for them. When I reached the corner I had seen them walk off to, I was surprised to find it empty. I walked along the wall, leaning on it every now and again for support. Something caught my eye in the opposite corner, and I decided to see who was there. I squinted as I got closer; it didn't appear to be my father or my uncle. In fact, the two bodies there seemed to be locked together in a very intimate embrace. I didn't want to invade their privacy, but my feet seemed to be moving on their own, and I glided closer and closer. Suddenly, one of the two looked up and stared me right in the eyes.
I dropped my glass, making it shatter into a thousand tiny pieces at my feet. Demetri's black eyes locked with mine, and no matter how much I wanted to turn and run, I couldn't make my body move. Instead, I took in every detail: the way the woman's legs were wrapped around his waist; how one of her shoes had fallen to the floor; how her hands were gripping his hair; the way his hips thrust into hers; the way her head tilted to the side, exposing her main artery. Demetri held my gaze for a long time before he finally plunged his head down and started feeding from her. Entranced, I watched as she started thrashing violently. I could hear her pleading with him to stop. Eventually, her voice grew softer and her movements slowed. Her arms dropped from around Demetri's neck and hung limply at her side. She was only moments from death.
With a jolt, I was finally released from my frozen state, and I turned and ran in the opposite direction as quickly as I could without causing a scene.
So that was it. I'd seen the proof of what he was really like. Why would I still care? Why did it hurt so much? I just wanted to stop the pain. I wanted to feel how I'd felt this morning, in his arms. He'd made me feel so beautiful and wanted. I wanted that back; I didn't care how, and I knew exactly how to accomplish that.
Determined, I looked around for the focus of my plan. It took me only a few seconds before I spotted him. I righted myself and took a deep breath.
I can do this.
He saw me coming from across the room, and a smile spread across his face. Fortunately, he was standing alone; I didn't need an audience for this.
"Changed your mind, Princess?"
I looked up at Felix and nodded before speaking.
"Let's go."
Thank you's to the usual suspects:
Tazz0617, SusanAshlea, Tuleangel (beta) and Jkane180 (fixer)
Puffy heart you!