The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!
Sorry for long-waiting update. Summer is here- my schedule will be hectic, so I'll update when I can ;) Thanks for the reviews everyone! If you can review or want to, don't be afraid of leaving one :)
Boredom was the first emotion I experienced after standing there for a few moments, even though my eyes darted around the room at lightning speed. My muscles tensed, prepared for almost anything (or at least, I liked to think so). My back was stiff with anticipation. I heard the faint clicking of Heidi's heels recede until they disappeared altogether. Neither Demetri or I moved. I arched an eyebrow.
Demetri seemed far more interested in staring blankly at me; it felt like he was peering right through me. My first and old human instinct, fragile and dull though, was to shudder. But my newborn instincts cut it off immediately; I didn't want to appear weak and I was most definite that I didn't want to feel it. I stood stone still.
"How long have you been…around?" The question hung in the air like a choking, deadly fog; it felt like it was hard to breath and was almost suffocating. Demetri's surprise shown on his face, but it quickly returned to its original form, expressionless, save for his slight smugness.
"Longer than you, Natalie."
I curled my lip slightly and narrowed my eyes irately. "I know that. But since you're avoiding the question, you're probably ancient."
His lips twitched, which I had noted were a handsome pale rose color that seemed to blend easily into his face… I growled mentally to myself, then decided distracting myself by experimenting with my power. I opened my mind widely, but hesitantly, as if walking through a pitch black cave with long strides, but with a hand outstretched in front of you, just in case. At first, I felt nothing. Then the tugging materialized.
It reared back from me, shrinking and I thought I felt it hiss inside my head. Then I realized that Demetri had actually released the hiss. But I mentally poked harder at it, trying to enter his mind to communicate. I felt the pulling, but the embrace of him letting me inside didn't come.
He smirked in front of me as I retreated back, hissing sourly and quietly through my teeth.
"Quite persistent, aren't you?" he asked, amused.
I allowed the warning snarl to leave my throat. His smile was weakly hidden and it annoyed me greatly. I debated attacking him; obviously, he had shown great skill from inside with the human… Gianna, I think Jane or him had called her. If I attacked him, would I be punished? The sudden thought of losing this new…life, if I could possibly call it that, hurt me. It angered me; I wouldn't and couldn't let anyone take this away from me. It felt so natural to just go along with my feelings, ride them like a wave as they came and even sometimes, try and control them. I enjoyed the challenge.
"Obviously, your not talkative," he murmured. He didn't try to hide his amusement at my silence.
"Be quiet," I growled. He didn't change his expression. I huffed angrily, catching his strong scent and Heidi's, which was still strong, but now becoming stale. I got the smell of the cool dampness that clung to the rock walls, the smoke from the torches I had walked by earlier, accompanied by the faint crackling of them through the doors. All seemed…normal to me, I suppose.
Home. The thought appeared suddenly in my head. Was this home now? I tried to picture my old home, one that wasn't even on this continent… I found a hazy picture of a brown building in my human memories. Part of me, I supposed what would replace my 'heart', swelled with warmth…love, that was the feeling. The feeling of security, safeness and something else I couldn't name; but what were these feelings coming from? The foggy brown house that I could barely describe? It must have been my home, once upon a time. Not anymore…the damp underground, the shadows that hid others and myself- that was my home now despite my slight disliking for the musty clamminess.
"The memories…they may become clearer- or not," Demetri stated bluntly.
I blinked, drifting back from my memory and stared at him.
"Or not?"
"Human memories are forgotten and lost easily; they are a waste of space," He said.
"And why is that?"
He stared at me, unafraid to look me in the eye, but something shifted in them. They darkened before my eyes, taking on a bit more maroon color. Around the pupil, darkness was forming. He was thirsty.
"There are far too many things to appreciate in this life rather than… that one." The last words were said with fury, and maybe a little annoyance (I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or something going through his head). A few seconds later he sighed.
"I suppose Aro would want me to show you the way," he murmured, staring at me.
I shrugged and then smirked, letting the sly grin twitch at my lips. "I don't know, Demetri," I liked how his name slid off my tongue. "I'm not Aro."
He sighed again and then spun around, opening the door. "Follow me." I sprinted to his side, in a matter of a second or so. He looked at me, over his shoulder and shook his head.
I laughed out loud, it sounded pleasantly happy and entertained, then responded, "I will."
An exasperated sigh came from Demetri. I snickered, controlling my fit of wild laughter and wondered why he was so…annoyed with 'showing me the way'. Perhaps he didn't like me. Even the thought had hurt in a way I hadn't felt in this new life and it was kind of… piercing. I mentally clutched my 'heart', wondering why the hell that had happened. The feeling disappeared after I gave a shake of my head; I shoved and fought away its agonizing thoughts.
But another part of me found it quite amusing… almost to the point of laughing again. Why? I didn't know. But I found and saw it as a challenge, one in which I was going to win by either engaging in a fight with him or by him turning out to at least appreciate my presence. Aro, I greatly assumed, knew that Demetri wouldn't care for 'watching over me' (a snarl perched on my lips from the thought, and I pursed them together, halting the sound) and had chosen him just for that reason.
Oh well. Either way, it was a challenge.
Demetri's footsteps rang out, despite them making only a very faint thudding noise, in the tunnel and mine seemed to echo his. His were a call and mine was the response; I entertained the thought while we walked. After a while (Demetri and I still hadn't exchanged a look or word with each other), when I thought we were lost, the scent hit me again. Powerful, strong and… near. My mouth watered, venom dripping into it, and the burning intensity in my throat soared sky high.
I didn't realize I had stopped and stared in the direction the scent came from. I didn't notice that Demetri had stopped too.
"Come along Natalie."
My ears twitched at his voice; something told me that I wouldn't have even acknowledged the fact that someone had spoke if it was anyone but him. I stayed perfectly still, my body tensed and was posed to run. Common sense and the instinctual hunter-prey reaction were at war in my body.
"Follow me," Demetri's voice suddenly was directly behind me.
I reacted as if a startled, but aggravated like a beast or newborn would have, I think. I spun around, growling, and lunged at him. I had caught him by surprise. Before I realized it, I had pinned him against the ground. I felt smug and proud that I had taken Demetri by surprise. The victory was short-lived, as I had let my guard down to wade into my pride; he threw me off with such force that a surprised shriek escaped my throat. As I hit the opposite wall, dazed, I heard his deadly growling from across the hallway.