The first thing she did when her eyes snapped open was look around, frantically trying to remember where she was.
"Whoa."
In every corner of the room she observed tiny details invisible to her human eyes, only seen now through newfound clarity and precision. Even the dust floating through the air was no exception to her perception, nothing was. The room seemed alive with new smells most of which she did not recognize and one she didn't have to. Her throat burned with dryness and on her attempt to swallow it down, she felt like she'd taken a bite out of sand. She knew what she wanted, but there was something she had to do before anything else, including quenching the thirst.
Crystal jumped off the bed and frowned at the dent she'd put in the ground. How had that happened?
"You have awoken." Aro stood in the doorway, expressionless.
"How long have I been out?"
He smiled. "Only a few days, I assure you you missed nothing too important."
She was on him in a second, pushing him into the wall, not caring when she heard it crack. She leaned in and took a deep breath through her nose. "You smell weird."
"Weird how?"
Crystal struggled with an explanation. "Like you have more than one scent, or like someone rolled all over you."
His smile faded. "Sharp as ever I see."
She breathed in again and noticed something strange about the other smell. There was something within it that appealed to her, that twisted her insides and began to drive her crazy. Abruptly, Crystal moved to the other side of the room, grabbing handfuls of her hair and pulling. The thirst slowly consuming her body was becoming unbearable. Her stare was accusing as she spoke past gritted teeth. "Explain."
Aro's face was knowing. "You are thirsty." He materialized beside her, holding a piece of clothing that had not been there before. He flipped in around her and draped it over her shoulders, the fabric comfortable against her skin. Wrapping one arm around her waist and grasping her hand Aro began to lead her through the door. "Come, I will teach you to hunt."
…
The night was darker than another other Crystal had seen in a long time, no stars and not even the moon to shine against a darkness that hid her as she walked through the streets of Volterra. Aro had long since abandoned her, his teaching strategy similar to the one parents used when they removed training wheels from a bike. He'd told her what to do, ensured her there was no way of failure, and when she'd looked behind her, he was gone.
She kicked a rock and stared at it intently as it moved down the sidewalk in front of her. It was all she could do to keep her mind off the discomfort rising in her throat. If she didn't find a way to satisfy her hunger she was sure she would lose her mind.
The lesson here was apparent; patience and self-control. If in any way she revealed herself to a human there was no doubt Aro would not hesitate in killing her. She would have to be careful.
Crystal stepped through the door of a little restraint and was stopped in her tracks. The smell of blood washed over her like a mindless wave and she held her breath. Maybe that would help. She took a seat at the counter and a look around. It was empty.
"Ciao."
When she looked again, a guy was speaking to her in a language she did not understand, probably Italian. She smiled and shook her head, pointing to her lips.
"English."
He returned her smile. "I speak that too, fluently actually. I was asking why such a bella ragazza was out here at such a late hour."
The hunger prompted her to move her hair behind her ear in a manner she thought might have been cute. "I'm an independent woman, capable of taking care of myself. Men don't scare me."
He gave a small laugh. "I was more concerned with the monsters that crawl these streets so late in the night."
Crystal frowned. "Monsters?"
"Yes, i vampiri, to be more exact."
"I'm not afraid of vampires." She bit her lip, harder than she meant to, biting back the need wracking her very being. "Is there, uh, anyone else here?"
The guy nodded. "The cook, but he stepped out for his meal. I can get you a drink if you'd like to hold you over until he returns."
Crystal licked her lips. "I have something better in mind." No seconds wasted, she jumped over the counter, taking the waiter to the floor with her. She had him pinned to the floor with her hips and slammed her lips into his. So close to his body, she could hear his heart beat, feel the blood as it coursed through his veins. Oh how badly she wanted a taste.
A growl came from deep within her throat as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and ripped, tearing the fabric in half and tracing her hands over his chest.
He seemed amused. "You American women are so… aggressive. I like a woman who knows what she wants."
But he didn't know what she wanted, and that she would indeed take it. Crystal moved faster then she meant to, flipping the man over onto his stomach and sitting on his hands. Her fingers moved through his hair as easily as if it were water and she grabbed a handful, forcing his head back and his attention outward. Then she stopped. This man, who was he? Did he have a family? Did he have friends? If he didn't return home that night who would be beside themselves with worry, who would lose him? Crystal moved aside his shirt and decided she didn't care.
His skin broke easily beneath her teeth and blood rushed into her mouth, spraying wonderfully over her tongue. She drunk greedily, using her other hand to bring him closer to him. She could barely hear his screams as she fed. The blood filled her with so must pleasure so much satisfaction that she wished for more. It drained down her chin, she could not drink it fast enough. Even as the man went limp in her arms she did not stop.
Crystal panicked momentarily when suddenly her intake produced nothing. She'd sucked him dry. "Oh."
She pulled away from the corpse and stood, catching her reflection in the surface of the counter. She was a mess, blood all down the front of her outfit. What a mess she'd made.
Crystal hissed in pain as something hit her hard and fast. She looked to her shoulder and frowned at the closing bullet wound. She raised her head to the person with the rifle pointed at her. His white apron hung loosely around his waist, he was rather large, balding, and very afraid. The cook perhaps?
"Demone!" he shouted firing another bullet.
Crystal was astonished as she watched the bullet fly towards her, her eyes following the movement exactly. She reach out and closed her hand around the bullet. She'd never felt more alive and as she crushed the bullet to dust before the cook's eyes, she'd never felt more powerful either. Before he could fire at her again, Crystal was upon him, ripping the weapon from his hand and breaking it in half, she threw it aside. The fear on his face was delicious and she hoisted him into the air. He pulled a rosary from within his shirt and thrust it towards her. Crystal realized what he was trying to do and just laughed, flinging him aside, through the adjacent wall. She'd planned on feeding on him as well however he'd amused her, she'd let him live.
Stepping from the restaurant, she felt the cold night air as it tangled in her hair. The scents of the night were invigorating and it was this excitement that moved her feet as she sped back to the home of the Volturi.
…
When she stepped into the throne room, the joy from her face fell as she could tell Aro was not pleased. He sat with his legs crossed, staring at her harshly. He seemed angry, maybe even dissatisfied. She stepped to the middle of the room.
"What's got your tidy-widys in a knot?" she asked.
He inhaled, a sound more like a sigh. "I am disappointed in you Crystal."
The word stung, barely. "What did I do?"
He uncrossed his legs. "My dear, dear Crystal, it is more so what you did not do."
"How dare you allow that human to live?" Caius accused.
"I did as I saw necessary in the situation, and that man did not need to die." Crystal said, standing her ground. Then it dawned on her. "And how the hell did you know that anyway?" Her eyes widened. "You sent stalkers after me?!"
Aro stood from the seat of his throne. "I gave you fair warning, and you disobeyed our laws nonetheless. And for that we have decided," His voice was drenched with remorse, but his eyes were bright with anticipation. "You must die."
Crystal took an involuntary step back. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd only just been turned and they wished now to take her life from her? No, that wasn't going to happen, she enjoyed the perks of being a vampire far too much.
Crystal could tell the person approaching her was not Felix, who usually tore off the heads of the to-be executed. Rage ignited from deep within her and moved throughout her system until she could feel the flames licking the semi-flesh beneath her skin. Her hand seemed to be ablaze as she turned to ace her executioner, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the ground. She moved back and into a defensive position, awaiting the rise of her opponent. But he did not get up from the ground, he did not even move.
Aro was besides the body and the room was quiet as he studied it. He looked up, astounded, and when he spoke to his brothers, his gaze was on Crystal. "What an extraordinary ability."
