DISCLAIMER – The Twilight saga and all the characters mentioned in it are the undisputed property of Stephanie Meyers. This story was written entirely for non-profit and the sheer love of the series and its memorable characters. Spoilers are included from pretty much included for every single book associated with Twilight.

I would like to take a moment to thank Racheakt for his touching poem tribute to Alec and Bree entitled The Life and Ashes. Also, Schnuersenkel has written her own Alec/OC story called Being a Vampire on Probation that might help pass the time between my updates.

Thank you both for your extreme amount of enthusiasm and support for my stories! You're the type of fans that make aspiring authors hammer at their keyboards and think they might actually have a shot at publishing their own books someday.

Ashes through an Hourglass

By: Oy! Angelina

_Chapter 7_

Travel Arrangements

I consider myself a fairly sociable bloodthirsty predator but my back-to-back exchanges with Seth Clearwater and Alice Cullen put me in a mood. Bree was surrounded by people determined to kill her with their supposed kindness. Admittedly, my actions thus far easily qualified as selfish and inconsiderate of Bree's wishes but I held no delusions about the consequences of my behavior or how it might impact the welfare of others.

I am an egotistical fiend; not merely by nature of being but design and personal choice. I favored expediency to mercy and put my sister's pleasure before the pain of others. My unique talent and lofty standing amongst the Volturi gave me a degree of authority and confidence that bordered on hubris. When it came to meals, I traveled the road of least resistance and ceased to ponder the morality of making humans my prey once I realized nothing else would feel or taste as right. I didn't question who or what I was and - most importantly - neither did anyone else; not unless they wished to suffer the consequences.

Well, perhaps "suffer" isn't the correct word considering the affect of my power but a person needn't feel the embrace of death to die all the same.

Even in acknowledging and celebrating how irrefutably vile I'm capable of being that by no means suggests Bree's feelings and well-being are of no concern to me. In fact, they very much are and to an extent not even the Cullens shared nor I comprehended.

Despite the revulsion I feel for the Cullens' diet it isn't a real point of contention with me. I don't begrudge my kind for their eccentric tastes in cuisine, no matter how little they appealed to my own pallet, and if I believed Bree dined on animals purely of her own volition then I would abandon the subject. That wasn't the case, though. Bree wasn't enticed by animal blood; she drank it because that was what the Cullens demanded of her. It compelled me to wonder what, precisely, Bree was averse to – the thought of killing humans or losing her beloved coven?

I don't doubt for an instant Bree dislikes taking a human's life to sate her thirsts; most of our kind felt the same conflict and reluctance. Few became vampires already owning a calloused heart and predatory nature. The rest of us were shocked by the killer instinct that possessed us and were disturbed not only by what we were capable of doing but what we weren't capable of controlling. It was an adjustment we all make and some of us grapple longer than others but, eventually, we make our peace with the price of our perfection and power.

Bree needed to mourn her human existence before she could accept her new one and the Cullens made poor grief councilors by telling Bree she could still live a life that no longer applied to her. Perhaps Bree would never be comfortable with consuming human blood and adopt the Cullens' diet as her own or, maybe, she would come to terms with her nature and no longer feel the anguish of living in defiance of it.

Either way, it was a conclusion Bree had to reach for herself, though it was no question which lifestyle I considered healthier and happier overall. At the very least I can honestly claim corrupting Bree wasn't my plan. Corruption implies a deviation from what is right or normal and eating humans is right and normal for a vampire. Bree's thirst told her that so I didn't need to persuade her of anything. The only thing I did plan to talk Bree out of was allowing the Cullens to solely dictate the terms of her new life.

I am a monster, perhaps, but I refuse to be called a hypocrite.

I retreated out of my own head long enough to check what weather conditions I had to work with now. A quick peek behind the thick window curtains revealed how persistently the sun is shining with enough blue sky to discourage me from thinking it would be disappearing anytime soon.

My safest, wisest option would be to remain in Bree's room and leave after dusk but the sensation in the back of my mind keeps me acutely aware of Bree's current travel arrangements. Bree's paralyzed state meant she was neither conscious nor uncomfortable with being folded into a suitcase. I – conversely – was conscious of her condition and eager to release Bree as soon as possible. I might have unpacked her for the time being then returned Bree to the suitcase when it was dark but the combination of my thirst and desire to converse with Bree left me too impatient for that option.

I dialed my phone and Santiago answered on the first ring. "So has my loyal service earned me an explanation yet?"

I didn't relish the thought of rationalizing my elaborate measures to Santiago or the other members of the Volturi. Jane and I were no strangers to games where she played the cat and I the viper toying with a little mouse but those jaunts had a more predictable ending than this one. To say the least it was uncharacteristic of me to stalk someone so arduously without intending to harm them. Truthfully, I didn't know what I intended to do with Bree at all beyond bringing her to Volterra.

"Actually, Santiago, I need a car to pick me up; ideally a service that offers vehicles with tinted windows," I said, stalling.

"Aw, are we finished already? I was having fun with all the intrigue and espionage," said Santiago over his rhythmic typing. Shifting Santiago's focus was never a complicated task so long as you gave him an excuse to play God with his machine. "I'm making the arrangements now. Will you be eating the driver this afternoon?"

"It would be convenient if I could have my food to go," I chuckled.

"Alright then. I'll hack the dispatch and make sure there's no record of this faithful trip. You can expect your ride in thirty minutes, traffic permitting."

"Excellent. Thank you, Santiago," I said with genuine gratitude. "May I trouble you for one last favor?"

"Sure, Alec - 'Trouble' just so happens to be my middle name."

I smiled at Santiago's quip. "I need an international courier service to pick up a suitcase and have it shipped to Volterra as soon as they can manage. I will leave it at the front desk for them to retrieve."

I heard Santiago sigh. "A little beneath my expertise but consider it done. Are you not returning to Volterra soon?"

"I don't expect to be away much longer but I'd rather travel light in the meantime," I said, preferring to remain coy with any specifics. Besides, I was more interested in discussing something far more relevant than my social life. "Did you reach Jane and share my concerns?"

"Yes. She's in a mood, though," warned Santiago.

"The werewolf hunt turned into a goose chase," I guessed. Poor Jane – denied even the simplest pleasures of unlife. At least it meant she would return to Volterra all the sooner. "Tell me, has Chelsea left Volterra?"

"A far as I know she's waiting for Heidi to return from Indonesia with food," said Santiago. Considering he was at the nexus of the Volturi's comings and goings, I figured the odds were good Chelsea was still there. "Are you going to make it back for dinner?"

"I'll certainly try but I won't be offended if you start without me," I said blithely. "Again, thank you for your assistance."

"Always a pleasure to help, even when it's boring and easy. Ciao, Alec."

"Ciao, Santiago," I said, hanging up.

It seemed like things were wrapping up nicely, which was welcomed considering the larger concerns I had to attend to. I needed to put some distance Bree from the Cullens, preferably on an emotional level but I would settle for geographically until then. Hopefully my solutions would become one in the same if I could navigate Bree to Volterra. I wasn't foolish enough to believe one glimpse of the Italian countryside or an afternoon in the company of my esteemed coven would be enough to make Bree decide to stay but the Volturi did have something to make people reluctant to leave – Chelsea.

As subtle as her talents were, I considered Chelsea to be perhaps the most powerful member of the Volturi's guard after myself and Jane. She had a preternatural knack for rewiring the ties that bound people to one another, transforming enemies into comrades and covenmates into strangers. Like the greatest of manipulators, Chelsea didn't control people by subverting their will but by bewitching them into believing their actions and feelings were entirely their own.

If Chelsea had a personality more like Caius she could turn herself into a walking goddess, garnering worship and loyalty from all who befell her charms. Fortunately for all of us, Chelsea was a modest woman who preferred genuine emotion to fabricated ones. The only virtues Chelsea prized more were harmony and justice, which was why she never hesitated to use her talent if it kept the peace and spared an innocent from sharing a noose with the guilty.

There were limitations to Chelsea's, however. As easy as it was for her to dismantle a coven it was impossible for her to sever or alter the affection a vampire harbored for his or her mate. Family was likewise inalienable. A century ago, for the sake of curiosity and prudence, I asked Chelsea to see if she could create a rift between Jane and I; however, all Chelsea achieved was offending Jane. Both of us felt something akin to our emotional connection being plucked and stretched but it was otherwise ineffective and remained perfectly intact.

While I was relieved to know Jane and I couldn't be casually pitted against one another, Jane was livid someone would even try and nearly getting savaged Chelsea with her power until I persuaded my sister otherwise. Although my feelings for Jane remained unaffected, I hold little doubt that some of our pride and adoration for the Volturi is bolstered by Chelsea's power and Aro's will. It would be naïve to assume we were immune considering how often we employ the same dastardly trick against other. In fact, I was counting on business-as-usual to persuade Bree against rushing back to the Cullens. Perhaps with some cautious nudging I could even persuade Bree to dine with my coven as a nice break from her absurd diet.

Packed and ready to check out, I quickly penned a note on Bree's behalf politely requesting that the clothing I rejected upon the hangers be returned to the shops they were purchased at. I wasn't sure if Bree had signed for anything since her arrival at the hotel but - for the sake of thoroughness – I made sure my forgery was identical to the signatures on her woefully underused passport.

I wondered whether the travel documents were a fresh counterfeit like mine. If not, I found it strange and unfortunate that Bree hadn't ventured far from North America before now. I understood the Cullens enjoyed their masquerade because it allowed them to remain in a single location yet I and the vast majority of our kind certainly didn't share their contentment. As incomprehensible as certain aspects of vampirism could be I never questioned why we moved at such dizzying speeds. Our predatory natures kept us on the move to avoid detection and not encroach upon the hunting grounds other vampires might claim.

The Volturi rose above these baser instincts by making our home in Volterra; however, the Guard was actively deployed for purposes of business or pleasure. Only the ancient leaders and their wives seemed content to remain in Volterra for centuries on end and their sedimentary complexions were proof of how practiced they were at their stationary lifestyle. I rarely questioned the wisdom of my masters but they did themselves a disservice by allowing themselves to slowly fossilize. The Romanians proved how ill-advised such prolonged stillness could be. Their inferior reaction time coupled with complacent arrogance was why their coven toppled so easily and made it all the easier for Jane and I to crush the remnants that lived to scheme another day.

No, even with the sizable advantage my ability afforded me I was resolved never to become a relic. This was why I had such a fondness for travel, even if it meant traveling alone. Occasionally, Jane would accompany me but my sister grew bored quickly unless she could anticipate a violent conclusion to our journey. Jane was too much a people-person to share my love of isolated places and the remote wonders hidden across the globe but, perhaps, Bree would enjoy seeing more of the world. Three hundred and fifty years of diligent service to the Volturi warranted some vacation time and – for the first time since transcending my feeble humanity – I felt like letting the Volturi and Jane manage without me for a while.

I tried not to dwell on the greater implications of that as I made my departure from Bree's hotel suite.

AUTHOR'S NOTE –

Apologies for the longer than usual wait for updates on this story and T(NS)SSLoBT. I have a number of projects I'm working on at the moment, which affords me little time to drift off into either Alec or Bree's head-space. I'll try to be a little more prompt, though. I know at least 150 of you subscribe for updates to this story and your generous amount of supportive reviews always make me feel guilty about not updating quicker.