"This is a bloody outrage!" Caius snarled in my face. He looked so livid; he could pounce on me in a matter of milliseconds. I held up a hand in defense. "How dare you suggest that traitor hold leadership again! Has he not made his non-traditional motives clear already, with his demented diet and fraternizing with humans on a daily basis?"
"Caius, Brother," I began in my calmest voice, piecing out the most delicate way to explain. "Carlisle will only be here for the rest of the week. That's three small days! By swapping covens, I'm proving to him that my leadership skills are superior to his. Let us not forget that I will be in close proximity to both Edward and Alice Cullen." And Renesmee, I mentally added. Caius did make a great point through; their species-endangering "vegetarian" diet would have to go.
"I suppose I can put up with this madness for seventy-two hours," he huffed, clenching his fists by his sides. "But not a minute more!"
"Agreed," I nodded. "Call a meeting and I will retrieve Carlisle."
Carlisle stood in front of the Treasure Island display boat when I met him. He was dressed in a fine white suit he brought for his Doctor of the Year Award commemoration. His hand made a small anxious wave and we walked to the Venetian for the transition of power. "I have a distant feeling the Volturi will not be overjoyed to see me, Aro." I raised a dark eyebrow at his sarcasm.
"Oh yes they will; they'll absolutely adore you!" Carlisle laughed at this, and then his face turned gravely serious.
"It's fair to warn you that my family pretty much hates you. I spoke to them and explained everything. It will take much convincing to gain their trust." I shrugged off his warning. In all honesty, I was certain every coven outside the Volturi would gladly munch on popcorn to my demise.
"If you say so, my friend. I am confident everyone's head will stay intact by the end of this whole contest." He scrutinized my face for any signs of a threat, but my statement proved genuine.
"I'll hold you to your word, Aro." We exchanged no further words until Caius assembled the meeting, gesturing Carlisle and myself into two elegant chairs. Some hissing was heard among the audience, but one glare from me conveyed that I meant business.
"My dears, I have an important announcement that may come as a shock to you all. Our dear friend, Carlisle..." more growling from the male section of the crowd ensued. "...and I have made a gracious bet that involves an immediate leader change. I hereby declare Carlisle as the new 'me' while I simultaneously become the new 'Carlisle'." Animalistic-sounds of protest echoed the room, much to my impatience. "Please do not think of this as a hostile takeover, but as an opportunity to broaden your minds into another perspective that may improve our coven as a whole." I glanced around looking for anyone who was on the same page. Finding none, I resorted to a simile. "Has anyone seen the reality show, "Wife Swap"?" Sulpicia and Athenodora raised their hands. "Carlisle and I are swapping families, just like on that show." Murmured acknowledgement and collective nodding drew the brief meeting to a close. There was still one more thing left to do.
"Caius?" I prompted, giving him the signal to complete the transition. He walked behind my chair and placed his hands on my shoulders. The room seemed to freeze in cold silence. His fingers pinched the ancient chain on my neck and lifted the Volturi coven crest off my chest and over my head. That's when it clicked for Jane that I was leaving them, leaving her.
"No, NO, NO!" she cried in sharp bursts. She broke through the small crowd and lunged at the piece in Caius's hand. It would be a falsehood to say that I did not see this coming; I hated to see her so unhappy at my departure. Caius pushed her back where she collapsed at my side, begging me to stay or take her with me. I beckoned Demetri to pry her from the arm of my chair, stroking her cheek to promise my return.
"It will be alright, dearest. You still have Caius and your brother." She attempted a half-hearted smile but continued to struggle once my crest fell on Carlisle's broad shoulders. Demetri locked Jane's back to his front better than a straightjacket, equally annoyed at this radical change though he didn't show it. I stood up with an encouraging smile. "I will meet with the Cullens if there is nothing else to be said. Best of luck to you, Carlisle."
"Thank you, Aro. Same to you, I'm sure." I nodded and took my leave. When I reached the Cullen headquarters, I expected bitter silence and loathing. What I did not expect was the worst welcome party I've ever been invited to. The Cullen clan consisted of Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, Edward, Bella, Esme, and Renesmee. Eight members, just like mine not including Carlisle. As I entered their merry suite, the entire mood of the room began to sweep from one extreme to the unpleasant other.
Alice had her back turned to me and whispered the news before I made a sound. "He's here." Edward leapt protectively in front of his bride and child, and soon I was the only one left without someone to hug. Feeling slightly ostracized, I strode into the room with my best foot forward.
"Ah, hello again my young friends. I'm sure Carlisle has brought the news to your attention beforehand that I'll be living with you all for the next few days, yes?" Edward and Emmett warned me with low growling noises not to come any further. Naturally, I shook their hands first.
"Don't touch me!" Emmett snarled at once, ripping his hand away. Such impoliteness wouldn't be tolerated at home, but the first step to gaining trust is respect. I turned to Edward, his golden eyes sizzling like meteors. At the sight of my outstretched hand, he clung closer to Bella, who sandwiched Renesmee between them.
"No? How about you, my dear?" I inquired, inclining my head in Bella's direction. She hesitantly took my hand and provided a whole new definition to "handshake". I smiled warmly and nodded at Renesmee despite Edward's growling throat spasms. "And you, little Renesmee?" The mention of his daughter's name must have tipped him over the edge for in the next instant, he sped out of sight.
"Hello, Aro," she said in her light, chiming voice. My name sounded so beautiful in her mouth, a twinge of excitement pulsed through my body, up my spine, and made itself known.
"HaahahahahaAAaahahaa!" My spurt of laughter echoed in the suite. Renesmee patted my wrist back to my side. This seemed a bit peculiar until I remembered the day we met; she simply didn't do hand-to-hand contact. I felt the softness of her hand as it caressed my cheek. Her eyes concentrated on mine and I could hear her voice as clear as a sunny Italian day.
Don't tear my family apart, Aro. I love them and we're happy together. Won't you promise? I closed my eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't dream of severely harming anyone in your family, my dear Renesmee. I am only substituting for Carlisle, so for a few days we'll all be one family." A vicious hiss burst through one of the bedroom doors and a voice screamed before I could turn around.
"Go to Hell!" Wham! Something large rammed into the back of my head. I clenched my teeth, demanding to know who dared throw something at me. It was Edward, wearing one shoe. He frowned like it was his one and only wish to see my head roll, which it probably was.
"Edward, stop this," snapped Alice, stepping forward. "He means no short-term harm and is only curious about the Cullen lifestyle." I wanted to bring up the contest, but her reasoning played better in my favor.
"Exactly. Thank you, Alice." Edward refused to back down, but he looked tolerable enough. "Now," I prompted, turning to the group as a whole. "What shall we do to create our first memory?" On Alice's recommendation, we all went on a shopping spree. I dreaded shopping sprees, because they never seem to end with complete satisfaction.
"If we are going to spend hours doing this, we are going to do it my way."
"There is no "your way", Aro. We do things our way." Rosalie quickly corrected me. Negotiation accomplishes nothing! I wanted to retort, but I didn't wish for any tension on my vacation. That would be the exact opposite of what I wanted.
"Understandable, but I give the final consent." My glare left no room for argument as we exited the building. We began walking toward the stores when I felt something funny erupt in my thoughts. This didn't feel right, meandering about in a large herd like wild horses. I stepped ahead of the Cullens and whisked around on the spot. "Forgive my interruption, but we must have order here. Can you all organize yourselves in a layered phalanx formation please?" Bella stared at Alice, who stared at Jasper, who stared back at me. I exhaled a stiff breath and physically moved them around to my liking.
"Don't touch me!" Emmett growled as I ushered him to the far right side where Felix would have been granted his size.
"Alice, could I have you over here, please?" I beckoned her to the upper left side with Jasper on the left wing. "Rosalie, darling, let's have you right here." She walked to the window between Emmett and Esme. I clapped my hands together and looked around to see who was left: Edward and company. "Edward?" He let out a long, trickling hiss. "You are in the rear." He grudgingly stomped behind our little arrow-head (or as I like to say, our "Aro-head") "No, let's have you a little further back." I waved him a few steps down the pavement. He growled with intense eyes, but did what I asked. I smiled and nodded to him before addressing his company. "Ah, young Bella and little Renesmee."
"Perverted creep," Bella returned the greeting, holding her daughter close. If only Chelsea were here, I may actually be able to utilize her shield for my own devices. Looking back, it would have been wise to bring her along. Ah well; if life gives you lemons, link it to nuclear war.
I laughed a little. "Charming, but I would like you right here," I pointed to the spot directly behind my left shoulder. She pulled Renesmee along. "And Renesmee, would you stand by me, please?" I inquired, extending a hand. She looked at her mother and shook her head.
"No, thank you Aro. I want to be right here." My eyes were set to pop out of my head. Did I just hear open defiance? I made a note of that and put on my persuasive face.
"That is all very well, but it is pertinent to your safety for you to be in front. Right here." I easily picked her up and planted her on my right side. Though I couldn't read Bella's mind at the moment, I was certain her thoughts about me were not complimenting. I smiled back at the complete formation. "Now, shall we shop?" We took turns picking stores to visit and I allotted twenty minutes for each venue. When my turn came along, I turned my twenty minutes into a collective activity.
"This last place, I would like everyone to come up with an article of clothing as a whole for all of us to wear. It's sort of a...unifying symbol of the group?"
"We are NOT wearing freaking "C" necklaces!" Emmett snapped.
"It's called a crest," I corrected, my tone icy. To openly criticize me is one thing, but to criticize the Volturi as a whole was an invitation for instant dismemberment.
"Whatever." I turned away, fuming in silence until Alice poked me on the shoulder.
"Aro, we've come up with a decision. We all want snapbacks!" I blinked. What in the world were "snapbacks"?! However, they sounded painful, so I agreed.
"Alright; a good decision. Where shall we go to purchase these?" Alice led us to a franchise on the corner off of Mandalay Bay that sold sports caps—or the so-called snapbacks. Jasper picked up a cap that had a foreign four-letter phrase on it that took me by surprise. "No," I said simply.
"But it's the new thing! YOLO? You've never heard of YOLO?!"
"I don't think I even want to know what that means." He puffed a huffy breath like a spoiled kid and stuck the hat in my face, pointing to the Y.
"You. Only. Live. Once. See? YOLO." I shoved the hat away.
"Such idiotic acronyms are for mortal atheists, dear one. You are on your second life, so your argument is invalid." I walked away to see what the others have picked up. More nonsense. "Swag? Fresh? Swish? Fetch? Thug? Can you please find something with a little decency?!" The store clerk scowled at my raised voice, but I didn't pay him any attention.
"Aro, you said snapbacks are okay. You never specified what can be on them," Rosalie pointed out. Alice and Bella nodded against me.
"I'll make this simple. Find respectable headwear or we're all wearing pearl necklaces." Jasper and Emmett saw I wasn't joking and quickly rummaged through more hats for the females to try on. I paid for nine "Hipster" snapbacks by the end of the shopping rounds. "What time is it, Esme?" She peeked at a metallic tablet inside her pant pocket.
"Five o'clock."
"Who's hungry?" Nearly everyone was. All except Renesmee, considering her human food diet, nodded their affirmation.
"But Aro, there are no animals we can snatch nearby," Jasper pointed out. I nearly burst out laughing.
"Silly Jasper, we are not drinking animals tonight!" His jaw dropped as did everyone else's.
"Well, surely, you wouldn't make us drink...humans, would you?" asked Alice. I grinned at her.
"Oh, no, no. I couldn't make you do anything. But we will be having humans this evening, and that's the end of it." Between Treasure Island and Circus Circus is the ghetto-land where the dregs of humankind reside in poverty. It is also a common place for prostitutes to sell their product. Any lowlife found on these parts I considered fair game for supper. It was here where I took the Cullens and gave them my permission to feed.
"Aro, stop this." Bella's voice rang through the formation. I whooshed directly in front of her and led her to a sleeping human dressed in ripped, sagging pants and a grimy sleeveless shirt, if one would call it that. I lifted him by his collar and slashed a fingernail across his throat. A thin red ribbon shone in the lamplight. Bella averted her eyes, shaking her head.
"My dear Bella, there is no need to fight your prime instinct. You know you want it, so take it." She was shaking all over, but finally gave in.
"Mine!" she declared, snatching the body away from my extended hand. The other Cullens looking on glared in alarm. I shook my head at their glare. Surely, they'd expect the latest newborn to lose it first. Bella drank and drank until the body was bone white. I proudly draped an arm over her shoulder.
"Well done, Bella. Here is an individual who brings honor to our species." I smiled at my newborn who seemed to just realize what she had done. She clapped both hands over her mouth and backed away in horror. Suddenly, a large object slammed into the side of my face with the force to send me stumbling backwards.
"Go to Hell!" Edward yelled, running to Bella's side. The corner of my mouth twitched as he retrieved his thrown shoe and whispered words of solace to Bella. There had to be an easier way to feed my temporary coven. It would seem I had no choice but to call on my dear friend Carlisle.
"Would you all excuse me for a moment?" I fled from the scene in search of a payphone. I found one in a poor neighborhood, but decided it would do. Carlisle picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Greetings, Carlisle. This is Aro. I seem to be in a strange situation where you might be able to help me with something." A brief silence followed as Carlisle was thinking on it.
"Go on."
"Being a physician, so you have a connection to a...blood bank of some sort? Your family is resistant on the ideal vampire diet, so could you brief me on how I am to feed them?" He paused and I could hear a cluttering of papers on the other end. Perhaps he was looking up a name or a number I could refer to.
"There is a veterinarian research medical blood bank in the next city over. Ask for Hannah Almond." He gave me her number and hung up. I did as he instructed and a young woman by the name of Hannah reserved me an order of eight gallons of blood. She complimented me on my snapback as I paid what was due. It took me a few trips, but eventually I brought all the blood the Cullens required.
"Animal, correct?" asked Alice. I nodded.
"It was a veterinarian clinical establishment, my dear." She raised a skeptical eyebrow but raised the gallon jug to her lips anyway. I smiled as the others did the same. Unraveling the receipt—why blood can be refunded is beyond my comprehension—I did a double-take at the title of purchase: Human, A+ blood, 8 gal. I calmly crumpled it up and stuck it back in my pocket. Edward looked up once, but continued drinking human blood like Kool-Aid until his jug was empty. When everyone was finished, we all kicked back in the suite for some downtime. I reclined on the king-sized bed, gazing down at the peaceful coven lounging like cats—anywhere and everywhere. I lay awake, closing my eyes in meditation for what to plan for tomorrow.
