When Marissa woke up, she woke up at an alarmingly dizzying rate. But she had no knowledge of where she was or even who she was. She looked to the black inkings on her arm, but had no knowledge of the language they were written in. She stirred lightly, a burning feeling in her throat that she wasn't familiar with. Tia came in. "Hello."
"Hi." Marissa said softly, looking to the woman. "May I ask where I am and who you are?"
"You are in Egypt, and I am Tia. My mate and I picked you up off the coast when you collapsed. I'm guessing you don't remember anything about your former life?" Tia asked.
Marissa shook her head. "May I also ask why my throat is burning?" Tia held out a glass of a reddish liquid, she assumed to be blood. At first scent, she lunged for the glass, draining it instantly. The scent drove her wild with blood thirst.
"We assumed you came from the Volturi, or were at least fleeing them. You carried nothing more than the Volturi crest." Tia held up the necklace, but unfortunately the rubies meant nothing to Marissa. "I'm also going to assume that you remember nothing about your human life, so you'll need a name."
"Ember." Marissa said softly. She shivered under the light dusting of a blanket on her shoulders, still too scared to move from her sitting position. "T-thank you… for taking care of me." Tia only nodded.
"It is no problem. Now, you arrived bearing gifts, children, three of them. Two boys and one girl. Would you like to name them?" Tia helped Ember stand, taking her into their living room where Ben was bottle feeding one of the infants.
"Um… Amaranth Lauren, Jamison Mitchell, and Justice Benjamin." Ember rattled off quickly, taking a bottle and one of the children, cooing to him softly as she fed him. She didn't know why but the names just sounded right to her.
8 years later: Egypt…
Ember stayed with the Egyptian coven for what seemed like an eternity, but they could always tell there was something missing. It was like some part of her had been ripped out brutally and she was still trying to find it. Sometimes they would find her looking out over the desert, her eyes blank and hollow and a light touch would wake her from her reverie, but nothing was ever the same.
Amun refused to let the hybrid from his sight, knowing full and well that the Volturi were curious about hybrids, especially the gifted ones. Ember was as her name suggested, able to create fire and disintegrate things, as well as have the power to make vampires drop unconscious for limited periods of time. She was a very valuable part to their coven, and he never suspected that the woman was unhappy with her time spent in the coven.
Years upon years passed, and with every passing year Ember grew a little bit more lonesome and a bit hollowed looking. Benjamin dropped the mail onto the table and looked to their move in guest. She never spoke, only did as she was asked and no more. She looked a bit more peaky than usual to him, and he knew that Amun's keeping of her here was probably killing her. She was quiet again, staring at the window with a far off look. A bit of travel would probably do her good, as well as the rest of them.
Tia found him packing a small bag when she returned home with the other three hybrids.
"Ben, we can't take her out."
"We have to do something. Amun is killing her slowly." Tia looked to the blank stared hybrid from across the room.
"Where?" She acquiesced slowly to her husband's request to pack a light bag for the others as well. He passed her a letter, the Volturi insignia stamped on the back of it. She frowned. "Why Volterra?"
"Volturi ball. They're celebrating Prince Gabriel's coronation. They've requested our family's presence." Tia looked once more to Ember, and back to her husband.
"Is she even well enough to make the journey?" He sighed.
"I do not know."
"Do you think they will recognize her?"
"It's been eight years, Tia. I doubt they even remember what she looks like." He finished packing the small bag and tapped on Ember's shoulder, motioning her to come with him. The others followed, and instead of taking their normal route, they chose more conventional methods to protect the woman that had called for help so many years earlier. They arrived in Volterra in plenty of time though, enough time to get suited up and have dresses tailored for the women.
Ember milled around the castle quietly. It seemed so foreign, so new, but familiar all at the same time. The art the castle housed was simply beautiful, including a room known as the Great Hall, which was empty and coated in a thick layer of dust. She touched the instruments lightly, not enough to disturb them, but just to lay her hands on something strange to her. A noise at the front of the room drew her attention and she hid quickly behind one of the alabaster pillars.
A younger man, with deep brown hair and emerald eyes entered the room. His feet tread lightly upon the floor, barely stirring up any dust. He sighed softly, kneeling on the floor, tears filling his eyes.
"Mama." A couple of tears slid down his cheek. "I don't want to become a prince. I don't want to give up hope that you are forever gone. Father has searched for many years for you with no avail. Please… please, if you are here, or if you are with Hecate, would you please watch the coronation ceremony? Hazel wants you there too, you know." He sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I have to get ready now. Please?" He stood, wiping dust from his knees. "I'm sorry, Mama."
Once Ember was sure he had left, she made to leave the room, only to be interrupted by a woman who seemed familiar to her. "Marissa?" Didyme asked the woman before her, her eyes widening at the sight of what looked to be her long lost friend. The woman only shook her head, fleeing down the hallway at a near vampiric speed. Didyme sighed; it had been a foolish hope. Aro always said there was hope, but given by her brother's faraway look in his eyes every time she caught him staring out the window, or not paying attention during a trial, and she knew that even he had given up hope.
