1807

Carlisle

I wanted to leave. I had been in Volterra for over two decades now and I'd had enough. There were no other vampires like me here. The vampires here believed me to be nothing more than a fool. There was no reason for me to stay. I was tired of the exexutions and the murder of humans that were everyday life in Volterra. Fed up with being the oddity to be shunned and stared at.

I was still alone, even in a crowd.

I wanted to travel to the New World. Over there they were supposed to be building a new chance at civilisation. A place where those who had failed to find their place in the Old World could go and try again.

If anyone has failed to find their place in the Old World, it is I.

But in the twenty-four years I had been a part of the Volturi, I had never seen anyone be allowed to leave. Not permanently anyway. As far as I could tell, visitors to the Volturi got one option; join or die.

I tried hedging toward the idea in my discussions with Aro, but he always steered them away again. Usually back towards him attempting to fix 'my aversion to my natural food source'.

Our conversations were no longer interesting, only exasperating.

I was sitting in the courtyard of the castle, reading a book on the latest medical advances, when I noticed a mated pair of vampires walking through it. They both had black hair and a hint of olive tone to their chalky complexions. The female looked scared and nervous, her vivid red eyes suggested she was a newborn. The male I recognised as a vampire I had met before. Elezear, he was the one who had seemed to show some interest in my lifestyle.

Noticing me, Elezear walked toward me, with the female following him.

"Hola, Sr. Cullen, I need you do to do me a favor," he said frantically in Spanish. He looked around cautiously, as though he was worried about who might be listening.

"Of course, what is wrong?" I replied, also in Spanish.

"Watch Carmen for me, while I speak to Aro."

"Why are you-" I began asking, but he had turned his attention from me to the female he had called Carmen.

"Te amo. Vamos a dejar este lugar y nunca regresar. No te preocupes. Estaré de vuelta pronto. Te lo prometo." Then he disappeared toward the castle.

Leave? He was planning to leave the Volturi?

I was not entirely certain what Elezear's purpose in the guard was, but I could tell it was something of importance.

Surely Aro will never let him go willingly?

"He's told me all about you," Carmen said to me in Spanish.

"Perdón?" I asked.

"You don't kill people, right?"

"No, I don't."

"He admires you for that."

He admires me? Have I actually managed to change the opinion of somebody in this God-forsaken town?

"I don't like having to kill people either, but I never knew there was a different option. The coven I was created into simply saw them as food, nothing more. They laughed at me when I mentioned my fears of killing someone I used to know as a human."

She cares about human life too.

"What happened to your old coven? How did you meet Elezear?" I asked curiously.

"The Volturi destroyed my old coven, they were very lapse in destroying evidence of their feedings. Elezear had been watching us the night I argued with them about killing. He told the others I deserved saving. We are going to build a new life together. A peaceful life, away from the death and destruction of the Volturi. Do you think Aro will let him leave the guard?"

Honestly, no.

"I hope so." I told her the only thing that wasn't a lie but wouldn't upset her.

Just then Elezear came rushing back into the courtyard. As soon as he got to Carmen he grabbed her and kissed her.

"Nos vamos! Nos vamos!" he chanted at her excitedly.

"Nos vamos?" she repeated excitedly. He nodded. She squealed excitedly and kissed him again.

Aro is actually allowing them to leave?

"You're allowed to leave?" I asked surprised.

"Yes," Elezear repeated excitedly. He looked at me with interest.

"You want to leave too, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "And travel to the New World."

"Perhaps we will do that, once we have finished travelling Europe," Carmen said to her mate.

"You should leave then," Elezear told me, his voice serious.

"Adiós, Sr. Cullen," Carmen said to me. With that, her and Elezear disappeared out of the courtyard, presumably to never return.

If Aro will allow Elezear to leave, then surely I will be allowed too. After all, I was not a member of the guard and I had no special 'talent'. What reason could he give for keeping me?

With new determination to start my life afresh, I sat down on my seat again, debating the best way to tell Aro I was leaving.

I want a chance for a fresh start at life again, like Elezear has found with Carmen. From what Carmen said, she was suggesting that both her and Elezear did not consider me insane. Elezear saved her because she showed an interest in protecting human life. Maybe it is possible for others vampires to share my beliefs? Maybe I will one day find others like me. But I have to look for them, instead of holing myself up here in this castle of killers.

I smiled happily as I thought of Elezear and Carmen, and how happy they had looked to have found each other.

Perhaps, I could even find a mate myself in the novel land that is the New World.

English translations of the Spanish, according to Google Translator "I love you. We are going to leave this place and never come back. Don't worry. I will be back soon. I promise." & "We're leaving!"

Another short chapter, but I needed to cover Carlisle's feelings towards the end of his stay in Volterra, as well as what compelled him to leave in the end.

So what did you think of the catalyst for Carlisle's decision to leave, and of the little back-story I gave Elezear and Carmen? Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated.