Chapter 11

Visualizations

"Our visions begin with our desires." (Audre Lorde)

It was the same hall!

But, this—time, there were people vampires standing around us. They wore red and black, sipping a dark red liquid in wine glasses. They watched, while we walked towards the centre of the room. The hooded figure was clearer now... as we walked forward, it took off the hood of its cloak. And I could see it.

Him...

Tearing my gaze away from those red eyes, I looked at Edward frantically. He held my hand in his, and stared at the vampire in front of us.

Then suddenly, he was gone- his hand ripped away from mine. I turned around quickly, trying to locate him but failing. There was no one in this cortile except me and the red eyed vampire.

"Isabella", a voice spoke out. An ancient, cold voice.

I turned to face him slowly, only to find him rushing towards me; his teeth were at my throat in a fraction of a second.

I screamed. There was pain everywhere. Everything was red. Death was coming soon, I could feel it.

Out of nowhere, a high pitched female voice spoke out: "You must fight it. Visualize it to make it happen"

I did as I told.

Then, as soon as it had begun, the pain stopped.

I opened my eyes.

His eyes were staring into mine. The light from the lamp making his face glow as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Are you okay?", Edward asked me, worry etched in his features.

I nodded slowly, still trying to believe that I was in a room, in bed, and not in that hall.

"I was dreaming, I think', I mumbled.

"And screaming", Edward added…

"Oh…".I remembered the pain from the dream and shivered, wrapping the cover around me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

I shook my head as I stared at the ceiling, recalling the female voice in my dream.

"Did I say something, too?" I asked him, yawning Maybe it was just a figment of my imagination, I thought. But somehow, it'd seemed real, unlike the rest of the dream.

Edward shook his head. I stared at him sleepily trying to make out what this meant.

"It was a hall, and there was a voice, it felt real…." I yawned again.

"I probably scared you with the details of that ceremony, and now you're having hallucinations because of me" I remembered what he'd told me earlier, and shivered again.

"You should go back to sleep", he told me as he stood up.

"I'm scared, don't go..." I caught his hand and then froze; hoping that I hadn't just caused him to lose control, as he'd once told me.

He was still at first but then moved again, holding my hand in both of his.

"Don't be scared." he said, "I'll protect you."

"Just hold my hand until I fall asleep", I pleaded. My eyelids drooped further as he nodded hesitantly, sucked in a deep breath and sat on the bed beside me. The cold of his hand was surprisingly soothing...

As I fell asleep, I thought I heard him humming something. A lullaby, perhaps.

~
The next day, after breakfast, I asked Edward to take me out of the tower.

"I'm tired of being stuck here all the time. And you said yourself that everyone has gone to arrange things for the ceremony", I said lightly.

"Not everyone, my other brothers are still in here."

"In their rooms, and no one is supposed to be out, except you and Alec". I recalled aloud what he'd told me the night before.

"It's dangerous". Was his stubborn reply.

"Not when you're with me. You were the one who promised to protect me didn't you?"

Edward opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again.

"Fine.", he said reluctantly. "But you'll have to stay close to me all the time."

I nodded quickly, glad that I was getting out of this place at last. If I had only few days to live, if wasn't going to spend them imprisoned.

He held a scarf in front of me.

"Wrap it around your neck", he instructed.

I rolled my eyes, "Like that's going to help."

Edward eyed me strangely. I was acting very, very reckless right now, and I knew these might be the last days of my life. I wrapped the thick piece of cloth around my neck, thinking that maybe, I should tell Edward what I felt about him. We didn't have much time.

What if he doesn't feel the same way?, someone spoke out in my head.

It doesn't matter, I replied, at least I won't die regretting something.

Without asking, I took his hand in mine and marched towards the door.

"So, Where are we going?", I asked, taking in the high ceilings made of stone, mostly. A few windows, here and there allowed some light to fall in. But Edward walked in the shadows.

"I thought you might want to see something old, seeing you interest in British Literature.". His posture was tense, as he lead the way, but his grip on my hand was reassuring.

"How old are we talking?"

He gave me a lopsided smile. "You'll see."

As we walked together I realized that the pathway was becoming steeper, leading downward.

"This place we're going to, is it underground?"

"Yes, but don't worry, we do have ventilation for humans working here."

"How many humans work here, and why?" I couldn't understand how someone could work with them, just for the sake of money.

"A Hundred, I think." he said, frowning. "As for your other question. I think the answer is quite obvious.".

I thought about it.

"Not to me. Why would they help your kind?"

"They want immortality". His voice was cold.

"Oh", was all I could manage.

It hadn't crossed my mind once, that someone would sacrifice their life willingly, for becoming one of them.

I watched him walking slightly ahead of me. He had told me everything he knew the night before. I, along with other gifts, would be examined by a group of ancient vampires, a couple, infact: Elezear and Carmen. They were probably older than this place itself…And they'd know. About me. About him.

They'd know Edward hadn't abided by the rules.

And then…

They might see some potential in me, and keep me as a member of their guard. Elezear had the ability to see if any person, human or vampire, had something special. Something that would help the Volturi exercise their authority further.

Or they'd probably render me useless,. A weak prey to be disposed off.

The second option was more probable in my eyes, but Edward had disagreed.

"They'll see you can block my mind reading abilities. They'll know you're different. Elezear will see what you can do. He'll tell Aro and then….", he'd shook his head.

I'd have to become one of them.

I didn't know how could Edward see my silent mind as ability. I was different, yes. But nothing special, I knew this, too.

For a second, I'd visualized the whole thing. Both of us as vampires. We'd run away, living as a free man and woman. But even I knew that it wasn't possible. The Volturi had powers beyond my imagination. First thing was, that Edward had broken the law, the traditions set be vampires thousands of years ago. He hadn't done what he was supposed to. He'd be held accountable. Not me. I was only human.

I looked at him again, watching as he avoided another ray of sunlight pouring through the window. And then I remembered something.

"You said you'd didn't turn into ashes in sunlight. What happens to you, then?" I caught his arm with my free hand.

"I'm not sure if it's something you'd like to see.", his tone was guarded, as he turned to face me.

"I doubt that, after hearing that I might be dead in a few days, there's anything that'd scare me." I said bluntly." Besides, why not make the most of the time I have?".

He grasped both my upper arms with his hands.

"That's why you're doing this?", he whispered, his gaze piercing my soul.

I didn't want to cry in front of him, so I simply stepped out of his hold and said firmly, "Show me", hoping my voice didn't show my inner turmoil,

He nodded after a few seconds and took off his robe, dropping it on the floor beside him.

I gasped.

He was gorgeous. There was no other way to explain it. Sunlight glinted off him, like a diamond was placed in light. He looked as perfect as Michelangelo's David , only made of diamond.

"You're beautiful", I whispered.

He smiled a bitterly, putting on the cloak again.

"It's camouflage. I'm a predator. You're my prey. The natural order of my world." he said quietly, leading the way again.

I walked quickly to keep up with him. I wanted to say…..something, but I didn't know what to say! I wanted to tell him that I knew there was more to him than just the predator. But I was afraid of his sudden mood swings. So, I remained silent.

We arrived at our destination soon after that.

The door was made of some kind of metal. It looked old, very old. I couldn't tell that operated by some kind of modern technology, probably invent by vampires for vampires, until when Edward used his venom to unlock the door,

"How did you do that?", I'd asked, appalled.

"Do you think that only humans are able to make things like retinal scanners?", he'd asked, his voice a little amused.

"Oh".

It made sense to me know, as the doors opened, and in a flash, we were inside a large hall.

I looked back, the doors were already closed.

We were standing in an enormous hall, with a high, dome like ceiling, decorated with ornamental lights, which, I assumed, were completely unnecessary for vampires. The walls and floor which I could see were made entirely of some kind of wood I didn't recognize. It was an engraved dark maroon, resembling the blood red eyes I'd seen on the vampire in the dream.

An uneasy sensation enveloped me. I walked forward, trying to push it away. Turning my eyes away from the floor, one after one, glass shelves, full of all kinds of stuff that you see in a museum and a library, came into my view. Some areas of walls were also adorned by things like swords.

"So, what do you think?", Edward's voice came from behind me, making me jump. I'd forgotten he was here with me.

"It's a little creepy, but I guess I'll find something to interest me here..", I said, making it sound more like a question.

He smiled, the bitterness I'd seen a few minutes ago was nowhere to be found.

"Follow me", he said. I did as I was told and we stopped at a large round glass shelf, almost like a room He opened it, stepped inside

and indicated that I should follow him inside. A loud whoosh of air sounded in my ears. He kept the door open.

"They're used to store writings that are ancient, hundreds of years old."

There were rows upon rows of shelves containing leather scrolls etc. Out of them, he picked a leather bound stack of yellowed papers and handed it to me.

"Here. Jane Austen's letters to her secret lover, written by her hand."

"You're kidding.!", I gasped, tasting stale air.

"Wear these, too", he handed me a pair of paper thin gloves, smiling.

Nodding excitedly, I put them on and carefully turned the pages. The writing was elegant, a slanting script. I noticed the dates, and salutations.

"Who was he?", I asked him, Tom Lefroy to whom the letter was written?"

"They met when Austen was twenty. Neither had any money, so marriage was impractical. That never stopped them from keeping in contact with each other, though. Through letters, of course."

"These aren't exactly love letters, are they?", I asked him, after scanning through the contents of the first three letters. The language used was very…carefully chosen.

He shrugged "It was the 18th century, after all. May be she loved him, maybe she didn't. But the most probable thing is that she did love him, but knew they couldn't be together."

"He doesn't seem to be encouraging her, either."

He nodded slowly," he seems to be aware that he is no match for her, in wealth or status. That was what mattered most to some people those days."

"Hmmm...", I replied.

After a few minutes, I asked him,

"Is there anything else I'd like to see?"

"The next hallway, it consists of paintings." He said.

"I'd like to see them", I jumped up, excited. He took the stack of papers from my hand and put it back. I followed him to the next hall through a large door which seemed to be made of something white and shiny. I touched the surface lightly with my fingers. It felt smooth and hard.

"Ivory", he said.

"Like I didn't already know that", I said, pretending to be annoyed.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself".

I shrugged, smiling inwardly. He was truly a gentleman.

The hall was large, paneled with a dark maroon wood that almost looked blood red. Large chandeliers hung from the dome shaped ceiling, casting a golden glow over it. Along the walls were rows upon rows of paintings, some were larger than the door I'd come through. I slowly walked to the painting closest to me. It showed a man, bent over a large animal. His mouth was over the animal's neck. Red liquid fell in a puddle around them. It took a second or true for me to realize what was happening.

I looked back at him. He looked wary, expectant.

"This is how you drink blood?", I asked, trying not to imagine Edward as the vampire in the painting.

"Yes."

"I don't understand, aren't these Volturi supposed to be feeding on humans? They shouldn't hang these pictures around their castle." I said, a little bit disgruntled and then moved forward.

"That was before humans", he said quietly, unmoving.

I stopped dead in my tracks, "What?"

"Vampires existed long before humans did. They fed on animals, of course. But then humans were there. A much tastier and appetizing snack."

Their kind was ancient, there was no doubt about that, but I hadn't known that they outdid us in our history, too, among other things. I watched his face as he waited anxiously for my response.

I didn't want the light atmosphere that had settled between us to fade, so I said, "Probably that's the reason dinosaurs are extinct, isn't it?"

His laugh warmed my heart. He looked beautiful when he did that, like he didn't have a care in the world. But that wasn't the case, I thought sadly.

"You continue to amaze me, Bella.", he smiled at me, and I felt my heart beat speed up.

He then led me to a large painting which covered the wall from top to bottom. The characters seemed biblical, or was it Greek mythology? I wasn't sure. There were three vampires who stood in a balcony. The one with long black hair was standing in the middle, his black robe a stark contrast against his chalky pallor. But the most frightening thing was, I recognized him!

It was the same vampire from my dream! He had tried to kill me in my dream. And now he was real.

"What's wrong? Breathe, Bella" he ordered.

I hadn't realized I wasn't breathing until I felt his cold hands on my shoulders. They felt supporting and soothing.

I leaned into him and whispered, "Who is the one in the middle?"

"That's Aro", he said, "the King."

I stared at him in horror.

"What, do you know him?", he watched me worriedly.

"I saw him in my dreams, it has happened a couple of my times. And he tried to ", I swallowed and then continued in a shaky voice, "he tried to kill me. There was a lot of pain, and it felt real. I had to endure it until

…"

"Until?"

"I heard a female voice. It told me to fight it. 'to visualize it to make it happen' ", I recalled the exact words, it wasn't difficult. The words were etched in my memory, which was strange.

"Can you describe the voice to me, Bella?"

"Well, it was shrill, loud, more like bells ringing, full of energy."

"Did you see something else?"

"No", I replied.

His grip on my shoulders was becoming uncomfortably tight. Looking up at his face, I was confused at his expression. He seemed to be thinking hard, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Edward?", I asked

"Yes?", he said as he'd just realized I was there, which was very uncharacteristic for him. Then he immediately released my shoulders.

"Oh, sorry. I think we need to talk.", his voice was firm, resolute. "But not here. In our room. Come on." He took my hand and led me forward quickly.

We were just outside of the metallic door when, suddenly, things happened really fast.

Edward shoved me towards a dark corner, covering his body was mine.

I didn't even have time to breathe again when a loud growl made my ear drums hurt.

Edward was standing directly in front of me, so I turned my head to the right to see what was happening.

A vampire, with light brown hair and blood red eyes, wearing a dark maroon robe stood in front of us, smiling maliciously. Something about his facial expression screamed: pure evil.

"Ciao, brother, or I should say Il Grande Principe. I see you have been showing your gift those things which even some of us aren't allowed to see. Caius will be interested to talk about this to you."

I felt fear and anger at his threatening tone, while Edward's only response was silence. He clenched and unclenched his fists, ready for a fight.

The new comer then met my gaze directly. "She doesn't seem afraid, does she?"

I stared back it him, wishing for him to go away and leave us alone. But that won't be so easy, and I knew it.

"I think you are underestimating my position and overestimating yours, James." Edward's voice was cold, emotionless. "You are forgetting that I am allowed to go anywhere I want and bring anyone with me. May it be a vampire or a human."

James shrugged, looking unimpressed. "It doesn't matter. We'll see who's more valuable to them on The Ceremony." He smirked at me. "You still able to walk? I can't say I'm surprised."

"I suggest you leave. Now." His voice had lost its initial patience.

"We'll see who'll be leaving, that night. With all the drama about the Cullens and now this girl, they'll finally see you're no good to them. Then, I'll have her.", he smiled at me again, baring his teeth. "Did he tell you that you do smell delicious? I bet you'll taste just as good."

Edward had pinned him against the wall and held him by the throat in a millisecond.

"You ever think about that again, and I'm going to rip you to pieces."

Leave, leave, leave… I'd closed my eyes and slid to the ground. If Edward killed him, I was sure there would be a hell lot to pay. I wasn't sure I'd survive this place a minute away from him. What was this about my scent, anyway? That made every vampire to lust after my blood. I wished I smelled

unappetizing, like rotten eggs, and then I'd be probably left alone.

I heard something hit against the wall, followed by a loud crack.

Leave, leave, leave… I imagined James leaving after Edward released him. Me and Edward going back to our tower. Him telling me what he thought was important. Both of us drawing up a plan to escape.

"GET OFF ME! I'LL LEAVE", I heard James yell. I opened my eyes, stunned.

James was leaving, rubbing his wrist. He was glaring at Edward, who stood just in front of him, looking tall and menacing. I'd never seen him so murderous.

"But I'll make you pay, I swear. Just wait till The Ceremony." He said, loud enough for me to hear. He gave me one last, hungry look, then left, too quickly for me to notice.

"Edward. My legs are shaking. I can't stand.", I whispered.

He came back to me and slowly helped me to get on my feet. When I couldn't, he simply carried me in his arms as he made his way back to our room.

I was shaking, not only because of James, but also due to the realization that, the dreams might be true. If I could actually make things happen by concentrating hard enough, then, maybe the rest of the dream was true, too? Were we supposed to fight the king? But would we win, or lose?

I felt dizzy, a little powerless, as though I'd just run a marathon. But I hadn't, so it was strange.

"I feel weak." I told him, barely able to keep my eyes open. I was physically and mentally exhausted.

"I know. Just rest for a while. I have a lot to tell you."

"Same here."

"I know."

"I love you." My eyes closed as the world was consumed by blackness.

"Same here".

Translations

Ciao=Hello