I know it;'s been a while, but I'm back and I'll try my best not to desert you anymore. I'll be updating again sooner than later. I promise. And if anyone has any questions or hasn't already seen the images on my profile of the characters, I advise you to have a look later. Okay. Now, read on!
"Home sweet home," Felix said as we walked through the castle doors.
"I have never been happier to see this place in my life," Corin said with a smirk. Caius, Marcus and Aro appeared and I ran straight for Caius.
"Uncle!" I leaped into his arms and, in doing so, split the stitch that was on my wrist from a gaping cut Angel left. Caius automatically noticed it and, upon spotting one, spotted all of the other bruises I had. We were all hoping that Angel's venom had spread through and would hide the scars, but, sadly, it didn't. Sucks to be us.
"Anna? Wha…what happened to her?" Caius yelled angrily. Alec and Cameron came from the crowd and I got up from Caius, scared now.
"Oops. Spoke too soon," Corin whispered, earning an evil eye from both Caius and I.
"Uncle─"
"Hush, Anna!" He turned to everyone else and growled. "Who did this to her?"
"Angel, sir," Cameron answered.
"Him! And you let this happen? You all were supposed to be protecting her!"
"Uncle, please. It's not their fault," I said, trying to calm him down.
"It is! If they had been doing what they were supposed to, this wouldn't have happened!"
"You don't even know what happened, Uncle. Angel gave me this necklace that somehow blocked them out and they couldn't─"
"Do not make excuses for them, Anna Marie. This is unacceptable." I opened my mouth to speak, but Caius glowered at me. "That's enough, Anna! This is not up for discussion! As for the rest of you, I will see you all in the throne room immediately," he hissed. He began walking off and I gripped my hair, frustrated, and held back the scream that was building up in my chest.
"Uncle, if you would just listen to what I have to say for one second, you'd understand what happened! It's not their fault! You're judging their work on what happened and you don't even know what happened!" I yelled at him, angrily letting go of all the stress. Wow, I'm just yelling at everyone today. Oh well. He stopped walking and turned slowly, raging but still in shock.
"Anna, have you lost your mind?" he asked, suddenly in front of me.
"No, Uncle. I apologize but I'm just so sick of everyone deciding what's best for me and punishing anyone that doesn't confide with what was decided. That's all you do. Make choices for me then go on a rage rampage if anyone doesn't agree, including me. Then you blame everything and everyone else if even I disagree. It's not fair."
"I'm not supposed to be fair! I'm supposed to be a realist! I rationalize! And, in reality, this situation is their doing due to the fact that they were all sent along to protect you! If they were told to protect you, that meant bring you back to me in the condition that you left in! That's not the condition, now is it?"
"No, but I'm not dead! I'm alive and I'll be just fine."
"Would you rather be dead? Is that what you want? Because, by not punishing their laziness, that's exactly what will happen!"
"Uncle, please stop yelling. I just think punishing them will be stupid because you can't rewind or change what happened to me, so just leave it alone. You're only making things worse."
"How they are punished is not your decision to make, child! Princess or not, you are still young and have no history or references of making vast decisions as such! So, leave it be or there will be consequences for you as well!" Aro appeared with that weird smile of his and lightly placed his hand on Caius' shoulder.
"Now, brother, let us not be hasty. Anna is simply exploring herself. Let us discuss this in a more private place, shall we?" he said calmly, motioning to the large group of humans around us. Caius spun on his heel and stalked away to the throne room, followed by the rest of us. Marcus was already seated and I went straight to his throne and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before propping myself on the arm of his chair and playing in his wavy hair absently. "Now, what is the meaning of all the tension and yelling?" Aro asked as he sat on his throne.
"Look at Anna, Aro. Do you not see the change?" Caius said angrily, glowering at everyone. I rolled my eyes. Aro extended his hand to me and I stood and walked to him, putting my hand in his. He placed his other hand atop mine and closed his eyes as all my thoughts raced through his mind. A few seconds later, his ruby eyes snapped open and he stared at me.
"My, Anna. Honestly, Caius, the child has been through much. Her emotional change cannot be determined by her physical condition. Had you seen what I have just second-handedly witnessed, you would not question her state. New one, come my young friend. I wish to see what happened outside of the room." Cameron obeyed and took my place as I moved to sit with Marcus again. Ten seconds passed before Aro opened his eyes again. He repeated the same with Alec before finally sitting and turning to Caius. "There should be no penance at hand. They truly were unable to do what they were required due to Angel's positioning and tactics."
"Nonsense! Anna is cut and bruised like she has fixed upon herself a self-inflicting penance! What are we to do with this, Aro?"
"Do you not believe that argument is unnecessary, brother? There is no need for castigation. They have brought her back sounder than what could have occurred. Be happy she was brought back to us safely." Everyone waited for Caius to respond, but he never did. I stood and sat at his feet, placing my head on his knee and sighing. After a while, he began stroking my hair, which let me know that all was forgiven and he was letting the situation go. I was probably the only one who knew this, though, because he still kept his angry glare on. I looked back at him, seeing that he was still glaring. He eyed me and I smiled and giggled.
"You're so stubborn."
"No. I'm a realist. No one is always happy. Not even you, caro." He moved my hair from my face before looking to Aro. "We have guests." Aro clapped his hands and smiled.
"Yes! I almost forgot. You all may wish to stay for this." And with that, everyone got in their rightful guard places except Cameron, who moved to stand by Marcus as Renata stood behind Aro. As if on cue, Heidi walked in with the "guests". I fixed my head to look at them and Caius continued to stroke my hair, running his fingers through the golden waves. I'm sure I've seen the group before, but it most likely had been a very long time ago. The only way to describe the three immortal women in front of me is wild and oddly beautiful. There was no question that this was the Amazon coven I knew from my childhood. They visited often because, like most women, there was a pull to children. Kachiri, Senna and Zafrina, with their long, tall, thin bodies dressed in animal skin and braided black hair roped down their backs, stood in all their wild and mighty glory, their red eyes all set on me.
"Is this my treasured Anna?" Zafrina asked in her deep voice. I smiled at her, but didn't make a move to stand.
"This must be the child you speak so highly of, Zafrina. Look at that smile," Senna said.
"Yes, this must be her. I do not forget a face, sister," Kachiri added. Then I noticed the young crazed looking new born hiding behind the three and another unknown new born, seeming to have much more control over herself, doing the same. Noticing my line of sight, Kachiri smiled and motioned the two forward, keeping a hold on the teenage boy with little control. He was pretty big and muscular. He was like Felix, but he has a more childish face.
"Who are your friends, Kachiri?" Aro asked with a pleasant, sweet voice of wonderment. Dude is so fake.
"This is Amina and Lance. We found them scared straight in the jungle." He nodded and waited, as if he knew there was more. "We cannot keep them. I was hoping you would be able to watch over them. Or…at least Lance. He has very little control and his power stops us from controlling him, let alone teaching him self control." Aro's eyes lightened at the word "power".
"What ability does the boy possess?"
"Mask. He stops all forces, even nature," Senna answered. "It even blocks Zafrina's gift, which means he stops all mental and physical abilities."
"Interesting…" Aro said. It's so obvious he'll say yes. Aro is power greedy. "Brothers?"
"Another child to look after? Haven't you had enough with the others, Aro?" Marcus asked in his dreary bored tone.
"Not nearly enough," Aro responded with a bright smile.
"You must remember, we now have Anna around for some time, Aro. You cannot make hasty decisions as such. We will not put her in danger," Caius hissed angrily at Aro for having almost said yes.
"Ah, yes. My apologies, Caius. But, think of all the dear ones we have. We have enough to have at least eight guards for both Anna and Lance. There is no way she could be put in any danger. She is safe here." Caius didn't argue. He had no room to. I looked at Lance and he was staring right at me, his big ruby eyes beckoning me to him. And I almost got up. That's weird. I looked away to where someone had said my name. Who had called me? "Anna?" Oh. It was Aro. I sat up from Caius' knee and looked at Aro in question. "Do you have any objections, dear one?" I thought about it. Well, I have Cameron now and, though I don't really have Alec anymore, I still have the others to help keep me human…and alive.
"No. I'm okay with it." He smiled and clapped his hands in joy.
"Excellent! Well, then, I guess we have reached our decision. We will keep watch over the boy and train him properly. A few lessons from Jane should straighten him out." The boy looked at Jane fearfully and the little devil smiled maliciously. This would be interesting.
"Thank you, Aro. You will be in better hands now, little one," Kachiri said to Lance while smoothing a hand over his dark curly hair. He glanced at everyone then back at me. I smiled at him and sat on the arm of Caius' throne. "Now we must be on our way. It's quite a trip to get back home." Then they were gone. Aro clapped his hands once and got everyone's attention.
"Demetri, show our newest child to his room. I'm sure he wants to get acquainted with everyone, as well. Come here, my child." The boy slowly walked forward, looking like a scared little kitten…only bigger…and manlier…and more feral, if that makes sense. He placed his hand in Aro's and Aro stood still for a moment before letting go. "He is immune to all. Except, Jane, of course. And Alec." To prove the point, Jane smiled and the boy was suddenly on the floor riveting in pain and screeching in agony. "That's enough. He's already afraid. We don't want him running off. Demetri?" Demetri nodded and the boy turned to look up at Demetri, scared straight. "Go on, child. Demetri will simply show you to your room." Lance obeyed and stood before looking at me for a while then following Demetri out. I would go see what's up with him later. Right now, I need to take care of something. Pronto. I stood and kissed all of their cheeks before looking at Cameron.
"C'mon, Cameron. I know you're just as hungry as I am." He nodded and followed me out of the room. We walked in silence for a while before I looked up at him. "So…are you going to elaborate on that…uh…you know, what you did before we left?"
"No." I waited for any further response, but he offered none.
"Why not? I think you should." He looked down at me and smiled.
"I think it was pretty self-explanatory, Anna. You just want me to say it out loud so you'll be 100% certain. But, trust me, caro. Your thinking is accurate." I pursed my lips and nodded before looking down at my hands and intertwining my fingers.
"Well…why?" I glanced back up at him and saw him smiling still, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Why are you thinking accurate?" I nodded and looked forward and he gave a breathed laugh. "Well, I'll explain it as best I can. When you're a child, your brain starts to hold things. Like─"
"You know what I mean." He stopped joking and smiling, noticing my edgy tone. "Why me?"
"I can't explain that."
"Try," I growled.
"Um…okay. Well, I've watched you for years since you were young. And it never dawned on me that you were anything more than the princess that I was ordered to protect with my life. Then…it's like when two best friends have grown up together, and they're just friends, like siblings. And one day, he notices her. I mean really notices her. And he starts to feel different… and things change between them because she notices him the same way he notices her and…I'm not making sense, am I?" I nodded and he sighed. "Did I do something wrong here?"
"Cameron, I just don't get it!" I said angrily, raising my voice.
"What is there to get, Anna? I like you. I may even love you," he responded defensively, getting on edge, too.
"No you don't!" I said with a mocking laugh. "And that's just it, Cameron. You don't and you never will and, honestly, I don't appreciate the games."
"Games? Is that what you think I'm doing? Playing with you?" he yelled back.
"It's obvious that you are! I don't think, I know!"
"I'm not playing games with you, Anna, I have no reason to!" I stopped and pushed him.
"You are and I want them to stop! Now!"
"What is wrong with you? What did he do to make you act this way?"
"Nobody did anything but you. You kissed me and you didn't even have the guts to elaborate because this is all just a sick joke of yours."
"What are you talking about? Anna, I don't get what's going on! Where is all this coming from? Did somebody say something to you?" I closed my eyes for a second before turning away and walking towards the elevators, passing Gianna's desk. Cameron grabbed my arm quickly and pulled me away from the elevators and outside in some garden that I never even knew was here. I snatched my arm away and glared up at him. "Anna, what is going on with you?"
"Nothing but the fact that you lied to me."
"What?" he yelled. "Lied about what?" He was pissed. Well I'm livid. "Anna, what are you talking about? Who told you that I lied?" I shook my head and threw him a dismissive hand, officially done with the conversation.
"Just…stay away from me, Cameron." I walked around him and back towards the door.
"What? Anna, what the…what is going on?" he yelled. I shook my head and walked back inside I could hear him coming after me, but Corin stopped him and started talking to him in a low tone. I'm over it. I'm so done with people lying to me and keeping secrets and trying to play me like a fool. I'm done being submissive and believing everything is going to be okay. It's over now.
Cameron's POV
The young hybrid sat in the garden wondering what was wrong with Anna. He hadn't said anything to her or hurt her or lied. Somebody must have told her something. Corin stood not far from him, leaning against the building silently. There was not much to be said. He just needed to leave Anna alone for a while and let her calm down. And in the mean time, calm down himself. He sighed and leaned his head in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. The garden gate burst open with a loud creaking sound and slammed into the wall. Cameron glanced up and saw Alec walking over angrily. He grabbed Cameron and lifted him into the air before tossing him across the field into a tree which then toppled over itself. Is everybody snapping on him today? Alec leaped on him and gripped his collar before lifting him up so they were looking each other in the eye.
"What did you do, you fucking impudent fool?" he growled. Cameron knocked Alec off of him, sending him flying back across the field.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Cameron yelled. Alec snapped back up and was about to launch himself at Cameron again, but Corin grabbed him and stopped him.
"What did you do to Anna?" Alec growled. Cameron threw his hands up in the air in frustration.
"I don't know! She just…zapped out on me over nothing and I don't know what the hell is going on!" Alec freed himself from Corin's grip and stalked to the confused hybrid.
"If I find out that you're lying about anything and that you're here to hurt her, I will torture you for centuries and watch you slowly slip into death day after day, am I understood?" Cameron rolled his eyes and moved around the extremely scary vampire, being nonchalant.
"You won't find that out, Alec." And with that, Cameron walked back into the castle, only one thing on his mind: more lies.
Alec's POV
Alec irately watched as the sickening Cameron walked off, burning anger and needing something to take it out on. He looked at Corin and she sighed.
"He's hiding something. He's lying about something and I want to know what it is," he growled.
"Why?" He looked at her as if she'd lost her mind, still burning with trapped rage, so his look resembled a glare, too.
"What?"
"Why? Why do you want to know what he's lying about?"
"Because, he's playing us all like fools." She leaned up off the wall and walked to him as he sat down on a bench to try to calm down. Yeah, Corin could be a big pain in the ass and an annoying little sprite, but she was like a sister and he loved her. She didn't deserve his anger. Maybe he should find Felix soon to release his anger on.
"Are you sure it's for all of us? Or is it just for one special girl?" she asked mischievously, picking a gold lily and smelling it before setting it in his lap. The livid vampire looked down at the single flower and an image of Anna smiling and holding Cameron in happiness back in Paris popped into his head. "And…if it is for her…is it out of genuine care, or jealousy?" His head shot up and he looked at her grinning face, prepared to defend himself, but she shook her head slowly. "Ah! Shh. Don't answer it so quickly. Think about it yourself then get back to me." She walked back into the castle and Alec watched her go before getting up and going back inside himself. He went towards the library, where he knew Anna would be, which was near his sister's room, where he knew Jane would be. He was debating whether he should go see Anna or Jane. He decided to go see Jane, knowing Anna would be with either Caius or Corin, and neither were wanted company for him right now. He raised his hand to knock, but Jane interrupted him and told him to come in. he opened the door to see Jane seated on the floor with Anna brushing her hair. The young vampire furrowed his eyebrows and looked back and forth between the two.
"Hi, Alec," Anna said with an edge as she looked at him, waiting for something to happen.
"Hi. What are you doing in here?"
"Talking with Jane and brushing her hair for her." His eyes widened as he looked at his sister for confirmation. She didn't make any movement or sound as to validate or refute the statement. Anna talking with Jane and brushing her hair. Satan must be ice skating because Hell has officially froze over.
"What is it, brother?"
"What is going on?"
"I believe Anna just told you. We're talking. Brother, are you feeling off?"
"A little."
"Come and sit down," Anna said. Alec, confused and puzzled, waited for Jane to shoot a glare at her, but she never did. He walked in and sat in a chair by the window, looking back and forth between the two nonchalant girls. Anna stood, satisfied with Jane's hair now, and walked to the door. "I'm going to get the curlers. I'll be back." And then she was gone.
"Alright. Stop the joke. You're messing with my head now." Jane rolled her eyes and stood to look in her mirror at her hair.
"Oh, please, Alec. This has nothing to do with you."
"Oh really? What could you two possibly have to talk about?"
"If it was meant for you to know, we would have invited you to join us in our conversation." Alec thought and narrowed his eyes.
"You were talking about me, weren't you?" Anna skipped back in with curlers in her hand and commenced to curling Jane's hair. They all sat silently aside from Anna's steady humming and the sound of her heart beating. She finished his sister's hair and she looked like the young, scared little sister from their human days in the village with her long blonde curls at her shoulders.
"Okay. I'm done. Look and see if you like it." Jane obeyed and nodded in approval. "You like it?"
"Yes. Thank you." Anna nodded with a smile as she gathered up her supplies.
"You're very welcome. Let me know when it falls. I'll fix it for you in a different way. I'm going to the library. I'll talk to you later." Jane nodded once before flitting to her book shelf and scanning it. Anna left out and Alec waited for his sister to tell him what was at hand.
"What were you two talking about?"
"Relax, Alec. It was nothing bad. Just…unanswered questions and relived pasts."
"So you were talking about me."
"I never said that."
"You never denied it either." She thought for a minute and turned to him as a slow smile spread across her face. "What about?"
"Well, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. I gave Anna my word that I wouldn't tell you."
"Since when are you more loyal to her than to your own brother?"
"Touché. My word is my bond and my bond is my past. Well, I can't tell you, but I never said I couldn't give you hints as to what happened. If you guess it, I'm not breaking my word. So… guess."
"She wanted to know about our past?"
"Slightly. She didn't delve deep into it, but she did ask a few questions."
"Like?"
"I cannot tell."
"Okay. Anything bad?" Jane shook her head. "About other women?" She nodded. "She wanted to know if I'd ever been in love with anyone else before?"
"Else?" she said with a raised eyebrow. I didn't know you loved anyone but me now."
"Jane."
"Alright. Why does it matter so much?"
"Because. It just does. Now, finish this so we can move on with our lives. So, she asked about past loves and you said yes." She nodded. "And, of course, you then told her about Cecilia." She nodded again. "And then what?"
"She did my hair."
"And…?"
"We talked a little more about Cecilia."
"Well, did she say anything important? Like any special thoughts?"
"Cannot tell."
"Right. Well…did she say any emotions towards me?" Jane sighed and plopped down on a chair and stared at her wreck of a brother. He was wracking his brain over Anna.
"Alright enough. I can't stand to see you this way. It's disgusting and very embarrassing. She loves you, you stupid fool, and she doesn't know what to do because you ignore her or you show her nothing but hostility. There. I can't tell you the rest."
"Wait, that's not it?"
"No. Well, she asked for Cecilia's information and where she now resides. I think you're smart enough to figure out the rest." And he was. Anna was going to challenge him with Cecilia. Now he would have to stay vigilant. He thanked his sister and kissed her head before walking out to the library one thought in his head: she loves me.
ATTENTION FOLLOWERS, FAVES AND READERS OF THIS STORY! If Anna and Alec were to have a child, would it be a boy or a girl, what would his/her name be and what would he/ she look like? Please send me the ideas! Thanx! R&R! xoxo *Starr*