I hugged my knees to my chest avoiding the glowing gaze of the people around me. I couldn't even look at Alec; I didn't want to see the pain and grief so clear in his angelic face.

"Jane."

I looked up to see Aro squatting in front of me. His beautiful, yet terrible face was hardly inches away from me. He was scrutinising me, trying to see if he had made the right decision, his crimson eyes were so old, and wise, I felt even worse in his presence. He lightly touched my arm, but I shook it off. I think he got the message because he got to his feet and walked gracefully back towards his companions.

We were in a long, high ceiling room, with intricate patterns carved into the wooden and stone pillars that held up the roof. In the room there was me, Aro, Alec, Demetri -my guard- and seven others who I did not know the names of. Demetri was the one who had found me, Aro said he was a tracker- he had the ability to find anyone anywhere. I begrudged him for this and took a sudden, irrational dislike to the big, muscley, dark haired man. He was friendly enough I supposed. He told me that he had come from Volterra. This comforted me a little, but not much.

The other people in the room were varied. Six males and one female. Three of the males were standing around Aro and they all seemed to be having a rather earnest discussion. Out of these three, the one who caught my attention the most was a pale skinned man with light, short cropped wispy blonde hair. Not that we all weren't pale, Aro especially, but this man looked, well younger than Aro I supposed, not only in his features, he couldn't have been more than twenty five, but also in his skin. It was a vibrant white, pure, not like Aro's papery, almost transparent skin. He was tall and lean with a curious express that portrayed a thirst for knowledge. But it wasn't his strange appearance that surprised me, but his eyes.

I had been so used to the crimson of my fellows, his eyes were a shock. They were gold.

At that moment I he looked up, staring at me with a mixture of curiosity and sadness., like he was sorry for me. I stared back, a wave of anger rushing through me. I didn't need his pity. I needed no ones pity. I just needed Ann…

The thought stopped dead and I snapped my eyes shut, moving my head back to its stooped position. I stayed like that for what seemed like for ever, listening to Aro, the blonde man and two others talking in a language different from my own Italian.

Oh how I wished I was back on ocean floor. To feel the water as it washed and swirled around my body, oh to drift without a care in the deep blue sea.

I was awakened from my conscious dreams to the sound of raised voices.

"She is so young Aro!" the man standing on Aro's left was yelling, his voice was hushed as if he didn't want to be overheard. An invisible breeze seemed to be toying with his shoulder length hair, so white it was as pale as his translucent skin, washing it around his ancient face.

"But Caius, think of what Eleazar saw, we would be unbeatable!" at this point the gold eyed man, an average sized dark-haired man- who I later discovered was Eleazar- and the last, a taller man, his long hair the colour of jet, looked at him. The Gold eyed man looked incredulous, where as the black haired one, I struggled for a description, trying to fit his expression. Blank? It was vacant of emotion.

"Aro, she has exposed us, she…" Caius stared to reply, his crimson eyes flicking from me, back to his brother. Aro held up one slim white hand to stop him.

"details, mere details."

"You, you would use a child? For that?" the gold eyed one spoke, his voice was soft and foreign, but I couldn't pick out the accent. I glared at him, angry. I was not a child!

Suddenly he was on the floor, screaming, crying out in pain, writhing. A sudden image hit me, it was dim as if looking at it through a foggy pool.

"ANNA!"

I try to scream through the piece of dirty fabric. I see her, tears streaming down her near perfect face, pleading what looks like the General to let us go. When he shakes his head Anna starts to scream in anguish, demanding and begging for us to be released.

Suddenly the General turns and slapps her sharply on the cheek, leaving a great red mark. I feel the anger and rage boiling inside me until I find myself wishing with all my might that I can hurt the horrible man as much as possible. I glare at him, wishing and yearning. Suddenly, he drops Alec and starts twitching, shaking and rocking forward and back uncontrollably, as if in a trance, a look of both pain and fear written across his face. What is happening? Gradually he starts to calm down, then taking several deep breaths, he collapses.

I gasped out loud, my concentration dropping. At that same moment, the gold eyed foreigner relaxed, his muscles still slightly twitching. However after only a few seconds he was back on his feet, looking at me with amazement.

"she did that?" his eyes flicked towards aro, his calm face composed and for a moment I almost thought I saw a hint of a smirk. I glared at him, anger still pulsating through me. His smile faded, his thin lips pursing into a skeletal white line.

"yes" Aro mused.

I blinked. I had?

"so brothers," Aro continued, turning around to face the other two men. "what is you're verdict now?"

the zombie like black haired man blinked at Aro.

"I highly doubt that our opinions will actually affect the matter at all"

"why Marcus, how right you are" Aro smiled a sickeningly sweet smile and rubbed his hands together. "so," he spun around to face me. "have you, in your time of contemplation, considered my offer?"

I stared at him blankly. Offer?

"because im afraid if you don't" his voice was suddenly quiet and thretaning "im afraid you are no longer of any use to us"

then it came back to me.

"what does your 'guard' do?" I asked, automatically suspicious.

"well, I think by now you know what we," he paused, searching for the right word, "are. Yes, that will do. Are."

Yes, I certainly knew that. I threw a dark glance at Alec who was standing silently in a corner. I nodded and he continued.

"you see, they have to be kept in order, the others I mean."

"there are others?"

he seemed momentarily caught out by my question and cocked his head frowning.

"Of course"

"oh" I took in the information. "and by 'kept in order' you mean…" I trailed off, gesturing for him to continue.

"well, obviously the humans cant know about us, and well, occasionly they have to be reminded about this."

The way he said 'reminded' made me think that this may apply to me. I gulped, thinking of my hunt and suddenly knew I either had to join, or I would be no more.

"fine." I said, reluctant. I heard a sigh of of relief and looked over at Aalec, who looked as though he were about to cry with relief.

Aro smiled.

"then my child" he said, opening his thin arms to embrace me, "welcome."