AN: Well, isn't this a Marvelous Monday! Not only did I finish an awesome chapter, but I managed to leave a level of suspense that made ME excited for the next chapter. :) A word to the wise, though; this chapter contains MILD violence. Now, if you're squeamish, I've marked the points where you should start reading and stop reading at the end. Thank you to all my reviewers and the people who either added my story to their alerts or to their favorites; I'm giving a shout-out to all my reviewers for the last chapter: soup4mepapi, a-stubborn-rose, MaMZg67, awesomeami316, Samroseg, diigiipriinc3ss, Pretty Monster Princess, Forever Musical Alee, LuvinTwilight143, and Lady Syndra. Y'all read the EN please.
Disclaimer: I don't own Stephenie Meyer's characters. I own Talia, Adam, and other people who are not recognized. :)
10. A Deal with the Devil (Adam Sinclaire's POV)
I moved through the hallways silently, almost wraith-like with my reminiscent fondling of Talia's abandoned possessions. My heart ached from her loss, but determination kept it beating vigorously. This always happened with the other half-breeds; it was the same game of cat-and-mouse throughout the centuries, from what I've gathered from the records. I just happened to have acquired the better mouse trap.
With my best suit on and my briefcase in hand, I exited the house and began my trek to the surface world. I swam through the suburbs hurriedly, and before I knew it, the scenery around me changed from modern-day Pacifica to the rougher open ocean. After another hour and a half, the water became shallower, and eventually I surfaced from the waves and sloshed to the shore of my private beach. Instantly, the outfit I had donned fizzled dry, due to not only the scorching Californian heat but also my magical abilities.
Swiftly I walked the five minutes to the garage; in it was my black 2011 Audi R8, gleaming in the artificial light. It purred as I started the engine, the car gliding down the runway and into the light traffic. Pavement flew underneath the tires as I breezed through California and north into Oregon—more specifically, Prineville. The people I were meeting with preferred this city for two reasons: one, it was the perfection medium between the two cities where we were supposed to be located at; and two, the location was secluded enough where we wouldn't be as easily detected by any unwanted outside sources.
I parked in the rather considerable lot and swaggered into the Stafford Inn, noting my surroundings were, for a lack of better word, tasteful. I stood at the counter and cleared my throat; the front desk woman—Rosemarie, felicitous because of her vibrant red hair—barely flicked me a glance before responding in a dull voice, her fingers tapping away irritably at the keyboard.
"Welcome to the Stafford Inn. How may I be of service to you today?"
"Hello, I'm Adam Sinclaire, and I'm here to meet with Alec and Demetri Volturi. Would you alert them and give me their room number?" I pleasantly queried.
Her hazel eyes jumped to my face, and Rosemarie's voice had a slight quiver as she responded, "Of course, sir. I'll phone them right away." She dialed number and put the phone to her ear, saying, "Hello, Mr. Volturi. An Adam Sinclaire is waiting in the lobby; shall I send him upstairs to your room? Of course, sir." Her eyes focused on me as she hung the phone in its cradle. "The room is 207; if you go to the second floor, it should be the fourth door on your left from the elevator."
"Thank you, miss. If you'll excuse me . . ."
I headed to the elevator door and pressed the button for the second floor, tapping my foot at the car's slow ascent. Finally the bell rang, and the doors parted to reveal a lengthy, wide hallway, decorated with framed prints of scenery and the occasional table and lamp. Counting the doors, it was a short time before I came across room; after a quick knock, the door creaked open to a fairly dark room, lit only by the slithers of overcast light appearing through the cracks of the thick curtains.
"Close the door and step forward," a smooth, aged voice ordered.
I hastily followed the orders and peered through the darkness, searching for the owner of the voice. Despite my attempts, I couldn't pinpoint it. Across the room, the clicking of a switch sounded, and a gentle yellow glow illuminated the table and the two occupants sitting there. A boy that looked no older than fifteen, with a mop of brown hair atop his head and defined eyebrows, sat across a man who appeared in his early twenties with dirty blonde hair, a hooked nose, and thin lips. Both had staggering crimson eyes and clothing that hinted at old money.
"So this is the human who receives special treatment from Aro," the boy mused. "Interesting. He looks no different than any other on the street, Demetri. What could be his worth to Aro?"
"Ah, Alec, you must remember that looks can be deceiving. Who knows? He could hold the key our entire race's demise," Demetri chided. There was amusement in his voice, as if I weren't someone important, someone to be feared.
"So, Adam, is it?" Alec finally acknowledged. I nodded my head stiffly. "Come now, cat got your tongue?" he mocked.
Taking a calming breath, I uttered, "Yes, my name is Adam. I request the services of Demetri Volturi, more specifically his tracking abilities. I need his assistance to find my daughter, Talia."
"This would sound like an intriguing task, were it not to find a human," Demetri sneered. "Are you confident in the fact that she's completely human?" I retaliated. "You vampires are all alike; you think you are the only supernatural species out there besides werewolves."
"Well, then, Adam, what are you? What kind of creature are you and your daughter, then?" Alec drily asked.
I stumbled in my speech, not used to proclaiming myself . . . my species to someone outside our society. It goes against all my convictions and beliefs. However, it must be done, for the sake of my daughter. A sudden confidence surged through me, making me stand tall and proud as I spoke with an unwavering voice.
"I, along with my daughter and an entire society, are called merpeople." The two vampires shared a loaded glance with each other before cracking up laughing. They were loud and boisterous, causing my irritation to peak. "Ridicule me if you please, but would you like a demonstration of my power?"
Demetri's curiosity was piqued, I could tell. After clearing his throat, Alec fell silent, the unknown causing the atmosphere of the room to thicken. He stepped forward menacingly, lowering his voice to a near snarl. "And how exactly are you planning to do this, Adam?"
"My power centers around manipulating the tides of the ocean. Florence is but a few hours away by car, but from what I've gathered about you and your kind, you can reach the city in a fourth of the time."
Briefly the two conferred in speeds I could barely understand; as it was, I could catch a phrase here and there. "An interesting matter . . . so uniformed . . . Aro will be pleased . . . testing commence . . ." Demetri nodded solemnly, and Alec stepped back a few paces to lean against the wall.
"I will allow you my help, Adam, in exchange for an amount of testing done on her, as your kind has never been documented by the Volturi," Demetri bargained.
"Deal," I agreed readily. We shook hands on it before sitting at the table across from each other.
"Now, I need a photo or something of hers, so I can pick up her trail. Do you have anything on you?" he asked, smiling when I placed a picture of her down on the wooden surface. "She's very beautiful."
"Thank you," I responded. "I will be glad to see her."
"Well, you will meet her soon; I've already honed in on her," Demetri mumbled. A hearty chuckle came from him, and Alec tilted his head to the side in a silent question. "It turns out she in currently in Forks, Washington."
A slow smile curled up the corners of Alec's mouth as he replied, "Well, this makes my job easier."
I blinked once, and suddenly Alec was above me, grinning madly. He gripped the back of my head, slamming my forehead onto the tabletop. My vision blurred as I struggled to remain conscious, but he repeated the action, this time with more force. I cried out in pain and tried to move my arms towards his hands, only to realize that I was numb from the neck down.
"Tsk, tsk. Poor Adam; you really believed you'd get out of this alive," Alec clucked. "Rest assured, you won't. However, you are needed alive for testing; Aro won't mind, though, if you're a bit damaged when we reach the city." I could hear the smirk in his voice as he thrust my head onto the table again, and I struggled to not hiss a swear word as blood trickled down into my eye.
*RIGHT HERE*
A cool finger gathered it from my face, and I glanced up to see Demetri stick it in his mouth curiously. He grinned, showing his teeth which were tinted red. He dragged his finger through my wound again, and I swore as he dug deeper into my skin. Alec roughly shook me, as if I were a misbehaving puppy.
"Alec, his blood is so enticing. You should try some as well," Demetri purred.
"Don't mind if I do," Alec replied before clawing his fingernails down my cheek. Blood welled from the cuts as a sharp pain ignited my face. He grabbed my jaw and forced me to watch him suck my blood off his fingers, squeezing hard enough to increase the blood flow.
*ENDS HERE*
Black spots began to dance in my vision, and as a lone tear slipped from my eye, I prayed for the first time in my life. I prayed, not for my safety, but for the well-being of Talia, as she would surely need it to survive these heinous monsters. I slipped into the darkness, my captors' laughter the last thing to reach my ears.
EN: Can y'all please review? I'd love for you all to do so; I want to hear your thoughts. Is it good, bad, or ugly? Should I have done something different? Do you want anything to happen? TELL ME, PEOPLE! FOR THE LOVE OF DOG, TELL ME! Oh, by the way, people who review nicely (no reviews less than 10 words, people), you'll get a teaser from the next chapter. :D
Story Recommendation: Okay, I don't do this usually, but I'm reading an awesome story called Plain Sailing by lisaXX93. Her story is so great, and if you're into Jack Sparrow, you'll definitely enjoy Pirate Edward. ;) The second story is Scared of Blood? by Maddyson Ruby. It's about a half-breed girl, Adanne, who is imprinted on by Seth during Breaking Dawn. It's awesome!