A/N - This was originally two chapters, but I eventually decided to combine the two to make it flow a bit better. It is a lot longer than any of the other chapters, so I hope you all enjoy it. It will hopefully answer a lot of questions and it might raise some more…because I'm evil like that….
Warning: There are a couple of disturbing and graphic scenes in this chapter. Also, I'm aware of the fact that one of the characters is driving drunk. I don't condone that, but under the circumstances, there was no other way. You will see.
Jonathan was waiting for me right outside the gate, and I actually gasped a little when I saw him; he looked very handsome in his costume. He had decided to coordinate with me and was wearing white as well. His hair was slicked back, which made him look a lot more mature. He smiled as he bowed slightly.
"Your limousine awaits, your highness." He offered his arm to me while trying to give me his most serious expression, but he failed miserably and burst into laughter. I giggled with him as we walked towards the monstrous black vehicle. The door opened, and Gaby's head popped out.
"You look so pretty! Are you ready for this?"
I stepped into the limo, aided by Jonathan, trying not to crease my dress. When I was finally settled in, I looked around the car and saw only Vincenzo and Gaby.
"What happened to your dates?" I asked them.
Gaby laughed and looked at her brother.
"I couldn't make up my mind; none of the guys appealed to me. So I decided to come alone," she said, still laughing.
"Yes, and I couldn't very well let my baby-sister go unaccompanied, could I? So I just decided to be her escort." He smiled sweetly at his sister as she nudged him playfully. The love between them once again made me slightly envious, but I was also secretly happy that at least our small circle of friends was not infiltrated by strangers.
Gaby ran her hands over the skirt of my dress and eyed the embroidery.
"This is exquisite. Where did you get this?"
"It was made for me. I have no idea where though. My…cousin….is the one that handles all that stuff." I had faltered for a moment at what to call Jane, but they didn't appear to notice; humans never seemed particularly perceptive, except for Jonathan of course, who always seemed to see right through me.
"You look gorgeous yourself," I told her while admiring her gown. She was dressed in a tight gold-coloured dress that hugged her slim figure. Normally, she would dress in jeans and a t-shirt, giving her already thin frame an almost boy-like appearance. Tonight however, she looked very much like a woman as the gold enhanced her shape and gave her curves in all the right places. Her blonde hair was tied together in a messy bun at the nape of her neck with some locks falling down at the front, framing her face. Vincenzo had opted for a cream coloured costume which complimented his sister's dress well. He had his hair slicked back, just like Jonathan; both of them looked like proper gentlemen.
"How long will it take us to get there?" I asked Gaby. We were going to the Oliveira mansion just outside of a town called San Gimignano.
"About forty minutes," she answered while she retrieved a bottle from underneath her seat.
"Champagne anyone?"
Vincenzo rummaged under his seat and took out four plastic cups that Gaby filled to the brim with champagne. Soon enough we were all slightly tipsy, and my nerves had completely vanished.
"Oops, all gone," Gaby sulked as she held the empty bottle upside down.
"That's okay; I think we're here anyway," Jonathan replied, while looking out the tinted glass window.
I leaned over so I could see past him and saw a beautiful, white house at the end of the long drive that we were going up now. It was easily the biggest place I had ever seen, apart from the castle of course. There were limousines and cars parked everywhere, and there were lots of people, all in costumes and masks, making their way inside. Gaby put her mask on and Jonathan helped me tie mine. He placed his hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear.
"Are you ready for this?"
I simply nodded, unable to speak because of the nervous butterflies that had once again taken residence in my stomach. I took a deep, steadying breath as the valet opened the door and Jonathan stepped out. He reached his hand out to help me exit the limousine gracefully; Vincenzo and Gaby stepped out behind us. People were talking excitedly all around us, and I heard at least three different languages before we even got to the top of the stairs leading into the house. As we arrived at the entrance, a man asked to see our invitations. I didn't have one; Jonathan was bringing me along as his guest.
"Jonathan Astor, escorting Luciana Di Volturi."
The man checked his list and motioned us to walk inside. The hallway was already large enough to double as a ballroom. Everything was a decadent marble and gold; it oozed wealth. We walked across the hall towards a grand staircase that led down into the ballroom where the party was already in full swing. A beautiful girl in a peacock mask with a matching blue dress made her way towards us, her brown hair bouncing as she moved. She was followed by two girls in matching pink dresses that made them look like twins, though the fact that one was short with red hair and the other was tall and blonde made me pretty sure they weren't even related.
"Jonathan, what a delight it is to see you; it has been too long." She put her palms on his shoulders and kissed the air on either side of his face.
"Ariana, it's a pleasure to see you," Jonathan spoke obligatorily.
"Vincenzo, Gabrielle, so happy you could make it." Ariana pushed between me and Jonathan and made her way to the siblings. They received the same greeting as Jonathan, and I could tell that, like Jonathan, they didn't care much for it either.
"Ariana, there's someone I would like you to meet," Jonathan spoke as he took my arm and pushed me forward. Ariana glanced down at me with apparent disinterest.
"This is Luciana Di Volturi."
"Charmed, I'm sure," she sneered without even looking at me. Her friends, however, were glaring daggers in my direction; it made me feel very uncomfortable.
"Please, go enjoy yourselves. We'll catch up later." She shifted her eyes to me only for a second before turning, and the sheer malice in her stare made me step back a little.
"I can't believe he brought her here." My sensitive hearing picked up what she was saying to her friends; Jonathan was unaware, however.
"What's her problem?" I asked him, curious as to why this girl obviously disliked me so much. He looked at me worriedly for a second before answering.
"She's Charles' girlfriend. She wasn't very happy when he got sent back home after what happened at your coming out."
"Charles has a girlfriend?" My voice rose up in utter disbelief. Jonathan chuckled.
"Yes, he does. She takes it more seriously than he does though. She certainly doesn't like competition. Don't expect her to welcome you with open arms."
"Competition, me? I didn't do anything." The unfairness of the situation made me slightly angry. I certainly never did anything to make her hate me. It was Charles that had been coming on to me; I was the one that had told him no.
"Don't think about it, Lucy; she's not worth your time." Jonathan took my arm and led me down the stairs, into the ballroom. We moved through the people towards the bar where he ordered us two glasses of champagne. Vincenzo and Gaby had met some friends along the way and were currently speaking to them on the other side of the room.
"Would you care to dance with me?" Jonathan asked with a smile.
"I would be honoured," I replied as I set my empty glass down.
He held me close as we moved gracefully over the floor. I caught some jealous stares from various girls and boys across the room and realized we must look like a couple to them. I couldn't help but think that if only they knew the truth about us, they would not be so envious.
"How's Jason?" I asked him, and his face lit up.
"He's okay, though being apart is still putting a strain on both of us. He's trying to get me to come back and make peace with my father, but that is just not an option." I smiled grimly; I understood more about his relationship with his father than he could know.
"I hope you can be together soon," I smiled.
"Me too," he sighed. "What about you, Lucy? Are you still seeing Demetri?"
I shook my head slightly but didn't speak. I was afraid my voice would betray me.
"Lucy? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Jonathan's concern caused tears to well up in my eyes.
"No, he didn't."
"Felix?" Jonathan asked tentatively.
"Don't, please, I can't…" Jonathan pulled me to his chest where I rested my head and let him comfort me. We stayed like that for a while until the music changed to something more up-tempo.
"Thank you, Jonathan; you are a true friend," I told him as we walked back to the bar.
"Always, Lucy. Never hesitate to ask for my help."
Right then Vincenzo and Gaby found us, and we all ordered some more champagne.
"Here's to friendship." Jonathan winked at me as he raised his glass.
"To friendship," I said as I lifted my own and took a sip.
Half an hour later, I found myself in desperate need of a bathroom; the drink was going straight through me. Making my excuses to my friends, I went in the direction Gaby had pointed me towards. I set my glass down on the table next to the restrooms and went in. Luckily, the place was empty; I was still a bit scared about dealing with people other than my friends. I went into one of the massive cubicles and gathered up my dress, making sure it didn't fall into the bowl. Finally I was able to sit down and relieve myself. I jumped when the outside door opened and people started coming into the room.
"Can you believe Jonathan? I thought he was just being polite when he asked her here, but he's been by her side the entire night."
"I know, right?" Ariana's voice sent shivers up my spine. "He was completely out of line when he hit Charles like that, and now he dares bring her into my house? That is unacceptable."
"What are you going to do about it? Are you just going to let her get away with it?"
Ariana laughed ominously.
"Oh, she'll get what's coming to her; believe me."
With that, they retreated outside again. I sat there for a while, shaking. There was no doubt in my mind she had been talking about me. Whatever she had planned for me made me feel anxious, as well as angry. I just couldn't understand her animosity towards me. I took my mask off and let it fall to the floor. I had to tell Jonathan about what I overheard. Maybe it was best to just leave now.
I made my way back over to the table and was happy to see my champagne was still there, untouched. I gulped it down gratefully, trying to both soothe my thirst and numb some of my anxiety. There was something off about the flavour though, and I gagged as the last of the champagne hit the back of my throat. I looked at the glass and noticed a powdery substance sticking to it. I held the glass up to my nose and sniffed it. A chemical smell hit my nose; it didn't smell like champagne at all. At that same moment, the room started spinning slightly, and the people blurred in and out of focus. I was only dimly aware of someone grabbing me by the arm and dragging me out of the ballroom. It was dark where I was now, and someone had me pushed against a wall.
"Remember me, princess?"
The voice was vaguely familiar, but the person was wearing a mask, and I couldn't make out his face.
"What? Who…" My voice came out all wrong; slurred and weak.
The person lifted their mask, and I squinted to regain some focus. Finally, I was able to make out a pair of muddy, brown eyes.
"Charles…" I whispered.
"Yes," he hissed, "Bet you thought you'd never see me again."
"I…I have to go." I tried to push past him, but I was completely disoriented and instead fell against him. He pushed me back up to the wall so hard that my head bounced off the marble.
"Oh no, you don't. You still owe me, little Lucy. You can't just tease a guy like that and then run off. Do you have any idea what that does to a man?" He grabbed my hand and pushed it against his apparent erection. A wave of sickness washed over me as I realized what he wanted.
"No…get off me." I tried to push him again, but he just laughed.
"You don't mean that, and you know it. You want this just as much as I do."
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I tried to fight him off, but whatever had been in my drink was messing with my strength, and I struggled to even stand up straight. Knowing I had to get away from him, I gave it one last try. I pushed myself against the wall and swung my arm out as hard as I could; it hit him full in the face, and he fell back from me, landing at my feet.
"You bitch!" he hissed, spitting out a few drops of blood. Understanding that it was now or never, I turned and ran back to the room but skidded to a halt when a group of people rounded the corner and stopped at the sight of me.
"See? Here she is. Nothing to worry about. Honestly, all this commotion over one insignificant little girl…" Ariana gave me a disgusted look.
"Are you okay, Lucy? I couldn't find you." I breathed a sigh of relief at Jonathan's voice. He wrapped his arms around me to keep me standing. Only when I regained my focus did I see Vincenzo and Gaby were there as well, along with Ariana's friends. They were looking past us, and I could feel Jonathan follow their gaze.
"Charles?" Ariana rushed over to him and reached out her hand to help him up.
"What has she done to you, baby?" She wrapped herself around him as he shot me a furious glance.
"That bitch hit me," he said, pointing at me.
"What?" Ariana whipped her head around to look at me.
"You probably deserved it, Charles." Jonathan sounded upset.
"Leave it, Jonathan, please. Can we go?" I begged him.
"Sure, Lucy, we'll go."
Ariana stepped away from Charles and came to stand in front of us.
"Oh no, she isn't going anywhere until we get to the bottom of this." She pointed her finger at me while glancing at all of my friends in turn.
"Look at her; she's clearly on something."
I righted myself as much as I could and looked at her.
"There was something in my drink." My voice still didn't sound right, and it made Ariana laugh.
"Sure, there was, sweetie," she said, rolling her eyes. Charles had gotten himself off the floor in the meantime and walked over to stand beside her.
"You'll be sorry for this; I promise," he threatened. Jonathan moved himself in front of me.
"I would like to see you try," he retorted.
Ariana looked from Jonathan to Vincenzo and Gabby and then back at me.
"Why are you all protecting this freak?"
My vision blurred with red as anger washed over me at her choice of words. I had the hardest time keeping myself from attacking her; the heavy onslaught of emotion surprised me.
"You do know what they say about her family, right? Right?" She looked at my friends who were all avoiding her gaze. My breathing sped up with the need to control my almost irrational anger at this girl.
"Personally, I don't believe most of the rumours. I mean, come on, vampires?"
I gasped audibly, and I felt everyone's eyes on me. Jonathan's grip on me slackened, and I felt him step away slightly. I looked up to find him staring at me with apprehension in his eyes. Ariana moved until she was only inches away from me.
"Whatever you are, you and your family better stay away from here. We don't want to associate with a bunch of circus freaks like you."
I snapped. I don't remember reaching out, but the next moment, I had a firm grip on her arm and pulled her towards me.
"I am not a freak," I spat at her.
Her eyes bulged as I heard a sickening snap. Her cry of pain woke me enough to realize that I had just broken her arm. Between the drugs and the champagne, I had completely underestimated my own strength. I released her and took a couple of stumbling steps back. My eyes found my friends who were staring at me with wide eyes.
"I…I'm sorry," I stuttered. I stumbled back again and found the door to the ballroom. Without thinking, I turned and ran as fast as I could. People looked at me in shock as I bolted up the stairs, towards the door. I heard Jonathan call my name, so I assumed he was following me, but I knew I could easily outrun him so I kept my stride. At last I was outside where I was free to move all out. I pushed my legs as hard as I could to get away from that place.
I don't remember how I made it all this way; everything was a haze. My dress was torn; my hair was in a state of disarray, with twigs and leaves sticking out everywhere. Somewhere along the way I had taken off my shoes because my heels kept sinking down in the muddy ground. There was dirt on my knees and hands, and I knew that if I were human, I would have cuts and scrapes everywhere. As it was, my skin was still intact, but that was pretty much the only thing about me that was still in one piece. I had been running for hours, through forests and fields and over muddy country roads, and I was intensely relieved when I finally reached the main road leading into Volterra; I would be home soon.
At long last, I reached the castle, and I hastily jumped over the fence, landing not so gracefully this time, instead falling down on my side with a loud thud. Pain shot through my hip on impact, and I had a little trouble getting back up. I panted as I dragged myself to the door, limping through it into the dark entrance hall. My blurred vision and dazed state made me unable to find my room. I started sobbing quietly; all I wanted to do was take a shower, get to my bed and forget everything that happened tonight. Instead I wandered around, stumbling into the walls and opening the wrong doors.
Finally convinced that I found the right room, I opened the door and stepped through, only to tumble down a flight of stone steps. I landed at the bottom and remained on the floor for a few moments, trying to catch my breath and ease the pain that was now shooting through me at full force. I turned over on my back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering where I was. I couldn't remember ever being in this part of the castle before. I sat myself up slowly, trying to see through the haze. I was in a narrow hallway lit by small torches every few feet. I leaned forward, not fully able to get up yet, and crawled along the floor, deeper into the catacomb. Somewhere in the distance, I heard noises.
I dragged myself up along the wall until I was almost at a standing position. My right leg was killing me, and I couldn't really put my weight on it. I limped quietly, leaning on the wall for support. I tried to focus on where I was, but the flicker of the torches were playing tricks on my vision; they were too bright, casting long, dark shadows across the walls. I kept startling, afraid that someone was there.
The further I walked, the louder the noises became; it sounded like someone was screaming, as if they were in pain. I wiped the tears from my eyes to try and clear my vision, which helped a bit. The hallway split in two directions a few feet away from where I was standing. I strained my ears to hear where the noise was coming from and decided to go left. The passage was much the same as the one I'd just walked through, but the screams were louder here; they almost hurt my ears. As I came closer to the source, I started to hear more voices; mere whispers at first, but soon I was able to distinguish them. I heard Aro and my father talking excitedly, though I could not make out the topic of their discussion. It didn't make sense to me; what were they doing here? Why did they seem so joyful while the screaming continued?
Light shone brightly in the distance, coming from the left side of the passage; it appeared to be a door. I stopped, frozen in shock, when a scream, louder than any of the ones before, ripped through the hallways, causing the tiny hairs on my arms and the back of my neck to stand up. The sickening sound of something breaking and tearing followed as the scream cut off into a gurgle. I backed away from the room where the noise was coming from, nearly tripping over my own feet. The screams had stopped completely, replaced by a noise that terrified me more than anything I'd ever heard before; the cries of a newborn baby.
I backed away faster, careful not to make any noise. I noticed an open door to my right and quickly slid into the room as quietly as possible. Once I was in the dark space, I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor. I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. With my head resting against the wall, I strained my ears to listen to my family in the room across the hall.
"My son."
I quickly folded both my hands over my mouth to stifle the gasp that threatened to escape me at Aro's words.
"He's beautiful master," Jane's angelic voice chimed.
"Congratulations, brother. Let us hope the same can be said when my heir is born."
Father.
Tears spilled from my eyes, running over my hands, down onto my filthy dress. The pain in my body was forgotten; the fog in my head was lifted. An intense pain in my heart replaced it when I realized: this was it. The moment that I had forgotten I feared. In all my distractions, I had never thought about their original plan again; the hybrid army.
I wondered how many more women were in there. I strained my ears but could only hear one heartbeat; thrumming fast, like mine.
"Let us bring my son to his mother now."
"Master, what of the others?"
"They are not ready yet. Have Demetri and Felix check on their carriers when they return from their hunt."
Dark spots erupted in front of my eyes as my heart broke impossibly further. My chest heaved at the grief that threatened to completely consume me, and I had the hardest time keeping my breathing under control. My mind reeled as the puzzle pieces fell into place.
Felix…
This is why we had no future together. His words from our last night made perfect sense now.
"Something has come up. Something that makes me unable to continue this…whatever this is." He gestured between us.
"Why?" I nearly choked on the word as my throat constricted. I was fighting fruitlessly against the tears that were threatening to escape my eyes. He raised his hand and gently cupped my cheek.
"I can't tell you that, not now, but please trust me when I say that this was not my choice. The last thing I want to do is hurt you."
So this was why; he was fathering a child for the army. It made sense in a strange way; as the strongest warrior, he would be valuable to the project. Any children of his would undoubtedly inherit his strength. Irrational jealousy shot through me as I thought of the woman carrying his child; a part of me wished it was me. I would have been strong enough for that. I couldn't help but wonder what she was like, and if he had picked her himself. He must have realized she would not live through this, and I wondered if he felt bad about that. I felt sick to my stomach that he would be capable of murdering a woman so brutally, though it should not have surprised me; they were murderers after all. Death was nothing to them; one more woman would not make a difference.
My mind went to Demetri and the way he had been with me ever since his return. I had noticed a change, but I never thought anything of it. I knew now that the emotion I had seen in his face a couple of times, the one I didn't understand at the time, was guilt. I couldn't believe he would keep this from me, but I also understood he would probably not have had a choice in the matter; my uncle and father would have made sure of that.
Both of them had betrayed me; both of them had lied. I didn't understand why they would agree with this. They knew me better than anyone; they saw what my life was like. I just couldn't understand why they would want to bring another child into this twisted world. They knew how much I suffered every day. It broke my heart to think that more innocent souls would be ruined the way mine was.
I startled when I heard four pairs of feet shuffle towards the door. If I had to guess, I would say that the fourth person was Alec. I held my breath in fear that they would be coming my way, but instead, their footsteps retreated away from me until everything was silent.
I sat on that cold floor with my back against the wall until the chill crept into my body, and I started shivering violently. Slowly, I lifted myself off the floor, leaning against the wall, waiting for my balance to come back. I should have gone back the way I came, but I found myself drawn to that room which my family had just exited. It seemed like forever before I reached it, and when I did, I wasn't sure what I was doing there. I closed my eyes for a moment and drew a shaky breath. I immediately regretted it when the taste of blood washed over my tongue. Expelling my breath in a large gust, I clamped my hand over my nose and mouth and entered the room. The sight that met me there was more horrible than anything I'd ever witnessed.
On a large, surgical table in the middle of the room lay the mangled corpse of a beautiful woman. Her midsection was completely ripped open from below her breasts to right above her pelvic area. He ribs and intestines were visible, her colon hanging outside her body. What had once been her uterus was now no more than shredded meat.
Taking my eyes off her body, I looked at her face. She looked oddly peaceful in death. Her lips were full and plump, but slowly fading from pink to blue. Her skin was pale and already taking on a greyish tint. Her hair was long and red, streaked and matted with blood.
So this is how I had killed my mother. I was no more than a monster, no better than my family up there. I had never loathed my existence more than I did at that very moment. For the very first time in my life, I vomited; retching wave after wave of sour liquid until my stomach had nothing left to give. I fell to my knees and cried; mourning the death of the woman who had given birth to me and hating the monster that was responsible. When at long last the sobs subsided, I noticed I was covered in the blood that had spilled out of the body and onto the floor. Red blood against my white dress.
I had to get out, not just out of this room but out of this castle. Out of this life. I couldn't stay here, not anymore. I gasped for air as the hopelessness of my situation hit me. I couldn't watch those children grow up the same way I did. I couldn't stay and witness Felix raising his child by another woman. It would be a constant reminder of the horrid childhood I'd had to endure, and the future I would never be able to have. Volterra held nothing for me anymore; I had to get out. I wracked my brain, trying to find a way. Then I remembered something, something from my lessons as a child. There was a place I could go to, with people strong enough to protect me. They would understand; they would want to help.
I got up and nearly slipped on the blood as I started running towards the archive room. It was all the way on the other side of the castle, but I ran faster than I'd ever run before and reached it in no time at all. I quickly sifted through the files, looking for the one I needed, my bloody fingers leaving red marks on every paper I touched. Joy filled me when I found the one I was looking for, and for once, I thanked my family for keeping tabs on every vampire and preternatural creature on the planet. The number I needed was right there.
I put the file back where I found it, folding the paper containing the information and tucking it inside my dress. Looking around the door cautiously first, I ran again when I saw no one. The moment I reached my room, I grabbed my phone from where I left it on the nightstand. I dialled the number I was looking for, hoping he wouldn't be too upset with me. Relief coursed through me when he answered on the second ring.
"Jonathan! I'm so sorry for what happened tonight. Listen, you need to come get me; something has happened. I promise I will explain everything; just come get me as soon as you can."
I hung up before he could answer and rushed into my bathroom. The water was still cold by the time I had taken my dress off and jumped underneath the stream. I hastily scrubbed the blood off me and washed my hair before jumping back out. My hair was still dripping and uncombed by the time I had dressed myself in some comfortable clothes. Taking out a pen and paper, I quickly scribbled a note, put it in an envelope and left it on my bed. Then I grabbed my passport and purse and rushed towards the door.
I stopped and turned to look at my room for what could very well be the last time, taking in every detail of the place that had been my small world for almost my entire life. Then I turned and ran towards the exit, hoping that Jonathan would be there. Not wanting to bump into anyone, I did my best to be as quiet as possible. I figured everyone would be too busy fawning over Aro's newborn son to notice my escape; in fact, I was counting on it. Still, I felt a lot better when I finally got to the heavy doors that led outside. As I pushed through, I saw Jonathan standing by the gate and breathed a sigh of relief. I jumped over the fence and ran to him.
"Quickly, no time to waste; we need to run," I whispered urgently.
He didn't question me, but instead, did as I asked. We ran until we reached his car, which he had unlocked from a distance so it was ready for us to jump in. As we were already speeding through the streets of Volterra, he finally spoke.
"Where are we going, Lucy?"
"I don't know yet; just keep driving for now. We have to get as far away as possible."
"Will you finally explain what's going on?"
"I will," I promised since it didn't matter anymore anyway. "But I have to make a phone call first."
I opened my purse and rummaged about, looking for that treasured piece of paper that would be my salvation. Opening my phone, I pressed down the number that was printed on the document and waited.
The phone rang for what seemed like forever before a tired voice finally answered.
"Hello?"
We had been driving for hours on end, only stopping every now and again to fill the tank. I had told Jonathan everything: what I was, what my family was, about my relationship with both Demetri and Felix and finally, what I'd witnessed last night. He took it in quietly, though he got progressively paler the more I told him. When I was finished, I looked over at him.
"Are you okay?"
He took a quivering breath before speaking.
"Is this for real, Lucy? Everything you told me is true?"
"Yes," I answered.
He sighed again.
"It makes sense in a weird way; all this time I knew there was so much more going on than you were telling me, but I never suspected that it was this bad."
"I couldn't tell you; they kill any human that knows," I whispered. I heard him take in a sharp breath.
"I won't let them hurt you; I promise," I tried to comfort him. He was quiet for a long time, just staring at the road.
"I know," he said eventually. I was shocked when he chuckled. He noticed my surprise and looked at me.
"I think this is the first time I've ever known Ariana to get the gossip right," he explained.
I was stunned for a second before laughing with him, remembering when she called my family vampires last night.
"So, these people we're meeting with now, they can help?" he asked, more serious.
"If anyone can, it's them. I know my uncle and father fear them above anything else."
He nodded and retreated to his own thoughts again. We sat like that for a long time. At long last, I knew we were getting close to our destination as large pine trees started appearing at each side of the road. Before long, it was almost impossible to see the sky through the thick forest. Jonathan checked his GPS.
"Almost there," he said.
I sat up straight as anxiety gripped me. I really hoped that this would work; I knew this was my only chance. Jonathan turned the car off the main road and onto a muddy forest lane. I was impressed by the way he navigated the large car over the narrow road. At last we reached a large, wooden cabin, and he switched off the engine. We were here; this would be our sanctuary for now. We got out of the car and made our way in. The house was big enough to accommodate everyone comfortably for however long we would be here. I was happy to see the fridge was stocked as I had requested when I made the phone call to the owner of this house. It belonged to a family that lived in the town a few miles from here, and they rented it out to people who wished to vacation here. We were in the Black Forest in Germany. I had no ties here, and no one would come looking. I just hoped that our guests would arrive before my family noticed my absence and sent Demetri looking for me.
We settled in to wait. Jonathan fell asleep on the couch quickly, but my anxiety kept me from such bliss. Instead I just sat there, straining my ears for any indication that someone was coming. Finally, near the end of the afternoon, I heard voices outside. I nudged Jonathan, and he startled awake.
"They're here," I whispered.
We slowly got up and made our way to the door. I looked at Jonathan, and he looked back at me, nodding encouragingly. I took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped through.
Standing in front of the house was a large group of people, all of them eyeing me with curiosity. At the front was a girl my age, with bronze hair that fell in ringlets down her shoulders. She smiled at me gently.
"You came," I whispered. Right then, everything that had happened, all my anxiety and exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I swayed dangerously. I vaguely heard Jonathan call my name before the world became a blur. A pair of warm arms wrapped around me, and I looked up into the most beautiful brown eyes I'd ever seen. The smell of the sea, earth and the sweetest spices hit me.
"I know you…" I whispered before everything went black.
Yeah…Don't kill me….;-) I know this is a mean cliffie and it will get even worse when I tell you that I have not so much as written a word for the next chapter. I will hopefully get to it soon, and have it ready and posted somewhere next week. A teaser will be posted on the Fallen Princess thread on the Twilighted forum, under the Post Breaking Dawn section. I will tweet it out when it's up so come follow me on Twitter at Bforqueen.
The usual thanks go to:
Tazz0617 – I luvs you.
SusanAshlea – For Ed-spam
Jkane180 – My Beta. Who totally gave me Tweet-flue. It exists. I'm suing Twitter. Atchoo.
This chapter is very important to the story and to me, so would you be so kind as to click that little button right there, and tell me what you think?