A/N: Really long and information packed. Sigh.
BEROE
I know what lies beneath, I've seen the flash of teeth,
conspiring with the reef to sink our ship
The wind? a cheating wife, her tongue a thirsty knife
and she could take your life with one good kiss
-"Red Sky," Thrice
My sleep was marred with feverish dreams that night. Instead of dreaming about death, I dreamt about life – about a garden filled with roses, of Edward covered in petals, of his fingers worshiping my flesh with a holy reverence. My breath came in strained gasps when I awoke, curved in the shape of him. I tasted his desire like heady white chocolate melting on the tip of my tongue, dragging me deeper into sin.
When he wordlessly turned me over and kissed me, I let myself become completely overtaken and enraptured. His lips parted and his tongue dueled wildly with mine, his hands scanning my body as if to make sure I was wholly intact. My sensitivity to him gripped at the back of my throat and strangled my breath into heaves and moans that resounded in the room. He responded with a grunt, pressing me into the pillows. His tongue swept down to my throat where he sucked on the skin in an effort to consume me before continuing to my collarbone. His hand, ever mobile, kneaded the upper-most back of my thighs, urging me to entangle myself around him. The other ghosted over my breast tentatively.
"Don't stop," I begged him, grabbing his hand and forcing it to my chest. Fire was leaking through my veins and I couldn't figure out where Edward's wants ended and mine began. The more excited he became, the more my need for him grew, and the more his excitement mounted until it became a vicious circle. A shudder went through my body as I tried to prophesize his next move, aligning my body against his. I never realized before how malleable he was – one shift and he curved around me, smothering me in his arms. And I didn't mind asphyxiating.
My plea, however, was like a splash of water. Somewhere, unconsciously I knew that he would eventually force me away, hence why the pleading came from my lips. But I was stupid, hoping…no, not hoping. Working off a primal urge. My libido was too sensitive to Edward, even as his desire evaded and I tasted his self-fury. He pulled away, tugging lightly on my bottom lip between his. The smoldering of his onyx eyes dimmed.
"You should dress," he said raggedly. (I secretly delighted in the fact that I affected him as much as he affected me.) "I'm leaving you in Alice, Esme and Rosalie's care – Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle and I are going hunting."
"What?"I inquired, the haze of need alleviating from my sudden rejection.
He frowned, but refused to answer. I groaned inwardly – so he was keeping secrets now?
"I just need…some space," he finally said, cocking his head. His now-ocher eyes were glossy in the morning light. Despite his pleasant voice, I could see the pain lurking in an undertone. I could virtually taste it. "It's not that I don't want to be around you, it's just that I've been overbearing. My emotions have been shifting so quickly, and I don't want you to catch the brunt of them. And also Jasper has been tested severely since stepping into Volterra – Carlisle fears that he'll slip up soon. We need to hunt."
"Edward!" I nearly shouted, when I realized exactly what he was saying. I overtook him, taking him by the shoulders and giving a quick shake. "Are you insane? Do you think I'm upset at all with you?"
He smiled sadly. "I just need to figure a lot out on my lonesome."
"I won't begrudge you that, but can I persuade you otherwise…not to leave me alone?" My voice wasn't meant to come out needy and small. Alas, it did and I hated myself for it.
"I'm not leaving you. You'll be with Alice and Rose and Esme – they'll look over you, I promise love. Rosalie can be…." He couldn't find the word, and I didn't let him try.
"Fine," I sighed. "Do as you wish. Just come back to me whole."
He kissed me amiably, rolling me back over so I was pinned between him and the mattress. "I knew you would understand. This is why I love you." He finished that statement with a slow, lingering kiss that still had the fire of his earlier ravishing, but not the frenzy. "And I promise I won't come back damaged. Just don't let me find you wounded, or I swear I will burn Volterra into the ground."
I frowned and let him direct me to the bathroom, feeling the loss of him like an appendage already. Today was going to be hell.
B L A C K O U T
"Mistress Lillia was seeking you earlier," Sophia said pleasantly. "She is however, engaged in a meeting with the Volturi. I am sure that they will allow entrance if I say that it is you, Mistress Isabella." Her eyes shifted to Rosalie, who was trying very hard to look the picture of nonchalance, and Alice who was sitting on the corner of the desk inspecting her nails like some sort of model. "I'm not sure about your companions."
"Wherever I go, they come," I said smoothly, trying to focus on being dazzling. The Cullens didn't make it look too hard. Sophia seemed a bit star-struck, but didn't drool; Edward would have made her drool. He's much better at getting his way. Which I frequently curse him for.
"Mistress Isabella is inquiring whether or not she is allowed into the reception chamber," Sophia murmured into her phone. She held for a moment, and then smiled.
"You have clearance, Mistresses."
"Thank you, Sophia," Alice chirped, leading a very, very reluctant Rosalie by the hand through the antechamber.
"All we need is your assistance, Marcus," Lillia hissed desperately. "This is the perfect time to strike; she has laid her cards on the table."
A silence stretched between Lillia and the Volturi; I took that time to sweep my eyes over the council, or what seemed to be a council. The three kings sat on their regal thrones, cold and detached from the vampires glancing one way or another out at the sky as if they were totally disinterested by Lillia. However, I could taste their malice and hatred for the woman standing in the middle of the turret.
"I have never asked anything of my father," Lillia reminded the man, voice rising. "We'll have a fighting chance. All I need is your assistance and -…"
"We will debate this matter privately," Marcus hissed. His eyes flickered over to me, then away. With a fluid movement, he stood and descended three golden steps to the marble floor. "Excuse me."
"Marcus," Caius murmured under his breath, raising a cracked hand towards his brother. "Aspira. Espira."
Marcus paused, then rolled his shoulder back in acknowledgment before fleeing the room, tasting of despair. Lillia watched his retreating figure, her face clouding before turning on her heel and leaving me.
"Ah, Isabella," Aro chirped. I was too busy watching the other two kings that I didn't realize the missing one until he stood far too close for my liking. He was inspecting my expression studiously, with a patience and slight veneration that made me flinch.
"It is quite lovely to see you once more, my dear. As well as your sisters. Alice, love, you are simply radiant and Rosalie, even in your rage I see traces of your beauty," he continued cheerily, folding his hands behind his back. "Carlisle was just here. He and Esme are exploring the walls; she is a curious creature, and he has held many parts of his past from her. Regardless, I hope your rooms are to your liking."
"Yes, Aro, they are quite comfortable," Alice responded lightly. Her face became stern and suddenly she wasn't Alice anymore. "I found it quite lovely that you placed Jasper and I close enough to this room that we can smell your meals on the wind. He has chosen his path, Aro, and I wish that you would respect that of our coven."
Aro's expression of merriment faltered. "I am apologetic that I overlooked Jasper's needs with the placement of your temporary rooms. I will speak to Sophia on a change of location for you dear. Rosalie, dove, what say you?"
"I have no complaints, Aro," she virtually growled.
Aro smiled blindingly at me. "And you, love?"
"I also have no complaints," I responded hastily.
"Or praise?" he asked, tilting his head slightly in a way that was staged in order to make him look more human – more attractive. It almost worked until I saw through his glamour – he was merely a pasty vampire with too much practice on charm. "I selected your room by hand personally; I was under the impression that you might be complimented by my project."
"It's impressive; I am awed over the amount of effort has been placed into your garden, however there is no way that I can accept such a tribute."
Aro smiled tenderly and the mask he wore around Lillia seemed a mere memory. "You will learn to appreciate the way the Volturi demonstrates its admiration." He shifted away from the crowd of empty faces until he was focused solely on me and inclined his head. Intimately, he added, "I was told by one of mine that you had little time to enjoy the freesia gardens yesterday. I am hoping that you will allow me to escort you. Of course your sisters will accompany us, if they so choose."
"We so choose," Alice said with false-cheer. Her face was glum.
"It's fine, Ally. You don't have to be forced to come along. I'll be fine."
"But-," she began but Rosalie clasped her shoulder, shooting Aro a contemptuous glance. "Fine. I will meet you later."
"Delightful," Aro sang and held out his forearm for me to grasp. I bit the inside of my lip – I couldn't reject the Volturi, and seeing how Lillia wasn't favored, his liking of me might be able to help her cause. I rested my hand lightly on his arm and felt his chilly skin immediately. It shot underneath my skin and every part of me screamed how the contact was wrong. My stomach boiled thunderously, and although I wanted to attest all of it to my disgust, I knew there was also a sense of thrill, of sick pleasure.
Pushing that to the back of my mind by thinking of Edward, I followed the imperious vampire where Marcus disappeared. The exit opened to an ornate red hallway, which seemed cliché for all castles. The rug was crimson, the walls gold. Busts of the three kings, and who I can assume were their consorts dotted the walls. Paintings, much more massive and impressive than those in the antechamber or by my rooms were hung. Somehow, they were intimate.
My eyes immediately found Aro, who was painted in the giddy lines appropriate for the excitable Volturi king. He was standing behind a woman with flaming auburn hair and a winning smile. She was staring adoringly at Aro, who was young and soft and alluring. He was definitely handsome in the painting, with a sharp widow's peak and a flawless Mediterranean complexion and gorgeous black eyes. He reminded me of a storybook prince.
"Enraptured?" the vampire on my arm inquired, leaning down to whisper the question. "Maria was quite a beautiful woman."
"Maria, your… mate?" I asked hesitantly, trying to be coy.
"You are well-informed, my dear," he said, giving my arm a light squeeze, which was more of a caress. "She is rather breathtaking; however, she was lost a long time past. I find revelry in today's beauty, Miss Swan."
I chose not to respond.
Aro managed to unhook our arms in favor of my hand, which he held overhead as if we were wading through water while we walked down the serpentine steps. His fingers were frigid and lithe, reminiscent of Edward's pianist hands. I wondered if Aro played some sort of instrument, and then cursed myself for caring.
The ancient vampire tipped his head at me and offered a bright, charming smile. I tentatively offered one back, hoping that by gaining his good graces Lillia would win whatever she was after. Else wise, I was suffering for very little good.
"Tell me, Isabella, where is your consort, Edward?" he inquired suddenly, as we descended another flight of stairs. "He is quite protective of you; I can only imagine what lengths he would travel in order to pry you away from my attentions."
"He went hunting, out in the forests with his brothers," I responded guardedly. "And I'm sure he would be none-too-pleased."
"Yet you agreed upon joining me for this stroll." He chuckled. "What was your motivation? Do you not fear his disapproval?"
I turned my face away from him, glad for the darkness of the hall or else he would've seen my shame. "He is not my keeper, Aro – I am able to make my own choices."
His smile was blinding. For a moment he seemed young, the wrinkles and pallid complexion melting away until he was the fairytale prince in the painting.
"I do not doubt your ability, love, but the desire to ignore consequence."
Sunlight burned upon us as we stepped into the garden. The scent of freesia whisked the air.
"Especially since your relationship has been trying as of late," Aro continued, soiling the tranquility the garden created. "You'd be much better served with one willing to sacrifice their inhibitions to allow your freedoms."
"Edward is not my jailor," I defended, pulling away from Marcus. "I would appreciate if you kept your nose our out of our business as well, if you please. Our relationship is not for show."
Suddenly he was contrite. "Forgive me; I overstepped our boundaries." He paused, letting his apology seep in, cocking his head so that he embraced all of the sunlight. Once again, he was youthful and beautiful. "May we continue, or have I offended you to the point of no return? If the former, then I heed you to take interest in the Freesia alba to your left. If the latter, then I can only pray you forgive me."
Wordlessly, I turned on my heel and studied the white flowers. For Lillia, I reminded myself, forcing a small smile in direction of the Volturi king.
Rain. It came down in torrential waves, ending Aro and my tour around the garden. We separated with his promise of another reunion, much to my distaste. He was oily, and clairvoyant. Time and time again he broached private subjects, like my relationship with Edward; playing on fears I pretended were nonexistent. It was not only creepy, but also terrifying. Edward assured me that I was immune to Aro's gift, but what if in my new immortality I no longer had that ability? The thought of being an open book to the Volturi king still sends shivers down my spine.
The crashing of the storm did nothing to assuage my fear as I frantically tried to retrace the path to my lavish cell. Every hall looked the same. Eventually, however, by preying upon Edward's scent I found myself at the doorway.
Three things happened at once when I stepped across the threshold. A strange scent tickled my nose, reminiscent of freesia but something more. Alone I would have attested it to the location of my room. However, with the glow of candles and the silhouette of a figure on my bed I decided it was something more. My panic was alleviated however when Lillia glanced up, pushing a swath of cascading curls behind her shoulder.
"You almost gave me a heart attack," I breathed, closing the door behind me.
She smiled kindly, indigo eyes insanely luminescent in the gloom. "Sirens cannot get heart-attacks, Bella."
"Good to know." Awkwardly I flounced over to my bed and sat down besides her.
"It is. I have withheld many things from you, Isabella, and I have gained the ability to now present the facts to you. I had a covenant, with my father, not to speak once of our…history, outside of my sister, Aramine. There have been many things I have done to him, many things that I have said, but never will I disgrace a promise to my father." She said all of this as if merely stating the weather. Then, in a droning, practiced voice, she began.
"You must bear in mind that Elesmeera was a product of her siren mother and werewolf cousin. She was raised in a household where her mother, Gaea, was a dominant power, spilling anti-human lore. She despised the portrayal of emotion, thus defining all jobs that needed passion as rude." Lillia sighed. "Elesmeera was torn between her mother's insanities and her own personal idea of what was right. She suffered the Unspeakable. It drove her mad.
"Elesmeera was graced into a period that was relatively peaceful. She was married to Marcus, the human, thus allowing a strong Italian treaty to be established. However, there was a slight social upheaval. We are a strong warrior race of women, yet Gaea had spent her years disproving that, and Elesmeera followed. A revolution was beginning to brew, which shook Elesmeera's convictions.
"Gaea eventually died in an accident soon after Elesmeera was pregnant. You remember that, once after a siren gives birth, their 'powers' are transferred on, which don't activate until the mother's death. For all intents and purposes, after a siren gives birth, she becomes nothing more than a human. Elesmeera's immortality was being passed on – she was becoming vulnerable; she could die.
"The Catholic Revival was coming through Italy, and her people were being called demons; vampryes, although they were not hunted by humans, were being attacked in publicly by werewolves. Of course, the wolves were being persecuted by the foolish humans, allowing vampryes to run rampant. Marcus turned quickly after Elesmeera gave birth. Following, Elesmeera was turned into a vamprye This is where it gets complicated, so please give me some allowances." Lillia exhaled slowly and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"She was human after giving birth, thus the venom could turn her. However, although she was human, there was still her siren spirit – it wasn't wholly given to her daughters, and still resided in her soul. She did not give birth to a son, so the werewolf of her father also remained. Therefore she was all: vampire, human, siren, and werewolf.
"She awoke after a sweating sickness and went immediately back to her reign, regardless of the fact Marcus's betrayal ate her up inside. She had no blood lust, though she did fancy her meat a lot less cooked than many." She smirked. "She was aware of her strength because of that siren conviction. She gained the ability to take – to take people's defining features, their 'powers.' However, it also strengthened her insanity.
"Aramine, Artemis, and I grew up under Elesmeera's unprecedented rule. Catholicism overruled us, and so we went into hiding about the same time Volterra was growing underground in strength. We became young women during a tumultuous time. People were disbanding under the Queen's rule until Gabriel was enlisted as Elesmeera's advisor.
"Gabriel had an uncanny ability to prophesize. He dreamed that Artemis was planning to overthrow Elesmeera and of course, the latter became enraged at the idea. Aramine, Elesmeera could see – but not Artemis. Artemis had shown no interest in politics beyond Gabriel, her lover. Artemis was a great failure; she fooled around with humans.
"Elesmeera tried to kill Artemis several times before my sister ran away. My mother was driven to the point of breaking – she turned on Aramine, remaking her human, and then tried to murder me. Aramine was turned subsequently by her lover and I went underground into the brothels. Artemis married and gave birth to a daughter. That direct descendant is sitting in this room." Lillia flourished her hand in my direction.
"Elesmeera had been looking for Artemis, and now she's found you." She was speaking solely to me now, disbanding her robotic recollection. "You look uncannily like her. It's odd. And it's dangerous. I suspect she's going to try and destroy you. She already had Aramine, who was the stronger of us three, killed. You and I are next.
"However, luckily, Elesmeera chose the wrong time. It has taken Aramine and me a long time, but we finally have built an army willing to rebel against her. That is what I was beseeching Marcus, my father for earlier when you stumbled upon our council."
Lillia hesitated, her face turning several shades of crimson.
My anger, my frustration of not knowing for days snapped inside me. How could she hold something so important? "Is it true?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Why did you withhold this from me? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Lillia hesitated. "There are many reasons. The covenant for one, but I could have slipped through a pigeonhole, because on all accounts you are a sister mine. But also…you remind me of Artemis. I loved her, so, so very much. And I failed her. I didn't want to fail you. The less you knew, the less of a threat you were."
"If I was Artemis," I asked softly, "would you have kept this all from her?" I knew my question was unfair, but I had to ask anyway.
"Yes. I would never want her to know that she was related to such a force of evil."
I ran a hand through my hair, closing my eyes. I was suddenly very tired. "This is a mess. I still barely understand."
"Ask me a question and I will answer to the best of my ability." She placed a hand on mine. "I did not wish to withhold this from you."
"Did you tell that to Esme and Carlisle and the Volturi yesterday?"
Lillia nodded coolly. "No; Aro merely inquired deeply into what occurred, verifying what I was to say with them. We, my father and I, imparted a lot of the danger the situation has. They are your protectors – they needed to know first. Though it was edited. I did not tell them that you were related to us all somehow. I kept that secret all but from the Volturi. I had hoped you would come to our session earlier, however you did not. They needed to see what they may lose."
"So I am a bargaining chip."
She shook her head this time. "No. You're wrong. I'm not simply using you as a bargaining chip, Bella. I want you protected. I want this ended. Aro loves you; he wants you by his side. If you are to die in the midst of this, he could never live with himself and he wants so very badly to live. Thus, he'll assist my means. I'm not using you Bella. I know it sounds otherwise, but I'm not."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"You must remember however, to stay away from Aro," she whispered suddenly. Instantly, I remembered our "walk" from earlier with shame. "He loves you…he wants you. He sees you as powerful, as an anomaly. You can see in Alec and Jane that he collects. He wants Alice as well. The only difference is that he is desirous of you in different ways. He sees his wife Maria. He was driven mad by your scent, and you see the garden erected in your honor."
I shuddered in thought.
"I don't want to scare you," Lillia said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I leaned away, organizing my questions from most important to least.
"Alazeevreah and Euphrosyne killed my parents," I said matter-of-factly. Not a question. All I needed was verification, and Lillia's overcast eyes explained everything. She shook her head sadly, hiding her face in her hands.
Swallowing, I inquired further. "Why?"
Lillia shrugged. "To eliminate the entire threat."
"I'm not going to allow her to get away with that," I whispered heatedly. "I haven't spoken to Edward yet, or anyone else for that matter, but I'm willing to help your rebellion."
"You don't know what it stands for."
I glared. "I know that you're trying to rid the world of a tyrant, a maniacal creature that has killed innocents. I know that she ordered the death of my parents, of my ancestors... She poisoned my closest friend away from me. I want to know she's not getting away with it."
"You also want to prove yourself," Lillia said, peering closer at me.
I didn't respond.
"If you're going to war you're going to learn how to fight," she sighed. "I'll teach you, not today, but soon." She glanced out of the window. "There's so much I've to teach you, and not enough time."
"So…the Volturi have already proclaimed war?"
She shot a forced grin. "War was proclaimed the minute I slit Euphrosyne's throat, wouldn't you say so? Or perhaps it twas when Aramine was struck down. Or farther back with Elesmeera raised her hand against Artemis. This war has been brewing forever, Bella. Unfortunately, the Volturi have yet to acknowledge it because they're complacent and bitter over Marcus's past."
I ran a hand through my hair, trailing it down to my chest. My heart was still evenly pumping. I clutched my pendant like an anchor. I could not lose myself.
"Why? Why am I not as emotionally damaged over this? Before, I would have cracked under pressure," I begged her. "I hate it."
"Except when dealing with pleasure and joy, and all the greatest emotions." She shrugged at the end of the fragment. "It's just the depiction of our people. Look at art in the past. We're shown dancing and singing and lovemaking rather than brooding. There's no time for brooding."
"No time for brooding," I echoed darkly.
I didn't realize it was nighttime until it actually descended, I had fallen into a tired sleep. A note was left on Edward's side of the bed, reminding me that he wouldn't be back for another night. I clutched it in my palm, like I was holding his hand, and fell back into my dreams.
Lillia had withheld what she did to protect me – I can't wrong her for doing such. But it hurt to think that no one trusted me to take care of myself for a change. Edward once hid me behind him like a defenseless child. Now Lillia's adopted that role.
The story of Taha Aki and his third wife somehow drifted to me as I fell along the verge of unconsciousness. In order for Taha Aki to succeed in killing the opposition, the third wife had to give her life. I mused dreamily if I could ever make that choice, and fell into an empty sleep.
B L A C K O U T
"You look rather breathtaking, Bella," Aro said with a smile, joining me in the garden.
I shifted the voluminous skirts, gazing at them with disdain. I was awoken by Jane, who, in all her pleasantry, practically threw the gown at me and forced me to a bath. She seemed to be under orders to wash me, one I fought her over and won. For that, I had to trade off on the dressing selection. The Renaissance gown was rather beautiful, made of pure silk and velvet. A splattering of blood-red embroidery marred the virgin white of the gown on the tightly reigned bodice. I tripped, regrettably on the skirts a number of times going down the staircase, and dragged them unceremoniously through the mud.
"Thank you."
"The era suits you," he continued, walking back and forth and inspecting me like a champion horse. "I can only wonder what beauty you would be at the ball."
"Ball?" I echoed darkly in question. How could he be thinking of festivities in a time of war? I relented in accompanying him only in hopes that I would be able to argue Lillia's convictions. However, I bit my tongue. I have to ease him into considering her warpath.
He looked slightly scandalized. Then laughed. "Of course! We must celebrate our Carlisle's return!"
I lost the words to explain how not permanent our stay was to be. I dared ask, "When is it do you suppose you will have this ball? Edward and his brothers will not be back for a few days. You cannot host a party without the man-of-honor."
"Of course not, Isabella; we shall wait." He smiled blindingly at me, leading me from the garden. The mouth of the castle opened wide before us, the twisting corridors and hidden passages splayed before us. "In the time allotted to us, I offer you the ability to enjoy a day spent in our throne room, as a princess. You may find what we do, as Volturi royalty far more interesting than you had prior. It is not a dull experience, to live immortally."
I did not respond, glad for the steps. I sped ahead of him, nearly forgetting that the "elderly" vampire was a vampire none-the-less. He overshadowed me in swiftness, laughing at my petty attempt. His cloak billowed behind him, my lips tasting the fabric. I was highly annoyed, but spoke nothing of it.
My slippered feet tapped along the cobbled stones, then the plush, Middle-Eastern rugs as I followed him into the infamous turret. He spoke very little, never once offering his arm as he did prior. I was slightly jarred as to what he was planning, what he wanted from me. Lillia's warning played in my head repeatedly, but I ignored it. The ends justify the means, do they not? Or perhaps I am the only one under such an assumption.
Sophia S. stared at me when I entered the lobby, somewhat curious, somewhat jealous. I tasted the disgusting, coppery taste of her envy – so she was interested in Aro? I think it was more of the fact that she was interested in my place by his side. The Volturi collect these people, these ambitious, power-hungry subjects, and force obedience upon them. Its foolishness.
"Bella?" a soft voice called when I stepped into the turret. I sought out Esme with ease; her matronly face was creased in confusion. I felt like a child, suddenly, dressed in an outrageous combination of clothes. Nothing felt regal about the skirts, but instead foolish and unconventional. That unease was smothered when I noticed even she was dressed in an otherworldly fashion. Her dress was not as elaborate as mine, a simple affair, and more modern. It was straight to the floor, pooling around her bare feet in silver. Her mousey hair draped over the crystal neckline, tickling her shoulders. She was smiling.
"Hello," I responded, leaving Aro's side for hers instead. The Volturi king ignored me, instead marching to his rightful throne. "Did he summon you here as well?"
She shook her head. "Actually, I came here wanting to know what this dress meant, though I figure it is simply a change of clothes. You look rather extravagant."
I flushed under her gaze. "Yeah, Aro chose it for me."
"It suits you," she merely responded, turning her attention the center of the room. The walls were lined with vampires, each enchanted by Aro's presence.
Then, Lillia sauntered through the door, her long hair a cloak in its own right. I expected her in a dress similar to mine, if not more dramatic, but instead she wore what looked like a skin-colored mini-dress borrowed from Heidi. She wore a gold circlet, which plastered her fringe to her forehead. Her feet were bare and sparkling in the light.
"Aro," she regarded with a dip of her head. "Caius. Father."
They nodded in response. Aro beckoned me to his side, and grabbing Esme's hand, I waltzed over. She looked at me confusedly, to which I mouthed later.
Lillia stepped to the middle of the room and stretched like a cat, a grin slashed across her face. In a hypnotizing voice she began to speak; it was that same tone she used yesterday, almost as if she was possessed.
"Aphrodite," she said, then pointed her foot towards the ground like a ballerina, "had a great vision of Adonis." She threw her hands overhead and twirled. "She scoured the lands of north and south, of east and west, for a worthy vessel for her future lover. Myrrah." She stopped the movements abruptly, crumpling to the floor. "Myrrah, the princess of Syria; Myrrah, the lover of her father. Myrrah… Myrrah." She stood in a graceful movement. "Theias, planted the seed of Adonis in his daughter with urging from our Aphrodite. As they lay, in their embrace, Theias learned he had bed his offspring. Angered, he threatened her life, sword edge to her throat. Aphrodite, in her passionate wisdom, turned Myrrah into a tree.
"However," Lillia paused, hair masking her face. She turned in an abrupt movement, then mimed a bow. "The dreadful king shot the tree with an arrow. A seed blossomed from the flowers above, and a child grew from its bosom."
The dance turned more joyous. Lillia danced violently, shaking herself and sighing. She spun and grasped at the sky, hair tangling in her limbs.
"Aphrodite raised the child as her own. She loved him in all the constant passion of the moon and the sky. She bore a child she named Beroe, and hid her in a forest where no man would be tempted by her beautiful flesh. But Beroe, Beroe was too enthralled with the beauty of masculinity. Outraged with her daughter's disrespect, Aphrodite sentenced Beroe to the island of Sirenum Scopuli, imparting a curse; she would be so tempting and beautiful that no man would resist her, even creatures of the dark. She would turn men into animals and women into hateful creatures."
Lillia spun quickly, moving her hands over her chest and waist, grasping her foot. She fell to the ground and bemoaned the gods, stretching every muscle in her body. She was on tiptoe now, hopping and spinning. Her hair lashed around her. Her movements became so quick I lost them in my registry. I looked at Esme instead, trying to gauge what was occurring by her emotion; instead, Carlisle's mate looked blankly at the display, not sure of what to make of it. She glanced back at me, her lips tugging up in a crooked-smile so alike Edward's.
Lillia slowed now, moving her hips in a sinuous fashion to the very end of her dance. She caught my eye and grinned a very small, pretty smile. Very quietly, she whispered, "And that is the shame of my race."
She smoothed her hair, and walked out of the turret. I followed quickly after, ignoring Aro and Esme rudely. I met her in the lobby, much to Sophia's distaste.
"You will learn that one day," Lillia said as means of a greeting. "It is a tradition, passed down along with the pendant around your neck."
"Is that how we began?" I inquired, matching her step. "By the incest of a daughter and father?"
Lillia smiled. "I have no idea. It is the belief shared by our people on the subject of origination. It is, perhaps, a shameful idea, but it shows what we deem men as; means to an end. That is what they are to my people… our people. We are cursed, forevermore, to turn men into animals with blood lust, as sexual deviants, because of Beroe's promiscuity. If you wish to believe we are children of sin, you may."
"I don't believe that," I murmured, shivering.
"Neither do I." She grabbed my shoulder. "Bella, do not resist who you are. I will not pry, but I offer you a mere suggestion. We are creatures designed to live on pleasure. Indulgences are a splendid idea, as long as you learn restraint."
I flushed. "I suppose." I looked up and recognized the hallways leading to my room.
"I will teach you how to meditate, soon after you change from this terrible… dress." She eyed it with distaste and shook her head. "Aro really has lost his mind."
