Hello! SPRING BREAK! That means update:)
Keep R&R
Its 5:45 and I am following Charlotte down a familiar corridor towards the throne room. She came knocking on my door about two hours ago demanding I look "spectacular" for tonight's meeting.
She shoved me into the shower, did some gentle makeup, formed my hair into soft curls and secured it out of my face with a black bow on the back of my head. She then physically made me put on an ivory dress with black lace accents and black bow waistband. It hits just above my knees and has a sweet heart neckline with short sleeves that are a tad bit puffy.
She gave me black ballet flats and pulled me out the door.
"Seriously, I look ridiculous," I complain for the millionth time.
"I'm not a doll, and I look like a three year old."
She gave me a stern look.
"No. You look well presented."
"Yes, with bows. And does the Volturi care for any other colors, I mean really it's like you guys wish you were part of Dracula's cult," I say looking at my all black and white outfit. Since I arrived I haven't been dressed in anything but dark unenthusiastic colors.
"Dracula is a silly human fairytale. The Volturi is all real and well poised," She said dragging me swiftly up to the familiar entrance.
"I don't think is a fairytale, it's more of a nightmare. Hence the comparison," I retort feeling my stomach clench. The throne room always means bad news. Charlotte gave me a look that says behave all on its own and pulls the big doors open exposing the full throne room.
I look around; the room is packed full with vampires. My head is beginning to throb trying to detect all the special powers in the room. I have never seen this many bloodsuckers in one room.
"There is our guest of honor."
Aro. He walks forward smiling at me. He grips Charlottes hand in his and a couple of seconds later nods. She zooms off to join a man who must be her mate because he nuzzles her hair and gives her hand a quick squeeze of reassurance.
I turn my attention to Aro who is suddenly about a foot away. He reaches his hand out bowing slightly and says,
"Shall we?"
I look at him confusion spreading across my face, he keeps his polite grin.
"I guess," I respond looking at his eyes fearfully. I place my hand in his waiting palm and his hand closes around me like a trap. I flinch and he chuckles whispering into my ear.
"Now is not a time to fear me bambina."
I shiver as his cool breath tickles my ear. He leads me up to the steps where his brothers sit, Caius on the right and Marcus on the left. He lets my hand fall and takes a seat in his throne.
"Take a seat," he says directing my attention to the top step next to where he sits.
"May I sit on the other side?" I question looking to the side of his throne located by Marcus. Caius sneers looking at Aro to see what he will do, Marcus looks the other way.
"I wonder, Why my sweet?" Aro says looking at me intently almost begging me to back down. But I won't, not that easily.
"Because, I don't like him," I say nodding toward the direction of Caius. I see Caius scoff in the corner of my eye and I smile.
"Tsk, tsk," Aro scolds picking up both my hands in his. I look down.
"Look at me," he says softly.
I don't need to be told twice, I look up at him and he is smiling. He seems amused!
"Sit."
His eyes go dark and the grin falls from his face. He drops my hands and points to the spot on my right… Next to Caius.
I sit down slowly my back partly on the foot of his throne.
"Good evening everyone," Aro says to the room standing up from his seat.
"Master," the whole room says bowing toward the "superior" three.
"This is Skylarinna Rose Davenport for those of you that are not aware. She has been with us for the past four days, and for the most part has made her presence known," Aro said smiling back at me along with everyone else in the room.
I blush and look down at my hands.
"Now she shows restraint," Aro says sarcastically laughing.
"Anyway, she has yet to join us in our little… what shall we call it... Festival," he said receiving a few chuckles in the crowd.
I look around baffled. Something is going to happen, and I have a feeling it's not going to be fun.
"She will get first pick," Aro says simply and turns to face me. He offers his hand to help me get up and I accept.
"Are you famished?" He questioned gazing into what use to be my golden eyes but have faded to a dirty brown color.
"Um… Yeah, I mean I guess so. I haven't had any nourishment since I got here," I say wondering where this came from.
"Bunon!" He responded and turned toward the big doors on the opposite side of the room.
"Heidi," he calls at a normal tone, but she of course heard him.
A beautiful beyond imagine women comes through the grand entrance and following her are… Humans?
"Welcome!" Aro says happily to the group.
They must be tourist; they are snapping photos and pointing around to different things unaware of where they are. There is a range of ages, everything from a newborn baby to a couple that must be over seventy.
"Have you picked yet?" Aro whispers in my ear.
I gasp. He intends to feed on all of them. I stare out at the innocent people in front of me.
"No," I whisper shaking my head. My eyes catch a little blonde girl hiding behind her mother's leg. Children always see danger first.
"Well, you better hurry. They are starting to get anxious," he replies misunderstanding me.
"No," I say louder backing away wide eyed. I bump into his throne and trip falling on the floor.
"Oh dear," Aro says gazing down at me. He turns toward his guard,
"Feed dear ones."
The big doors shut and screams erupt. The scent of blood fills the room, and my throat starts to burn. I have to get out of here. I quickly pick myself off the floor and turn to run toward the back door that I have located. A firm hand grabs my arm.
"What are you doing," Aro says whipping me around to face him. I look up at him trying to hold my breath.
"I don't kill people," I plainly state trying to tune out all the screams echoing off the walls.
"What do you eat?" he questions eyes bearing down on me. He must not have picked this small amount of information up when he was digging through my mind.
"Mostly human food, and if I need blood I get it from animals," I say hoping he won't fight me on this and just let me go.
"Oh, that won't do," he says ginning and drags my fighting body back to the main floor.
Venom begins to pool my mouth and I hold my breath. There is a woman yelling for her daughter, I recognize her as the little blonde girl's mother. Aro walks up pulling me along and the lady looks at him terrified—much like I have done. He keeps his hold on me as he roughly grabs her by the neck and digs his teeth into her pulsing vein. She whimpers and then collapses to the ground as he releases his hold. She screams as the venom creates its burning allusion, I stare in terror. Aro lets go of my arm and circles behind me placing his hands on my shoulders.
"Feed, Skylarinna," he says pushing down on me forcing me to my knees. I unconsciously reach up to my burning throat. The woman continues to shriek.
Control yourself, I think to myself, I will not give in.
Aro crouches next to me and moves my dark curls from my cheek and behind my ear.
"You don't have to be strong cara," he whispers "You must be starved."
I look at him a tear escaping and running down my cheek. I just now noticed that the room is silent. I look around and see everyone watching attentively. I glance up to the thrones and they are empty. I spot Caius leaning against a pillar cleaning dried blood off his face, but Marcus is nowhere to be found. I turn my attention back to the evil man beside me and force myself to swallow.
"You have taken everything from me. Everything. Why can't I just keep this one thing?"
He tilts his head in curiosity and just as I think he might give in his eyes turn the coldest I have ever seen and says,
"Leave us."
I turn my gaze back to the ground and notice that the hem of my dress is soaked red. I feel the rush air as I am left in the room filled with bloodless corpses and the two devils themselves. A few seconds past, the only sound is the soft whimpers of the women in front of me. I close my eyes tightly and take a deep breath, thinking of anything but the situation I am in. I bite my quivering lip as more tears begin to stream down my face, I don't care if I look weak.
A hand touches my chin and turns my head, I open my eyes. Aro grasps my face between his two hands and uses his thumbs to clear my cheeks of my silent tears.
"She is going to die anyways my pet. Someone has to do it," he says softly.
Caius pushes off the pillar he was leaning against and makes his way over to us kicking lifeless bodies out of his way.
"But it won't be me," I say grinding my teeth and push hard against his chest taking him by surprise. I scoot back my dress acting as a mop to all the blood on the ground tarnishing the white turning it into something evil and dark.
I collide with Caius's legs and he reaches down grabbing me by my hair, my hands shoot up pulling uselessly against his hold. He yanks me back to where I had been, my knees dragging against the ground as I try to fight. He released his hold but stays standing behind me.
"You need to feed, you're getting weak," Caius spat at me "Not to mention you have already killed, a family member none the less."
"I did not kill him," I say furiously. I think of my poor brother's face, I didn't kill him, but it was my fault.
"I wasn't talking about your bloody brother, I was talking about Amelia. Your grandmother," he responded
"How do you know about that?" I question glancing over at Aro who is now standing on the opposite side of me watching his brother anguish me.
"Never the matter. I wonder do you blame yourself for your beloved Nathaniel's death," Caius said. I could hear the mockery in his voice.
"Please. Stop," I say closing my eyes.
Focus Skylar. He is trying to break you. Don't let him.
"Per Favore! Stop the burning!" the lady was screaming.
I tried covering my ears as hard as I could but I can still hear Caius's ridicule.
"Because I would agree with you. It is your fault… Just like it's your fault that this woman is suffering," he said walking over to kneel beside me.
"She would have died with little pain, but now," he traced her face with his fingers and she let out a little sigh. Probably due to his icy touch reacting with the flame happening inside of her.
"Shhhh," he shushed her. He picked up her wrist and held it up to his mouth and bit rather gently. He then glanced at my fearful eyes, and faster then I could processes he grabbed my arm and pulled me into him restraining me against his chest. He tried to press the lady's arm into my mouth but I turned my head locking my jaw.
Aro came rushing over and grabbed my head leaning me back so that I was lying over Caius's leg my face pointed upward. He held my forehead with one hand and tried to pry my jaw open with the other. Caius had a fixed grip on my wrists and was holding the open wound up to my mouth.
My jaw released against my own will, and the woman's wrist was shoved into my mouth. Blood began to pool in my mouth and the agonizing burn in my throat became so strong that I had to swallow. It felt so good.
I began drinking no gulping down what felt and tasted like liquid gold. Aro and Caius both released their hold and I turned putting my weight on my knees never stopping the flow of the warmth down my throat. I was leaning over gripping the lady's arm greedily wanting every drop.
"Good girl," Aro said stroking my hair.
I continued to devour the sweet liquid until the vein that supplied it went dry. I opened my eyes and snapped back into reality. I touched my mouth and pulled my hand staring down at fresh blood. No. I got to my feet and scrambled backwards to fast that I fell. I looked at what I tripped over and saw the pale woman's face that I had just sucked the life out of. I sucked in a strangled gasp. Looking up I saw Aro smiling.
"Don't you feel better young one?" He said starring at me triumphantly.
"You're a monster," I managed to say through sobs.
"So are you," Caius said from behind me.
I looked across the room and saw the little girl bright blue eyes open wide and blonde hair splayed out beneath her covered in blood.
He might just be right.
Talk about a favorite theme of mine (Fall From Innocence)!
I know I promised Alec in this chapter but I didn't want to rush this scene because I feel like this is a major part of the story... She lost some of her self in this chapter:(
Anyway I PROMISE, Alec will become an influence in the next chapter! And it will be up by the end of spring break:)
Also, I haven't made a decision should Alec and her have a "thing" or not? I would love for some input:)
Any other thoughts are great as well3