AN: Sorry for the wait. Thank you to simonebruneau, k8ex10, leydyan22, Gualirix, Gotsta Have My Hardy, Jesusrocks, Fugazi0604, Lillythemarshmellowqueen, xxxwolfbanexxx, inuyashalover44, polkadot123, LorilieDorran, M1nk, simonebruneau, Kittypride16, HorsecrazyJr., written4U, xStarShinex, ncpup07, animalzgalore87, EmmyRoseXox, FlyingToastersUnite and gbell for all of the reviews, alerts and favorites and for sticking with me and waiting so long.
13. Volterra
I dreamed and for the first time in a long time, it wasn't a nightmare. It was snowing in Forks and I was standing in the open field with my parents. We were having a picnic of sorts, well, all of the food was splayed out across the crimson blanket for Jacob, whom I knew was somewhere in the forest, phasing into his human form. I cast my eyes around the ring of trees, seeking him out expectantly. My keen eyes caught him striding towards us in his cut off jeans, his muscled torso bare to the elements that I knew bothered him as little as they bothered me.
He smiled when my eyes met his from the impossible distance. My heart sped just with that innocent act. Beside me my mother laughed, loud and musical. I turned toward her to see her leaning against my father, a knowing smile on her lips. I glanced at her sheepishly and peeked at my father through my lashes. He chuckled but didn't say anything harsh about my reaction to Jacob.
And then I was enveloped in warmth and a wave of peace stole over me. I sighed in contentment as I leaned into Jacob's arms. I could feel his heart beat, strong and stead against my shoulders where they were pressed lovingly against his strong chest. His perfect lips brushed my temple and I sighed again. Here, in the field with the three people I loved most in the entire universe, I was home.
I started awake as the plane gave a jolting lurch. I blinked into the dimly lit cabin and heard the chorus of mummers from my fellow travelers. I became aware of the tears that had fallen from my eyes when I felt the annoying itch of the salt drying on my cheeks. I rubbed my cheeks clean and sat up in my seat, gazing out of my window. We were gliding down the runway at the airport and I frowned when I realized that I had slept for the entire length of the last leg of my journey.
I thought of my dream and my heart squeezed in on itself so painfully that I actually winced against the pain. The mechanical voice of the pilot echoed through the cabin, announcing our arrival and giving instruction on how to disembark. The stewards and stewardesses seemed to come out of the wood work and a very pretty woman with caramel colored skin slid into the empty seat next to me, offering me a very white smile. I knew from her thoughts that she had been charged with keeping an eye on me, since I looked so young and was claiming to be fifteen.
"I was wondering if I was going to get to see those eyes," she smiled, her voice was kind, like the light brown of her eyes, "And such a pretty shade of brown they are."
"Thank you," I replied, "They're my mother's."
"I bet she misses you very much," the woman replied.
My throat closed as I imagined the panic and the hurt that my parents must be feeling right this very second, "Yes. I imagine that she does."
Around us, the other passengers began to stand and extricate their belongings from the overheard compartments. The woman, who's name tag read Mina sat with me until the plane was nearly empty. Mina stood and escorted me off the plane with a happy smile. She only let me out of her watchful gaze when I pretended to spot my guardian in the milling crowd. I thanked her for her kindness before I scurried away, hoping to be swallowed up among the crowd.
As I wandered through the terminal, it occurred to me that I had no idea where I was going. I hadn't thought that far ahead. I had only been concerned with getting out of Forks and into Italy before my parents could stop me. I stopped walking and stood in the middle of a busy hallway, feeling lost and utterly hopeless. I pulled my bag, the only luggage that I had brought, to my chest and opened it. I still had a roll and a half of cash left. Maybe I could catch a bus or something.
I looked up and choked on the last breath that I had drawn. Standing before me were two men dressed head to toe in dark gray, nearly black suits. Everything they wore was the same uniform gray, like the sky just before the rain, from the tips of their gloved hands to the toes of their expensive dress shoes. Their skin was an odd shade of pale that most certainly had been of an olive tone when they had been human. One was tall and thin with dark hair that waved to a stop just above his shoulders, the other was tall and broad of muscle with short, dark, cropped hair. They were both wearing black sunglasses despite the fact that it was night outside. I didn't need to see their eyes to know that they would be the dark burgundy of vampires who drank human blood.
"Demetri," I choked, "Felix. What a pleasant surprise."
Demetri inclined his head and Felix smiled at me.
"None are more surprised than the Masters," Demetri replied, his voice smooth, soothing, "Come, we shall take you to Volterra."
Ice slid down my spine at the prospect but I really had no other choice. Besides, wasn't this what I had come here for, to surrender myself to the Volturi? I swallowed hard before I stepped between them, showing them that I was a willing prisoner and hoping that no force would be necessary. I still didn't know just how breakable I was or wasn't but I definitely wasn't willing to give them the opportunity to find a chink in my armor big enough for me to die through.
As we left the bustling airport I had to suppress a surprised gasp when I followed the guard to the sleek black car that idled by the curb. I really didn't know what I had been expecting, but it wasn't this. Demetri slid in first and Felix held the door for me.
"Ladies first," he said, his voice deep, but no less smooth as he offered me a smile.
I shuddered but slid in beside Demetri, Felix following behind me as he shut the door. I was shocked to notice just how much room there was in the car, Demetri, Felix and I fit comfortably side by side and that was saying something because Felix was a very physically opposing man. Once the door was shut, the car pulled away from the curb, smoothly merging into the airport traffic. I could hardly see through the dark, dark tinted windows.
A thick, uncomfortable silence filled the car and I allowed myself to look around the interior. The driver was hidden from my view by a black partition. I wondered if the driver was another guard or a human whom was offering their services to the vampires in hopes that they might be offered a more permanent position.
"So," I said at length, needing the silence to end, "How did you know that I was here?"
"We have procured a new member," Demetri replied, "And my own talent also played a pivotal part."
"Because you're a Tracker," I said and he nodded once, "And Aro knows that I'm here?"
"Of course," Demetri said, "He is anxiously awaiting your arrival."
I just bet he is, I thought darkly.
The rest of the car ride was silent. I sat between my two wardens in a state of dread. What if they did mean me harm? No, they couldn't possibly. Surely, if they had been sent to kill me, they would have done so once they got me away from the humans. Unless, of course, they were under orders to take me to Aro so that he could do the deed himself. I shuddered and Felix looked down at me from the corner of his eyes, which I could see through my peripheral, even though he was still wearing his sunglasses.
It seemed to take an eternity to reach the city. The road turned very curvy toward the last leg of our journey and soon I could feel the car vibrate slightly, as if it were driving over cobblestone rather than pavement. The car rolled to a smooth stop and Felix opened the door and got out. I looked at Demetri and he nodded his head. I slid out of the car, shying away from the large hand that Felix had offered me out of instinct. He didn't seem offended by my rejection, only shrugged his powerful shoulders and moved aside so that Demetri could exit the car after me.
We were standing in what looked like and old barn, though the walls were made of stone. The car fit neatly in the center of a row of other, sleek black cars. I realized that we were standing in a garage. Well, I guess the Volturi were more civilized than I had first come to perceive. Felix cleared his throat beside me and I jumped. It took me a moment to realize that Demetri was waiting for us by a large curving staircase. I felt myself blush as I hurried after him, feeling Felix's large presence behind me.
We ascended the stairs until we reached a landing that was made of the same stone that the garage had been made out of. There were no windows along the drafty hallway we walked. Only torches lit our path.
"Are we underground?" I asked curiously as we continued through the unmarred stone hallway.
"Yes," Demetri replied simply.
"It won't be for long," Felix supplied, "The Masters are receiving you in the tower."
"The tower," I repeated, "What, are we under a castle or something?"
"Something," Felix smiled and shrugged.
The rest of the walk was a labyrinth of hallways, some paneled in dark wood, some carved out of rough rock and others that were made of something that looked a lot like marble. Finally, we reached a door made of steel. Felix opened it and I frowned. The hallway beyond was dark and I sighed as we continued on through the door. It slammed shut behind me with a rather ominous and definitive clang.
"How long does this tunnel go, exactly," I muttered.
Felix chuckled, "A while. Our tunnels run through most of the city, connecting various chambers and our rooms..."
I stared up at the large man beside me, "You have rooms?"
"Of course," Demetri nodded.
"There's also the dungeons," Felix continued to list off the various room as if neither I nor Demetri had spoken, "And the kitchen, the laundry room, the servants quarters...."
"Felix," Demetri cut him off and Felix fell silent.
Imbecile, came Demetri's inner monologue, Revealing all of our secrets to this girl before we even know if she will be staying. I knew it was a bad idea to bring him along.
Goosebumps marched up my arms at hearing his thoughts. I tried not to think as I continued to walk down the dark corridor in between them. The floor beneath us began to slant downwards and I distracted myself with wondering how far down we were going but inevitably, my thoughts turned against me when I thought about what might be awaiting me when we arrived at our destination. Presently, we came to a grate and a small door beyond it. As we walked through the door, I blinked furiously against the bright lights that assaulted my eyes.
As my vision adjusted, I could see an elevator at the end of the white, bright hallway. We approached it and Demetri pressed the button and the doors sprang open. We stepped inside and I watched both Demetri and Felix take off their sunglasses, folding them and tucking them neatly into a hidden pocket inside their matching suit jackets.
The elevator doors opened and I stepped out into what looked a lot like an office or reception area, complete with a greeting counter, vases filled with bright and cheery flower arrangements and landscape paintings. Directly across from us, there was a set of double doors which were closed. Felix barreled ahead of us and opened one side of the doors for Demetri and I. As we stepped into the corridor beyond, I froze in my tracks. My breath caught in my throat as I beheld the sight in front of me, barely aware that my escorts had moved on halfway up the hall, holding a door open for me.
I gaped at the gilded doors before me like a fish out of water. My nightmares came back to me in visions like flashbulbs before my open eyes. A hand touched mind and I jerked away from it with a shriek, my shoulder colliding with the stone wall beside me. My heart thrummed in panic as I gasped down air, trying to calm down. This was no time to go into hysterics. Felix loomed before me, blocking my view of the door from my nightmares, his hands raised as if to show me that he meant me no harm.
"What is this?" came the reasonable, yet still terrifying voice of another one of my nightmares.
Felix backed away from me hastily and I could see Aro glide through the open door off to my left, his black cloak trailing behind him like a shadow. Just before him and a little to the sides came Jane and Alec, flanking him as if they were prepared for an attack. Behind stood the other two ruling members of the Volturi, Caius and Marcus. Aro drifted forward and Jane reached for him.
"Master, I don't think..." she began in her child's voice.
"Come now, dear one," Aro said gently, "Renesmee means me no harm. Why, the poor dear is scared out of her wits. Listen to her heart fly."
At his last words, my heart sped faster. His tone had meant to sound soothing but his words were only menacing to me as he drifted closer, but still just out of my reach. He turned his odd filmy red eyes on Felix and his translucent features rearranged themselves into disapproval.
"Felix, what have you done to frighten her so?" He tisked, like a disapproving parent.
"Nothing, Master," Felix replied quickly, "We were just about to join you when she screamed."
"Demetri, is this the truth?" Aro turned to Demetri with dark brows raised.
"Indeed, Master," Demetri replied with a slight bow of his head, "I cannot say what startled her, but it was through no fault of my own, or Felix's."
Aro turned his gaze back on me, his eyes full of patience. He extended a withered hand to me and I eyed it warily, my newly controlled breathing becoming ragged again with the gesture that haunted my dreams. Aro heard my strange reaction to his seemingly innocuous intent and smiled, never moving his hand.
"Fear not, little one," he said, his voice gentle, "I mean you no harm."
I stared at him and my face must have betrayed the doubt I felt because Aro laughed. As I stared, I listened to his mind. I searched his thoughts and found no malicious intent. Truly, he wasn't going to hurt me. Perplexed, I took a step toward him and his laughter died immediately, his face a mask of a feverish anticipation. My hand hovered over his and I had a second to wonder whether or not I should touch him. After all, he didn't know about my new abilities and I was less than enthusiastic to show him that. It seemed that I didn't have a choice in the matter. Aro closed his hand around mine and I braced myself for the inevitable.
Aro continued to smile at me, and I gaped at him. Where was the surprise? The outrage? Wouldn't he be curious? And then his brow furrowed.
"What is there for me to be curious about, dear one?" He asked me and my jaw unhinged slightly.
I pulled my hand back and he allowed me to do it, shockingly, "About why I'm here."
"Well, of course I'm not curious about that," Aro smiled, "I'm well aware of your Aunt Alice's talents and of course I knew that she would be spying on us after our rather....inhospitable meeting last time."
He was partly right so I made no move to correct him, still reeling over the fact that he hadn't reacted in any way to the knowledge of my new abilities....Unless...A shining thought occurred to me. I hand my mother's abilities.....I was part Shield...But then, why had he been able to hear my thoughts at all? It must have been my own power of projecting my thoughts that allowed him to see...I frowned at all of the questions that just exploded into my head with the realization of my theory.
Aro was looking at me with an amused smirk on his face, "Shall we adjourn to the tower? This hallway is a little cramped for so many."
I nodded and followed him though the open door, cringing away from Jane as she bustled past me to be at Aro's side. As I stepped into the room, I could see that we were inside what looked like a hallowed out castle turret. There were long slitted windows through which stars were visible. There was no furniture in the room save three wooden thrones that were pressed against the stone walls. In the center of the room was a drain and I briefly wondered what it was used for.
The crowd that had been in the hallway scattered once inside the room. Demetri and Felix went to stand in between the thrones, one in each gap. Aro drifted to the one in the very center, Marcus, the one to right and Caius to the left. They each sat down and stared at me, standing in the middle of the room, uncertainly. I noticed a pale, blond woman standing to Aro's right, her skin and eyes were the same strange constitution as Aro's and her cloak, just as black, stood open, reveling a long, black dress. Another blond woman, with hair shorter that the one at Aro's side stood beside Caius, her hand resting idly on his shoulder. Marcus, I noted, sat alone.
Aro saw me scrutinizing the woman at his side and smiled, his hand lifting up and stroking the woman's bare arm. She looked down at him and smiled.
"My wife, Sulpicia," Aro explained and the woman nodded at me once, her expression cold and aloof, "But let's save the introductions for latter. You'll have plenty of time to get to know everyone."
His false enthusiasm was starting to wear on my already frazzled nerves. The fear in me had staved off the jet lag, but now I was starting to feel it. I stood in the center of the room and tried not to allow my shoulders to slump. Aro was regarding me with keen eyes and I didn't much care anymore.
"You must be exhausted from your journey," Aro said at length, "I keep forgetting that you hybrids need your rest. However, before you are shown to your room, I must insist on setting some rules."
My room? Wasn't I a prisoner here? I blinked at Aro silently, waiting for him to speak again.
"Of course, I must ask you to stay within the city walls," he began, "It wouldn't do to allow you to wander off. We have human food available, if you should feel so inclined, however, there are an abundance of other food choices that are delivered every day, fresh to our door."
I shuddered at the thought, my vegetarian upbringing causing me to balk at the implication in his words. Though I detested human food, it seemed that I would have no other option.
"That will be all for now," Aro smiled, "Heidi, dear, will you show young Renesmee to her room?"
"Yes, Master," said the statuesque vampire that was waiting in the wings.
She sauntered over to me with a pleasant smile on her face, her mahogany hair swinging behind her. I peeked up at her through my lashed and she nodded at me and turned to exit the room. I looked behind me at Aro, who was watching me as if he were waiting for me to run screaming into the night. I offered him a clipped smile and took my leave, ignoring the gilded doors at the end of the hall and catching up to Heidi quickly.
She was waiting for me by the elevators, her delicate hand keeping the doors open for me. I entered the elevator and the doors slid shut behind me. To my surprise, instead of going down, we went up.
The ride was short and the doors opened into yet another corridor. I sighed as I followed my escort down yet another stone hallway. I all but gasped when I saw the windows set in intervals along the corridor. Outside, the stone buildings of Volterra serrated the blue-black night, the waning moon hanging heavy in the sky. Heidi made a sharp turn and I jerked to follow after her, casting a longing glace at the sky before I headed down a windowless walk. We continued down a short flight of stairs and made another sharp turn into another dark hall, this one lined with five doors, two on the right and three on the left.
Halfway down the corridor, Heidi stopped, facing a door on the right.
"This is your room," she announced, producing a key and shoving it into the lock. The tumblers caught and she twisted the door knob. The door gave way with a loud protesting groan, rust flakes falling from the hinges. It seemed that this room hadn't been used in a very long time. I wandered in and looked around. The room smelled stale and moldy. The air was damp and sticky. Heidi glided past me and suddenly there was light. She stood beside a large cherry four poster that was draped with cream silks. The furniture in the room looked new and the pewter lamp beside the bed was powered by electricity.
Heidi sauntered over to a large wardrobe that stood open and gaping across from the massive bed.
"We didn't have time to prepare a wardrobe for you," she smiled apologetically, "But now that you're here, we can get your measurements and arrange a fitting."
"For what?" I blinked at her.
"For clothes," Heidi replied, as if it should have been obvious, "Unless, of course, you prefer to run around naked?"
"Of course not," I replied indigently, "I have my own clothes."
Sort of. I wasn't really sure of what I had packed, exactly. For all I knew, I could have grabbed five pairs of pants.
"Nevertheless," she waved my comment aside, "You will have new clothes tailor made. I trust that this room is acceptable?"
I nodded. It was more than acceptable, it was downright unexpected. I was thinking I would be locked away in some drafty cell, not a room that looked like it belonged in a five star hotel. Or that I would be getting my own personal wardrobe. Instantly, I didn't like all of the hospitality that was being thrown at me. It seemed too good to be true. Heidi looked at me for a moment before she walked over to a door that I hadn't noticed.
"The wash room," she announced, "I don't think you need a guided tour of that?"
"No, thanks, I think I can figure it out," I replied, if not a bit more hostile than I would have liked.
If she was offended by my tone, she didn't show it. Instead, she nodded once and walked back to the door, closing it behind her. Before the door was completely closed, she peeked back in.
"Oh, and don't think of wandering off," she said offhandedly, "Someone will come to collect you in the morning."
And with that she shut the door. I listened for the sound of the key turning the lock but it never came. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when the thought of the uncharacteristic charity came again. I wandered over to the bed that loomed so invitingly before me. I sat down on the edge and sighed. I took my bag from my shoulder and set it down, falling back onto the mattress. The bed was as soft as a cloud. I kicked off my shoes and crawled further onto the mattress, my body felt sluggish and exhausted as I collapsed in the middle of the bed. It wasn't long until sleep claimed me.
AN: Again, sorry for the long wait! Oh no! What is the Volturi up to? And why are they being so nice? Why didn't Aro see Nessie's other gifts? Who knows? Stay tuned!