AN: I put this up so quickly because of my impatient friend-_- Only joking, I love you really! Hope you enjoy! ONLY THREE chapters left!:'(
Chapter Twenty One- Reasoning and Losses.
Anger swirled with my fear, tainting the blackness of despair with the crimson of fury. I was so close. So very close to slipping away. Into what, I was not sure. I could easily fall into a pool of murder and rage or slip quietly into a hole of numbing darkness- the choice was mine, although the sick, twisted people in front of me could be an influence.
"Where are they?" I growled menacingly, topaz eyes burning, acid bubbling steadily in my veins. Aro blinked once, a cloud of surprise briefly passing on his face before settling onto innocence, which served to fuel my fury even more. He was not innocent. He was murderer, a killer of his own kind.
"I haven't the faintest clue what you're suggesting, Bella." Aro stated smoothly, feigning pleasantry with a soft smile and kind, crimson eyes. I daringly took a step forward, the anger pulsing painfully through my mind, as I tried to control myself. One wrong move and they would tell me nothing. One false step and I would be dead.
"I'm being very calm, Aro. Extremely so. But even my self control has limits. So kindly, stop the lies and make this easy. Tell me what you've done with them!" I tried to keep my voice steady and calm, but the storm brewing in my mind had other plans, sloshing my thoughts into a fury riddled state.
"Threats do not sit well with me, Bella. Even my kindness has an end." Aro's tone was still undetered, but the impatience that flashed through his eyes gave him away instantly.
"These are not the Cullens, Aro. Never take me for a fool. Especially, when the family I love is involved." I pointed an unsteady hand towards the coven of vampires that tensed visibly in the corner, their eyes wide, brimmed with emotion that I couldn't even translate.
I spared a second to glance at them, as they still continued to stare at me. I could pratically taste the anger and panic radiating off them. It was the feelings I was all too familiar with.
"Come on Bella! Don't you give up!"
My ears pricked instantly, as I instinctively took a step back. The voice was low, husky and so obviously filled with despair. The tone leaked desperation, filling every single corner of my body with a warmth of familarity. But, I couldn't place the voice. Why did it sound like I'd heard it before? My vision swam, as the colours of the Cullen's living room began to fade. The nude colours dripped into shades of white, the light diminishing in the room to a dim glow. It felt surreal. Like this wasn't even real.
Then someone spoke and like a light switch being flicked, everything turned back to normal. The shades of colour returned to beige and camel, the Volturi and 'Cullens' settled back into my vision. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of confusion that had riddled it.
"No! We've lost her!"
The voice that spoke again was a stark contrast to the one before. It was melodic and achingly beautiful, the kind of tone that makes your heart flutter and stomach roll at the same time. I glanced up, expecting the colours to run like wet paint and for my vision to fade. But everything stade as it was. My eyes flickered anxiously over the Volturi guard, trying to seek out the one that was doing this. The one that was beginning to make me doubt my sanity by playing with my mind.
But no matter who I looked at, their faces remained impassive and stoic, unmoving like statues. Nausea worked its way up my throat and remained there, burning with such an intensity, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Panic singed my nerves, as I now desperately searched for the source of the voice.
My eyes swept over Nikohl, my gaze despairing as I scanned her eternal face with a burning look. She kept deathly still, not even breathing, as I inspected her expression. Something about her felt wrong. Like she didn't even belong there. She stuck out in a striking way, something ethreal radiating off her flawless skin, as she leant into the golden haired male.
She wasn't right.
She was the odd one out.
I kept my eyes on her for a second longer and that's when she snapped. Impatience and annoyance clouded her ruby eyes, as her pale hands clenched tightly into fists. I raised an eyebrow, watching her battle with an invisible force that beckoned her to fight. She breathed in deeply, fixtating her gaze on me with an intense look that almost made me stagger back.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed how Aro had turned towards the 'Cullens', his mouth moving speedily, as he talked rapidly, but I chose to block out his pointless words, his obvious lies. Rolling my shoulders back, I stood up a little taller, a primal instinct filling my senses, as if someone was getting too close to a wild animal.
Nikohl shifted her position slightly, exposing the front of herself hesistantly, almost with reluctance. The male that was her obvious mate wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, whispering something into her ear. But even my senses strained to hear them. She shook her head in what appeared to be disagreement. She yanked herself roughly out of his grasp, arms crossing tightly against her chest. Anguish flickered briefly across the male's features before disapearing.
Nikohl took three steps forward, her stride purposeful and confident, like she had already accepted what she was about to do. Caius stared down at her with distate, as she continued her journey towards me. I fought to stay where I was, the feeling of stepping back seeming all too pleasant.
Nikohl's gaze slid to Aro, a wary look battling its way into her eyes. But, Aro continued to talk, his voice smooth and elegant, as he continued to murmur to the others. His inky black hair swayed in a non existent breeze, swirling gently around his broad shoulders.
The 'Cullens' began to shudder, fear overtaking their eyes, as Aro carried on with a smirk gracing his lips. It was as if he hadn't noticed their distress or obvious intention to run away from him.
It was such a strange sight to see. All the time I had ever seen the Cullens, I had never been frightened. Angry and brave, yes. But never like this. Never so selfish in their fear. A protective instinct washed over me, demanding me to help them, but I had to keep telling herself that they weren't my family. They weren't my coven.
Nikohl was now face to face with me, a determined expression painted across her beautiful face, as she captured my attention. I eyed her warily, muscles tensing, waiting for her act, expecting her to start the violence that the Volturi craved.
"They aren't real, you know?" I was caught by surprise at the softness in her voice, as her pale hand raised gracefully to gesture to the 'Cullens'. I nodded my head slowly, waiting for the rest, expecting more than that simple piece of information. She smiled slightly, crimson eyes gentle as she continued.
"They're copies, so to speak. Vampires that have the ability to change their appearance to suit their needs. Aro seeked them out a while ago, specifically for this purpose. But, they have failed in their task to convince you, so they're sentenced to death." Nikohl explained further, her tone rapid, yet still comforting and gentle. Her words left me breathless in a wicked sort of sense. Their impending fate made my stomach twist uncomfortably, the outcome sickening me to my core. Yet, I couldn't help but feel the relief that I wasn't going mad, that I wasn't seeing things that weren't really there. Then confusion and panic set in, spreading quickly and painfully throughtout my body.
Why did Aro want me to be convinced? What was his plan? But most importantly, where were the real Cullens?
I took in a deep breath, but Nikohl seemed unfazed, biting her lip briefly, but then carrying on.
"You're not sure what is real and imaginary now. The confusion will carry on within you, Bella and it is going to tear you apart when you realise the truth." Sadness filled her eyes, as a knowing smile spread across her face.
"Maybe in a different life, Bella, we could of been good friends."
She turned sharply on her heel and walked briskly back to her mate, brushing past Caius with praticed ease, as if she had done it thousands of times before.
Bewilderment left me reeling. My mind stretched with the new knowledge that had been placed upon me. I tried to make sense of her words, but they drew no familiarity.
Even though I had only met her today, I already trusted her words.
And that scared me.
More than it should.
AN: What do you think?