A/N: In case there were any fears about my long absence, I have not abandoned this story. It was just a case of writer's block. This is a bit of a transitional chapter, so not much action, I'm afraid.
As usual, I thank amymorgan for editing the chapter.
I like to take a moment to discuss something unrelated to this story. I recently discovered a case of plagiarism where a person copied an author's story word for word and posted as her own. I contacted the author, who reached out to the person to ask her to take the story down. But so far that person has refused, even after being informed that she has been reported to the ffnet admins. I hope everyone can support the author and ask the plagiarist to do the right thing.
The original story is "An Untitled Continuation of the Twilight Saga" by gothicfictionfan. The reposted copy is "Life after breaking dawn" by aashi16. We are all here to share our ideas, not to steal them from other people.
Chapter 28 - The Praetorian
"You know, you try to be a good host. And what happens? People take advantage of your hospitality," Lucy mused rhetorically.
I stood rooted to my spot by the wooden chest, my body tensed for anything. I ran through possible escape scenarios in my mind, plotting and dismissing moves and counter moves rapidly in case Lucy tried to stop me. To my surprise, she was no longer paying any attention to me. Instead, Lucy surveyed the room with a feigned look of annoyance on her face.
"Great, now I'll never find anything around here. Ever hear of the term, 'controlled chaos?'" She gave me a pointed look. "And I had everything just the way I liked it too," she muttered under her breath.
"E-excuse me?" I stuttered, still clutching the dark purple cloak tight in my fists. Of all the things I expected her to say, that certainly wasn't where I thought the conversation was heading. What was she going on about?
"My apartment?" Lucy stated, looking at me expectantly. Obviously not satisfied with my reaction, she continued "You know, the place I live? I was just commenting about the mess that a certain guest of mine just made."
"What?" I still wasn't following, my mind trying to reconcile the bewildering woman in front of me with my image of the ominous Praetorian Guard, protectors of the Triumvirate, and utterly failing in my attempt. What was a Praetorian doing way out here in the slums of New York?
"Did you drink in too much of the Hudson coming in?" Lucy raised one eyebrow. "Fine, I'll spell it out, sister. I said you could hangout here, I didn't give you permission to rearrange all of my stuff."
When the nature of her complaint finally registered, my indignation momentarily overtook my fear. "Hey! I just did you a favor. How anyone could be comfortable living in a sty is beyond me," I huffed.
"Oink, oink," Lucy shot back smugly. I was about to argue back when I realized the absurdity of this discussion. I couldn't believe someone of her stature could be so immature!
"You're Praetorian," I said accusingly, growing bold in my aggravated state.
"I'm more of a Hungarian actually, on my human mother's side," Lucy deadpanned. I knew her tone well enough now to know she was making fun of me.
"This stitching and cloth are only found in Volturi cloaks," I said with more bravado than I felt, waving the cloak to emphasize my point, "Who are you?"
"Just a ronin," Lucy answered whimsically, "a masterless vagabond looks for some purpose to her life." She paused for a second and appeared to be in deep thought. "Ooh, that was good, maybe I should write a book."
Great, I was trapped in a room with a possibly unstable Praetorian who fancied herself a comedian. How did I get myself into this mess?
I started to slowly edge toward the window, hoping to catch Lucy off guard by jumping through it. Maybe the element of surprise will give me a chance to make my getaway.
"I hope you aren't thinking of ruining my window, are you?" Lucy said lightly. She shuffled over to the bed and plopped down bonelessly. She threw one arm across her eyes. "I hate to have to deal with a hole in the wall when it rains or snows here. It's New York in case you haven't noticed."
I froze, uncertain about my next move. Obviously my plan wouldn't work if she anticipated it. My eyes now darted to the door.
"Never seen anyone that jumpy over a piece of cloth before, sister. You running from something?"
I couldn't tell by her tone whether she was fishing for information or taunting me. I stayed quiet and kept my eyes on the door.
"Hey, if you want to leave, go right ahead. I'm not going to stop you. I just thought you wanted to hear what your soldier boy said first," Lucy said without looking at me.
She dangled the perfect bait in front of me. I was completely torn by indecision. Could I trust anything she said? Was it just a trap?
Lucy didn't move from her spot at the bed and kept her arm on her face. "You know," she said casually, "it just occurred to me. If I was a Praetorian like you say, I wouldn't really need any elaborate traps if I wanted to do something to you. I mean, aren't Praetorians suppose to be unstoppable and shit?"
She was right, of course. I wasn't much of a fighter, even with all the skills Carlisle taught me. Lucy certainly had plenty of chances since we met to capture me if that was her intention.
Lucy blindly reached her free hand into her pocket and pulled out her pack of cigarettes. She expertly dragged one out from the pack with her teeth without looking. Astonishingly, the end of the cigarette glowed reddish orange as she took a puff without using any lighters or matches. I gasped when I realized that with such a simple act, she was offering a display of her power.
If Lucy's power was what I thought it was, then there was no doubt she deserved the svelte cloak in my hands. Markum had been well versed with the history of the Praetorians. He once told me elementals were always admitted into their prestigious ranks because of how uncommon and powerful they were.
"You're pyrokinetic," I said in a slightly awed voice. I suddenly felt a great deal of sympathy for this woman. Pyrokinesis was one of the most feared and tragic talents known among our kind. The reason for our aversion was quite obvious, as fire was the only thing that could destroy us completely. Fortunately for the rest of us, but unfortunate for those who manifested the talent, it was impossible to control, much like the Sight used to be for Oracles. To lose control meant paying the ultimate price, death by self-immolation. I could not imagine a more horrific way to die. For that reason, Fire elementals were also the rarest of us. Those who manifested simply never lived for very long afterward.
"Now now, no need for name calling," Lucy joked lamely. And just like that, I was getting annoyed again. She lifted her arm slightly to uncover one eye so she could look at me. "You know, if you keep frowning like that, you're going to get premature wrinkles."
"Just be straight with me, that's all I ask." I walked over and sat down next to her. I didn't want to keep up the pretense any longer. I gently laid the cloak by her. "Is this yours?"
Lucy covered her eyes again. She took another puff before answering, "Not by choice."
There was that slight flicker of pain again when she spoke. I was sure of it this time, though I couldn't imagine why. Praetorians could do anything they wanted, be with anyone they wanted. I could only dream of that type of freedom.
"Tell me a story, Alice," I flinched when she used my real name. There's no doubt now, she knew.
Lucy went on as if nothing has changed. "Tell me a story of why a woman would go swimming across the Atlantic only to deliver a cryptic message to some soldier stationed out West."
"H-how did you know?" My voice was a bare whisper.
"You're a popular girl, Al. There were bulletins with your picture posted all over the guard stations at the bridge check point."
"Oh no!" I dropped my head into my hands. Lucy dropped her arm to train her eyes on me.
"Relax, worry wort. I didn't say anything. I just made the call and gave your boy the message."
I gave her a dubious look. She returned it with an offended look of her own.
"What! It's true! Hey, what's the world coming to if you can't trust the word of a random stranger you just met a few hours ago by complete chance?" she offered sarcastically. "Let's just say that when I saw it was that bitch Delphi who put out the order, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."
She held my gaze. "You know, flies might fly into your mouth if you keep it open like that."
I snapped my jaws shut with an audible click. As much as I resented Delphi at the moment, it was still such a shock to hear Lucy casually insult her like that.
"So how 'bout that story? If it's entertaining enough I might be willing to do more to help you out." Lucy stretched out more fully on the bed so she was looking up at the ceiling.
"How do I know I can trust anything you say? How do I know this isn't some trick to keep me here while you have people surround the place and cut off my escape routes?" I knew I was being obstinate, since Lucy's earlier comments about not needing backup made sense, but I didn't care. Something about this woman just made me naturally want to argue with her.
"You drive a hard bargain there, Al." I grimaced at hearing her use of that nickname again. I really didn't like it...too masculine for my tastes. "All right, how about I go first? Then you can decide if my story is worth a the price of admission."
"Fine. I'll think about it."
"Good enough." Lucy brought the cigarette to her lips for a long puff. The embers glowed bright before turning to ash to fall off the tip, resting on Lucy's shirt and leaving little black marks. She took no notice or just didn't care, and expelled the smoke from her lungs slowly.
"You know, this used to be my apartment. I mean, from before, when I was human." I knew I had another shocked look on my face, but I couldn't help it. Lucy seemed to be especially good at doing and saying the unexpected.
"My husband and I saved for a whole year for the down payment. That's a whole year of not going out, bring lunch to work, cutting coupons. And we had enough saved, we found this place." Lucy's eyes shifted away from the ceiling and roamed across the room.
"It wasn't perfect. The radiator was too loud. The kitchen was too small. But it was in our price range at the location we wanted. And by then we definitely needed the extra room." She moved her right hand to her middle, stroking her stomach absently in a circular pattern. My eyes grew impossibly wider as I grasped what she was telling me, but I stayed silent to let her continue. If I thought I had trouble picturing Lucy as a Praetorian, it was nothing compared to trying to see her as a mother.
"Eleanor was slightly underweight when she was born. Five pounds and eight ounces. She had her father's eyes and my nose. The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I would do anything for her. She was the most perfect thing I've ever seen." Lucy's voice had taken on a more mature quality, and her ever present irreverent smirk seem to fall away into a genuine smile. The transformation was frankly startling to witness.
"The first couple of years were probably the most hectic of my life, between working and taking care of Ellie. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. But I was definitely ready for a break. So when Chris said his aunt and cousins wanted us to visit them in Italy, I was ecstatic. Like me, Chris's parents had passed when he was young, so I didn't meet many of his relatives until our wedding. I was surprised by their generous offer to put us up, since Chris didn't stay in touch with them all that often," Lucy snorted. "Should've known there was no such thing as a free lunch."
"When we arrived, the city was so beautiful that I was surprised I've never heard of it before. I remember joking with Chris that Volterra must have been the best kept secret in all of Italy. His aunt had a beautiful house overlooking the Palazzo dei Priori. I loved strolling through the winding streets or just relaxing by the huge fountain in the plaza. The only thing strange was the way people seemed to be observing me when I look out of the corner of my eye. I just dismissed it up as a cultural thing."
"Ellie loved that fountain. She was mesmerized by it. She would just sit quietly in my lap and stare at it whenever we went there. If you knew Ellie, you would know that getting her to stay still and quiet for any period of time was a miracle."
Her features darkened. "Before we were scheduled to fly back, Chris said a friend of the family, a tour guide, offered to provide a private tour of the city. At first, it was a wonderful. The guide was charming and knowledgeable, with a great flair for story telling. I was so caught up with everything she was saying, I didn't ever notice that the streets she was leading us down were getting less and less populated."
"Ellie knew something was off though. I don't know how, but she knew. She started fussing and tugging at me. I thought she was just getting bored and scolded her for throwing a tantrum. She stayed quiet after that, but wanted her father to carry her. That was the last time I got to hold her."
"Before we knew it, we were indoors viewing the Etruscan architecture, getting deeper and deeper into the bowels of the city. That's when they came out of the shadows. I never saw or heard them coming until a pair of arms were snaked tightly around my neck and waist, cutting off my air. I tried clawing and biting, but it was like trying to pry open solid stone. Last thing I remember was the sounds of my husband shouting and my daughter crying before I blacked out."
At some point I realized that I had placed my hand over my mouth. I slowly lowered it back onto the bed.
"When I woke up, I was in a windowless concrete room, completely naked. Two people came in, the light from the open door helped me determine that they were both women. They wore identical robes, except one was blue and one was purple. Blue told me that she had been waiting for my arrival for quite some time, that she foresaw it in a vision. She told me that from now on, I would serve Purple and through her, something called the Triumvirate. At the time, I thought she was bat shit crazy and tried running past them. Well, that didn't quite work." Lucy paused for another drag, then studied the cigarette in her hand.
"It felt like bouncing off a glass wall. Of course, now I know Renata was taking it easy on me, so I didn't hurt myself too badly. Hey, did you know she could make that shield of hers feel like anything she wants? One minute you could feel like you're being smothered by jello, and in another you would think it was molten lead. She likes to experiment, keep it fresh. One time, I could've sworn I was being encased in red velvet cake. True story." Lucy gave herself a visible shake. "Sorry, got distracted. Now where was I? Oh yes."
She propped herself up slightly on her elbows and supported her head in her hand.
"So Blue continued her crazy story about how she saw two outcomes, and that it was up to me to decide which future came true. Door number one, I succumb to my power and die in a fiery explosion. Door number two, I master the fire and become the first Praetorian pyrokinetic in over three hundred years. Naturally, I told them to go fuck themselves and demanded to see my family. She told me that their fate was tied to mine, that I would choose whether they lived or died. So I chose, because there really wasn't a choice at all."
I could tell what came next, as Lucy took a deep breath to steel herself to relive the memory. "It fucking hurt. It felt like I was roasting alive, only death wouldn't come. The only thing I could do was focus on Eleanor's face, remembering her smile as I held her in my arms. I think that's the reason why my human memories were completely intact when I came out the other side, at least, when it comes to anything related to my daughter."
"Just when I thought it was all over, the fire came again. But this time it was different, worse. This time, I could feel my flesh cooking and the entire room shimmered with heat. I think that's why they kept me in the room, to contain the damage if it didn't work out. I knew I was dying, really dying. The pain was so bad that I wanted to, but then I would think about Ellie. I had to survive, for her. That's what got me through it."
"After the change, they came again. Purple and Blue. They brought...food...with them. I did...what came naturally. And when I was done, I knew I could never face my husband or daughter again."
Lucy stopped there and started on her cigarette again. I sat patiently, not wanting to rush her with any questions. She smoked until only the filter remained, then she chucked it into a random corner of the room. I followed the trajectory of the filter and made a note to pick it up later. She continued.
"That was fifteen years ago. My deal with the Guard was simple, I would do what they say as long as they left my family alone. Even though I had the power then, I couldn't protect them with my newborn bloodlust. They sold Chris some bullshit about being attacked by muggers and that I didn't survive the attack. They probably had one of the mind fuckers in the room or something, because he bought it and took Ellie back home. He mourned me, of course. But human memories fade with time. Chris eventually moved on, got remarried. I'm buried in the Calvary Cemetery just off the BQE. Sometimes I go visit myself up there to keep myself company."
"So did you ever tried to see your daughter after? I mean, it looks like you have great control now. And it's not like we have to keep ourselves hidden from the world anymore."
"And that's the punch line, Alice, to the cruel joke that is my fucking existence." Lucy had that sardonic grin back on her face. Now, though, I thought it resembled a grimace more than a smile. "Have you ever heard of La Tua Cantante?"
"Singers? Sure."
"Well, evidently my daughter is mine." I couldn't stop the audible gasp from escaping between my lips. I have never had the experience myself, but have heard first hand accounts of encounters with singers. They never ended well for the humans involved. I began to dread what Lucy's tale was about to reveal.
She pulled out another cigarette and crushed the empty pack in her hand. "Having this position was not without some benefits. I learned about the impending war months ahead of time. After getting permission, I sought Chris out while he was alone and told him the truth. Much as I despised the place, I thought Volterra was the only city where I could be sure they stayed safe once the fighting broke out. It wasn't easy, but I convinced him to seek shelter in Volterra for the family. I guess a visit from his undead ex-wife made an end of the world story sound much more believable."
Lucy gave a derisive snort, a surprising sound for a vampire. "Fucked up, isn't it? I spent years fighting to keep the Volturi away from my daughter. And I end up bring her right back to their doorstep." I didn't miss her exclusion of herself from the Volturi. She continued.
"We agreed that we would keep my existence a secret from his family for as long as possible. His wife was pregnant with their second child, and didn't need the extra stress of knowing her husband's ex was a blood sucking fiend who can start fires with her mind. And to be honest, I wasn't ready to face Ellie yet. I think I was afraid she would hate me for abandoning her. Still, it didn't stop me from seeking her out once they were settled in the city. I didn't even plan on talking to her. I just wanted to see her with my own eyes, you know."
Lucy's eyes rolled back and she inhaled deeply. "The scent...it was...I don't even have the words. It was like the world faded away and all I could see, hear, and crave was blood. Luckily, Renata was with me that day and was quick to react. She threw her shield around me before I could get more than two or three steps. She managed to drag me back underground and keep in me stasis until the delirium wore off."
"Once I figured out what was the matter with me, I knew it was too dangerous for Ellie if I was in the same city. So I decided to come back here. I feel connected to this place. Last place where I remember being remotely happy."
Lucy sat up and swung her feet off the edge of the bed. She moved over until our shoulders and thighs were touching. "So that's pretty much it in a nut shell. I'm taking an unofficial sabbatical. My power is not suited for the kind of war they need to fight now anyway."
I moved over to put some space between us. "And they just let you leave? Why would they do that?"
Lucy cocked her head to examine me. "How much do you know about the Praetorian Induction Ceremony?"
I shrugged. "Not much."
"Well, I can't tell you much, because I would be violating the Tenet of Secrecy. At the ceremony, each new inductee swears to uphold the Praetorian Tenets. The Tenets are just a bunch of fancy words about obedience and loyalty, kind of like a wedding vow. Let's just say that through the ceremony, we are...compelled to stay true to the Tenets." Her words came slowly and strained, as if it took her a great effort to get them out.
I scowled at her cryptic words. What did she mean by compelled?
"Luckily, the Tenets are broadly defined. The Triumvirate wanted independent thinkers as their protectors, not mindless drones. They needed guards that could take initiative and not just sit around waiting for orders." Apparently this subject was safer, as it was easier for her to speak now.
"I was never good at the Tenet of Protection. I was more of an attack dog. They just pointed me at something they wanted dead and I made it happen. I don't need to be in Volterra to do that. Besides, they know I would never do anything that would put Ellie in danger."
I cocked my head. "So what's changed? Wouldn't you be risking your daughter still if you helped me?"
Lucy held up her index finger and waggled it at me. "Now you're jumping the gun, sister. I said I wanted to hear your story, and I might help you out more. Never made that promise."
"And you're avoiding the question," I pressed.
"Hmm...direct. I like that. Knew you had it in you," Lucy smiled more genuinely. "Nothing's changed. I am compelled to uphold the Tenets. But nothing in them said I had to enforce the orders of the Volturi Legates. I outrank them in case you haven't noticed. Renata's not going to give a shit if I piss off one of the Legates just so long as I don't do anything to compromise the Triumvirate or the Praetorians in some way. And I'm not going to pass up a chance to give that Oracle bitch a little grief."
Curiosity finally got the better of me. "Why do you hate Delphi so much?"
"Future is not set in stone, sister. Just because Oracles see what could be does not mean they know what will be. She had a choice, and she chose to take my little girl from me. That's not something I'm going to forget or forgive any time soon," Lucy said with a slightly murderous glint in her eye. I thought better than to stoke her anger with any other questions. We sat there awkwardly in silence while Lucy smoked. By the jerkiness of her actions, it was obvious she was trying to calm herself down.
Little by little, her movement became more relaxed and natural. She nudged me with her shoulder. "So? I showed you mine. You gonna show me yours?" She snickered a bit at that, no trace of her anger seemed to remain.
I pursed my lips as I took in the woman sitting beside me. Even after that story, I wasn't sure I could completely trust her. She seemed to go through emotions like I go through clothes, shedding one and putting on another with little warning. Then again, she did offer an enticing opportunity. A Praetorian with a grudge against Delphi might be just the ally I need to get me back into Jasper's arms.
I made my decision and gave Lucy the tiniest nod. She smirked triumphantly and turned her whole body to face me, crossing her legs and leaning forward in anticipation.
"Well then, by all means, begin when ready."
