"I Like The Night. Without The Dark, We'd Never See The Stars." (11)
A wise vampire will avoid exposure to direct sunlight in public since their skin sparkles like diamonds; their cells have become hard and refractive as if they were so many small prisms
Without much to do for the rest of the day, Odessa spent her time in her room staring out the window. The sun set on the opposite side of the castle, so she was free to gaze upon the streets of Volterra without emitting a slight glow. People were laughing, having a good time while being ignorant of the fact that their city was run by blood-sucking demons. She watched children chase each other around their parents, friends eat with each other, lovers embrace each other.
Slowly, the sun set, and night blanketed over the land and people started their treks home. The few people that still stood around were yawning and ready to go home to sleep. Odessa yawned and turned away from the window. It was about time she went to visit Alec; but first, she decided to take a quick nap. She hadn't had any sleep in the last three days and felt fatigue washing over her. She took a quick shower to rid herself of the day's dirt and dressed in a black, silk nightgown that was cleanly hung in the wardrobe. It was plain, held up by stringy straps, and reached mid thigh. She slipped under the smooth covers on the bed and promptly fell asleep.
She was awoken five hours later by a light, feathery touch on her cheek. Her eyes opened and darted towards the intruder. Alec was staring down at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. His eyes flickered to hers as she sat up and made room for him to sit next to her. He grabbed her hand and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. She hummed and leaned into his touch.
"You did not come earlier," he said.
"I fell asleep," she provided.
"Is that something you do a lot?" Alec asked.
"No. I do not need much sleep. Still, it had been a while since I last slept. Did I worry you?"
"I worried Felix and Santiago went too hard on you with your training," Alec answered.
"He is a bit. . . excited when he trains," she grimaced while rubbing her arms. She had no idea if the bruises were still visible on her skin, but she did know she could still feel the pain of being thrown around. Not pleasant. Alec grabbed her arm gently and swept his thumb over a slightly discolored spot on her forearm. He held it up for her to see and raised an eyebrow tensely.
"From earlier. I can bruise if hit too hard," she said. He clenched his teeth and stood up abruptly. He made for the door, but Odessa caught his arm with both of hers and stopped him. He looked back at her and frowned deeply. She could see the murderous intent on his eyes and sighed at the predicament they were in.
"We were training, Alec."
"He should know not to overdo it. You are not a vampire. He could have killed you," he replied sternly.
"I may not be a vampire, but I am not fragile. I am still strong, still powerful. I can take care of myself."
He stared in her eyes for a minute before he conceded and said, "I understand. I apologize."
"I understand, too," she said as she walked up to him and laid a hand on his cheek. "It is the mating bond. You feel the need to protect me, just as I feel the need to protect you. But I know how capable you are of protecting yourself. I am capable of taking care of myself."
"I know," he smirked. "You are quite the devious creature."
"Only when I want to be," she whispered slyly. Alec grinned and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her frame and taking in her scent. She hugged him back lightly and rubbed her head affectionately in the crook of his neck. He pulled back and glided his hand from her lower back, up her side, across the crook of her neck, and under her chin. He stared intently at her brown, slightly pink lips. Her breathing hitched in her throat as she anticipated his next moves.
He leaned in and was a breath away from connecting their lips when he asked, "May I kiss you, Odessa?"
"Yes," she breathed out. She leaned forward and captured his lips with hers in a searing kiss. She let him lead the kiss as she got lost in the sweet taste of his mouth. She revelled in the feeling of his plump lips moving against hers and the feeling of his left hand secured on the back of her head in her black tresses and his right hand caressing her warm cheek. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and tangled in his soft, brown hair, allowing her to press her body against his.
Their mouths slowed and Odessa sighed as their lips disconnected. She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and lowered her arms until they fell against his chest. Alec ran a hand through her hair and cupped the side of her head.
"You are beautiful," he murmured. "I hope your first kiss was pleasant."
Odessa looked at him weirdly and laughed out loud. It was a belly-aching laugh that startled Alec and untwined their bodies. She stopped laughing, ending with a breathy laugh, and stared amusedly at her mate.
"That was not my first kiss," she told him. Alec was shocked, to say the least. She watched in amusement as shock, confusion, frustration, and neutrality flit across his face in that order. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"No," he said quickly. "I was under the impression you do not get out much."
"I don't," she said. "I tend to shut myself in and never venture out. However, I was not always alone. I lived with a woman for quite some time before we. . . parted ways. She used to bring home men every few months or so, and I indulged myself every now and then." Alec's face didn't change from the mask of neutrality held perfectly on his face. She grinned at his behavior. "I never felt anything for them, though. Love. Lust. Attraction. Those were emotions I never felt because I was too preoccupied with keeping a low profile and staying alive. Besides, I was under the impression you do not get out much either."
"I don't," he copied her. "I have had a few excursions. Nothing serious, I assure you."
"So, I do not have to worry about an ex-lover of yours trying to kill me?" she asked jokingly.
"Even if they tried, they would not get far," he answered with a grin. "She would have to get through Jane and I first."
"Jane?" Odessa asked dubiously. "I highly doubt that."
"She does not know how to portray her emotions well. She is supportive of our relationship. She only wants me to be happy," he said sincerely.
"She does not seem like she likes me, or anyone," Odessa admitted.
"She is not comfortable with being vulnerable. She does not show her approval like others do. Trust me, if she did not like you, you would be in more pain than you are in now," he said, referring to the disappearing bruises on her skin. Odessa smiled, happy that Jane was one obstacle she wouldn't have to deal with. Her smile showed off her dimples and her top teeth. Alec hummed and poked the dimple closest to him, causing her to laugh arily. She swatted his hand away and removed herself from his hold. She walked over to the window and noticed the moon was high in the sky and the streets were abandoned. Alec mirrored her actions and slid a hand down her arm. She turned around and looked at him with a questioning glance. He had to want something if he was being so clingy.
"Something Aro said earlier bothers me," he admitted. His eyebrows were scrunched together, casting a dark shadow over his face. "'The product of the rape of a slave woman by her master. I am sorry you had to see something reminiscent of your time on your father's plantation'. What did he mean?"
Odessa tensed and shied away from his touch. She walked away from him and sat on the other side of the bed. She grasped the tall railing of the bed and held onto it like it was her life line. She felt Alec move so he was sitting beside her and grab her hand in both of his. He brought it up to his mouth and placed a light kiss on it. He trailed his mouth up her arm, placing chaste kisses along her flesh every few seconds. He brushed her hair aside and placed a kiss against her neck, causing her to turn her head to face him.
"If you do not wish to tell me then that is fine," he said in reassurement. "I only wish to help take off some of the burden you must feel."
Odessa bit her lip to stop herself from crying in front of him. It had been so long since someone had tried to shoulder her burdens, so long since someone cared about how she felt. There were so many emotions built up inside of her that didn't want to go away. Her hatred for Joham may have left when she ripped him to pieces. But the emotional trauma she had from her stay on that plantation was hard to get rid of. It was like sand stuck to wet skin: no matter how hard you tried to pry the small particles off, they wouldn't let go. Either they rolled to a different spot, or they clung to your wet hand instead.
"It is not that I do not want to tell you, rather the memories are painful to remember," she uneasily. "Joham was a hard laborer and expected only the best. It was challenging and life-threatening to live with him."
"You lived with him on the plantation then?"
"Yes, although it was not his plantation."
"How do you mean?"
"He paid off a human to be the face of the plantation, some poor white man and his family that detested the presence of slaves because they 'took his job'. Joham could not completely overlook the estate due to the sunny nature of the South," she supplied. "I do not know who was worse: Joham or John."
"Did he hurt you?" Alec asked tensely.
"No, not John. He was not allowed near me. We were rarely in the presence of one another, but the scars he left on the slaves were prominent. He used to," she shuddered as she remembered his evil actions, "brand them like they were cattle. That was their punishment. To receive the mark of the plantation symbol."
"I do not understand. It was not his estate."
Odessa shook her head and said, "He was the face of the plantation. He met all of the other rich white men, and he socialized in town. Everyone in town knew him as the owner of the plantation, and instead of the Marín estate, the plantation was known as the Douglas estate. Joham eventually took up the last name Douglas and I was given the last name when I was born.
It was hard baring that last name and watching what happened on that plantation. Their eyes haunt me every time I sleep, every time I see a helpless and defenseless person in need. They begged me with their eyes to help them, to stop the madness that was happening and save them. But I could not bring myself to do so. I feared what Joham would do, of his punishment."
"What did he do?" Alec asked softly.
"As I said, Joham only expected the best, and he applied that to his own life. Every punishment he dished out was perfect for the 'crime' committed. I tried helping once. I helped two women escape one night. John found out and informed Joham. I was brought to the field in the middle of the day a day later and thrown on the ground. The two women I had helped escape were found and brought back to the plantation the previous night/ They were covered in flammable liquid and tied up to a large cross, one on each side. There was so much fear in their eyes," she trailed off as she remembered the memory. Alec rubbed his hand against her exposed skin in a soothing manner, bringing her back to the present.
"Joham told me that they would never be truly free if they escaped, that their destiny was to live and die on that land. He told me that if I truly wanted to help them accomplish freedom, I would light a match and throw it at the base of their feet. I refused. I had already created so much suffering by that time practicing my gift on innocent children that I did not want to create any more. I closed my eyes so tight to prevent him from using his gift, but he forced them open and made me do it. Their screams, the raw fear in the slaves' eyes as they watched the women burn, I can never forget that."
Tears rolled down Odessa's face and she allowed them to fall down to her chin and fall off. Her head was vowed and her body was curled in on itself. Her arms were wrapped around her body and her hair made a black curtain of privacy from Alec's eyes. Alec was unsure of how to proceed. He had come to terms with his past already, but it seemed his mate had not. What could he say to curb her grief? What could he do to make her feel better?
From experience, he knew the only thing he could do was make his presence known. Having someone by his side had helped him make peace with his past, so maybe if he was by her side, she could make peace with hers, too. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her frame. He tucked her head under his chin and let her cry on his shirt. He rubbed his hand up and down her back and remained quiet.
She sniffled and continued speaking, "The satisfaction John and Joham received when someone was punished was sickening," her voice cracked, "and I could not - I still do not - understand how someone could be so vicious to innocent people. Seeing that woman in the dungeon reminded me of the punishments they used to receive for stealing food. They were already starved yet Joham thought it was best to starve them to death. The emotional and physical abuse I received during my youth led me away from Joham, and eventually I escaped from his grasp. I promised myself I would never let innocent people suffer if I could help it. That is why I had to witness for Renesmee and why I could not let that woman downstairs suffer any more. I had to say something. You understand, right Alec?"
"I do understand. I am not opposed to your earlier actions. I only wish for your safety," he said. He stood up and set Odessa on her feet. He wiped away her tears softly and held her face in his hands. "I will let you get dressed. I want to show you something."
Odessa dressed and met Alec outside of her room. He held her hand and led her to an outside courtyard. Odessa followed him silently through the halls of the castle and only looked up when the outside moonlight became brighter. The courtyard was decorated with stone paths, a stone fountain, and flowers that took nothing from the natural beauty of the place. There was a wrought iron bench by the fountain that Alec led them to. He sat down and patted the spot next to him for her to take.
Instead of sitting down, she walked up to the fountain and drowned out all noise except for the sound of the water trickling down. She raised a hand and cut through the water with it. She watched the water fall around her hand and leak down her arm. She stood there for a while, clearing her mind and focusing on the here and now. Alec watched her and remained in his seat. He would only intervene if he thought she was going to do something drastic. Eventually, Odessa pulled her hand out of the water and hummed. She stared up at the sky and felt reassured by the twinkling of the stars above. She turned to Alec with a soft smile and walked over to him.
"Thank you, Alec," she said quietly as she sat down beside him. She was much appreciative of his actions and wanted him to know that. He didn't try to ease her pain with words or by talking over her. He let her get out all her tears and cry her shame and pain out. She still hurt over her past, but with Alec by her side, she knew she could come to terms with it eventually. She didn't know what she did to deserve someone like him. Maybe all her suffering, all the darkness allowed her something so precious. Whatever the reason, she was thankful to whatever god was out there that they gave him to her.
Some of Odessa's past is revealed! I hope the story isn't too boring right now. I'm trying to develop their relationship some before we get into the meat of the story. I also want to settle Odessa into the Volturi first.
I was out for a bit because I got the stomach flu and was sick for about a week. Then my gastritis flared up (which was not pleasant at all T.T) so I was not in the mood to write. I'm getting back into writing and will be updating as much as possible. Fingers crossed that nothing else happens.
Thank you for all your support! I hope you all are safe and healthy! I hope you had a great holiday while I was gone (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, etc.) and I hope you all have a great New Year's! Let's all bring in the New Year with happiness and love!