Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but I do own my OCs and this story.

Summary: Witches and Vampires were at war to the point of exposure to the humans. To stop this, the Volturi and the Blackthorn Witches came to an agreement and there was peace. But, an incident happens which threatens the peace and Demi must act as an advocate to make sure that agreements stays intact. While there, Demi must endure the Volturi and ends up finding her mate, Alec Volturi.

Just for my story, Alec and Jane were changed when they were 17 years old.

TWILIGHT

Demi paced around her room as her thoughts went wild. After the attack in the city centre, Alec had driven them back to the castle at a breakneck pace. Demi was sure he was doing over a hundred miles per hour but she didn't care because she couldn't focus on anything around her. Alec had attempted to speak with her, but she couldn't even formulate an actual thought let alone speech. Alec had escorted her back to her room while he informed Aro of what happened and now Demi couldn't stop all the thoughts that raced around her mind. She had broken the Treaty by attacking and most likely killing a Vampire – a very clear violation of the Treaty. Everything that she had worked for was down the drain in an instant. It also didn't help that her fire hummed in satisfaction at being released and she had broken her promise to Camille. When Camille found out what happened she would kill her – that's if the Volturi didn't get to her first. Demi groaned out loud as she thought about what would happen when Camille heard about her little incident. Demi had barely managed to get this opportunity and she had just blown it wide open. There was no way Camille would trust her now after this mess.

Demi's panicked thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. She looked at the door and was very tempted not to open it but she knew she had no choice. If she didn't answer there was a very high chance they would break down the door. Taking a deep breath, Demi walked over to the door and opened it, revealing that it was Heidi on the other side.

"The Lords wish to speak with you," Heidi said, her face void of any emotion.

Visibly gulping, Demi stepped out of her room and followed after Heidi. Her only reprieve was the fact they hadn't sent Jane – that would not have been a good sign.

The walk to the Throne Room was one that Demi hated. Her heart was beating ten to a dozen and she felt like she was going to pass out from the stress alone. As she walked, Demi couldn't help the intrusive thoughts about what the Volturi could do to her. Would they kill her? Torture her? Caius seemed to very much dislike her so that was something she wouldn't put past him. However, it was Aro that concerned her. She hoped she wasn't on his bad side because then she really was screwed. Demi snapped out of her thoughts when she realised they had arrived and Heidi had opened the door. Demi stepped through and immediately noticed the Three Kings were stood up and each of the Guards were by the edge of the room.

"Heidi, thank you for bringing her down," Aro said when he saw them enter the room.

Heidi nodded her head and silently joined Demetri in the back. This left Demi alone in the middle of the room and she couldn't help but feel vulnerable.

Aro looked directly at Demi, causing her to stand straight, "Alec has informed me of what happened. However, he was not present when you attacked the Vampire and I am unable to read your mind. However, Alec assures me that it was self-defence," Aro looked in the direction of Alec with a blank expression.

Demi's eyes widened and she too looked to Alec. She had not expected for him to stick up for her, especially when he didn't see what happened.

"Before a decision is made, we would like to hear your side. Please, tell us what happened," Aro asked imploringly.

Taking in a few deep breathes, Demi answered him. "When I was walking around the shops, I felt eyes on me and it felt uncomfortable. I ignored this feeling but then it grew worse as I felt as though there were more eyes on me. As I was heading back towards where Alec had parked, three Vampires came out of nowhere and they stated they wanted to drink my blood. Alec arrived and stopped them and he told me to run. However, before I could reach the car, another Vampire appeared and was about to attack me. I had no choice," Demi's voice became pleading towards the end as she hoped Aro would believe her. There was no lie in what she said but she hoped they wouldn't react negatively to the fact they couldn't read her mind to find out everything.

Aro hummed in thought and Caius scowled, "That is not an excuse! You have killed one of our own!" He took a threatening step forward and this caused Demi to flinch back.

In a flash, Alec appeared by her side, "If the Vampire was about to attack her, he is the one who broke the Treaty first. No clause explains what happens in these kinds of situation," His posture was tense but he stood strong, not wavering even when Caius sent him a scathing glare.

Demi looked to Alec in surprise but she was grateful. She had not expected him to stick up for her but she was thankful that he did. If she had him on her side then Aro was more likely to be more lenient on her. As she watched Alec, she couldn't help but wonder that maybe she had misjudged him.

"He is right, there is no clause to deal with a situation like this," Aro agreed with a slight nod of the head.

"I am very sorry," Demi said once more.

Caius hissed lowly, his glare filled with contempt. This caused Alec's shoulders to tense further as his own gaze became scornful.

Ignoring the tension in the room, Aro looked to Demi, "Is there any other detail you remember? Anything could be important." The fact that a group of Vampires had come into Volterra and attacked a Witch was not lost on Aro or any of the Volturi. The timing was too convenient for his liking especially when they had just captured a Vampire who had killed Witches and a Warlock. However, they couldn't get information because Alec had killed the three Vampire and Demi had killed the last one.

For a moment, Demi fell silent. She thought back to what happened and only one thing sprung to mind, "Their accents, they sounded Romanian," She had noted how thick their accents were, especially the one that attempted to touch her until Alec stopped him.

Multiple hisses echoed in the room and for a moment, Demi thought she had answered wrong. This sudden sound caused her to jump and heat to travel to her hands. At this, Demi mentally cursed because she had left her gloves on the floor of the shopping centre. She needed to get them back in case she had an incident. Demi couldn't help but feel a little bare and vulnerable without them because she had been wearing them for so long. They had almost become part of her and now she wished for them back – even if her fire hated the accessory.

"Demetri," Aro turned his attention to the tracker of the group, "I think it's time we paid a visit to the Romanian Coven," It had been some time since they had paid a visit to the Romanian Coven, something that was done to make sure they weren't attempting another rebellion against them.

Demetri nodded his head in understanding.

"Take Jane and Santiago with you," Caius ordered. If they were going to make an impression on the Romanian Coven then taking Jane would be the best solution. The Romanian Coven was scared of Jane, especially after the last confrontation they had and he wanted them to remember to what happened to people who defied them.

Jane's eyes lit up at this prospect and Santiago bowed his head. He shot a sympathetic look in Demi's direction. With their orders known, Demetri, Santiago and Jane left the Throne Room and headed out of the castle at a fast pace.

Aro's red eyes settled back on Demi causing her breath to catch in her throat. "I want to thank you for sharing this information. As there is no clause of how to deal with this, we will make a decision ourselves. We will speak to you shortly," He motioned to his brothers indicating that they needed time to deliberate.

Demi silently nodded her head and allowed Alec to escort her out of the room. As they left, Aro signalled for the other Guards to leave and they were gone with a blink of an eye.

Caius waited until everyone was out of hearing range before he began, "We can't let her get away with this!" He hissed as he turned to Aro and Marcus. In his mind, there was no question of what to do. The Witch needed to be punished and he was more than happy to deliver that punishment herself.

"I know," Aro admitted with an unnecessary sigh, "This is a predicament. If we let her get away with it then it risks others trying the same thing," The balance and peace between Vampires and Witches was a fickle thing and one that needed constant vigilance.

Marcus silently watched his brothers before adding his thoughts, "But, if we punish the Witch, we risk losing Alec," He saw through his gift how strongly Alec felt for the Witch and he would not take kindly to anyone who harmed her – even them.

Both Aro and Caius fell silent at his words. This was something they wanted to avoid at all costs. If Alec left the Volturi then Jane would no doubt follow close behind. They may not be on speaking terms at the moment but Jane was still very loyal to Alec, even more so than the Volturi and that was something that would never change. If they didn't make the right decision, they would risk losing their two most powerful members.

"Heidi has also become attached," Marcus added with a thoughtful expression. He had seen how the bonds between the Guards were changing and it fascinated him. The Guards were quite closed off so it was quite easy to see the difference.

This caused Aro and Caius to frown deeply. If Heidi had become attached it could potentially cause a rift within the Coven and if Heidi became estranged, then Demetri would naturally follow. There was no way Heidi or Demetri would be separated as Mates and that made things even trickier. Heidi was loyal to a fault and didn't take to people so easily so when she did she would stick by them no matter what.

"This is ridiculous!" Caius scowled darkly, "We should just kill her and be done with it,"

Aro shook his head, "No, we will not harm the Witch. If we do it will upset the Blackthorn Coven and Alec." On balance, it was too risky for anything to happen to the Witch and they all knew it. Marcus' words had just solidified his thoughts. "In all fairness, it was most likely self-defence,"

"Not that we can prove that because you can't read her mind!" Caius argued back.

Sighing deeply, Aro said, "Fine. We shall have a vote. Who favours being lenient on the Witch?" He raised his hand and surprisingly, so did Marcus.

Caius cast him a confused look, "Why, brother?"

Marcus shook his head, "No one should lose a Mate," His old and aged eyes were filled with sadness as he thought about his Mate. Didyme had been beautiful and everything he had wanted in a Mate but she had been ripped away from him. He never wanted anyone to feel what he felt even now.

Caius appeared ready to argue back, but Marcus interrupted him, "How would you feel if someone tried to punish Athenodora?"

A dark and feral gleam flashed through Caius' eyes at the thought. If anyone even dared to look at his Mate wrong he would have killed them without a second thought and he knew she would do the same for him. When he realised what Marcus was saying, he sighed deeply, "Fine. We won't punish her," He mumbled under his breath.

Aro's eyes lit up as he clapped his hands together, "Great! So we all agree to pardon her under the condition she tells no one?" He asked to make sure everyone was on the same wavelength.

Both Marcus and Caius nodded their heads in agreement.

TWILIGHT

An hour had passed and Demi was back in her room, fretting over the outcome. After Alec had dropped her off to her room, he hadn't said anything before he walked away. She couldn't help but feel disappointed but she hid it away because she had bigger things to be worrying about. She was very tempted to call Camille and get some advice because she really needed to talk to someone but at the same time, she didn't want Camille to know what had happened. Demi groaned and pulled at her hair in frustration. She hoped that whatever the decision may be, Aro would be lenient because there was no way that Caius would be. Demi had tried to distract herself by busying herself but nothing worked. She became distracted when she thought about Alec but she quickly willed those thoughts away due to embarrassment.

A knock on the door snapped Demi out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Demi walked over to the door and opened it. Alec stood on the other side and when Demi saw him, she tensed. She didn't know what his presence meant, whether it was good or bad.

"May I come in?" Alec asked.

For a moment, Demi was tempted to say no and shut the door in his face because she didn't want to hear the news. However, another part of her – the more sensible side – knew that she couldn't hide away and needed to face this head-on. "Yes," She took a step back and allowed Alec to walk into her room.

Alec looked around the room and took in everything, noting how neat and tidy the room was. "The Masters have made a decision."

Demi inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as she waited for her judgement. She didn't know what it was but she hoped it wouldn't be too harsh.

"They have decided to pardon you as long as you don't tell the other Witches," Alec said with a faint smile.

All the strength left her in that instant and she needed to sit down, "Oh thank goodness," Demi sat down on the bed. This was an outcome she had not expected but one that she wholeheartedly welcomed.

Watching her, Alec couldn't help as his smile softened, "I also have these," He reached into his pocket and pulled out Demi's black gloves, the ones she had thrown to the ground when the Vampire attacked her.

When Demi saw the gloves, she nearly gasped. She looked up at Alec in surprise, "B-but how?" She thought those gloves were gone for good but here they were. Slowly, she reached forward when Alec brought them closer for her to grab. Once she grabbed them, she immediately put them back on. The moment she slipped them back on, her fire hissed at her in defiance but otherwise did not make its presence known.

"I thought they were important because of how much you wear them," Alec answered as he watched her put the gloves on. He had never seen Demi without the gloves and assumed that they must have meant a lot to her. Now, he was glad he picked them up because now she looked calmer than before.

Demi laughed before she could stop herself. She never would have thought he would pick up something like that but it made her feel happy that he had. If he hadn't, she didn't know what she would have done without them – especially when she saw Camille after this was all over. "Thank you, you don't know how much they mean," Demi smiled at him wholeheartedly.

Alec purposely blinked slowly but his posture visibly relaxed. "You're welcome,"

Demi looked up at him, the smile still in place, "I also want thank you for saving me. I don't think I would be here without you," Going against three Vampires at once would not be a wise choice and one that she was glad she didn't have to make. Going against one Vampire was fine but three was too much. She hadn't tested out the full capacity of her power and so she didn't know what her limit was. Thinking about it logically, she decided that she didn't want to find out in the middle of a fight.

"I would say you did quite well. Your magic was very effective," Alec said. "Your fire was quite different," By the time he had arrived, the fourth Vampire was burnt to a crisp. He wouldn't have even known it was Vampire until he saw it's some the remains that could only belong to a Vampire. However, he knew that the fire belonged to Demi because her scent was all over the scene.

Demi stilled for a moment. As much as she would like to deny it, Alec was right, her fire was different from other Witches and Warlocks. It burned brighter was bigger than all the others. Hers was more controlled. She could will the fire not to burn people if she chose but it took a lot of focus and could very easily go wrong. Demi hadn't been able to test it out because Camille didn't like her using the fire so close to the cottage. There was so much she didn't know about her own power and a part of her longed to discover everything she can. However, the situation was getting too close to her secret than what she would have liked and it made her feel uncomfortable because she didn't want him to find out her secret.

"It was very beautiful," Alec continued honestly. He had never seen a fire so bright before and it intrigued him. He had only seen one other Witch produce such a flame and that was Scarlett. He had always had a strong aversion to fire but even he couldn't deny her fire fascinated him.

Looking at him, Demi felt her heart skip a beat and her face flushed at the compliment. No one had called her fire beautiful before, everyone she had met was far too scared of it and stayed away from her because of it. Her fire hummed at his words as if wanting him to give it more praise and she had to remind her flames to behave itself. "No one has ever said that…" Her voice was barely above a whisper and that's all she could manage.

"Well they are fools," Alec answered back with conviction.

Demi's flushed face darkened and her head ducked down so he wouldn't see but she suspected he had already seen.

"I'll leave you alone tonight. It's been very hectic so I'll let you relax," Alec said as he headed towards the door. As he stepped through the threshold, he turned back to look at Demi and smiled faintly before leaving the room. He closed the door behind him softly and Demi listened in for any noise but she heard nothing.

Once she was alone, Demi flopped onto the bed and sighed deeply. It had been a wild day but she also felt relieved. She had managed to expel some of her fire and Alec hadn't seemed to suspect a thing. As her thoughts strayed to Alec, she couldn't stop the weird fluttering sensation that trembled in her stomach. Everything she thought she knew about Alec seemed to be wrong and now she felt guilty that she may have misjudged him. If he was such a ruthless killer, he wouldn't have jumped in front of her when Ajax tried to attack her and he wouldn't have come to her aid when those three Romanian Vampires attacked her. He had been polite and hadn't made her feel uncomfortable, unlike his twin. From everything she had seen about the Volturi, she began to wonder how much of what she was told about them being sadistic and cruel was true. Nearly everyone had been courteous and lovely to her, especially Heidi. She had been warned how malicious and sly Aro was, how evil Alec and Jane were and to stay away from them. But, Demi had found that she was rather fond of them and she would probably miss them when she left.

Demi gasped when she remembered Camille. She jumped up and grabbed her phone from the desk and quickly called Camille's number. Surely, Camille would have felt through the magic in Demi's earrings that she had been in danger. The last thing Demi needed was Camille storming into the castle or sending someone else. The phone rang for a few moments but no one answered. Demi frowned as she hung up and called again but the same thing happened. Demi placed the phone down on the bed and furrowed her brows in thought. Camille always picked up her calls because she always had her phone on her person in case there were any emergencies within the Coven. This caused Demi to panic because it could have meant Camille had already sent someone to come and collect her. Demi groaned out loud as she prayed that this wasn't the case.

Deciding to call Camille again later, she stood up and headed out of her room as she felt peckish. A light snack would help calm her down. Without another thought or fear of running into Alec, Demi left her room humming slightly.

TWILIGHT

Many miles away

Two dark figures stood near each other, one was covered with a thick black cloak but the other one stood plain to see. The second figure belonged to a Vampire, he was short with ashy blonde hair, pale skin and burgundy blood-red eyes. He wore dark clothing which only served to make his blond hair and pale skin stand out even more. This Vampire was Vladimir, one of the Leaders of the Romanian coven. They were stood in a rundown motel, one that was completely inconspicuous and one that no one would have given a second glance.

"How was the mission?" The cloaked figured asked. The voice sounded feminine but the accent was unknown.

Vladimir scowled darkly, "It was a failure. Alec was able to overpower the Vampires and killed them with ease." He had sent four of his most powerful Vampires only for them to be killed effortlessly. He had sent a fifth Vampire to hang back and report back what happened in case anything went pear-shaped and now he was glad he had otherwise they wouldn't have known what happened.

The cloaked figure sighed deeply, "You continue to underestimate the Volturi. Did you even use my gifts?"

"We can defeat the Volturi without magic!" Vladimir argued back, a hiss in his voice. The Romanian Coven was strong without gifts and he refused to rely on Vampire gifts as the Volturi did.

"Then you are a fool!" The cloaked figure argued back, annoyed at his defiance, "I gave you those magical objects for a purpose and that was to bring down the Volturi!"

Vladimir glared at her defiantly, "If they were used, they would have known about our alliance,"

The cloaked figure shook her head, "No they wouldn't. They're not smart enough to realise that magic is involved," All the Volturi cared about was themselves and their Vampires, they wouldn't be able to spot magic being used because they believed in the Treaty. It was from that agreement they would never assume magic would be used against them.

Vladimir sent her a suspicious glare, "Well they will because they have a Witch with them."

The figure stilled for a moment, her posture tense, "What?"

"My guy saw a Witch, she was with Alec and she called for him," Vladimir said with an irritated gleam in his red eyes, "She then used fire to kill one of my men," His Vampire had come back scared and worried. Fire was only of the only things that could kill a Vampire and so being around such a strong flame had unnerved his Vampire.

For a moment, the cloaked figure said nothing but then her tensed posture relaxed. "That Witch is of no concern. She will not interfere with our plans,"

Vladimir sent her a suspicious look but otherwise said nothing about the matter. "What is the next plan then?"

"Nothing changes. Our goal is still the same as before. We kill Jane and Alec and soon the Volturi will fall because they would have lost their greatest weapons. As soon as they're gone, we can make a direct attack against them," The cloaked figure explained confidently.

Vladimir nodded his head slowly. The thought of killing both Jane and Alec made him happy – those twins had slaughtered his Coven in the last attack where his Mate was killed. He would get his revenge no matter what, he wouldn't rest until the Romanian Coven was back on top – just like they used to be.

"How is the army coming along?" The figure asked.

"As well as expected," Vladimir admitted with an unnecessary sigh, "We still need more. However, their bloodlust is not subsiding," That was one of the only downsides of New Borns, their insatiable need for blood. They were going through a lot of humans every day and it didn't seem to be slowing down. It had been a long time since he was New Born and he didn't remember much of his first few years as a Vampire.

The cloaked woman scoffed, "Well what do you expect? I told you to build up your army slowly, not all at once."

"We need as many as possible!" Vladimir argued back with a snarl.

The women huffed, "But you're being dumb! If word gets out about a sudden decline in humans then the Volturi will come to investigate. We need to keep this as quiet as possible until its time,"

"But they need to pay now!" Vladimir growled as his bloodlust for vengeance shinned through his aged eyes. The need to get revenge for the death of his Mate too strong to hide.

The woman shook her head, "And they will but we need to be patient. I have been planning this for nineteen years and I will not let your impatience get in my way,"

"And I have waited for thousands! I refuse to wait any longer!" Vladimir snarled angrily.

Without saying a word, the woman held out her hand it glowed as she used her magic. Groaning, Vladimir fell to his knees as he held his head. It felt like a fire in his brain, a pain he hadn't felt in many years, "Okay! I get it! I will be more patient!"

The woman stopped her attack and placed her hand back under her cloak. She had made herself perfectly clear that she would not put up with his attitude. She watched him unrepentantly and unashamedly as Vladimir shook from the aftershocks of the pain.

Slowly, Vladimir climbed back to his feet, "We will stick with your plan. But, if that Witch attacks again, are we allowed to kill her?"

"No," The woman shook her head, "If all goes to plan, she will be her own undoing."

Vladimir nodded his head in understanding and didn't question her logic. He had been working with her for the last seven years and he still wasn't used to working with a Witch. It seemed almost unnatural but they worked well together when needed.

"I will meet with you again in three days. I expect to hear better news," The woman said, her words holding a hidden threat.

"Of course," Vladimir said, "Will you be able to get past the Leader of your Coven?" He knew that their plans worked better if less people knew about it. The woman had been adamant about being the only Witch involved with this until she was sure others would follow her. Vladimir had been sceptical but he had seen the woman's power and knew she would be enough for now.

The woman laughed, "Oh, she won't be an issue. She is far too busy cleaning up after other people's messes." The woman looked down at her watch, "I do need to go before anyone suspects anything," Turning around, the woman walked away and out of the motel.

Vladimir watched her go with guarded eyes.