Chapter Twenty-Seven

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.

Kait French: I am sad to see this story end too, luckily there is still two more chapters to go. Hearing such praise makes my day, thank you for such kind words!

2021: Thank you, I am glad you loved you!

Queenofthetower: We will get to see Demi kill Camille, it will most likely be in the next chapter of anything – as long as I stick to my plan.

TWILIGHT

About a week had passed since Demi had transformed into a Vampire and she was slowly adjusting. Her mind was catching up with this massive change but it still amazed her how different everything was. It was weird not eating food anymore – she had tried and it had been absolutely disgusting – or sleep. However, she would still sometimes just lay on her bed and close her eyes for a moment, pretending as though she was sleeping. This calmed her and it was something that made her relax when she was feeling restless, something she was constantly feeling. As a Vampire, she didn't get tired but that also meant she was bored and so she had made it her mission to read every book in the Volturi library as a personal goal.

There was one other task that was keeping her occupied and it was making the antidote to the poison venom in Jane's system. Demi had read the antidote from Camille's notes and had spent the last week getting the ingredients and brewing the actual potion. It was unfortunate because the ingredients were not easy to come by and so procuring the materials needed had been a challenge in the beginning. She had to call in a few favours from Caius who seemed to have people who could get her the stuff she needed. However, after six consecutive days of searching, she managed to get everything in place and was now brewing the potion with Jane by her side.

Jane narrowed her eyes at the bubbling potion, "Are you sure we're doing this right?"

Demi rolled her eyes at her attitude, "Yes, I am sure. The notes were very detailed," The only positive thing she could say about Camille was that all her notes were meticulously recorded. Thanks to her photographic memory, she could remember everything that had been written down, her Vampire mind only making it even sharper.

Jane made a noise of derision but didn't protest and this made Demi smile. For all her acting, she knew that Jane was enjoying brewing a potion. A few days ago, she had approached Jane and asked if she wanted to help. Jane had been extremely sceptical at first but quickly accepted and had tried to take over a few times. It had been a very long time since Jane had done anything Witchy and so she asked questions about everything, never once letting up on her questions.

"Now, we need to add some pixie dust," Demi said as she picked up a small bottle of the blue dust. She opened it and sprinkled the potion five times before capping it. "With the Pixie dust added, it needs to be stirred five times anti-clockwise." As she spoke, Jane began stirring the potion. The potion changed colour from a dark yellow colour to a pastel colour of yellow. Once the colour changed and she had finished stirring, Jane stopped and looked to Demi, awaiting further orders. "Now, we need to leave it in sunlight for six hours," Demi said as she picked up her cauldron from the fireplace and positioned it on her windowsill where the sunlight hit the strongest in her room. It was early in the morning and sunlight was pouring into her room which was why she had suggested doing the potion in her room. This was where she had all the supplies and so Jane hadn't argued much.

Jane watched as she did this but then she turned her attention to Demi's potion book, casually glancing through it. She was trying to hide her eagerness but Demi could see it clearly and it made her smile. She fully intended to ask Jane to help her with more potions in the future since she was such a good helper.

Just as Demi had placed down the cauldron on the windowsill, Felix slammed open the door, "Okay, that's long enough. We're going to the training grounds now!" He had been waiting patiently for them to finish this little experiment because Demi had told him no. Ever since they had got back from Maine, Felix had been asking for a fight between them to the point he had started to beg. It wasn't often that he got to fight Newborns and so there was no way he missing out on this opportunity. However, Demi had argued that she needed to focus all her attention on brewing the cure, something Felix had no choice but to relent to.

Sending him an amused look, Demi sighed, "Fine,"

Felix' eyes lit up as he rushed down to the training room, waiting for her to follow after him. Demi watched him go and decided to walk at a human pace to the training grounds. While she walked, she quickly nipped into the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag from the fridge, finishing it off in a few gulps before smiling. Her thirst was still atrocious but she was trying her hardest to reign it in so she didn't lose control. She was having to feed on blood nearly every four hours just to keep herself sane and in control. She was mentally wishing for the first year to fly by because she hated it.

By the time Demi arrived in the training grounds, there were other members of the Guards present. Alec was stood on the side with Jane and so was Heidi and Demetri. Felix stood in the middle of the room, waiting with a huge smile on his face that he was getting what he wanted. There were also quite a few members of the Lower Guards present, Vampires that Demi had never met before stood at the edges of the room as if waiting to watch a big match. Using her newfound speed, Demi appeared next to Alec.

"Hey," She quickly kissed his cheek.

Alec smiled softly, finding this act endearing. Ever since Demi had become a Vampire, she had made it her mission to try and sneak up on Alec and spontaneously kiss him. At first, he had been surprised but he found himself joining Demi on this little game. To say he enjoyed watching Demi get flustered was an understatement. "I see you finally gave into Felix's demand,"

"He's been begging, it's started to become annoying," Demi answered back with a grin.

Heidi snorted in response and Dimitri chuckled. Every day they had to listen to Felix whine about Demi not fighting him. It had got to the point Heidi had physically thrown him out the room and told him not to come near her until this was done.

"Hey!" Felix yelled out, "Are we going to fight or are we going stand around?!"

Alec rolled his eyes, "Shut him up, please," He placed a kiss on Demi's forehead as a token of good luck that made her smile widely.

"If you don't, I will," Jane said as she glared at Felix.

Turning to face Felix, Dem watched him as he rolled back his shoulders back, waiting for the fight to begin. Deciding to take pity on him, Demi charged at him at such a fast speed she looked like a blur to the human eyes. Seeing the attack coming, Felix braced himself and when they collided, the sound of metal hitting each other rang loudly through the room. Felix manoeuvred his body with expertise and flipped Demi to the ground but she sprang back up within seconds and attempted to reach for Felix's neck. Anticipating this attack, Felix jumped back out of her reach. Demi hissed at him, feeling the instinct to attack take over but she fought against it. As a Newborn, it was their basic instinct to attack head-on and to become single-minded to the point they saw nothing else but their target. Alec had warned her about this and fought to keep her mind in the fight. However, this was earlier said than done. She wanted to go for the obvious kill but Felix was prepared for that type of attack.

Taking her moment of hesitation as an opening, Felix attacked Demi, taking hold of both her arms to keep in her place. Demi squatted down and pulled Felix towards her, intending to use his own weight against him. She may be the stronger one out of the two but she knew this wouldn't last long and Felix had many years' worth of experience at his fingertips whereas she didn't. One benefit Demi had was her size, even with her new transformation, she was still smaller than Felix and she intended to use that to her advantage. Felix's eyes widened when he felt his body manoeuvre forward against his will and he fought against it.

Bringing up her leg, Demi kicked Felix in the stomach with such force he was thrown back. Felix was up seconds with a dark scowl on his face. In a flash, Felix was in behind of her and pinned her to the ground before she could even blink. Demi hissed when she hit the ground and struggled but she found she couldn't get free.

"Not so tough now," Felix jeered in delight.

Anger swelled up in Demi and she felt it rising, just like the heat in her body. Felix seemed to notice this temperature change and jumped off her with widened eyes. Demi was up in seconds and flames ignited in her open hands. She sent a dark glare in Felix's direction, who grinned widely in wild excitement and that's when she realised she had gone too far. Demi's ruby eyes swooped around the room and noticed that the other Lower Guards were on edge, the only one that wasn't on edge was Alec and the Inner Circle. The Lower Guards had all backed away and Demi could feel the fear in the air, something that made her panic and reminded her of the fear her old Coven felt whenever she used her fire.

Taking a deep, Demi calmed down the fire inside her. Ever since she had changed into a Vampire, she had some difficulty with her fire powers again. Vampires felt emotions a lot stronger than humans and this was something she was trying to adjust. Aro had asked her to not use her fire in battle until she had it under control because he didn't want any accidents happening but she found this restriction was making the situation worse.

"Looks like you win, Felix," Demi said with a grin, albeit fake.

The tension in the room disappeared immediately, "I know right, I am good." Felix flexed his muscles, purposely showing off.

Jane rolled her eyes, "Oh please, give her time and Demi will knock you down,"

"And I surely look forward to that day," Heidi grinned while Dimitri chuckled beside her.

Demi looked down at her hands and mentally sighed to herself.

Alec watched her for a moment with a frown on his face.

TWILIGHT

Barely an hour had passed since Demi and Felix's fight and something was plaguing Alec's thoughts. He couldn't get over the sadness in Demi's eyes – it hurt him to see her so lost and he knew that something needed to change. Wasting no time, Alec had requested to speak with Aro, Caius and Marcus alone in their private meetings chambers, something only high ranking members within the Volturi were allowed to do. When he entered the private chambers, he took notice of the atmosphere in the room. It was calm and he hoped that it stayed that way. Aro was stood up, papers in hand whereas Caius was stood and had a book in hand. Marcus was the only one sitting down with a blank expression on his face.

"Alec, it is unusual for you to call a private meeting. What is wrong?" Aro greeted with a wide smile.

"I would like to make a request," Alec said, deciding to get to the point. He knew how much Caius hated it when people rambled and he didn't want to test anyone's patience that morning, "I have noticed that Demi isn't happy. She seems lost and confused,"

Marcus nodded his head in agreement. He had noticed this change within Demi and was keeping an eye on her just in case. There had been a few times where Demi had sought after his counsel just so she could vent and he was more than happy to indulge her.

Aro hummed in thought, "We can send Corin to her," Corin was a member in the Volturi that liked to keep herself most times but she also had a gift. She had the ability of addictive contentment but anyone exposed to her power for too long will feel physically uncomfortable if they are not exposed to it regularly. Corin was usually assigned to the newbies in the Volturi or she was placed with the unruly Vampires but she tended to keep to herself.

"No," Alec shot down immediately, "Thank you for the offer but that's not what I think is needed," He would never subject Demi to this as he wanted her emotions to be real, not forced upon her. The very thought made him uncomfortable.

Caius frowned impatiently, "Then what is your request?"

Steeling his nerve, Alec held his head high. "I would like to request to leave the Volturi for one year. In that year, I plan to teach Demi how to be a Vampire and proper control," Newborns didn't like being locked away, it was against their very nature and he suspected this was the reason behind Demi's low moods. She wasn't allowed to leave the castle walls as she was seen as too unpredictable, there were too many things that could go wrong and Aro didn't want to risk it.

"No," Aro immediately refused, "We can't have such important people leaving the Volturi, even if it is for a short space of time," A year meant nothing to Vampires as time did not touch them. Aro was just not willing for his precious collections to walk out on him.

"My Lord, it would only be for a year. It would allow Demi to grow out of her Newborn phase." Alec pleaded, feeling his heart sink at Aro's refusal. He hadn't even considered what he was asking and this annoyed Alec greatly.

Aro shook his head, "We still have enemies that wish to see us dead. The remains of the Romanian Coven needs to be caught and dealt with. You are needed here,"

Resentment welled up inside Alec, "Demi needs this. She's not even allowed to hunt properly – she hasn't been taught how to." Due to Demi being a Newborn, it had been decided that she didn't have enough control to go hunting and so blood was delivered to her in a blood bag. This was keeping her thirst at bay but it wasn't teaching her anything about the hunt or control. This wasn't how he was taught to be a Vampire and it went against everything he believed it. It was stifling his Mate and if he could change it then he would.

Marcus looked down at Alec thoughtfully, "Within the Volturi, Demi is watched. She needs time away from us to learn how to become her own Vampire. I agree with this idea and I am in favour of it," Being locked away in the castle wasn't doing anything positive for Demi's wellbeing. It was suffocating her and would do her no good unless she was allowed some freedom.

Alec nearly sighed in relief, thankful for Marcus' intervention.

Aro shot Marcus an incredulous look but then turned to Caius, "And what are your thoughts, Caius?"

Caius had remained mostly silent, watching this interaction with a keen eye. Throughout his entire time at the Volturi, Alec had never once asked for a leave of absence and so it intrigued him. Demi had changed Alec and now it was time for her to change. "I agree with Marcus." He didn't like Newborns and the quicker Demi got this out her system the better. As long as he didn't want to deal with her mood swings he was fine. Caius was silently thankful that he never had to deal with Athenodora as a Newborn. She drove him crazy now, let alone as an unpredictable Newborn.

Anger flashed in Aro's eyes but there was nothing that could be done. He had been outvoted and there was little he could do. "Fine. You may be away with Demi for one year, but no more. If you're not back exactly one year after you leave then I will send Dimitri after you," He sent a severe glare in Alec's direction, fully meaning every word.

Alec bowed his head, "Thank you. I will begin preparations immediately," There was so much to plan and he couldn't help the excitement that filled him. Finally, he would get to be alone with Demi and could get her away from the castle.

The Three Kings watched as Alec left in a hurry and once he was out of earshot, Aro turned to Marcus. "Why did you agree? Now we could lose them," Alec was a very important member in the Volturi. Other creatures, not just Vampires and Witches feared Alec and Jane, and he was about to lose Alec for a whole year. To make matters worse, he was losing Demi, who was proving to be an extremely valuable member.

"He was starting to resent you," Marcus narrowed his eyes at Aro, who stood straighter at his words, "If you denied Demi this and if something happened to her then you would have lost him," Marcus had been watching Alec very closely with his gift. The longer Demi's mood remained low, so had Alec's loyalty to the Volturi. He imagined that if Alec was denied this request then he would have left with Demi regardless.

Aro fell silent as a sense of foreboding hit him. He hadn't realised he had pushed Alec too much and this made him wary.

Caius rolled his eyes, "It's just one year. They'll be back before we know it," He went back to reading his book, far more interested in the pages than the conversation.

With a frown, Aro said nothing and returned back to the documents in front of him.

TWILIGHT

A few hours later

Demi sat on her windowsill with a frown on her face. She was bored. The potion had finished stewing, she had added the last ingredient and now it should be okay for consumption the next day. Ever since she had finished that, Demi had nothing to do and began staring out of the window longingly, wishing that she could be outside. This was all very strange to her, before her change she didn't mind being inside all of the time but now she just wanted to roam. She wanted to explore what the world had to offer considering she was immortal. Demi felt stuck. As a Newborn, she was watched more closely than any other member and she hated it. She could feel eyes on her constantly unless she was either in her room or Alec's room. It felt like they were all waiting for her to slip up – she knew they weren't but she couldn't help but feel anxious. Newborns weren't allowed to join the Volturi and so other Vampires watched her in curiosity, wondering why she was still there. Demi had wondered the same thing herself.

The door opened and Demi vaguely registered this. Alec's familiar scent filled the air and made her relax. He sat down on the other side of the windowsill, "What's on your mind, my love?" His voice was low and delicate. Just being in his presence soothed her raw nerves and made her feel at peace.

Turning to face him, her heart ached when she saw the concern in his ruby eyes. "A lot of things," Alec had been an absolute blessing. He had been so patient with her, taking her mood swings and constant thirst in stride, never once snapping at her and he helped at every opportunity. Demi didn't know where she would be without him. However, even he couldn't help with this. Just a few days ago, Heidi had brought in humans and Demi had been allowed into the Throne Room for the feeding just like all the other members but it hadn't gone to plan. She could remember it well and it constantly plagued her thoughts. Demi remembered feeling the insatiable bloodlust slam into her the moment she smelt the humans but when it came to tapping the vein and killing them, she couldn't do it. She had frozen and stepped away. The woman she was meant to drain had been so terrified and had pleaded for mercy, something that shook Demi to her core. Alec had noticed this and had killed the woman in her place, not questioning what had happened. However, Caius hadn't been so kind and had demanded what the issue was – something she couldn't explain.

"Tell me. Tell me what you want," Alec picked up her right hand and kissed it delicately. He had noticed there seemed to be a dark cloud over Demi whenever she was deep in thought.

Shoulders deflating, Demi slouched against the wall. "I… I feel trapped. I want to be out there," She turned to the window with longing in her eyes, desperate to explore the world. She felt guilty. She didn't want him to think she regretted this life because she didn't.

Kissing her hand again, Alec smiled. "I understand,"

Demi looked to him in surprise, "You do?"

Alec nodded his head. "You aren't the only who felt like that. When I first changed, I was constantly leaving to go and explore. I was restless and nothing could soothe it fully, not even the blood." He had been expecting this behaviour from Demi and was amused that it had taken her this long to vocalise it. He had practically shouted it when he first transformed.

This news made her relax more. Demi had thought something was wrong and was too anxious to ask anyone.

"That's why I have asked permission for us to leave for a while," Alec explained with a cheeky smile.

Demi's head snapped to look at him, "Really? What did they say?"

"It was approved, my dear," Alec replied back, "I asked for a year away for both of us so you can run free." Honestly, Alec had been expecting more of a fight and had prepared a speech in his head but it wasn't needed in the end. Aro had reacted as expected, though it still annoyed him how dismissive Aro had been. Marcus had acted as anticipated as Alec knew how close Marcus and Demi had become. Marcus had seemed to have taken Demi under his wing and he thought they suited one another. However, it was Caius that had surprised him. He had expected Caius to put up more of a fight and disregard his request but he hadn't. Alec was grateful because that meant he and Demi could leave without there being a huge fight. He had been ready to leave the Volturi if they had denied him this request and he wouldn't care about the consequences.

A wave of happiness crashed into her as she leaned over and hugged him, "Thank you, that means so much," She could have cried with how emotional she felt and venom did gather in her eyes but never fell. "When do we leave?" There was a glint of excitement in her ruby eyes, her body practically vibrating in anticipation.

"Tonight. I have a private jet ready for us so you better get packing," Alec teased with a grin.

Within an instant, Demi was up and was packing at a fast pace. At her enthusiasm, Alec laughed freely as he watched her fuss over everything they would need in soft adoration. This was the happiest he had seen her in a while and it warmed his dead heart. He had planned the next year very carefully, keeping in mind all the places Demi had mentioned where she wanted to visit first. The first place on his list was Egypt because he knew how much she loved the ancient mythology and he hoped to indulge her every whim.

Alec was very much looking forward to this next year of travelling.

TWILIGHT

Since there are only two chapters left (cue internal crying) do you guys have any requests? Is there something I haven't included that you'd really want to see? Leave a review or PM me!