Although she had wanted to go right away, Alice had waited until the weekend to go with her family to Alaska to visit their cousins. She had looked though the books Carlisle had in his study on vampire history but little was mentioned of Death's Shadow. There was mention of a coup attempt she had seemed to stop in the 1500's but nothing about the details other than the rogues were dealt with by an unknown force that was rumored to be her. No one could confirm it though. Alice was inclined to agree that the woman was responsible because if it was someone else the kings would have had to acknowledge them and probably would have made them another royal or even an elevated guard member. The kings were known for bragging so for the coup to get little attention in vampire history it meant that whoever saved the kings didn't want to be known and the only person that could be was Death's Shadow.
"Alice you said you wished to speak with me." Eleazar sat next to Alice on the couch in the Denali family's living room. The Cullen's were all there as well as Eleazar's mate Carmen and the three sister's Tanya, Kate and Irina.
Alice put down her magazine. "Yes I did. I was wondering what you could tell me about Death's Shadow?"
"Death's Shadow? Aren't they just a story the Volturi tell people to scare them?" Kate asked looking up from the video game she was playing with Emmett.
Emmett paused the game. "Yeah aren't they like the vampire boogie man."
"No Carlisle told me she was real." Alice said. "He's even spoken to her."
Rosalie went wide eyed at the thought."Wait, that monster is real?"
"Very real, I'm afraid." Carlisle now had all the vampire's attention. "And I only spoke to her once. It was about our diet."
"So let me get this straight. Death's Shadow is real?" At Carlisle's nod Emmett continued. "And she's a girl?"
"I never saw her face but I think she would have been old enough when she was changed to be considered a woman. Her voice was deep and a bit husky. At least that's what I got from the few words she spoke to me." Carlisle told them.
"That's so cool. Death's Shadow is a woman. I bet no-one ever guesses a woman could be the most feared vampire in existence. Are any of the stories about her gifts true or is it just all made up?" Kate asked.
"You would have to ask Eleazar about that. He was the one who was asked to analyze her." Carlisle said.
Feeling all eyes on him, Eleazar cleared his throat uncomfortably. This was a subject he didn't like talking about. "Well I was asked to but it didn't turn out that well."
Carmen rested her hand on her mate's knee." You never told me about meeting her. Why?"
"It's not something I like to think about." Eleazar sighed knowing he wasn't getting out of talking about it. "I was told that the kings had known her for years but actually knew little about her. She wasn't known to stay in Italy that much but then again we never would have known if she had. When Aro approached me to find out exactly what her gifts were I was as excited as he was. Even in the 1700's she was as mysterious as she is now. The only problem was that no one had a surefire way of actually speaking to her."
"How did you meet her then?" Alice asked.
"Aro in all his wisdom put out an untrue rumor that there was a massive threat to the Volturi from a coven of gifted vampires that he planned to meet with." Eleazar held up a hand to stop the questions. "It was well known that Death's Shadow had saved the Volturi from rogue vampires in the 16th century even if it was never confirmed. It was also rumored that she had interfered other times to insure the king's , the queen's and even some of the guard's safety. Aro thought if she felt they were going to be in danger she would come. So on the day of the meeting he had a few vampires that weren't members of the guard come to the throne room and put on a show while I stood off to the side as a witness with a few others."
Alice was on the edge her seat trying to hold back her excitement. This story was already more information than she thought she was going to get."Was she there?"
"Unfortunately she was." Eleazar stared out the window for a minute as the events of that day ran through his mind. Edward's gasp brought him back to the present. "Aro and the vampires he brought in put on a big show for everyone. Them and I the only ones knowing it was all an act. As it went on and Death's Shadow still hadn't showed he decided to improvise. He had the coven leader hold his hand and declared he was guilty of a bunch of outrageous crimes. Aro then pushed the man away from him and declared the entire coven were there to assassinate them. The guards then moved in to take them prisoner. They of course started begging for their lives declaring that this wasn't what Aro said would happen, revealing that the whole situation had been a ruse."
"When did Death's Shadow show up?" Irina asked.
Eleazar grimaced. "As the guard rushed to the coven they were suddenly thrown back by an invisible barrier. The coven tried to run but they were trapped within it. As we all watched in awe as the vampires couldn't go anywhere a figure in a black cloak wearing a skull mask appeared out of nowhere. One moment she wasn't there the next she was. It was when she turned her crimson eyes to stare at me I knew she had figured out the ruse. It was the only time in my life that I have ever felt that scared. I didn't know what was going to happen to me but knew whatever it was I would probably wish for death instead."
"Jesus." Jasper muttered. "What happened to the coven and Aro?"
"Death's Shadow walked right up to the coven leader as if the barrier wasn't there at all and ripped his head right off. When the other four tried to fight her she once again disappear and that was when the horror really began. Somehow she lit a fire that the barrier concentrated on the coven. It used their bodies as kindle and as soon as the last of the pieces were ash it disappeared as fast as it appeared. It was when the fire went out that we all realized Aro was missing."
"She fucking kidnapped Aro?" Emmett exclaimed in excitement.
"Emmett language." Esme scolded softly just as invested in the story as the rest of them.
"That's the thing." Eleazar said. "No-one knows if she did or not. Just that one second he was there the next he wasn't. He came back a week later but never spoke a word of where he was. There are many rumors of what happened to him ranging from she did kidnap him, to him running away to hide out from her but he has never confirmed or denied any of them."
"What happened to you?Did you ever get a read on her gifts?" Tanya asked.
"I never even got the chance to try but I doubt I would have been able to." Eleazar said. "As to what she did to me. I stayed in Volteria living in the castle, even though I thought of running away to hide from her. I didn't because I knew she would be able to find me easily. I was under constant stress waiting for her to strike, especially after Aro had come back looking so haunted. This went on for a month until one day I went into my study and on the desk was a leather pouch filled with ash. No note or any kind of indication of what the ash was but I knew. I knew that it was some of the ash of the coven she had burned in front of all of us."
"Wait, a leather bag full of ash." Kate's features lit up. "Is it the same one you have in your office?"
"Yes" Eleazar confirmed. "It is the same one. I keep it as a reminder of the gift she gave me. The gift of a second chance. She could have easily killed me and not thought twice about it but she spared me. I often wonder why but could never come up with any solid reasoning. I just know that I was extremely lucky because she does not take being crossed lightly."
"Has there been other instances of her cruelty?" Alice asked hoping he could tell her more about the mysterious figure she was finding more and more intriguing as the days went by.
"I have heard many but know of one that is true as I was one of the ones who helped put him back together. You all know of Afton and his gift that allows him to disappear yes." Receiving nods from all Eleazar continued. "Well he thought it was a good idea to listen in on Death's Shadow while she was out in the open, especially when she was spending time with the kings or the queens. The only problem was that her gift is much more powerful than his. So every time he tried she caught him. It was after his third attempt that he went missing."
"What the hell? How many people has she kidnapped?" Rosalie asked.
"I'm sure there are many more that have horror stories of their encounters with her that aren't willing to tell."Eleazar said. "The problem with Afton was he bragged endlessly about never being able to get caught. So when he went missing we all knew she was the one who did it. We all feared him dead. It was when his mate started finding his body parts around the castle that we realized that he might still be alive just not in very good condition."
"This is amazing! I really want to meet this woman!" Emmett groaned when Rosalie smacked him upside the head. She would never admit it to anyone but she felt the same. She to was intrigued by the mysterious woman.
"It took a week but we finally found his head. Death's Shadow had left his mate a map with in an X on it. Aro sent a few of the guard with her and after digging they found his head buried twenty feet underground in a steel box. It was after that he lost most of the respect many had for his skill. He tried to say it wasn't her that had caught him but with so many witnesses he couldn't deny it. I suspect that was the reason she made it so public. The fact he was caught was worse than any punishment she could give him." Eleazar told them.
Alice sighed holding her hand to her chest. "She's so cool."
"If I didn't know any better, I would say you have a girl crush on her Alice." Irina teased.
Kate snorted a laugh. "I think it's more than a girl crush. I think our unmated cousin has her sight set on seducing Death's Shadow."
"I do not!" Alice replied a little to quickly causing most of them to laugh at the flustered vampire.
"What if she is horribly disfigured under that mask? Will you still want her if she is missing half a face?" Emmett asked.
Kate sighed dramatically and flopped against Emmett's side. "Looks could never get in the way of true love Emmett."
"It's not love, true or otherwise." Alice protested. "I just find her interesting. I don't know if I can see her future and even if I could there is no guarantee that I would even know it's her. I just wish there was a way to meet her."
"It is said that she has a close relationship with the royals especially the queens. One rumor was that someone overheard Didyme speaking with the other two about buying special plants for the garden to plant with her."Eleazar told her.
Emmett shook his head. "Nah I don't believe that for a second. Someone who would kidnap Aro and send someone's mate their body parts doesn't seem like the type that enjoys gardening."
"Just like there is no way your mate could love cars?" Alice countered feeling defensive of Death's Shadow. She really wished that she knew the girl's real name as it seemed wrong to be invested in someone without knowing their true identity.
Rosalie chuckled. "She's got you there Emmett. Anyway for all we know she needs the flowers to cover the ground where she buried all her victims."
"Yes, the flowers thrive as the blood of her enemies nourish them." Kate thrust her fist in the air."That is a true warrior I can get behind."
"I don't think Alice wants you to get anywhere near her behind Kate." Irina said.
"I..I…she…you." Alice sputtered causing everyone to laugh.
Eleazar decided it was best to save Alice from the torment of the others. "I have some books in my study about the Volturi and some vampire history. You are more than welcome to look through them. I'm not sure you will find much but I do recall there being a couple stories about Death's Shadow in them."
"Has anyone actually seen what she looks like under the mask?" Esme asked.
"Not that I know of but it is rumored that her beauty rivals that of a goddess." Carlilse said. "Then again there are other accounts of her ugliness. So it's safe to say no-one knows for sure. However I have also been told of her closeness to the queens so if anyone has seen her it's them."
"What I don't understand is how she came to be with the Volturi. If what you say about her gifts and skills are true then why doesn't she just wipe them out and take over herself?" Edward asked.
"Once again the same answer we have been giving this whole time. No-one knows. I once caught the end of a discussion of the Kings and their mates talking about her loyalty to them. It seemed like they didn't know her that well at all and that was centuries after she originally saved them." Carlisle told them.
Irina sighed. "I'm starting to see why Alice is so obsessed with her. She is such an unknown to everyone."
"I'm not obsessed with her." Alice denied. "I just find her interesting. I mean how many vampires out there can be that close to the Volturi and done all those rumored things and live to tell about it. Even if no-one is telling about it that is."
Before they could go off on Alice again Eleazar stood. "Why don't I show you those books Alice? You can take any of them you want with you if you wish."
Alice followed him into his office as she thought about all the information she had gotten from him. Death's Shadow was turning out to be as remarkable as she originally suspected she would be. It just made Alice that more interested in meeting the woman and finding out exactly what was under the mask.