AN: Trigger warnings to many things are present in this story. Don't like don't read.
I do not own Twilight.
I just like to play around in different worlds with them :)
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Bella stood in the Cullen living room doorway, leaning against the wall as Carlisle frowned at the entire room. It was the beginning of the summer and she was still feeling off over everything that had happened the last few months.
"We have been summoned by the Volturi. Aro has learned of Bella, well a human, and what you did Edward. He's curious about her survival since the venom was removed."
She felt her skin crawl as she remembered the bite, the wildfire that had been lit under her skin as it worked its way through her body. She could still smell James' breath around her and when she closed her eyes, she was still in that ballet studio. Her mind was holding her prisoner in that studio, her mind the cage and James was her torturer.
Her leg was finally out of the air cast that she had been forced to wear for weeks on end, but it was still sore and at times it ached worse than the shimmering teeth marks on her forearm. Her body had been beaten and bruised and the Cullen's weren't completely aware of exactly had happened in that studio and she refused to tell them.
Now she was just numb.
She felt a cool breeze and when she opened her eyes she glanced up at Edward, "When do we have to go?"
Carlisle sighed, "We'll leave Friday, and we meet with them Saturday. You'll have to sleep on the plane."
She nodded and turned to leave, "I'll be here."
She ignored the frown on Edward's face as she hurried from the house. She hadn't been spending much time with him, prom was the last time she had spent a long amount of time around him. Alice was trying to get her to talk but she hadn't. The only one she had even come close to speaking to had been Rosalie. She knew the blonde hated her, but they shared something in common, although she wasn't sure what exactly it was.
Rosalie had appeared one night in her bedroom when she hadn't shown up for school for a week, even though she had been cleared by the hospital. Somehow the blonde knew she was keeping things secret from the others and she hadn't denied it when she confronted her. They had sat in silence for a while until Rosalie had nodded at her, bid her good night and disappeared out the window.
Ever since then the blonde hadn't spoken more than a few times to her, but she had been sticking close to her and she had found some comfort in the small gesture. She knew now that Edward was only a friend, nothing more than that. She wasn't his mate, and he couldn't fool her about it any longer.
He was still trying to be close to her but now it was only making her uncomfortable. Every time he grew closer to her, she would instinctively move towards Rosalie and the blonde would stop his advances. It was as if she and Rosalie had some new unspoken bond, trust, agreement? She wasn't sure but it was there, and she was more than grateful to the Ice Queen.
Spending more time with Rosalie meant she was spending even more time with Emmett. He had her working out more, getting into better shape. Mostly it had started out to help her strengthen her broken leg, but it quickly turned into a workout routine that had her body being trim and fit. She felt healthy for once, building up muscle she didn't even know she had. Even when looking in a mirror she could see the obvious difference.
Her hair was shinier, her cheeks slightly on the thinner side than what they should be but fine, nonetheless. Her toned muscles were getting more and more defined, her body turning into a miniature version of Emmett's, the more they did. Her cardio was even better than it had been, since Emmett insisted on early morning five mile runs. She was still clumsy, but he was helping her with that too, teaching her balance by making her stand on thin tree branches for an hour at a time.
Rosalie had a huge problem with that one thing and would bitch at him for the entire hour while not taking her golden eyes of her shaking body. When the hour was over the blonde would shimmy up the tree, pull her into her arms protectively and then drop to the ground without so much as a hair out of place. It only made her laugh but the fear she had while her body shook ten feet in the air was less than what she had felt with James.
Charlie had no problem with her going to Italy with her friends, knowing that Carlisle and Esme would be there too helped him agree to it. She packed her bag and bright and early Friday morning she said goodbye to Charlie, knowing it could very well be the last time she saw him, and drove to the Cullen house. She cried silently on her way to the Cullen's thinking about her father and how sad he had looked. If she didn't know any better, she could swear he sensed something was wrong, but he didn't push. He never pushed.
Rosalie took her duffel bag and handed it to Emmett for him to load into the back of the Jeep and led her to the back seat. Edward growled angrily but Rosalie only glared at him until he climbed into the Mercedes with Carlisle and Esme and Jasper. Alice slipped in next to her in the back seat of the Jeep and they were off.
She felt the slight excitement and fear curling into a tight ball in her stomach as they neared the airport. She had only heard stories from the Cullen's about the Volturi and read some things in the books from Carlisle's office. She began to recite everything in her mind as they boarded the plane, staying as close to Rosalie and Emmett as she could.
Edward was angry when Rosalie guided her to a window seat and then sat beside her with Emmett on the aisle seat. Once the plane was in the air, she risked touching Rosalie and squeezed her hand in thanks before letting go and staring out the window at the disappearing city below them. She was vaguely aware of the conversations around her as they sat confined to the plane, but she mostly stayed trapped in her mind.
When she had returned to school everyone was curious about what happened to her and the Cullen's. She had gotten frustrated enough over the last few weeks of school that she stopped talking to everyone. The only time they talked to her was to ask if she was ready to talk about it yet, which she wasn't. She would never be ready to talk about it.
She dozed off once throughout the entire flight but had jerked awake, her heart pounding in her chest and sweat covering her face from the nightmare that she had been sucked into. Rosalie had wrapped her arms around her, trying to sooth her quietly. She refused to sleep after that. Instead, she received coffee from the stewardess and watched the clouds out the small window.
She breathed a sigh of relief when the plane landed and they quickly disembarked, heading to the rental car area. She rode with Rosalie and Emmett again as they sped towards Volterra and the hotel they would be staying at during their stay. Rosalie had guided her into her, and Emmett's room and Edward threw a fit in the hallway, but she honestly wasn't in the mood to hear it.
She slipped into the room and crossed it to the private balcony before stepping outside, closing the door behind her. The only sounds around her were from the street below as human's moved happily along, chatting and laughing. She smiled slightly; they didn't know the horrors that surrounded them.
She didn't envy them as she thought she would. She was happy for the way her life was going. She was destined to be a vampire no matter what Edward said, she could feel it. She was a clumsy human now but someday she would be strong and graceful. She took comfort in that as she watched the human's hurrying around, some pulling red cloaks over their shoulders.
"There's a festival going on." Rosalie said as she stood beside her. She scoffed, "A festival for vampires."
She frowned as she looked at the blonde, "Do they know?"
Rosalie shook her head, "No. It's a tradition that was started long ago. We must go, or we'll be late. Bella, I want you to stay beside me or Emmett. Do not leave our sides, promise me."
She frowned at the worry in the blonde's eyes, but she nodded, "I promise Rosalie."
She followed Rosalie closely as they made their way out of the hotel and through dark narrow alleyways. They slipped into the large doors at the base of the large bell tower and were met with three different vampires. One short girl with blonde hair pulled into a bun. Her red eyes darting around the eight of them. Tension filled the air all around her and she glanced worriedly at Jasper, his eyes black and glaring at the girl.
"Aro doesn't like to be kept waiting Carlisle."
Carlisle nodded, "Good to see you again Jane."
Jane sneered at him, "Wish I could say the same." The small girl spun on her heel.
They were led down a long hallway with shiny marble floors. The tension in the Cullen's bodies seemed to grow the further away from the doors they became. The sounds of Jane's heels clicking loud enough to echo around them off the stone walls as they were led deeper inside. Marble columns stretched towards the high ceilings as they made two right turns and three left. She had the urge to open her mouth and comment about being back where they started but she bit her tongue.
She had a feeling sarcasm wouldn't get her very far in Volterra. They stopped at an elevator and Jane held her hand out for them to enter. She stood in the far back slightly behind and between Rosalie and Emmett as everyone crowded in and the tall skinny male with Jane hit a button.
The soft elevator music had her biting her lip against the utter need to comment about the irony of it. She was way too sarcastic for this trip. She found that after what she had gone through with James, she couldn't help but be sarcastic. It eased the tension around her, and people laughed. Laughing was good for the soul after so much darkness.
Finally, the doors opened, and she followed Rosalie and Emmett out into another shiny marble filled hallway. She was beginning to see a theme with vampire's and marble. A large set of wooden doors sat at the end of the hallway as the three vampires led them towards it. A slight fear began to work its way into her chest, and she tried to stifle it as she slipped closer to Rosalie and Emmett.
The doors creaked as they opened, seemingly on their own and they entered a large circular room with a raised platform across from them. Three high back chairs sat at the top of the three steps, cherry wood chairs with red cotton seats. She took notice of the vampire's spread around the room as two closed the doors behind them.
She felt Rosalie and Emmett press towards her, slightly behind her to protect her. A man Carlisle's height, at least five foot ten, stood. His long jet-black hair straight down to his shoulders. His long pointy nose was slightly crooked at the end and his red eyes darkened slightly as he took in her human scent. He wasn't much older that Carlisle, putting him in his mid-twenties when he was turned.
"Carlisle old friend." His voice grated on her slightly, yet it was still chilling.
Carlisle bowed his head once, "Aro, what need of us do you have?"
Aro smiled widely as he took his time coming down the three steps from his throne, "Carlisle you have a human with you. While I don't mind you keeping a pet-"
A growl slipped from Edward's lips until Jasper placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him.
Aro raised his eyebrows at him, "Or is she more than a pet?"
Carlisle nodded, "She is not a pet Lord Aro."
A taller man than Aro stood abruptly from his seat on the right, his long strawberry blonde hair hanging slightly in his face, "Then why do you have a human? Our laws are strict."
Carlisle nodded, "I know better than most Lord Caius."
"Then why keep a human if not for a pet or blood bag?" Caius snarled angrily.
The woman in the opposite chair to the left, sighed with a roll of her red eyes, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder, "Oh shut up Caius. Carlisle has never broken the law and I'm sure he has not this time either."
Caius spun to the woman, "Why are you even here Didyme? Shouldn't you be helping your husband with this festival that you two insist on putting on every year?"
Aro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Caius, Didyme is my sister and you know how I feel about the way you speak to her."
Didyme grinned wickedly at the angry vampire before she stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.
Bella couldn't help but smile at the vampires. They were probably thousands of years old and yet they acted like the children they probably were when they were turned. Maybe sarcasm would get her out of here alive. It was worth a shot at least if it came down to it.
Aro rolled his eyes again at the growl from Caius as the vampire sat back down, "Now then Carlisle. I would like to meet this human." Carlisle's body stiffened but he nodded as he stepped aside.
She glanced up at Rosalie and the blonde frowned but nodded at her. She moved forward towards Aro as he held his hand out to her, "I am Lord Aro."
She took his cold hand, and she felt a flutter of pressure against her mind. She jerked her hand away from him and felt Rosalie's hand on her shoulder, pulling her back against her. Aro's smile was wide as he gasped and eyed her carefully.
"I cannot read your thoughts." He clapped his hands together, "Oh Carlisle you sneaky devil."
Carlisle frowned, "Edward cannot read her thoughts either and Jasper's gift does not affect her either. Alice can see her though."
"Hmm," Aro began to pace back and forth in front of them, "She's intriguing."
Her eyes glanced around the room again as the vampire's that had barely paid any attention to them were now focused solely on her. Her nerves spiked in her stomach and she felt the uncomfortable chill run down her spine. Having this many vampire's watching her was making her lose control of her fear.
Aro turned to her suddenly, "I wonder which gifts don't work on you. Jane."
Edward growled as he blurred forward, and she knew he would only get hurt in the process. She shouted as she raised her hand at him, "Stop!"
A shimmering bright blue light shot from her hand and Edward slammed into thin air, sending him to the ground, slightly dazed. Her eyes went wide as she stared at her hand, that was new. She frowned as a slight numbness tingled her palm, not understanding exactly what she was stopping Edward from.
Hurting Jane or himself, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
The vampire's around the room began growling and crouching in defense. Rosalie jerked her back and Emmett crouched in front of them, his lips pulling back in a warning snarl.
Edward frowned as he stood slowly, eyeing her with caution, "What was that?"
She shook her head and pressed tighter against Rosalie. Aro was watching her with bright red eyes, a gleam of curiosity in the deep red rings. She felt the fear spread through her body and couldn't help but think, 'So much for my control'.
Aro held his hand up, "Please stop frightening our guest." The growling ceased as he held his hand out to her, "I apologize for their reactions. It is not often we find a human that presents with unspeakable gifts such as yourself."
She frowned as she hovered slightly behind Rosalie before nodding at him.
"Unfortunately, you won't be leaving as quickly as we thought. Carlisle you and your coven are free to leave however the human will be staying here."
Growls rolled from the Cullen coven, Carlisle speaking quickly, "Aro she is with us."
Aro nodded, "And when we are done with her, we will send her back to you. Until then she will remain here. Demetri."
The tall skinny black-haired boy that had met them at the door blurred forward and gripped her arm. Rosalie turned with a growl, but she quickly stepped between them and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "I'll be alright. Rosalie I'm fine. I survived him and I can survive this."
Aro frowned curiously at her but she ignored him.
Rosalie frowned at her but nodded. She turned to Demetri and let him pull her aside. Aro grinned, "Lovely, now you are free to go Carlisle. The girl will call you once a week to give you updates. We'll take good care of her."
Rosalie glared up at Demetri, "I'll remove it if you go near her."
Demetri held her glare, but she could hear the hard swallow the vampire took as he loosened her hold on her arm slightly. She smirked, apparently everyone knew not to piss off Rosalie Hale. She hugged Rosalie and Emmett before they hurried out of the room. Esme and Carlisle smiled sadly at her and apologized before they hugged her and disappeared.
Alice hugged her tightly, "We'll speak soon. I'm so sorry."
She watched her best friend pull Jasper from the room as Edward moved towards her. She could see Aro watching them closely and try as she might, she couldn't stop the step back from Edward she took. He frowned at her for a moment before trying to reach for her. She yanked her arm free of Demetri's relaxed grip and backed away from Edward, she didn't want him to touch her.
Aro appeared between them suddenly, his voice deeper with a hint of anger, "Enough."
Edward frowned as he read the man's thoughts then growled, "You're blocking thoughts from me."
Aro glared at him, "She has said her goodbyes. Felix, Jane escort Edward out to his coven."
Jane grinned as she nodded, and she knew the little girl was going to let Edward have it. She couldn't stop the slight smile that pulled at the corner of her mouth, but it quickly disappeared as Jane frowned at her in confusion. She watched the doors close and knew that she would not be making it out of Volterra alive, if at all.
Aro spun to face her, "Now then. You'll be taken to your room. You are free to roam the castle but if you try to escape there will be punishments."
She nodded, "Like I could even if I wanted."
Aro's eyes widened slightly.
Shit, the sarcasm was defiantly going to be a problem here, she thought.
A small smirk appeared on Aro's face, "I might end up liking you after all human."
She couldn't stop the grimace and the man laughed, high and wild. Demetri held his arm out for her to move and she slipped out of the throne room quickly. She followed the vampire through three different hallways before stopping in front of a set of large wooden doors. Demetri pushed one open and stood to the side letting her enter.
Her eyes widened at the large apartment like sized room, all stone walls and stone floors. "Finally, no marble," she muttered, hearing a slight chuckle from Demetri before he closed the door behind her.
The room was cold, and she felt the chill on her arms. To the right of the door was an open kitchen that was complete with an island counter with stools, and a stove and large refrigerator, all stainless steel. To the left was a sitting area, a large L shaped sofa with two overstuffed armchairs sat around a coffee table on a fuzzy rug. A fireplace sat empty and dusty across from the sofa with deep built-in bookcases around it. In the far back left corner was a large king-sized bed that almost called to her after her long stiff flight and sat on another raised platform with two steps leading up to it. She moved to the room next to the kitchen, opening the door that faced the bed.
She grinned widely at the jacuzzi tub, large enough for four people, which she rolled her eyes at. A walk-in shower, toilet and a long counter with one sink, sighing at finding hot water and she warmed up her hands in it. She grimaced at her reflection in the mirror before exiting the bathroom. At least there was a door on it. Someone had updated the castle and she had to admit it was nice.
She moved back towards the fireplace and knelt on the freezing cold stone floor. She smiled remembering Charlie teaching her how to start a fire with sticks and thinking she would never need the knowledge since there was the invention of a lighter. She shook her head and set to work, finding the best-looking pieces in the old fireplace.
Ten minutes later she had her hands over the small flames, wondering how she was going to get more wood before this burned out. The large door opened as Jane and Demetri entered the room. She ignored them trying to get her hands warm without focusing on the few busted blisters she now had on her palms.
Jane sat something on the island counter before turning back to her, "How did you get a fire?"
She ignored the girl, hoping that if Jane were going to kill her it would be quick. She watched the two vampires' out of the corner of her eye as Jane cocked her head at her before looking at Demetri. They blurred from the room; the door slamming shut behind them. She frowned over at the plate on the counter, not really hungry before turning back to the fire.
She struggled to figure out how and why things happened the way they did. She thought that James would be the end of her worries, other than the fact that she would hide from the Volturi with the Cullen's until she was turned but that wouldn't have been an issue. The fact that the Volturi had heard about her is what concerned her. How did they find out? Who would have gone to them with the knowledge of it? She didn't have an answer for either question.
An hour later the doors opened again and Demetri and Felix, the brute vampire that had led the Cullen's out of the throne room, came in with two large bundles over each shoulder. The bundles were covered with black cloth as she frowned at them. The two vampires glanced at each other before dropping the eight bundles and disappearing out the door, the bang of the door slamming echoing around the room.
She hesitated for a moment before sliding across the cold stone floor. She slowly pulled back the cloth on one of the bundles and her eyes widened, her eyebrows rising high. She frowned at the log bundles for a moment before shaking her head and pulling a few out to sit in the fireplace. She cocked her head at the bookshelf to the right of the fireplace and grinned.
"Wonder how angry Aro will be about me destroying his room." She spoke to herself quietly, because she could and at least it was noise other than the crackling fire.
She shrugged and slammed her foot down on the bottom shelf. Once the bottom two shelves were broken and sat aside, she began to stack the extra firewood in it, doubling it up so it would all fit. She felt oddly pleased with the destruction, as if she was letting out the anger that was building inside of her. She dusted her sore hands off on her jeans before finding a broom leaning against the refrigerator and sweeping up the mess carefully. She tossed the kindling into the fireplace and replaced the broom where she had found it.
She wasn't sure what would happen to her next, but she was too exhausted to care. She'd had a long day and she wasn't even sure what time it was as she sat on the soft sofa, leaning her head back to stare at the stone ceiling above her. She let her body relax as the room began to grow warm and sighed.
She had never been good with feelings, something she discovered she got from Charlie. She would avoid them, shoving them into the very recesses of her mind to deal with at a later point or to be forgotten. She knew she didn't want to be here and that she missed Forks but a part of her said she needed to be here.
Something about this place would help her figure out what was wrong with her. Ever since the debacle with James she had felt different, about everyone and everything. Hell, she was relying on Rosalie Hale for comfort and safety, the blonde that hated her and told her every chance she got.
She didn't know why but maybe being here she could figure it out.
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She gasped as she jerked straight up from her position on the sofa. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep or how long she had been asleep, but the nightmare had been the one to wake her. Sweat ran down the side of her face as the scar on her arm throbbed painfully, the phantom teeth that continuously sank into her skin while she dreamt. Her heart raced in her chest as she gasped for the air that felt missing from her lungs.
The door banged open and a woman with long dark auburn hair appeared on the sofa beside her. The red eyes searched her face frantically, worry clear on her face as a cold hand cupped her sweaty face, "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"
She jumped off the sofa, fear coiling around her body, and backed away from the woman, "Who are you?"
The woman frowned, "Sulpicia. Aro's wife and mate. Are you alright?"
She nodded quickly before moving around the sofa, "I need clothes."
Sulpicia nodded, "Your bag is in the bathroom."
She frowned not remembering seeing it when she had looked at the bathroom when she first arrived. She moved towards the bathroom as Sulpicia watched her carefully. She slipped into the bathroom not bothering to lock the door since they could enter if they wanted anyway. Her bag was on the counter and she knew it hadn't been there before.
She showered, letting the hot water sooth her aching body for a few minutes before stepping out and pulling her ripped jeans on. She wondered if she could get new clothes while she was here since she really hadn't brought a lot. She pulled a loose t-shirt on before leaving the bathroom in bare feet.
The smell of bacon and eggs made her mouth water as she exited the bathroom, and she froze as she spotted Sulpicia at the stove in her kitchen. The vampire was wearing a long dark red dress that looked to fancy to cook in and her black cloak was draped over the sofa.
She frowned as she hopped on one foot to pull her socks on, "I can cook for myself." A little harsh but she was technically a prisoner.
Sulpicia turned to smirk at her, "The food was just delivered while you were in the shower. Felix has a hard time being around your scent. It's tempting."
She rolled her eyes, "Joy. Another vampire that would like to drain me."
Sulpicia frowned, "There are more?"
She nodded as she grabbed her converse from beside the sofa, "Edward. I'm his singer. Then there was James…"
She grimaced at his name and the nightmare returned. She felt the fear coil in her stomach as her heart began to thump wildly in her chest again. She shook her head and continued to pull her shoes on before glancing at the frowning vampire.
Sulpicia turned back to the stove, "Sit. You didn't eat last night."
"So, it's daytime now?" She asked as she sat on a stool, keeping the counter between them.
Sulpicia nodded, "Yes. You would know that if you would open the curtains."
She frowned and turned to look around the apartment, noticing the curtains for the first time. They covered the length of the wall stopping at the steps that led up to the bed. She moved across the room and pushed the curtain aside, closing her eyes against the brightness. A set of French glass double doors led out to the private balcony and she could help but shake her head.
"What's with vampire's and balcony's? Romeo and Juliet much." She scoffed irritably.
Sulpicia chuckled, "It has a poetic connection yes, but Romeo and Juliet vampires are not."
She snorted as she opened the doors, "Edward would beg to differ." She stepped out into the cool morning air and leaned against the marble railing, "More fucking marble." She muttered.
Sulpicia laughed, "That was Aro's doing. He has a fascination."
A small smirk pulled at her mouth, "Ironic."
She looked out over a small garden type courtyard below her, feeling the nausea hit her from how high up she was. She counted five windows across from her before her head began to spin. She wouldn't be sneaking off the balcony anytime soon. She moved away from the railing and took in the small metal table and whether proof seating. On the opposite side was a small fire pit and she smiled, it reminded her of Jacob's house.
She closed the doors behind her and returned to her seat as Sulpicia sat a plate of food down in front of her, "Eat or you will not leave this room."
She eyed the vampire, "Why? It's not like I can leave."
Sulpicia frowned at her, "Please eat."
She sighed and rolled her eyes as she picked up the fork and took a bite of the eggs. The shocking flavor made her mouth water even as she chewed. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, and she began to shove it into her mouth as quick as possible.
Sulpicia chuckled, "Don't choke on it."
"Aro's words I take it." She snapped before she froze with the fork halfway to her mouth.
Pissing off the head King's wife was probably the worst thing she could do. Part of her didn't care and the other part was curious what would happen if she could push their buttons. It was a no-win situation so keeping herself entertained was going to be a priority, at least going just far enough that they didn't kill her was right up there on the list too.
Sarcasm was going to get her killed, she just knew it.
Sulpicia's grin shocked her, "No gag reflex." She winked at her.
She shivered at the thought, "To much information." Sulpicia laughed and she finished her breakfast before cleaning up the dishes and the pans that the vampire had cooked with before turning to the woman, "So what happens now?"
Sulpicia frowned, "So eager to start?"
She grimaced, "If I had my way I would be on the plane with the Cullen's." Sulpicia nodded before disappearing.
She sighed and headed out of the room and into the labyrinth of hallways. She spent an hour lost before coming across a large garage. Her eyes widened at the old Rolls Royce rusted frame sitting on the far side. She frowned as she checked the room, making sure she was alone before she ran towards the car.
The hood was up, and she ran her hand along the rusty engine, "What did they do to you?" She whined.
"It was abandoned here," Aro's voice echoed around the room and she spun around to face him. "I have been unable to part with it. It was a beautiful car at one time." He walked slowly towards her with his hands behind his back.
She cocked her head at him, "You didn't say which rooms I could go into and the door was open."
He nodded with a smile, "Once upon a time I used to rebuild these things." He ran his pale fingers along the dirty frame, "How time escapes us child."
She snorted, "You have enough of it. Why not get back into it?" She turned back to the vehicle.
Aro eyed her curiously, "Do you like to work on vehicles?"
She nodded a small smile coming to her face, "It's the one thing Rosalie and I have in common."
He nodded, "How did you get tangled with Carlisle's coven?"
She moved around the vehicle to the driver's door as she spoke calmly, not feeling the fear from yesterday, "I was going to school with them and Edward saved me from being crushed to death by an out-of-control van. May I?" She motioned to the door.
He nodded at her, a strange look in his red eyes that she refused to read too much into. She pulled on the door and frowned at the rusty latch. Aro appeared beside her in a blink and jerked it open without effort.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Show off."
He chuckled as he stepped back allowing her to slip inside the old vehicle, "You are a strange human even by our standards child."
She shrugged as she took stock of the messy wiring and the broken gearshift, "So I've heard. That's all Edward would say, and Alice." She frowned down at her lap as the thought of her best friend was painful.
"What is wrong child?" Aro asked softly.
His tone creeped her out more than his angry and harsh one and she shivered before shaking her head, "Nothing." She stepped out of the car, "What do you want with me?"
He sighed, "What happened with Edward yesterday has intrigued me. I would like to see how far your gift is developed before you are turned."
She frowned, "It just happened. I don't know how, and it's never happened before."
"Hmm," He tapped his chin with his long skinny finger, "Then we shall try to activate it. Come. I'll show you the fighting room."
She grimaced, "I'm a lover not a fighter."
He laughed, high and nasally as he led her from the garage. She took one last longing look at the car before sighing and following her captor. She lost track of how many stairs they climbed and how many turns they took in the endless castle halls. She relaxed slightly as they entered a large room, thin wrestling mats on the floor in the middle of the room in a square. There were weapons of all kinds hanging on the walls, a few vampire's sparing on the far side of the room near floor length windows.
She frowned at him, "Windows?"
He chuckled, "One way. We can see out, but no one can see in plus necro-tempered glass keeps the sun from getting through."
She shook her head, "I really need to stop asking."
He chuckled as he led her further into the room, "Athenodora?"
A woman an inch shorter than Aro appeared in front of them. Her platinum blonde hair pulled back in a tight ponytail was slicked back with hair gel, making her look dangerous yet gorgeous at the same time. Her slim build was the personification of every vampire stereotype. Her muscles moved under her skin, drawing her eyes in, wanting to touch the smooth marble skin. The woman's beauty was sucking her in unwillingly. She shivered as the woman's red eyes raked over her body unapologetically before she turned to Aro.
"What do you want done?" Her voice was on the deeper end, yet it was rough, a warrior's voice.
She refused to let her body react to the woman. Her damn gay hormones trying to wiggle free. She clenched her teeth and turned around, moving towards the wall with the ancient weapons as Aro spoke, "She has a gift, and I would like to know what it is and how powerful she is."
"She's human Aro." Athenodora stated.
Aro nodded, "Yes and she already has a gift or two, maybe more."
Athenodora appeared beside her and she jumped, startled at the sudden appearance, "She's jumpy."
She glared at the vampire, "And you're irritating."
A glare appeared on the woman's face as red eyes slowly shifted to black, "I can snap you in half with two fingers."
She felt her heart pound in her chest as her anger flowed through her body, "Aro could do it with one." Edward was always telling her she had no sense of self preservation.
A growl ripped from the woman as a cold hand shot out and wrapped around her neck tightly, "Push me and I have no problem killing you." The snarl vibrated her chest.
She smirked at the woman, "I have no problem pushing an arrogant asshole." She was beginning to believe Edward was finally right about something.
Athenodora's growl shook the room as her eyes turned completely black. She jerked her sideways and she flew into the wall, a crack racing up to the ceiling. She landed on the floor as all the weapons landed around her very fragile human body. She coughed and tasted the blood on her tongue as she pushed herself to her feet, refusing to let the vampire win this one.
Athenodora smirked at her, "You are nothing to me."
She nodded, "That's more than you are to me."
Another growl ripped from the woman and she blurred forward angrily. A loud boom echoed around the room as two vampires slammed into Athenodora before she could connect with her. She recognized Felix and Demetri as they held the struggling vampire back.
Aro was grinning as he walked towards her, "Well this just became even more intriguing. Jane?"
The shorter girl appeared with a frown, "Yes Lord Aro."
"Take the girl to her room. She's done for today." Aro grinned as he looked between her and Athenodora, before chuckling happily.
She couldn't help but smirk at Athenodora as Felix and Demetri struggled to hold the strong woman. Something about this woman was making her bold, making her want to push her buttons. She wondered just how far she could push the vampire before the woman would break.
Jane turned to her with a smirk, "Didn't think you had it in you."
She shrugged as the vampire's disappeared and she was left alone with Jane, "I'm an idiot."
Jane laughed, "Yes you are."
She chuckled as she leaned on the shorter girl, her ribs protesting with every step as they made their way towards her room.