Marcus once told me of a beautiful young witch who was kept in the highest room of the tallest tower, forced forever to do what the Volturi demanded of her. I was counting he meant that literally.
With my vampire speed, I broke the necks of the two vampires who were on guard duty. I opened the door and found her cowering in a corner. She was a dirty mess. But even so, I could see how pretty she was. Blue eyes, full lips, rosy cheeks, lightly tanned skin and long, dark brown hair. She was a petite little thing.
When she saw me, her eyes widened. "I know who you are," she said.
"Good," I replied. "Then you know why I'm here."
She hugged her knees. "You want me to find your boyfriend."
"Can you do that?"
"I can. But why should I?"
"If you do that, you're free. I'll let you go," I offered.
Her name was Davina, she told me, and she was all too happy to do what I asked of her. I sat on her hard bed and watched as she performed the spell. I noticed the walls were all painted and thought. Klaus would like this girl. Maybe that's why the Volturi wanted her anyways.
It didn't take long. She told me precisely where Elijah was being kept by the wicked witch of Italy and even offered to come with me. I refused. I was sure I could do this on my own.
The afternoon was warm as I sneaked out of the Volturi castle. Again, it was easier than I thought it would be. The universe seemed to be working on my favor. Whatever Rebekah and Niklaus were doing was keeping most of the vampires busy and out of my way. All the better.
But I was vibrating with tension, because at any moment this luck might run out.
The cemetery was at the eastern part of Volterra. I moved silently down a pathway created with uneven headstones. With my enhanced vision, I was able to find the mausoleum without problem.
My heart was pounding now. The sky was a shade darker and I felt raindrops on my face. I put my ear to the door, listened with all my ability. She was in there. But she was too distracted and would not notice me until it was too late. I let my fangs come out.
I had to move fast. Ever second would count. I kicked the door down and bit her neck savagely until she passed out. I let her fall on the ground.
Ding dong, the witch won't be bothering us for some time.
With an overwhelming sense of relief, I looked around. The floor was wooden, and covered with stains. The smell of blood was everywhere. Elijah was in the center of the room, his hands in chains that fell from the ceiling.
After the confused emotions and unfamiliar feelings of the past few days, I felt like the world suddenly came into focus. Everything was clear. Here was Elijah. I would save him. I would do anything to save him. I loved him. Oh, how I did.
Davina said Cassie had made him bleed in order to purge him from the sins of his monstrous existence. Just thinking of that, made me want to finish the job I did on her. She had tormented him in other ways, I could see that. He had been hurt and something was stopping him from healing. He had been starved, and he had been denied sleep.
Elijah was slumped over and I knew he was taking what respite he could while his tormentor was gone. He was all covered in blood.
I felt urgency, impelling me to him. I was trembly with the need to hurry. I had encountered enormous luck. I couldn't count on its holding.
As Davina instructed, I broke the voodoo doll hanging from the ceiling. Then I snapped the chains. He fell on my arms and, gods, was he heavy. "You have to stand up," I told him. "I can't carry you. Elijah?"
That moment, he smelled me and realized it was me. His head snapped up and his eyes blazed at me. He flinched, but managed to stand – with my help, of course. I got his left arm draped around my neck, and I heaved.
Elijah moaned. I began talking to him under my breath, cursing him and challenging him to move. He was going to heal, right? In a little while he'd be just fine.
I dragged him out of the cemetery and into the cover of the woods. At that point, he collapsed backward and took me with him to the ground. He made a deep pain noise that tore at my heart, and then he was absolutely silent and limp. It was terrifying seeing him like that.
There was only one thing I could do.
I brought my wrist to my mouth and bit it. I wasn't afraid. I wasn't Tatia and he wasn't that Elijah anymore. He loved me just as I loved him. He knew it was me. He wouldn't hurt me. I placed my wrist in his mouth and he sucked it. When my heart started to race again, I made him let go.
That's when his eyes opened and I knew I had been wrong all along. His body twisted into a bestial crouch, with a snarl of animal fury on his face. I couldn't help seeing it. Even if I could shut my eyes, every detail of the scene was etched upon my memory as if flash of lightning had seared it onto my brain forever.
My blood ran from his mouth. It showed ghastly red against the pallor of his skin, against the sharp whiteness of his bared teeth.
The screams were trying to rip their way out of my throat. I backed farther away, stumbling, as that terrible thing, the thing with Elijah's face, struck. He moved with preternatural quickness; he was on top of me before I even knew what was happening. That long, slender-fingered hand that had stroked my hair so gently, now grabbed it so he could tilt my head sideways.
In his hunger, he made no attempt to spare me anything, and it hurt like the six shades of hell. And then I did scream.
My mind could not cope with this horror; my thoughts were running wildly in panic. He sucked hard and I felt myself turn cold, so cold and weak that eventually I stopped fighting him. His arms clamped me to him, his leg was slung over my legs.
As he was touching me, I could feel what he was feeling. I could feel his anger. I could feel his cruelty. I could feel his hunger. He had never been more completely vampire. There wasn't anything human in him.
But what hurt even worse was to think that he didn't care enough about me to just stop. How could this hunger be stronger than our love? I found myself thinking of Tatia again. Had she felt this way right before she died upon the hands she loved so well?
He promised he would never hurt us, didn't he? And we believed him, Tatia spoke in my mind.I had gazed upon this face, the face of this man, the face of this monster. A face that no longer had barriers against me, no walls. This was what he was. This was all there was.
And maybe she was right. Death was all there was. But I was not to blame, I reminded myself. I had done everything because I loved him. And because I loved him I was dying.
He promised he would never hurt us.
But then again, if my life was all I had to give him, how could I deny him that when I loved him so?
And we believed him.
We believed him, didn't we?
Our mistake.