CPOV

There was smoke.

Smoke lifted through the cracks of the door to the throne room. It stung my eyes, and made my throat itch as I ran to it and flung the doors open.

"Ah, my dear, you've arrived!" Aro sang as I retreated inside, but everything was normal. There was no smoke. I scanned the room, looking at the marble, the walls, the pillars.

"Do you know what you've done, my dear?" he asked softly. I looked to him again and the room was engulfed in flames. Orange and red colored the pale room, the ultimate picture of disaster. What I saw behind Aro terrified me the most.

Travis, David, Ned, Robert, Cassie, Tara, Manny, Phillip, Danny, Felix, Demetri, Jane, and Heidi were all in a pile.

Dead.

And right on top of that pile was Alec.

"Alec!" I cried. I looked to Aro and his deceiving milky red orbs. "What have you done?"

A buzzing sound grew in my ears, and it turned maniacal and high pitched. Aro was laughing. And worst of all, Caius was laughing with him, but Marcus remained still. He killed them all. They were all dead.

"Oh, it's not what I have done," he purred, reaching into his suit jacket. He pulled out a small silver object and flipped it open. A small flame birthed through the top.

"It is what you have done," he said, grinning evilly before throwing the lighter right on the pile. "If only you would have listened."

"No!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

They were all gone.

They were all gone.

Alec was gone, and it was my fault.

Despite the terminating heat of the flames, I felt cold. Aro sauntered, almost floated over to me and handed me a broken shard of glass.

"Welcome, my dear," he purred. I looked into the shard of glass and what stared back at me, I did not recognize.

The brightest, crimson red irises stared back at me.

My skin held the creamiest pale hue, and my face held the most unnatural, inhuman beauty. My lips no longer sported their fleshy pink color, but a dark, pale rose. All of my features fit together perfectly like a puzzle, every one symmetrical. My eyes, framed with the darkest, thickest lashes, held a confidence and power I did not have. My cheekbones, high and sculpted, only added to the terrifying beauty that I possessed. Her lips stretched into a sinister, superior grin, her snowy teeth gleaming with venom. This girl could not be real.

I lifted my head to meet Aro's eyes again, but he wasn't there anymore.

Alec was, and he was shaking me. His lips were moving, his eyebrows furrowed and angry, but I couldn't hear him. I automatically clung onto his arms, a sheer force begging me to keep him close to me forever.

He was alive?

"Wake up human, you are dreaming," he hissed as I shot up in the bed.

My heart pounded furiously, and my face was wet and sticky with tears, while my body was sheer with sweat. His cold, icy hands were on my shoulders; I felt my own hands clenching his sleeves for dear life. I couldn't see him in the darkness. I realized that I slept longer than I intended to. I released him, trying to shake off the dream. It seemed so real. Too real. It was the only other dream that had made me cry like that. I only woke up crying sometimes when I dreamed of my dad.

But this had surpassed far beyond those dreams. Never had I dreamed of all the people I cared about being incinerated in a pile. I felt my body shaking as Alec removed his hands from my shoulders. I was surprised by the cold feel of his thumb moving across my cheek briefly and it rose goosebumps on my skin. I could smell him.

Sweet, otherwordly, tart, cold, refreshing. Berries.

It went through my nose and filled my head, sending a strange wave of calm through me.

Stop smelling him.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a detached voice as my bedside lamp clicked on. My eyes immediately landed on him, needing to see for myself that he was really okay. I nodded my head, shutting my eyes in relief.

Oh, he's alive. Thank God, I thought to myself. I hardly knew Alec, and we had the worst time getting along, but I couldn't help but feel the worst kind of fear run through me at the sight of him being dead. It made no sense. I hardly even liked him myself.

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, thankful for my new haircut at the moment. Something weighted and cold fell onto my lap with a crinkled thump, and I looked down to see what it was.

I moved the ice pack off of my lap, and rubbed my arm for warmth. Demetri must have returned when I fell asleep, and left it on me. My arm was the only part of my body that was cold; the rest of me was so heated, that I wished to be sitting in a tub of ice.

Alec suddenly pressed the back of his hand to my cheek, and then moved to my forehead, and I tensed up. Why was he touching me like this? I slightly bent away from it to my confusion, though it was helping my feverish state. He took the ice pack from me.

"Do you always say my name in your sleep?" he asked, amusement coloring his tone, and while I ignored it, it made a blush creep into my cheeks. Had my cry reached my physical body too?

"Can vampires die?" I muttered instead. My heart continued to thud as the image of Aro tossing the lighter on the pile invaded my mind. Felix said vampires are strong, fast, and agile, but he never said they could die. I had only known Alec for a week, and I apparently cared about him. Despite his hate for me, a part of me believed he was capable of being open. He just chose not to be in touch with his feelings, as Felix said. I didn't know what kind of past he and Jane had, but I had a feeling it could stem from that.

"What kind of stupid question is that?" he spat, his hand back at his side now.

"I'm serious," I said softly. There was a long pause before he answered me.

"Was that your dream, human?" he asked icily. There was something else underlying his tone, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Is that a yes?" I heard the fear creeping into my voice. There was another pause.

"Fire," he answered bitterly, like it was a curse word. My heart dropped. Was everyone going to die because of me? Even Alec? What had I done that caused them all to die? Was it me signing my name? Was it me not listening to Alec? Was it me sending a text message to Cassie?

"Who was it that died in your dream, human?" he mocked. "Was it your precious friend David?"

I shut my eyes briefly before answering. The image came back to me, allowing tears to gather in my eyes.

"You did," I whispered. I didn't add the part about his sister. It would make him angry. "You died. Aro killed you, set you on fire."

His hand cupped my chin, and turned my face towards his. His face, cold and blank, was a bit too close to mine. I felt the chill radiating from his closeness, and it felt good on my face. My heart stuttered, nervousness creeping into my veins.

"Listen to me," he directed softly, but sternly. He didn't sound angry for once; it almost sounded like he was reassuring me. "I am the deadliest, most feared vampire in this world, and I have been existing longer than you can imagine. No one would dare step in my direction, unless they were senseless enough to believe that they hold a chance against me. I will not die unless it is to save my sister. I was assigned to guard you, because I am the most capable, and the most powerful. I will not allow anyone to get within a reasonable distance of me or of you. So, do not concern yourself with my safety, sweetheart. Your dream was only that; a dream. Is that clear?"

I had a strange feeling building in my chest that was comforting. His words, although he sarcastically called me "sweetheart", and kept his usual barrier up, washed over me warmly and I believed him. I felt a sense of security with him right now.

Get a hold of yourself.

I snapped out of it, and gave him an answer with my heart thudding.

"Yes," I said shortly. I was expecting him to let go of me, but he didn't. In fact, he didn't move an inch.

"My presence does appeal to you, doesn't it, human?" he asked, smirking devilishly. I reached up, and moved his hand off of my face.

"Good night, Alec," I said sternly and calmly, laying down and facing away from him. While I wasn't as spooked by my dream now, I couldn't put my finger on my reactions to him. He thought he was irresistible to the female gender, yet he hated to show feelings. I knew what his demeanor was, yet my heart sped up when he spoke, smiled, or got close to me. I diagnosed it as inexperience, because I'd never dated or had any boy touch me in any way that was intimate.

I shut my eyes and pushed away my swirling thoughts.

APOV

"Alec," Aro addressed me, pacing slowly.

The human had further enraged me with her mindless choices, which have led to exposure. Her decision to sign a simple piece of paper for a stranger whom she had never met was more trouble than she knew. The way she so carelessly spoke to me got under my skin; but, I cursed myself for finding a sick satisfaction in it. My mind was not functioning correctly since her arrival, and my motives did not match my actions.

Her calm, outside exterior and intellect was starting to intrigue me, and I despised it. Every bit of it was wrong, against my nature. The way she spoke and reacted to my words and actions was not that of a normal human female. Her heart, however, pleased me when it fluttered at my close proximity. My threat of harm to her friend got through to her, when my bruising did not.

"Do you remember what I said about handling the human?"

"Yes, Master," I said. "I was only trying to discipline her, as she disrespected my requests. The Volturi do not tolerate disrespect."

He nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Aro was still dissatisfied with the human's refusal of him. But, when he issued the imminent false announcement of her death, I laughed at her pain. She would suffer for what she had done; she so truly deserved it.

"Yes, that is correct," he mused. "But, she is your mate. Do mates not treat each other with such and with respect despite the circumstances? And with love?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

Aro continued to press the mate issue, utterly convinced this girl was my mate. I rejected such beliefs. I was not meant to have a mate, and held no desire for one. I had all that I would ever need here; Jane. The rest of my existence did not require the presence of a female that would only distract me from my duties, and butcher my focus.

This particular human could possibly be my mate, whether she was to be immortal or not. She was not strong or smart enough to handle being a member here; most of all, we were not alike in any way. Love was not real; it was a mere illusion, due to chemical reactions in the human body that blinded fools. Love did not exist to me. I loved Jane, but I had always loved her. It was a sibling bond, as she was my twin, my female counterpart. The intimate love Aro spoke of would never occur for me.

"She is not aware," I answered, the words coating my tongue with something bitter and unpleasant. "Master, love is not something I believe in. I will treat her gently as you ask, but I will not love her. She is my singer, but I do not believe she is my mate. The two are mutually exclusive. The only love I require comes from Jane, and I have been very satisfied with having just that."

His lips stretched into a knowing smile, as he stepped forward to me.

"Do treat her gently from now on," he spoke airily. "We do not need her escaping us. And, you will be escorting her in our welcoming ball. How lovely you will look together. I do trust that you will follow my orders correctly this time?"

"Yes, Master," I said, bowing before him and landing my eyes on Chelsea. Aro requested her after Demetri took the human to her room.

You know her name, the secret voice hissed to me. You know what you are doing, and you are enjoying every bit of it. We both know you enjoy the human's name rolling off of your tongue. You can deny it all you like, but soon...

I dismissed the thoughts; they were nothing but delusions.

"Chelsea," Aro directed. "Do bind our dear David. Perhaps Cheyenne will rethink her loyalty if her friend is persuaded."

Chelsea's red painted lips stretched into a grin at the request. She had previously attempted to lay with me, but I denied her with harsh words. Blonde women were not in my female attraction pool.

Not anymore, the voice snickered. That is because your mate is brunette.

"Yes, Aro," she said happily, stepping gracefully down the steps. She winked at me as she passed, and I gave her a glare in return as I departed, hissing at the insolent thoughts in my mind.

"Brother," my sweet sister called as soon as I passed through the doors. Her lips moved into a smile as we embraced and I kissed her hair. Her scent calmed me, grounded me.

"Sister, how are you? I have not seen you in days," I replied. Jane was helping the newborn David control his thirst, which I despised. My time with the human, and hers with the newborn kept us apart frequently. "I have missed you."

"And I, you. Hopefully, it will not be that way again," she replied. "He will not stop asking for the human. It is utterly annoying. I have been using my gift to my advantage." She grinned so innocently, but I saw the spark in her eyes.

"Once they are reunited, perhaps we will have a chance to catch up with each other," I assured her. "It will not be long now. How long until he is under control?"

"It will be up to Aro to determine that. I am just waiting until he approves. He does not listen, that one. He considerably improved since his awakening, but his frenzies over the human render him unfocused." She rolled her eyes. "If I hear about that human one more time..."

"Jane," I soothed. "Perhaps we should let Aro review his behavior. The sooner he approves, the sooner we will not have to deal with them." An odd tug at my silent heart caused the same bitter taste on my tongue. I have been around the human too much.

"Perhaps, brother," she replied. I pulled my sister close, and held her tightly to me.

"I must go now, dear sister," I said ruefully. "I must babysit the human."

Not a good remark.

Shut up.

"Come visit me, brother," she said sadly, nuzzling her head on my chest. "I miss you terribly."

"As I miss you, Jane," I responded tenderly as she kissed my cheek, and we parted ways.

This ball was going to be the death of me, metaphorically speaking. Every event my Master hosted always proved to be in my favor, as I chose my selected sexual partner for that decade.

However, I could not help but think that this particular ball would be very different.

~~~~S~~~~

The way she slept only fed my growing insanity. What I hated most was that I had begun to study her, and pick out each detail of her tendencies. With each passing night and day, my brain had somehow, without my permission, slowly picked up on different details about her. And those minuscule, damned changes only tricked me into believing that I enjoyed it; that I enjoyed the way she slept, the way she breathed, and what her heart sounded like. She never once snored or drooled like humans did.

And, it was on this night, that my curiosity peaked; I found myself wanting to know what exactly it was that she dreamed of.

As I watched her, I developed an urge to reach out and touch her skin. Her skin, which was always a mix of warm and cool. Her skin that flushed when I spoke to her in intimidating ways.

Just one touch.

My eyes concentrated on her eyelids, as I slowly reached out to her.

God, what am I doing? What am I doing? This is madness. Control yourself.

Her scent was overwhelming my senses; the thirst for her never wavered, and I fought to root myself in place. What I would not give for one taste of her hot, pumping blood to flow down my throat and satiate me. Perhaps it would make me considerably stronger than other humans' blood.

You are definitely mates.

I growled low, as to not wake the human; I would do anything to silence it for good.

I whipped my hand away from her cheek, and grabbed the comforter to conceal her.

Oh, feeling a bit too tempted, are we?

Her heartbeat increased suddenly, and my body chose to react without my saying so. My eyes were on her sharply. Her face was scrunching up as if to cry, and tears soon followed, streaming down her cheeks.

"Alec," she breathed in horror. The way she spoke my name never sounded better, not even from Jane. I desired to hear her say it again, and I snuffed the desire right in the bud. I turned my mind off, only operating on what I knew; shutting everything out.

Shut up, she's having a bad dream, you idiot.

I shook her shoulders as gently as I could, though I preferred to throttle her.

"Cheyenne," I said blankly. "Wake up. It is just a dream," I attempted, to no avail. I applied a thousandth of an ounce more of force, repeating myself.

"Wake up, human, you are dreaming."

She shot up straight, gasping for air, the sweat and tears visible on her skin. Her eyes were filled with terror, and I had once again made the mistake of laying my own upon hers.

I began to experience a a slight pull within me to comfort her, and banish every nightmare. I fought with it, hardly being able to push it away. Her fingers were gripping the sleeves of my T-shirt, which I hadn't a chance to exchange for my normal attire. I moved my hands away from her shoulders, ignoring the odd, possibly imaginary, pleasurable trail of warmth that subsided where we touched.

This damn human, being such an inconvenience.

"Are you all right?" I offered in a robotic voice, wiping the wetness off of her cheek for good measure. I glanced at the glistening, water-like fluid on my fingertips for nearly a full second, before stopping myself from bringing it to my tongue. I busied myself with turning the lamp on for her.

Her thumping heart stuttered at my touch, and I smirked. Her eyes found me at once, nodding her head after a brief assessment of me. Her eyes closed, a look of ease crossing her features. Her hand moved across her forehead, allowing a pack of ice to fall into her lap. She eyed it before removing it from her presence, choosing to rub her hand over her arm. The flush of her cheeks was not dissipating, and I reflexively reached out, pressing the back of my hand against her face.

She didn't smell ill in any way, though her blood rushing fast was not helping me at all. Her heart responded as such to my touch, and she leaned about half an inch away from it. My lips twitched, and I placed the ice pack on the night stand.

"Do you always say my name in your sleep?" I asked, itching for a reaction, but I also found myself curious. Blood flowed to her cheeks and I was satisfied, until she asked the most blunt question.

"Can vampires die?" she mumbled. I automatically assumed that she experienced a nightmare involving her mundane friend. Yet, she had dreamed of me certainly, since she uttered my name. Had she dreamed of me murdering her precious friend?

Don't mind if I do...it would solve half of the equation.

"What kind of stupid question is that?" I ridiculed, stepping closer to her. She seemed unfazed by my tone.

"I'm serious."

I hated speaking of the begrudging way of our death. Only dismembering us and setting us on fire could truly destroy a vampire. Fire was not only my enemy in immortality, but in my human life as well. The way the people chanted. The way I looked at Jane. The way she looked at me; sadness and fear reflected in her blue eyes that had matched mine. Then, the vengeance she felt toward the accusers had followed her into this life; and mine, as I tried to focus on anything but the flames and the pain.

That particular memory was the only one I could recall from my final minutes as a human, and even that itself was barely decipherable through my immortal mind.

"Was that your dream, human?" I hissed at her.

"Is that a yes?" she responded in despair.

Damn her insolent pulse. Cursed rosemintjasminesandalwood...

It suffocated me, beckoned me, screamed at me to drink from her, to find out just how heavenly her life would taste running down my throat...

I needed it. I needed it. But, I could not have it.

I decided to give her an answer that would surely shut her up.

"Fire," I spat. She attempted to control her breathing, but to no avail on her part. I rolled my eyes.

"Who was it that died in your dream, human?" I mocked her. "Was it your precious friend David?"

A thrill ran through me at the thought of it, and of her being next. However, the voice punished me.

Do you really wish that, though? She's your mate...

Her answer, however, was far from my imagination. It shocked even me. Her eyes closed and opened again, more tears gathering along her waterline.

"You did," she whispered. "You died. Aro killed you, set you on fire."

In one swift motion, I captured her chin in my hand and turned her head toward me. This is not something she should be dreaming of, especially of my Master. The insolent pull reared its ugly head once again, and I battled between two emotions: wanting to protecting her and wanting to kill her.

"Listen to me," I spoke. "I am the deadliest, most feared vampire in this world, and I have been existing longer than you can imagine. I am among the highest rank in this clan. No one would dare cross me, unless they were senseless enough to believe that they hold a chance against me. I will not die unless it is to save my sister. I was assigned to guard you, because I am the most capable, powerful, responsible and reliable. Therefore, I will not allow anyone to get within a reasonable distance of me or of you. So, do not concern yourself with my safety, sweetheart. Your dream was only that; a dream. Is that clear?

Her heart was palpitating at my proximity, and I thrived on it. I could see every facet of her features clearly. Her green eyes with hidden flecks of blue and the unusual gold that circled her pupil, her newly cut hair that barely rested against her shoulders, her lips, which were just so close that I pondered for a full second as to what they would feel like if I...

"Yes," she answered, appeasing me. The sound of her heart. Oh, the sound of her heart.

"My presence does appeal to you, doesn't it, human?" I smiled, taunting her as a distraction for myself. As her hand pushed mine away, short bouts of electric energy shot through my fingertips. It disappeared just as quickly as it came, but it felt...

Otherworldly?

"Good night, Alec," she answered to me, clearly disturbed, and put herself back under the sheets away from me.

I had not experienced such a feeling when I touched her previously. While I attempted to convince myself that it was a mere buildup of static electricity, it was a useless feat, as my body somehow already knew what it was. I hated these reactions to her. I hated all of the confusion she was instilling within me. I hated that she was, admittedly, getting under my skin. I was supposed to be the one seeking the reactions, not receiving them.

CPOV

When I woke up in the morning, I noticed something.

Alec didn't throw the mattress off the box spring like usual, and it wasn't early in the morning. I looked at the bedside clock; it was almost noon. That's when also I realized he wasn't in my room. I was alone. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, remembering how I had the awful nightmare. All of the Volturi and my friends burned in a pile by Aro. I remembered how Alec strangely comforted me, and I hadn't dreamed again when I went back to sleep.

I got out of bed, still in my clothes from yesterday, and went into the closet for clean ones. A knock at the door stopped me from turning on the shower. I went to the door and hesitated before opening it. My eyes moved up the big figure to meet the face of Felix. He didn't look excited as usual. He looked businesslike.

"Aro requests your presence," he told me in a mechanical voice. "It's important. I will be waiting out here for you. Be ready in thirty minutes."

I nodded, knowing that whatever Aro wanted to speak to me about was probably about the devastating news of my fake death. My heart would forever be sore of that detail. The image of my distraught brother brought a sharp wave of grief to my chest.

"Okay," I replied quietly.

I stood under the spray of the fancy shower, resisting the urge to cry. I wanted to. I wanted to full on sob, but that would only make it worse for me. I went through the motions, putting shampoo and conditioner in my hair.

The urge to use my voice was strong, but Felix was near, and I didn't want to lure him in because he would surely hear. I opted for singing in my head instead, though it didn't help much.

I didn't know when I would be able to sing without Alec being around, and I regretted not taking Felix's offer of karaoke a few days ago when he had been absent. So many things were happening, and I didn't know what to make of them. Alec's behavior was see-sawing, Aro was faking my death, I had a nightmare of becoming something that I detested, I saw my brother for the last time, and I still hadn't seen David. My world wasn't spiraling out of control anymore.

My world was now destroyed by the flames of fate.

I finished the rest of my shower, and tried to be optimistic. I wasn't alone, because I had David and apparently, forever. I would find a way around this somehow. David was a vampire now, so surely he could let us escape? Vampires are impossibly fast, so we could surely run away or plan something. I kept it to myself for fear that Aro would get a hold of David's hand. Or mine.

I toweled myself off, and wrapped my hair while getting dressed quickly. I finished the rest of my routine, and soon enough, pulled my door open to meet Felix.

"Ready now?" he asked formally. I closed the door behind me and nodded.

"Yes."

"This way." He started toward the stairs. I followed behind him, keeping calm about what Aro wanted. I would soon have to start showing that I was growing accustomed to this place. I would soon have to hide my anger and grief and replace it with artificial happiness.

"I heard about Aro's decision to fake your death," Felix spoke, bringing me to his attention. "I'm sorry. For you and your brother."

His words surprised me for a minute, and I looked at him. His face was smooth and I couldn't read anything from it. I moved my eyes to the floor.

I said nothing as we went down the long staircase. I glanced at Felix again a few moments later. His face was the same, but I could see his jaw moving. He looked like he was thinking hard about something. I decided not to ask. He opened the big doors to the throne room, where not only Aro waited, but Alec and Jane as well. I moved my eyes to Jane, and she wrinkled her nose at me and narrowed her eyes. I was sure that she was trying to use her gift on me. I all but glanced at Alec, his face blank as ever.

"Ah, our dear Cheyenne has arrived," Aro chirped, his arms extended. "Thank you, Felix."

Felix bowed and took his place by Demetri, who was standing on Marcus's side of the room. There was also a blonde woman, her hair curled, dressed in a nice black dress with a cape over it. She was staring at me with a superior look, and a smile was on her glossy, blood red lips.

"How are you, my dear? I do hope you slept well through the night," Aro crooned. I looked at him.

"Yes," I said. "Thank you."

"Ah yes," he said, motioning to the blonde woman. "I do believe you have not met our other member. This is our dearest Chelsea, and this is our soon to be member, Cheyenne."

Chelsea's smile grew into a grin and she stepped down from the steps and was in my face in half a second. The air she brought with her held the smell of some expensive perfume; it was definitely girly, but not floral. I couldn't base it off anything, but I hoped it wasn't her scent. It was quickly becoming overwhelming, making my head swirl uneasily.

"So wonderful to meet you," she lilted, her eyes glowing with something sinister. Her voice wasn't like Heidi's, full of velvet and seduction. Chelsea's was a bit higher, almost like a popular girl's, but not annoying. Her grin seemed more dangerous than anything on her perfect porcelain face. She was flawless just like the rest of them, but she held something deadly that made my butt tingle and my stomach twist.

"Likewise," I said calmly, and she returned to her place in vampire speed. I returned my eyes to Aro, who looked delighted now.

"My dear, I am sure you are wondering why I have called you here," he said, looking like he could barely contain himself. "You see, we are to have a ball! All for your and David's arrival. It will be quite lovely. But. It would be even more lovely if you, my dear, were to sing for our guests."

He studied my face, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was asking me to sing again. I felt relieved, excited, and horrified all at the same time. He would be putting me on display for all to see like an exhibit, but I was feeling a rush of happiness go through me. I heard his high pitched laughter echo the room then.

"I shall assume you will accept," he said. I gave a small smile to add to my facade.

"I do," I said, bowing my head once. "Thank you for allowing me the opportunity."

"As you wish, my dear," he said, his hands folded. "I am happy to see you brighten up after such a dreary day. But, my dear, may I ask...how old you are?"

"Nineteen," I answered seriously. "I turned nineteen on the sixth."

"Hmm," he hummed. "Why, Alec, that is only a year older than your physical age." He turned to Alec. I was confused. What did my age have to do with his? Aro looked at me again, a deceiving smile on his face.

"How marvelous," he purred. "Your maturity level seems to surpass those of your normal, human peers. You sometimes speak as if you are as old as we are. It is simply astounding. Where did you learn such vocabulary, my child?"

Hiding my confusion, I answered him warily. I closed my eyes once, before opening again.

"I had an older father, unlike my peers. He was middle aged by the time I was born."

"Hm. Fascinating," his voice slithered. "And, your gift? How is it you came across this particular hobby of yours?"

My agitation grew; he was trying to find out any bit about me, since I wouldn't allow him to read me with his little hand game. I wanted to tell him to go shove one, but not answering would get me into deeper trouble. I remembered Felix's warning. With bitterness, I gave him the shortest answer possible.

"Just liked doing it," I answered shortly. "That's how hobbies work."

Aro snapped his fingers, then, his arrogant expression piercing into my own. For a second, I feared that I was in trouble. My eyes darted all around me, searching for danger, anxiety seeping into me.

Felix appeared next to Aro, a white sheets of paper with black ink printed on them. Aro swiped them from his hand in a black and white blur, holding it out to me.

"I arranged for your performance to be set in a...romantic standpoint, if you will. I believe it will be perfect for you."

He smiled a dangerously creepy smile, one that gave me the same feeling as Chelsea did. Slowly, I took the papers from him, moving my eyes slowly to the title printed in bold ink.

I CAN'T MAKE YOU LOVE ME

by Bonnie Raitt

My dad used to listen to this song. He was the reason I knew it in the first place. The song was arranged for piano, but I already had it memorized. I wouldn't need this sheet music.

"I am sure you are familiar with this song? Surely, as a performer, you hold quite a range of tastes in music," he continued, expectantly. I met his milky red, snake-like eyes, full of mischief. He was enjoying this. Sicko.

"Yes. I know it," I said simply. "I can perform this."

His face lit up again, and he clapped his hands together.

"Marvelous! You will have two weeks to prepare for your performance. And! Our dear Alec will be escorting you to the ball." He rotated his head to gaze lovingly at Alec, and my heart skipped. I'd never attended any sort of fancy events; I didn't even go to my high school prom. I never thought it was worth going to. It seemed slightly flattering to think that Aro thought I deserved to be escorted. I didn't look at Alec; instead, I held my composure. Aro's head rotated back to me, looking every bit like a robot in the process. I only nodded, too aghast to speak, and his mouth stretched into a creepy grin.

"Excellent. That will be all, my dear. You will need to begin rehearsing as soon as possible. We have prepared a soundproofed room for you so you will not lure any of my members with your extraordinary sound. Felix." He looked to Felix and he nodded, coming to my side. "Felix will escort you to your destination. I do thank you for accepting, my dear. You will make quite the impression."

"I'll say," Demetri mumbled suggestively. I glanced at him, only to see a lustful grin on his face. He pursed his lips in a kiss at me, and I didn't know if it was a joke or not; knowing Demetri, it could go both ways.

I simply bowed my head to Aro, and shifted my eyes to Jane. Her expression was smooth like Alec's, but she glared when I looked at her. She disliked this just as much as I did, and I didn't blame her. Alec was her brother, and protective of him from what I could see. I turned, and followed Felix out of the huge doors. A minute later, he burst into laughter.

"Oh, man! Demetri!" he howled, clutching his stomach. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Whoo, that was good! Did you see that, little woman?" He nudged my arm, using the little nickname he came up with for me. After revealing I was part Native American, he took it upon himself to come up with an endearing little pet name. I thought it was a little weird, given I was taller than most girls my age, and I wasn't exactly a woman.

"Yes," I said quietly, my grip wrinkling the papers in my hand. "I saw."

"Aw, he was just joking," he said. "But man, you gotta admit it was funny!"

"Maybe," I said. I was too busy thinking about the song, and why Aro would pick a song like this. It was a love song, and quite a slow, romantic one. I never sang love songs, because I never ventured into that area of life. I knew love songs, but never performed them. Not one like this, anyway. Bonnie Raitt was classic and soulful; I was just...passionate about music. Rock was my type of music.

"So you're a fan of Bonnie, huh?" He asked. "She's pretty good; prefer Carrie Underwood, but y'know. That offer still stands for karaoke, by the way."

"I might take you up on it," I said absentmindedly. He grinned at me, and entrapped me in a hug with his huge arms. I couldn't breathe and it felt like all the air escaped me. "Felix."

"I knew we'd be best buddies," he said, releasing me. "We're gonna be one hell of a team."

I struggled to catch my breath while raising an eyebrow at him.

"Team?" I asked, following him down a flight of stairs. He turned more serious then.

"Yes," he answered, all traces of his smile gone. "There's something I need to show you."

When we got to the bottom, the hall connecting to it was lit by torches on the wall. He went to the third door on the right, and placed his hand on the metal doorknob and looked at me.

"You see, today you will not be practicing music," he said, swinging the door open. I looked inside the room with long fluorescent lights on the ceiling, mats on the floor, a punching bag, and several different weapons on the wall. Why would vampires need weapons if they were strong and couldn't possibly be hurt by them? "You'll be practicing combat."

I looked at him like he'd lost his mind. Did Aro know about this? What did I need to fight for?

"Aro wants to test your strength, and he assigned me for it. I train every vampire to fight when they join the Guard. Even though you're not a member yet, he wants to see how you'll improve when you're a vampire. He wants you to know combat, and not solely rely on your gift if we ever are disabled," he said, answering my question. "Don't worry. We'll sing another time."

I'd taken a judo class back home, and I kept my resistance up by working out, but I hadn't been able to work out since I got here. I took it as an advantage, and decided to accept, though I still dreaded the thought of being a vampire. I didn't know what I would be like, and it scared me. Would I lose myself? Would I still be me? I thought about David, and wondered if he would still be the same.

"All right," I said insecurely. "Let's start then."

"Very well," he said, going into the room and I followed him.

I had a feeling this was all going to hurt.