CPOV

Pain shot across my entire body as soon as I opened my eyes, courtesy of Alec splashing ice cold water over me.

The shock of it was almost as cold as his skin, but the screaming and protesting of my muscles took over. I couldn't hide my grimace as I rolled away from Alec onto my side, gripping my arm in pain. A strangled, painful groan escaped my mouth, the movement awakening pain in my abdomen as well.

Lots of lactic acid here. Gosh dang it, Felix.

It felt like my entire body had been pulled like taffy, and then hit by an SUV. My workouts back home had never left me this sore, but my very first judo class had. I barely noticed that my clothes were now soaked, as I laid there, stiff and unmoving.

"Wakey, wakey, human," he sang in a saccharine tone. "You have ten minutes until breakfast. Do not keep me waiting."

I heard what sounded like a cup hit the nightstand, and then the door closed seconds later. I counted to ten before slowly, slowly lifting myself out of bed and making it to the bathroom to get ready. When I stood under the water, I tried to massage away the soreness while hurrying under Alec's request. It didn't help much, and I wondered if I would have to train with Felix again today. I didn't know what was in store for today, and the only thing I had planned was to practice my song again like I was supposed to. That is, if I could even get that far.

I stepped out of the shower, brushed my teeth, and got dressed.

Bracing myself, I opened the door, only to be greeted by Heidi and Demetri.

"Good morning," she greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, did you sleep well?" Demetri asked, raising an eyebrow. His charming smile spread across his face. "Alec is changing. You can follow me to breakfast, love." He turned smoothly, his Volturi cape flowing behind him, as I followed silently. I tried to keep my legs moving normally, instead of like a machine that needed a good oiling. I couldn't fathom what would come next in this training.

"I heard your friend came to visit you," Demetri piped up. "We all heard, actually. You must have rejoiced, I assume?"

"Maybe," I answered seriously, going down the stairs. Each step made my legs throb with pain, but I made it to the bottom.

"Alec doesn't seem to care for him very much," he said. "Nor does Jane. He screamed through almost the whole night. Surprising how it didn't wake you."

I turned my head to him, my eyes widening. David had gotten caught, and Jane had hurt him. And I couldn't do anything about it. She was basically his boss, but I wanted to interfere. Her gift did not work on me, but if I dared to defy her, she would probably hurt him more. I suddenly wanted to cry about it as Demetri returned my look.

"He's all right," he scoffed. "No one has ever died of Jane's gift. It is merely an illusion. Her gift does not actually inflict pain on someone. You only believe you are experiencing it. That is what triggers most people's fear. Funny how it doesn't work on you, love. You're quite lucky." He chucked my chin with his gloved hand, and I moved my gaze forward again. His explanation didn't help my cause one bit.

Jane's gift was only an illusion. Felix told me Alec was the one who would rather feel no emotions, while Jane liked to express hers. She had always been angry when I saw her, and I could only assume that she used it to fuel her gift; logically, of course. Whatever reason she had for holding the anger in, it must have something to do with their past.

Alec and Jane were the only ones who seemed to view humans as gum on the bottom of their perfect, shiny shoes. Demetri and Felix had been more accepting of me, along with Heidi. They had never told me that they were above me, or that they were my bosses. Alec had been the only one who acted as such, and Jane's expression always said the same thing.

"Still," I argued. "That doesn't make me feel any better. I can't stand anyone hurting him. He's my friend, and he's all I've got left of my old life."

"I guess that foreshadows your diet," he laughed, the sound full of charisma. "Not to mention, your eyes have the oddest ring of gold around them. If you can't fathom hurting a human, I imagine that moral will follow you into your immortal life. You seem to hold strong values."

"You would allow me to eat animals?" I asked hopefully. I didn't like to entertain the thought of me being a vampire very much. It was inhumane (no pun intended) to feed on humans, and the thought of it made my stomach turn. I didn't enjoy the thought of feeding on animals either, but it was a better option than killing people. Every person had lives to live, people to be with, purposes to serve, families to support. If I ever fed on a human, I would never be able to live it down.

Demetri frowned.

"Aro would not approve. You always need to be at your strongest in the Volturi," he spoke diplomatically. "Human blood gives us more strength than that God-awful sludge that comes from animals. It smells terrible." He wrinkled his nose, and I thought about the Cullens again. If they fed on animals, did that make them different from any other vampire family? Did they behave differently? Did they slip up every once in a while, and have just one human?

"I won't kill a human," I pressed. "I can't. Also, so does asiago cheese, but people still eat it."

He laughed again and pushed open the kitchen door.

"That's what they all say, love. That's what they all say."

~~~~~S~~~~~

When I had finished my breakfast of a veggie omelet, and a whole serving of fruit- I apparently slept through dinner- Aro surprised me when he told me that Alec was taking me into town again.

"I do need some prior decorations for all of this," Aro said in his feathery English accent, motioning to the huge, seemingly infinite space of the room. There were balloons, tables, fancy crystal glasses, and a high crystal chandelier on the ceiling. Fancy drapes were being hung, and different arrangements of white flowers were being put on the long table. Different shades of perfectly ironed tablecloths were being brought in. There was also a fountain made for drinks, and I had no doubt that champagne would not be pouring from it. "And Heidi has a request for you."

Before he even finished speaking, I heard her heels click against the fancy linoleum floor, echoing off the walls. She looked inhumanely beautiful with her black dress that hugged her form tightly, and her black pumps as she came toward us. The color of the dress brought out the paleness of her skin, and her ruby lips stood out the most, looking dangerously close to blood rather than lipstick. Her hair was gathered to one side of her head in seemingly one big curl at the bottom and I didn't know how anyone except Demetri in this castle could be attracted to her.

"I need you to pick up a few items for me, if you wouldn't mind," she requested politely, giving me a slip of paper with the neatest, prettiest writing on it. I guessed it was hers, because it looked feminine. The list consisted of a specific brand and shade of foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and anything else that was makeup related. I knew all these brands, but I also knew they were the best and most expensive.

"You are a young woman, so would I assume you are familiar with them," she added simply. "Don't worry about the costs. Alec will have all the funds to cover it."

I glanced at her, a suggestive gleam in her eye.

"I do," I replied. "I'll get these for you." Or for me. This foundation is basically my shade.

"Perfect!" Aro cheered, moving his eyes behind me. "Ah, our dear Alec. You two must be going now. After all, we only have so long before..." He shifted his eyes to me, smiling darkly. I was suddenly reminded of my dream, how his expression looked identical to the one he had now. A chill ran down my spine, uneasiness settling in the pit of my stomach like a rock.

"Yes, Master," Alec replied curtly, and I felt his hand go across my shoulder, leading me out. It gave me goosebumps, and a strange electric feeling that spread down my spine, erasing the fear that was there a moment before. I tried to pretend like my heart wasn't hammering against my ribs. The sensation felt...strangely and bizarrely right, but I wondered why he would even think to touch me in a way that wasn't threatening. Before the thoughts left my mind, he swiped the list out of my hand and read it; I heard a snort come from him, and he mumbled something that I couldn't hear.

"You don't have to get those," I reminded him. "Heidi asked me to."

"Then I suggest you not keep me waiting," he said coldly, flicking it back to me. It flew threw the air, almost fluttering to the floor. I shoved it into my pocket, and followed him out to the dozens of fancy cars they had in their underground garage. Audis, Corvettes, Jaguars, Beemers, Porsches; you name it, and they had it. However, Alec's choice was always the Audi because he liked to drive. Fast.

Over one hundred miles per hour, to be exact.

As soon as I shut my door, he slammed down on the gas pedal, and we flew onto the road. My head thumped against the head rest and I buckled my seat belt silently.

"You should be more careful next time," he said with false innocence. I ignored him, and looked out the window, noting the large fluffy clouds in the sky. One was close to shielding the sun, and I guessed that Alec would stay in the shade today, again.

While imagining it, a question crossed my mind. I knew it probably wasn't smart to ask, but my curiosity got the best of me. I mashed my lips together before opening them; my stomach was doing somersaults, and my butt was tingling again.

"What would happen if you were to go out in the sun?" I asked, bravely choosing to look at him. The sun wasn't shining on his side of the car, and his face was as blank as ever, studying the road. He barely cast me a glance.

"Are you going to push me into daylight and hope I will burn, human?" he asked sarcastically, smirking. "You would be very disappointed."

"Those are myths," I stated. "I don't believe you'll burn in the sunlight." Only in fire.

"You will not ever see any of us in the sun, so your question is null and void," he clipped. "The Volturi have rules about exposure, and I will not commit one of them. I am loyal to my coven."

"I wasn't asking you to," I defended myself, looking out the window again. I heard him exhale sharply out of his nose and the volume of the radio go up. The song almost made me tense up, and the air became instantly awkward. The bass was addicting, but the tension between us was larger. The lyrics made it all the more awkward. I knew this song; it was actually a favorite of mine, but the fact that it was playing with Alec in the car made it embarrassing.

New York, back in August, tenth floor balcony

Smoke is floating over Jane and Greenwich street

Goosebumps from your wild eyes when they're watching me

Shivers dance down my spine, head down to my feet

Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes

Egyptian blue
Something I've never had without you

Just be calm, I thought to myself as the chorus followed suit. I continued to gaze out the window, focusing on the green, brown and gray blurs of the trees go by. Alec didn't speak, and neither did I, but I knew he could feel the tension, too.

You're giving me chills at a hundred degrees

It's better than pills, how you put me to sleep

Callin' your name, the only language I can speak

Takin' my breath, a souvenir that you can keep

Giving me chills

The music was cut off and I quietly let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

However, the next station didn't hold anything better.

I'm so addicted to all the things you do
When you're rolling 'round with me in between the sheets

Oh, the sounds you make with every breath you take

It's unlike anything when you're loving me

In hearing it, I didn't know what came over me or what triggered it; I just did the opposite of what I expected I would normally do. I snickered underneath my breath, my lips fighting against me to smile.

But it was cut short when Alec slammed on the brakes, and I was jammed forward as far as the seatbelt lock would allow. My stomach felt like it flew up to my throat, and my head thumped on the head rest again; I had a sudden wave of car sickness, and my eyes clenched shut tightly. Another bout of adrenaline was beginning to work my system, and I couldn't feel the soreness of my body, and my heart was racing. I rubbed my forehead, as if that would take the nausea away. I whipped my head in Alec's direction, a what the heck? expression coloring my face.

He was looking at me, his face hard as stone and livid, but his eyes held something else. They seemed amused, and I couldn't tell if he really was mad or not. His eyes were just bright and dancing with something that I'd never seen before. I couldn't even find words to speak; I just stared back, green against crimson. It wasn't until his eyes slowly raked over me that he spoke.

"Out of the car," he ground out, looking away, and he was gone before I could even blink. I calmly undid my belt and got out of the car, following him. He kept his back to me, staying in the shade. I shoved my hands into my pockets, questioning myself as to why I had laughed. The adrenaline was going away, and I was going back into a calmer state of mind.

I hadn't known why I laughed, but I decided to put it behind me. It had been a while since I laughed, anyway, and my body probably was reacting to my low levels of serotonin.

I followed him into a place that looked like a mall; it held multiple shops inside, including a makeup shop. The smell of a pizzeria and different perfumes were in the air. There was a sign in Italian that had arrows pointing directions to different shops, but I could only tell what they were by logo, save a few.

"I expect you to be done by the time I fetch you," he ordered in a dead voice. "I will only be gone ten minutes. Do you understand?" He probed me with his eyes again, his face blank, and I silently nodded once.

He left without another word, leaving me standing there alone. While he went straight forward, I only had to go a few feet before entering the brightly lit, glossy tile-clad makeup store. There were all kinds of foundations, powders, eyeliners, mascaras, highlighters, concealers, eye creams, and makeup tools lined up against the glass shelves, and I dug the list out of my pocket to read which brand Heidi asked for. I read the list then scanned the shelves and went over to the foundations, searching for the brand. Mac, Maybelline, CoverGirl...

"Posso aiutarla?" A woman's voice asked, and I looked toward her. She had a perfect smoky eye and it went well with her brown highlighted hair, which was curled and clipped up halfway. She looked about twenty five, give or take.

"Oh, sorry. I'm not Italian," I apologized. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she switched to English, placing her hand over her chest.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her Italian accent heavy. "Do you need some assistance?"

"It's okay. I've got it," I smiled, trying to brighten my tone. Gosh, being in that castle has really made me drab.

"Okay! Please let me know if you need anything, okay, darling?" she offered, nodding and skipping away. I nodded, turning back to my homework. I grabbed the small glass bottle of foundation, making my way to the lipstick next to it. I absentmindedly sang along to myself with the pop song playing overhead. I figured it was okay to do, since Alec was probably on the other side of the mall by now.

I wasn't even a full minute into my solo when someone interrupted it.

"Hi," a male voice greeted. I turned to the voice, and there stood a boy with dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles across his cheeks and nose. Leaning against the wall, he was only about four inches taller than me. According to his voice, was American. "Was that you singing?"

"Yes," I said hesitantly, already lacking social grace. It had only been a week, for crying out loud, and I had already forgotten how to talk to my own people.

I quickly glanced at the list and grabbed the translucent face powder. I moved onto eyeliner; I didn't know how much time I had left before Alec would be done. I swiped a shiny, slim tube as he responded to me.

"You're really good. Your voice is really sexy," he hinted, right on my heels when I ventured to the highlighter. "Wanna slow down for me so I can look into those eyes? It's nice to make eye contact."

I started looking over the colors and poked my tongue inside my cheek. His eyes hadn't been comfortable to look into. They didn't hold the same fire as Al-

Stop it, I chided myself.

I reached for a compact of highlighter when the boy's hand caught my chin, and turned my face toward his.

"I wanted to ask you if-" he began, but he never finished. I was pulled away by something cold; it wrapped around my waist and pinned me to it...or him, rather.

My chest was crushed against his ribs and the cold seeped through his clothes, like a freezer. The force had been a little much, and knocked the breath out of me. There stood Alec in all of his glory, staring down at me. I was entirely confused, but I knew what he was doing and I went along with it. My cheeks heated with embarrassment; I'd never been this close to a boy before, and it was making my body thrum with the same energy from before. I felt safe from the boy, even though I was currently in the embrace of the most dangerous vampire.

I looked to the boy, and he looked terrified. His eyes were wide, and I bet his heart was beating fast like mine. He spluttered for words while Alec stared him down, his expression a mix of disgust and danger.

"Did you find everything, sweetheart?" he asked, never taking his eyes off of the boy; his tone sounded so affectionate, but so territorial, that I believed he actually cared for a second.

I was also confused, because he had been mad at me for laughing in the car, and now he was pretending to be my boyfriend in front of a total stranger. Not to mention that he actually put his arm around me, and was willingly keeping me this close to him. I knew he had to be feeling tortured with me pressed up against him.

I peeked up at him, and I noticed his eyes were violet now instead of crimson; he must have put them in before we entered the mall. When I didn't answer, he smiled down at me sweetly, but his eyes were impatient. If losing your breath while losing your breath was possible, I would be doing it. His smile was doing all kinds of things to my mind and my body.

Focus!

I managed to compose myself, and then and gave an honest answer. This is fake, you know.

"Almost," I said with a hinted tone, quickly averting my eyes between him and the boy, a makeshift way of pointing. He slowly moved his eyes back to the boy.

"Can I help you?" Alec asked in an intimidating tone, raising an eyebrow. "Is there any particular reason for you to be in this store?"

I felt bad for the boy, then; he didn't know Alec was a vampire, and I wanted to forgive him. I looked to him, and he was practically shaking.

"Nah, man, I was just..." he stuttered, opening and closing his mouth. His hands were free from his belt loops now, hanging limply at his sides. Poor guy.

"You were just trying to flirt with my girlfriend," he replied condescendingly, and I was shocked at how easily the words flowed from his mouth.

Flirt with my girlfriend.

I kept quiet and tried to stay calm. This boy was normal, human, and he didn't deserve to be interrogated over something so small.

"I'm sorry, I..." he backed out of the store, making a run for it. I stepped away from Alec immediately, and looked at him with a grave face.

"You didn't have to do that," I said, trying to ignore the swimming of my head. "He wasn't going to do anything."

I noticed that his contacts were almost gone; the red was dominating over the blue, and his face was blank as ever, never showing emotions. It was as if the scene never happened.

"You would have been too slow to stop him," he explained in a bored tone, looking out of the store, then back to me, blinking uncomfortably. "I told you I would be gone ten minutes. My way was much quicker, and we are on a time limit. I am going to change these contacts, and I do not want to see you in here when I get back." He gave me some bills.

I nodded slowly, my lips mashed together. I took the bills, and went to finish my shopping. I had no idea why, but my patience was slipping, and I wanted to have an outburst. I wanted to tell him that I could take care of myself, and the thought gave me a dull ache in my stomach. I shook it off, and collected the rest of the makeup, going to the front counter.

I set all the products down, and the same woman from earlier smiled at me from behind the counter.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" she asked with a bright smile. I nodded, telling her yes.

She rung me up fairly quick. I shoved the change in my pocket, thanked her, and took the shiny white plastic bag with the shop's name on it. I left, and retraced my steps to the car, beginning to feel the ache in my legs again. There, up ahead, was Alec waiting for me, leaning against the shiny black car. He was looking at nothing in particular, and he looked...satisfied.

He also looks absolutely sinful leaning up against the car like that.

Ashamed of my thoughts, I lowered my eyes to the ground and got in without a word, plopping the bag on the floor of the car. He followed suit, and just like last time, sped off before my seat belt could be put on. He didn't bother putting the radio on this time, and when I leaned over to put my seat belt on, my eyes caught sight of his jeans.

There was a small drop of fresh blood on it.

My eyes shifted to his profile. His eyes were bright crimson, and my stomach churned with the realization.

He never changed his contacts.

He noticed me looking and turned his head, raising an eyebrow.

"See something you like, human?" he smirked.

I ignored his statement completely, and my heart ached. I sat up straight, holding onto the dash for support. I felt sick.

"You killed him," I whispered in disbelief. He rolled his eyes, unperturbed.

"You are acting as if you have never heard of killing before."

That was it; I deserved a freaking outburst. I couldn't take any more of this.

"He was a kid!" I yelled, smacking my hand on the dash. I felt sad and anguished. What kind of life he would have had? Did the guy have a sister? Older brothers? Younger brothers? Was he going to college? Did he have a dream career? If he had any of those opportunities, they had been robbed from him by the boy sitting next to me. His life force glowed in Alec's eyes, and I wanted to heave. I swallowed down the bile, and instead kept on.

"Why did you have to do that? He didn't even do anything! I can't believe you can just..." I shook my head at him, unable to fathom how someone could be so cold, uncaring, unfeeling.

"Don't make me pull this car over, human," he threatened. "Where there is a human, I feed-" He glanced at me. "Save one. So do not attempt to explain to me the value of one. Now, sit back in your seat. Or else."

"Or what, Alec? Or you're gonna kill me, too? Because you can't stand it when things don't go your way, can you? You have such a lack of empathy that you think you can just take any life, whenever you want! You can't!"

The anger ran through my veins like adrenaline, and it felt good to say what I wanted to him. Deep in the back of my mind, I knew it held consequences, but at the moment, I couldn't find it in me to care.

I knew he hated humans, but why so deeply? The question just kept picking at me; anytime a human was brought up, he was so dismissive, angry or emotionless about them. Why, why was he so cold and hateful? Surely not every vampire that existed hated humans, but his unknown reason just confused me. Felix said they were called The Witch Twins, but they weren't from the Salem Witch Trials. Were they accused anyhow? Chased down by God-fearing citizens and burned at the stake? Or put in some electric chair?

Suddenly, the car jerked to the side, but I was prepared to stand my ground this time. My anger was so strong, that I didn't care what Alec would do to me. I felt hot tears stream down my face, a small sob threatening to break free. Yeah, the boy was weird, and kind of creepy, but he was a person. That was just one side of him. He could have been an honor student, or a Boy Scout for all I knew. And I would never know now.

He cut the engine, his face as hard as stone.

"You're really crying?" He asked, his tone lethal, low. He eyed the tears on my face with disgust. His eyes were glazed with murder, but I couldn't find it in me to be afraid. He looked like a monster. "You are absolutely insane. And you are weak. Don't you dare belittle me for what I am meant to do. I will do whatever it is that I please, and you have no business in giving an opinion on my choices. I will take a life if I see fit, and you cannot do one single thing to stop me. I do not owe you any explanation for what I do, or who I am. It is disgustingly pitiful of you to shed an ounce of feeling for one wasted life."

I swallowed and stared hard at him, shaking my head in disbelief. While my anger for him burned, the rational side of me shed compassion. Alec didn't know what a privilege it was to feel emotions, to help someone else simply because one human was capable of showing empathy. I undid my seat belt, my voice breaking.

"No, Alec," I said evenly, unafraid of his tone. I leaned forward, forming my own grave face. "You know what that is of me?"

He stared at me, seemingly unperturbed, but I saw it; the small flicker of thirst in his eyes from me leaning so close.

I popped the lock up on my door and gripped the white bag in my hand tightly before answering.

"Human," I finished. I moved to exit the car, but remembered one more thing. I turned back to him one more time.

"And I'm not weak," I reminded him. "Emotions don't make anyone weak. And if you had any, you would know that."

I exited the car and slammed the door before he could answer. I darted out of the car garage, and through the fire-lit chamber of a hallway to get back into the castle. I went up the two staircases, taking two stairs at a time to get as far away from Alec as possible, and as quick as possible. I needed to work my emotions off; I needed to bust the stress and clear my head of what had happened. If this was going to be my world for eternity, it would surely take some getting used to. My body trembled with the rush of standing up to Alec, and I nearly tripped on the staircase.

When I finally entered the castle and passed Gianna's desk, I ran into Felix, who seemed to be waiting for me, holding a black bundle in his hands. He tossed it to me, and took the shopping bag from me.

"Get changed quick," he ordered. "We have a lot of work to do. I will take this to Heidi. Meet me outside of the castle, in the back garden. Ten minutes."

With that, he was gone before I could process all of what he said, but I got one thing out of it: training. I hurried to my room, anxious to get started. I changed as quickly as I could, wondering what it was we were going to do today.

I was confused as to why Felix was being so secretive about this. Aro knew about it; He was the one who wanted me to be trained. Alec hadn't said anything, and neither did Demetri or Heidi. Then again, I wasn't around them very much. I only saw Heidi occasionally, since she was helping to decorate for the ball. I didn't get to think about it any further when a voice came from my doorway.

"Human," the smooth, feminine voice of Jane addressed me. She sounded sharp and demanding. I pulled the athletic shirt over my head, and approached her. Shoot, she probably heard what had just happened with me and Alec.

At least she can't hurt you.

I may have stood up to Alec, but Jane...I suddenly remembered that Jane had no orders at all not to hurt me, and she was the opposite of Alec; fully expressing her anger.

"I do not appreciate what you have done to my brother," she hissed, suddenly in my face. We were so close, our noses were practically touching. She was a handful of inches shorter than me, which required her to point her chin up at me to be eye level. Her scent was soft and feminine, the opposite of her personality. It smelled like lavender, an herb that was used for sleep and relaxation.

There was nothing relaxing about Jane.

"You are the sole reason for his distractions, and I am only going to tell you once to keep watch of your actions. I would murder you right now if it weren't for Aro's courtesy. So, listen to me clearly, human. If you do not follow my order, I will torture your precious friend David before your very eyes. And I am sure that my Master will not stop me."

Alec threatening to hurt David was so much different than Jane threatening to do it. She was in charge of David, and she was already hurting him. The thought of her making me witness it nearly brought me to my knees. She certainly was better at making threats than her brother; I guess that's why everyone feared her so much.

"I didn't ask to be here," I said seriously, staring back into her blazing eyes. "I never asked to be his singer, nor was I even aware of the fact. You can make any threats that you want, Jane. You've already hurt David. And, I assure you that nothing that you or your brother say or do to me can hurt me any more than I already am. I'd be willing to bet that you would endure the same circumstances that I am if our roles were reversed. I have a brother, too, Jane. I'd go to hell and back for him, just like you would for yours. And David is included. Imagine if you experienced being trapped like this, but Alec was at your expense."

I had no idea where the bravery came from; maybe the remaining adrenaline pumping through my system provided for my sudden lack of filter, but I knew I would never say those words decidedly. It was like I had no control over what I just said. My anger was making me a savage today, and I had no idea consequences it would reap for me.

Jane's eyes were much more expressive than Alec's; easier to read. An anger much stronger than Alec's swirled in her upturned, feminine eyes, blazing with something truly evil. She almost looked as if she was having a flashback, experiencing a memory that long haunted her. It unsettled me, but I tried to stay determined. I was being strong for David, and doing it surprisingly well. Or maybe I was just too high on adrenaline right now.

"I do not need excuses, human," she spat, her voice ice cold. "Being his singer does not give you access to disrespect any of us. Do what I ask of you, or pay for it later."

I understood the protectiveness she held over Alec. I knew Jane didn't like me because I was Alec's singer, and he had to spend all of his time with me. Not to mention that my gift worked on him, but it didn't affect her. I understood their love for one another, although I hadn't been around both of them at the same time. I also knew that even if I told Jane this, she wouldn't have listened to me, just like she wasn't now.

"I understand," I replied evenly, trying to keep my face as neutral as possible.

"Hm," was her reply, looking me over once with disgust. "I don't understand what Felix and Demetri see in you."

"Where's David?" I asked, knitting my brow together. Jane was supposed to be helping him with his thirst, wasn't she? Did this mean I would get to see him again?

The tiniest of smiles came across her wide-eyed, full lipped face, making her look more sadistic.

"Wouldn't you like to know, human?" she asked playfully, before turning on her heel neatly and retreating the way she came. I merely did the same, not wanting to be late for Felix's next training session. I had no time to think about it any further. I needed to burn all of this anxious, angry energy off.

Xxx

"About time," he announced when I found my way there. The garden was huge, and there were millions of types of flowers, including some that I had never seen before in my life. Plants surrounded a huge ceramic fountain, sort of like the one in town square; they covered one whole side of the castle, wrapping around the stone benches perched inside the ground. I noticed the sky had become overcast, and the clouds got darker away from the castle and towards a clearing of trees.

"Sorry," I apologized, checking the white laces of the brand new black Nikes I found in the closet.

"No matter, we have to start now," he said. He motioned with his arm. "Follow me; we're going into the woods."

Obediently, I followed him. The further we ventured into the woods, the darker it got, due to the clouds. I loved the rain. It was a calm and refreshing agent for me.

Five minutes of walking later, all that surrounded us was humid air, moss, and trees. Not even when I looked behind me could I see any trace of the castle.

"It is important for you shape up and be as fast and agile as humanly possible," Felix began. "You are going to be running. And running. All throughout today's course. No matter what situation you're in, you must be faster than whoever is chasing you. Minus us, of course." He flashed a grin at the end.

"You also must be focused if you are forced to attack while on the run. So, run. As fast as you can. Go."

I did what he said, and took off running. I wasn't very fast, and running was never my strong suit because I only did the elliptical back home. However, I pushed my legs to run despite the burning and aching of my muscles.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER

"Come on, up!" Felix commanded. "You want to get caught and killed? Get up!"

I pulled my soaked body up as fast as I could, and kept running through the muddy terrains of what was now a downpour of rain. It came down in huge drops, heavy and unforgiving. The tendrils of hair that were free of my ponytail stuck to my face. I had mud on my clothes, and the forest floor was becoming slippery due to the mud, but Felix was relentless. He made me run back and forth certain distances to test my agility. He also would appear right in front of me and try to trip me; I would have to run around him to dodge, and jump over his arm or his foot.

My chest was heaving and burning, along with everything else and I felt like I was going to heave at any given moment. I had some breathing help from my lung capacity, but the fact that I was more out of shape than I thought made it worse. Felix was right; I had to be focused no matter the situation. All I could see in front of me were trees, trees, mud, and no sight of anything else until he showed up two feet away again. I dashed quickly to the left, passing him.

"Turn around!" He yelled after me. I screeched to a halt, almost slipping again, and ran back toward him. "Pick up your legs!"

My legs were on the verge of giving out, and my muscles were screaming so loud, that they trembled, begging for rest.

"Is that really how fast you can run?" he egged me on, easily keeping pace with me; he was barely jogging. I slipped once again and rolled across the mud, adding more to my clothes. Finally my stomach couldn't take anymore, and I rolled over, heaving up my breakfast from this morning.

"You know, even if you vomit, you still have to run," he commented, dropping a water bottle beside me. I felt like I was punched in the stomach from running so much. I moved away from my regurgitated breakfast, wanting to chug the entire bottle, but it would only make me puke again. I took small, slow sips, enjoying the feel of rain on my skin. It kept me cool, though I was completely drenched.

"Are you...gonna make me end up like...that guy who ran all the way...to Marathon in Greece?" I asked between breaths. Felix's booming laugh was swallowed by the trees.

"You forgot that he ran for days on end without stopping," he said. "We are going to work on your speed. You're quite slow. Of course, all humans are slow to us, so I guess we would have to work on it either way. Now, up." He lifted me up easily.

"You're going to have to be prepared even when you're in hiding," he said, and suddenly knocked the bottle out of my hand and moved to grab me. My brain scrambled to remember the moves he taught me yesterday, and my body somewhat remembered; I grabbed his arm, and since it was impossible, I pretended to throw him.

"Efficiency is key," he said sternly. "You'll have to know how to fight no matter what. We'll work on muscle memory. I'm going to teach you to turn your whole body into a weapon."

THIRTY MORE MINUTES LATER

"Up, up!" Felix yelled, and I roundhouse kicked the pad on his hand once again; if I were to kick his actual hand, my foot would break. He swung his arms in an attempt to punch, and I blocked it, throwing my elbow into the pad. He went easy on me, of course, because the Volturi were too highly trained for me to actually fight; he would pretend to fall, trip, and get hit to have an effect.

"Good. You're improving," he appraised, swiftly rising to his feet in one motion. "Run one more time. And do not hesitate in attacking this time."

The rain had let up, but it still continued, and I had fallen a couple more times in the mud. I probably had little scratches all over my legs, courtesy of the stinging sensation on my skin; I never stopped to look. Thundered boomed above me, followed by lightning. I didn't know what time it was, or how long we'd been outside, but it had to be sometime in the afternoon.

I did what Felix said and took off running again, my legs getting more acquainted to it now. About twenty seconds in, he appeared just like before and instead of dodging him, I rolled on the ground using my shoulder and got up as quickly as I could, facing him. We battled it out, and I felt my body moving more easily with the attacks. When we were far enough apart, he ran at a human pace to attack me. I hadn't been very good at it, but I attempted the low sweeping spin kick he coached me through a few times earlier. I waited until he was close enough for me to catch, before successfully tripping him.

"Damn! Nice timing," he praised from his position in the mud. He was up on his feet in a blur. "You have a calculative brain, don't you, little woman?"

"I guess," I said, catching my breath. I rose to my own feet, feeling my muscles quake. My body was so tired, and I wondered how bad this would hurt tomorrow.

That's when I noticed that I felt so much better, lighter. The emotions and events that happened earlier didn't seem important at the moment. I felt destressed and strong.

"You will be one hell of a vampire," he grinned, and my stomach turned. I just nodded.

"I have to go practice for the ball," I said, turning to go.

"Just one minute," he ordered, and I paused, turning to him. It was almost like running into Jane again. His face was serious, and he stepped closer to me, the redness of his irises frozen. The rain had made his dark hair stick to his forehead, so he looked kind of emo.

"You have to promise you will not tell anyone of our training," he said in a hard voice. "It is imperative that you keep this between us."

"But I thought Aro-"

"Promise," he interrupted, his eyes softening just the slightest bit. It confused me as to why he asked this of me, when Aro commanded it. But, seeing the look in his eyes, I automatically promised. I hated keeping secrets, but something deep in my mind told me this was different.

"I promise."