CPOV
I didn't remember falling asleep when I awoke later that night. How long had I even been sleeping? I rubbed my eyes to wake myself up, and before I could check the time, my bladder made a move first. It was all that chicken soup and orange juice I had. Did I even finish that?
Groggily, I climbed out of bed and blindly walked into the bathroom. I turned the light on, which seemed way too bright at the moment, and closed the door. As I sat down on the seat, I let my brain wake itself up. Whatever time it was, I was sure I wasn't going to be sleeping again for a while. The medicine Felix gave me still resided in my system, but had done its job. I sleepily chuckled at what Demetri told him about giving me the drowsy medicine earlier and sniffled.
I finished my business, returned to my bed. I rubbed my eyes once more, and I must have veered wayward, because my toe bumped into the bed frame's corner. I dropped my hands, clenched my jaw and shut my eyes tight. I bent my toes, groaning in pain. If I wasn't in pain right now, I think I'd be laughing at myself.
"God dang it," I muttered under my breath, while the broken toe feeling passed. Should've turned on the light.
"Dudette? You all right?" A familiar voice came from beside me as the lamp clicked on. My ears and brain perked up at the sound, and I turned my head toward it. Or him. Sitting right by my bedside.
David?
"David," I said, shocked. I completely forgot about the fact that anyone could be in here watching me sleep. "What are you doing in here?"
He looked the same. Beautiful, dark golden hair, red eyes, flawless pale complexion, defined cheekbones, full lips. He was even sitting in his chair the same way he always did as a human, except straighter. The only thing different was his clothing. He wore a brand new pair of jeans, and a sweater. On his feet were his old Converse. He'd never give those things up, and if he was still human, Doritos would still be on that list, too.
"Aro finally decided I was chill enough to see you," he said, hinting on a scoff. He grinned with his perfect white teeth that stuck out in the warm glow of the room. I don't think I never noticed how nice his smile was until now; and by that, I mean when he was human. "What, no hug?"
He stood from the chair with open arms. I broke out in a smile and walked the three steps into his waiting arms. I'd been used to their lack of warmth now, but not as used to David's because he'd been human longer than vampire; in every hug we ever shared, he held warmth. But now as my chin was on his shoulder and my chest was touching his, the lack of his heart beat and warmth made my homesickness come back. Though it did, having him here more so made everything feel okay again. I was grateful to have one remaining piece of my world with me in this. I was even more grateful that Aro was even allowing him to be here right now. I wanted to tell David how much I wanted to go home, to cry, that I missed him and Travis, that Alec was constantly bullying me...
I stopped, because I heard a weird, soft sound. It was a strangled sound, almost like sobbing.
I didn't realize it was me, until I heard David hushing me.
"Hey. It's okay, Cheyenne. It's okay. Shhhh. Please don't cry," he pleaded quietly into my ear with his new velvety voice, his hand moving across my back in circles. A sick part of me secretly wished it was Alec whispering to me.
Alec.
Camilla.
The story.
My phone.
Aro.
Travis.
Mom.
Felix.
Training.
Just the thought of Alec was all it took to bring everything else with it, and to bring me into the ultimate breakdown. That last ounce of strength I had been trying to hold onto for him and for myself crumbled away. I broke down in deeper sobs, with every locked up emotion washing over me. All of the bullying, heartache for my family, the strange feelings for Alec, the bitterness towards Aro...everything just came out in my sobs. So many words came to the fore and I couldn't stop them. I couldn't care less at the moment that every vampire could and would hear what I had to say. I held on far too long, and I deserved this release. David's attempts at verbally soothing me were cut off by my spew of words.
"I can't do it anymore. I can't do this anymore, David. I've tried to be strong, but I just can't. Alec bullies me, and treats me like crap, and he broke my phone, and I never see you, and I worry about you all the time and wonder if you're okay, and then there's mom and Travis, and..." My sobs got heavier when I thought about Travis, but I went on. They were loud and agonized, my voice barely decipherable.
David said nothing; he stood completely still, except for his hand that rubbed my back, and the other one curled around the back of my head.
"I just want to go home. This is all my fault that we're in here and that you're like this, and you'll never see your mom again and everyone thinks we're dead..." I gasped between sobs. But before I even finished the word "dead", I felt my feet leave the ground and there was a breeze moving with us. My body was shifted at an angle, and I held onto David's shoulders as I gasped.
Not even three seconds later, I heard the sound of a door closing, and he placed me on a stool. His bright red eyes were swirling with anger, pain, sadness, and almost everything else I was feeling at the moment. In my haze, I recognized my surroundings as the soundproofed room, where no one would, or could, hear us.
He sat beside me quietly, his face grave. He helped wipe my tears away, and his words were sharp. Not towards me, but towards the situation. He held my hand tightly in his, but I could tell he was being careful.
"I know Alec treats you like shit. I hate it. I hear it all the God damn time, and I can't do anything about it. If it was up to me, the asshole would be dead right now. I fucking spoke to Aro about it forever, and he told me not to worry. I worry about you all the fucking time, too. I told him nobody should ever treat you that way, but he just tells me that Alec is taking care of you no matter what. I know about the phone, too. Almost killed him then, but Jane..." he stopped and closed his eyes for a moment as if he was remembering the pain she caused. Vampires couldn't feel pain, except for fire, and I knew Jane continued to use her gift on him.
I reached out and covered his hand with mine. I didn't like that Jane did it, but I couldn't do anything about the way he was being treated, either. We were both going through two different storms, and we didn't know how to survive in them.
"Jane told me that she was going to torture you right in front of me if I didn't stop distracting Alec, but I'm not even trying to. I'm not even doing anything! I got into an argument with Alec because we..." I shook my head.
"We went to the mall, and this guy came up to me and tried to flirt with me, and...Alec killed him. And that wasn't fair to the guy!" I sobbed as David took me into his arms again, and I let the temperature of his skin soothe me this time. I let him hold me and hush me once again, feeling his form rock side to side; something he did as a human when all else failed in comforting me.
"She can't hurt me, dudette. The only thing that's hurting me is not knowing where you are, or if you're safe with that asshole. There's nothing that she could do to me that could hurt me more. I know I won't see my mom again. Or Travis. Or the sad sack of a town that we lived in. Aro's been busting my ass trying to get me to behave like a Volturi member," he answered, spitting the words "Volturi member" like they were curse words.
"Every time I cuss, he sics Jane on me. But since she's gone with her evil-ass brother, I've been fine. Heidi's been dressing me in all kinds of crap, trying to change my style, and I finally just went to Aro and told him I had to see you. I couldn't stand the clothes anymore, it was so fucking annoying. Then when the news came around that you were going to confess to Aro, I freaked the hell out, dudette. He is fucking creepy, and the last thing I want is for you to be near him. Are you really gonna do that? Are you really gonna let him see everything you've ever thought? 'Cause I don't want that for you. I made a dying promise to Travis a long time ago that if anything ever happened to you, I would step in and protect you if he wasn't there. I want to protect you, dudette. I have to. And I'm about to tell you something, and you need to hear it."
"When did you promise him that?" I asked, my cries coming in hiccups. I was completely unaware that my brother made some sort of pact with David.
I knew he was my friend, and that we'd known each other since he and Travis became friends in middle school, but..
Did David...have feelings for me?
His words sounded much more determined than a friend should be in protecting their own. It sounded more than platonic, in a way.
I apparently wasn't the only one trying to keep a promise.
I told him to forget that question, and to tell me why we were in here. Looking back wasn't important right now.
We broke our embrace; I wiped at my eyes one more time before focusing my attention on him. He kept his hand in mine, his face rueful and grave.
"You can't switch songs," he said slowly, and I knew he was serious, because he used my name. "Don't do it, Cheyenne. You will piss Aro off even more, and it'll get both our asses kicked. You will get hurt, and I don't know what I would do if I let that happen. I know you're looking at me right now like I'm fucking crazy, but I need you to listen to Aro. We both do. We're going to be here forever. I don't see any way of getting out of here. You...we need to start accepting the obvious."
I knew he wasn't afraid of Alec, but when he told me this, he did seem afraid. Afraid of Aro, and afraid of the consequences. I could see it in his eyes, and I could hear it in his voice, but he was putting on a serious, brave face for me. He didn't want me to be afraid. I did think he was a little crazy for telling me to actually listen to Aro, and...
Huh? Wait. Did he just...
No, David. No. Don't give up on me.
"But...we-" I started, but he kept the same somber expression and reached his hand out to brush his hand against my cheek. The melting honey smell was floating all around me, but it wasn't helping because I wasn't letting it. I was slightly panicking on the inside. David was giving up, when he was once more determined than me on getting us out of here. He was so determined on showing Aro what we were made of with this plan. He'd been more excited about it than I, and now he was telling me to bail on it.
"I can't let you get hurt," he said sharply, but not angrily. There was something in his eyes that begged me to listen, to understand. He'd probably seen and known things that I didn't, because he was the one getting all the treatment from Aro. He was the one being polished and conditioned to act like something that wasn't him.
"You need to follow my order. Don't do it. Okay? You're the only person I have left that's not a fucking stranger, or a complete asshole. We won't have that lucky chance we had to become big and ride all around the fucking world. I won't eat Doritos ever again, because they're damn disgusting now. I won't be able to look after my mom, and you won't be able to see Travis. We both won't." He leaned forward to me, clasped hand and all, with the biggest struggle swimming in his bright red eyes. I could almost see the blood moving in them, and I could see all of the long, dark gold lashes lining his eyes.
"I won't have anybody else in this world from now on but you, and I don't want to live five hundred years down the road and live with the fact that I lost you and broke a fucking promise!"
I teared up again at the mention of our families, but I was crying again by the time he finished. I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't want him to give up. I didn't want to believe that we'd be stuck here forever, because I still had hope. But with his tone, words, and glistening eyes, I was questioning my own belief of whether we really had a chance or not. David had his head hanging now, and he was making these strange choking noises. His shoulders were shaking as if he were crying. As I watched him, my own cries grew.
"I'm just fucking sick and tired of this shit, dudette," he said in a strangled voice. I almost didn't hear it, because it was so strained. I couldn't think of anything else to do, but put my arms around him and cry into his rock hard shoulder. He stiffened at the action, but relaxed a few seconds later before hugging me back.
He didn't speak. I couldn't think about the thought of giving up. I didn't want to. I wanted to find a way out of this place. Despite my constant thinking that I would never see my family again, I still had a small part in the back of my mind that believed there was some way out. If only I could make that work with my current plan. David told me not to do it, and I understood where he was coming from. I understood that he didn't want me to get hurt or die. But if I believed there was a way out, I had to at least try. I didn't want to let a man who played God stop me. Wasn't it always that hope is the only thing stronger than fear? That love conquers all? That you fight for the people you love?
Those thoughts sparked something deep inside me. Not anger. Not revenge. Not pride.
Strength.
Strength that I thought I had lost.
Strength that made me feel warm and hopeful. Strength that let me believe again that there had to be some way out. Strength that told me to hold on a little longer.
Strength that I believed was built from all of Alec's bullying and my shattered emotions.
I couldn't know there wasn't a way until I tried.
I loved David like my own brother. I loved Travis. I loved making music with them. I loved singing and immersing myself into a song, and getting so lost in it that I forgot all of my troubles. I loved having each Guitar Hero Mode session with David on stage. I loved performing with them. I loved how far we'd come. I loved my father, even though he was gone, and I know he wouldn't want me to stop trying. I loved my life, despite what was happening now, because I had things to fight for.
I had family to fight for. Family I loved.
And I couldn't let that go. I couldn't lose that, too. I couldn't lose David to Aro. I couldn't let him take away the goofy, warm-hearted, sensitive guy I knew. I couldn't just let us be dragged away from our lives forever. Not without a fight.
I had to try. And I was going to. This was my promise, and I was going to keep it. I was going to try again, try harder.
But I wasn't going to tell David.
I was no longer crying, assuming that my little pep talk had worked. I heard David mutter something, but I couldn't hear what it was; it was too low for me to hear. I moved out of the embrace, and noticed David with his eyes shut tightly.
"Man, it's really hard to do that," he said, more to himself. He looked like he was concentrating on something before opening his eyes again.
"Oh," I realized. I must have smelled good to him. I forgot about that. I moved backwards on the stool, but it probably didn't help any. "Sorry. I forgot."
"If I didn't care about you so much, I'd be drinking out of you right now," he said, swallowing after. "It's still hard for me. You wouldn't believe how you smell to me right now. Alec couldn't do that, huh? What an asshole. He really killed a regular guy for trying to ask you out?"
I nodded, then shook my head, still unable to believe it.
"He even pretended to be my boyfriend, and then he told me I would have been 'too slow to stop him' when I told him he didn't have to do that," I explained. "He's so...cold. He doesn't care about anyone or anything."
"Oh, I fucking know it, dudette. I know. That's why I hate him being around you so much. I chewed him out for bruising you, but Jane kicked my ass for it," he shook his head, his body quaking with anger. "Can't win either way. Someday, I'll kick his ass. He'll get what's coming to him. I promise you that, dudette. He'll pay for every mark he's put on you."
I decide to change the subject, and maybe get him on a lighter note. After all, who knew how long it would be until I saw him again?
"I won't switch songs, okay? I'll perform the one Aro gave to me," I said quietly, taking interest in the floor. I hated lying to him, and I took note of his possible danger in me going against his word. If I did this, Aro could possibly kill David. And me. Or kill me, and make David watch. Or kill David, and make me watch. I knew those were all possibilities, but the ball was a week away. I had one week to come up with a safety plan following my rebellion.
Maybe Felix's training had a purpose, after all.
"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."
Remembering Felix's words made me look forward to training again. If Aro still had me changed after I got in trouble, I would be able to get away. Possibly. But, human or vampire, I was going to pay even more attention to what Felix was teaching me.
I was going to need it.
I felt David's cool hand lift my chin up, then; when I saw his face, I couldn't read it. He was just watching me; moving his eyes over my face. It reminded me of when he was trying to give me a pep talk while we were practicing in the hotel room.
I didn't see crimson eyes, perfect features, silky hair, or upgraded clothes, now; I saw David. His light brown eyes, his light brown hair that had barely started to flop in his eyes. Just one zit on his cheek, a slight tan on his skin, a slim face, a goofy grin. His white T-shirt and faded jeans. His less defined, lanky figure. His thin, slightly pink lips. My friend.
"Thanks, dudette," he smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I got us into this shit."
"I never blamed you," I said sincerely, shaking my head. "You're my friend. You didn't do anything wrong. You were just scoping out the ladies at the same time Heidi was scoping out for food." I tried to joke.
I held back the urge to tell him that there was a reason we were still here, that we didn't die, because I believed it. If we weren't going to see our families again, we would be dead now. That was another component driving me to try to escape. Of course I would include David in my plan, but without him knowing. I had to make a plan for the both of us. I didn't want him to worry about me any more than he already was. He was already struggling with being a vampire, and that alone was probably the biggest challenge in anyone's life. Between trying so hard to take care of his mom and live without a dad, and then leave all of that just to make music with me and my brother, he deserved to be freer than I.
His carefree, goofy, yet loving and determined mind didn't deserve to be tainted with what Aro was doing to him or trying to teach him. He wasn't meant to be put into a box like that; he was a free spirit. He and Travis were always protecting me. They were always letting me make the decisions and going over things with me first.
Now, this time, I decided, was a chance for me to give back. It was my turn to protect him. I would endure all of Alec's bullying, Aro's twisted ways, Jane's hatred, Heidi's closet raiding, and Felix's training for him. Although it scared me to be doing this alone and in secret, I knew I had to do it.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, he laughed. It sounded musical and boyish, and lit up his otherwise pale face, if only for a second. I was happy to see him laugh.
"I had to get one lay in, or at least a date," he complied, but his laughter died as he continued. "I'm only young once. But, like that matters now. I'm young forever."
"You could still find someone," I offered, trying to keep his mood up. "Unless you're aiming to be a bachelor forever."-
His lips moved into a hard line.
"I don't have much of a choice now, dudette," he said as if he really didn't, moving his eyes to the piano keys. "I mean, Heidi fucks Demetri, and Chelsea looks at me like she wants to fuck me into next year, and then Jane...Jane is Jane." He said a little harshly until the mention of Jane. At Jane, he softened.
"Chelsea, the blonde?" I asked, remembering her persnickety grin before I left the throne room one day. I didn't trust her-not like I trusted any of the Volturi besides Felix, and Demetri? Slightly-and I got to find out what her gift was. However, if she was taking a liking to David, she must be around him a lot, and not just for sentimental reasons.
"You met her? What did she do to you?" he demanded. His brows furrowed, and his eyes widened angrily.
"Nothing," I explained. "I was introduced, but we didn't talk to each other. Does she have a gift?"
"Fuck, I don't know," David whispered, averting his eyes to think about it. "She's always following me around like a puppy, though. She wants to get in my pants, but God, I can't shake her off."
I made a mental note to ask Felix or anyone else in the castle what her gift was. I knew Aro was teaching him to behave, but it didn't sound complete. There was something else going on here, and I wanted to know what. But whatever her gift was, it wouldn't work on me, nor would anyone else's. I was the only one at an advantage. I decided to change the subject, again, because I just remembered something.
"Why didn't you say anything when I got up to pee?" I exclaimed, playfully kicking his knee with little force to save myself a broken foot. He looked at me like it was obvious as to why and that I should know why.
"Dudette," he deadpanned. "I could hear the pee moving around in your bladder. For the nine hours I watched you sleep. I think you deserved to get that out of the way first."
It didn't register how strange it was that he watched me sleep until now, and that he probably could until I was no longer human. It was already creepy that Alec got to watch me sleep.
"Nine hours?" I asked incredulously. "When did you even come in my room?"
"Around an hour after you fell into your chicken soup coma," he grinned. "I was waiting for you to snore, but damn, you slept like a fucking princess or something."
Nine hours. That's the most sleep I've gotten since I've been here. No wonder I was feeling well-rested; Alec wasn't here to wake me up.
"Thank Felix," I said. "He gave me drowsy cold medicine. I'll probably be awake for the whole entire day." I took note of the piano, and figured it might be a good time to practice, since I wasn't feeling tired at all. I hadn't been practicing for three days now, because of my cold. I had to keep up the practice for Aro, and the appearance.
"Dudette, it's like almost four in the morning," he reminded me, which didn't really surprise me, and I shrugged.
"I'm not tired," I said. "Plus, I need to practice. It's been three days, at least. Aro would want me to."
"Fine, but I'm staying," he said seriously as he got up from the piano bench. "I'm not letting you go back to Ass-lec alone." He hissed his name, and I snickered at the name a little as I started to play. I was actually glad that he was doing that; if I went alone, I would probably face whatever Alec had coming next much more harshly. But then again, David would probably start a fight with Alec, which wouldn't be good. Speaking of fights...
I didn't want to think about him killing Alec, or Alec killing him. The history between him and Camilla was hard enough to process. Yeah, Alec was giving me a hard time, but I didn't want him to die. He was mad at me for something I couldn't control. That, and whatever haunted him in his past.
"I don't want to face him alone, anyway," I said, my fingers moving over the keys, practicing the intro of the song. "I trust you way more than him."
"Thanks, dudette," he said with a big smile. "At least someone treats me like a human being here."
I looked at him, my fingers coming to a halt. I would always treat him that way. Vampires were people to me, as I said to Felix in the beginning. He was the same to me; he just looked different, and could do different things now. He didn't deserve to be treated any different. Even vampires acted human, sometimes. Felix with the karaoke, Demetri and his hair pomade, Alec pretending to be my boyfriend...
Ugh.
"You should be, you're not any different," I reminded him. "You're still funny, you still joke, you love music, you care about the same people, you have the same feelings...you just look different, and can't eat Doritos anymore. That's the only thing that's different. You still have everything you did in here." I poked his hard, newly sinewy chest where his heart should've been beating. As I met his bright red eyes, I took in his expression on his beautiful, smooth, statuesque face. If he could cry, I knew he'd be doing it now. He also looked a little bit shocked, sad, and...passionate? God, I hoped that was the wrong word.
"What, my cold, dead heart?" he joked with a half smile. He hated being serious. I decided to chuckle with him and get away from the heavy.
"It's still a heart," I shrugged and looked back at the piano. "I think we need to just belt it."
"Fuck yeah, we do," he agreed eagerly. "Start me up something."
"Okay," I answered, instantly plucking the keys to a song we both knew well; a personal joke of sorts. Trying to hold back a smile, I immediately started singing with the tune I played. "I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. Life in plastic-"
"Oh, fuck no," he complained, walking away. Thankfully, he laughed, too. "No way, you know I hate that song, dudette!"
"It made you laugh though," I laughed, stopping after he complained. He smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, but it's way too fucking girly," he commented, taking his spot beside me again. "Show me what you got, dudette."
We sang a few songs together, giving ourselves that time to just be us, to feel normal for a moment.
As loud as we were belting it, I was glad no one could hear us. I was getting lost in the music, all of my problems melting away into the crescendo'd piano. There was no Alec, no Aro, Jane, or Felix or Demetri, or castle. There was just me and my best friend, jamming out like old times, harmonizing and listening to each other.
It filled the room, and it was all I could hear. Just our two voices and the piano. I was in a place that I've been wanting to be in for a while; my own world. The feelings I felt when I performed; happy, electric, on top of the word, carefree, thankful. David's voice didn't have that half-rasping sound from when he tried to sing really loud as a human anymore; when he sang a softer song or a pop song as a human, it sounded clear, but only when he went to the hard rock songs did it rasp just a little. Now, it was just as clear, smooth, and melodic as his human voice. It was what any artist could only achieve with auto tune; perfect.
My fingers stopped on the last notes of the song, the echoes of it hanging in the air. On an amplified music high, I looked at my friend again. He looked at me, too, and held his hand up for a high five.
"That rocked," he said, sounding like himself. I smacked his palm against mine, thankful that no injuries were earned in the process. "I miss being able to do that."
"Me, too," I said earnestly. "Remember the show? I think that was the best show we've ever done."
He nodded, his eyes growing sad at the memory. He averted his eyes away, clearing his throat.
"You should practice the real song now," he said quietly. "I'll be outside. Come out when you're done, okay?"
Without any chance to gather what happened, he was gone, leaving only his scent of melting honey and sunshine behind. I had no time to question why he was suddenly aloof, and looked so sullen. He was right, though. Maybe I should practice. He probably had to go, soon. Plus, I didn't know when Alec would be back. With that, I tried to forget my questions, and did what I was told.
~~~~~S~~~~~
I practiced the song enough times for it to be considered hard work, and when I asked David was time it was, I still wasn't all that surprised.
"It's seven now," he answered as we walked together up the stairwell two floors above, but practically ground out the next sentence. "Aro wants us to be in the throne room. Ass-lec's back."
I thought I heard him curse under his breath, and my heart began to thump. But, I remembered the promise I made to myself about enduring everything to get David and I out of here. By now, I pretty much expected Alec to be mean to me, but that wasn't what was making my heart go pitter-patter. It was the remembrance of the story Felix told me about Alec and Camilla. It was going to be tense knowing that I knew the story, and that Alec wouldn't know that I knew.
Unless Felix and Demetri told him that they told me. I hoped not.
I felt David's protective arm come around my shoulders, and it brought me close to him from the force.
"I won't let him do anything to you," he promised. Since he was so close, I decided to try and take in his scent for comfort, and as I did, I realized something.
My nose was clear. I didn't even feel like I had a cold anymore. No runny nose, no heaviness, no fever, none of that. I felt completely better. Even my muscles were no longer sore from training. I quickly gazed down at my legs.
The gashes and scratches were no longer there; my skin was completely healed and new, as if it never happened.
Whatever was in that medicine must have been special or something. Maybe Felix slipped me something else; maybe he knew!
By now, I realized why we were going to the throne room, and tried to keep myself calm. Lives were on the line right now, with the information I had.
Felix's. David's. My own.
I could only hope and pray that whatever happened, I would still try to get David out and protect him. We reached my room, and David told me to get ready. He waited outside my door while I did, and glanced down with a smirk.
"You forgot shoes, dudette."
I didn't even bothering asking why I had to have shoes on, because I hadn't worn any the whole time I was here, besides the day I got here and training with Felix. I just marched back into the closet, and shoved my feet into a pair of black sandals and returned to him.
"Let's get this over with," I muttered. He didn't say anything, and led me down the stairs on our journey to the throne room. We were silent the whole way, and I had an idea why; if we talked about anything that we had in the sound proof room, Aro would hear, and we would definitely be in trouble. I took in the silence, and used the time to think of what I would do or say if his gift did work on me. As I thought and thought, I got nothing. I probably wouldn't have anything to say; there would be nothing I could do to stop Aro from punishing me. I knew the only thing I should be worrying about was Alec's word against mine. I knew too much, and I had too many motives that could be blown at any moment. This could be the moment I was turned, for all I knew, or possibly starved or killed.
I felt something cold squeeze my hand lightly, and looked down to see David's pale, white hand in my own. I looked up at him with uncertainty, and he looked back determinedly.
"Stay by me," he ordered quietly. I just nodded and let him hold my hand, because I admittedly needed it and didn't know how much I did until now. My brother wasn't here with me, and Alec certainly wasn't going to hold my hand willingly. We were all each other had; we could be separated forever after this, for all I knew.
No, no, don't think about that, I told myself. Think positive, think positive. This could turn out any way. Just play along with Aro.
Right, I told myself, mustering up that same strength I found earlier. No matter what happened, there was still a way. I was still alive. We could make it out.
We approached the heavy doors of the throne room, and David stopped short, peering down at me, scanning my face. I nodded at him. I knew what he was trying to say what he couldn't out loud: I got you.
He nodded back, effortlessly pushing the doors open with his hand. When the room came into view, everyone that I expected to be there was there.
Marcus and Caius sitting behind Aro, who was standing from his own seat in the same black suit; Felix and Demetri to his far right, Jane and Alec his left. I looked to Felix first, and I couldn't read his face, nor Demetri's, who smirked at me. As we approached Aro, I noticed Chelsea standing farther behind them, smiling devilishly at David, and then her burgundy eyes moved to me. I moved onto Alec before I saw her reaction. Alec's face was blank; I couldn't read it, either. But his eyes shifted to mine and David's clasped hands, then to me with his unchanging face. Next, I moved to Jane. She was glaring at me, as usual, and I saw her lips curl back a little from her teeth. David and I stopped a handful of feet before Aro, whom I turned my attention to.
"Our dear human has returned," Aro lilted slowly, taking the three steps down to meet us. "I do hope you enjoyed your time in care of our dear Felix and Demetri, and your time granted with your dear friend here." His milky red irises slid to David briefly.
"I did. Thank you," I answered, which shockingly came out smoother than I anticipated. Aro moved his eyes in a robotic motion over my face, and my and David's hands, before moving on.
"Wonderful," he commented, glancing at our clasped hands. "I assume you know why you are here, my dear. It seems there are some questionable events occurring here, lately." He almost sang at the end. I didn't notice how hard I was holding David's hand until he began to move his thumb along the back of mine to soothe me, the same way he did in that hotel room.
"More like accidental," I reasoned. "Anything Alec has told you comes from a place of misunderstanding."
Dang. Okay. That was good.
"Oh," he responded sadly, looking at Alec, then me. "Perhaps if I saw your side of the story, my dear, I would be able to correct this misunderstanding."
"My son," Aro addressed Alec. "I have seen what you have seen. It appears that there is a bit of confusion about some...injuries. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Master," Alec replied smoothly, obediently.
David continued to caress my hand with his thumb and, for whatever reason, I wasn't afraid. There was no point in being so. Aro was one person. Alec was doing this for kicks. He wanted to play. He wanted this to happen, so that I would feel vulnerable. I didn't know what drove Aro to be the way he was today, or how he even gained this much power, but all I knew was that I wouldn't let him or Alec get to me with this. Something in me wanted to just bite back and give him a taste of his own medicine with all the name calling, but I thought better of it. However...
"What injuries?" I asked innocently. Aro's eyes scanned over me, and I chanced a quick glance at Alec. His eyes were already glued to my legs, seeing the evidence himself. They never moved, and I bet that Alec was wondering just how they disappeared.
You and me, both. But now, you can't get me in trouble.
"I am confident in what I witnessed, Master," Alec professed, for once sounding the slightest bit dumbfounded. His eyes met mine, narrowing slightly. "I would never lie to you."
I bravely let go of David's hand and held it out for Aro, before anyone could say anything else. I heard a growl, but I couldn't discern who it was from.
You wanna play games, Alec, then fine. But I'm not playing.
I had more important things to worry about.
Aro grew ecstatic at this; his eyes widened, and greedily covered my hand with both of his. The force brought me a foot closer to him, but I couldn't do anything about it.
A sweet smell came to my nose, which must be his. It smelled like cherries; real cherries, not the artificial kind you'd smell in an air freshener or a candy. His eyes were frozen, concentrating deeply on whatever was going on inside his mind. His hands seemed just as cold and hard as the others', but smooth. I didn't know why he was so interested in my thoughts at all. There wasn't much to see, honestly. Whatever he was like as a human, I imagined that he wasn't much different. In fact, I didn't even want to know what he was like as a human.
I took that moment to glance at Felix. He glanced so briefly, that I nearly missed it. Nothing could be given away right now. Not even subtle looks.
Aro's head rose, and his milky red eyes were in sight again. His face looked surprised, but disgruntled. His eyes swept over my face with interest, a glint in his eye.
"How interesting..." he said lowly through unmoving lips. I tried to hide the inner reaction of freaking out, along with my butt tingling again.
Crap. He saw it all. This was it. I forgot that I had no way to back up my fake, innocent attitude. I mentally prepared to defend Felix, David and myself, should Aro try to punish them. My heart thudded against my ribs.
"...that you are also immune to my gift, as well. A carbon copy of Isabella Cullen." He continued, and drug it out so slowly and airily as his eyes stayed glued to mine.
The words brought the greatest wave of relief and surprise to my body.
I was safe. Nobody would be hurt.
I wanted to cheer and jump for joy. As soon as my hand was free, David held onto my arm. Not to keep me from running away, but to keep me next to him; away from Aro or Alec or anyone else.
"Alec," Aro sang again, turning fully toward him. "Of course, I am confident in your witnessing, but...there seems to be no evidence of these injuries you claimed to see. I am certain you would never tell a lie, my son. Perhaps, Cheyenne is aware of what may have happened to these injuries?" He turned back to me. Crap!
This was one intimidating game of metaphorical ping pong.
"I treated her with medicine, Master," Felix spoke up, stepping forward. Oh, no. "You see, she fell ill. During Alec's retreat, I allowed her to have some fresh air in the trees. I was unaware of the predicted rainfall, and she fell in the mud. I take full responsibility for her injuries. Perhaps I should have notified Alec beforehand. It was my mistake."
Felix, you're exposing yourself!
I trusted that Felix knew what he was doing, but I was concerned for him, nonetheless. What he said was mostly the truth; I just hoped Aro would buy it.
Aro spun in a blurred circle, his bright eyes meeting mine. He raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"Is that what happened, my dear?"
"Yes," I answered with conviction. "I told Alec that it was the truth many times, but he didn't believe me. Felix was trying to let me have some fun."
If, by fun, you mean a brutal training session in the rain.
"Alec?" Aro questioned, facing him now.
"No harm done, Felix," Alec answered in an empty voice. "I would prefer if you would keep a closer eye on her next time. It will make my duties much easier."
"Of course," Felix agreed. "It will not happen again."
My eyes flew frantically between Felix and Alec. To me, it sounded like they were just being civil for the sake of Aro being here. Neither wanted to be punished by him. I knew Alec was actually mad at Felix for bringing me back in a bloody condition, which didn't make it easier for him to deal with me. But, I was glad that Felix's secret was still safe.
"And Alec," Aro implored slowly. "Please, allow Cheyenne to explain herself next time. There is no reason for her to tell any tall tales. Is there, my dear?"
I shook my head, despite the fact that I was holding in a lie right now.
"Of course not," I said. "I know it is hard for him with my...scent, but I was taught better than to lie. David is a witness to that."
"She hates to lie," David confirmed, his tone unrecognizable. He sounded almost like Alec; robotic, obedient, and formal. "If she ever did, she can't live with it for very long. She admits the truth, regardless."
I nodded my assent, impressed that he hit the nail on the head. It did make me sick to lie, and one day I would reveal the truth if I ever escaped. But right now, I had to deal with it.
"I see," Aro answered. "It seems as if you are feeling a bit claustrophobic in these quarters. Is that right, my dear?"
He was right. Being around vampires all the time was squishing me into a small corner, and it was making me feel suffocated and antisocial. I needed fresh air, to be with other people. I needed to laugh. I needed music. I needed my brother, my family. I needed help. I needed to save us, to save David.
"Yes," I bit out.
"Not to worry, my sweet. You will not be human for much longer. I do apologize for taking the human life of your...dear friend here. Desperate measures needed to be taken, for you are much too valuable. Such talent should not be wasted."
"You don't touch him," I warned lowly. I felt David's fingers twitch on my arm as a warning.
Don't, it said, but I had to get it out. Aro needed to know how important David was to me, because I never knew when I would see David again before I was made into a vampire.
"Or hurt him. He's my friend, and I have a choice too. He's my family, and if you know anything about that, you'll treat him just as such as your precious twins. You took me away from my brother. And you are not taking away the only piece of human life that I have left with me, human or not. If you want me, you have to keep him, too. I'm not living whatever kind of life you think this is without him."
I didn't realize I'd stepped forward to get in Aro's face until David's strong, cold hands held my shoulders and ushered me back. I was scared to voice my words, mainly because I never spoke up for myself. But this was dire. This was life or death. I was ridden of my family, my whole life. I pretty much had the right to defend what I had left, human or vampire.
What Aro was doing to David was sick. David didn't deserve it, to be shaped and whipped into something that wasn't his nature, wasn't him. Aro didn't understand David at all, or me, or humans. I exhaled through my nose, feeling an angry flush in my face and ears.
My eyes caught Marcus, who was lounging to the side as always. His eyes held much interest in his eyes. They looked almost...alight for once. Something charged in his eyes. Aro's face just stayed the same. Amused, delighted, but his smile was flat.
"You will not speak to our Master that way! You worthless, disgusting, disrespectful-!" Caius screeched, his voice as sharp as a double-edged sword. He rose out of his seat, but Aro held his arm up.
"She cannot speak to you in that way," Caius continued, quieter this time for Aro. If looks could kill, Caius would have killed me the first time I spoke to Aro this way. "Her tongue is much too careless for what she is worth!"
"Don't even think about it," David hissed, his new animal instincts ready to push me behind him if such were to happen. His arm was already braced to do so, guarding my body diagonally. I peered up at him; his beautiful, sculpted face was leery, watching Caius intently. I may have slightly wondered what Alec thought about this, but I saved myself the glance.
"Please, gentlemen," Aro drew out boredly, except for the following warning. "There will be no quarreling here. We are a peaceful unit with no intention to harm anyone. Caius."
Caius angrily, but gracefully, sank back into his seat, and David's arm lowered from my body, but only by inches; he had it on stand-by. Aro watched me with his eyes and spoke again.
"My dear, I do assure you that we are only doing this for the good of everyone. If you intend to keep your friend, he will need to abide by our rules. He has done marvelous thus far. I would expect you to do the same. Jane's purpose is only to assist in controlling his thirst for you. I will arrange for you two to meet more frequently in the future, once he is fully tame."
"You don't have a less painful approach to it?" I said forcefully. "I remember you telling Alec to back off of me, and he did. Surely, the same can be done with Jane. It should only be fair. And if not, then hurt me, instead. Just not him."
"It's all right," David tried to whisper in my ear, but I only shook my head away from him. It wasn't all right.
Aro studied me thoughtfully, his head tilted.
"Perhaps..." Aro began. "I will reconsider it. For now, I have an important request of you."
He began to slowly pace, tapping his fingertips against each other. I listened, hoping it wasn't involving anything about David. I hoped he would actually reconsider, but I wasn't counting on it.
"You have loudly voiced your concern with your own human time," he spoke slowly. "And you request...more openness. Would I be correct?"
"Yes," I answered. I had a feeling this wasn't a normal request. This felt...different. Aro's pauses and his glances toward the floor told me so. Aro never glanced toward the floor. Or, at least, I haven't seen him do it before.
"I have a mission for you. It is imperative that you accept this request, for it involves the dear lives of our friends Alec, Felix, and Demetri. And yours as well."
I didn't say anything. I just waited for him to continue. How could I have more time to be a human if they were around? It didn't make sense. It's not like they wanted to be around me, anyway, save Felix. He was the only one who seemed to enjoy my company.
"You see, we seem to have come across something unusual," Aro went on to explain. "It seems a certain immortal has been lurking on our premises. An immortal we cannot seem to...find. And it would mean so much to me and my dear ones if you would offer your presence." His smile widened, and it made me sick. I wanted to hide behind David.
"Like bait," I concluded.
"Ah, ah, ah," Aro chided lightly, strolling toward me. He took his cold index finger and ran it across my chin. The icy feel gave me goosebumps, but the move disgusted me. I turned my face away involuntarily from his touch.
David moved in front of me, but Aro barely gave him a glance. "Please do not think of it as baiting, dear child. Think of it as...doing for your family. Our secret is most important, wouldn't you agree? David?"
Aro finally lifted his head to look at him, but he looked at him differently than he looked at me. He looked at David as if he expected him to say something respectful. His smile was barely there, compared to when he smiled at me. At this point, I understood more now what Aro was doing to him behind my back. I saw the look of possible punishment in his eyes; I saw how much he saw David as a second choice. He didn't like David at all, and that only increased my need for my secret plan. The only way to get him to stop was to take all the blows for David. And I'd do that in any way possible.
"Of course," David replied smoothly, obediently.
"Look, I'll do it," I said urgently, pushing my way in front of David. "What do you want me to do?"
Aro noticed, and continued. Yeah, stay away. I meant it when I said not to hurt him.
"Delightful," he answered. "Your intention is to allure the aloof one. Your scent is one unlike any other, you see. You must draw him in with your human acts, and these fine gentlemen will be your apprentices." He opened his arms wide to motion to the vampires on each side of him.
"How am I supposed to draw him in if you don't even know who he is?" I asked, but not in an offensive way; this question was actually genuine. If I was going to A): convince Aro that I was, even a little, liking it here, B): keep my plan a secret, and C): protect David, I had to get all the information I could to do my job right.
"He holds his own scent, just like any of us," he answered politely. "He cannot go completely undiscovered that way. He will surely follow your scent if he is out to seek you. That is why we believe he is lying in wait. We cannot have you in danger, my dear. And, of course, you have chosen not to live without your dear friend here. What fulfillment would that promise bring if you were to be executed?"
Yet ironically, you're putting me in the face of danger so that I won't get eaten.
"Will she be safe?" David asked in an edgy voice. "If he wants her, they have to be close to her. If anything happens to her-don't I have permission to go to this-?"
"All is well, I assure you," Aro cut him off gently with his palm raised. His voice floated slowly in the air like a feather in the wind. "I am sorry, but you are still much too young to join them. You are inexperienced, and I cannot risk the life of your dear friend and something going awry. I do give my sincere promises that she will be safe. She is in the safest care of Alec. Am I correct, my dear son?"
Alec bowed his head religiously to Aro and made eye contact with David. Why, why did his voice have to make me feel so warm inside when he was acting the exact opposite of how he spoke? Curse my brain for feeling things.
"Her life is in my hands," he spoke to David formally, authoritatively as if he was above him; beautifully. And strangely, convincing. "I intend to protect her as such. I never go against my Master's rules." Cue the warm secure feeling that I shouldn't have, because he was only doing it for Aro. And the worst part was that I couldn't blame it on my cold anymore because I no longer had it.
"Now, we must disperse. I have much to discuss with David, and Heidi requests your presence, dear. Alec will join you shortly after," Aro said, giving me what looked like a warm smile.
"And you won't hurt him," I said. I kept calm and sunk back into myself, my shy feelings. Not that they weren't sincere, but maybe I could use my newfound idea to get Aro to not hurt David. "Right? If you're promising that I won't get hurt, I want to ask the same thing for him. I worry about him, and he worries about me. All the time. Every day. And all I ask is for some peace of mind."
Aro's eyes looked almost, almost compassionate as he looked back in my eyes with his soft smile. David made no move beside me, except for a light pressure in my arm.
"Of course, my dear," he answered softly, bringing his palms together like he was praying. "I assure you he will be safe here in my care. Fear not. I will allow you to meet again soon. The lovely evening for the ball is coming up so very soon."
"She's been practicing as you ordered," David informed him obediently. "I watched her."
Aro nodded in approval at this.
"Marvelous," he breathed, his eyes alight again. "I do anxiously await your performance at the ball, dear."
I smiled at this, hiding the deviance in it. I said one sentence that held actual happiness.
"As do I." I added a bow in for effect, and he dismissed us.
Immediately, David turned to me and had me in his arms before anyone else could take me away. His hair was soft against my temple, and his cheek was as cold an Arctic wind. The blasting chill wrapped around my body through his clothes. I could tell he wanted to give me one of his bone-crushing hugs, and I could feel him holding back several bouts of his strength. His embrace was as tight as he allowed himself, but it was close to the bone-crushing ones that I now missed. In the moment that he embraced me, most of the vampires had flashed forward to pull him off. I saw Felix and Demetri, but I had no idea of anyone behind me.
"Brothers," Aro called. "No harm done. You see, a gentle embrace. Felix. Demetri. Alec. Chelsea." Chelsea? David was right about her. She did have a thing for him. I saw her sneering at me before backing off. I took that moment to ignore everyone and hug him back, securing my arms around his icy, marble neck as tight as I could. I wasn't sure if he could feel it, but I didn't care. I wouldn't see him again until the ball, and I needed this comfort and familiarity with me. I needed to give him an embrace of security, of promise. I was always used to him smelling like Ralph Lauren or Axe mixed with Downy. But his new scent, the honey and sunshine, was somehow identifying with him. It spoke David. I heard Felix say something, but I wasn't paying attention. I saw the vampires move in blurs away from our embrace, probably to give us privacy. I felt the cold air of David's breath at my ear and heard him whisper.
"I'll be okay," he said so quietly that I almost didn't hear it. It came out almost as quickly as a passing breath itself, musically and smooth. His normal voice was back, and if he was scared at all, it didn't show. But I knew I was scared myself. "Don't you worry about me. Promise me, dudette."
But I couldn't. I couldn't promise that. I wanted to, because I knew it would give him peace of mind, but I just couldn't. I prayed that God was hearing this somehow. I sent out a silent plea and closed my eyes. And I made a promise instead to myself that I would get him out of here, even if it was without me. I promised that I would keep my promise and my plan. And I could answer him back in that moment now.
"I promise," I whispered back in the blanket of my own promise, feeling my brows come together to stop any collecting tears.
"I love you, dudette," he whispered quickly. I felt his cold lips brush against my cheek, and then I was under the wing of Heidi in a split second, which gave me no time to react. When I looked back, I only got a glimpse of two people's faces out of all the vampires in the room. David, who watched me solemnly with such intense emotion before turning away...
And Marcus, who watched us both with what I could only describe as surprise and sadness. Something in his eyes reflected that he understood. But maybe that was just his gift talking.
I didn't see Alec in the room.
~~~~~S~~~~~
I stood still while Heidi wrapped the yellow flexible measuring tape around my waist once more. She took me into her own room, which had one of the longest, tallest body mirrors I had ever seen. It was taller than Felix, and wider than the doors of the closet in my room. It hung directly next to her closet, surprisingly leaving some room between the two.
Her room was full of mahogany and purple colors, made up of every fabric known to man. The floor was a shiny, polished dark wood; I had been surprised at its smoothness under my feet when she made me take my shoes off. Her closet doors, individually, were almost as wide as the shower opening in my bathroom. Endless dresses, both modern and antique, were lined in there, all the colors and fabrics; royal blue, deep red, dark rose, emerald green, and various shades of cream and ivory, to silk, velvet, satin, cotton, and polyester. Her room had a bed in it, and I wish I didn't know the reason why. It was huge, king sized, with all silk sheets and a tall, black iron canopy post framing it. White sheets underneath, deep crimson red covers on top, and silk pillows to match. She had a small, rich wood desk next to the door with what I guessed were diaries lined up in a built-in shelf on it. Various pens were held in a shallow porcelain dish. She seemed to keep her personal life out of show, and fashion highlighted.
I, however, was lost in thought about what happened thirty minutes earlier in the throne room. Felix speaking up, Marcus's looks, David's profession of love?
Why did he say that? In that tone...although said so quickly, the tone was different than any other way he'd spoken to me. It was the same way when he talked about the promise he made to my brother. That strange ache that I'd been feeling for two weeks now made its appearance, and I mentally shook my head. It all happened so fast. I think I was just over-analyzing. The situation was tense; Aro was hurting him and we both couldn't deny it. I did love David, and I wished now that I would have said it back. And as for Marcus-his gift was to read relationships, so I'd been told by Felix-but the way he looked when I left...
What did he see between us? It was almost as if held compassion towards us, and the look in his eyes...it was like he knew, like he had seen it before...or even experienced it. Felix never said that he had any relationships, but now I was wondering it myself. Maybe I was over-analyzing his looks too, but something, something about his look gave me the smallest pang of hope. Like he understood. Whatever reflected in his eyes told me so. It had to be real, didn't it? He always looked bored, and-
"You've grown smaller in the waist," Heidi said accusingly, which threw me out of my thoughts. "And more defined. Now I have to adjust your gown measurements." She scoffed, and it sounded beautiful, perfect, silky, just like her.
I already knew why I was smaller; Felix's training.
I still wondered how Alec or anyone else didn't fall for Heidi. She was beautiful, more beautiful than any supermodel or probably any vampire on the planet. The rich mahogany color of her full, loose curls contrasted perfectly with the white, loose V-neck blouse she was wearing, and the very short black mini-skirt with a matching thin, black belt. On her feet were tan and gold, barely strapped thin heels. It gave her two inches of height that she didn't need. She was already tall with her gorgeous, perfectly long legs. They exceeded the kind you saw in lotion ads. Although they were pale ivory and she had no pantyhose, everything matched her perfectly. Again, I was reminded of Cassie, whom I wished was here right now.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked her curiously. She came around the front after measuring my waist again and looked in my eyes, as if she were searching for a threat. Then she looked at my arm and began to measure that, too.
"What do you need to ask?" she asked, focused on the measuring. Then her tone changed. "If this is about Alec again, then you really must be blind. Figuratively. He's in-"
"No," I interrupted, rolling my eyes. "It's about you, actually. If you don't mind."
"Oh?" she seemed surprised, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "What is it that you would like to know?"
"How did you get so into fashion?" I asked, looking at her dresses once more. "You have a lot of clothes. And accessories."
Her eyes changed then, measuring my other arm. She gave a stunning small smile and allowed some glistening, impossibly white teeth to show while moving fluidly to around my bust. She looked reminiscent, if even for a moment. Her scent was so feminine, so floral, like her.
"A woman, fairly close to my age," she said simply. "She taught me everything that I know. I adored it, and she did as well. She would share her ideas, and I shared mine. We spent countless hours on designs and fabrics."
"Was she a Volturi, too?" I asked hesitantly, unsure if I was going too far. She measured my leg, allowing a moment of silence.
"Long ago, yes," she answered finally, walking away fluidly into her mall-sized closet for a moment. I heard a bag unzipping.
"Sorry," I offered. "If it was private."
Heidi came back out of the closet, carrying a slip of baby pink fabric in both of her hands. Once she got closer, I got a good look at it.
And it horrified me and amazed me all at the same time.
The dress, lovely in its dark baby pink color, was short and satin, possibly not ending very far from the middle of my thighs. The top looked low cut, and there was a small slit in the thigh. It screamed sexy, and it was way too inappropriate for my taste. It looked lightweight, but I knew it would hug my figure. How could something be so beautiful and so scary at the same time? I never wore dresses, unless it was for a funeral or a wedding. I'd only worn them less than a handful of times, and while they made me feel a little more elegant, this one just made me feel naked by just looking at it. This wasn't a dress for prom or a funeral, or a business meeting. This was a dress for clubbing and seducing. And I had to wear it.
What kind of missions do these people go on?
"The pink will compliment your skin much better," she said approvingly. "Black is...not the best color for you to wear at the moment." I saw her move her eyes over my clothes and inwardly agreed. I felt dark and depressed wearing black all the time.
"You want me to wear this?" I almost squeaked out. "It's so-"
"You need to be as conspicuous as possible," she explained diplomatically, like she had a degree in luring men. And basically, she did. But of course, she had to; her gift was to do exactly that and induce their trust.
"Vampire men are very visual creatures, just as much as human men, and are very easily distracted. They pick the most appealing humans, in taste and appearance, and you have to play the part. You have to learn to use your body. So, here you are." She put the fabric in my hands, and I reluctantly took it. I looked at the thing like it was a disease.
"Oh, please, you are going to be wearing plenty more of those when you are one of us," she said, and I could practically hear her eyes rolling. Her words flooded my body with dread, and I prayed to God that I wouldn't be much different as a vampire. I looked up into her red-mahogany eyes with chagrin.
"Is this coming from the woman who taught you everything you know about fashion?" I asked almost sarcastically. She gave me a small glare, pushed her big curls behind her shoulder to expose her white, creamy neck, and turned back to go into the closet once more.
Oops, I thought.
"For your information, I chose my own preference of style," she said confidently. "And you are going to get used to it. Heels." She sauntered back to me gracefully with her long legs and put matching heels on top of the dress in my arms. The heel, thankfully, wasn't too tall; only about an inch and a half, and they were actually pretty cute.
"You will have to learn to walk in them," she added. Cue the dread coming back. And cue Heidi's beautiful eye roll.
"Humans," she said. "Now be on your way. Alec is waiting for you." She smiled knowingly, but I still had more questions about the woman Heidi talked about. If she was a Volturi, where was she now? Why wasn't she here? Was she dead?
"Can I just ask...one more thing?" I said, also trying to absorb the estrogen in the air so I could prepare myself to deal with Alec. I needed the understanding of a woman, even if it was a vampire. Heidi seemed sensitive to the subject of this woman, and I wanted to know why. She lifted her brow at me, waiting.
"Honey," she said. "He's crazy about you."
Oh God, not this again.
"It's not about Alec," I said, feeling blood rush to my cheeks at her words. I could hardly believe them. "Why do you keep saying that? In fact, why does everybody keep saying that? He hates me."
"Oh, please, girl," was all she said with the shake of her head. "He may fool you, but he does not fool us. You have a much bigger effect on him than you believe."
"I wasn't going to ask about him," I urged, wanting to ignore her words, but I couldn't stop the little spread of warmth through my chest and the way my stomach flipped. "What happened to her? The woman."
Heidi once again searched my face for an impending threat, but all I had was my curiosity. I couldn't read her face; it was poker, and she was good at it.
"She left," she said dejectedly, and I was confused. She left? How did she leave? If you were trapped by the Volturi, you were trapped for life. How in the world would this woman be able to just leave? I shook my head, flabbergasted.
"She left?" I parroted her. "How did she just...leave?"
"She didn't agree with our way of life," she said simply. I could tell that her absence affected her, but she was trying not to let it show. I was gobsmacked; she really just left, simply because she didn't agree with Aro? Why couldn't I do that, then?
"Did...she have a gift? Like me? Or Alec or Jane?" I asked tentatively.
"Don't wrinkle that dress. I mean it," she said sharply, ignoring me. "And walk straight in those heels. You will break an ankle if you don't."
I realized I'd pried too much; all of the information was whirling around in my head, wondering how Aro allowed this. Was she a vampire before she joined, or did Aro change her, too? How did she convince Aro to allow her to just walk away?
"Why am I wearing heels, then?" I asked on the way to the door. I heard her sigh.
"Attraction is the number one motive in male vampire antics," she answered. "The more openly you dress, the higher chance he will notice you. You are lucky I gave you the shortest heels. Alec would kill me if I gave you any other kind. So, learn. Attract. Be irresistible. Be sexy. Do not wear any perfume. It will mask your scent, and drive him away. Do you understand?"
"Yes," I stammered, taking note of everything mentally.
"Good. But I'm not worried about you," she said smugly, opening the door. I stepped out of her room, and faced her.
"Why?" I asked, fusing my brows together. Nobody had any faith in me for anything here, except for Demetri, who only had faith that I could insult Camilla.
"You're a smart girl," she said honestly. "You aren't like other humans. Or girls, for that matter. And I think you know that. You just happen to put yourself below everyone else."
I moved my eyes to the ground and shifted uncomfortably. Why did all this have to come back to me?
"Thanks," I mumbled, holding up the attire for emphasis and left, heading for the stairs to go one story down to the hall where my own room was. I took my time, not in any hurry to be met with Alec's face. Instead, I thought about the woman who used to be in the Volturi.
Who was she, and where was she now? What did she do? If they were so close, wouldn't Heidi want to go looking for her? It didn't make sense, and neither did the way she addressed the woman's absence. There was something in my mind trying to connect the dots of what Heidi told me, and what I already knew. But, how would I know if I was right? I only asked myself more questions on the way down.
I came to the end of the stairs, looping my fingers through the ankle straps of the heels and laying the dress over my left arm. The hall was empty. No Alec. How surprising. I continued to my door, expecting to maybe find him in there, but much to my actual surprise this time, he wasn't.
Probably talking to Aro or something.
I laid the dress carefully on my bed, smoothing it out and almost shuddering at it once more. I put the heels at the foot of the bed, and scanned my eyes all across the room. I had to get out of these clothes. The whole situation was over, and I was safe, but in another place I was not. While I was safe from Aro, I wasn't from Alec or Jane. I ventured to the closet to find something else to wear.
"Boo," came Alec's amused voice in my ear, but my body reacted before my mind did. Almost immediately, my muscle memory kicked in. My body braced itself, and I shot my elbow up to bruise his face in self defense. He caught it before it was halfway raised, and in a flash my back was pressed into his chest with my arm pinned to my stomach. His arms were around me like a vice, and I had no way of moving. My body wanted to react by flipping his body over my shoulder, but I had to push back the force. He was much too heavy, anyway.
"What are you thinking?" he hissed in my ear as I made no move. And as soon as he was scolding me, he was playing games again. "I pull a harmless little prank on you, and this is what I receive in return? How unfair."
"Then maybe you shouldn't try to scare me," I said through my teeth, trying to ignore his scent, his touch, the position we were in. My heart was hammering through my chest, and I forced myself to concentrate. My mind was on fight or flight mode, and I quickly tried to think of some way to get out of this. Come on, come on, what's his weakness?
You, that stupid voice piped in, and I gave it a nice eye roll. I thought and thought, until I remembered...
Vampires are easily distracted, just like Heidi said.
"I can do whatever I please, cara," he crooned in my ear. "And that includes-"
"Includes what, Camilla?" I shot back, using my anger at this point. I didn't want to say it, and I was surprised that I didn't feel the crippling dread that I had when Felix told me the story. I liked it that way.
Much to my luck, the moment I felt his arms leave me, I moved as fast as humanly possible and ducked around his arms, backing away from him to get a look at his face. For the first time, I actually saw some real emotion. He was angry, livid, shocked, and...conflicted?
"How do you know about that?" He asked in a deadly calm voice. He was trying to scare me, but at this point I realized that I was used to it. I outsmarted him earlier, and I could do it again. So I decided to keep going with it. Just for fun of my own. "Answer me now, human."
"Why? Why do you care how I know about it? Maybe I deserved my own fun just now, after you enjoyed watching me squirm in the throne room over something I didn't even lie about," I said, my heart beating faster from the adrenaline. I actually meant what I said this time. "And I know you know I didn't lie. And neither did Felix."
"You. Shouldn't. Know about it," he said lethally, starting to circle me, and I followed suit. I watched him carefully as we circled around each other, mentally preparing to move out of the way. "I can do whatever I please. And that. Is none of your business."
"Then how I got my scratches is none of yours," I spat back. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't feel good when somebody messes with your personal information, and then uses it against you. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Especially since you always try to scare everybody. But now that I've found out a piece of information about you? Now you're mad. I'm a human, so why do you care what a little human knows about you?"
I barely had time to roll when Alec lunged himself at me. I barely made it, throwing myself across the floor and rolling, quickly recovering, but he was towering over me the moment I did. I crawled backwards on my butt, while he kept sauntering forward, as angry and livid as I'd ever seen him. I was pretty sure that my confident demeanor was gone, but my mind was still in training mode. Survival. Focus.
It reminded me of when I was on the tour bus and he almost did kill me. But, he didn't. It was like something...
"You don't know the first thing about me!" he roared, and it was terrifying. While it shockingly still sounded beautiful, his voice was so sharp that it sliced through the air. His face was so livid, and his eyes were glowing. It was like looking at an angry angel.
"You have no right to know about my past, my present, or my future! I control you! If you believe that I will not kill you right now and allow myself to be consumed by my thirst for you-!"
I was frozen. I couldn't move. I wasn't even sure if I heard the last half of his rant. All I know is that he stared at me, I stared at him, and I swear by the almighty God in heaven that I saw the tiniest glimpse of something in his eyes. It was gone, barely there, vanished as soon as it came. I couldn't identify it, because it was so brief, but it was something different. Something I'd never seen before. I couldn't even speak; I waited for him to do something, to keep yelling, attack me, but nothing happened.
We both stared at each other. Green stared into red, trying to decipher what was going on beyond it. His face was stony, but still livid, frozen in place. I thought I saw it thaw out, but barely. He stayed standing in the same position, and cut his eyes away from me to the floor, his gloved hands in fists.
"Leave," he commanded quietly. "Now."
I forced my frozen body to move past its adrenaline paralysis, and did as he said, rising to my feet. I walked past him slowly, afraid that he might attack me, but he never did. He stayed in his statuesque position, not breathing, not doing anything. I continued to the door, not looking back and shutting the door behind me. I sank down against the door, and sat there, wondering what just happened. The day hadn't even hardly begun, and too many things were happening on top of the other things I had learned, and it was too much for me to handle in the moment.
And I cried silently because of it, not caring if anyone heard me. Even Alec.
Even strong people have their breakdowns. Are you all enjoying this rewritten version so far? I'm getting kind of impatient. It's taking me so long, and there's still more chapters to fix. Looking back at mean Alec vs. how I'm writing him now, it's so hard to remember that I gotta write him as mean in these old chapters lol. I was getting used to writing about nicer Alec in the more recent chapters. It's a huge jump, but I'm ready for
