Alec didn't move immediately even after I lifted my gift from him. He froze, his face turned away from me and angled in a way that evidenced his usually not so visible jawline. His face still had the roundness of his youth, though it was so easy to look right past it with the way he dressed, moved and spoke. I let my eyes travel through the side of his face, admiring his profile, before he whipped his head back to me in shock. He stared at me with wide eyes, speechless, and I tried not to smile at the sight. Never before I felt like I had so much power over him. Never before had I been capable of hurting him physically like that. It felt thrilling and gave me a sense of righteousness, a power trip with a justified purpose.
Until he spoke.
"That hurt." He touched his healed cheek with his fingertips as he continued to stare at me with awe. "That really hurt."
I smiled but then I noticed his tone and my smile slowly faded away, giving place to my own shock. He closed his eyes and sighed and there was no longer any trace of doubt about my suspicion.
"You liked it."
He opened his eyes and it was his turn to smile. When he spoke again his voice was deep and raspy, and his eyes were clouded by his eyelids as he lowered his head to stare right into my soul –
"Choke me."
It sounded like begging.
My mouth hung open and a delicious shiver ran down my spine. I didn't move, locked in place absolutely dumbfounded.
How the fuck am I supposed to get back at him if he enjoys the pain I inflict?
The bathtub was still filling up and I was covered in blood, I had to remind myself. With incredible effort I emerged from my haze and ignored the impulse to do exactly what he asked. I blinked and shook my head with incredulity, turning my back on him so I could undress and enter the tub before it overflowed, or before I did something against my better judgement. Alec appeared in front of me in a millisecond, blocking my way. He buried a hand in my hair and pulled my face forcefully to his, but I threw myself at him and we fell to the floor. His head broke the marble tile when he hit it.
I ended up sitting on top of him, my thighs caging him in. I took his hands and pinned them down, one at each side of his head. He struggled but didn't break free.
"I'm stronger than you now, ain't I?"
He gave up.
"Yes. You will be stronger than me for a while."
I stopped, wondering what to do.
I just wanted to get fucking clean.
"Let me get into the tub."
"Your bath can wait. You should undress me instead."
I looked down, taking notice of our position. I would have blushed if I still could but all that took over me was an incredible need to taste his mouth and his skin with my new senses. He was looking at me in expectation, powerless under my hold.
He looks so damn good like that.
The noise of the water filling up the tub got my attention. When I looked at it Alec used the opportunity to flip us and land on top of me. He kissed me before I managed to react, biting his way into my mouth. When he pushed his tongue against mine everything else was forgotten, nothing else mattered; all my senses were hijacked by the overwhelmingly sweet feeling of him.
He tasted even better than I remembered.
His hands quickly found their way to my breasts under my shirt and I moaned so softly that I thought he could not have heard me, but he smiled against my lips and a low chuckle shook him. I pulled myself up, annoyed at him for getting the upper hand yet again even after my transformation, and ended up sitting on the floor with him on my lap, his hands still under my shirt.
"You should take a look at yourself," he whispered, his breath hitting my face due to our proximity. "You look absolutely breathtaking."
"I'm covered in dry blood."
He gave me a wicked smile. "It only adds to your charm."
I pushed him away to stand up and he grunted with frustration. Without him all over me I was able to notice that there were people just outside the bathroom.
"There is someone just outside."
He sighed. "Lady Athenodora, Jane and Corin. They must be waiting for you to finish your bath so you can look in a mirror."
"Then let me get to it!" I raised my voice, suddenly angry.
He raised his eyebrows.
"Sorry. I got annoyed… I'm all over the place, my head is a mess."
"It's normal. Don't worry about it." He hugged me briefly and finally turned off the faucet on the bathtub. I got rid of my dirty clothes, grabbed some soap and stepped inside. I took a luffa and started to scrub myself, anxious to get clean. The water around me turned pink as the blood swirled and dissolved like tea leaves being infused in the hot water of a cup, getting darker and darker until it was pure red. When I checked Alec he was not moving and looked at me with dark eyes.
"What?"
He blinked and got closer, grabbing a bottle of shampoo.
"You're a goddamn tease, did you know that?"
I opened my mouth to tell him off but someone did that for me through the door.
"That is no way to talk to a lady!"
"Shut up, Corin." Alec answered with a smile and my insides churned and boiled.
Why am I so angry all of a sudden?
My mind offered me no reasons for that odd, abrupt feeling. I tried to remember Corin but couldn't. Was I mad at her? Did I dislike her in my human life?
Alec gently pressed my head down and I arched my back to dip my hair in the water. When he started to apply the shampoo the door was opened and I turned to see who was coming in, startled and confused.
"Ah, look at you!" A short, blonde girl exclaimed excitedly. "You were pretty before, but this is something else."
I just gaped at her, trying to process that a stranger invaded the bathroom and was staring at me while I sat there completely naked.
"Who the fuck are you?"
She laughed and even Alec chuckled, unbothered by the invasion of my privacy.
"It's Corin." He answered me. "You have met her once before."
I know her? When did I meet her?
"I attacked you in your room and Demetri threw me out."
It clicked.
"Right," I gripped the edges of the tub and they started to crack. "I do remember you. Alec's fuck buddy."
At my words Jane and Athenodora also entered the bathroom, both looking tense and apprehensive.
"I told you not to come yet," Jane whispered, looking back and forth between Corin and me. Alec touched my shoulder to calm me down but a growl ripped through my lips and I bared my teeth. He let go immediately and looked at Corin.
"Leave."
She didn't need to be told twice, vanishing as soon as the word left his lips. I began to get up without thinking, nude and dripping red water, and Jane stepped forward.
"Sit back down."
I took a deep, unnecessary breath and forced myself to sit again. Alec looked at me as if unsure of what to do.
"Let me rinse your hair."
I just shook my head without a word and forced myself to relax. His fingers found my scalp again.
"Sorry," I murmured after a prolonged silence. Athenodora sighed.
"You will get over it."
"Let's not count on that," I said and laughed nervously. Alec and Jane exchanged worried looks.
"Marina," Jane began, her voice filled with frustration but also holding a hint of preoccupation, "Corin means well. She was very excited to see you again."
"Sister, let her deal with it at her own pace."
"She is being childish -"
"She is very young," Athenodora argued and I sighed.
"I am right here. And I can actually hear you now, can we not speak like I'm not here?"
They got quiet. Alec finished rinsing my hair and I got up, getting the towel he offered me and wrapping it around my body as I got out of the tub.
"Can I have some privacy to get dressed?"
Alec took Jane by the hand and pulled her out of the bathroom with him but Athenodora didn't move.
"I would like to dress you, actually."
Oh for fuck's sake, will I ever be alone again? Well, won't say no to her of all people, will I?
"Uhm, sure."
I was not angry anymore so it was very strange to be naked in front of her then. I fumbled with the underwear, feeling awkward and pressured under her gaze. She noticed my embarrassment and smiled kindly as she passed her arms around my back to put me in a blue button-up dress.
"There you go." She closed all the buttons herself, her fingers moving fast and expertly. With a blur she was done and put an arm on my shoulders to guide me to the other side of the room, where a full-body mirror stood.
I froze.
"What is wrong?"
I opened my mouth to answer but no sound came out. I felt stupid and pathetic and didn't want to admit the reason for my hesitation. Alec and Jane were probably listening in because they went back inside at that moment.
They were not alone. A brown haired girl went inside with them, her long hair bouncing against her back and her vivid red eyes scanning me from head to toe.
"Nat!"
I recognised her right away, excited by that fact and for seeing her. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly and she did the same. I almost missed the way the other three vampires inched towards the both of us, scared that she would react negatively and they would need to separate us.
"Wow, what a reception. Feeling like your majesty the Queen of England or something." She joked and let go to look at me. "Fuck, you look like a goddess."
"Are you hitting on me?"
She laughed and punched my shoulder playfully. "Ha! You wish."
"Look who's talking. Have you looked at yourself yet?"
She rolled her eyes. "Sure I did, soon as I was finished with the fires of hell and whatnot. Why, you haven't?"
"Not yet."
"I'll get to see your face when you look at yourself for the first time? Fuck, let's do it!"
I was not half as excited. My face fell and she held my hand.
"Just give me a heads up?" I asked.
"Sure. What about?"
I glanced at the others, all staring in confusion at me, and then looked back at her.
"Just… do I still look like myself?"
Everyone relaxed. Alec scoffed.
"That is what is troubling you?"
I ignored him, waiting for Nat's answer. She smiled broadly and squeezed my hand.
"Don't worry, you are totally still yourself. Just an enhanced version. With real life Photoshop, if you may."
I exhaled heavily, relieved, and walked to the mirror looking at my feet until I reached it. Only then I looked up to face my reflection.
A near stranger stared back at me.
I didn't quite look like myself, or at least I didn't think so. I couldn't remember all that well what I looked like before, especially since my vision was not as good as it was when I first saw myself as a vampire, but the girl staring back at me didn't feel familiar enough. Absurdly pale, as I already knew by looking at my arms and legs, with a darker tone so hidden away by that pallor that it was almost not even there. Dark brown hair that looked pitch black because it was still wet; that was familiar enough. But then the eyes… vividly red like Natalia's, shining absurdly under any given light, the ultimate proof of our new supernatural and demonic nature. Thick, arched brows were knit together by a frown as I scrutinised myself.
There was no doubt that the girl I saw was pretty. She was more than pretty - she was vampire-level gorgeous. I had been dressed pretty well too, which surely helped anyone. But she looked… wrong.
I looked at Natalia again, turning away from the mirror. She looked amazing, but I also couldn't remember exactly what she used to look like… it couldn't have been too different if I recognised her as soon as I saw her.
"Well?" Athenodora said impatiently, sounding disappointed with my silence and overall lack of reaction.
"I guess I look alright." I shrugged.
She scoffed, and she was not the only one.
"Is she always this insufferable?" She asked Jane, who giggled.
"Regarding such matters, I'm afraid she is."
I rolled my eyes. "Natalia looks prettier than me."
Alec would have gasped for air with how much he laughed if he still needed to breathe. "In her dreams she does."
"Hey!" Natalia complained, crossing her arms. "That might be true but it's still rude, ok? Keep it to yourself."
"I suppose you tell me what to do now."
"Bite me."
"You two can stop." Athenodora's voice was firm but patient, like a mother scolding her children. Alec stopped altogether, and his face was perfectly serene as he fell silent. Natalia on the other hand crossed her arms begrudgingly and wore a severe frown, though she also obeyed. I remembered Caius' display of dissatisfaction earlier.
"What did you do that got Caius so mad at you?" I asked Nat. Jane and Alec flinched and I realised why when Athenodora corrected me.
"Master Caius," she said in a teacher-like tone.
Argh, I'm supposed to address the three of them like that now, right. It sounds so weird, though.
"That sounds too odd," I murmured by accident and her face lost all trace of friendliness.
"He is your superior and you will treat him as such."
Alec looked at me absolutely mortified while Jane seemed more angry than anything else. Natalia rolled her eyes again.
"That is one of the things I did, actually, only I did it right to his face. Oops, I guess."
"Do be quiet." Jane shut her up with a menacing glare. She pouted and looked at me, sulking.
"You would do well not to follow your friend's insolent tendencies," Athenodora warned me and I wanted to kick myself.
"I just… need to adjust, I guess. I didn't mean it that way."
She dropped her shoulders and seemed to release the tension they were holding. Alec petted my hair affectionately.
"Let's go see Chelsea," he suggested. "You too," he said directly to Nat, with a much colder tone. She exhaled dramatically, uncrossing her arms.
"Yeah, yeah, fine."
Who was that? I couldn't remember her but then again I could barely remember anyone.
"Who is Chelsea?"
I was looking at Alec but Athenodora was the one to answer.
"She is in charge of welcoming all of our new guards."
"Have I met her before?"
"Not quite," Alec said. "She was present when your transformation was finished."
I considered that while we left the room to meet that unknown vampire. I doubted that welcoming new guards was what she was actually responsible for, or at least it couldn't be all that she was in charge of. I searched for Nat's hand and kept our fingers locked together as we walked, which seemed to annoy Alec by the slight change in his expression. He glanced at our hands with displeasure.
But didn't comment on it.
We went to the library. Athenodora bid us goodbye and went somewhere else, which left me with Jane, Alec and Natalia. As we approached the double doors of our destination Alec put himself between Nat and me, forcing us to let go of each other's hands. Nat huffed, evidently vexed, and he tried to fight a smile that I caught before it vanished. I glared at him reprovingly.
"What?" His voice sounded perfectly innocent. I could have believed he was oblivious to what he had done if I didn't know him any better.
I rolled my eyes instead of engaging any further, allowing him to wrap an arm around my waist and push me away from Nat since we had arrived anyway. It was only when we stepped inside the library that I realised why he made such a point of keeping me close.
There were a few vampires there, not just Chelsea. Demetri, Felix, the three kings, the short girl I had seen behind Marcus when I was done with my transformation…
And Corin.
A shock travelled through my body at the sight of her and she fidgeted when she spotted me. It seemed like she was about to back away but caught herself.
"There you are!" Aro exclaimed in his usual cheerful manner, striding in our direction with a smile on his face. "I hope you feel better, Natalia."
Nat looked at me nervously, as if trying to communicate something, before she turned back to him. "Not quite yet."
Aro sighed but his smile didn't falter. "You will get your conversation with your friend, my dear. All in due time. It will certainly put your mind at ease."
I began to feel nervous myself, wondering what could have been going on with Natalia during our time apart that caused such a commotion among the kings. Apparently we would be given time to talk soon, so I tried to be patient and remain quiet. The two women I didn't know were standing with the other vampires behind Aro, wearing dark cloaks that differed in shade very subtly, and I wondered which one was Chelsea and who the other one could be. As if reading my mind even without touch, Aro indicated them.
"This is Renata, my personal bodyguard." He said, waving towards the black-haired girl I had seen with Marcus before. She didn't look to be much younger than me, though she was slightly shorter. "And this is Chelsea." He then moved his hand to indicate a woman with light brown hair wearing an almost black cloak.
I nodded to them, not knowing exactly what to say. They waved at me in response and Chelsea spoke. "Welcome to the guard."
"Thanks."
Natalia didn't say anything.
Aro extended his arm and we walked with him to the rest of the group. My anxiety grew exponentially at the prospect of meeting new people and having my gift tested, along with whatever it was that Natalia needed to talk about. I dragged my feet a little, trying to stall, but Alec was still holding me and pulled me with him at his own pace, only letting go when Aro took my hand in his.
"No need for nervousness, dear," he assured me. "All is well."
I assented and then waved to Felix and Demetri, who both smiled at me, and then my eyes landed on Corin. She shrunk under my stare and I felt like a real bitch about the way I had treated her.
"Sorry." I told her and I really meant it. "I don't know what got into me. I hope you can forgive me."
Nat gave me a questioning look that I was forced to ignore and Corin exhaled loudly.
"Of course!" She smiled with relief. "It's in the past."
I faintly heard Alec breathing out as well, but Caius had our attention before I could dwell on it.
"You'll have time for your personal matters later," he interrupted impatiently. "Right now we are gathered here to assess how your gift responded to the transformation and how it can be used offensively."
I bowed, a little embarrassed by the reprimand. I quietly waited for instructions, afraid of saying anything else and misspeaking.
"You have used your gift on Alec earlier with a little success, I see," Aro commented, causing Jane to look at her brother with a furrowed brow. "Not for long, however… say, Marina, what do you think was the problem then?"
I thought about it for only half a second, remembering what happened in the bathroom.
"I think… concentration. I got distracted and lost focus. I guess I could hold it for as long as I managed to focus properly."
Aro shook his head. "Yes, that is also my impression. I would like you to try using it on all of us here. You might not recall but you have been able to use it on a large number of people at the same time once before."
I did not remember that.
"Now, I know things are pretty new for you and it's easy to get distracted with all the new stimuli. You're not used to your new senses just yet. I have a little theory that I would like to put to the test… Alec?"
Alec perked up at the mention of his name. "Yes, Master?"
"I would like you to numb Marina."
I froze, terrified at the idea of being under his gift again. Though I couldn't remember exactly how it was, I still remembered perfectly what I felt while I was under it and that I wished I would never have to feel it again.
"Not completely, though. Just to help her concentrate on her own gift without so much distraction."
I almost screamed with relief.
"Try to incapacitate all of us for as long as you can," Aro instructed me, "except for Alec, of course." He addressed the other gifted vampires then. "I would like each of you to try and use your own gifts under Marina's influence, as well as try to break away from it by moving. Jane, I would like you to be the last one to attempt to use your gift after Marina starts. If you succeed she will lose her focus, so wait a few minutes."
"Yes, Master."
Alec took my hand tenderly before he started and I squeezed his tightly in response. His mist soon enveloped me. He was close enough that it was almost immediate. Unlike the first time I had been taken by it, all my senses still worked, just much more poorly. I barely noticed Aro giving me the signal to make my attempt.
Alec's touch was a little distracting but I couldn't bring myself to release his hand. It made me warm inside to think we were working together, two pieces of a whole, to do something. The feeling of his hand on mine was a lovely reminder of that.
I tried not to let it get in my way, though. I pushed my power out and stretched it over everyone else in the room, feeling each one of them like they were touching my skin in different places at the same time. I could tell who was trying to move against it and who wasn't and could feel the less substantial force of those who were gifted. With more than one person under my invisible blanket I could notice that they all felt different, like they had their own "taste", only that I wasn't feeling it on my tongue.
I focused as best as I could, I gave it a real fucking shot. I even held my breath and closed my eyes. I battled against the ones that were trying to move away with all I had.
I did it for several minutes before Jane hit me with a mere one second of pain and broke it off. A hiss broke from my lips though I didn't scream that time.
"Ah, as I suspected." Aro sighed but he didn't sound very disappointed. He turned to the guards behind him. "Was anyone blocked more than just physically?"
"I was not," Marcus announced in his monotone and didn't bother to explain any further. Aro took his hand to get a better idea of what he felt.
He proceeded to do the same with the other gifted guards with the exception of Renata, and even touched Nat before turning back to me.
"How interesting…"
I didn't even get to know Nat's gift! It seems like it has been ages since we properly chatted for the last time, no one here let us talk to each other…
I felt lonely and isolated all of a sudden. I really missed her and the limited contact we had in Volterra, always under such watchful eyes, was not even close to the proximity we were used to. I wondered if we would be granted any privacy at all for the talk we were promised, but I didn't have a lot of hope.
"Marina, I would like you to do it only on Renata this time."
I nodded and focused on her. As soon as I felt her under my power I let him know and he made a signal to Felix, who sprinted towards her. He never touched her, however. He changed his path and ended up far from her.
"Thank you, Marina."
I dropped it and Renata moved a little, probably to be sure that she could. At that point I was incredibly curious about the whole experiment and what could be the reason for some gifts to be blocked by my own while others were not. Aro approached me and took my hand again, though this time he didn't let go. I winced, uncomfortable with the prolonged contact, and he smiled reassuringly.
"I will need you to try it only on me now, dear. I will keep your hand to see if you can block my gift as well."
It was really fucking awkward. Alec was still holding my other hand and his mist was still all around me, and now I was between him and Aro, holding hands with the both of them at the same time. I quickly used my ability on Aro to get it over with, lifting it after a few seconds. Aro let go of my hand as soon as I was done and nodded to Alec, who retracted his mist. We looked at each other for a second, tightening our grip on our conjoined hands.
"You blocked me…" Aro mused, talking to himself more than to anyone else. Marcus' eyes glinted for a moment.
"She blocks the abilities that manifest physically," he guessed. Caius raised his eyebrows.
"Alec's gift is mental," he countered.
Aro shook his head in agreement, but smiled knowingly at something Caius didn't seem to have accounted for.
"Alec's gift acts on the mind, yes… but it manifests itself in physical form. It takes shape to travel through space and it is visible."
Caius' expression transformed into that of understanding. He suddenly seemed to be very excited.
"So does the Cullens' shield."
His words caused a great impact on all the guards. Various perplexed murmurs started to arise before Aro raised his hand, demanding silence.
"Uhm, sorry, but…" I started timidly and Caius glared at me for my petulance to speak out of turn. I gave up saying anything and lowered my head, but his expression got softer almost immediately.
"Yes, Marina?" He encouraged me to continue. I glanced around, regretting my decision to offer my input as all eyes fell on me.
"Isn't Renata's gift also a shield?" I was guessing that by what I witnessed and by Aro referring to her as his bodyguard. Caius nodded affirmatively. "Well, then, why would I block Bella and not her?"
"Renata's ability, as many other ones that act on the mind, does not take shape or truly occupies space" Aro explained. He then looked at the girl in question. "It would be better if you explained it yourself, Renata."
Renata looked at me as she spoke. "It's a little thought I implant in the minds of eventual attackers. The shield itself is not actively working at all times, which is why it doesn't occupy space. It's more like a perimeter that I establish, and when anyone crosses the line their minds get the little seed."
I lost myself in thought as I processed her explanation. I could faintly remember Bella talking about her shield being blocked while we sat by each other in a car, but I couldn't be sure if she was lying. Did her own shield not work that way? How odd to have mental abilities that manifested themselves physically while others did not…
"And how do we know Bella's shield works differently?" I decided to ask aloud. I was already being chatty anyway, it couldn't be too frowned upon to be curious considering how little I knew. I was also incredibly confused. I had thought that my ability was coveted by Aro because it would go through Bella's shield, not because it would render it useless… was that a bonus not even him expected? I once again wondered if it would even go through it at all. If it didn't, then I wouldn't be able to block it anyway, I would be blocked by her instead. My head was spinning with all the information and by my efforts to understand the intricacies of these supernatural mechanics.
"We have seen it." Caius was the one to answer my question. "When we travelled to confront them Alec's mist went around it and we were able to see it, like a dome around their coven and their allies."
I was swamped by questions and doubts and had trouble arranging them into words. My throat never really stopped burning, though it burnt considerably less since Heidi got me the three humans, and that made my thought process all the messier. For the first time ever I offered my hand to Aro out of my own will and silently requested to be read instead of heard. He eagerly touched it with his fingertips.
"No, dear one, I don't think she was lying. We already had reason to believe that your gift would go right through her shield simply because it works on objects as well as people. Bella's shield only protects the mind."
He then sighed and clasped his hands together, turning to the guards that were already in the library when we arrived. "This has been most enlightening. I would like to thank you all for your assistance in this matter."
That must have been their cue to leave, because they bowed and did just that, each giving me and Natalia one last look. Felix gave Nat a rather different look than he gave me, though, smirking and winking at her before he exited the library with his head held high. Nat bit her lip to refrain from smiling and I raised my eyebrows at her. She shrugged and I could actually hear her like she had spoken the words in my head:
"Yep. Not even sorry."
Corin stopped before she actually left, eyeing Aro timidly.
"It did not work," Aro said to her, probably answering some question he saw in her mind.
She glanced at me before excusing herself and disappearing from sight.
What didn't work? Her gift? On me?
My own questions were left unanswered as Marcus and Caius joined Aro.
"We shall leave the two of you to talk now. Jane will wait for you by the door, outside," Caius informed us. I wasn't very happy about having Jane listening in and Nat didn't seem to be either, but we shook our heads in acknowledgement and didn't question it, like the good girls we were supposed to be in order to survive that place.
"I will wait for you in my room," Alec said as he slowly released his hand from my grip. "I will have your schedule by then."
That made me wonder if I was supposed to keep the room I had been assigned when I was human, but I pushed that thought away for later.
"Alright. Thanks."
He smiled and kissed me on the forehead before joining Jane and the kings out of there.
Nat looked around with what looked like fascination. Then she looked at me and grinned.
"At last!"
She hugged me again and I hugged her back, absolutely thrilled to finally have time to talk to her. We held each other so tightly that it actually hurt a little. I would probably be out of breath if I still needed to breathe.
"Okay, first of all I want to know about your gift," I demanded excitedly, "then I want you to spill the beans on the thing between you and Felix."
"Whaaaat?" She feigned obliviousness in a joking way. "I don't have nothing going on with no one."
I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, me neither. Don't be sonsa." She laughed and I punched her lightly on the arm. "Come on, your gift! I'm dying to know!"
Her smile faded and she braced herself, making me nervous all over again.
"Right, don't freak out. Please?"
"You know that saying that increases the chances of someone freaking out instead of decreasing it, right?"
She shook her head. "Uhm, right. Sorry. Fine, here it goes."
I held my breath and waited expectantly. She crossed her arms and looked down before saying:
"I can… kind of… tell the future."
I gawked at her ridiculously.
"You can what?"
a/n: please let me know if something doesn't make sense, I think about the story at 3am lol
