And now the conclusion!
Note to new readers: "Colette" is my headcanon for what Charmion/Chelsea was called during this part of the medieval period.
late winter of 1275
somewhere along the coast of Portugal
Renata POV
We had little choice but to obey the silent summons from the Volturi Guard atop the cliff. Uncle's involvement with our family was done inside the Law, but barely so. The rulers had made it known in previous centuries that they were watching him. That he, more than others, would need to take care lest he risk their displeasure.
When we returned to the beach, the vampire disappeared from the height and soon found us. He was a tall man of pleasant build, his black hair flowing loosely to his shoulders. Uncle had never seen him before.
"Well met," he greeted our visitor with a respectful nod. "I am Luca."
"I know who you are." The stranger swaggered closer, his red eyes shifting toward me. He stared for a moment, tilting his head slightly in concentration as though he were trying to see inside me. I looked away.
"And this my companion, Renata," Uncle added, stepping slightly between us.
"Companion? You mean your creation, don't you?"
"Yes. And you are...?"
The Guard finally released me from his penetrating gaze. "My name is Demetri."
"Amun's Demetri?" I asked in surprise.
A wry look of amusement crossed his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss." He extended his hand. I stared at the upturned palm and the tall, imposing stranger who offered it, feeling for the first time an immense gratitude for my bodily seclusion.
"Sir, I cannot." I offered a stiff curtsy instead.
His smile widened. "So I have heard," he replied, withdrawing his hand in exchange for a courtly bow. "My masters also extend their greeting, Little Renata. And an invitation, to come present yourself in Volterra so that they may also have the pleasure of your acquaintance."
Amun's warning blared in my mind again. They may take her too. I shrank back further into Uncle's shadow.
"I attend your masters every century or so, to do homage," he told Demetri. "I will bring Renata the next-"
"Your presence is not required just now," Demetri interjected coolly. "And I believe that you, of all vampires, are aware that when the Volturi extend an invitation, it is wise to obey."
"How... how long must I visit?" I asked.
"As long as you please. You need not look so terrified, child! The doors of Volterra are open to all our kind. It is my masters' duty and pleasure to welcome and entertain new vampires... especially those such as ourselves, who are blessed with gifts beyond the measure of common immortality."
"You are like me?" I wondered. I stepped an inch closer.
Demetri merely smiled again. "I have served the Volturi for some time now, Luca, yet our paths have never crossed. It would seem that your homage is overdue after all. Perhaps you could join us in Volterra after you have discharged your duties upon the equinox."
"I do not visit my family every season," Uncle protested. "And since they know nothing of my nature or my habits, I will not be missed. I will accompany you."
"No, you should return to Malta as planned." Demetri's smile began to evaporate. "Your human descendants are so fragile, after all; they depend upon your charity. I would hate to see any unpleasantness befall those you hold most dear."
Uncle stared up at the Guard for another moment. He lowered his head, seeming to shrink into the old man he had once been. "Of course. Please give my deepest respect to your masters, and my promise to come after the equinox. I will collect Renata then."
"Of course." Demetri bowed once more, his smile firmly back in place.
I was permitted a few moments alone with my dear Uncle. It pained me to see his timid submission, and made me all the more afraid to go with the man whose threat was so thinly veiled.
"I do not wish to leave you, or to place myself in the power of kings who treat their subjects thus," I whispered, hugging myself.
His eyes were cast to the ground. "We are always in their power, Renata. We must obey. Perhaps some good will come from your visit." He did not look optimistic. Poor Uncle! I recalled the courage I had pretended for Mother's sake on the night I had left her forever. I must do the same now, I resolved.
"I understand," I said tenderly. "Besides, it is only a few weeks."
A shadow crossed his eyes, but only briefly before some of his youth returned to him. "Dearest girl..." He lifted his hand in the air, pressing his palm against the invisible veil that would forever separate me from the world.
.
.
.
Our journey was swift, for we travelled on foot. Demetri said that he liked to take human conveyances sometimes, but that I was too young to risk such a danger. In any case, I did not think I would ever be able to travel easily with humans, or hide myself in their crowds. My gift would push them outward in the space of a large circle, and then they would ask questions I could not answer.
The beauty of Tuscany rolled out before and around us as we travelled. I was too timid to ask much of my escort, and he seemed to have lost interest in me now that my obedience had been secured. He spoke little, running ahead at a comfortable distance so that my gift would not trouble him.
"The humans of this region are at odds with one another again," Demetri finally said as we slowed in front of a wide city wall. "Some are for the Pope, while others serve the Holy Roman Empire. There are powerful families who command the allegiance of their neighbors on both sides of the conflict."
"Who will prevail?" I peeped, my curiosity finally besting me as I surveyed the bright banners that marked the various communes and castles along the horizon behind us.
"We will," he said significantly, turning away from the countryside with a dismissive sweep of his cloak. He gestured toward the wall in front of us and the solemn architecture just peeking over its edge. "Volterra. Come, we must evade the morning light."
A bell tolled for matins in somber welcome, but we did not enter the city. Demetri led me further up into the hills behind the highest wall, toward the sound of an answering bell. I searched the trees up ahead, seeing nothing, but we were soon immersed in a sweet blend of immortal scent which thickened as we ascended.
"Surely you will not slay them all?" I asked, brushing away a thorny vine that had clung to my skirts.
"Slay whom?"
"The human factions. You said the Volturi would win the conflict."
"My dear girl, I said nothing of the sort. I said we would prevail. What would be the purpose in winning any of their dusty glories? I simply meant that we would endure long after the humans' petty feuds have been forgotten... after they themselves are forgotten. You have doted on your human forebears long enough, Little Renata. Open your eyes and see your own kind."
The sun seemed to rise at his command, spilling its first rays over the valley below. It had been a pretty view under the starlight, but my heart was stirred again as the colors awoke one by one. What a beautiful country! Turning again in my climb, I finally saw a church- or perhaps it was a humble monastery- nestled in the quiet beauty of the forest ahead. Demetri quickened his pace. "Our home," he said eagerly.
As we drew nearer, I was surprised to see a pair of monks also climbing toward the iron gates of the church's courtyard, each of their backs bent under the weight of a yoke and two oversized pails sloshing with water. I heard the whispery chatter of the nearby spring they must have visited.
"Hail, lord," one of the monks called out, turning to notice our presence.
"Good morrow, Brother," Demetri answered with polite disinterest. The monks peered at me with open awe, but did not speak again.
"You live among humans?" I whispered once they had turned back to their uphill trudging.
"The Volturi do not skulk in the shadows or the wilderness," Demetri said breezily. "This is the best way to put the local populace at ease with our presence."
We followed the monks in through the gates. The courtyard was well kept but empty in the morning stillness, save for a wrinkled old man in an equally wrinkled habit who was fussing over a raised garden. His plants did not look much healthier than himself, for the entire courtyard was in the gray shadow of the surrounding trees. There were even three great oaks standing sentry in the middle of the courtyard itself- a nuisance for the humans, no doubt, but a boon for the vampires in residence.
After passing briefly through the humble rooms of the church, we entered another world. The home of the Volturi was inverted underground, with cold halls and chambers of stone that could match any lord's castle above, save for the lack of sunlight. As we walked through the firelit tunnels we were greeted by several vampires, mostly great hulking males dressed in cloaks like Demetri's. With each Guard we passed I felt smaller and colder, wishing my gift would allow me to pass invisibly under the leering stares of men who hadn't enough work to do. Two of them stood so close to my path that they were obliged to retreat as I passed, turning back to look at me in consternation. Blessed gift, I thought in gratitude. Do not fail me now. I only saw one female, though she was little more than a child. I smiled at her in relief, but she swept out into the hall and followed us without a word or glance of acknowledgement. My escort continued to grow as we passed deeper underground. I could hear sounds of humans and animals far above me; we must be back under the city, or near it.
I was presented to the three lords without delay. Aro, Caius, and Marcus sat enthroned in a hall of goodly size, brightened with tapestries and lamps with flames of various colors and scents. After greeting his masters, Demetri motioned me forward. I drew a deep breath and stepped as close as my gift allowed, dipping in a deep curtsy.
"So this is dear Renata!" Lord Aro said, his indulgent smile casting his brothers into shadow. "Welcome, child."
"I thank you, my lord," I stammered out. "My Uncle Luca sends his regards, and his promise to come after the equinox. He... he wishes to pay your graces homage, and to collect me that we may continue on our travels."
"Of course, of course," Aro smiled, clasping his hands together. "But in the meantime, you must make yourself at home."
I was introduced to all present. There were six of the enormous Guards in the chamber with us, though I knew there were more back in the tunnels and adjoining rooms. There was Demetri, and the girl, Jane, who stood with her twin Alec. They were the only two young ones, made to look all the smaller by their peers. There was one other male Guard, Afton, who was smaller and slighter, though he appeared full-grown, or almost so. Finally a woman, Colette, entered the hall. Unlike Jane, she peered at me with a welcoming smile and a hypnotizing gaze. She alone wore a black cloak that matched those worn by the lords. She was simply introduced by name, so I was unsure whether she was a Guard, or some great lady of the court- perhaps even the queen of one of the three lords. I wondered if any of the mysterious Guards had a gift like mine, as Demetri had hinted. Some had certainly been chosen for their strength and intimidating presence, but not all. I especially wondered about the twins, but felt it would be too bold to ask.
After all the introductions had been made, the company was dispersed. Lord Aro himself then conducted a more leisurely tour of the labyrinth and its treasures. Only Colette and one of the larger Guards, Iago, accompanied us. Lord Aro spoke proudly of his subterranean home.
"We once held court within the city itself," he explained, "and soon we shall do so again. We have sponsored the construction of a new tower that connects to these halls. It is nearly complete."
"Why did you leave, my lord?" I asked timidly. His gentle affability was slowly putting me at my ease.
"Our world is at peace now," he said, his cloudy eyes unfocused in memory. "But it was not always so. In the fifth and sixth centuries we were at war with a particularly nasty coven, the Dacians. At one point they made a foray into this countryside. They were unable to enter Volterra at first and did not discover these passages, but they made quite a nuisance of themselves. You see, my dear, it is only under our rule that vampirekind has lived in the freedom of anonymity. Under our enemies' regime, the humans were enslaved and very much aware of the nature of their masters."
"How awful," I murmured.
"And so our enemies sought to undermine our secret, knowing it was our key to living among humans. They fed openly and terrorized the nearby villages. When the humans crowded inside the city for protection, it became difficult for us to guard the walls, and they were breached. The Dacian soldiers terrorized the populace for two miserable days. Our castle was besieged and we were forced to destroy it ourselves, lest our enemies discover the entrance to the passages. There was a great fire.
"Once we had gathered enough soldiers to oust the enemy, we were obliged to wage battle on two fronts. Despite the loss of the castle, we knew we would triumph at the last, and did not wish to wholly abandon our home. For Volterra is truly our home, Little Renata; it was we who established it in ancient days. We wished to restore the peace that had always allowed us to coexist with the human world.
'And so we staged a little drama, with Marcus as the chief character. He was most reluctant, but most of us had already been interacting with the townspeople in recent years, and a new face was needed for the role. He 'arrived' the next day, introducing himself as Father Marcus, Christian missionary and priest."
I shook my head slowly, enraptured in the story. I could hardly imagine Lord Marcus in such a role! He had not stirred in his throne once during the introductions back in the audience chamber. "Could the people not see that he was a vampire as well?"
Aro smiled. "We were careful to keep the fires smoldering in the ruins of our castle. The haze and smoke were sufficient to cloud the sky during Father Marcus' brief visit. And the people were desperate to believe anything they were told, if it would only rid them of the monsters. He told them he had been sent to purge the city, and he proceeded to do so. He spend a full day and night in grand prayers, wielding a hastily-put-together collection of garlic, holy water, and relics. At the appointed time our soldiers, just returned from routing the Dacians, smothered the fires all at once. The sky cleared with the dawn, Father Marcus vanished, and the people rejoiced. They still celebrate their hero and his deeds once a year."
"St. Marcus' Day," I said with slow realization. "I have heard of it."
"And thus the city was forever freed of the scourge of vampires." Aro laughed gaily at the irony. "But of course we have never left; in fact, as the chief family in Volterra, we followed the drama with the most natural of endowments: the building of St. Marcus' Church here in the Tuscan hills."
"The church we entered through," I guessed. "Do you keep the monks for... food, then? Slaves?"
"Certainly not!" Aro cried, looking hurt. "Our faithful drudges are quite happy to live out their lives in service to St. Marcus of blessed memory. They are somewhat afraid of us, their patrons, but they do not know why. They only know that it is our money that buys their grain and their wine. However... there is a steady stream of pilgrims to visit the sacred site, and others nearby. Many of them do not return home. The pilgrim's road is known to be quite perilous, after all."
At some point in our tour Aro had silently dismissed the hulking Guard, and now he dismissed Colette, as well. I was left alone with Aro as we ascended the final climb back up into St. Marcus' Church. It was strange; I had been so reluctant to come, and while there were several faces I did not wish to see again during my visit, I did not feel at all apprehensive here alone with lord Aro. He was nothing like I had expected.
"And now, my dear," he said gently. "I did not wish to speak of such delicate matters before, but here we have a moment of privacy. Let us discuss your unfortunate affliction, and see what may be done to help you."
"Affliction?" I echoed. "You mean my gift?"
"Indeed! Some of us awoke to this life with strange powers, and with those powers come blessings and curses alike. I myself must suffer the effects of such a gift, though I have learned to employ it for the good of this immortal world."
I smiled with relief. Here was one who understood! "What is your gift, my lord?"
"I can share in the minds of others, with only a touch. This is why I have called you here, Renata: your gift is such a wonder to me! Until now there has never been a person whose mind I cannot reach. Forgive me, but I am so very curious... may I?" He held out his palm.
"It will not work," I told him, feigning disappointment.
"I know I am unable to approach you. But how if you were to come to me?"
I shook my head.
"But surely you are able to feed?"
"I can only capture my prey with great speed," I explained. "The person being repelled is carried away by their own bodily power. In a vampire, that speed is sufficient to outrun me, but humans I can grasp."
Aro frowned. "How troublesome. I wonder..."
He suddenly turned and slammed his face against the stone wall.
"I am sorry!" I gasped.
He laughed in delight, brushing away the rubble from his clothes. "Nay, it was my own foolishness, after you had warned me! Well, that did not work. Perhaps if I close my eyes, so that I may not see your approach?"
I told him that would not work either, but he was resolute upon trying it, and several other experiments. I did not like his persistence, but despite his careless summons driven by mere wanton curiosity, he truly seemed to want to help me. Perhaps Demetri had not represented his master correctly when he had threatened our family.
Aro sent for Caius to come join us, that he might also try to solve the puzzle of my gift. Caius was one of those from whom I would rather hide; he had none of Aro's gentleness or patience. After a few brief minutes he declared himself thoroughly uninterested in the project.
"Perhaps Afton could be of help," Aro mused. "His gift is also something of a shield, after all, and he has learned some control over it."
Caius muttered something about Afton being a confounded waste of venom and blood, but accompanied us back down into the passages. We turned down a hall I had not seen before, which opened in a spacious cavern of unhewn stone. Several of the larger Guards were clustered in a circle in the middle of the space, cheering and shouting instructions and insults to the vampires that were grappling with each other in the center of the cluster. I recognized Demetri as the taller of the pair that was fighting. I gasped and drew back, but Aro and Caius were not alarmed.
The floor crunched under my feet. I looked down to see that the stone had been crushed innumerable times to create a layer of fine rubble. I understood a moment later when Demetri roared and slammed his opponent a full two inches into the ground, sending up a cloud of gravel and gray dust. Some of the gathered vampires applauded, some began to argue, and some walked away. Another fight began off towards the Ieft end of the cavern. It seemed this was just practice, or some kind of training. It didn't make me feel much better. I clutched my rosary, unable to advance despite Caius' impatient beckoning.
"Didn't have to break my ribs," the loser of the first fight grumbled, gingerly peeling himself out of the floor. It was the young man called Afton.
"I barely touched you," Demetri sneered, taking his cloak down from a hook and swirling it back into place. "I don't know why I even bother sparring with such a poor, spindly excuse for a vampire."
"Maybe because he's the only one you can beat," someone said from the little crowd, and he was answered by a ripple of masculine laughter. Afton muttered something in what sounded like French and Demetri flew at him again.
"Enough," Caius snapped, and they froze in place instantly, three inches apart. "Afton, you're to spend the rest of the day in training with Renata." He gestured toward me once more, and I finally pulled myself forward, unable to take my eyes away from the other fight. They were so fierce!
Caius explained to Afton the particulars of my gift. "Make yourself useful for once," he added drily, stalking away.
"I am sure you will have more success than Caius and I," Aro told Afton with more kindness, though there was something unpleasant in his tone, as well. "Send for me if you make any progress."
"What are we supposed to do?" I asked Afton once we were left alone.
"Just a moment," he sighed. He sat down on a roughly-carved stone bench that was really just a big chunk carved out of the cavern's wall. He was still holding his ribs, trying simultaneously not to wince and not to look up at Demetri, who leaned against the adjacent wall with arms crossed, scowling down at him. I watched Afton with fascination as the misshapen lumps beneath his shirt slowly disappeared. I had not even known that we could break like that. I wondered if it hurt.
Once he was healed, Afton took me off to a quieter side of the cavern. "I'm a shield as well," he told me. "though a little different. Watch."
"Nothing's happening," I said. "What does- oh!"
He was disappearing! He blurred and then began to fade away, revealing the wall behind him. Soon I could hardly see the outline of his form. The air shimmered as he waved his hand slowly; I could barely trace the movement. A few seconds later he was whole again.
"It's not perfect," he said bashfully. "And I cannot mask my scent... not yet, anyway. But if you were not looking for me, I would have been able to walk across the cavern without being seen."
"Marvelous," I breathed. "How do you do it?"
"It's not a question of how I do it," he corrected. "It's a question of how I don't do it the rest of the time. When I woke up, I appeared like that to everyone. It took me several months to learn to unshield myself."
"Unshield? You mean... I might be able to discard my own gift?"
"Possibly. It's not a matter of discarding it, though, it's more like..." he looked around absently, thinking hard. "It's more like a veil, but instead of being made of cloth, it's a part of me. I've learned to lower it, to sort of... hold it away from myself, I guess, but it takes effort. When I first learned, I could only keep myself visible for a few seconds at a time. Now I hardly think about it at all."
"Pity," Demetri sighed, finally pulling away from the wall and going to join the others. "I liked you better when I couldn't see you." I heard a low growl rumbling in Afton's chest, but otherwise he ignored the taunt.
"Is Demetri gifted as well?" I whispered, watching in fascinated dread as the tall vampire picked a fight with another Guard.
"Yes, he's a tracker. The world's best, as he likes to remind us every few days. No doubt that was why he was sent to summon you."
"But he had never met me."
"He doesn't need to," Afton said with reluctant admiration. "He's that good. But tell me about your shield, Renata."
My shield. I liked the sound of that. "It is as Lord Caius told you. I am unable to stand less than twenty paces-"
"No, don't tell me what it does. Tell me what it feels like. Inside."
I blinked. "Inside?"
"Close your eyes." I closed them. "Now picture yourself: trace your form in your mind. Let everything else fall away; you are the only one in the cavern, and you are strong. Feel the power in your muscles, in your venom... within your mind. Now. Picture the power of your shield extending outside of you. What shape is it? What color is it?"
I concentrated, trying to dream up the picture he wanted. I imagined myself alone in the room, trying to ignore the curses and smashing sounds of the fight going on. I am alone, I recited to myself. I am alone and I am strong. I could almost see it: I stood in the center of a silver field. I imagined the noise and the fearsome vampires outside the field; it felt right.
"It is a field standing round me," I told Afton with my eyes still shut. "It is silver... a circle." I imagined looking upward. "It is above me, as well."
"How does the field make you feel?"
Before today, I might not have known how to answer. But standing here, mere feet away from the violent sparring of immortal giants, I truly understood the value of my gift. "Safe," I said easily. "I am safe inside it." I opened my eyes to find Afton grinning broadly, a genuine smile that brightened his red eyes.
"That's exactly what mine feels like, too. Like I'm safe because no one can see me. Only I imagine mine to be a red veil, suspended in front of me. I've never met anyone who..." His smile faltered. "Well. Now that you can picture the shield, see if you can try changing its shape. Try to make it smaller."
I closed my eyes again, picturing the field. In my imagination I reached out my hands, taking hold of the silver air and pulling it toward me. But it was filmy in my hands, like cloud. "I cannot lay hold of it," I said. "It has no essence."
"But it is real," Afton said with conviction. "As real as these walls around us. Try again. It is already a part of you; do not try to reach outside yourself for it. Simply bring it in closer. Call it in with your thought. Bend it, if you cannot yet reduce it."
I scrunched my brow with my eyes closed again. The field shimmered around me like an impregnable wall. I found I did not want to lower it or change it. I recalled, dimly, the night my stepfather had tried to force himself on me. I was already strong enough then, despite my human frailty, to repel him. I am stronger now, I told myself. If what Afton said was true, then I would have this shield forever; I did not need to hide behind it all the time. It could not be taken away. I felt something deep inside me unclench like a muscle. Nothing changed, but I felt a greater power taking shape within my mind. I reached out slowly, dwelling on my strength. The field was a part of me. With great effort I called it closer, shrinking it around me like a cocoon.
"Renata, look," Afton breathed. I opened my eyes and gasped to see him standing a mere ten feet away. All at once I lost my concentration and felt the field swell back to its full diameter. Afton tripped backwards over his feet and scrambled away.
"I am sorry!"
"No, that was quite good!" He brushed the gravel off his clothes and stepped as close as he could. "Again."
We worked on my shield so long I lost track of the muted bells above. Sometimes he was able to inch closer, sometimes he was forced to stay further away than at the beginning. I tried so very hard, driven by the hope that I might master this new skill. But as time wore on I made less progress. Finally I was as near to tears as I could be, and Afton invited me to sit and rest.
"But I am not tired."
"Yes, you are. Exerting your mind in such a new way is exhausting, at least for your gift. You are doing well, I think."
I sat on the stone bench, and Afton sat at its far end twenty paces away. I found myself rubbing my temples as I had done in my human years. It was not a headache, per se, but something similar. My chest heaved with the false tears; I did not think I was doing well. I flinched again when one of the Guards across the cavern landed a vicious blow on his fellow. I want to go home.
Afton reassured me again, and made himself invisible and visible again in such quick succession that I could not help but laugh. He did it so easily, without any sign of exertion. "How did you learn to control your own gift, when you were new?" I asked him. Who was your teacher?"
Afton hesitated. "There was another Guard here at the time, who had a similar gift. She helped me to see my shield, as you have just learned. But she was killed shortly afterward, on a mission."
I shivered, my eyes drawing back to the other Guards. Caius had returned and was calling out instructions as two of them fought. "Is our world so dangerous, then?"
"It is."
"Have you served the Volturi long?"
"Not long. I was only changed this past century, by Aro himself. I wandered a little too close with a band of pilgrims."
"But you were spared?"
He nodded. "It was Colette who interceded for me. Are you rested?"
We resumed our practice. After a time, Aro and Colette came to see our progress.
"My apologies, Master," Afton burst out as soon as he saw them, lowering his eyes to the floor. "I was so focused on our work, I did not think to call for you."
"Think nothing of it, my boy," Aro sighed. "But why? Have you had some success?"
We showed them. I was now able to hold my shield close enough for Afton to stand at two arms' length, though only for a few seconds before losing it again.
"Splendid!" Aro cried, clapping his hands. "I am so pleased, Renata... very well done!" I smiled back at him, somewhat uncomfortable with the glow in his eyes. But his praise warmed my heart. To think that the man who ruled our kind should favor me with such interest! It was thrilling, but it was frightening also, to be the center of all these great vampires' attention. Next Aro wanted to see if I could keep my shield close when all three of them approached. I did so with some difficulty.
"She needs a rest," Afton insisted when Aro pushed for another trial. "Perhaps some blood." I swallowed convulsively, realizing that he was right. I still did not feel tired exactly, but it was something akin to that.
Aro reluctantly agreed. As I was led back upstairs, I saw Colette draw near to Afton and take his hand. They spoke in quiet tones and he kissed her in full sight of their fellow Guards. I felt a pain inside me, somewhere near to the "muscle" I had learned to use when I worked with my shield. Demetri looked angry, though none of the others seemed to notice. Colette returned Afton's kiss with embarrassing gusto just as I lost sight of them.
But my mind soon turned to blood again. I was fortunate; there was a pilgrim visiting the church. Aro arranged for him to visit an outdoor shrine on his way back to the city, and I was able to feed. I tried getting closer to my prey first, using my new knowledge about my shield, but my thirst outweighed my effort. Afterwards I sat in the church's courtyard for a time, watching the stars come out. The moon had changed; more time had passed than I thought while I worked with Afton in the training room. The equinox was less than a month distant.
Uncle would be so pleased with my practice. Perhaps if I worked hard enough, I would be able to greet him with a kiss. What a surprise that should be! For the first time I was glad I had come, for how else would I have ever learned that it was even possible to control my gift?
Despite my refreshment, I found it difficult to resume my practice with Afton the next day. He seemed more distant than before, though he was still kind. Perhaps it was because Colette watched the whole time. I felt a new dislike for her, though it was hardly fair. I found Afton's company pleasant, but it hardly mattered that he was already hers. I would not be here long. In the meantime, I found his presence soothing. We understood one another well. Perhaps it was the similarity in our gifts.
"I wish I had your gift," I told him another day when we were resting. "When I was a girl I always dreamed of making myself invisible. And able to fly," I added truthfully.
"I don't know about the flying," he laughed, once more at ease with me. "But I sympathize. My childhood was... difficult." He looked away, watching the other Guards as they trained for a time. "My father was a cruel man. Perhaps he would have been kind if times had been better, but he was often unable to find work. He sought refuge in drink, and would come home looking for something to hit."
"How awful," I said, remembering my own kind father, but also my stepfather. "Could you make yourself invisible then, too?"
"I remember trying. I would make myself as small as I could to hide behind things, and if I laid very still he was often unable to find me. I fancied myself as having powers of invisibility, though I cannot say whether I truly had them back then. When I was old enough to survive on my own, I ran away."
"Were you heading to the crusades, then? When the Volturi found you?"
He made a face. "I could never have been a soldier. I went wherever the wind took me, doing odd jobs and stealing what I could not earn. I would have liked to become a scholar, but even if I could have saved enough money I had no sponsor. I did not even learn to read until I came here. I only joined the pilgrims because I knew they would be carrying plenty of coin in their packs."
"But you are a soldier now?" I asked, perplexed.
"I am. But really, there is little for us to do these days." He spoke of terrible wars, of the plague of the Immortal Children. "The Guard's reputation is enough to keep most vampires in line now. We spend a part of every day in practice-" he nodded toward the others- "but that is mainly because if we did not, real fights would break out."
I wondered what a real fight would look like, if this was only sparring under Caius' watchful eye. I felt sorry for Afton, that his gentle soul must live out its eternity here among such brutes. Upon closer inspection I did not think he was fully grown when he was changed- perhaps a year or two younger than myself. His narrow shoulders and unruly brown hair, curling playfully around his ears and neck, made him look even younger. He did not seem to want to be here, and in truth I did not think he was much wanted, either. I was grateful for this chance to learn more about my gift, but I would be glad to leave this place when Uncle came for me.
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I gained a few more seconds each time we practiced. I was soon able to hold my shield close for a minute or more. Next I learned to carry on a conversation, or listen to one, while also letting Afton stand near to me. More difficult was walking; every time I moved my shield wanted to snap back into place. It didn't help that we were nearly always accompanied by the noise and impacts of the other Guards as they "practiced".
"No!" Caius shouted, striding over to a pair whose fight was whirling around the stone column like I had seen on the first day. A trickle of broken stone was just falling from it. He shoved one of the vampires backwards into a wall. "The whole purpose of this exercise is restraint! You must learn to pursue your enemy without wrecking the human world around you." He set up a line of barrels, instructing them to continue their fight while threading through them. I watched them, unable to look away, wincing every time they disturbed a barrel because it meant Caius would shout again.
I wondered what sort of scenario he was referring to. Now that the Volturi had vanquished their enemy, and the vampires of the world obeyed the Law for fear of punishment, what dangers were still out there? Why were there this many Guards in the first place?
"Renata," Afton called, and I returned my attention to our task. Today we were "strengthening" the muscle of my control, as he called it. I was to widen and shrink my shield in rapid succession, attempting to make it a little smaller each time. Later in the day, I was made to run from wall to wall, all the while continuing the same exercise. Afton shadowed me, drawing closer when my shield was contracted. But I lost my focus, sending him tumbling off to the side as the cavern erupted yet again with shouts. This time two of the Guards were bellowing at each other in a language I had never heard, baring their teeth in a way that did not look like practice. I tried to resume my exercise, but I could not concentrate. I kept stealing glances at the escalating argument. Where was Caius?
"Come on," Afton called over the yelling, leading me out the door. He took me to one of the smaller libraries, some ways down from the training room. I could still hear the shouting, but it was easier to ignore. He closed the door, further muting the noise. "Let's work on those last few inches today," he said, sitting at a long table which hid under a dusty mountain of scrolls and crisply-aged maps. I walked to the chair next to his, retracting my gift so I could reach it without pushing him away. I sat down carefully.
Afton nodded. "Good. A little closer now..." I slowed my breathing, focusing on my shield. I could almost picture it with my eyes open now, a silver wall separating Afton from me. I held up my hand into the mist and inched it toward his, willing the mist thinner and thinner. My elbow grazed the corner of a map hanging off the table, making me lose my focus. Afton's hand jerked away, but he was able to stay in his chair. I tried again, concentrating on the softness of the silver air. To me it was only cloud; to Afton it was a wall of impassible granite. Soft, I thought repeatedly. Soft and pliable. Mist. Evaporating cloud...
"You can do it," Afton said, hardly above a whisper. "I know you can." His hand was only inches from mine now. I strained at the narrowing wall between us. When there was only one inch left, I was trembling with effort. All at once the mist floated away behind me. I didn't dare move or breath; the cloud felt so heavy as I held it back. Any second it would burst, raining its mist back around me. My head hurt.
"I think... I cannot move... you must do it," I hissed through my clenched teeth. Afton slowly, tenderly, placed his palm against mine. He smiled.
"I knew you could do it." I nodded, still unable to breathe.
"I did it," I squeaked, and a strange thing happened. The extra effort of speaking toppled my shield and my effort collapsed out of me with one long breath. I winced, wishing we had left the door open; now Afton would stagger backwards and smash through it.
But he did not move. His hand was still touching mine. His long fingers curled down, closing around my hand. I stared at our laced fingers, unable to think past the shock that I was touching someone, and it was so easy! Was my shield finally gone? The past fifteen years flew before my eyes: a lifetime of isolation, unable to feel the warm touch of another, save for the squirming too-hot flesh of my victims, taken with such force I crushed their bones.
When the memories passed, I saw Afton before me again. His gentle smile was as warm as his hand. It was not only the touch itself that was the miracle; I could see my shield clearly now. It was not being held behind me at all... it was wrapped around him. He was inside the silver cloud with me. It felt as though the whole world lay outside the door, and that we were both safe from it. It could not find us. Afton's thumb moved slightly against mine. I closed my eyes.
"Afton, where are you?"
I lost it. Afton's chair was smashed to firewood as he scrambled backwards over it and through the oaken door, tangling with Colette in the hall so that they both nearly broke through the far side of the hall itself.
"Sorry!" I called out, rising to join them. They turned and sprawled against the stones again as I stepped closer. I retreated, trying to regain a grip on my shield, but the flashing anger in Colette's scarlet eyes made it impossible.
"Never mind," she sighed, scowling down at the heap of splinters at her feet. She swiped harshly at Afton's cloak and her own, trying in vain to rid them of the crumbled stone. Afton stood inert while she did this, staring back at me and looking very confused. For the briefest of seconds, he shimmered and I just caught the outline of the seams between the stones behind him. "Have you made any progress today?" Colette demanded.
I stammered through it, trying to explain what we had achieved. She begrudgingly congratulated us.
"Come," she ordered. "Aro will be pleased to see your progress." I followed her at a distance, glancing back to see Afton still standing beside the broken door, watching me. He looked away instantly.
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Aro was indeed delighted to hear of my breakthrough, especially the news that I had encompassed another person with my shield. He eagerly held out his hand and asked for a demonstration. But I found I could not.
"Perhaps with more practice," I ventured. "Afton is a fine teacher, I'm sure that-"
"But you have already surpassed your teacher," Aro replied generously, sharing a glance with Colette as she swept out of the room.
And so Afton was excused- rather, dismissed- from my training. Aro was my only instructor now, murmuring his little endearments and encouragements as I strained against my shield. But now I found that my best progress was made alone. I spent all the hours Aro would permit me in my quarters, performing the exercises that Afton and I had come up with, and in new ones Aro had invented.
I was now able to visualize my shield without effort, which in turn made it easier to manipulate. Even without a person beside me to serve as the object of my efforts, I made strides every day, finding and strengthening the mental muscles which regulated my gift. I learned to expand my shield even further, so that no one could even enter the room adjacent to the training cavern. I learned to shrink it, drawing it tight around me like a cloak until I could pass through a crowd of Guards without disturbing a single one of them. I learned to stretch it from side to side, so that Aro could stand an arm's length away to my left and yet no one could approach my right side. I was still very delicate in my focus; hearing unexpected noises or moving too quickly often disturbed my hold on my shield. Caius had but to enter the room for me to send everyone evacuating an empty circle around me.
Then at last, in the final week before the equinox, Aro was able to touch my hand. He was so pleased, and I was so relieved, because my greatest goal was to greet Uncle with my surprise. I basked in Aro's praise and marveled at his kind understanding once he had taken my thoughts. He now knew everything that had passed in my life... in both my lives. He understood my need for solitude, while sympathizing with the loneliness my gift had caused me. He saw how Caius' explosive manner frightened me and arranged for my few practice sessions in the training room that week to be scheduled when Caius was not present. He mourned with me for the loss of my mother, speaking of his own sadness when his human family had passed out of this world long ago. He spoke with me at length about the beauty of the Tuscan countryside that I had, in such a short time, come to love. He even moved me to a corner room with two windows: one overlooking the rolling hills upon which the church stood sentinel, and one with a heartrending view of the valley and the little city snug inside its brown walls. We were not encouraged to spend much time outside, where the monks were, but I spent many a quiet hour gazing out my windows, fingering my rosary and praying for my family in faraway Malta to the tune of the monks' chanting.
Aro had, on occasion, suggested that I might make an extended stay in Volterra. I wanted to return to Malta, but it was true that I still had a great deal to learn, and Volterra was the place to learn it. I wondered at my dilemma, filled with new doubts.
"Luca is such a kindly man," Aro had said warmly several days before. "He has always chosen his creations with great care, rescuing those of his descendants whom he felt would be unable to live a happy, human life. Did you know he once changed a cripple in your family, saving her from a bitter life of being a burden to her loved ones?" I said I knew this, and had met my cousin.
"But he changed me for companionship," I said with warm pride. "We are of a like mind, Uncle and I."
"Of course," Aro said quickly. "I did not mean that you were a burden to the family. I see from your memories that you were simply unhappy, perhaps a little... unfit for the busy life you were born into. You are very much like Luca indeed. He has always preferred solitude, as well." He offered a sympathetic smile. "Such a kind man, to offer his eternal companionship after so many years alone. I have always found the Patronii to be an admirably selfless family."
His words troubled me. Uncle had mentioned before that one of the reasons he had chosen me was that he thought I would be happier outside the human world. He had heard my complaints about leaving Malta, about getting married... even about growing up into a fine lady. I had always been grateful for his rescue, and for the new world it had brought me. I had so enjoyed sharing it with him these past fifteen years. And he had often spoken of his happiness with me for a companion, but then Aro was right: my uncle was a kind soul indeed, always placing his family before himself. Did he miss his solitude... his freedom? He had always been so gentle with my frail constitution, even after my body had been made immortal. I had never once considered going my own way, as my cousins had done; I could not imagine navigating the wide world by myself, especially now that I was learning more about the dangers in it! I would always need my uncle's protection, and I knew him well enough to know that he would never rescind it. But what had it cost him, to commit himself to such a charge?
I did not see Afton very much in that last fortnight. When we did cross paths he nodded in greeting, sometimes politely inquiring after my progress or my welfare. The bond which seemed to have grown between us had been abruptly lost, and within my heart of hearts, I mourned the loss of my friend. I felt a deep aching for his touch again, though I knew I must not. Aro was mercifully silent on this subject.
Two days before the equinox, Aro sent for me in the middle of the night. I presented myself in the audience chamber to find several Guards dressed in rugged clothes and heavy boots beneath their cloaks.
"How fortunate you are still here with us, Renata!" Aro called across the crowd from where he stood on the dais, scribbling a note and handing it to a golden-haired woman who wore no cloak. I easily made my way toward him, parting the grumbling crowd with my gift. I felt, as I always did near the more intimidating Guards, an acute sense of gratitude for the wall I carried with me. They looked fiercer than ever tonight, taller in their boots and statue-still with excitement.
Aro laughed as he always did to see the effect I had upon the assembled Guards. "I think I will never tire of this sight," he said to Demetri, who also waited upon him. "A whole company of godlike immortal warriors, thrown aside by a girl who scarcely comes up to their elbows! Come here, Renata."
I steered around Caius, who looked as dangerously eager as his Guards. "Our rule often grows dull," Aro said cheerfully, stretching out his hand to me. I swallowed, glancing over at Caius, and moved my shield aside. It had become Aro's custom this week to silently ask for my hand each time we met; it became easier every time, but tonight was difficult. The golden-haired stranger at Aro's side gave me a small smile, nodding her encouragement. My shield and I relaxed. Aro's fingers closed around mine briefly, then released me. "Your visit has been a pleasant diversion, dear one," he continued. "But tonight our severest attentions are required. Caius?"
Caius turned to speak to me, frowning as I accidentally forced him to step back. "None of that, now!" he snapped, and I tremulously reined in my shield again. "A crime has been reported. A male vampire, crazed with some vengeful fury, has been disturbing a human village." When I did not reply, he went on. "Several of the humans have seen him in the daylight, and he has threatened violence to the Guards which were sent to correct him. Our intervention is required."
"I would like you to accompany us," Aro offered.
"Me?" I gasped.
"You?" the golden-haired woman gasped, turning to look up at Aro.
"I have not stretched my legs in nearly thirty years, Corin," Aro protested, looking like a child whose sweetmeat has been taken away. "And this mission is close by, and hardly a threat to my safety. And..." he glanced at me worriedly. "I think you had also better come, my dear, for Renata's sake."
"You have no need of me," I cried, backing away before I spilled Aro off the dais. A criminal! If these fearsome Guards were the orderly troops that supported Volturi rule, then what must a vampire criminal behave like!?
"Come now, dear one," Aro soothed. "Of course you will only be an observer. You are our guest, and I think it is fortunate you have the chance to see our benevolent justice in action."
"Consider it one of your lessons," Caius put in with rare enthusiasm. "That the Volturi, while ancient indeed, are keenly aware of every movement and aberration within the world we govern, and are swift to protect our subjects with all due force against those who cannot bring themselves to obey the Law. You may relay that to your idiosyncratic ghost of an uncle."
"Thank you, Caius," Aro said frostily.
The village was indeed nearby, only two hours' run. Many of the Guards seemed uneasy with Aro's presence; from their whispered conversation it sounded like his participation in these missions was rare indeed. I was relieved that the girl Jane had not come; I had only heard rumor of her fiery gaze and did not wish to see her in action. Her brother Alec was in attendance, though I still had not learned what his particular gift was. It must be something extraordinary, to warrant the induction of such a youth. Afton had not come, but Colette ran in silence beside me. On my other side ran Corin, now cloaked, keeping her empathic gift close as per Aro's orders.
"How have I never seen you before?" I asked her as we ran.
"I am rarely in the upper halls," she explained. "It is my duty to wait upon the Wives."
"Whose wives?"
She smiled. "Aro's and Caius'." I nearly stumbled in my surprise; I had been here for some weeks and had not even known that any of the Three were mated. Corin went on to explain in a whisper that Marcus, too, had once known happiness, but his queen had been tragically murdered. I thought perhaps that explained his miserable state; the poor man. The more secrets I learned about our world, the less eager I was to leave the safety of Volterra.
We smelled smoke just moments before halting, still well inside a copse of scattered, miniature forests that threaded through the moonlit fields. A rumbling growl sounded in Caius' chest when we inched forward and finally saw three cottages aflame. The two biggest Guards were sent out as scouts, to map the scent trails that zigzagged the fields behind the fires. Demetri went off in his own direction, following the nose of his own powerful gift. The rest of us waited silence. I felt a hopeful kinship with my new friend Corin, who now stood very close to Colette and I with something akin to human terror on her face. Apparently she also was unused to venturing outside the harbor of the church.
"West!" hissed one of the Guards, and we all moved in a silent mass. Caius sent the bulk of the Guards, along with Alec, further ahead to apprehend the villain. But all at once there was a wild cry off to our right, and a streak of color as a ragged vampire launched himself across the field, aiming straight for Aro.
I screamed and moved to cover my eyes. But there was no one close enough to fight off the madman, and I would not have time to throw myself in front of Aro, even if I had the courage. Corin was a useless statue beside me. The vampire drew near and opened his jaws; Aro crouched toward him in self-defense. He seemed so very small, compared to his attacker. Suddenly I did not fear for myself, but for Aro.
No! something shrieked inside me. I squeezed my eyes shut, recalling my hidden strength and casting my shield upon Aro like a net. The vampire threw himself into sudden reverse just inches away from his target, now running toward the Guards which had just seen our plight. He pulled up again, looking perplexed, but they were upon him. He was seized between Demetri and Iago, and driven to his knees.
"Death to the Volturi!" he roared, struggling against his captors. "Death and judgment!"
Caius strolled over, looking more at peace than I had yet seen him. A few of the Guards laughed as he was obliged to lean backwards away from the prisoner's snapping teeth. He twisted a grin and motioned Alec forward. The boy stared down at the wretched man, and a strange gray mist emanated from his boyish hands, but nothing seemed to be happening. The prisoner slowly quieted and stopped struggling.
"End him," Caius ordered, and Demetri and Iago began to dismantle the vampire. He seemed accepting of his fate; he did not even cry out as they tore him apart.
"There, you see?" Aro said in my ear. "Alec enables us to exact justice with great mercy; the poor wretch has felt no pain. It is over."
But it was not quite over. Alec walked away from the mangled heap of torn limbs, under which the head was wedged like tinder. I realized with horror that the man was still alive; his eyes rolled in shock and his lips were just beginning to move again. I don't understand, I thought he was trying to say, but there was no sound. You promised... I don't...
The flames took him. The face contorted in silent agony once more, and then was obscured in the fire. Now it was over. My stillness deteriorated into a violent trembling and my shield burst out into its preferred shape. Aro had already moved away and did not notice. Most of the Guards were occupied with the villagers that had been drawn to the fire, and now stood gaping at us in dumb terror. I realized they had seen the whole thing, and knew what must befall them. At least it was a small village, no more than twelve families. I turned away, refusing the human that was offered to me. Aro sighed and drank it himself. He watched me closely as he fed.
"It was... so horrible." I finally got the words out.
"It was necessary," Aro announced, tossing away the empty human. "And you, Renata, also did what was necessary. I am so very grateful to you, dear girl, and so very pleased! I knew you had it in you!" His smile was blinding. There was a new glint in his eye which unnerved me, yet also filled me with an inexplicable pleasure. I turned and saw the big, hulking Guards looking at me with awe. I had done what they could not. It made me feel... worthy. Powerful. It was such a warm feeling, to know that I had protected the most important vampire in the world!
"Well done," Caius told me with an uncharacteristic smile. His words were loud enough for all the Guards to hear. "You have done our world a great service tonight, Renata."
"Isn't she wonderful?" Aro agreed, still staring at me with his unnerving grin.
"Of course," Caius added icily, turning to his royal brother, "it would not have been necessary if you had stayed at home. Your presence was not required."
"I get out so rarely, brother," Aro pouted. "I do not see why I should always sit beneath the church."
"Perhaps because whenever you leave it people try to assassinate you," Caius shot back. Aro sighed in defeat, sharing a mournful glance with me.
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The equinox came and passed.
"He is a week overdue," I fretted, staring out my window and fingering my rosary.
"I am sure he will come soon," Aro soothed. "Luca has always been an adventurer, after all; perhaps something has caught his interest along the way. Surely you do not begrudge your uncle a leisurely journey?" He sighed, moving to the window and resting his fingers upon its sill. "Such a wide world," he said with longing. "I confess there are days when I tire of my earthen castle and its dusty halls. To be free! But I suppose that is why I must serve, so that Luca and so many others like him may roam free, unencumbered and unafraid. We all have our roles."
"But what if something has happened to him?!"
"Now, I am sure he is well. Come, dear one, let us take every advantage of his delay."
I continued my practice. It was almost easy now for me to give Aro my hand, and I could touch Corin as well, though I still found it difficult to fully unshield myself for anyone else. I finally gathered my courage and asked Afton in private one day if he would practice with me again.
"I will not," he said dully, and moved away. But later that evening he found me and agreed to help after all. It was not like before, but he was as kind as ever. As before, I made my best progress with his help and when I was alone. Uncle came before the next week was gone.
"Renata!" he called happily, entering the audience chamber. I stood beside Aro, barely restraining myself from launching off the dais into his arms. He froze in his steps, looking up at me in shock when he saw how near I stood to the throne. "How...?"
"Uncle!" I finally cried, and stepped down. His eyes widened even further as I approached him. It was so easy to move my shield aside; how many times had I wished for this moment? I laughed in delight at his bewilderment, and reached out for him. He stretched out his own hands haltingly, looking as though he was afraid I might hurt him. Instead, I gently laid my hands in his. A little noise of happiness sounded in his throat. I wrapped my shield around us both and flung myself into his arms, standing on my tiptoes and planting a kiss on his cheek. His strong arms held me as though he would never let me go.
"I love you, Uncle," I mumbled into his shoulder, and squeezed harder. The sweet comfort of his scent made all the exhaustion and anxiety of the past weeks feel like a distant memory. I was home.
"But how? How is this possible?" he asked when we finally parted.
"Aro has taught me how to wield my gift," I said happily, turning to acknowledge the Three on their thrones.
"I am grateful," Uncle said, drawing near and kneeling before them. Aro took his hand.
"She is such a charming girl," he told Uncle. "And her time with us has been most productive. I will miss her!"
"I have so much to tell you," I said, squeezing his other hand. I did not want to let go.
"I cannot wait to hear every word," he replied happily, standing again. "And I have something to show you, as well. I have discovered the most fascinating ruin-"
"You must excuse us," Aro interrupted, rising gracefully. "My brothers and I have matters of state to attend to. Luca, you must spend the day with us here in the church. The sun will be very bright today."
"Of course, my lord."
"Renata, you may take your creator to the courtyard if you wish, so that you may continue your private reunion... I am sure you will remember to be careful of the shadows."
Uncle was delighted with the careful arrangement of trees within the courtyard. He hungrily watched one of the monks who was working in the herb garden, but he already knew the rule. Colette had also chosen to take the fresh air, settling in another part of the courtyard with her paints.
"I am sorry for my delay," Uncle told me. "There were some bandits who had robbed the family shortly before I arrived on the equinox. Your brother was quite upset about an heirloom which had been taken, and it took me some time to track the brutes."
"Was anyone hurt?"
"No, everyone is well. And I have wonderful news- we will soon have another baby niece or nephew!"
I joyfully took in every scrap of the family gossip. As Uncle chattered on, I smiled to see his devotion and tenderness- I had missed it so. These weeks apart had made it all feel so far away. Even now, I felt a numbing separation between myself and the life I had lived before this. I had learned so much in such a short time... come so far. When Uncle asked after my time in Volterra, I eagerly told him about my training and about the night I had shielded Aro from the assassin. But even as I spoke and he nodded with interest, I felt that I was somehow hovering above the conversation; that a nomad like Uncle could not comprehend the importance of what I had done that night.
We all have our roles, Aro had said. In the recesses of my clouded human memory, I thought I remembered my mother saying something similar. What was my role in this wide world? What would have happened if I had not been there to shield Aro? A great fear and sadness tore at my heart at the thought of his death, this great lord who ruled our kind with such wisdom and justice... who had showed me such kindness. And though the Three ruled as equals, Marcus was so indifferent, even concerning his royal duties; I was sure it would be Caius who would assume the leadership of our race, in such an event. I did not think nomads like my uncle would be this carefree if his iron fist were to grasp the scepter of the Law without Aro to temper him.
Uncle had found his role, and was happy in it. He had guarded the family long before my own existence, and I had enjoyed guarding them alongside him. But I was not really needed there, nor was my gift. The greatest enemy that would likely ever assail our family was the human sort, easily dealt with by a single ungifted vampire. The truth was that I had a great power; Aro had said so many times during my visit.
I was distracted from my thoughts when Colette rose from her bench and collected her paints, heading inside the church. I had not realized the sunlight was nearly spent. I smiled after her. We were not friends, but in the days since I had shielded Aro she had been more generous toward me. I still could not even guess at her great age, nor had I learned why she was so elevated above the other Guards. Her cloak was as black as those of the Three, the mark of her nearness to royalty. She was so content in her role, whatever it was.
I had been surprised to meet so many female Guards here in Volterra. Colette had her ancient connection to the Three, the girl Jane had her place of honor beside her twin, and Corin employed her empathic gift in her illustrious position of guarding the Wives. She was also ancient, and had told me stories of other women who had served the Volturi in ages past, or filled meaningful roles elsewhere in our world, with or without supernatural talents. I was still used to living in a world in which the men had the roles, and their women supported them. It was deeply invigorating to be valued for a talent that I myself possessed, even if the prospect of using it was frightening. But then, I had already done so once.
I breathed deeply of the spring scents, letting Uncle's chatter fade into the back of my mind as the day faded into twilight. I, too, felt a peace here within these walls. I felt it today more than ever, perhaps because it was time to leave.
What if I were to stay?
I still had so much more to learn. And there was Aro's reluctant exile here in Tuscany; no matter how many enormous bodyguards he surrounded himself with, there would always be grave danger whenever he ventured out into the world. I had the means with which to repay his kindness, even if I was not quite ready to commit myself for eternity. And I would still be able to follow the doings of my family in the meantime; Uncle was already in the habit of visiting Volterra now and then, after all.
Dear Uncle Luca. I sat with my hands folded in my lap and watched him lovingly, listening as he went on about the ruins he had found in my absence. Might he be happier, if he were to be freed of his obligation to me? He already felt more obligation than many in our world, limiting his travels so that he could return to Malta twice a year. It was not right that he should also be forever slowed by his timid niece, when she had been offered a home and a fruitful life here in Volterra. And perhaps in this way I could repay his kindness to me as well, even as I repaid Aro's. Uncle had always been vulnerable to the Volturi's displeasure because of his affiliations in Malta; in this world where creators were held so responsible, it could only be to his credit if I made my home here. It might even be said that he was giving me into the Volturi's service, as a sign of his fealty. I stirred, realizing he was waiting for me to give some answer.
"I am sorry, Uncle, what did you say?"
He smiled sadly. "I said, you seem very happy here."
Was I happy? I returned his smile, willing it to be true.
"You will not be coming with me, will you?"
"Not at present. I think I have a great deal more to learn here, and I wish to repay Aro for his kindness to me. But for him I should not be able to do this." I laid a tender kiss upon the white fur at his temple, rising to stand. "You will come visit me, won't you, Uncle?"
"Of course, my girl. And I shall leave much of my heart with you here."
He rose as well, stiffly as befitted his human age. I wanted to hold him fast, but his easy acceptance told me what I needed to know; our parting was a sadness, but we should both welcome it. He looked so very tired as he walked down the mountainside. So old. I watched him go with a painful heart, finally understanding that I was now sundered from my human family as well.
Farewell, Uncle Luca, and thank you. Go with God.
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I was heartily welcomed into the Guard. I smiled with false courage at all the formidable vampires who stood in respectful attendance as I was robed in my cloak. Many of their stares had lately turned into something hungrier once they saw that I had learned to unshield myself. But I had my gift, and every day felt stronger in its use. Perhaps someday I would truly own the courage that I had felt in the moment I had shielded Aro from the assassin. If I did not yet possess that assurance, at least I felt worthy in my master's favor.
Once the ceremony was done, I passed the rest of the day alone in my room. I stood and gazed out the window, sending prayers after my Uncle, wherever he had gone. I would spend as many hours as I could here at my window, for I knew that we would soon move to the new castle when its construction was complete, and our quarters would be beneath the city.
When the night came I slipped my rosary off and gave it a final kiss; we were not permitted to wear personal jewelry. I wrapped it in silk and laid it to rest in the bureau that had been assigned to me. I stood for a time with my hands on the drawer, wondering if I had made the right choice. At last I turned and made my way down to the audience chamber. A diplomat from the Nigerian Coven was due to visit sometime during the night, and I had been asked to keep Aro safe within my shield. It would be my first official duty as his personal bodyguard.
"Ah," Aro sighed with pleasure as I entered the hall, "here is my faithful shadow! Over here, Renata."
After giving a solemn curtsy and my thoughts, I took my place- in the shadows indeed- behind his throne. My master was safe now and I had found my true home; I could let the rest of the world fall away. I drew a deep breath and slowly let it out, hoping my fears would soon fall away as well.
If you enjoyed Renata's story, I recommend also checking out Fire and Dark by staringatthesky, which is Jane's bittersweet journey to Volterra, and her AU Twilight, The Beginning of Always. Both are wonderful little stories in a medieval setting and gave me some inspiration for this one.
Up next here in the outtakes... it's time to check back in with Edward again! It's hard to believe I haven't written anything new in his POV in more than a year and a half... I miss my angsty vampire baby! The outtake will be set around 1970, when it's finally time for Edward Masen to "die". That's as good a reason as any for a midlife crisis if you ask me ;) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed Renata's mini-story. Now that we're meeting more of the Guards in SST, it's making me want to go back in time again and flesh out some of their stories a little more. I also have a Chelsea/Afton one-shot in the works because a reader requested it, and I absolutely love Fire and Dark for Jane's background, but other than that is there a certain Guard you guys would like to see here?
Thanks for reading, everyone! :)