Newborns

"Brothers," Aro greeted his co masters as he took his throne.

"You took your time!" Caius whispered, clearly annoyed he'd been kept waiting.

"Well I had to settle my sister into MY quarters, apparently Belle has been dispatched," Aro replied easily. "Anything you would like to tell me?"

"I'd grown tired of her following me around Aro, she had no special gift to make her worthy of the trouble of keeping her, so I did myself a favour. I am sure you understand." Caius breezed through his reply, believing that would be the end of it.

Of course Aro had a rebuttal. "I heard your dear wife was pissed off that you were fucking Belle too often and told you to end her… I always thought you were the man of your house, brother."

Caius bubbled up, a mixture of rage and shame - a deadly combination in Caius' hands. Aro was pleased by his brother in arms reaction.

"Shall we proceed, brothers?" Marcus interjected.

The bond between Aro and Caius was breaking down by the day and had been since Carlisle's arrival. Aro kept on well enough terms with his co-master to run the coven, but Aro was spending less time with Caius in favour of spending that time with his wife and high guard and the snippy comments between the two were driving Marcus around the bend.

"So what do we need to deal with here?" Aro asked generally. "I assume there is a reason we are delaying turning the next batch of newborns?"

Caius ignored him so Marcus took over, he was tiring of his bickering coven mates already and wanted to move things along. "This is Peter, Aro. He has been brought back by one if our scouting parties who accuse him of exposing himself to the humans. Apparently he was living freely with them, and they know what he is." Marcus finished his summary of the captive's situation.

"Who led the party?" Aro called out, Antonio stepped forward. It would be you! Aro said to himself. He had little time for Caius' favourite guard.

Aro beckoned Antonio to approach him. Antonio walked up the steps to the throne platform and offered the master his hand. Aro took it and read through the events of Peters capture. He saw Antonio instruct his party to kill, and feed, from every human in the vicinity. They must have finished off thirty humans between the five of them in the scouting party.

"Your pet is a little greedy brother," Aro said slyly to Caius, who sighed in return, "Just get on with it Aro!"

Aro released Antonio's hand and waved Felix forward.

"Master?" he asked quizzically.

"Hold him."

Felix flashed to Peter's side on Aro's order and gripped the young man tightly. He was skinny for a vampire; he must have been nearly dead when he was turned. Peter had clearly been badly beaten by Antonio's crew and judging by the barely healed tares around his neck, they had fed from him, too. Aro approached the doomed vampire who seemed resigned to his fate. Checking quickly through the man's thoughts for any useful information, Aro found that Peter was a nomadic vampire who knew nothing of the Volturi or their laws - not that ignorance would be a get out clause for Aro. A gift or extra ability was, though.

"Eleazar, would he be useful?" Aro called over his shoulder to his brother.

"No brother, I sense nothing of use, put him out of his misery."

The vampire didn't even look up as Aro gripped his head at either side. Checking Felix was okay to keep him still, Aro ripped the nomad's head clean off his shoulders and carried it over to Antonio. "Here, dispose of the body, too." Aro thrust the head into Antonio's hands with a little more force than necessary before turning and walking away.

"I'm going to vet the humans, I want to show Carlisle how we do things here, are you coming?" Caius looked up at Aro as he stood over him extending a hand to help him up.

"There are a few feisty ones down there," Caius took the extended hand and stood to face his coven mate. "You may want to keep Demetri on a short leash for a while, I know you struggle controlling that boy."

Aro clapped Caius on the shoulder, "It's taken care of already, brother." Aro smiled as he spoke but he was pissed off with Caius for saying he couldn't handle his guard.

Aro walked ahead of Caius and Marcus with Felix joining him at his side. Caius seethed having Aro's pet walking in front of him. Insolent whelp. What is Aro's fascination with him? I suppose Aro has always liked the obscure. Felix and that other brat Demetri must be holding something over Aro though; he's changing, he's letting them get away with murder. Well not quite murder, but the constant insolence is becoming a bore and I just can't see why Aro of all people is putting up with it! Caius continued to seethe, convincing himself that Felix and Demetri were blackmailing Aro for their special treatment and wondering if he should intervene on his co master's behalf.

Aro put his arm across Felix' back, resting his hand gently on Felix' exposed neck. "You think, I'll listen, okay?"

'Yes sir', Felix thought in reply. 'I am sorry I spoke to you as I did, I shouldn't have cursed at you. I was frustrated, that's all, I'm sorry'. Felix was worried Aro would take up his punishment when they returned to their quarters knowing Aro so rarely let anything go.

"Forget about it. You were right," Aro replied, he was being as guarded as possible with his comments knowing Marcus and Caius were close behind them and his brothers lagging at the back of the convoy moving through the castle.

'Why did you want me to come with you?' Felix asked.

"Why do you think?"

'Because you couldn't trust me in our quarters without you?' Felix postured, hoping he was wrong!

"Yes, too volatile."

Felix nodded to Aro, he understood. Aro couldn't leave him in his quarters with his wife and sister because he didn't trust him not to fuck up without being there to intercede if needed. Aro heard the boy berating himself and shook him gently from his thoughts.

"I trust you," Aro stated. "Marcus," he called over his shoulder to his brother in law. "Felix will be guarding Didyme in the future, if that pleases you, brother?"

Marcus smiled back to the pair ahead. "I would appreciate that Felix, thank you. So long as you can spare him Aro?"

Aro bowed his head slightly and replied with a coy smile, "If it keeps my sister from my quarters, I can spare him!" They shared a short laugh between them as they continued through the halls and down to the dungeons.

"Where are the humans Caius?" Aro looked into the empty newborn cells that lined the left side of the large dungeon floor of the castle.

There were over fifty individual cells, though Caius liked to keep a few spare in case of emergency. The right side of the dungeon was barred off to create a large newborn hall - much like the guard hall directly above - where the older newborns would be held once they passed out of the unpredictable early stage. Cells made them sound so prison like, they were cells in the sense that they were solid holding rooms with metal barred doors to contain newborns when they couldn't be supervised. But they were comfortable with lounger beds in each, and room to move around. As far as Aro could see, the whole place was empty.

Caius smiled evilly as he passed Aro and his brothers, and that wretched whelp Felix towards his own private area off the dungeon; a sealed room where he would torture vampires for their secrets before dispatching them. Any treacherous members of the Volturi coven could be sure they'd meet their end in Caius room of pain. Aro pulled Felix back, slamming him against the bars of the newborn quarters and blocking his view. He'd been much more forceful than intended. Felix hissed as the bars dug into his back.

"What did I do now?" he asked, exasperated by Aro's mood swings.

"Nothing, just shut up," Aro whispered to his boy quickly. "I don't want you seeing in there."

Felix huffed in annoyance. He had never seen in the inside of Caius' room and he hated being left out of such things - especially because he knew Aro kept him from joining in because he deemed him too young. Felix and Demetri were popular amongst the guards, but in the general good natured ribbing that went on amongst them, the two of them being much younger than the rest of the guards, and therefore excluded from some guard activities, was a constant theme. And it pissed Felix off.

"Are these cells really strong enough to hold a newborn, Aro?" Carlisle asked as he inspected the bars. Some looked more worn than others, a little bent out of shape and dented, but they did look solid.

"We've only had one break out in the entire time we have held permanent residence in this castle, Carlisle, that I know of anyway." Eleazar said, looking directly at Felix.

"YOU!" Carlisle accused the boy in genuine surprise.

"I was a little rough and ready as a newborn," Felix replied with a coy smile.

"Rough and ready! I nearly put you down myself!" Aro said as he laughed lightly at the boy's embarrassed squirming.

"There's still time Aro," Caius joined in as a trail of terrified humans followed him into the gloomy open dungeons. "You have allowed his insolence since the very beginning!" he added as he joined Marcus' side.

Felix ducked behind Aro slightly, he wasn't scared of Caius, but knowing Aro would protect him against the evil master made him feel more secure.

"Now, now, Caius, Aro took Felix off your hands and into his own quarters so he was no bother to you," Marcus intervened before an argument could ensue. He hadn't, however, anticipated Carlisle arguing back.

"Felix was strong enough to break out of these cells and you took him into your quarters with your wife?" Carlisle asked, thinking the whole thing was bloody ludicrous, and down right unfair that he was deemed too volatile for the same privilege.

"Brother, please, we will discuss this later if we must but now is not the time," Eleazar told him quietly. "Besides, you want to try feeding without killing, you won't get this chance again for many months, at least."

Carlisle grudgingly nodded, accepting his conversation would have to wait, but he promised himself he'd be having it out with Aro.

Eleazar left Carlisle and made his way through the frightened humans, trying to put them at ease as he fished through for any possible abilities. "Some of these are very young Aro." Eleazar looked over to his brother, they weren't too young, legally speaking, but it would be more teens in the Volturi coven.

"Carlisle wanted to practice, he can have the young ones, we have enough teenagers here as it is, this floor is the coven dungeons not a damn play pen!" Caius stated.

Carlisle gulped. Could I really feed from children, even older ones? He didn't think so.

"Will any of them be useful El?" Aro asked, meaning the young ones he'd already spoken of.

"No brother," Eleazar replied.

"Do either of you want to raise them?" Aro asked his brothers in arms, knowing Caius' answer before he'd even finished speaking.

"I prefer to live a little freer than you Aro," Marcus replied. "I wouldn't want to devote the time so it wouldn't be fair to them or the coven."

Caius laughed as he shook his head, "I've seen what your pet brats put you through, brother. They wouldn't have lasted a week living with me!"

Aro smiled. Just as I thought. "Okay, put the young ones in here," he said as he opened the door to the large newborn quarters. The humans made some fuss being divided up - they must have thought there was some safety in numbers, bless them. "What about the rest of them El, anything useful at all?" Aro continued with selecting potential guard members, searching through the humans with his brother.

"This one is very fast," Eleazar said as he pulled a lean looking, early twentyish guy from the human huddle.

Marcus took the man and put him in the first cell as Caius recorded his details.

They went on like that, pulling out the 'special' humans until they had ten for turning - that was enough to deal with at one time. Four young ones were held in the larger quarters and the remaining six remained huddled together.

"This one too, Caius," Eleazar pulled forward a raven haired woman, close to his own age, she looked Spanish too.

"We have enough El. I only deal with ten at a time, more than that is problematic," Caius replied, rolling his scroll as he did so.

"I'll take her, then," Eleazar replied as he pulled the frightened woman from the pack.

"Wonders will never cease! Are you actually picking a mate brother?" Aro was astonished, for centuries he'd been picking out women for his brother but none had provoked more than a passing sexual interest in the man.

"As you wish." Caius returned - as long as he wasn't expected to deal with her Eleazar could do as he liked for all he cared. "Turn her now El and leave her in a cell until she wakes, she will be easier to move when she's had her first feed."

Eleazar nodded to Aro and easily picked up the woman and carried her to the open cell. Her arms and legs flailed about, putting up a good, but entirely fruitless fight.

"Are you sure about this Eleazar, she looks pretty feisty!" Caius laughed as Eleazar passed him with his new mate-to-be.

"Just lock us in Caius, I'll call when I'm ready to leave."

"Let's get things moving, bring the rest of the humans into the newborn quarters Felix. Carlisle, after you." Aro opened the door to the quarters and led his brother in, closing the door behind Felix as he shuffled the remaining humans in with him. "Caius, how many do you want saving for feeding your newborns?" Aro asked before he let Carlisle loose on them.

"Five will be enough, and a small one for Eleazar's little friend!" Caius called over as he disappeared into a newborn cell to start the process of turning humans into vampires. Marcus did the same with the next cell. A small 'shut the fuck up, Caius' came from Eleazar's cell, though truthfully he knew he was going to be mocked for this for a while.

Aro walked towards the humans - they took a step back with every one he took forward until they had nowhere left to retreat to. They all looked scared to death, but there was one Aro had his eye on for this task from the start. He easily moved the humans apart to access the smallest of them. Ignoring their pleas to leave the child be Aro dragged the girl, not much older that Demetri, back to Carlisle.

His brother looked just as horrified as the humans he'd left behind. "Aro, no, no, I can't, she's just a child, I can't do this. Aro please."

Aro sat down next to Carlisle and pulled the child close. "Brother, calm yourself, you aren't going to kill her, we are just going to feed, that is all." Aro spoke so softly that the human girl couldn't hear him - to her ears it sounded as though Aro was humming a peaceful tune. Next, Aro set to soothing his brothers fraying nerves. "Listen Carlisle, you will be less likely to want to kill this one than you would the others precisely because you don't want to hurt her. Honestly, this is the best one to try with. You need to trust me Carlisle."

Turning his attention to the girl standing, shaking before them Aro spoke calmly to her, "Calm, my dear." He sounded calm, but his sickly sweet tone dripped with hidden danger. "Are you scared, my love? You should not fear me, I am here to save you, yes, yes, that's right, come, take my hand, sit with me."

She was a fragile young thing, dressed in rags and without shoes; she looked a little simple too. Aro listened intently to the girl's heartbeat; first fast with fear, now slowing as he put her at ease. Aro flashed his sparkling fangs as he pulled his meal into his lap, he was awarded with palpitations from the girl. "I am going to save you from your retched life, sweet thing. But I need something from you first."

Aro took the girls wrist and allowed venom to pool in his mouth. Bringing the girls wrist to his lips he dripped his anesthetizing venom where he planned to bite and then sank his fangs into that exact spot. She felt no pain, Aro fed so lightly that it was as though he were only kissing her hand. When he'd had enough he pulled away and she looked more confused than upset. The venom healed the holes from his fangs as quickly as his teeth had made them. Aro showed Carlisle the sealed holes where only the faintest silver circles remained.

"That is amazing Aro!" Carlisle took the girls wrist and inspected his brother's work. The girl gasped in pain as Carlisle manipulated the fragile human with his vampire strength. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Carlisle said as he dropped the girls hand in horror at having hurt her.

"Brother, you haven't had much experience with humans yet, use your very lightest of touches. Venom first, then bite, then STOP. Understood?" Aro told his brother firmly, but kindly.

Carlisle shook his head, "I can't do this Aro, I will kill her!" The girl, who was becoming frantic with Carlisle's words and desperately tried to find a way out of Aro's grasp.

"Brother, get a grip. If you don't learn how to do this you will always KILL your hosts. Venom first, then bite, then STOP. Got it?"

Nodding wearily, Carlisle realized he didn't really have a choice.

Carlisle took the girls hand again. With one arm wrapped around her waist and another holding her arm, Aro encouraged his brother again. "Venom."

Carlisle allowed it to pool in his mouth and nodded he was ready. Copying Aro, he dripped a little on to the girl's wrist, Carlisle hadn't the centuries of experience Aro had and dripped a little too much, he flooded her hand! "Shit!" he cursed as he realized what he'd done.

"It doesn't matter Carlisle she's numb, that's the idea. Now bite," Aro instructed.

Carlisle bit into the fragile human. To his relief, she didn't make a sound or pull away and soon the sweet blood flowed into his waiting mouth. Oh God, it's so good! I hate that I like this, but God I love it, it's so good. Carlisle's thoughts were interrupted with his brother voice, telling him to stop, 'that's enough, stop or kill her'. Kill her? I don't want to kill her! Stop, for God sake stop! His thoughts were willing him to end this feed but his body seemed detached from his mind and carried on without him. Aro had hold of his brothers head, one hand fixed on pulling his jaw down, the other pulling up by his forehead. That was enough, Carlisle could feel it and willed his brother to carry on and stop him. Eventually, his body gave up its fight against his own psyche and stopped feeding.

Coming around from his blood meal, Carlisle looked at the girl lying lifeless on the floor. "Oh no, did I kill her? I killed her didn't I?! I told you I couldn't do it!" A

ro leaned over the girl. "She's alive brother, calm yourself, must you always be so dramatic?"

The girl rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. "Did I please you my lords?" The poor thing was confused to hell, she had no idea what was going on.

"You did very well my dear. But you must rest now." Aro picked up the girl - she wasn't too much bigger than Jane - and placed her on the large plush lounger to the side wall.

"What happened?" Carlisle fretted, "I wanted to stop, but my body wouldn't do as it was being told. How can that happen?"

Aro laughed lightly as he went to fetch another human. "Felix you don't have to scare them!"

"Huh?" the bruin replied. "I'm not doing anything?"

Aro forced his boy into a chair. "You are huge, and standing over them. Sit down and relax a little."

Felix watched his master choose the next host. "Can I have one, Aro?" he asked quietly.

Aro thought about it. There are four spare, Carlisle won't want them all anyway. "You can come and have some of this one," Aro said as he pulled the largest of the young ones out.

A boy, about 15 years old. He looked half-starved but put up a good fight. Aro wasn't in the mood for dealing with moody teens and hit him just hard enough on the top of his head to daze him.

"Come on then," he called to Felix as he walked off.

Felix tutted, annoyed. "For fuck sake, there are loads of them!" The boy replied obnoxiously. "I don't want to share - I want my own!"

Aro stopped dead in his tracks, looking through the bars to the open space between the cells and the newborn hall Aro caught Caius raise an eyebrow to Felix' back chat.

"Carlisle, fetch this," Aro said as he threw the human, skidding across the floor.

Carlisle jumped to his feet to bring the boy back to his side of the newborn hall. The lad was out cold now.

Aro stalked back to Felix and placed a hand on either side of the chair the boy sat in. Felix was pinned in, and he didn't like it. Aro bent down very close to his boy's ear and spoke in the most menacing of whispers Felix had ever heard.

"We are in the dungeons. Caius and Marcus are across the open hall, along with a new batch of newborns and here a bunch of humans, and you dare to talk back to me! Outside of our quarters I am 'master', not fucking 'Aro', and you are obedient not fucking back chatting me!" Aro grabbed his boy by the throat and squeezed. "Nod if you understand!"

Felix nodded frantically, he knew he'd fucked up as soon as he saw Aro's face turning back to him. "I'm sorry…" Felix tried to apologize as soon as Aro released his throat but his master cut him off. "You will be!"

Slinking back into his chair as Aro walked away, Felix didn't feel like feeding anymore anyway.

"Caius!" Eleazar called from his cell. "You can let me out now, I'm going to take her back to my quarters."

Caius strolled over to Eleazar. "Are you sure you don't want to feed her first? It's messy you know the first few times. Your chambers will be destroyed!"

Eleazar smiled. "I will bring her back down when she wakes. Save her a one," he said as he hoisted the woman over his shoulder, still kicking and flailing, but now from the pains of the transformation. "Aro can I leave Carlisle with you?" he called to his brother, who was just leaving a scared Felix in his wake. What the hell has happened now? he wondered seeing Felix trying to hide in his seat, but decided against questioning either of them for the time being.

"Of course, brother, enjoy!" Aro replied with a knowing wink.

"Fuck off, little brother!" Eleazar retorted in good humour as he made for the stairs and left the dungeons.