Ayo Ladies and Gentlemen! I am back with another long long chapter.
I spent the whole day writing this so I'll keep this short.
Reviewers:
Ravennalorren - THANK YOU SO MUCH for all those cute comments on Touch in the World, hope to see more of you love!
tinkertot95 - Thank you loads! And I hope to match up to your expectations!
lolliexbee - Well, you asked for it. Can't wait to see what you think of the 'trouble' hehe.
Kat Smith - Don't worry about it, boobear. We're not going anywhere. Saccharine can be meaning sweet, overly sweet, like Aro usually is. Yes, he's creepy...but if he wasn't, there won't be a point to him I guess. Oooh...Jane and Alec (no spoilers, sorry!) OMG many hugs and pets from me to Bullet and Silver. Also, Dude, I'm going to fangirl here for a bit about BTS but DUDE their album is going to kill me. Oh and I am writing so many BTS fics it's killing me, send help. After this chapter, I'm going to make Jin suffer (lol) Also can you imagine Bullet and Silver playing with Tannie because that would be so CUTE! Love you too!
zaneri0t - OMG that's so sweet! Thank you! I hope I keep it up too!
GraceEllingson - I know, I'm sorry, the last update of Shadows Over the Edge when I announced the sequel kept glitching :( but I;m glad you're here now! :)
M - Your worry is legit, my friend. *rubs hands*
Lastly to the Guest who left this comment in Touch in the Worlds:
why would you name the character Tulika and make her bells sister? In what world would Charlie and Renee go from Isabella to Tulika?
Well, Guest, since you are the first comment of this sort to come into my reviews, I'll address this.
A) The name of the character I insert into a self-insert story is completely based on my choices. I could've named her Chinchilla and it would still be on me. Why can't she be named Tulika and be Bella's sister? You realise how ridiculous that sounds right? Because Bella named her own daughter Renesmee, is that a conforming name at all? No. It's an amalgamation which she wanted just like I wanted. And Tulika is still a hell of a lot better name than that put together, if I do say so myself. You sound lightly racist.
B) Also, the fact that you clearly posted this before you read the chapter because I said in the FIRST chapter that she is a FRIEND living with Bella who moved with her to Forks. Not Sister, a Friend. You would've known that if you'd even read the First Chapter. Since you obviously haven't, I will assume you're making dumb comments and I would rather not see those among the amazing reviews that I usually get.
Thank you but no Thanks.
If you do continue the series, please enjoy (though I doubt it). Have a nice day.
The very next day, Aro declared that we would be staying at Voltaire for a few days in his court.
Most of them didn't seem to care, looking disinterested and nonchalant as they lazily bowed to their Master before scurrying off to whatever part of the castle they were supposed to be at.
The people who didn't seem to be nonchalant were the Cullens.
Edward's eyes were furious, worried and even Alice glared at me as I stood uncomfortably next to Aro as he beamed, giggled and told his vampires to take good care of us.
Aro turned to me with his smile still fixed on his face.
"I wonder if you would agree to some lessons with us, my dear. Seeing as you are going to be with us a while and around vampires for a very long time we might as well inculcate you fully."
I hesitated, glancing once at Edward who must have heard him. His nostrils were visibly flared, eyebrows furrowed.
What if I said no? It would seem like a huge disrespect. Besides, the more amiable I remained with them, the less trouble the Cullens would have.
Edward's eyes shifted to me as he read these thoughts, and very imperceptibly he shook his head. I sighed. Of course he'd say no. Why was I even trying to reason with him? Instead of stretching the issue, I turned to Aro.
"Yes, I agree. You're right." I said.
"What are you doing?" Edward snarled first thing as he entered my room.
As per Aro's orders, we had been given a whole hallway to us, with all of us in different rooms. I could tell it bugged Edward since he wanted to keep an eye on me at all times but well…that definitely wasn't going to happen anymore with what my time here now going to be spent in learning vampire culture.
I looked up at him, startled.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I should agree with him to keep them safe. What kind of absurd idea is that? Aro is not going to turn on us just because you refuse to stick around, Tulika. Why do you even want to?"
"I don't know. You can't be sure that he," I lowered my volume. You can't be sure that he won't get antsy if he's refused anything. How many times have you said no to him? I sent him mentally as his jaw clenched.
"That's not the point. I'm just saying that you don't have to stay here and be pawn for him. We can go home."
"So, you admit it that he wants me here as a pawn?"
"No, God, Tulika, you're complicating this."
"Fine; I'll uncomplicated it then. Did you maybe consider the possibility that I want to stay?"
He opened his mouth to speak before closing it, looking strained. "Why would you want to stay? I thought you hated these people."
"Well, you're the one who wants me to give them a chance. That's what I'm doing and if I get to learn things all the more better."
"Why do you have to learn anything?"
"To figure out why I am here!" I hissed.
He stopped, frowning at me quizzically.
"Come on Edward, Stephen and I weren't sent here to play house with you and Bella. We were supposed to do something and we didn't which is why that psycho sent James after us in the first place! If I can figure this out, Stephen and I can finally breathe and stop looking over our shoulders. Why can't you see that, since you're so smart?"
He glared at me for a split second just as a knock sounded at the door.
He whirled around, his stance already guarded as a girl peeked in, distinctly human.
"Um, Master Aro asked me to take you to Master Marcus. If you would, please, Miss, follow me," she said, her voice small as she glanced nervously at Edward.
"Of course," I said courteously, trying to keep the waver out of my voice as I brushed past Edward and left with the girl, not turning to look back at him.
The girl led me back up the stairs, over the throne room, pausing to shoot a smile at Gina.
Gina smiled at me too, her small teeth sparkling in the chandelier lights and I returned it a little hesitantly as I walked behind the girl up a winding staircase.
"Master Marcus wants to discuss History with you, Miss. He may seem a little…brooding, but please be patient with him." She said, stopping in front of a large mahogany door.
I almost snorted. A vampire that I needed to be patient with sounded unlikely and hilarious. Ok, maybe not, I did need a lot of patient for dealing with Edward sometimes…and something told me that I would need dollops of it during my stay here.
"Come in," a low voice called from behind the door and the girl opened it, bowing.
"Miss Tulika for you, Master,"
"Ah, yes, thank you Amie,"
Marcus was wearing freaking robes, was the first thing I noticed as I entered. Who even wore robes? Oh wait; he's a centuries old vampire.
The desk he was sitting at had to be an ages old antique yet it looked as timeless as the man sitting at it.
He didn't smile, didn't brush back the mane of black hair that framed his melancholy face. "Have a seat Tulika; I must say I am glad that you took the initiative of becoming more familiar with our culture." He said slowly.
"Aro and I think it will be easier in finding out what that woman wants." I muttered.
"Yes, he said so…"
"Do you believe him?" I asked.
Marcus gave a brittle smile. "It's not my place to believe or disbelieve his intentions, Miss Tulika. As far as I remember, he has never been malevolent with his work before."
He stood up, walking around the table to stand at the window.
"We vampires were created out of an ancient blood disease. The ancient healers weren't…as proficient as Doctors are now, so they mixed herbs upon herbs that instead of curing the disease itself helped it…mutate, if you will, with the human body. The chronicles of the first Vampire comes from the time of Egyptians, when they were probably inculcated into the royal guards and into the building of the ingenious sculptures they are so famous for."
He stuck out a hand, letting sunlight glint off his skin.
"We did not go un-feared, though. We weren't indestructible, so extremists struck at night, destroying us to within an inch of our first existence. We had no choice but to flee. We scattered, to Rome, the New Lands, France, Italia, India, China, wherever we could find half way solace…and we started to create more of our kind."
"That sounds a little…wrong." I mumbled.
"Does it…? According to you, there is an entire world with not one of us present. In ours, we were hounded to just a few numbers. In your world, why is reproduction such a popular concept among mortals?"
I pursed my lips.
"Creation was our indirect way of protection. Numbers surrounding us helped us stay alive…it has given you your Edward." He gave me one small smile before turning back again.
"Is that it?" I asked.
Marcus looked surprised.
"I wonder if you would be sitting while I ramble on about our species till the 21st century. I just wanted to see you once, so that you may show something to Aro if he asks. There isn't a lot that you need to know and nothing in our past will help you in your future. If you have questions, you may ask. If not, you're welcome to go." He heaved a sigh before turning his back to me completely.
Oh…that was…short…
To be quite honest, I did not want to keep sitting in Marcus's room so I quietly stood up; escaping out of the room and making my way back the hallway the girl had brought me.
When I arrived at the large reception area, Gina was still at the desk, only this time a dark haired male was leaning against the polished counter, murmuring something to the young girl who was smiling silently.
Even as I took the last step down, the man froze, turning to look at me.
"Hey Alec," I said tiredly, not bothering to acknowledge his stony countenance.
"How…how was it?" he said, slowly, haltingly.
I stopped, spinning on my heel to stare at him.
The first thing to startle me was his voice.
It was deeper with more bass, like velvet muting the sound of bell gongs. I had been expecting something more…thin, I guess. The second was that he looked hesitant and wary about talking to me, he looked almost…nervous. The last one was that he was talking to me. I thought Alec Volturi hated me.
"Um…it was ok." I said, my own voice sounding weak.
He looked up at that, piercing me with his dark eyes.
A thrill of current went through me. His eyes were darker than Edward's; bottomless pits that I could feel myself falling in with no holdings. It was frightening and…exciting.
He walked up a bit closer to me and I sucked in a sharp breath, my heartbeat increasing steeply. What was the matter with me?
Alec's eyes dropped from my eyes for a split second before he looked up again then away, tearing his gaze away from me.
"Have you talked to your foster family? Master Aro asked me to arrange you a call with Gina, they would be worrying." He said, his Italian accent making it a little hard for me to understand in my lost haze.
"Hmm," I said and his dark eyes darted back to me again, a sardonic smile gracing his lips.
"Call them, Piccolina, they shall be truly delighted."
He lingered to watch me slowly move towards Gina who – still smiling – held out a small hand held to me, and a small paper with numbers written on it.
"Thank you," I mumbled still feeling a little unsettled from Alec's stare when I heard him say something under his breath.
Even as I dialed the respective extensions and then the number of the Swan House I was turning, putting the phone to my ear to see him already gone…again.
"You should've told us yourself." Charlie said for the tenth time. Yes, I was counting. I winced yet again, sneaking a glance at Gina who was organizing her drawer with her back to me, seemingly unconcerned.
She had to be getting bored too. I was pretty sure that even with Aro's 'you can go anywhere you want' exclamation there was still a possibility that I could get lost, an idea brought to Aro by Alice, one he'd brushed by saying that the Guard would keep an eye on me. That line of course, didn't really sit well with Edward.
Gina must be waiting for me to leave so she could see me back to my room, I surmised and even I admit I was getting antsy. I'd been standing here for more than fifteen minutes, part of it had been spent with Bella telling me how Stephen and Jacob were both mad at me, she herself had chosen a college to go to University of Florida, of course, not that I'd been expecting her to stick around or go to Alaska like Book Bella.
This Bella had choices, opinions, and a life that didn't rotate around the supernatural. It was hilarious, but I was envious of that.
Of course, ten minutes in, Bella had suddenly gone quiet before muttering a quick warning about Charlie approaching before I heard the phone being snatched. The next five minutes and counting had been spent in trying to pacify him.
Rosalie and Stephen had already given him details of how some scouts had come from some abroad college and had taken me, Edward and Alice to peruse their campus. It was short notice and was unavoidable since I had apparently wanted to go. Charlie had called bullshit, saying as how he was my guardian he would be notified and he had received no such call.
He hadn't calmed down till Carlisle had to show him three letter certificates. Stamped for Italy and an excellent job by J. Jenks, he'd grumpily accepted defeat, before telling me he was proud that I would be going to such a prestigious university.
My smile at the Cullen's ingenuity froze as I heard the sincerity in Charlie's voice.
What would it have been like, to hear him say that because one of our lies was actually the truth? If I could actually accept a college somewhere away and high class that I would know that his pride was warranted. I'd let him go quickly after that, promising to come back home soon.
I placed the phone back before giving a concerned Gina a shaky smile.
"I'm good to go." I said.
She smiled softly before rounding the table and walking toward the labyrinth of hallways.
"I know it is difficult. Family is always hard to leave. Be it real or the one you have made," she said. Her voice was even more garbled with the accent but I could understand thankfully.
I almost laughed. Yeah, my real family…one that was probably thinking that I was in a never to rise from coma; I should miss them but I had forgotten about them. How pathetic was that…
"Do you have one?" I asked.
"No…um…they're dead. Aro brought me here and looked after me when I was twelve." She said.
I nodded, feeling a small sense of elevation that they'd managed to keep this girl alive for so long…they wouldn't hurt me right?
"Hey Gina," I said suddenly, remembering the moments before the disastrous phone call. "What did Alec say before he…left? Something with Ti Pedro and someone called Cara and Mia?" I asked.
Gina laughed. "He said 'ti vedrò in giro, mia Cara', it means 'I will see you around my darling'," she said.
My steps faltered.
My darling?
Why would he call me that? Didn't he hate me? Or…was indifferent to me…?
"Um…does he call everyone that?" I asked.
"No…only Jane sometimes…" she murmured.
"Then why…?" I began when I heard a laughter boom out from one of the hallways.
Gina stopped, looking pale suddenly as she nervously glanced at the room from where the laughter had erupted. I followed her gaze to see Caius standing in the corridor, blond hair shimmering in the lights and black robes merged with the shadows.
"Because, my dear, not every vampire has the ability to turn down their natural mate and fall in love with someone whose blood doesn't sing for him. Edward is a unique man in that aspect but our Alec is not. Nature has already picked his Blood Singer and he has finally found her."
I gaped at him in sheer shock as the weight of what he just said fell on me.
Did he just -?
Oh…hell.
I stirred up a few things, didn't I?
Hehehehe...
Oh and Piccolina means Little One. I tell you, Italian endearments are so freaking cute!
Like Jimin...
Oh wait, sorry, Bye!
I love Feedback! (Please don't ask me why I named my character the way I did! But I still love you all!)