Carlisle glanced at his wife with concern as Alice shared her latest vision with their family.
"Bella has gone with that detective girl to Italy and they will go to Volterra. I saw them meet the Volturi… Carlisle you were right, she is their mate. Their last missing piece."
Carlisle knew his family itched to do something and he was even more aware that if Edward wasn't currently separated from the coven and had heard the news of Bella meeting the Volturi, he would be on a plane in an instant, unfortunately, Carlisle also knew it was far riskier to attempt to actively prevent the Volturi from meeting their mate than it was to simply let the union occur.
A bigger problem lay in his mind than the thought of the Volturi becoming more powerful. Carlisle had met Blue, he had met her and in her memories, Aro would see that Carsiele had kept their mate from them, actively or not.
Carlisle had made an active decision upon first meeting the girl to not inform the Kings of her existence or whereabouts, it was not done out of malice but rather his desire to allow the girl a life of freedom rather than the no doubt servitude she would endure under their rule. Unfortunately, the decision went against the most sacred of their laws and if Aro noticed the deception within his mates memories, there would be little that could save him.
-IMMORTAL-
"Have you ever been in love?"
I paused in the middle of my gelato to give Bella a sidelong look. When she didn't elaborate I shrugged, "Nope. I mean I loved my mother, but you mean romantically-" I raised an eyebrow "Have you meet me… yikes"
She said nothing else and I went back to eating while keeping an eye on Olly, who had decided to go play in the fountain. It had gotten pretty hot since we moved on from Cagliari to Milan, a city Bella had asked to go to, she wanted to see the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Classics fan that she was. The point of the holiday was to get both Olly and Bella a breath of fresh air and do some mystery-solving so I saw no problem with the decision.
I hadn't had much luck fishing anything more suspicious in my papers, aside from supernatural-like beings and strange timeframes I had nothing to go on. Olly was trying to convince me the beings described as alluring and other-worldly were in fact Aliens, Bella definitely didn't help this after she watched a two-hour space documentary with him one night, and if I was being honest with myself, after re-reading some of the descriptions I wasn't dismissing it outright.
"I thought you'd have a partner?"
Huh? Oh, love, right. I flicked my tongue over the iced treat as I thought on how to answer her, "I mean I probably could…"
"You don't want love?"
"No, it's not that, more. I'm in absolutely no position to have the standards I have and yet." I gave her a what can you do gesture, but she only narrowed her eyes. Obviously, about to comment again, I cut across hoping to kill the uncomfortable topic, "Love is a losing game, everyone wants to play but no one ever wins and like monopoly, it always ends in tears."
She left it at that and I pretended not to see the realisation in her eyes, and instead agreeing that the sky was beginning to darken and we went to collect Olly. Tomorrow we'd go to Bella's library, Olly seemed rather keen as well, which I found a little strange but brushed it off.
-IMMORTAL-
I woke up bright and early to 4 new emails all from Depika. Guess that meant they were going to the Library without me.
Turns out another case had come to the Seattle police, a boy just turned 18 had 'gone missing' technically the kid hadn't been gone long enough for the report to have been filed, but one look at his profile and I knew why it had. 'Ginger', 'male', 5.7 foot' and 'just turned 18', not to mention lived in the shitter side of Seattle, a quick flick through the other documents showed that he had already been to juvie for participating in the excessive bullying of a young girl who went on to take her life. It was definitely scarily similar to the M.O of the Washington Wonka.
I'd been following the case since I had first read a report two years back, at the time only one kill had been found. A young boy; Fred Moats, brunette, and 4.7 foot. He was found positioned sitting on a bucket leaning against a tree. The cause of death had been an overdose of xanthine alkaloid theobromine, the chemical was found in coco and some muscle relaxers. His death was ruled as a crime of passion, with most of the officers on the case fine with believing some sicko had pumped the kid full of drugs and arranged him after he'd died.
The case had never sat well with me and I had opened it up again and again until I realised why. The Bucket... Freddie... eleven years old- and the kicker, xanthine alkaloid theobromine, it was most commonly used in chocolate, found in the very part of chocolate that caused the treat unable to be eaten by our four-legged friends.
I had run to Derek, fully expecting to be told to drop an already closed case and instead the chief had listened as I explained my theory, it was a long shot at best, but I had known in my gut something wasn't right. The methodical position of the child to get his legs carefully under the bucket handle and settled on top of it like one of those kiddy swings, compared to the sheer malice and untamed rage that must have come from force-feeding a child chocolate until they died, it was disconcerting, to say the least, and I very much doubted it would be a one-time thing.
That day Derek and I came to an unspoken understanding, I had seen in his eyes on several occasions the desire for certain cases to get more time, different eyes, so they could have a chance at justice, however time and time again, he had to grit his teeth and play nice, just so he would still be around to fight other battles. Fortunately for him, my mother had never told me to pick my battle,s and I wanted them all.
I hated the courts, it was long tedious and devoid of the emotional purpose my detective work gave me yet, I sucked it up and with Derek backing me I had petitioned to re-open the case, it gained me a fair few enemies within my own department and that same month the department shrank half its size. Two weeks later another 11-year old was found and the judge reopened the case.
It had been my personal baby for those two years, I'd worked with a few different officers on it, obviously, I never did the door to door knocking, but I checked facts and followed the field workers by paper, I'd made a profile on the killer. With a psychology degree, I could legally say I believed the killer had a complex which revolved around the Roald Dahl story, Charlie and the Chocolate factory, I suspected it was some sort of form of schizophrenia or mania, where the killer wasn't aware of his own reality and was attempting to get a form of control over his life, by finding those within the story.
Fred Moats was a brunette like Charlie Bucket, the same age and average height for an eleven-year-old, the bucket spoke for itself, as did the chocolate, however it was the name which had tipped me off. Fred. Why Fred, I'd thought long and hard until it hit me, and with a quick google search I had confirmed that the actor who played Charlie Bucket was called Freddie Highmore, another merging with fiction and reality.
The second kid found, was a girl with hair really similar to mine in colour, icy-white and cropped to just below her ears, she had suffocated on helium and her name had been a dead giveaway, Violet. Unfortunately, the media caught wind of the murders and the odd aspects to them and had taken to calling the killer the Washington Wonka. Derek hated it, mostly because it was a name the press would run as a serial killer when the culprit was not, technically speaking, a serial killer.
I hated it because from the moment I heard it, it became harder and harder to picture a sick man murdering children in an attempt to find reality, and it became a twisted version of a character everyone loved, like those punk Disney punk edits, not inherently dark or evil just misunderstood. I thought Fred and Violet may have disagreed.
Three more bodies were found over the next year, but they were all timed so unlike the serial killers the police were used to, most serial killers tended to do, well, serial kills, murdering from 3 to 7 on average within a few months then disappearing for a while and popping up again later on to repeat the pattern. The Washington Wonka wasn't like that, Wonka killed once then nothing for months and then out of the blue another hit.
The three kills spread out over the twelve months were different from the first two. So different that I had considered a copy-cat, after all, Wonka had gathered quite the following. But looking again I realised why they had so suddenly changed their M.O, going from 11-year old character look-alikes to ginger 18-year-olds. Oompa Loompas.
After the news that day, I didn't look at it again. The media had called the kills his casting of the Oompa Loompas, I had thrown my tablet across the room and shattered the screen. It was the first time I'd let my anger show so obviously in front of someone and it was the first time Depika cleaned a mess without a single comment.
There hadn't been any more deaths since then and my life had quieted down before Olly came barreling in, and Forks stole my heart, but I had made sure to leave my office with a meaningful glance at the secretary. If there was anything new on the Washington Wonka, it went through me.
And so the sight of the latest victim had made me upset, to say the least. I read through the chief's opinion on it, very similar to mine, Jack was definitely a fit for Wonka's M.O, but my job was to make sure, so I filtered out what the officers working Jack's scene had found and started to analyse their accounts.
By the time Olly had woken I knew my report would take a few days, so I made a decision.
"Bella, you and Olly can go visit the library, I'm afraid, work is calling and I'll be busy for the next few days. I'm sorry to ask this but I hope you don't mind if we stay here during that time and you guys keep yourselves entertained, It's just I need to focus, not that-"
"That's fine Blue, Olly will watch out for me won't you Olly?"
In response to Bella's question, he straightened his back and elegantly extended his arm in what I assumed he thought it was a very mature pose and once Bella took it, he proceeded to lead her to the door with a few parting words, "Don't you worry Butterface, I know how to use a sword and a laser gun. The Aliens won't take her from me."
I scoffed "You do not."
Before Bella was yanked through the doorway she shot me a pointed look. We'll talk later.
Cracking my neck I got to work.
-IMMORTAL-
The report actually only took me two days and I was able to take a break out in the sun while Bella was engrossed in Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu and Olly flipping between three conspiracy comics. It soothed my mind to be able to close my eyes against a tree and know I was neer two people who were as at peace, as I was.
The moment didn't last, as nice as it was. Eventually, the afternoon sun started to set and we headed back to our temporary hotel, Bella insisted we picked up some nice drinks on the way, which turned out to be iced peach-tea and ginger beer. I knew it meant Bella wanted to have a serious conversation with me.
She busied herself making the drinks and we watched E.T at Olly's request before he fell asleep and I tucked him into bed.
I sat on the floor in front of the TV facing Bella rather than beside her on the couch like I was before, despite being able to, I still prefer the floor and Bella wanted to talk, so, floor definitely.
"I don't know much about you Blue, no one does, yet you know everything about everyone else." She didn't sound annoyed or angry just like she was stating a fact.
"What do you want to know?"
"Why did you become a detective? What made you think, that's what I want to do with my life?"
I hummed, leaning back slightly to get more comfortable, "We'll I was 11 years old, actually." My mind flicked to the other 11-year-olds who'd never get to choose a future.
"That young? I don't even know what I want to do and I'm graduating this year."
"I never graduated."
That gave her pause and she seemed to pick her next words carefully as though hesitant I would pull away. I might have, if she was anyone else. "Because you couldn't finish due to other circumstances, or because you were never in high-school."
"The latter. I took a special course provided by the government that gives you a certificate if you pass. I did and I used it to get into the police as well as passing the physical tests. Then when I was a junior lackie in the force I studied a psychology paper and a few years after that I got my degree in Psychology. I always knew I wanted to be a detective, that was my purpose in life as far as I was concerned during my years growing up."
"Why? Why was becoming a detective so important to you?"
"Because-" I gave a sad smile "-When I was 10-years old my mother went missing, I risked a lot going to the police for help to find her, yet they never did. My birthday was a couple of days later and I promised myself that if they wouldn't find her, I would."
"Did you?"
"No. We travelled from Russia and the way we travelled wasn't entirely legal, smuggled in. We didn't even make it into America before she went missing, It had never been our destination in the first place. She could be anywhere in the world right now... or nowhere."
"Blue-"
"-It's been 17 years, it's the most logical conclusion."
"And the most depressing"
I gave a bark of laughter, "Yes I suppose so. But despite my initial decision, I do love being a detective, I feel panicked without something to puzzle out, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing I've helped in preventing another sadness in the world… it's nice."
Bella hummed thoughtfully "You know what you need, you need someone who loves the puzzle, the game of love not the price at the end. After all, if the game never finishes then it can't end in tears right?"
I let myself smile "Sometime's your wisdom meshes with your romantic nature and beautiful things leave your mouth-" I waved a finger at her "Baffling, but beautiful." A flicker of green approached my face with speed and I caught the offending Lizard in my fist, bringing it up to stare between my eyes I hissed at its smirking face "Not today buddy," before abruptly dropping it into the now empty glass of gingerbeer. Bella looked torn between sternly defending her prized pet, and laughing.
She chose the former and tipped him out of the glass, making the lizard fearfully try to scuttle backwards along the smooth surface as gravity took hold until Bella had him safely sitting atop her book pages as though it were reading beside her.
Grumbling about being replaced by a damn second-class frog I flicked the main lights off and stumbled to my own bed, easily ignoring the torch Bella continued to read with.
-IMMORTAL-
It was cold. It was cold. It was cold.
She repeated the facts she knew to herself in a mantra.
She was kind. She made people happy.
She needed the facts in the uncertain times, why hadn't they destroyed her. Why was she left to suffer in agony in the cold alone for all eternity? She didn't know that, she didn't know that fact. Or did she? She couldn't remember. She feared that the most, above the cold and the very real reality of eternity in nothingness, she feared to forget.
She was cold and wet, broken in places that had been unable to heal for so long it was now white noise. The pain was not as sharp as the cold, not as persistent or jarring. The cold kept her present in the moment, kept her calling out facts.
She didn't know if her words were spoken or just in her head, she was wet, no noise sounded but the same smack of water against stone. It was maddening.
The sound of the water was as agonising as the cold but not quite so conflicting, she hated the cold she did, but without it, she would have drifted into insanity millennia ago. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she was grateful for or not. But she was always afraid, the fear never changed. She had thought day after day, and hours more and eventually years the fear would make way to apathy, perhaps if they had left her and never returned, it may have.
Instead, they came to release her from the freezing prison only to remind her not all pain was yet numb. Once, they had reached into her chest and shattered her solidified ribs to reach her heart, they tore it out and she felt pain unlike any she had ever known. The pain so deafening she had not realised what the action meant at the time. But she soon realised as they taunted her with the knowledge of her loveless existence.
Her crystalised heart was held in front of her and crushed to ash whilst she gasped for breath she did not have and cried tears that never came, only her screams were real. Until her rage became real too. For another fact had fallen through her lips on repeat under the cold cold liquid. She was alone, now, and forever.
He had crushed her Vampire heart and with it, any hope of ever knowing her mate, for a Vampire's mate was connected through mind, soul and heart. Her abdomen would never heal, hollowed out with broken ribs, a testament to the fight they'd lost in protecting her heart. Water weighed her down inside too now.
No being would love her like this anyway. She was cold. She was better off alone and in pain. This was her punishment. If only she could remember why.
-IMMORTAL-
Once Caius had successfully calmed his fears and regrouped with his Mates, Aro knew it was time to say goodby to the temporary crunches they had used to cover the loss of their final mate. Despite not knowing how long it would be until they were reunited they all knew it would be better if Sulpicia and Athenodora were well adjusted before their queen arrived.
"Caius brother, I believe it is time to inform our wives of our mate."
Marcus gave a sound of agreement. Whilst never having a permanent wife like Caius and Aro, Marcus had taken many different loves in his time, it would all cease today, as the Matting bond was the most sacred of bonds and it was understood by Vampires everywhere that while marriages may be made to steady an incomplete Vampire, all will be immediately stopped upon one of the parties finding their other.
Caius called out to Felix "Tell Athenodroa and Sulpicia we wish to see them."
The mountain-like Vampire gave a polite nod before disappearing and appearing as quickly as he'd gone, he led two beautiful vampires through the doors. One had hair as dark as the shadows that danced along the walls and a plunge cut mermaid dress to match. She walked in heels the same shade of black, with her eyes and nails the only colour to grace her. The other, wore a looser dress of pastel pink and had strawberry blond curls to match her princess look, finished with jewels dripping from her porcelain skin.
The two contrasted almost more beautifully together than they were apart, Sulpicia had a seductive feel to her being, and Athenodora was not much better. Any Vampire would have killed to have either of them as their mate, but the Volturi Kings were not their mates and now it would be known.
Aro stood from his throne as the woman entered he made his way towards them with mock happiness, "We have some wonderful news, my dears. We have had a vision of our mate and she is perfect beyond compare." He took a moment to appreciate the looks of outrage that lit their features before fanning the fire, "I'm afraid you are aware of what that means-"
He was cut off by Sulpicia's barbed words "So what? We are to be thrown from the place like beggars on the street?!"
Aro shot her a look of mock disappointment "Now now Sulpicia, I did not say-"
He was cut off again by another accusation, meanwhile, Athenodora had stormed her way closer to Caius who observed her progress boredly.
"Caius! Caius are you going to stand for this!"
"I am not standing at all." He drawled
She gave a shriek of outrage and Marcus couldn't help but openly grin at his mate's antics and the tantrum the women were throwing. Frankly, it had been a long time coming, the Kings had not slept with their wives in a good few hundred years, they often went on vacations around the world without the Kings anyway, leaving for what could be from weeks to years, they never specified.
Marcus could see the two women's bond glow bright and strong, they were soul sisters that he would never doubt, but occasionally he saw the bonds between them and their husbands flicker. He thought it would do both parties much good to separate.
"-loved you for over two millennia!" Athenodora had always seemed to believe Caius her one true love, mate or not.
He decided to tune the rest of it out and assumed prodding Caius through the mind link Aro maintained between them. After all, he knew how it would end, Athenodora and Sulpicia would be allowed to vent their frustrations up until a point, once they become too annoying they will be silenced long enough to listen to the new rules. Honestly, the women were being met with extreme tolerance to be allowed to make such a fuss over a time long since discussed. If they kept it up much longer he would be the one silencing them.
-IMMORTAL-
The rest of our trip went over without interruption, we travelled to the Vatican and further, then back again, not really planning a straightforward route, just picking where we wanted to go and then going, it was rather freeing actually, regardless of personally not following many leads for my Alien case, as Olly had taken to calling it.
We had one more stop before we went to our last city; Volterra, and there, I was definitely going to search for some answers, but first, we were going to an art gallery in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery. My choice this time
I loved art but couldn't paint to save my life, I spent the time gazing at the images in awe. I could never hope to achieve that level of beauty and creation. I thought Olly would be using his camera, but over the course of our adventures, I'd only seen him with it out in the strangest of places. My curiosity was strange, I wanted to know the answer to puzzles and sometimes it could cause me to work through several nights before I noticed and took my pills, but at the same time I could be content knowing I didn't know something, perhaps it had more to do with I knew Olly would stick in my life long enough for me to learn the answer.
"We shouldn't go to Volterra."
I frowned at Bella turning from the Primavera to give her my full attention. "May I ask why?"
"I just thin-" She ran a hand through her hair in what looked like frustration "Carlisle spent time with the Volturi for a while-"
"Carlisle, Edward's father?"
She nodded "Yes, they apparently have very strict rules and weird rituals like…"
"A cult?" I provided
"Yes kinda. Look Edward told me they were cruel and had disdain for all hum- others, I just think it's probably not a safe place to go."
"Well that sounds logical, a cult I can believe is cruel and ritualistic. Unfortunately, I'm not the most logical person Bella, I understand if you decided to stay away, knowing this. It's probably better if you don't come… but I have to go, I don't understand it but I just need to know, these papers I've been studying for months, I need answers."
She bit her lip nodding "I know, I thought you'd say that. No I'm coming with you, I just thought you should know."
I smiled, feeling secure enough to throw an arm over her shoulder, "Come on then, we'd better ask Olly if he wants to come."
"What?" She laughed "Like he could go home alone?"
"Ahhhh you'd be surprised what he can do, and how little I could stop him. Kid's got a mind and spirit of his own."
"You're talking about me." His head popped up from behind a man taking pictures.
"Speaking of the devil." I corrected him. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel and we'll figure out what we're doing while we pack."
Olly made himself very clear that he wanted to see the aliens. I still wasn't convinced they were aliens, not sold by Olly's attempt at showing me the UFO polaroids he'd apparently been taking, they were not his only pictures but I didn't get to see the book he'd decided to stick them in, apparently, it was private.
We decided to drive to Volterra that night and spend the day investigating and if we didn't find anything after a week we'd leave, back to Forks and our not so normal lives.
Before hopping in the car Bella had given my clothes an o-kkkay look, which I immediately pointed out, "What? What's wrong with them?" I'd worn my usual choice of crop top and black jeans throughout the trip and tonight was no different with my favourite black turtleneck as the crop top.
"It's summer Blue."
"Yeah and?"
She gave me an incredulous look. "In Italy, jeans are okay for inside museums and libraries or under trees but I googled Volterra Blue. They have very little shelter and we'll be outside walking the streets all day. I don't want you getting heatstroke and dying."
I scoffed but gave in to her demands and swapped the jeans for black shorts with a single white stripe down the sides and after a moment consideration switched the turtleneck for a white crop top. I made it downstairs to see the two of them had managed to pack our bags in the rental car and quickly jumped into the driver's seat, what Bella forgot to take into account during her ridicule of my clothing choice, was it was in fact night, and therefore cold no matter the country. Turning up the heat I started the car and began to drive.
It only took an hour to get there but Olly and Bella managed to fall asleep. I found a hotel and sorted out the details to stay for a week and began to move everything inside.
Once I'd finished I had to make the decision to either leave the two of them sleeping in the car or wake them. As it was only 10 o'clock I decided to wake them up, as I sort of felt like we were being watched.
Gently shaking Bella, she opened her eyes and groggily asked "Wat?"
"Up you get come on-" I unbuckled her and held her arm to steady her so she didn't fall in her sleepiness then took her through the door and down the hall, reaching the bed just in time for her to flop onto it and return to sleep.
I went back to grab Olly and decided just to pick him up and carry him, he was very light and pretty small for his age so it wasn't difficult. After that, I decided to do what Bella had done and googled of the town we were now in.
My search didn't come up with much, the town was fairly simple and not exactly a tourist spot, I never would have picked it to go to on our holiday if it wasn't where the clues led me. Something was bothering me though, when I had first asked for the hotel, it was as though the information centre were under the impression there was nowhere available. It was strange because the place wasn't touristy.
I had definitely spent a few minutes arguing with her about it, somewhat because I struggled with the Italian. She had seemed surprised to see a foreigner but she shouldn't have been too shocked, every place in the world had strangers visit sometimes, no matter how remote. Weirdly a huge man had come through the door and after a few, very pointed words, there were suddenly rooms available, she also started speaking English after that.
The secretary seemed frankly petrified of the man, I did think he looked rather attractive in a way a model was, but I doubted that was why she was so jittery after he left. She had tried to insist that we have separate rooms but we had been sharing the whole trip so far and I didn't honestly want to be rooms away from my friends, so I informed her we only wanted one, with at least two beds and a couch, if possible in case I needed to rest.
She'd pursed her lips but had said nothing more, instead providing directions to a building by the clock tower in the centre of the town. It looked very beautiful from the outside. The architecture was timeless and had captivated me for a few minutes. I knew Bella would love it in the morning.
Once I had entered the room with Bella my gaze landed on three king-sized beds inside a massive room, probably the size of the kitchen and living area of my apartment, it was odd, especially concerning the price had been so cheap. I didn't sleep that night, the town was weird before I'd entered it, now that I was there, things were only getting stranger.
-IMMORTAL-
Sure enough come morning Bella's jaw had dropped once she walked outside. We'd already eaten by that point apparently our residence came with free room service, which Bella had agreed was very weird, Olly didn't seem to care as long as it was food.
We split up to search the town and follow through any more weird occurrences, Olly went to the lower town, Bell took the far right and I decided to start where I was, in the centre around the clock tower.
I was probably a terrible person for letting an 8-year old walk around a strange town where I knew a cult was most likely active, but I also knew that Olly was incredibly difficult to keep track of, and frankly I didn't think the cult would have much of a chance keeping him captive if they tried and confusing as it was, I truly felt like he was safe here. Besides he insisted and there was no way I could stop him.
Deciding my first course of action I went back to the information centre. "Hello."
The secretary looked startled to see me again so I gave her a gentle smile to try calm her down, she was awfully jumpy. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask if I was allowed to explore the clock tower or is it off-limits for civilians?"
She looked even more nervous at that but answered me all the same. "You may go anywhere you like in this town Miss."
I narrowed my eyes "Anywhere?" She nodded vehemently "Okay so even a random strangers house?" I was purposely picking apart her words as I didn't want another odd thread to go without tugging it. After all, telling a tourist they are allowed to go anywhere, especially seeing the architecture of the main building that joined our hotel, it just didn't add up.
"Um well, no, that's private property-"
"Who owns the Clock Tower and building?"
"A very old family from our city, the Volturi, they don't mind if you go and look around."
Uh-huh, wow, so I'd found the cult's base, interesting. "Thank you, Ms, have a good day."
Now confident I wasn't about to get arrested by the police in a foreign country I pushed open the heavy doors to the clock tower, ignoring the few glances shot to me by, passes by. I had asked permission.
I crept into the massive hall, it was fairly dark with the windows high up and rather small, but the very walls were adorned by sculptures in the stone and sometimes a concave, like where a window seat might be, was there made for a statue.
My footsteps echoed on the marble and I shivered slightly, really wishing I'd insisted on my jeans.
I made it to the end of the hall and was baffled to find no corner, just a dead end. Stepping back I gave the wall a measure look before realising in shock it was an elevator, one of the older versions with a gate, but still rather out of place within the architecture, although probably practical to reach the bell.
I pulled back the gate and got in, I was about to push the button to go up when it occurred to me there was no reason to have one for going down unless there was a room or something down there. I pushed that one instead and gave a jump when the elevator began to descend and instrumental music began to play. How odd.
It took a few minutes before coming to a halt, during the ride down I noticed how well kept it was like someone had spent many hours polishing the brass and making sure the ride was as smooth as possible.
I pulled back the gate feeling like I was opening one of those little child safety doors. I was the child and I was making my way into a very dangerous place.
It was another hallway, this one was slightly different, more modern almost, and it seems familiar somehow. I walked along it and saw an empty desk sitting in another concave, it looked like an office or secretary's desk.
I went closer and carefully picked up one of the papers, immediately interested. It was nothing, just some out of context billing papers by the looks of it. I placed them back and suddenly considered maybe I wasn't supposed to be there. Sure the lady had said I could explore, but that was the clock tower this was something else, it looked more... personal.
I ignored it and decided if I was caught snooping I'd plead ignorance, or that I was lost. I checked my watch and saw it was only 9:00 AM, I'd agreed that we would meet up with the others for lunch at our hotel, as both a way to make sure everyone was safe, and for an energy boost, it would not be good if I missed the time and caused them to worry.
I decided to leave the desk and continued along the hall, so far I had met no one else so I made sure to remember the way I'd gone for when I needed to get back. I did begin to feel more nervous the further away from the elevator I went, as though each step was another pull of the trigger in Russian roulette.
I pushed through it, there was now no doubt in my mind this was the place of residence for the cult and therefore I was very much in danger, but it was an instance where my curiosity won out, I needed to know more.
I passed the curve in the hall and saw a set of doors not dissimilar to the ones of the clock tower, they were straight ahead but a different door, smaller and less obvious stood to the right, I noted that they were all closed and it was probably a sign I shouldn't go in, but I approached the less conspicuous one anyway.
I grasped the brass handle and slowly rotated it knowing my heart was beating loudly in my chest, I pushed it open to see thousands of miscellaneous items, cell phones, bags, even piles of clothing. I walked in further letting the door click shut behind me.
The air was dead in the underground place, and the surroundings were quite but almost oppressively, I bent over a desk to pick up one of the neatly arranged cell phones and tried to turn it on, too my surprise it did and it was unprotected, I flicked through the photos and then the documents trying to find something, anything that explained it's presence but the phone must have been wiped because nothing personal was ever revealed. Looking through a few more phones to try the same thing I eventually gave up and picked my way through the strange obstacle course.
Upon closer look at the bags, I noticed most were more than just bags and they had been arranged in what, at first, looked like chaos but soon became clear as chronological to their invention. It was odd, what I had first assumed was a dump room for things found on people the cult had murdered instead looked, something else, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
I spun around surveying the sections in the room critical, everything appeared to be in the order of invention, it was almost like a…
"Well aren't you a curious little mouse?"
A man stood in one of the far corners of the room and I briefly wondered whether there was another door or he had been standing there the whole time, before quickly stepping back to broaden the space between us.
He hummed at the action and didn't follow instead gazing out at the objects with what looked like adoration. I took the time to properly look at him. He had had shocking black hair that seemed to absorb the light, like tar, which came down past his shoulders in straight lines, he stood in a strange way but the thing that stood out the most was how ethereal he looked and I knew without a doubt this begin was not human, his blood-red eyes were certainly a testament to that.
He took in a deep breath through his nose, as though smelling the air for the first time. "Remarkable. Truly I had thought you would go through the throne doors, but I'm glad you found my collections."
My brain nearly short-circuited, they knew I'd been there, they were expecting me? Maybe the information secretary told them I was coming. Oh... The secretary. I should have known the desk wouldn't have been empty without reason. I found my voice and decided on being wary "Why?"
"Why what my dear? Why did I expect you'd choose the throne room or why am I glad you found my collections?"
"The last one." I didn't care why this stranger had expected me to choose a different door, as far as I knew this was just an elaborate game to him.
Just as he was about to answer there was a small gust of wind as though someone had moved behind me, I turned to see another of the creatures, this one with ice-blond hair like mine. I gasped. I suddenly remembered why it was so familiar, I had dreamed of this place and these angel-like beings.
"Really Aro must you frighten her away with your games?"
I snapped my head back to Aro and saw him looking rather serious, which I was weirdly almost sad about. "I assure you brother this is no game."
"No, it is not." A different voice again, A younger-looking being came to stand beside the blond, I took a step back from them. Consequently closer to Aro, but there were two on that side so it evened out.
The blond seemed to scowl at my retreat before the younger aristocrat-looking-one lay a hand on his shoulder, he seemed to say something to the other with his gaze.
The Blond turned back to look at me, "You do not seem very afraid for one who is lost and alone, surrounded by three strangers."
He didn't seem to be mocking me more genuinely curiously and I was never one to lie for the sake of it, so I told the truth, "We'll I'm exactly where I intended to be, so I doubt I'm lost. I did come here looking for you after all."
Their eyes seemed to light up at this and the Blond practically purred his next words "You were looking for us?"
I hesitated, shooting a look at Aro who I'd noticed inching closer, "I've read some interesting accounts, and heard things about the Volturi, I wanted to know more."
A concerned look graced Aro's face "Written accounts of us? The Volturi, by name?"
I celebrated silently that he had just confirmed they were, in fact, the Volturi whilst also hating that I was right. "Yes?"
He hummed, "And what do these accounts say of us, my dear?"
I almost shivered at his voice and instantly berated myself, "Not much. But they do like to go on about Volturi's inhuman beauty, seeing you, can't say they were wrong."
A startled laugh left the blond and his eyes gleamed, "Interesting thing to say to someone you've just met Carissima."
I decided to pull the rug from under him, faking ignorance, "What? That you aren't human?"
They fell silent again before the brunette cocked his head to the side, "And what do you think we are, if not human darling?"
I shivered again and not from the cold before blurted out my answer "Aliens."
Sometimes I just really wanted to smack myself. The responding grins were weirdly embarrassing but I pulled myself together enough to step out and around a pile of clothes, giving me something between the three and away from Aro's careful but constant advancing.
Aro spoke "Tell me, Amore, would you like to take this conversation to a better-suited setting, perhaps lunch. You may invite your friends if you wish."
I immediately became defensive "What friends?"
I was given a gentle smile by the youngest looking, which did nothing to relax me, neither did his words, "Fear not for them dearest, we mean you all no harm."
"Oh?' I snarked "Then mind telling me how you knew about us?"
Aro answered, "You are staying in our building Amore." That gave me pause.
"Your building. Do you keep an eye on all your guests?"
The Blond seemed to want to cut to the chase "No, no one else is allowed to reside in our buildings unless by our order. We smelt you the minute you came into our town and sent our guard to watch over you and your friends."
Okay, so that explained the feeling of being watched and the strange encounter with the secretary. "Huh, I knew I'd get some answers coming here. I imagine you have people watching them now then?"
At his nod I sighed and began to make my way against the wall between the piles towards the door, figuring it was better if my friends were with me. where I knew they were safe. even if it was in the jaws of the beast. Three pairs of eyes watched me in fascination as I reached the door, "Well come on then." I called over my shoulder, relishing in the chuckles that followed.
I just managed to open the door when I felt myself being picked up and a blur of colours then I found myself seated on a couch with the blond in front of me on a sofa of his own and the other two not far behind. Before I fully registered what I was doing I had sprung up from the stupid couch and stood myself behind it, glaring at all of them.
It was silent for a moment before the blond spoke "Apologises Carissima, I do not mean to frighten you."
I dragged in a slow breath trying to pretend like my heart wasn't about to jump out of my chest. Truthfully it wasn't the speed at which I'd been moved that caused the panic. It was the unexpected placement on the sofa. I could make myself sit on them without appearing strange, I prefer not to, but I could do it, although I usually had time to think and prepare myself first.
I ignored the apology in favour of glancing around the room and noting it was a library of sorts. It was actually very beautiful and seeing all the beings sitting on the sofa and simply watching me rather than standing themselves, I felt a little more in control of the situation. I decided to test that by wandering over to one of the shelves and once I was there I sharply turned to see them still exactly where they had been. Okay, that was good.
I wandered back to the couch and lent on the back of it with my eyes narrowed at them. Aro stood as if to approach me suddenly there was a loud warcry and a blur of floppy brown hair flew at Aro. Then the next second Olly was being held in the young brunette's lap. "Such spirit young one."
Olly seemed rather miffed at the change and I was still processing the speed at which I had not seen the brunette move. Everyone seemed to be waiting on my reaction but seeing Olly looking perfectly content and grinning at me apparently forgetting his declaration of war I decided to let him stay there for now, not that I could have done much.
I opted to ignore the fact I had no idea how Olly found me, let alone appeared from nowhere, putting it down to his running away ability and instead focusing on more pressing matters.
"So what are you, if not E.T?"
They seemed to take their time to consider me before the brunette answered, "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves first. My name is Marcus, Aro is in the middle and Caius on the other side."
"Blue."
Aro piped up cheerfully, "That is an unusual name."
I pursued my lip and looked away, I was used to receiving the comment but for some reason, from him, it was almost as though I wanted to explain every detail of my life and invite him into it. It was disconcerting, to say the least. I chose a half-truth "Well I had to choose it when I was 13 and was a stupid kid, so there we go."
"You chose your name?" Caius inquired innocently.
"Yes." I snapped back, the subject was promptly dropped and Marcus resumed talking. "Your friend is just arriving now, perhaps we should wait to tell her at the same time?"
I nodded and sure enough, a moment later Bella was deposited onto my previously occupied couch. I grinned at her startled expression and lazily drawled, "So you guys find anything or have you been slacking because I found the cult and their super-secret hideout."
Bella didn't find me funny, while Olly began to protest wildly, "I was looking! And I found a super secret passageway!-" He seemed to be remembering something before he corrected himself "Actually I found two!"
Aro clapped his hands together in delight "Well aren't you clever." Olly beamed before seeking to realise he's pretty much been teleported and gaped at his Aliens.
Bella, on the other hand, was worrying me "Bella, are you okay? They said they wouldn't hurt us, not that I believe them but they haven't yet so that's a bonus." I was probably a bit too blasé for normal standards but the creatures had super speed so really, why worry, it just means you suffer twice. Apparently our captors were the monologuing villains, I didn't think that happened in real life, yet neither did I believe in dark castles underground like some sort of Vampire house…
"Wait a minute! You guys are Vampires! Right?-" I looked imploringly at them and took a little satisfaction in Caius's obvious pride at my deductions. "That is correct Amore, we are Vampires."
"Huh, well how 'bout that."
Olly frowned "No. You're Aliens, I know it. I took pictures of some UFO's you could have taken to get to earth and I read the words Bubbles stole and-" I was about to protest my apparent thieving but looked back at Bella and found her looking entirely unsurprised at the turn of events.
"You knew." I accused, Olly fell silent.
She looked at me guiltily but was interrupted in whatever she was about to say by Caius. "What? Who told you of our existence?"
Bella looked frightened and Caius seemed as though he was about to spring from his seat and rip the answers from her. Before I knew it, I bared my teeth and him and hissed. It seemed to shock him back and instead he remained staring at me as I flushed over what I'd just done. Still, I didn't regret it, no one would hurt Bella on my watch, regardless of if she'd kept something I wanted from me.
"I- Um, no one told me actually-" Bella shot me an apologetic look "- I did figure it out on my own but only after meeting Edward and I guess he confirmed it for me."
I gasped "I knew there was something strange about that Doctor!"
Aro looked thoughtful "This wouldn't happen to be Edward Cullen, Carlisle Cullen's coven mate would it?"
Bella looked at me and I shrugged, it was her secret to tell not mine. "Yes." She admitted.
Caius's lip curled at that before hissing "So the Cullen's knew of this exposure and did nothing. Tell me young one, why has he knowingly let you out of his sight whilst you could expose our kind."
Bella's eyes prickled "Because they left Forks. What I do is not their decision to make, besides I was never going to tell anyone. I didn't tell Blue, even when I knew she was looking into it."
Aro pulled his hands to his face in a prayer motion, "Perhaps the Cullens told you about us?"
Bella nodded "Yes, Edward said you are the enforcers of the law, the Kings of the Vampire world."
Aro nodded "Yes that is true. Did he happen to mention my powers dear?" Bella shook her head "With one touch I can read every thought and memory you have ever experienced, this is quite useful in our trials, unfortunately with this new knowledge I will have to ask your permission to read your thoughts." He extended his hand and I looked at Bella warily but she didn't seem to hesitate, apparently deciding she didn't mind the Vampire knowing her whole life in an instant.
He seemed to be absorbing all the information and I decided to ask my question "Does that include seeing them going to the toilet?"
A surprised sound ripped from Marcus and Caius was openly grinning while Aro gave me a wide smile, I didn't know why I thought it was a valid question.
Aro eventually pulled his hand away and sat back further into the couch. "That is most interesting Miss Swan, I see nothing."
Bella nodded "I guess that makes sense, Edward couldn't either."
"Um, what?" I questioned, "Edward can read minds?"
Aro hummed in response. "Yes, and rest assured young Edward will be seen to about abandoning the woman he claimed his mate, our laws are clear. The confusion was most likely the animal blood distorting the Cullens smell, although I would have expected Carlisle to know."
Bella frowned "I'm not Edward's mate?"
Caius scoffed, "If he has left you I should think not, although from your scent I know it."
"You can tell mates, which I'm assuming it's sort of like intended partners, by their smell?" I was a little confused.
Aro gave me an indulgent smile "Vampires are far more in tune with their senses than Humans and as such we can feel and smell the bond created between mates. Marcus can see all different types of bonds and their strengths between people, this is a unique gift he possesses, like my ability to read your thoughts with touch."
I drummed my fingers on the couch "So does Bella have a soul mate?"
Marcus answered "I see a bond, like-that-of when a mate has died. I am afraid Isabella we cannot smell who it was after they are gone."
Bella looked rightfully upset by the news, the one she was intended to be with she would never even get to meet. I was reminded of the stolen opportunity from the children Wonka killed. Love truly was cruel. But at the same time, Bella seemed to be relieved Edward, the one who had abandoned her, was not her intended.
"What about Blue-" she asked.
I gave her a terrified look, did she not remember our conversation. I wasn't sure I wanted to know if there was someone out there intended for me it was almost too much. She ignored the look and continued on "Maybe if you told her she could be loved she wouldn't be afraid of it."
"Traitor," I hissed. Caius and Aro seemed torn between what looked like pity, confusion and knowing smirks.
Perhaps more than one." Marcus answered elusively.
Ever the romantic Bella lit up, "Oh wow, how many? And do you know them?"
"No. No. No. nO!" I hissed at her.
She pouted "I will never get to even meet the one that I was meant to love, and you have the opportunity right here now to know who they are."
I tried to protest but ended up defensively crossing my arms, I had never been so openly against love, but the sheer faith you had to have to believe in a fated match, not to mention, Bella was right. I was scared. I was apathetic most the time, I didn't have a permanent residence, my only friends had been fish for several years and my boss. Not to mention I had slight missing-mommy-issues and rather appalling self-care habits, who would want that, who would want to be tied to that for their life?
Bella, apparently deciding for me, turned to the Kings and repeated herself "Do you know them?"
Caius piped up "I would say intimately." It got him a wack around the back of the head from Marcus and took me a second to register before I was looking at them incredulously and Bella was now gaping.
"Wait. What?" I blinked and the scene before me didn't change. Olly was still being held by a really fast Vampire, while three pairs of eyes hesitantly watched for my reaction. "You're saying I'm your mate. All three of you?"
Marcus nodded "Yes as we are all three each other's mate, together the four of us make up a whole. We have waited for you for thousands of years Amore, do not doubt you are loved and you need not be afraid."
I nearly whimpered at the words, said so casually and cutting straight to my core. Thousands of years? And yet with the new information, more began to make sense. They had smelt me when I stepped foot out onto the streets of Volterra, they had gone to lengths to ensure my safety and by extension those I loved-
Huh. I suppose I loved more people than I had thought. I looked to Olly and Bella, two messed up kids just like me, I had made friends with them and I couldn't tell when I began to love them, yet I wasn't afraid they would break my heart or run from me. All my life I had seen examples of why love could only be harmful, Bella's own heartbreak had spanned months gave her nightmares and caused her to lose a part of herself, after around a year of knowing the guy, what if I got to deep and it killed more of me than I had to give.
I saw the desperation in Caius's eyes and the hesitance and fear in the other two. Maybe I did not love them yet, but I did believe in my heart I could grow too, and I believed that they would do their best not to throw my life away. I wasn't sure how I knew it but I did. I understood that I felt safe in their presence and took away the caution and I was at home, three pieces of my being that I had felt the ache of missing my whole life.
Thousands of years they believe they had waited for me. I suppose that meant Vampires were immortal. Good to know. Instead of speaking I slowly walked in front of the couch and lowered myself onto it, tense still, but a show of my acceptance and trust, one they probably didn't realise, but the look Bella shot me meant she did.
"Alright. I believe you, but you're going to have to give me a second."
Aro gave a delighted laugh "Tesoro ti daremmo l'eternità se questo è ciò di cui avevi bisogno."
I understood most of what he'd said and flushed knowing that he was telling the truth, if I had asked for it, they would have given me space instantly. I also got the strong feeling from their reaction to Bella being alive, not a vampire and wandering apparently wild, they would be disinclined to let us leave, I figured that was a problem for the end of the week when we would have to make a decision.
"Come," Marcus held out his hand with Olly now flashed to sit upon his shoulders, "Let us give you a tour."
Olly gave a squeal upon realising how tall he was, Marcus the tallest of the three Vampires giving Olly quite the perch. He instantly loved it and began commanding us which way to go, I was happy to oblige and apparently that meant the Kings would too.
I took Bella's hand in mine as we walked, I wanted to comfort her and knew the realisation of her fated loveless life would catch up eventually, I would be there for her when it did.
During the walk and in between explanations of passages and art that decorated the castle, I asked simple ice-breaker questions to learn more of my mates. Olly and Bella would occasionally pipe in with a question just as silly, asking their favourite shape and strangest food they'd eaten when they were human. The Kings seemed only too happy to respond.
It had been a strange day indeed.