When I woke it was instantaneous, I felt as though I had only blinked, so sudden was my awareness and conscious thought. However my vision seemed out of focus, clouded somehow in a room so dark I shouldn't be able to see at all. I breathed out and frowned as material fluttered against my face, it was so light and soft, a shroud. As I removed it my vision sharpened and my shoulders pressed against the stone around me.

Confusion overwhelmed me as I realised where I was, entombed.

But.. I was alive. Wasn't I?

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, fear making it accelerate by the second as I tried not to think about how I would get out of the walls enclosing me.

I held up my hand before my eyes and turned it, I wasn't deathly pale… My skin looked just as it always had.

I wondered for a moment what had happened… Had Aro been unable to turn me? Was I dead? Was this a dream and I was trapped in a coma?

I instantly grabbed at the skin on my cheek and pinched hard, twisting until tears came to my eyes as I gasped in pain.

Okay, I was awake.

I couldn't lift my head but I could still see just enough of myself to realise I was in my Volturi cloak, a weight on my chest caught my attention and I raised a hand to lift the heavy pendant.

Aro's Volturi crest.

My heart ached with immense and sudden pain and I suddenly felt a flash of recognition. Of feeling it being placed so gently around my neck as those beautiful lips kissed mine one last time.

His sob echoed around my head as the shroud was gently placed over my immobile face, the stone grated loudly as the lid was firmly laid in place. I knew without being an observer that he had left the room before witnessing my face being swallowed by the darkness.

He thought I was dead.

So why wasn't i?

And how could I see?!

I felt stupid for only analysing this now, but I could see perfectly, my vision wasn't in anyway affected by the darkness and yet… Dark it was.

I flexed my hands and raised them to the lid above me and pushed, with ease the stone was raised with my strength and felt no heavier than cardboard as I placed it silently down on the floor and sat up, viewing my surroundings.

It was a shrine, I realised. My breath being stolen from me as my eyes observed the candle lit room where I was entombed.

There was no stone in the room except for the marble tomb where I sat, which I now realised was lined with soft velvet and silk… Much like Aro's bed was.

The walls too were covered with rich material, there wasn't a stone in sight and I realised he had wanted it to feel warm and my heart ached for him.

Was he still alive?

I felt cold terror seep into my skull and down to my fingertips as I wondered how long I had been here. There was no thick dust surrounding me even though I could see it dancing away from the candle flames, but that meant nothing, Aro would be likely to ensure the room never aged and was kept in a state of complete perfection.

Perhaps I should take the lack of webs and dust as a sign of his continued existence. Surely without him it would fall into ruin…

The lack of a similar tomb beside her also gave her hope. Surely if dead, he would be beside her?

I checked every corner of the room to make sure I was alone, it was then I noted the portrait which hung from the wall behind my marble tomb. The likeness took my breath away.

It was everything I should have been…

Voilet eyes shone from beneath thick, black lashes. My full lips were parted slightly, smiling with mischief at the painter, my thick, dark hair cascaded in curls to my waist. I was wearing the midnight blue sundress and his gifts hung from my neck, ears and dangled from my fingertips.

It had been painted in pure bittersweet agony and I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I mouthed his name without sound.

'Aro…'

I turned to pull myself from the tomb and looked sadly at the single chair which sat before me and my likeness. I stroked the wood softly, with sadness at the thought of him sitting here for hours, days perhaps… Merely staring at the painting.

I could taste the longing in the air, so enhanced were my senses. It was there, along with love so strong it made me yearn for him… But there was also despair, despair so deep and all consuming I covered my mouth to withhold the sob which threatened to tear itself from me.

I longed for a mirror, to see how I looked now that I was… whatever it was that I had become.

I wasn't human, being able to lift marble as though it were nothing was proof enough of that. Along with my enhanced senses. Yet I wasn't a Vampire, my heart still pounded in my chest and I could still feel physical pain.

I searched my arms and legs beneath the cloak and sundress for a bite but could feel none, my neck, chest and stomach didn't escape my inspection and I frowned as I found nothing.

Not a single mark.

…Not a single mark!

I looked down quickly at my wrist, at both held together in case I had forgotten which had been torn into by James and subsequently reopened by Aro.

The skin was unblemished and perfect, as though it had never happened.

It happened then, suddenly. I felt my power awaken within me and rush through my veins. The air seemed to shift around me and I raised my eyes in one swift movement to the door, sure that my eyes glowed violet without needing to see my reflection.

The weight of his pendant around my neck only added to my strength, but I needed to conceal it for now along with my identity. I hid it beneath my dress and cloak and pulled the hood over my features and hair, feeling frustrated at the beating heart which would give me away in an instant.

How could it have been silent for so long and yet beat now with such ferocity, I thought?

A moment passed and a thought flowed through me and then… Silence.

It had worked.

I had stilled my own heart and smiled wildly as I held my fingers to my neck, checking I wasn't hallucinating.

A thought again and suddenly it was back, beating beneath my chest.

This was how I would keep myself hidden. How pure Vampyre's had kept themselves hidden before they were wiped out, I imagined. My scent however was the one thing I was sure I couldn't disguise. I'd just have to hope being entombed in a stone box for however long may have lessened the intensity.

I pushed on the door and it opened with the sound of cracking wood as the lock in place splintered under my touch, my brows rose in surprise at my strength. I'd have to learn to control it better, it hadn't even felt like the door had a lock.

I stepped out onto the flagstone flooring, grateful for the blue ballet flats my feet had been encompassed in as the sound of clicking heels would have echoed in this empty corridor.

As I walked through the corridor until I reached stone steps, I occurred to me that he had built me a mausoleum. I felt tears tracing their way down my cheeks when I pushed on the door and the night air greeted me, he had buried me in our garden, his balcony overlooking the beautiful white marble structure which had taken the place of the bench we had occupied once before.

Even in death his love had afforded me the best protection he could offer, forever watched over by him.

I ached to see him, to touch him, but I had to be careful. I had no idea of how much time had passed or if there… if there was someone new in his life.

I felt as though I had been swiftly kicked in the gut at the thought and felt like I would rather go back down into my tomb and die of starvation than ever be forced to see him with another.

I hesitated, not knowing what to do. My heart beat for just a moment as I lost control of it at the thought of being replaced, before I immediately stilled it again.

I had to see him, I had to know.

I could hear, see and taste everything around me. It was almost overwhelming but so incredibly beautiful that I almost forgot my purpose, but not quite. I could hear everything, each word being spoken in the castle and I quickly gathered enough information to realise it was nearly feeding time… Good, that would provide enough of a distraction that I could enter the throne room unnoticed.

None but Aro would recognise me and I would do all I could to remain hidden from him until I knew the truth.

I pulled the cloak around my shoulders, further concealing my body and waited in the shadows for the perfect moment to intercept the human travellers Heidi would be showing around soon.

I didn't have to wait for long, Heidi's lilting voice soon drifted to me as the lift opened and the tourists filtered out. My speed was such that in an instant I was following behind them, too far to be seen or heard but as Heidi approached the throne room and pushed to open the door I had to restrain my heart as it fought to beat in anticipation.

I was sure the sound would be lost among the human heartbeats however the scent of my blood being pumped around my body would not, I reenforced my control over my traitorous heart and blended into the shadows with the vampires as the humans looked around the room in awe.

"Welcome, to Volterra."

My eyes snapped up to the thrones and immediately landed on he who had spoken, his arrogant whiny tone the complete opposite of the warm, deep tone that I had expected. Caius.

His blond hair and cruel eyes twinkled with glee as he steepled his hands before his chin. I leaned somewhat to try and see behind him, to see who occupied the chair at the head of the dais. I couldn't however, as every vampire in the room stepped forward in that moment as one and I was pushed into the fray, they paused as the screams echoed around them. Not in hesitation however, but with purpose.

This was far different from the feeding days under Aro. Feeding had been quick for the humans, it hadn't drawn on their fear or pain… However if there was one thing Caius enjoyed it was the terror of the squirming rat beneath his boot.

The humans tried to run, only to be snapped at by those with crimson eyes and evil intent until they were forced into the middle of the room.

"I believe I shall have…" His voice set her jaw on edge and she clenched it tightly as the room silenced, the cries of a small child the only sound as he clung to his mother and sobbed. "The child."

It was said with such a sickening amount of glee that I had to restrain myself from launching toward his pretty blonde head and punching him.

"Please." My head snapped to the far right corner of the room at the familiar voice and a pixie haired girl stepped forth, Jasper at her side. Both looked at the dais with pleading eyes. "Please Aro you must stop this."

My heart threatened to begin pounding again and I shoved the urge down as fear and love swelled within my chest. He was here? Alive?

Caius had the child in his grasp and grinned cruelly as the boy sobbed and pleaded. He turned on his heel toward Alice and raised a single arm to his side, finally granting me the view of the man I loved…

"By all means Miss Cullen, try to appeal to Aro. See if he hears you." Caius taunted, his tone spoke of greed and surety. He truly believed Aro to be gone and looking at the man I loved, even I doubted for a moment.

He didn't look at the crowd before him, his eyes were averted to something off to the distance that none but he could see. He looked desolate, his beautiful hair no longer perfectly styled and restrained but tumbled over his shoulders in unchecked abandon. His face whilst still achingly beautiful looked… lost. Full of despair and agony and in that moment it struck me who he reminded me of and my eyes darted to the figure seated at his right. Marcus.

They each reflected the despair of losing their mate, the boredom of eternal life without that which once gave them purpose. Yet I was unsure of what kept Aro alive, was Chelsea's power being used on him too? I had learned a lot from Heidi in her time here, some things I had known never to speak of with Aro but now I wished I had asked… My heart ached for him and I felt another tear slip down my face, hidden by the hood still concealing my features.

"Aro please." Alice's small voice was filled with hope, with pleading and something else… I realised a moment before she said it what was going to happen, the fear and bravery were equally warring with each other in her eyes. "Bella wouldn't wa-"

The mood in the room changed instantly as Aro changed before her eyes, his aura seemed to pulse as fury gathered around him. I had never seen him so far gone, the man which now had Alice pinned to the crumbling pillar beneath the punishing force of his ire was not the man I loved.

"You. Dare?" His beautiful voice was ragged with pure pain and agony as he snarled at her, the room was deathly silent as all watched Aro crush the life from her. Four vampires held Jasper back and I waited, waited to hear his beautiful voice again. "You dare speak her name like you own the right? When the very reason SHE IS DEAD IS BECAUSE OF YOU!"

The skin of her neck cracked and crumbled beneath his fist as Aro squeezed harder and Alice clawed at his arm, terror lighting her eyes.

"Had you not lied to try and drive her back into the arms of your worthless brother" He spat the word in abject fury. "Had you not manipulated her to believe the very worst then she would never have found Archos, I would have brought her home, safe. YOU TOOK MY MATE FROM ME!"

"Brother…" It was Marcus who spoke, his monotone voice the only one which made Aro pause. "Alice is here to aid us against Archos, let us not negate her usefulness in our own anger."

"Know this Alice Cullen…" Aro whispered, his broken voice struck me to my core. "You only live because she would have wished it so. You are never to speak her name to me again or I. Will. Kill. You."

Aro released her and stepped away, Alice crumpled to the floor and rubbed at her cracked neck as Aro took his place back on the dais, ignoring everything else around him and returning to his catatonic state.

"That may be." Alice rasped even as Jasper warned her to stay quiet, but ever the defiant pixie she didn't listen. "And I will live with the death of my sister for the rest of my life."

Aro's fury began to build again as Alice continued to talk and I knew that this time, should he snap, even Marcus could not talk him down.

"But if I live because she would have wished it so then the same applies to that child. What do you think she would say if she could see you now Aro…?" The pity in Alice's voice infuriated me. How dare she presume to know what I would say to him, how I would think?

"I will never know, because your actions led to her being ripped from me. Leave now." Suddenly as quickly as his rage had come, it had fled. He was desolate, empty of everything, even rage and it broke me to see him so.

'Kneel'

I felt my power flow to me as easily as water flowed to the sea and a ripple seemed to pass through the air before all kneeled instantly, all except me, Aro and Marcus who were already seated.

'Release the child.'

Caius looked stunned as his fingers relinquished their grip on the child, who crawled back into his mothers arms.

Aro had looked up in disinterest at the noise of over a hundred bodies kneeling simultaneously and yet his gaze still hadn't fallen on her. She could see comprehension warring with hope and fear on his face as his eyes surfed over the figures, searching. I raised my hands and pulled back the hood which obscured my face and finally relinquished control of my ever-fighting heart. Allowing it to beat for the man who's desperate midnight black eyes finally locked with mine.

thump

thump

thump

A/N: I know, I'm sorry. I'm a horrible author who has been away for months and months. Please forgive me!