The voting poll is live for the Twilight Tricks AND Treats Halloween one-shot contest! Voting is open through the 17th. There are only 14 entries, but you'll still find plenty of chills, romance, witches, pumpkins, laughs and Halloween scares. Check it out!

Edward Cullen seemed to be immune to the fierce beauty of the Volturi mansion and kept his eyes fixed on their guide's back, but Marie couldn't keep her eyes still. Under cover of her character's terrified glances, Bella took stock of their surroundings. They passed through a grand, three-story entryway and turned down a long hall. Light filtered down from the hand-carved ceiling where fiber optic filaments glowed from the eyes of writhing demons and winged furies. Bright spots speckled the odd spaces between like stars. The light was a natural color, perhaps funneled down cables from mirrors on the rooftop. There were no electric fixtures in evidence. Bella wondered, if it was captured sunlight, how they were supposed to navigate the corridors at night?

The interior stone walls matched the exterior, showing chisel marks and rough edges with a thin layer of mortar between each block. The oppressive weight of the structure loomed over them. As forbidding as the walls and ceilings looked, the flooring was a surprise. Their feet sank sponge-like and silent into an ornate woven runner. All Bella heard was the brush of shoes on wool and her own strained breathing.

Each door they passed was set into a recess, built from massive planks of heart oak which hung from thick brass hinges. The ambiance was that of a medieval fortress. Impenetrable. Unassailable. A person locked inside one of those rooms could rot her life away, unseen, unheard.

She kept her eyes moving constantly, identifying two, no three, cameras mounted in doorways as they strode past. There would be no respite from their act. Not unless Masen found a location he deemed safe. Aro stopped at a door which looked like every other. He produced a key from his pocket and handed it to his guest with a flourish.

"Your room, sir. I do so hope our accommodations meet your standards."

Mr. Cullen let go of Marie's arm and inserted the old-fashioned brass key into the lock. It turned with a heavy, rasping sound. The tumblers within the mechanism were specially designed to resist delicate lock-picking tools. Despite its bulk, the door swung open silently. Aro grinned down at the slave girl, shooing her into the room behind her master.

Her hesitation was unfeigned. She stopped just over the threshold, her head swiveling rapidly to take it all in. It was a massive room, flooded with light from three floor-to-ceiling leaded windows. Heavy, red velvet curtains were tied back with braided cords. The sunlight illuminated a four-poster bed pushed up against the wall on the left, dressed in gold linens with a black and gold brocade canopy. The furniture was stained black and red, as if the wood had been soaked in blood then lacquered to trap the ruby glow.

There were beautiful rugs on the floor and padded sofas around an advanced entertainment system. The walls were hung with artwork of the sort you would expect in a gallery of classic treasures. Bella's eyes were drawn to the closest painting, which depicted a pale-skinned maiden bathing in a shallow stream. At first glance, it was delicate and beautiful. However, she soon saw the three demonic creatures that lurked in the shadows, horned and muscular, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting girl.

Aro's hands came to rest on her shoulders. "My darling girl, isn't it marvelous?" She nodded obediently. His thumbs rubbed her trapezius muscles vigorously. "Oh, you are going to love it here." Bella shivered violently, but it wasn't an act.

Edward Cullen's voice rang out from the en suite, "I'm impressed. Italian porcelain tile, even behind the john. Mr. Volturi is a man with refined tastes. I would guess he demands perfection in all things."

"Oh, yes. So true! He's a hard man to please, and an exacting boss, but he rewards those who are loyal and dedicated to him."

"How long have you worked for the man? You seem quite happy with your position."

"Oh, ha ha ha. You're looking for a new recruit for your latest enterprise? Doing a bit of head-hunting? I am flattered. Truly. But I'm not one to bite the hand that feeds me. And Mr. Volturi does feed us very, very well." Aro pushed out his flat tummy and rubbed it delicately with the pads of his fingers.

"Uh huh," Mr. Cullen responded drily, exiting the bathroom and taking a slow and careful circuit around the room. He ran his fingers along the wainscotting, peered into wall-mounted sconces, and scrutinized every frame of the oil paintings that lined the walls. Every ten feet or so, a thick brass ring hung at waist height. He tugged on one, but it didn't budge.

"Anchored six inches into the stone," Aro supplied proudly.

"Nice," Mr. Cullen said, appreciatively.

Bella didn't want to know what the rings were for, but her imagination was supplying some very graphic scenarios.

Mr. Cullen finally came to a stop in front of the entertainment center. The black screen of the television was the most visible reminder that this was a modern retreat, not the old-world citadel that it appeared to be. What other technology was secreted in the room? Judging by her owner's meticulous examination of every surface, he was asking himself the same question.

"Soooo, Mr. Cullen, can we officially add your name to the seating chart for tonight's fête?"

"I think I would like that," he replied with a slow smile.

"Wonderful!" Aro crowed, clapping his hands. "Okay boys, come on in," he called. The two beige-clad employees came into the room and deposited the luggage between a massive wardrobe and matching tallboy. "Shall I have one of our girls help you unpack and get settled in?"

"Marie can do that. Oh, that reminds me. This is a touch embarrassing, but I haven't really had the time to do any research. I had a girl up in Seattle, dumb as a brick and didn't speak an ounce of English, but she knew her job. She kept Marie presentable for me. Who can I trust around here? My girl's starting to look pretty shabby."

Bella curled her hands to hide her chipped nail polish and ragged cuticles. Yeah, Masen didn't miss anything.

"Oh, dear me," Aro exclaimed, grabbing one of her hands and pulling it close to his face. "Tsk tsk. Well! This is well within my power to resolve. Come along, young lady. Oh, you, too, Mr. Cullen! If you're to be our guest, you should know about all the resources at your disposal, even the humble ones. Go on, boys. You're done here," he waved on the two nondescript helpers.

Bella watched her partner lock the door to their lavish room, and they set off further down the hall. Aro led them through a wide atrium. Sunlight rained down on them through the glass dome overhead, burning Bella's eyes after the dim light of the hallway. The atrium was humid, and the sound of trickling water filled the air. An indoor stream ran over artfully laid pebbles, the waterway lined with lush, tropical plants. There were several sitting areas, the furniture a combination of woven wicker and gold-toned wood, shaded beneath sweeping lengths of white linen.

Bella saw two girls on the far side of the courtyard talking to a dark-skinned man. Bella took note of their scant clothing. They had far more skin showing than she did. Standing just inside another corridor was a figure in a dark suit, his face hidden in shadows. His height and breadth made the doorway look small by comparison. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel him watching the small party as it crossed to another hallway.

Aro led them to a large room with its own enclosed patio. There were several girls sitting and lying around. Some were reading, some were watching a movie. One girl was curled up asleep on a paisley sofa. The scene would have been completely mundane if it weren't so twisted and perverse. The girls, teens and young adults, were reading children's picture books, the show on the large flat screen television was showing a graphic bondage scene which looked far too realistic to be mainstream porn, and the unconscious girl on the couch was dressed in nothing but a lace demi-bra and a pair of black leather boy shorts. She twitched and shook in her sleep, her dreams far from restful. Without exception, everyone wore a silver choker similar to her own. Bella swallowed hard.

"This is the girls' dayroom," Aro exclaimed, one arm swept wide. "As you can see, our girls enjoy one another's company and some non-strenuous pastimes when they aren't needed. Even our guests are comfortable leaving their pets here. It's completely secure, with at least one guard on duty at all times." He gestured to the sullen looking man by the entryway. Turning his head to the far corner of the room, he called out in a sing-song voice, "Zafrina darling, we have a very special guest here. Come and introduce yourself!"

Bella caught her breath when a statuesque woman unfolded herself from one of the window seats and approached them. She was almost as tall as Masen, with burnt umber skin and midnight-black hair that hung in snake-like braids to her waist. Zafrina's eyes turned up on the outer corners giving her an exotic, cat-like appearance. The illusion was enhanced by her sloping forehead, defined cheekbones and narrow, pointed chin. Her perfect features were marred by signs of recent violence. Bella called on Marie's natural instincts and wilted visibly before the alpha female.

"Zafrina is one of our newest additions, a gift from a powerful ally in Porto Velho. She's had a tough time adjusting, but we think she's going to fit in beautifully, won't you my Amazonian princess?" Zafrina looked straight through him, her face rigid and proud. Aro giggled.

Looking at her and her split, swollen lower lip, Bella saw how extreme beauty could be a curse. An average woman never would have been singled out for capture the way this woman was. She wondered how it had happened. Was she overpowered? Tricked? Her bearing was too straight, her lean muscles too toned and primed for action, to have been born a captive. No, she was as much a warrior as Aro's mocking title implied. Perhaps she could be an ally.

"Zafrina has many special talents. One of them is tending to the hairdressing and dermatological needs of our little flock. She has been absolutely invaluable these last couple weeks." He cupped one hand close to his mouth and leaned in to add quietly, "Our last girl moved on unexpectedly."

"It happens," Mr. Cullen shrugged. "So, Zafrina, do you understand me?"

"Yehs, sir," she replied in slow, accented English.

"Excellent. I'll show you what I want done. Where do you work?"

"Dis way, sir."

"Go on, now, Marie. Go with Zafrina. Go on," Aro encouraged her with a gentle push and a smile.

"Oh, come on," her owner hissed when she hesitated. He grabbed her by the upper arm, tugging her along behind him.

Marie tripped on the edge of the carpet, and scrambled to keep her balance. Edward Cullen didn't even slow down. Off the dayroom was a luxurious bathing area with four alcoves, one of which appeared to be set up as a salon. There were several padded tables, an elaborate vanity and piles of cosmetics in trays and tubs.

"Well?" her master growled impatiently.

Hands shaking, Marie took of all of her clothes, folding them into a sloppy pile which she set on a small padded stool. Business-like, Zafrina patted one of the tables. Marie crawl-climbed onto the elevated surface and lay down, her arms hugged tight against her chest. She felt like a cadaver laid out for dissection. The Amazon ran her fingers up her left calf, grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm back and forth, then looked expectantly at Mr. Cullen.

"Smooth from here to here," he indicated the length of her body from neck to ankles. "But here, just make it neat. Natural. Not like those Brazilian models," he said, tapping the top of her pubic bone. Goosebumps raced across her skin, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Dis ee-zee. And her haanz? Her naylz?"

"This one," he said, passing Zafrina a bottle of pearlescent pink nail polish.

"Ee-zee. Two hours."

"I want her to look perfect. Take two hours. Hell, take three. Just make her look good."

Repulsed, Bella listened until his footsteps faded, then she opened her eyes. There was a sudden burst of heat below her left knee, and she yelped.

"Staaay," the tall woman said, pressing her leg firmly back on the table. Bella flinched when she felt Zafrina lay a strip of cloth down over the hot wax, then yank it off briskly. The Amazon moved very quickly. There was none of the soothing music or chattering conversation Bella had taken for granted at the spa in D.C. The other slave girl was doing a job under duress. There was no pleasure in it for her, or her charge.

Bella's eyes were smarting by the time Zafrina prodded her roughly on the hip. "Tern," she commanded. Bella rolled over.

When the waxing and trimming was over, Zafrina escorted her to the bathing area and prodded her into one of the showers. Bella washed away the sugary residue and gratefully accepted a plush pink towel from the other captive. She was patting her raw skin dry when Zafrina appeared beside her again. Bella squeaked and dropped the towel.

"Staay," Zafrina said again, then proceeded to rub a thick ointment all over Bella's body. It smelled of nut oils and a sharp-scented herb, but the penetrating odor faded quickly, taking the sting with it. "Dis tek away deh bern."

"Yes it did. Thank you," Bella said, giving the taller woman a shy smile.

The cat-like eyes narrowed to slits. Then Zafrina's face relaxed minutely, and she gave Bella a sad smile. "Is behter."

"Yes. Much better."

"Good. Now, yor naylz."

Wrapped in a towel, Bella sat on one of the padded stools while Zafrina soaked her hands and feet, removed the hideous red polish, then smoothed out her rough cuticles and nails. When the manicure was complete, Bella was relieved. The new polish was much easier to look at and wouldn't show wear as blatantly. The top coat was nearly dry by the time the sinister shadow of Edward Cullen fell across her lap.

"Well, stand up. Let's look at you," he commanded.

With her eyes on the floor, Bella stood up. She kept her fingers and toes splayed to avoid smudging the fresh polish.

"It'll have to do. When that's dry, come back out to the dayroom. I'll be waiting."

Bella nodded and sank back onto her stool. She watched as Zafrina collected and cleaned her tools and other materials. Moving carefully, Bella pulled her clothes back on. She was just about to leave when another woman entered the room.

"Oh good. You are here. I broke a nail. Be a doll and fix it for me?"

"Yehs, Veek-toh-ree-uh. Com seet."

The stunning redhead took one look at Bella and huffed. "Another one? My God, you're even wormier looking than the last one. You won't last a month!" Her eyes cut sharply up and down Bella's form before dismissing her completely.

There was something cold and hard about this Victoria. She sank into one of the more comfortable lounge chairs, closed her eyes and held out her hand for Zafrina to tend to. Bella took the opportunity to scrutinize her. Just like all the other girls, she wore a delicate silver necklace with a curling 'V' resting in the hollow of her throat. She was dressed in exquisite lingerie, pale peach and white lace that made her hair glow like embers. She could have been a model on a runway for all the humility she showed. It didn't add up. She was regal and condescending, even in this hell. Confused, Bella made her way back out to the main room.

She stopped in the doorway, suddenly overcome by a sickening rush of vertigo. Agent Masen - no, he was very much Edward Cullen right now - stood between Aro and another man. A nude female posed before them, undergoing a humiliating examination. Mr. Cullen pinched the skin on her hip, waist and her upper arm, turned her face from side to side, then pried her jaw open to look at her teeth as if she was a horse at a livestock auction.

Throughout the examination, there was a contemplative look on his face, but as she watched, his expression turned to one of distaste, and he shook his head. Bella forced herself to walk closer so she could hear their conversation.

"Kissing that would be like sucking on a sewer pipe. Don't you bother with dental care?"

"She's a recent acquisition. A couple extractions, maybe a filling or two, she could be yours within a week," the third man said. He was middle-aged and blond, soft around the middle and thinning on top. He had a tablet in one hand and a stylus in the other, scribbling down everything that Edward Cullen was saying.

"I'm not changing just for the sake of change. When I said I wanted an upgrade, I wasn't talking about buying somebody else's castoffs. Find me a girl who's really unique. When I take her out, people should look at her and immediately think, 'Yes. Of course. That's the kind of woman who belongs with Edward Cullen!' My next girl will be an asset. An investment in my new image campaign. She should catch your eye. Beautiful, proud, strong. There's no pleasure in breaking a blade of grass. She will fear me. She will worship me. There is no value in being worshipped by a mouse. Are you getting all this?"

"Yes, yes. Sounds like you want an ice princess."

"Ice princess? Nordic, German, something along those lines? Maybe. But she better speak English fluently. Who cares how intelligent you are if you sound like a simpleton?"

Aro was nodding thoughtfully through the whole exchange. Then he saw Marie, and his eyes lit up. "There she is! Although how you can't see the value in your little mouse, I don't know."

"I know how much she's worth. It's a red blotch on my ledger. If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to unpack and dress for dinner. Six o'clock?"

"I'll come and escort you myself," Aro said with a small bow. "It does take some time to-" He paused mid-sentence and held his hand up to his left ear. Speaking into his watch he said, "Yes, sir. I'll be right there." Turning back to Mr. Cullen and the blond man he gave them an apologetic shrug and a smile. "When he says jump. . . Michael, could you be a dear and show Mr. Cullen back to his room? He's in the Baroque suite."

"No problem. I'm heading back that way myself."

Bella trailed along behind the men as the traveled back through the atrium, now much cooler as the sun dipped below the angle of the roof. The dimly lit hallway back to their room seemed to go on forever. Feeling an icy chill creep down her spine, Bella glanced over her shoulder. She thought she saw a dark figure slip into a doorway. Or maybe it was only her imagination, dreaming up horned beasts and prowling demons in the shadows. It must have been, because why would the Volturi bother hiding?

*Phew* I'm stressed out, and I know what happens next! Sucks to be you guys stuck waiting for the next chapter. LOL Just kidding. I'll finish it as fast as I can. :) Thanks for all the awesome feedback last chapter! As for all your outlandish speculation about the true identity of the man behind the curtain. . . nah. I'm aint sayin' nuttin'! LOLOLOL