Thank you so much for your lovely reviewing. It makes my day! But I can't promise on a frequent update of the story. My writing depends so so much on my mood of the day. Just hope that Anne stays in my mind long enough to finish her adventure.


Volterra.

The brighter the city looked, the darker the Volturi castle was.

It was like two complete different world. You stepped through the door, you became something different.

That was how Anna felt the first time she laid eyes upon the shadow of the castle.

Rene shared the feeling with her. She glanced at her sister, who was clutching her hand nervously. I wish Jacob was here. Anna did not respond. A part of her regretted ever choosing to go to Voltera, but another part...

She glanced at the driver of their car. Even at the back he still looked gorgeous.

Her father cleared his throat loudly, her mother quirked up an eyebrow questioningly. From the driver seat, Alec let out a low chuckle. God, he sounded so...

Her father cleared throat again. That was it. She glared at him. I deserve some privacy.

He shook his head, the message is clear. Not after you ran around Rome with HIM. Damn his mind reading power.

This had to be her punishment. She made a mistake of glancing up at the mirror. Red eyes staring deep into her soul.

"I strongly recommend you concentrate on the driving. Unlike you my daughters can get hurt."

Her mother just had to jump in. Just great.

You know how I feel all the time, sister. At least you can choose to be invisible when you want to. Her sister mused.

Not helping!


Thank god for the strong human part in Rene's body, demanding to go to sleep. Anne used it as an excuse not to see Aro or anyone else, including her overly protective parents and a human blood drinking vampire. It made sense at about 3am.

"I can lead the ladies to their chamber."

"I'd rather someone else." - Her father spoke up even before any of them could react to the offer, glaring at the demon. Stay away from her.

In the end it was a huge vampire whose name Anne had forgotten who took them the chamber. But it didn't stop Alec from giving her a devious smirk and a loudly solemn swear to chop his head off from her father.

Jacob was once threatened so.

Thank you for informing me, sister. Very helpful.

You can always disappear into the crowd. That's helpful.

Are you trying to talk me to run away?

I'm not saying anything, sister.

It doesn't have to be a dramatic run away.

Just shut up and go to bed. Thank you very much.

It is fun. I can't sleep anymore. At least now I have the chance to pester you about a boy. How long have you been making snide remark about me and Jacob?

Just SHUT UP.

You're no fun at all, sis.


The current problem of Anne Marie Cullen's life was that it was too complicated. She realized that when she met Aro in the morning. The creepy smile never left his face. He was overjoyed to see both sisters standing in front of him, and knowing they chose to visit him without forcing. He kept questioning and questioning, until the point Anne wished she could just throw up in his face.

Edward left the throne room right at that moment, probably to get a good laugh. Anne closed her mind to keep the thought safely in her head, in case Aro wanted to look into her mind, again. It was no good to share that kind of thought to people.

In the end, at midday, thank the god Aro let her go, since he realized he could not look into her head like her mother, and the threat of disappearing was written clearly on her face. Poor Rene for being overly polite. Even Marcus got bored and had left at some point.

"Well, Anne dear." - The oh so familiar smile on Aro's face - "Why don't you go out and discover Volterra for yourself, dear? Our city is extremely safe and beautiful. I can even appoint a tourguide for you, if you'd like." A guard, you mean.

Where were her parents when she needed them?

Of course they just had to disappear for some privacy. Of course her other family members had to disappear as well. Of course they believed Anne and Rene could handle themselve quite well. Of course thing just had to go the way she least expected.

Jane was her tourguide.

Where was Alec?

Not that she was desparated to see him again. No. Not after that dinner.

Who was she lying to?


Twins for twins. Of course Rene got Alec to be her tourguide. Of course Alec and Jane's opinion on sight-seeing and babysitting had to be different.

Of course Jane had to sense her desperation when she glanced at Alec, and then acted all overprotective sister.

She was dragged to the other side of the city.

At least Jane let her wander herself. She could still feel the prying eyes of the witch vampire, however.

They arrived at Piazza dei Priori. The history and beauty of the building was enough to keep her entertained for the rest of the day.

Where are you, Anne? Nessie had got back. We are worried about you.

Piazza dei Priori, dad. Everything is fine. I will stay for a while longer.

Nope, little princess. You go back NOW.

Dad, Jane is with me. I doubt I can cause any trouble at all.

It is LATE.

9pm is not LATE at all. Not for a vampire. I'm staying. You can choose to forget this conversation.

Midnight. If you don't get back here at midnight, I will go looking for you.

Deal.

"Your father is being a dick." -Jane stated, for the first time since they were paired up. She glanced at the vampire.

"That's how father is." - She decided to respond.

"He thinks I'd let you near my precious brother?" - Jane glanced at her in disdain, a glance that made her heart frozen. - "Don't even dream of it."

I don't have to find him. He found me first.


The next few days, however, was spent on avoiding Jane at all cost. That also meant avoiding Alec.

She would not tell a soul how it made she felt, because she honestly didn't know either.

Jane made clear on her threat. Never go near Alec or... You knew that last part. Anne found herself using her gift more than usual.

It didn't stop Alec seeing through the glass, though. She knew it. Her gift did not affect Alec at all. They both knew it since the beginning. No matter how hard she tried, Alec was still there, staring at her. His stare softened when their eyes met. They could almost communicate without word.

That was until she turned away.

Jane sticked with her all the week, or everytime she found it possible (to make sure her precious brother was safe) much to her mother's dismay. Bella and Jane simply hated each other. Bella didn't like the fact twins for twins of Aro, but Edward, so surprisingly, liked it. As long as Alec stayed away from Anne, which Jane kept to her heart.

In the end, Volterra was not as great as she expected.


Last day in Volterra.

Can you please use your gift NOW?

Familiar hand-writing. He had no idea how difficult it was for her to use her power in such a huge number of gifted vampires, didn't he?

Okay, let's try.

It was not like she obeyed everything he said, okay? Nope. Absolutely not. And it was her last day, her last chance to save the trip.

Call it a revolution of teenage girl.

Roman Theatre. 8pm.

Just 2 hours until her plane took off. What was he thinking?

"What are you thinking? Avoiding me?"

She turned around to face him. Black suited him well.

"Your sister..."

"... will never know about this, as well as your father." - He took a step closer to her. The moonlight danced on his hair. His eyes shone dangerously.

They were so freaking close!

"I've been following you since London." - He growled - "Trying to talk to you without scaring you or alerting your family. And now when we get the chance to actually meet and talk, you avoid me. What the hell was that!? I have planed everything and you of all people just had to ruin it."

He was scary, she understood why other vampires call them witch twins.

He took a deep breath and calmed down. She let out a breath she didn't know holding.

"You are more than a pretty puppet, Anne." - He whispered - "Much, much more. Don't let other choose for you." - They were so close that she could look deep into his eyes, pit black.

"How could you see me, Alec?" - She whispered.

"I don't know, and I don't care." - A pause - "Do you care?"

No.

"You fascinate me, Anne Cullen." - He said, taking a step closer. His dark eyes never left hers. - "You draw my attention wherever I go. Have I done the same to you?"

The words died at her mouth.

Yes.

But she couldn't say it. It did not make sense. They couldn't fall in love that easy. People did not fall in love that easy. That was not how it was supposed to be. Was it even love?

She was not supposed to be here.

"Don't you dare run away from me, Cullen."

His hand was cold as ice. It kept her from running. It started to hurt her.

"I don't know what the hell this is, what draws me to you. I don't care. I don't know why I want you so much, you, a half-breed. I should have hated you, you lower creature, but everytime I saw you I remember how you looked at the field. How you looked at me. Nobody ever sees me like that. You make me realize I can be more than a monster. I want to talk to you. I want to take you around the world. I want, just the two of us." - His other hand touched her cheek lightly. It was cold. She was scared. Her heart had never bumped faster in her life.

His hand ran down her pulse.

Here she was, alone, frozen in fear, a hopeless pray.

She should not have come.

She should not be here with the demon.

"Maybe you will understand someday." - He whispered so quietly against her skin - "Maybe one day you will understand how I feel about you." - She closed her eyes as his lips touched her cheek ever so lightly. - "Maybe one day the world will forget you." - His lips moved to hers, she could almost taste the ice on his lips. - "But I will not. I will always find you, Anne."

His body was an iceberg taking away her heat. The sweet taste of his lips was poison to her mind and body. She was left alone again, frozen of adrenaline running in her vein. Her clock clicked, waking her to the reality.

Nobody knew she came back, in fact, they didn't even know she had left. She held Rene's hand, feeling so vulnerable.

Oh my Anne, what have you done?

I don't know.

That was not even the scariest part.


They came back home. Home. Anne let out a relief breath.

When she unpacked, a new piece of paper fell out.

One day, Anne.

She did not know how to feel. Scared, she still couldn't shake the feeling away. She could taste the icy sweetness of his lips. Her heart did a little dance of happiness while her head screaming to run.

He was her doom. He was the demon.

How could something be so sweet yet so deadly at the same time?

She stuck the message in the bottom of the bag, along with other messages he had sent.

She could still smell it though, the human blood in the bottle he had stolen. The blood he had drunk.

She wondered what if it was the sweetness she tasted on his lips. Water filled up her mouth.

She wanted it.