Chapter 3
Underneath Volterra
Volterra sent shivers down her back. Every inch of it seemed to scream "Home of the Leeches." Windows and doorways all had the same arch shape. Every building was made of the same brown stone that looked only minutes form crumbling away. The houses were attached together and cast one giant, encompassing shadow into the narrow streets. Leah imagined vampires around every corner and could hear her heart's increased beating in her chest.
"Look at the sky," Seth whispered, fear and awe in his voice.
The sky was striped with pinks and oranges which contrasted against a blood red sun sinking below the horizon. Leah didn't want to consider what this strange display of nature could foreshadow.
"Would you care for some dinner?" Carlisle asked of Jake, Leah, Seth, Quil and Embry.
They traded surprised looks among each other.
"Um, Dr. Cull, don't you think we should visit the leeches before anything else?" Suggested Jake hesitantly.
"Oh, there's really no need to go to them it will be better if we let them come to us."
"But...we don't want them to find us and go all bloodsucky because we didn't let them know we were stopping by."
"They already know we're here," said Carlisle matter of fact like, "Demetri will have announced the instant Emmett, Edward, Bella and I left Forks. They will come find us in good time, actually, they could be watching us now." The idea did not seem to trouble Carlisle, but it put the wolves on edge and, if they had been hungry before Carlisle's offer, they were not anymore.
The group made its way gradually towards the plaza where, according to Edward, Bella had saved his life. Leah briefly considered how a human girl could save a vampire's life, but was spared the guesswork as Bella launched into the story. Not ten minutes later, three cloaked figures approached from across the courtyard. Simultaneously, they looked towards the horizon then dropped their hoods.
Their faces were distant memories to Leah. When she was a wolf, she tended to see things differently, however, she recognized one as the vampire who had remarked "interesting company you keep" to Carlisle in reference to the wolves. She fought the urge to bare her teeth at them, the rude vampire in particular.
The Volturi guardsmen observed the small company in front of them and it was the largest who finally spoke, "Greetings, Carlisle, and to what do we owe this pleasure?" He smiled a little dangerously at the end.
"Felix," said Carlisle inclining his head, "Santiago, Demetri, I'm happy to see you all well. We have come to speak with Aro."
Felix seemed to be waiting for him to say more, but, after a few seconds, it became clear that that was all the information Carlisle was going to share.
"Aro was expecting as much, let's bring them down," said the one Leah had deducted was named Demetri, the one who had made the rude comment last year.
They followed Demetri through the courtyard and then through narrow streets. The vampire, Felix, fell in step next to her. Leah risked a glance up at him. He stood way over six feet and huge muscles bulged beneath his cloak. He had straight black hair along with the typical vampire complexion. His eyes were a strange shade of violet which Leah concluded to be contacts lenses.
"So we never had a formal introduction I noticed, I'm Felix," he grinned and stuck out his hand.
"Leah Clearwater," said Leah ignoring his hand.
"Feisty...oh hey, Bella! How you doing?" He winked at the newest Cullen who smiled politely back.
"Better than last time we met, I have to admit."
Felix proceeded to talk with each person individually though he could only get names out of the wolf pack.
"Would you mind if a few of you waited outside?" Asked Demetri, stopping seemingly at random. Leah looked around him trying to figure out which of the houses belonged to the Volturi.
Garret and Kate stepped aside along with Quil, Embry and Seth at Jake's command. Leah wondered whether she was glad or not that Jake hadn't told her to stay behind.
The dark skinned Volturi guard, Santiago, who had not spoken yet, snapped his fingers, "Watch here."
Quil growled deep in his throat feeling the insult of the Volturi guard's order. Santiago backed into the shadow and kicked a sewer grate out of its hole. He then leapt inside of it. Leah heard his soft landing on a floor some twenty feet below. Carlisle followed suit as did the rest of the Cullen vampires. Jake approached the hole before her.
"Someone can catch you at the bottom, if you need," Demetri offered.
"We'll be fine," Jake growled back and stepped into the opening. He landed considerably louder than the vampires, but Leah could tell he was fine. Leah approached the hole confidently. She glanced once towards Demetri who stood beside the entrance. He was looking her up and down curiously. She shot him a quick glare before jumping.
She landed softer then Jake, but not as lightly as the vampires. Before her eyes could adjust, Demetri and Felix had joined them. They began walking at a brisk pace and Leah had to concentrate to keep up without breaking into a jog. They went through a set of large, wooden doors into a room with florescent lights and a human woman sitting behind a desk.
Felix paused to flirt with the human before leading them through an arched doorway. Leah shot Bella a confused look. Why was a human woman working for the Volturi? Bella returned her gaze with a sad, knowledgeable shrug. Leah shuddered and caught, this time, both Demetri and Santiago observing her with frowns. She narrowed her eyes at them and Santiago glared before stalking back to the front of the group, while Demetri politely averted his gaze.
The room they entered resembled a throne room of some long dead English king. Leah's eyes went straight to the three vampires who sat comfortably back in their lush chairs. She remembered them well from the field that day. The one with nearly waist length brown hair was Marcus, the blond with darting, mistrustful eyes was Caius and the center one, clearly the leader with long, black hair was Aro. Behind Aro, stood a female vampire who kept her hand hovering idly over Aro's shoulder. Demetri went to stand beside Aro's throne while Felix and Santiago remained beside Leah's group.
Aro looked them all up and down curiously.
"And here I was thinking you would never allow me to meet your magnificent friends! What a pleasant surprise, Carlisle, what an unexpected delight, indeed!" Aro jumped to his feet nearly too quickly for Leah's eyes to track.
"That's not exactly why we are here, old friend, but, I suppose, it's partly." said Carlisle as he held out his hand.
Aro's smiled widened and he clasped Carlisle's hand within his own. Leah remembered that the leader of the Volturi had the ability to read every thought in a person's life with only a single touch. Though she couldn't imagine how that worked, it still sent shivers down her spine. Aro held Carlisle's hand for quite some time and Leah allowed her eyes to roam the room.
There was one other vampires she had previously taken no notice of. She was a woman with curly blond hair and a face slightly rounder than most vampires, but still beautiful. Her expression was one Leah wasn't accustomed to associating with vampires; discomfort, even fear.
Briefly, she met the gaze of Demetri whose eyes were also scanning the room. He was leaning casually against Aro's vacant throne with his arms crossed. His wavy black hair had a slightly messy appearance and just barely went past his ears. Leah noticed his skin was not as pale as the typical vampire's. It had a certain ebony tint to it. His eyes were dark burgundy.
This observation made Leah check Felix's eyes again and she found them red as well. They must have removed their contacts without her noticing. The last guard, Santiago, was about the same height as Demetri, but broader in the shoulders and hips. His eyes were a brighter red than the other two.
Just as Leah finished her observations, Aro finished his examination of Carlisle's thoughts.
"Gone are the days when we could merely speak to each other and never doubt the truth." Said Carlisle softly.
Aro looked legitimately saddened by his words, "hopefully they can return again."
"Indeed," Carlisle agreed.
"Well, brothers, the Cullens come to us with a joyful announcement. Bella Swan's father is to marry Sue Clearwater. Your mother, my dear, correct?" He smiled towards Leah who tried to hide her dislike at being called "my dear" and nodded. "Furthermore, they wish to be married in our home country of Italy! In Florence, not very far from here! Now, while I wish them the best, we are faced by a few, um, possible issues. The wedding will be rather large and will include twelve shape-shifters and, at least, seven vampires. Typically, we would rather not draw attention to this part of our country and we cannot predict how much attention the shape-shifters may attract."
"Less than vampires," said Leah and Jake in unison.
"Ah, but you cannot prove that!" Exclaimed Aro. I have seen in Carlisle's thoughts that some times you can't control when you transform."
"Phase and it's difficult when you're new," said Jake, "but, still, we have more control than newborn vampires. Usually." He added after looking towards Bella.
"But you are all new, by our terms," stated Aro. "How old are you? Seventeen and twenty-one? You can't possibly have total control over your abilities."
"I think you saw for yourself what "control" we have over our abilities," said Leah the words coming our more hostile than she had planned. "We aren't werewolves or vampires, we don't have bloodlust, our minds are always in control, even when we're wolves."
Caius made a derisive noise. "So you say! Why are we debating this, Aro? We simply can't allow twelve wolves to go roaming around Tuscany. Especially, when we are throwing Carlisle and his coven into the mix." His nose wrinkled slightly in dislike.
Aro made no reaction towards Caius, but gazed at Leah thoughtfully. "As a wolf, there must be some amount of instinct, no? Or else you would not be the successful fighters you are."
"When we are wolves there's instinct, yes, but it's not to hunt or kill, it's to protect." Leah's voice took an edge of pride as she described the differences between herself and the vampires.
"To protect whom?" Asked Aro eagerly.
"Brother, I believe you are moving off topic!" Snapped Caius.
Aro sighed, disappointed. "I suppose I am. I'm afraid we will have to finish our conversation another time, Leah Clearwater." He looked at her regretfully.
"Looking forward to it," she muttered sarcastically, but Aro paid her comment no mind. Instead, he walked over and took the blond vampire's hand. "What do you think we should do about the wedding, Ellie, dearest?"
The blond vampire looked up at the Cullens her eyes ending on Leah. "I think it wouldn't be proper of us to deny the couple their choice of marriage destination," muttered Ellie, her voice quieter than the other vampires', "as for the wolves, it isn't my place to say what I think."
"Of course, we would respect any opinion of yours if you change your mind and wish to voice it. Brothers, what say you?" Aro turned to Marcus and Caius.
"Absolutely not," snapped Caius, "the couple may be wed here, if they wish, but only them."
"I see no problem with a large wedding," said Marcus, "as long as we post guards to ensure it won't become out of hand."
"I agree with you, Marcus." Said Aro. Caius let out a hiss of rage, but Aro pressed on. "I trust Carlisle to understand the importance of secrecy especially so close to us in Volterra. However, I still find it extraneously risky." He paused for effect, "I propose we send a couple of our guards to accompany the Cullens and the wolf pack to Florence. They can report back on whether or not they believe we should allow the wedding to commence as planned. Additionally, I believe it would be safest if the shape-shifters refrained from taking on their wolf forms for the duration of their stay in Italy unless faced with a life threatening situation."
Leah growled low in her throat, but, too her surprise, Jake nodded and said, "of course."
Carlisle too was nodding, though his face was set in a frown.
Cauis gave an exasperated sigh, "Fine, carry forth with that plan, I suppose."
Marcus remained silent, but Aro seemed to assume he was in agreement with the new plan and clapped once. "Felix, Demetri, would you accompany the Cullens and their friends to Florence and lend them any assistance they may need?"
The two vampires nodded. "Sounds like a pretty good time to me." Felix grinned towards the Cullens and sent a wink, Leah was pretty sure, at Bella.
Leah looked desperately around for someone, anyone, to make an argument. She didn't want to be observed by any leeches. Especially, she didn't want her behavior to be the deciding factor in Sue's wedding. She could feel herself beginning to panic as she cast her eyes around for help.
Jake shot her a warning glance and touched her lightly on the arm. Meanwhile, Aro and Carlisle embraced and Felix punched Edward lightly on the arm smirking broadly. Leah gritted her teeth and and focused on calming her heartbeat.
Aro bid them all farewell and the group took their leave, but Leah couldn't resist one look back at the Volturi leaders. Her eyes met Aro's. He smiled at her in a way that suggested he knew something she was sadly unaware of. She turned away wondering if he already had planned when they would be finishing their conversation.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this! It's all Stephanie Meyer's world!
Thank you everyone for the reviews! they've been wonderful! Also, let me know if you start thinking the chapters are too long or start craving some Demetri POV