Chapter 6

Sculptures and Stories

Leah had showered, slept, showered again and slept some more by the time Sue came barging into her hotel room at 5am the next day.

"Leah, my baby! Oh, I heard you were hurt!" She ran and embraced Leah then pulled back and examined her closely, looking her up and down. "Thank the gods for that healing thing you do," she sighed. Sue hugged her daughter again and kissed her forehead.

"I had planned to go out today, but I understand if you don't feel up to it. We can just watch movies and abuse the hotel service."

Leah laughed, "No, mom, it would be fun to go out. I got a new outfit, I think you'll like."

Leah dressed quickly in her new dress, cardigan and boots she had bought with Tanya and Kate before...everything. She shuddered, but, quickly, repressed the unpleasant memories. She didn't want to dwell on them any longer.

Sue was beyond delighted when she saw Leah in her dress.

"Oh my goodness, my daughter still has a figure! Who knew?" She teased.

Leah knew it had upset her that all Leah would wear were t-shirts and jeans or sweatpants. Sue had always been one to dress well and make sure her family followed suit. She always hunted down the best bargains even though they rarely had much money to spend on nice clothing.

Leah and Sue talked idly as they made their way down to the lobby. Leah did her best to keep smiling and not allow Sue to see how shaken she still was. Leah had barely glanced around the lobby before her eyes locked on a face that made her stomach flip over.

Demetri greeted her with obvious hesitation, "Hi, feeling better, I hope?"

Leah nodded stiffly, not sure how to answer him. Her mouth felt unusually dry. She watched him graciously introduce himself to Sue before asking for a moment with Leah. Sue smiled graciously back and nodded. She walked over to stand with Jake, Quil, Embry and Seth who were all eying Demetri with hostility.

"I just thought I would let you know I'm returning to Volterra today. Aro has a new mission for me now that Felix and I have concluded that you are all trustworthy. I wish your pack and family the best, especially your mother and her soon to be husband."

"Well, thanks, I suppose," Leah muttered irked by Demetri's whole statement. Demetri's face flickered bewilderment at her harsh reply. She knew she wasn't being fair. She swallowed her pride.

"Sorry, that was rude. I'm glad you decided we're trustworthy and, thank you, I'll be sure to tell my mother that." The words felt forced and awkward. She realized she had kept her eyes averted the entire conversation and she quickly flickered her gaze to meet his. His eyes were a light brown. Contacts. She wondered if they were black or red underneath.

"I wish you the best too, Leah. And thank you for that night when you didn't tell about how I nearly lost control. That meant a lot to me." He smiled a little bit at the end. The smile reached his eyes, assuring Leah it was a genuine gesture.

"It was nothing. I should really be the one thanking you, but it's okay, we can just consider things even. Good luck on your new mission." She smiled a little more easily at the end and held his eyes with hers.

He looked briefly troubled and it seemed as though he had something he wanted to say, but he only looked her up and down once, so quickly, she wasn't even sure if it had actually happened. Then, with a final nod, he turned and left the hotel. Leah realized she must have been the last person he said goodbye to. She wondered why he had waited around for her.

"Volturi?" Sue asked as Leah approached the group. Leah always forgot how much Sue knew.

"Yeah, Leah's best buds with the Volturi vamps now, huh?" Said Jake laughing, but Leah could hear the aggression in his voice when he spoke.

Leah smiled and gave a quick, unconvincing laugh.

For this shopping trip, everyone, including the remaining Cullens, plus, Tanya, Kate, Garret, her pack and Charlie, joined. They succeeded in making a scene in every store they walked into.

Leah couldn't help, but laugh at the humans' expressions. She knew how they must look. Five overgrown American Indian kids who had a tendency to shout and break things accompanied by five strangely pale and strangely beautiful people who had a tendency to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast. Meanwhile, Sue and Charlie, the only two of normal appearance, seemed perfectly at ease with the whole situation.

It took approximately 30 seconds to a minute for their party to clear out a whole store, but the store workers didn't care. The vampires, Tanya and Kate especially, threw money around like nothing Leah had ever seen before. Additionally, Sue was spending more money on clothing than she use to in a year. In one store particularly, Leah was certain between Tanya, Kate and Sue the women's section would soon be entirely sold out.

Desperate to escape the madness, Leah ducked out of the store and rushed across the plaza. She took a deep breath, sat on a bench and observed the statues lining the plaza. The crowds flowing around her put her strangely at ease. She studied the statue directly in front of her appreciatively. It was one of the many depictions of a Roman god. Leah frowned. The statue was oddly familiar even though she was quite certain she had never met any Roman gods.

"Yes, we vampires do like to flatter ourselves sometimes," said Carlisle appearing beside Leah.

"What?" She asked having truly no idea what Carlisle meant.

He gestured towards the statue. "Artists like Donatello and Michelangelo were obsessed with human, perfection, I suppose you could call it, and they often used vampires as their models when sculpting or painting. Of course, they had no idea, they just thought they had found unique human beings. Anyways, it was quite the trend for our kind to pose for them." He peered at the statue's face more closely. "I would say this one looks a great deal like Demetri, don't you think?"

If it were anyone other than Carlisle, Leah would have called him out for bullshit, but Carlisle turned curiously towards her with his usual clear, honest expression. She stood up and walked closer to get a better look. The statue was so obviously Demetri she felt like an idiot for not realizing earlier.

"Donatello?," she said lamely, clearing her throat.

Carlisle nodded, "Yes, 1400s, I believe, he's quite a bit older than I. Most of the Volturi are. Demetri was created in 1100, I believe. By my friend, Amun, who you met last year actually." The name was vaguely familiar to Leah, but she couldn't match it with a face.

"Amun has a certain talent for finding humans in his home country of Egypt with unique abilities. Demetri is, in his opinion, one of his greatest accomplishments. Of course, Benjamin has probably taken the crown now, I would say."

Leah could feel her own curiosity taking flame and she reluctantly probed Carlisle for more information. "So how does he find people like Demetri and Benjamin? Can they do these things as humans?"

"He's kept Benjamin's story very secretive, but I know he found Demetri through his big jewel pursuit of the middle ages. He often hired humans to steal jewels or carry out deals with those he would rather not meet face to face himself. Sometimes, he sent them as bribery to other powerful vampire covens. He would find humans who were, excuse me, more appetizing, and send them into a coven under the illusion they were performing a jewel heist. He had talent for finding humans and other vampires paid him in gold, silver and precious metals to feast on them. You see, vampires were not allowed to eat other vampire's humans without their permission."

Typical leeches, Leah reflected coldly. Permission to eat other vampire's humans.

"Demetri, as a human, gained fame as a petty thief. They said he had never been caught, not once. He did, however, catch the attention of a vampire in Amun's coven and that vampire brought Demetri to Amun. Amun originally planned on using him as a thief to pry on the rich humans of the day, but his human scent was incredible. It was comparable only to singers. It's a wonder he had survived that long. In fact, I'm pretty sure Amun had to fight a couple of them off so they wouldn't kill him then.

Amun was excited about what reward such a delicious human could earn him. He sent Demetri, like he had done to so many before him, under the impression he was performing a heist. Amun awaited the arrival of the other vampire coven with the gifts they would surely bear as recompense for Demetri.

To Amun's shock, Demetri himself returned, and not alone. He had stolen ten thousand worth in diamonds without being caught by the vampires of the coven. Such a feat was unheard of. Amun asked him how he had managed the thievery. Demetri told him that, ever since he was young, he always knew where to find jewels. He found them in the first place he looked, every time. Furthermore, he could sense, in the back of his mind, when any person was near him and could even estimate their distance. He told Amun that was how he never got caught.

Amun tested his abilities. He found all of Demetri's claims to be true. Additionally, Demetri was extraordinarily more coordinated than any human he had ever encountered. Amun could hardly believe the prize he had stumbled upon. He changed Demetri only a couple of months later. They worked on his tracking ability for a number of years and, well, you have seen the result. There's no other tracker like Demetri. It's baffling really."

"Did Amun tell Demetri he was going to change him? Do people choose to be changed, I mean?" Asked Leah frowning. For some reason, Demetri's story had unnerved her.

"No, Amun doesn't believe in choice. He believes in destiny, as he calls it. he thinks humans like Demetri and Benjamin were fated to become vampires."

Leah stared up at the stone face of Demetri. Her stomach was twisting uncomfortably. So it happens just like that. One moment your human, young, alive and, the next, some leech like Amun is biting your neck off turning you into some creature you never even knew existed. She shuddered.

"That's quite the philosophy your friend has, Carlisle."

Carlisle looked deeply concerned as he met her eyes. "Amun has his flaws, like all of us."

Leah wished she could argue, but she was far too deeply flawed a person herself to challenge Carlisle Cullen's words.

Disclaimer: NOT mine all Stephanie Meyer's

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