Chapter 11: Travels

"Scusi, Miss?"

Amid the cacophony of the Florence airport baggage claim, my eyes snapped open. I had heard the large Italian man approach, reeking of coffee, grease, and old sweat. If only every human smelled this way, I thought, I'd never have to worry about slipping again. I wrinkled my nose, realizing with slight dread that this person must be my driver.

"Bella?" he enquired again.

"Si" I replied, smiling slightly.

"Bella - che bella!" He laughed at his own witticism.

Years of polite behavior drilled into me prompted my answering smile, while I briefly considered running all the way to Volterra instead of getting in a vehicle with this guy.

"Venga da questa parte, prego," he said as he picked up my bag and gestured me towards the baggage claim exit.

"Come si chiama?" I said, realizing that I didn't know who this man was, and that I was quickly reaching my limit of known Italian.

"Benedetto - eh, you call me Beni?" he replied, his halting English almost becoming a question.

"Beni," I replied, with yet another smile. I can at least pretend to sleep in the car, I thought, somewhat reassuringly.

I stopped suddenly as I remembered something else, though. "'Scusi, ah, dove è Anna?"

"Ah!" he replied with a grin, "Arriverà domani!"

I was relieved at his response, since it put off the potential perfect storm of myself, the Volturi, and Anna in the same vicinity. I would have to make an effort to minimize any time she spent in Volterra - but it was one less thing for me to worry about for the moment. And I had plenty of things to worry about.

...

The drive went by fairly quickly, all things considered. It didn't seem to matter whether I pretended to sleep or not, since my driver chattered the whole ride there in a weird pidgin of Italian and English. I spent the drive thinking about the last few days I had in Forks before I departed for Italy. Surprisingly, Charlie had never suspected that anything was amiss. In fact, he insisted to Billy that we should spend every Christmas on the reservation. I think my move to the east coast had reminded him how lonely the house was when he was by himself. Billy, on the other hand, was a tiny bit more relaxed around me, which made me happy for Jacob in particular. I knew that he felt caught in the middle between us. I had done my best to enjoy the remaining days I had with the pack and with Charlie and Emily, but I felt restless, knowing what was looming on the immediate horizon. I had hoped that removing Victoria from the picture would grant me a measure of peace, but I honestly did not feel that different. It was just one more unreal thing in a string of unreal occurrences, going all the way back to Edward's departure. Or, maybe going all the way back to when I first moved to Forks. Sometimes, I worried for my own sanity.

My reverie was broken as we crested a hill, and a city with tall stone walls suddenly appeared before us, lit up by the day's last rays of sunlight.

"Ah!" Benizio exclaimed, "Eccoci a Volterra! Beautiful, no?"

"Si," I echoed, dread swiftly settling in my gut. You're a vampire, Bella, I kept trying to reassure myself, these are your people now. It didn't really help. In no time at all, we reached the city walls, where to my surprise, the driver pulled off the road and stopped the car. He looked back at me from the driver's seat, "Eh, I can no go in." It took me a second to grasp his meaning, as my first reaction was that my driver somehow also knew about the real inhabitants of this city. Then I realized that he was talking about the line of cars waiting to get through the narrow opening in the wall.

"Um, okay?" I replied, the question evident in my tone. "Where do I go? Uh, dove ... devo andare?"

"Ah! In gate," he gestured ahead of us, "then you ask, Palazzo Volturi. You find, nessun problema."

Thanking the driver, I got out of the car and grabbed my bags from the trunk, grateful that the sun had set in the interim, although the sky was still bright. Remembering to act human, I pulled out the handle on my suitcase and started rolling it into town. As I passed under the heavy stone arch, I truly felt like a door was closing behind me, as one part of my life ended and another began. I was afraid, yet felt the stirrings of excitement. The Volturi had always seemed like bogey-men to me, but now they were about to become my first real encounter with a new set of vampires, and I wondered if I would find a place among them. A tiny voice in my head whispered, They're also your last link to the Cullens. I mentally shoved that voice back.

I didn't make it more than twenty feet inside the gate before I felt someone watching me. Exactly how I knew that, I'm not sure, but I sensed a presence of some sort. I kept walking, and soon a smaller figure kept pace beside me. I had the uncomfortable feeling I was being herded in a certain direction, although I kept my demeanor relaxed.

"You're new," a flat voice stated. I bit back a knee-jerk snarky reply and glanced over at my new companion, a very young female vampire with lanky brown hair and dead-looking eyes. Her crimson gaze flickered in my direction, taking in my attire and the conspicuously rattling suitcase pulled behind me, then focused ahead again.

"Yes, I'm Isabella. I'm here from Dartmouth, to study the Volturi art collection." This earned me a fractional raising of the eyebrows, and slight shake of the head. I had a feeling this might be a big reaction for this girl. "And your name is ... ," I trailed off.

"Jane." Not a chatterbox, I guess.

"Um, nice to meet you, Jane. Can you tell me where I should go?" Jane smirked and stopped, turning to gesture ahead of us at a stone building attached to a large clock-tower. "We're already here. It's too early, so let's go in this way. It's how they were expecting you to show up, anyway." Apparently that meant using the large, obsidian black, ornately carved wooden doors ahead of us. I didn't glance too closely at the carvings, although they looked to be some sort of illustration from Dante's Inferno. I shivered slightly.

"Are you ... cold?" Jane sneered.

Kill 'em with kindness, Bella. Right. Or, if you can't say something nice ... That was more like it. I merely stared back at her.

With a flicker of annoyance since I didn't respond to her dig, she pushed open the doors and led me into a small stone antechamber. Jane immediately turned right and headed down a dim hallway covered with ancient tapestries that depicted bloody battle scenes. The air smelled of dust and age, with eddies of sickly sweetness curling around a faint undercurrent of blood. If I'd still had a heart that beat, it would have been hammering outside my chest by that point.

I followed Jane through several twists and turns, the slope of the passageway indicating that were were heading down into the earth. Eventually, we ended up at another set of wooden doors. I could hear quiet conversation in both Italian and English taking place on the other side. "Leave your bag here," Jane commanded. The sickly sweet smell and the scent of blood were noticeably stronger in front of the entrance to this room, and hit me like a wall once Jane grabbed the heavy iron handle of one door and yanked it open with a crash.

"Jane, my dear, one of these days you're going to rip that door off its hinges," a startlingly beautiful voice chided from across the room. I followed the sound to its owner, who was making his way towards us through the now-silent crowd. All vampires, I realized with shock. I've never seen so many vampires in one place. Knowing I was going to be around a group of vampires and then actually finding myself in that group were two different things, I discovered.

"The American college ... girl ... is here," Jane drawled.

"Indeed!" exclaimed the vampire, fully visible as those closest to us took a respectful step back. As soon as I saw his face, I knew I was looking at the oldest vampire I had ever seen, maybe would ever see. Although physically he looked like he was in his mid-twenties, his skin was almost translucent, like rice paper with the not-quite-natural glow that vampire skin often took in indirect natural light. His eyes were obviously originally bright crimson, but had deteriorated to a film of milky pink with age. Where Edward had been cat-like in his movements, and Alice had been a dancer, this vampire radiated ease, the kind of ease that only comes from unchallenged, absolute power. I know this vampire, was my first thought, flashing back to the painting that Edward had shown me at his house as well as the one at Dartmouth.

I was very proud of myself. As he approached, I smothered my long-ingrained human reactions and did not fidget, even though every instinct was telling me to bolt.

He smiled at me beatifically, arms open in a welcoming gesture. "I am Aro," he proclaimed in ringing tones.

As someone completely unaware of vampire customs, I wasn't sure exactly how I should respond. Almost as if he could sense my hesitation, Aro extended his hand to me. How very ... modern, I thought. I looked Aro in the eye. "I am Isabella," I replied, as he grasped my right hand. A flicker of something ... surprise? apprehension? confusion? moved so quickly across his features that, if I didn't know the perfection of my vampire eyesight, I might've thought I imagined it. I felt even more uneasy.

"Ah, Isabella! You must tell me where you are from, and all about yourself!" Aro exclaimed. "Oh! but I am being such a bad host! Please sit" - he gestured to an ornate set of couches near one wall - "and let me get you something to drink! Felix! Please see what we have around for Isabella."

I had a feeling he wasn't about to offer me a glass of water ... or deer juice.

"No, no, I am fine," I quickly responded, "I, uh, just ate." Jane gave me a speculative look, but said nothing.

"As you like," allowed Aro expansively, "but please sit. I am so looking forward to hearing all about you." Without checking to see if I followed, Aro glided gracefully towards the couches. I had no choice but to trail in his wake, as the gathered group of vampires parted soundlessly to let us pass. At one couch, he turned and gestured for me to sit, taking a seat that faced me. "So, Isabella, what a surprise! We really had no conception that our newest visitor could be a vampire! You do not seem very old, so it must be such an interesting tale." He looked at me expectantly.

This is not someone accustomed to being denied what he wants, I thought. I panicked internally, not having really thought about the fact that the Volturi would be very interested in where I came from. Stupid, stupid, Bella, I chided myself. I knew I couldn't expose the wolves, so I made a swift decision. "Oh, not such an interesting tale," I smiled, "I was attacked by a vampire, but saved by Carlisle Cullen. He spoke highly of you, so I wanted to come and meet you for myself." Thank god I couldn't sweat.

Aro gave me a slightly bemused look. "How ... fascinating. And how is dear Carlisle? He was always partial to saving humans, so I'm not surprised that he allowed you to turn. Where is he living now? I can tell by your eyes that he's imbued you with that ridiculous notion of avoiding human blood. You won't find any of those needless restrictions here."

My mind scrambled to keep the story close to the truth and simple enough that I wouldn't expose myself. "He's actually traveling right now, so I'm not sure where he is. He checks in on me at college from time to time." I was proud of my ability to keep any bitterness out of my voice.

"Indeed? And what does he think of your decision to come here?"

"He thought it was a good idea for me to meet other vampires, so I would have a better understanding of our kind." I desperately hoped my explanation would be plausible enough for Aro.

After regarding me for a few moments, Aro leaned over and grasped my hand between his, that same flash of consternation flickering across his countenance. He slowly raised my hand to his lips, and brushed a kiss across my knuckles. I felt like a deer confronted by a predator: frozen, unable to react. You're a predator, too, I reminded myself. I willed my facial expression to relax, and I smiled in Aro's direction. Before he could speak again, though, there was a sudden commotion in one of the hallways outside. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the room from where I had entered. I heard a tangle of voices in different languages get progressively louder, as if a large group of people was about to come in. Flashbacks of Edwin's warnings blazed through my mind, and I fought the reaction to panic.

"Ah, I wish we could speak further, Bella, but we're about to have dinner, it seems." Aro smiled at me, then paused, a thought occurring to him, "Of course, you are welcome to stay, but given your long journey, I would not be offended if you want to freshen up." He raised his eyebrows as he waited for my response.

I had a sickening, sinking feeling about what was about to transpire. "You know, I think I would like to settle in, maybe unpack a little." I tried not to rush my words, as I felt an increasing pressure to flee as soon as possible.

Aro turned and snapped his fingers. "Jane dear, please show Isabella to her room." Jane frowned at Aro's command, obviously not pleased about missing the incipient events. She hesitated. "Jane," Aro said more firmly.

Jane huffed a sigh, and said the two words I had been waiting for: "Follow me."

I couldn't do it fast enough.

...

I tried desperately to not think about what was going on in the room I had just left. The slightly sloping floor and center drain had not escaped my attention. To cover up the fading sounds of screaming, I attempted to engage Jane in conversation.

"So, um, how long have you been here in Italy?"

Jane leveled a glance at me like she was sure I had some sort of mental defect. "Since what you refer to as the Dark Ages."

"Oh, you look so ... young," I hedged, "um, that must have been difficult."

"Better than being burned at the stake," she deadpanned, turning her gaze forward again.

This was so far out of my scope of normal conversation that I was at a loss as how to continue any small talk. I remembered what Edward had said about most vampires having gifts; Jane was so diminutive and unremarkable, I wondered what hers might be. I wonder if it's considered bad etiquette to ask such things, I mused.

We walked in silence through several hallways until arriving at a smaller wooden door. Jane pulled a large metal key out of her pocket and unlocked the room. She stopped and turned, blocking the the opening. "Aro will want to see you later. Do you remember how to get back to the receiving room?" Weirdly enough, our silent walk and my attempts to block out the horrors behind me had meant that I was paying much closer attention to the twists and turns of the building.

"Yes."

"Good." With no further ado, Jane darted out of sight.

After taking plenty of time to survey my new room (I had tapestries of a less bloody nature than the hallway and no windows) and unpack a little, I returned to the room where I had talked to Aro. I was relieved to see no trace of "dinner" left anywhere. The scent of blood was just slightly stronger than it had been.

"Ah, Isabella!" Aro exclaimed from across the room, "so lovely to see you again. Please, let us talk."

I met him over at the same couches from earlier, and hoped this conversation would not have the same type of interruption.

With a gleam in his eye, Aro began, "Well, this is not how one of these visits normally commences. In fact, had you been human, we should never have even met face-to-face. However, your ... status ... means that you are welcome to join our little group here if you wish. I will of course communicate nothing but the highest praise to your school," he paused and eyed me speculatively, "if, of course, returning is something you desire to do."

This invitation to join the Volturi clan so soon was a surprise, and made me wonder if this was how they treated all visiting vampires. I pulled on every modicum of politeness to come up with a slightly stilted but hopefully non-offensive response. "Aro, thank you, you flatter me with your invitation, and perhaps in the future I will take you up on it. However, I am quite set on finishing college. My interest in your art collection was not just a means to an end. I would actually love to study the pieces that you have here. I am particularly interested in the works of Solimena."

While displaying slight disappointment at my desire to return to school, Aro seemed pleased with my true interest in his art collection. "But, of course you may study it. I am happy to encounter another who will truly appreciate what I have built. In fact, I believe I have some works that have not been looked upon in quite awhile that you might find interesting. I will make all the proper introductions tomorrow." Aro stood and glided away, leaving me alone on the couch until a rather large and intimidating-looking vampire sidled up next to me, slightly invading my personal space. When I turned to look at him, he grinned and winked at me, to my surprise.

"So rare to see a new face here. And such a pretty one, too." He smirked. "I'm Felix."

"Isabella ... uh, Bella, actually."

"Well, Isabella-uh-Bella, tell me about yourself and how you ended up in our corner of the world."

"Oh, nothing really interesting. I'm here on study-abroad from Dartmouth to, um, study Aro's art collection."

"Wait ... you're a student?" Felix let out a bellowing laugh. "Why would you subject yourself to that? I can't imagine sitting around a bunch of young humans for fun without a meal involved in the process. And you actually let humans tell you what to do? And you do it?" He shook his head bemusedly. "Wow. Just, wow. But you knew you were coming here to us, right?"

"Yes, I did, somewhat. It was, well, a happy coincidence, I guess."

"Or, perhaps, fate," he grinned, winking at me again.

Felix's easy smile was infectious, and I found myself smiling tentatively back. "So, Felix, tell me about you - what do you do here?"

"I'm a member of the guard. An enforcer, you could say."

I glanced at his huge stature, "I guess I could see that."

Felix made a hurt face, "Ouch. You guess? Just wait, you'll see me in action sooner or later. Speaking of later, how about I take you on a tour of Volterra in a little while? I'm an excellent tour guide, I promise. Or, if you want to see some action ..." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Down, boy," Jane's flat voice cut through our conversation, "Aro wants you to patrol with Dimitri. Now."

To my surprise, Felix nodded respectfully in the diminutive girl's direction, "That's my cue, I suppose. See you around, Bella." With a final wink, Felix hopped off the couch and followed another vampire through the main doors.

"Is he always like that?" I blurted out.

A ghost of a smile flitted across Jane's face. "Oh, that's Felix on his best behavior."

I shook my head slowly in amazement.

Jane continued, "Aro wanted me to make sure you were aware of the rules. You have full access to this building, excluding private quarters. You can go anywhere in the town as well, although you must never reveal your true nature to the human population. I guess you have already mastered that, though," she added with an appraising look, "If you do somehow make them aware of you or of us, though, know that we do not tolerate that at all. Period. Trust me, you do not want to meet Felix under those circumstances." I nodded at this, and she continued, "Hunting is not allowed in the town except for what we bring in." She glanced with somewhat morbid curiosity at my eyes, "Aro tells me that you have a ... different ... diet, though. So, no eating the town cats or dogs. There's plenty of wildlife in the surrounding countryside, I suppose," she finished distastefully.

"Understood," I said in a clipped voice.

"Aro will meet you here tomorrow at noon to introduce you to his curatorial staff."

"Isn't that a bit early?" I questioned.

"The art collection is stored in another wing of this building. You won't be going outside." With that, Jane turned on her heel and walked away.

I decided to go for a walk myself, since I felt somewhat on-the-spot in a room full of the Volturi and their entourage. Following the path I had taken upon arrival, I stepped out into the crisp air of the late evening. I wandered around town a little, thinking about Edwin's story. From what I had already seen, he was lucky to have survived it. It cast a sinister pallor upon what would have seemed a quaint and charming Medieval town. As I walked along a side street, I spotted Felix and Dimitri moving silently down an adjoining street in matching gray cloaks. I could see Felix's grin as he spotted me. Giving a small nod of acknowledgement in his direction, I headed for the outer walls, knowing he and Dimitri would remain inside the city. I needed some space to think ... and run.

Once outside the city, I broke into a jog, moving swiftly through the darkened countryside. It was truly beautiful in the moonlight. I stopped on a hilltop, sitting underneath the sprawling branches of an olive tree. The sounds of the night-time animals that had gone silent at my approach slowly began to multiply their chittering chorus the longer that I stayed still. What a day, I thought, this is some kind of culture shock, alright. I was glad that I would only be here a few months; I hadn't realized how much I appreciated the freedom of living with the wolves, however different they might be from myself. I laid back on the ground, marveling at the infinite multitude of stars that tracked their path across the heavens in subtle washes of color. I started tracing out shapes into my own custom constellations. There! A wolf running. And there! A figure, relaxed on the ground, reaching out. I took a deep breath, and away from everyone and everything, let myself feel the pain that was still tightly penned up inside of me. I tried to take comfort from the feel of the earth under my back. Somewhere on this planet, Edward was touching the same earth. It bound us together, even across this great distance, and from that I gained a small sliver of relief.