AN: Here's the next bit.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Twilight, But hey! I get to own someone else now! My possesions are slowly accululating like the snow outside. hehehe.
I had a memory of a plane, of takeoff and touchdown, but anytime between was blurred by pain. Demetri had been given free reign to do what ever he could to keep me quiet and in line. By the time we arrived at our destination, he had broken every bone in both of my arms, letting each knit together again before breaking them once more. The entire journey had been a blur of pain and fear. The next time I had my mind to myself without wrenching pain anywhere I was sitting in a dank room somewhere underground. Searching my surroundings, I could help but feel as though I was locked away in a dungeon . Silver cuffs clasped my wrists and ankles together individually, and I found quickly that no amount of pulling would get them any looser. I sighed, my head falling against the moldy stone wall and sucked in a breath. The smell of human blood flooded my nose and fire burned down my throat, and my eyes shot open.
"No." I whispered underneath my breath. They had left me here with a human, and from what I could tell, a human with fresh wounds. My mind raced, fighting against the animal that threatened to take control. I shot up to the bars of the cell, shaking them madly.
"No! You can't do this to me! You can't! Let me out!" I screamed, and the only response was a quiet chuckle before quiet footsteps and the slamming of a door left me in silence, the stagnant air just serving to intensify the scent. I sank to the floor of the cell, my breath held with painstaking effort. That was when I heard the shaking. I turned slowly, my eyes searching through the darkness to find a form huddling in the corner, shivering in fear. My eyes adjusted in the darkness and I found a boy my human age, with black curls stuck to his forehead from sweat and stubble on his cheeks. But what caught my attention were the scars, angry, still bleeding, on his neck and his arms, looking like they had come from knives, or nails.
I gasped in reaction to his wounds and swore when his scent ignited my throat. He cringed and attempted to bury himself in the corner even further. I grasped onto the dirt floor, my hands digging in and crushing any rocks into dust.
"Name, tell me your name." I choked out, using some of my precious air supply. I could hear Carlisle's rational voice in my head. We were once like them, they are just like us. The boy just looked at me with wide eyes.
"Nombre, por favore." I hoped Edward's crash course in Italian would help me now.
"Luca," he said, his voice shaking, " My name is Luca."
"Luca," I repeated, forcing the empathic part of my mind to associate the name with a life, "tell me about yourself." The words came out harsh, unbefitting for the meaning behind them, but I couldn't use any more of the small amount of air I had left. And if I attempted breathe , I wasn't sure exactly what I would do.
" I am seventeen. I have two brother, younger than me. Por favore, don't kill me. I must provide for them. Without me they have nothing! Por favore signora, abbi pieta di mi…" he continued in frantic Italian.
"Stop! I'm not going to kill you. At least I hope I won't." What he told me helped. My conscience was already knawing away at me for even thinking of hurting him further. I attempted a quick breath, trying to cover Luca's scent with the smell of the damp dirt all around us.
"Are there animals down here? Rats? Cats? Anything?" A part of me gagged at the thought of a rat or a damp runaway cat, but I had no other options.
"There are rats, many of them." his English was heavily accented, but I could still manage to make out what he was saying, I watched the room, waiting for something to move and betray itself. A rat scurried across the floor and even bound, it was too easy to catch and kill.
"Look away!" I barked out the command, "Unless you want to be even more frightened." Luca took the hint.
Three rats later , I was feeling disgusted, but sated. It was the kind of feeling I remember from after eating any type of fast food as a human: full, but with the beginnings of a self-loathing stomachache. I took a quick breath, testing the air. Luca still smelt alluring, his blood sweet and tempting, even though I was full. Still, it wasn't as unbearable as before. I could breathe again, barely. But I was so weak, I could literally feel energy oozing from my bones, the blood from the rats not nearly enough to restore my body to full health. Luca sat up in his corner, watching me.
"Is it over?' he asked, his voice hoarse, but no longer shaking
"For now."
"Are you alright?"
"For now," I answered again. He sat back against the wall across from me.
"What is your name?" he asked, his dark eyes glinting, his wounds still glistening.
"Danica, Danica Reed," I told him, trying not to look at him anymore, trying to block out the sound of his moist heartbeat, quicker than normal heartbeats, but slower than they had been before.
"If I may…why did you not kill me? So many others would."
"Didn't anyone tell you not to bite the hand that spared you?" I snapped out, tired of trying to be nice. After all, it felt like I had been sent to my own personal hell. I was entitled to be a bit cranky.
"No."
"Well they should," I said to him, then sighed, " I'm not like them. I was brought up to value human life, so my family and I feed off of animals."
"Wow."
"Yeah," I paused, "Are you alright? Your cuts?" he looked down at his hands and arms as if seeing them for the first time.
"Si, I am alright. Is nothing. They will heal soon."
"Good. Did they do that to you?' I asked, fidgeting around, trying to sit up properly.
" Si. They took me during one of the festivals. I thought it was a great honor, but then they clawed at me with their hands and threw me in here, telling me I was a gift for a newcomer, an extremely powerful vampire and that I would be a suitable first meal." he shuddered, " They spoke of you and how powerful you are. I did not think so when I first saw you. I'm sorry, but for a vampire, you are not very frightening." I chuckled without humor.
"Sometimes powerful things come in small packages." My breath hitched, thinking of when Alex had said something similar to me. My heart ached and very quickly, I found myself sobbing. Luca looked at me with alarm, coming closer to my hands and touching them in comfort. I hissed and cringed away from him, the warmth of his skin almost sending me over the edge. He scurried back, muttering frantic apologies.
"Bella signora, what is wrong?'
"I was just married, I miss my family," I choked out between sobs, showing him my ring finger, and he shook his head in confusion. I felt a piece of me break off when I realized the ring was gone. "My ring! Oh god…." I sobbed harder, the pain taking hold in my stomach and pulling hard.
"Oh, cara, I am so sorry. But you are a powerful vampire, si?"
"I guess." I sniffed once, struggling to bring my breathing under control.
"Then get us out! Get us out and get your ring back. You can do it!" he told me, eyes wide. I smiled sadly, his naievete touching me deeply until an idea formed in my head. My own escape was impossible, but it was the very least I could do to get Luca safe.
"Alright. I'll figure something out. I promise."
AN: Poor Luca and Dani. The only thing to save them is to press the pretty button and review. Yep, pretty much. :D