-Chapter 18: Burn the Witch-
I had been flying for what seemed like hours, wondering through the shallow skies without explicit direction. The sun as out in full swing, but it didn't matter – the sunlight passed straight through my cloaked body. My arms and legs hugged tightly to my torso, streamlining it as I dove close to the ground.
I had been following this pattern every few minutes. Since it was difficult to scent a vampire if I was so high up in the air, I would skim the tops of the trees for brief moments, searching for something to kill. So far, there had been nothing but humans going about their lives in the hot, Mexican sun.
Suddenly, I was hit with an enormous dose of vampire. Not just one, either. There were at least five; probably more. My arms and legs spread out and I allowed my body to rise higher above the tree tops as I sped toward the scent.
It was a rural area, with a river running through the sparse trees. The run-down, decrepit fence that ran alongside the river let me know this was the border into America. I touched down on the American side, kicking up a small cloud of dust as I landed.
I breathed in and growled as the scent of fresh blood wafted through the air. It was distant and weak, but it was spilled – not merely contained within a body. I began moving before I recalled deciding to go forward, blurring toward the siren call.
The grinding and rending of metal and the wails that followed drew me to a stop in the middle of what used to be a field for growing crops. I ensured Angela's power was still active before I crept closer to the sound of active violence, which appeared to be a tall, red barn.
The property was quite large as well as isolated, perfect for a newborn army to be trained. I wondered if that's what was happening – if those were what the sounds were – but the emotions floating off from the barn were frantic and panicked to a level I would have considered cruel.
I leaped up on top of the rundown farm house and perched on the roof, biding my time and seeing exactly what was going on here. A sadistic laugh rang out, coinciding with more screaming, before another rend screeched out and silenced the screamer. I tilted my head in curiosity and focused on their thoughts, trying to sift through the crazed and confused newborns from their tormentor – if indeed that's what was happening.
…please, just let it be over quick. Please. Please.
I'll kill them! The little brats think they're so tough!
Ah! Please! An image of a severed arm burning filled my mind before panning to a shot of a stump attached to a shoulder, oozing venom.
Pain. A vampire flopped and flailed on the ground like a fish, his mouth open in a silent scream.
Jane. It had to be.
I smiled and dropped to the ground, preparing to show the witch what pain really was, when I passed the darkened window on the side of the house I was just sitting on. No face peered back at me, making me grin at the sight. A vampire without a reflection – that had to be a first.
With a spark of impulsiveness, I smashed my hand through the brittle glass of the house and ripped a large piece of the frayed curtain out, deftly tying it around my head and obscuring my face from my nose to my chin. I pulled my hood up over my makeshift mask and glanced appreciatively at my appearance through an unbroken shard of glass that I ripped from the window frame.
The sound of broken glass, of course, attracted the attention of every vampire in the barn. Growling and hushed voices could be heard from inside. The thoughts of the newborns were frantic; even Jane and her brother – whose thoughts I had picked up as well – were worried.
"Hold them, Alec," Jane's childlike voice said from inside the barn. "I'll go see to our unexpected guest."
The barn door opened and the little bitch stepped out into the open, surveying the surroundings. When her ruby eyes drifted across where I stood, her eyes slipped past me and landed on the broken window right next to me. She flitted over to me – no more than two feet away – and inspected the entire side of the house, searching for a scent she would never find.
I laughed out loud, and then laughed harder, when I realized she couldn't see me at all.
With a satisfied sigh, I grabbed her by the neck and brought the cloak that hid me from the world over her as well, allowing her to see me. She hissed and locked her hands around my arm, trying to dig her fingernails into my skin to no avail. Her evil eyes glared at me with pure hate as she forced her impotent ability at me.
I laughed again, and used her own gift on her. She screamed and wailed like a teapot, short and stout, before I let up on her and squeezed harder on her waiflike neck. Spider web cracks crawled across her jaw and up to her cheeks as she hissed and struggled in my grip.
"Miss me, Jane?" I asked sweetly.
She growled and tried to use her ability again, when another vampire exited the barn, looking around in search of Jane – who had seemingly disappeared without a trace.
Demetri! Jane's mental voice changed from fury and fear to hopefulness.
"He can't see you," I hissed through the cloth on my face as Demetri's eyes passed over us again. "He can't hear you. He can't help you." I brought Jane's small form to my body and snapped her neck, severing her head from her body with a satisfying screech.
"Jane?" Demetri called, ignorant of Jane's head falling at my feet. "Jane?" He called louder, taking a few steps out from the barn and toward me.
I let my cloaking power drop, smirking as Demetri's eyes went wide and his entire body froze. His eyes darted down to the twitching body on the ground and immediately he sunk into a crouch, growling, but not making a move forward. Smart man.
With a thought, I lifted the Volturi's tracker into the air and drew him toward me. I applied a bone-crushing pressure on his jaw and limbs, immobilizing and preventing him from crying out for help. His ability would be extremely useful, so I would save him for last – first, I had to deal with Alec and the rest of the vampires inside.
I brought my finger to my covered lips in a shushing gesture, even though Demetri was unable to cry out. I bent down and picked up Jane's head, holding it by the hair like Medusa as I stepped over her still-twitching body and moved toward the barn.
Demetri floated closer to me and I positioned him near my back, so I could still see in front of me. I didn't have the control necessary to hold him down from inside the barn, so he would have to come in with me – willing or not. As we approached, the whispers and growls grew louder. They could smell and hear me coming – not that I was being sneaky about it.
"Sister?" Alec's voice called. I could feel his fear and apprehension flowing from him.
Feeling a bit theatrical, I cloaked myself again and opened the barn door abruptly. Growls vibrated through the air, causing the wood of the barn they were hiding in to tremble. All the vampires were frozen, even Alec, and their eyes wheeled about, searching for me.
I hefted Jane's head in my hand, holding it out in front of me as I lined up the shot. My arm swept back and I shot it forward, releasing the head like a bowling ball. It rolled and skipped across the hay-and-blood-spattered floor before slamming into Alec's knees, settling at his feet.
My cloak dropped, causing the seven newborns to drop further into their crouches and snarl at me. I barely paid them any mind, though; my eyes were on Alec.
His face went through several emotions. Shock, disbelief, sadness, and finally a mixture of rage and determination. He was pissed. His eyes flickered only once to Demetri, hanging in the air behind me, before his ruby eyes settled on my silver ones. I spread my arms out, giving him an easy-to-hit target, and he did not disappoint.
Alec flew at me with a speed I'd only seen in Edward. His tiny body slammed into mine, his knee digging into my stomach. My mind itched to pull him apart with Ryan's ability, but I wanted to have a bit of fun. The fight with Jane ended too soon – I needed to let go a little.
The blow to my stomach bent me over and he grasped my head with both of his hands. He twisted, putting all his weight and strength into it, jerking my head as he tried to twist it off. I only laughed again, breaking his hold and slamming my palm into his chest. Alec flew through the air and crashed through the wall of the barn, snarling, and quickly darted back inside.
He was wary of me – and scared. The newborns were as well; they had never seen someone's head not snap off when someone twisted it like Alec did mine. They didn't want to fight me, but their instincts wouldn't let them turn their backs on me and run. So, instead they all crowded together and watched me with critical eyes.
Alec darted forward again, this time delivering a flurry of punches and kicks in rapid succession. I dodged and blocked each one as he decided which limb to strike with. Alice's ability – coupled with Edward's – made evading attacks all too easy.
He tried this again and again, stepping back after each round to reevaluate and continue. He knew on some level that I was playing with him, but the rage that colored his thoughts at me killing his twin wouldn't let him care. He would not give up until I was dust.
During his next attack, I caught his left hand with my right, applying pressure and smirking under my mask as he cried out from the cracking and creaking skin. Alec lashed out with his other fist, and this time I did nothing to block it. I hit home on my cheek, turning my head an inch and making a sound like a hammer hitting an anvil.
He hissed and flexed his fingers against the pain. I rolled my eyes and gripped his throat, lifting him off the floor as he kicked at me. His eyes no longer held so much rage – it was fading into terror. I laughed again and pulled back my fist, launching it directly into his face and shattering it like china. Shards flew in every direction, making the newborns hiss as some were hit with flying pieces.
I dropped the body, which was twitching and convulsing like Jane's did, and turned to the newborns. Under my gaze, most of them cowered; a few brave ones stood tall and stared me down. I unleashed Jane's power on those who challenged me until they, too, were compliant.
I pulled out my lighter and lit the pieces of Alec on fire, tossing in Jane's head as well. The newborns' thoughts started to spin and sprint, and they began to consider making a break for it – they knew it was unlikely I would catch them all.
"Outside," I commanded, inclining my head toward the door. "Now. I'll be out to talk to you in a bit. Anyone who runs will end up like them." I pointed to the blazing fire, which was starting to smoke up the inside of the barn. It would soon collapse the whole thing.
They moved, slowly at first, inching past me and backing out of the door as a collective group. I turned to watch them as they moved a few paces outside and gathered in a spread cluster, watching the fire from outside. I waved my hand at the door and it closed harshly, sending the frame of the barn shaking.
I turned my attention to Demetri, letting go of my hold and allowing him full range of motion as he fell to the ground like a sack of rocks. He stood swiftly, but did not try to run; only eyeing me with a cautious, but calculative gaze. I leaned forward and spoke lowly, so the other vampires outside wouldn't be able to hear.
"We will speak after I deal with the newborns outside," I whispered. "You will tell me everything I want to know, or I will make your existence absolute agony. You must trust me on this, Demetri; there are many things worse than death that I can do to you."
He clenched his jaw and nodded, recalling how swiftly I discarded Jane and Alec. He would do as I said for now. I nodded back and flicked my hand again, waving the door open and walking outside. Demetri followed after me, several paces behind, and we approached the group of new vampires.
"I'm not going to kill you," I spoke immediately, wanting to put their fears to rest. "I just wanted to ask you some questions and teach you the rules, so to speak."
"You think we buy that?" a voice spoke. He seemed to be the newborn group's unofficial leader. The boy looked to be about seventeen or eighteen when he was changed and had straight black hair that reached his ears. He was of Mexican descent, as many of them were, and was easily over six-foot tall.
"Yes," I answered. "The Volturi obviously wanted to kill you," I gestured to Demetri, who was standing beside me. "and so I would be predisposed to let you live."
"The Volturi?" the same boy questioned.
"They're the judge, jury, and executioner for the vampire world," I shrugged, adjusting the cloth mask on my face. "They are corrupt, greedy bastards, but their purpose is important. You see, you're not allowed to show yourselves to the normals – the humans.
"This is one of the things I wanted to speak to you about before I set you loose. You have to keep your killing under the radar, so to speak. If you don't, and the secret of vampires gets out, you will find yourself the past president of the 'being alive club.'"
"She warned us about keeping a low profile – to pick our food carefully," the boy spoke again. "We didn't know anything about a Volturi." The image of a female vampire popped into his head, training and directing each newborn in their little…army.
"Who was she?" I asked. "The one you were just thinking of – the woman who taught you this."
"Her name was Maria," a younger girl said. "They," she nodded at Demetri. "killed her before coming for us."
I gave a low chuckle at the name. This must be Jasper's Maria. I had to admit, I was a bit disappointed that she wasn't still here. She would have been a valuable ally against the Volturi. I turned and grinned at Demetri, though he couldn't see it as my face was partially covered.
"Did the Volturi tell you why they were there?" I asked. "Was there a reason they were here now?"
"The only thing we heard was that they were looking for gifted vampires," the leader-boy spoke. "Those of us…like you, I guess. The ones with powers?" I nodded, feeling the urge to stroke my chin in thought.
"Alright, then," I clapped my hands together. "That's all I needed you for. You are free to go – just make sure you don't expose yourselves, or I'll hunt you down myself. Consider this your second chance." Several of them darted away immediately, while a couple grouped together before taking off. The leader-boy hesitated before stepping closer to me.
"If you don't mind me asking," he paused, unsure if it was considered rude to ask the question I had already plucked from his head. "Why…why are your eyes that color? I've only ever seen a vampire with red eyes."
"I'm just unique," I jested. "Although, it is possible to get golden eyes if you feed exclusively off of animal blood." His eyes bugged as he internally cringed at the thought of drinking from animals. I smirked at his expression, but didn't say anything else. He nodded and darted off after the others, leaving me alone with Demetri.
Once I was sure they were gone, I ripped my mask off and grinned up at Demetri with an evil smile. The tracker took a step back and let out a gasp, mentally comparing my new face with that of myself at the Volturi standoff with the Cullens and their witnesses.
"Emily Ambrose?" he questioned.
"At your service," I bowed. "Didn't expect me to still be alive?"
"Caius killed you," Demetri said with certainty.
"That he did," I nodded. "But I came back, better than ever."
"I think Aro would have been happy to see you alive and well," he said. "Caius would be furious."
"Caius won't be living much longer," I snarled, then realized what he said. "What do you mean, Aro 'would have been happy'?"
"The Volturi…it is a mess. Aro is still alive, but he is no longer in charge," he sighed and shook his head. "I will tell you whatever you want to know."
"Alright," I considered. "What were you doing here? Actually, what were the Volturi doing in Mexico? I've run across a couple more of your guards creating hybrid vampires in a damn lab outside of Mexico City."
"I suppose I should start at the beginning," Demetri eyed the horizon, rearranging his thoughts as he considered how to tell the story. "It all started at that meeting early this year, with the witnesses.
"Aro and Caius were furious at their perceived defeat. Aro was intrigued at the promise of hybrid vampires, especially since your fortune teller cannot see with them around. Aro thought to create shields of his own to block your Alice's sight. This was the original purpose for the labs you probably saw, though the ones created here were not of his doing.
"During one of our feasts, a human girl was somehow able to put Caius on the ground, writhing in pain. Aro had already begun instructing some of the more talented male guard members to impregnate some of the humans working for us. Aro made sure the girl was added to the list, and personally oversaw the pregnancy – he wanted to do the same for her that your coven did for Isabella."
"I know who they are," I sneered. "That little hybrid bitch was the only reason the Volturi was able to get the drop on me."
"Yes. Nadia is a sponge – able to temporarily absorb the gifts of all vampires within her range. Her child, Gabriella, is just as powerful. She can completely remove any abilities within her range, much like Alec can remove senses – or, could remove senses, I should say."
"And how does that relate to what's going on here? Why are you destroying and creating covens?"
"I am nearly there," Demetri nodded, and continued. "Nadia was treated like royalty within the Volturi. She was pampered and given whatever she desired, especially after your death. This, I think, was the beginning of her greed. Nadia wanted more – she always desired more power. Aro, of course, agreed with her, and started searching for more talent to add to the guard.
"I do not know what he was thinking; he never told us his motives. Gifted vampires were brought in – some against their will – and were conscripted into the guard. This continued on until Adam, a newly turned vampire, arrived. He had the gift of influence. It wasn't quite mind control – but it was the closest the Volturi has seen of that ability.
"Nadia eventually…took control of the Volturi. It was a gradual process; not many, including Aro, Caius, and Marcus, realized it at first. Some don't even realize it now. Nadia was using Adam's gift, coupled with Chelsea's, to turn us into her own, personal weapon. She doesn't lead directly, even now; as far as any visitors can tell, Aro is still our leader. But this is far from the truth."
"And she started collecting more vampires with abilities?" I guessed. "Started killing covens and taking the talented members?"
"Very much so, yes," Demetri nodded. "It is worse than just enslavement, though. She soon realized that with so many talented vampires around her, she could become overrun and dethroned at any moment. She started experimenting." Demetri cringed as he remembered vampires being pulled apart piece by piece.
"What was that?" I asked.
"She discovered her ability only required the vampire's head to be attached to its body for her to be able to utilize it. Those that were not compliant – and those with gifts too important to her, like Adam – were relieved of their limbs and locked away under guard. They are not fed and are too weak to move, leaving them easily transferable if Nadia desired to travel.
"Her orders – the ones we were here to carry out – were to destroy all covens we came across and bring any talented members back with us. We found none here, but she sent out many other groups to search other parts of the world."
"What about the Cullens?" I questioned, glad I could still see them through Alice's visions.
"She has Aro's talent, and therefore his memories. She is working up to your coven – saving them for last, since they have so many powerful allies. It won't be long before she comes for them, though." Demetri shook his head. "Many covens are coming to her voluntarily, as they learn of the destruction of other covens. A great deal of them are destroyed, but she has amassed quite an army."
"I don't believe this," I sighed, rubbing my forehead.
"But this is the absolute truth," Demetri countered. I nodded, my truth-telling ability agreed with his story.
"And what is your opinion on all of this?" I asked.
"This is not the Volturi," he said. "I do not agree with what they are doing – with what she is doing. There is no honor in what is happening with her commanding the guard."
"Well then, I guess I can't really kill you." I scrunched up my face. "What about Heckle and Jekyll?" I gestured to the barn, which was starting to catch fire and burn steadily. "Were the infamous witch twins part of the new republic?"
"They were loyal to Aro," Demetri said. "As Aro is under Nadia's control, I assumed they were as accepting of the new rule as any other guard member." Demetri eyed me warily, afraid to ask his question.
"No," I shook my head. "I really don't need to kill you. I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to kill this Nadia bitch." Demetri looked surprised, but agreed quickly.
"I will help you, but I doubt you would be able to defeat her, Ms. Ambrose," Demetri shook his head. "No one can kill her – she is too powerful."
"Just like no one can come back from the dead?" I countered, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, if you're going to join my team, I am going to need your power first," I cocked my head and considered how difficult it would be to take it without ripping his head open and enjoying myself. "Can you go ahead and track…oh, I don't know…Carlisle? That should be fairly easy, no?"
Demetri wanted to ask me how I would take his power, but smartly nodded and obeyed me, concentrating on Carlisle's familiar mental signature. I closed my eyes and focused on his mind as he visualized Carlisle's location.
His ability was like a hot-and-cold compass. He could always tell which direction his target was located, and the strength of the 'signal' determined how far away they were. It was a very valuable talent, which I quickly learned and added to my ever-growing pool of powers.
I opened my eyes and smiled at my new ally. "I got it. Now, take this," I kicked Jane's headless body. "and add it to the fire. Then we're heading out of here; I need to get back to Angela." Demetri nodded and gripped the body, hefting it over his shoulder and taking it over to the humungous bonfire.
"Oh," I said, making Demetri turn. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?" I asked.
Demetri furrowed his brow but shook his head, wondering why I was asking. I grinned at him instead of answering, gesturing for him to continue with his task as I targeted Angela with my new tracking ability.
End notes: Alright, wow; it's almost been a month since I've updated. Sorry. So, so sorry. I can't promise that this will never happen again, but I'll do my very best to get updates out a bit quicker. I have a feeling they will speed up once Symbiosis reaches its end.