Chapter 6

Aro's Answer

The hallway was deserted as everyone was already gathered in the main chamber. It is amazing how predictable these vampires could be. Every event the group gathered early because there was nothing else to do here other than torture prisoners, learn, and have sex. As I only did one out of three, I was usually incredibly bored. Even if I didn't disagree with murder I would attempt to kill myself just to break up the monotony.

You could hear the guard talking and laughing through the door in the middle of the hall. Acting like we weren't about to kill over 50 people. Distancing myself from the blood bath I contributed to, I was almost impressed at how many people I lured on my own.

I stopped. That was a horrible thought. It brought on the memory of the group of college girls that I had convinced to board the bus. At the time I didn't think about how those smiling faces would be screaming and pleading for mercy later today. In an attempt to get out of this place I seemed to lose a piece of my humanity.

Maybe that was why Aro didn't complain too much when I agreed to be a fisher. Maybe he knew that the training for it would turn me into a cold monster like the rest of them. Well he was wrong! I wouldn't let him manipulate me like that. I was going to get out of this place and end this horrible existence whether he liked it or not. I could sneak out during the feast and find another clan of vampires that wouldn't be afraid to kill me. Danm! Now I thought about it I would never get away with it.

"Are you alright?" The strange eyed vampire spoke from behind me. If I was still human I would have probably jumped out of my skin. Thankfully I wasn't and the guest wasn't able to see my mini melt down.

"Yes, nothings wrong. Aro should be just through this door," I lead him through the door and my job was done. I could just go back up to my room and skip the feast. I had fed last night, but being around all those humans today and the amount of energy I used last night training made that impossible and I knew it.

"Harry, why are you back so soon? We weren't expecting you for another three hours. It went well right?" It was obvious that Aro hoped it didn't go well so that he could shrink his end of the bargain.

"No Aro, it all went well. I just forgot to bring my second pair of contacts. The first one dissolved." As if my burgundy eyes didn't make that obvious.

"Of course, of course," Aro stood from his throne like chair and approach the stranger and I. "It seems you brought a guest."

"I found him in the front lobby waiting for an audience with you. His name is Edward, but I did not ask his last name." Aro held out his hand in an obvious command to touch it. I hesitated for obvious reasons, but it was inevitable and was better to just get it over with.

Our hands met and Aro shook his head. His frown grew as he saw more. When he got to my thoughts in the hallway he lifted an eyebrow as if to say 'you really thought that would work?'

"Harry, why do you hate us so?" He asked something like this every time our hands touched. "I guess I'll just have to keep an extra eye on you for awhile."

"That will not be necessary," I stood defiantly as I could, "I will be leaving here tonight, as was our agreement."

"Ah, but you broke the agreement when you didn't stay out the full time with Heidi. You will stay here until Heidi can go out and fish with you again."

"I have proved to you that I can be around a human. I am no longer a newborn. I can take care of myself and you have no right to try and hold me here."

"You lost your right to freedom when you attempted to expose yourself." I was slightly shocked. Aro had never said this to me and it seemed to be a last ditch effort to keep me here. I could feel Edward shift awkwardly behind us. "We will finish this conversation later. Go stand in your place."

We stood there staring at each other. His milky eyes promised retribution if I attempted to go against him in front of a guest. I gave up the power struggle and made my way to the right of Marcus' chair.

"Now, my guest," Aro held his hand out to Edward, "let's see why you've come."

When the two touched hands Aro's eyes widened comically. He looked over at me and gave me a calculating look before turning back sharply to look at Edward. Edward was throwing questioning looks to both Aro and I. How I had anything to do with the strange vampire I had no idea.

"How interesting," Aro murmured.

"Please enlighten us as to what it so interesting about our uninvited guest," said Marcus.

"It seems that there is more than one suicidal vampire in the world," Aro said turning to the guard. "Why is it that the suicidal ones always have the most intriguing powers? It appears as though our friend here has lost his human mate and would like to ask us to kill him because his family will not."

"All this because of a human?" The small hooded Jane chimed in. I could sympathize with the man. A mate is a mate, even if they are human. They must have been really great to win the affection of a vampire. I figured that since Edward had a power that Aro called 'interesting', it would be hard to get this group to kill him. He would probably end up like me. I wondered who would be on Harry suicide watch the rest of the day. Maybe today it would be Harry and Edward suicide watch.

"Yes, because of a human. It also seems as though Edward has the gift of mind reading." Aro turned to look straight at me, "perhaps he will help you before he dies. That is if he dies." Aro turned back to Edward stretching his arms out in welcome, "join us and find a new reason to live. To waste a gift as beneficial as yours would be a pity."

"Thank you for the offer," Edward said with a respectful nod of the head, "but I must decline as our lifestyles do not agree with each other."

"Ah yes," Aro said, "you truly are a Cullen."

At the last name over half of the guard seemed to tense up and I could see a couple of glances shot my way. I didn't know what was significant about the last name Cullen, but I was intrigued by this lifestyle that he talked about and why it had the Volturi on edge.

"Well then I am sorry," Aro said, but he looked anything, but sorry, "but I must decline to give you this favor, but since I know you will not let that answer stand and are going to force our hand I will make a deal with you."

"I'm listening."

"If before you decide how you will die, you give Harry here some lessons on how to read minds I will allow him to be the one to kill you. And since your wondering why he would be better than the others, he is the only one that can make your death completely certain and painless."

I hated it when Aro showed me off like some prize. I guess I am special, but I never saw the point in showing off to vampires that were going to die. It was then that I realized what Aro had said. It was obvious that this strange eyed vampire had the ability to read minds, why that hadn't penetrated my thick head the first time is anybodies guess. Perhaps that is why his eyes were such a strange color. But that doesn't make any sense, because if it were true my eyes would be slightly different.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me "I am not sure how much help I can give you, but I will try if you hold up your end of the agreement."

I nodded my head. I know what it's like to want to die. I won't let Aro make you one of his pets like I am. I tried to think towards him, although I didn't know what I was doing. There was a slight, almost unnoticeable, nod of Edwards head so I think he got the message.

"Well then, let us go to the training room before the feast." Aro said making a sweeping gesture to the wooden door off to the side, "I would like to see what progress you are able to make."

Edward narrowed his eyes at Aro and shot me a look out of the side of his eyes. There must have been some type of communication going on between the two, but I was too far away from both of them to hear anything.

The room we sat in was much like the one we had just left except there were no chairs and no drain. It had stone walls, ceiling, and floors. The only light came in from three windows each blocked with three bars. It reminded me of something that must have been from my human life, but in three years I had never figured out what it was and Aro had never said. I suppose they cold have been from the insane asylum or the prison cells I must have been held in.

Edward stood to the side and Aro stood in front of me. Aro refused to let Edward be the one who had there mind read. It was now obvious that Aro was hiding something from me and was there to make sure that Edward didn't tell me the secret.

Edward was trying to teach me to read minds like it was one of my five senses and not an ability someone could turn on and off. Thinking of it like that had helped a little, but even that much was amazing for such a short time.

Speaking of time, the feast was sure to start any minute now and all this practice had taken its toll on me. I'm glad that I had fed yesterday or I might have been as bad as a newborn at the moment. Already I could feel the venom constantly pooling at the back of my throat. It was good thing that I would be feeding shortly. I could feel my concentration leaving me as I tried to read Aro's mind on more time. It was my only weakness, but a substantial one. If I used too much power I would turn into a mindless monster and there was no stopping me. It had only happened once and that was the night we lost our last secretary.

"Aro," the only door was pushed open and Marcus stepped in, "I think you would all like to come out here for a minute. It seems the human girl is not as dead as we once thought."