Aurora

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series or any of the characters within it. I do own Twilight the DVD as well as Twilight the umbrella and anything with the Cullen Crest but that's about it…oh, and Bella's bedspread because it really does go well with the dark blue walls.

Summary: Carlisle Cullen once fought monsters and now he has become one. When he enters into Volterra, he is shown a world of civilization for his kind but he also shown the darkest of his kind. What path will he choose when he learns of all the horrors vampires bring upon the world and when they bring those horrors into his life?

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Chapter 20

I held Bianca closely to me in my arms, praying she did not look up upon my visage or upon the village that we did lay behind for either sight may be more gruesome than her innocent eyes were made to handle. One arm cradled her back as my hand pressed against her head so she couldst not look up to see much if her eyes did open against my wishes, whilst the other arm cradled her legs and skirts to hold her. I ran, thinking not of my speed but of getting Bianca away from the grizzle sight behind us for I wished to make much distance betwixt us and hoped that my sister might have a chance to take control of Anna and keep her off.

I knew from my years in Volterra I needed but a mile betwixt us so I would not succumb to her abilities and allow her to do as she wilt to Anna. I did not hear any other heartbeats but that of Bianca in the small village and was both heartbroken but overjoyed at this for though Anna may hath killed all in this place, Caterina would have no blood on her conscious for Anna's life was forfeit long ago.

I didst not relish the idea of taking another being's existence but I could also not condone the violence and the rampant murder that coated Anna's hands in the blood of the innocent. Aro was correct in his assessment many years ago that some were so evil that it were more a blessing to be rid of them than to leave them, though he did speak of humans at the time. The only human monsters I hath seen are the ones that Anna had created or the ones I saw during my human life as a preacher. As I gazed down as the small woman in lay arms, I was overjoyed at the fact she was safe within my arms and not at the mercy of that woman; that she was alive. I saw her moved slightly and whimper and I quickly stopped, lessened my arms about her, so I might look her full over as any doctor might.

Bianca's gray eyes looked upon me with a mixture of emotions that I could not fathom to name of all them; but most chiefly amongst them was that of pain. I suffered myself a breath, praying to God that I couldst control my inner demons against the burn of my throat and not hurt the young woman whom I saw often as a daughter or young sister. The burn entered my throat though not as bad as earlier when I smelt the blood of the villagers upon the ground. My mind remembered that it was Bianca's blood that led me to Lavinia and Antonio and that the girl must be injured; for this was I most aghast at myself for forgetting. The young woman was injured and I thought not on her pain but only on getting her out; for I should have stopped within the forest to check her for what damage Anna may hath caused her.

Then my mind didst take a far different track for Bianca was alive and none other's were. She had not moved much, she had pain in her eyes, and Anna, a vampire, had caused her blood to be spilled at least in some small amount; hath Anna caused her to be turned? I prayed that this was not such the case for Bianca was still far too young though old enough to be turned by the Volturi's decree; twelve had been made their age limitation.

"Did the," I thought of what to call Anna. Lavinia had called her a witch and this made as much sense as any other word that might have been used against her. "..witch bite you?" I asked her quietly as I sat her down carefully upon a log that was nearby to us for I wished to examine her most completely for any injury she may hath encountered.

Bianca shook her head and began to sob most terribly before my eyes to which my heart did break for her at such a sight. Most wretchedly did she look as her dress was now all but tatters and soaked with blood. Carefully, I took steps towards her so I might knell before the young woman and tend to her but, before I might do so, Bianca cringed away from me bringing my worst fears to the surface. For it may be possible that she hath noticed the similarities betwixt myself and Anna in appearance and didst take me for a witch as well; such as this would not bode well for myself and I feared that I might find myself again amongst the potatoes, so to speak, so I might not be burned.

"Bianca?" I asked of her as I knelt a good distance away, scared myself that the young woman I thought of as part of my human family now held fear of me. Slowly I reached toward the figure hunched in her petticoats and lace, trying as hard as I lief to not bring more fear to her. Her eyes again caught mine as she gazed again up upon me and did so reach for me this time, tears in her eyes and upon her cheek. "Carlisle," she mumbled as she cried and immediately I took her back into my arms, noticing as I did that she whimpered in pain.

"Did she hurt you? Bite you?" I asked in a more fervently this time as my fears of her becoming one of my kind heightened, for of this life did I not wish upon her. I wished her to live a normal life until it's natural end and, if at that time, she wished this, then I should gladly help her call into this world despite it's darkness.

"She did not bite me but she cut at me with her fingers," Bianca muttered into my shoulder. At this, I was relived for no venom was in her system and any else, as long as her heart did beat as strongly as it did now, could be dealt with.

"Where?" I questioned, using most of my air again. I leaned away from her to take another breath so I might speak more if the situation did necessitate it.

"Upon my leg," she stated. Gently as I might, I moved her back to the log and I kneeled before her so I might examine her properly. I moved her skirts to the side and took no notice of her embarrassment for the compromising position but took a look at her leg and saw that it was badly cut, to the point it will need to be stitched. I ripped the bottom of her petticoat to make a strip of cloth so I might cover the bleeding wound and help in stopping it from bleeding much further. I took notice that Anna had been most careful to avoid any major veins for I was in the belief that she wished to torture Bianca most horribly before Caterina did stop her; to this was I most thankful for.

Once her leg was properly wrapped, I moved her skirts to cover her as modestly as they might in the current tattered position, and opened my arms to receive her form again so I might carry her quickly to the spot Lavinia and Antonio – I prayed- still were. Bianca looked at me most shyly and then did whisper, "You are a sorcerer, are you not?"

This did stop me most cold for I was correct earlier in my assessment that Bianca had seen too much and didst know that I was of the same kind as Anna. I knew not of what to say or what to do in such a moment for all my hopes had been shattered. Wouldst Bianca tell others of what I was, for surely she would though not a witch was I, such a description as Stregoni –sorcerer- was close enough and the word, vampire or sorcerer, would have meant my death sentence in either case.

"But you are not bad. You are benefical," she said as she looked up at me, smiling. How couldst the young woman smile upon me knowing I was not a goodly human, concerned not with mundane matters that had nothing to do with the world of legends and myth? I knelt before her again, pleading with my eyes so she might understand.

"Bianca," I began but she did stop me and look unto my eyes, still a smile upon her face and her eyes filled with gladness.

"Indeed! You are a Stregoni benefici. You learn to help, not to hurt. Caterina and you both are such, are you not?" Bianca asked me, seeming almost joyful at her revelation. How could the child know of me so well for indeed I did wish to help and not destroy as Anna was lief to do. My love for this young girl could not be linned but I did not wish to cause alarm for her observation were far too close to the mark.

I noticed her face twist into one of questioning before I might attempt to explain in anyway. "But you teach Caterina, do you not? So she might learn the arts of a good sorceress?" she asked me and at this I did nearly laugh but managed to keep my face in a small smile.

"How old might you be, verily?" Bianca asked of me before I had a chance in which to answer her previous question. I thought that, given what she did so know, that any other such answers, sort of my admission to being a vampire, might not hurt nearly as much.

"Old," I stated simply, not wishing to scare the girl much.

"But how old?" she asked again, pleadingly.

I sat beside her upon the log and wrapped an arm about her as she nuzzled to my side as she hath always done since she was quite small. "I was born sometime in the early 1640's," I informed her, awaiting her reaction. Bianca's eyes grew and her lips moved as she did the math in her head though no sound came from her.

"So you are much older than father," she stated most factually. "And your sister?"

"Caterina is much older than I am though she does not look it," I informed the young girl.

Bianca slumped and gently hit me upon the shoulder as she has for many years when I did not give her the answer she wished for. "When?" she asked most exasperatedly.

"1491, or she doth tell me," I continued in my information. Bianca merely nodded at this bit of information and went to bite her nails, as she did oft when she was thinking upon matters serious to her heart. I, being of an almost instinctual nature now, did bat at her hand gently to keep her nails from cracking and causing more blood to flow. She smiled up upon me.

Breathing had become easier as the scent of blood lingered but I became more accustom to it; for the pain was not lessoned but my own reactions to it were more easily strengthened.

"Pray, tell me more, Carlisle," Bianca asked of me and, in turn, I held her tighter for what couldst I tell to her of my kind? I couldst not tell her much out of fear of her discovering the truth, that I was not a sorcerer but a vampire and that would be much to much to bare.

"Of what do you wish to know?" I asked her carefully so that she might initiate this conversation and allow me some flexibility in my answers.

"The blood, doth it bother you because you are a sorcerer and sorcerers become evil when they taste the human blood or because you truly are afraid of it?" she asked and of this, I did not know how to answer. It would be that she would get most straight to the heart of the matter and would know far more than I could give her credit for since I hath always known Bianca to be an intellectual young woman, but how does one answer such a question.

"Did Anna say or do anything before you that made you think of this?" I questioned. To this, Bianca nodded and I held her face to my chest, fearful of what she might had seen through her innocent eyes. I could not lie to the girl for too much was she of my family and to lie would be a great sin against her.

"It is for my being that it doth bother me," I answered verily.

"It doth not bother Caterina as much," she mumbled into my waistcoat, her small arms about my form now.

"Catty's older," I said lightly, smirking as I did so.

Bianca was quite for a moment but did not release her hold on me. "Can you run most fast? I wish to see Lavinia. The other man said he would take her to safety," she mumbled against me and so thusly did I comply.

This time I did not hold back in my running whilst I carried the girl's young form in my arms. It was but a matter of minutes later that we came upon the site where Antonio and Lavinia did wait. I place Bianca close to her sister's side for I was fearful of the injury to her leg. Unsure if any blood, here, had also been spilt, I held my breath, no longer wishing for conversation.

Bianca rushed into her sister's arms and both did cry in greeting after the horrid ordeal that they had been through. Soon, did my own sister rush behind me and nod to both myself and Antonio in greeting. "She got away," Caterina stated through gritted teeth, blood upon her dress and hands.

"How?"Antonio asked in a calm manner of which I could not understand for I was incredulous at such an announcement.

"She had help. Two I did not recognize," Catty said simply. I noticed that she did seem to be having trouble herself with breathing and I knew not to even attempt it. Antonio took notice and grabbed a nearby towel and water from the carriage behind him, so that the blood upon her could be washed off as best as we were able in the current surroundings.

"Are they burnt?" he asked as he washed Catty's hands with much care that I wondered how he did know her. Caterina did nod to his question and that did seem enough though, against all our hopes and prayers, Anna was still out there and she had exposed us.

Author's note: Hehehe….Yes, our dear Bella will echo some of Bianca's lines many years later won't she? I wanted to show how Carlisle would deal with a similar situation and how he got his nickname of Stregoni benefici. Now you know!