Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except my OCs

Chapter 8

Serina

The morning sun rose over the city and the birds greeted it with tweets and calls. She curled up under the covers, clutching them to her in a vice like grip. She had hardly slept a wink last night; her mind had been plagued with Felix, Demetri, Heidi, Jane...all of them. Joy had been there but there was also fear. Caius was still as scary as he was all those years ago. What if he found out? She shuddered at the thought.

With her mind still in a dream like state she saw Caius and Felix locked in battle. Caius was one of the rulers, he had to be strong. Her hand clutched around the necklace - rubbing the two diamonds for comfort. Should she have come here?

"Wake up sleepy head!" Sarahs voice interrupted her morning mope and she peeked out from under the quilt to see the annoyingly perky girl sitting on her bed.

"Go away." she mumbled but as her head was covered by a pillow it sounded more like "Moway." Sarah glared at her and then began to bounce up and down on her bed.

"Wake up." Bounce. "Wake up!" Bounce. "WAKE UP!" Bounce, bounce bounce. Serina lifted her head from the pillow and glared at her best friend.

"You morning people are unnatural....and mean." she said and twisted round so she was facing Sarah. Her friend smiled and crossed her arms.

"I wouldn't have to be mean if you weren't so lazy." Serina winced at the noise and realised with sickening clarity that she had a hangover. She leaned forward and started to rub her head, as if that was going to do any good. She felt exhausted from last night and every part of her was aching. She was never drinking again she thought sourly as her head throbbed again.

"Do you have to be so hyper?" she asked, watching Sarah jump about was making her dizzy. "So what did you and Steve do last night?" Sarah blushed at the sound of her boyfriends name. If her head hadn't been pounding she would have thought it cute.

"Oh it was amazing Rina, he took me to his little restaurant in town and then we just walked around town. It is absolutely gorgeous at night! I'm so glad we came on this trip." Sarah gushed and Serina smiled, her friend was very smart if slightly naïve and she loved seeing her happy.

"Sounds great Sarah. You're right this is a beautiful city. I would have loved to see it last night." But she had seen something better she thought thinking of the sunset on the cliffs. There was a loud knocking on the door and she cringed again. Without waiting for a reply Charlotte burst in wearing a bright pink dressing gown and appeared to be wearing... green mud on her face. A mask probably. She looked around the room and her nose actually seemed to point up with contempt.

"Just so you know the exhibition has been stalled for a bit." Uhh! Her nasally voice drilled into Serinas skull. Then she comprehended what Charlotte had said.

"What? Why?!" she asked, ouch, she had just given herself a headache. Charlotte'e eyes gleamed the way they always did when she had been told a particularly juicy bit of gossip. She leaned forward and whispered. "Someone was murdered."

Sarah gasped and sat back a bit while a feeling of dread settled in Serina's stomach. "What?" she choked out her attention riveted on the vain girl with bits of green face mask dropping of her skin. Charlotte nodded and sat on the bed.

"Apparently, one of the cleaners was found this morning with his throat ripped out. Dead in the middle of the hall. No-ones allowed to leave. Strange thing is, there wasn't a lot of blood even though the wound was huge." Sarah was now trembling and Serina grabbed her friends hand and squeezed it for comfort.

"So, where not allowed to go back until they catch this guy?" she asked just picturing how her mom was going to react to the news. Charlotte nodded. Bitchy or not the girl was a good source for information.

"Well not until they've questioned everyone at least. I'm gonna go tell Tom and Steve." she rose to leave and Sarah got up to.

"I'll come to." she was still trembling a little and Serina looked at her worriedly. She saw the look and smiled. "I'll be OK Serina." she said and left with Charlotte. Serina sat on the bed listening to her heart beat. Dead....Throat ripped....Little blood. A scene replayed itself in her mind. Felix biting down on a girls neck, his eyes burning red and the look of terror on the womans face. No he wouldn't do that.

She remembered last nigh he had said he had to leave otherwise he would regret something. Had he been hungry, was he afraid of killing her had he killed this man for food. Her heart rejected it but her mind was still thinking. What about Demetri or Marcus could they have done it? They were vampires for Gods sake it was what she had accepted. But the image of that poor man working in the dark, just doing his job like every other night when someone bites viciously into his throat and ends his life.

Tears pricked at her eyes and she wiped them away with her hand. She say up straight and took a deep breath. Something didn't seem right about this, kill a man then leave him in the middle of a hall. Vampires tried hard to keep their existence a secret, this....murder, her mind whispered, was too public and too show offy for one of the Volturi to do it. They were going to kill a 5 year old to keep the vampires secret, surely they wouldn't want all this attention.

She spun round and got off the bed. She would have to ask Felix about it. If they didn't do it then yay if they did....She sighed and went into the bathroom. Like a robot she stripped and turned on the shower. The hot water trickled down her back and front, relieving some of the tension in her muscles. She leaned against the glass and closed her eyes. She was wrapped up in her own world and didn't hear the window opening.

Felix

Aro had been furious with the attack. It hadn't been a feeding it was a clear challenge. Whoever the soon to be dead vampire was had known that at least two of the Volturi where in the city and the kill was a rebellion against their presence. Demetri was already at the scene picking up the killers thought trail. They would be on the hunt soon.

He stepped into Serinas room, Aro had also wanted to see how "little Serina" had "developed". Felix didn't like it when Aro had said that. Aro was hoping that Serina might be gifted, just like he had hoped all those years ago. So he had been asked to bring her back with him and Demetri before they started the hunt.

"Serina?" he said she looked around but couldn't see anything. Her scent was here, as where two others but he ignored them and followed hers.

"Serina?" he called again, worried that she wasn't answering. He smelt her behind a white door and without a thought he opened it.

"Are you OK Ser-" he froze mid sentence and if he had been human his face would have been bright red. She was here. Safe. Unharmed. Naked in the shower. This was pure torture and he turned away swiftly just as she squeaked out an embarrassed Oh. But it was too late. Every line and curve of her body was now engraved in his memory. He rubbed his forehead as if to dispel the image but it stayed firmly planted in his mind. He groaned as he realised how vivid his fantasies were going to get.

Already part of him wanted to turn around and...No. He shut down that thought and moved for the door. "I'll wait outside until you're uh ready." Was he the only one who heard his voice quiver.

Serina

For a few seconds she just stood there holding her head. Mortification and humiliation. That was all she felt. Her skin felt warm and her heart was beating incredibly fast. With shaky hands she turned off the water and pulled on some clothes: a pair of flared black jeans and a blue pullover. With trepidation and an aura of doom she opened the door to face her friend.

AN: Ha ha. I know I'm evil. Just a warning my exams are coming up so I may not update for a while but I promise that I will update eventually. Also please check out my attempt at a one-shot- A Stone Mask a Bella X Demetri fic. Please review and if you have any ideas or advise please tell me. Hope you enjoy!

Serina gulped as she saw the familiar buildings loom up ahead. She gripped Felix's hand as they made there way into the city of Volterra.