Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.
I am honored to say that Unloved Unwanted has been nominated at The Vampies for the "I Can't Believe it's Not Sparkly" (Best AU) award. I am actually up against myself in that category for Harvest Moon, and both Harvest Moon and Full Moon Rising have been nominated in other categories so I AM SO HUMBLED. Please go over and check out the awards – some pretty amazing stories have been nominated!
http:/ twificpics(dot)com/vampawards/?page_id=294
A/N: I've had several emails discussing the visuals of Aro and Marcus. Most of the comments have been based on the movie editions. Although Michael Sheen and Christopher Heyerdahl both did amazing jobs of bringing these characters to life on the big screen, the visuals were just not what I had imagined reading the books. For Marcus, I was saw more of the Italian dancer Roberto Bolle. Google the man and put longer hair on him…and I think you see what I mean. In fact, his wife is almost what I imagine when I see Didyme in my head as well. My Aro is a little more difficult to find. He is a lesser known Jurgita Italian Model. Ceasare Alex. This is the man I see tangling up all our beloved vamps. (insert smile)
We all waited for Aro to tell us exactly what Alice had seen. Alice fluffed her hair as if she was preparing for a spotlight to fall on her. I wanted to strangle her, and she obviously knew it. The smile that sliced across her face was brilliant.
At the same time as Aro whispered "Did…" Alice took pity on us all.
"Didyme is alive," she announced, "and she is with Edward."
Marcus went as still as a statue as a collective gasp went through the room.
Jacob, as always, could be trusted to provide the comic relief.
"So? Are we gonna go to war or what?"
Aro POV
"So? Are we gonna go to war or what?" Jacob's voice echoed through the silence of the chamber after the collective gasp.
"Hell yeah, we are," Emmett swore out as Isabella raced for Marcus and me. Noises of celebration grew in the room as vampire voices mixed in exultation and planning around us.
"Didyme?" Bella said as she slid to her knees in front of me, asking for confirmation. I could barely do anything other than nod.
"Marcus!" she shouted with joy and actually pushed me out of my brother's lap, unceremoniously dumping me to the floor, so that she could crawl into it, patting at his frozen face with enthusiasm.
I was still in shock, the vision of my beautiful sister's sad face and Edward's expression as he obviously tried to comfort her seared into my brain. Rage like I'd never known burned within me. They had Edward and Didyme!
Demetri stood silently, eyes unfocused. "They're really there. Both of them. Alive. Incredible."
"How did you miss this?" Caius asked from his side.
"My ability requires focus and effort," Demetri replied. "I don't automatically know where everyone I've ever met is; I have to focus on them and reach out with my senses until I find them. When I heard that Didyme had died all those years ago, I automatically checked, looking for her to see if it was true, and I couldn't find her. It was the same with Edward after we got the news. It takes enough effort that I've never bothered to look for someone again, since I know they're gone. But how did they..." his voice trailed off in thought. "Oh," he muttered in shock. "Those bastards."
"What?" Felix asked.
"When we perform executions, the condemned disappear from my senses when we decapitate them, but we still have yet to destroy the pieces. I can't sense them anymore, but they aren't technically dead until we ash them."
"You mean they..." Felix growled out, horrified at the thought.
"I can't see any other possibility. Stefan and Vladimir must have some idea of how my gift works. They must've torn Didyme and Edward apart and left them in pieces for weeks, long enough for me to look and not be able to find them. Those conniving, sadistic..."
"Exactly," Felix murmured, a deep snarl building in him.
"You realize what this means?" I told him, astounded at what we'd just determined.
He nodded. "Every dead vampire I've ever associated with Vladimir and Stefan is now suspect. I'm going to have to go through my memories and reconfirm that all of them are dead."
Demetri had said it correctly. The bastards! Going to war with the Romanians had already been a certainty, but this shocking news added a new sense of urgency, and not just for me.
Marcus had remained frozen throughout our observations, lost in the shock of our discovery.
"Marcus! Wake up!" Bella shouted with joy. "She's alive, do you hear me…and she and Edward will take care of each other until we get there. C'mon," she smoothed her hands against her cheeks. "All we have to do is go get them!"
The first thing to unfreeze was his eyes. He jerked them to her. She smiled brightly and nodded her head up and down energetically seeing that she had his attention. "Didyme!" she said brightly, speaking to him almost like a child. "Alive and waiting for you!"
His eyes snapped to me for confirmation, and I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my face…full and uninhibited. "Alice has seen it and Demetri has confirmed it," I assured my brother.
His frozen stance finally began to crack as he accepted what we had told him. Bella flew to her feet and danced in circles before him in euphoria, her hair flying out around her in a swirl. She was adorable in her enthusiasm, and I began to laugh. Sulpicia's arms encircled me, pulling me back against her and she whispered softly. "A new chance, Il mio amore. Look at them," she encouraged. She was right…a new chance for us all.
Isabella pulled Marcus up to her, urging him to rise. He finally complied coming fully upright and then snatched her to him, and then I heard the most precious of sounds. Marcus laughed…full-bodied laughter as he twirled with her. It reached out and filled the air around us, saturating the room in pure unadulterated joy. Jasper slide to the floor overtaken with the joyous emotions in the room; his grin was nothing short of silly.
"Yup, I love being the bearer of good news," Alice trilled over the noise and skipped over to her mate, lowering herself down to be near him as Sulpicia and I rose.
"We have to leave," Jacob announced quickly, and the noise died down a little.
"Oh, we plan to," Felix said with a feral growl. He was ready for battle…his lust for destruction never more apparent than at that moment. Isabella turned to him and he winked at her in conspiracy. It would seem that they had forged a unique relationship through their brief courtship that would forever bind them. In that, Jane had also found the friend she needed. I couldn't be more pleased.
"I meant that Seth, Leah, and I need to leave," Jacob explained, looking at his pack mates. "Alice was away from us when she got her vision. We need to stay away from her until we plan to leave, that way if Edward is able to send anything further, we won't keep her from seeing it."
They nodded in agreement. He was correct.
"How far do you need, Alice?" I asked, considering the dilemma.
"He didn't even get past the city limits last time," she answered quickly.
"We have a house on the other side of town, Jacob. It's where we entertain human guests when necessary for business."
"I'm on it," Seth said quickly, moving from the room. His sister followed. I was certain she did not want him disturbing her possessions.
"Demetri?"
"Yes, Master."
"Arrange staff for the house and order in food."
He nodded in acknowledgement and then left the room, Heidi following quickly. I turned to Marcus to see him hugging Isabella. He clung to her as if their lives depended on it…and I realized in that moment that perhaps they did. They would be fighting to reclaim that what we'd felt was lost. Isabella had been right. I'd have to apologize to her once again. My daughter would never know just how much she was changing me. I watched the two frolic in their joy and experienced a rush of elation as I lived vicariously through them.
As they did so, an errant thought ran through my mind. What if Edward had never left Isabella? What if she'd never come to us…how different our lives would have been. It was staggering to consider the implications.
When Marcus finally moved his sparkling eyes to me, I said, "I know we all want to go immediately, but I would hazard a guess that Edward has information to relay to us; information that will be imperative to our success." I was letting him know that we needed to plan carefully and not react in haste.
I saw him chafe at the thought of waiting, but then Isabella laid her hand on his arm and patted his skin softly.
Caius helped in her efforts to calm our brother. He held Athenodora in his arms and murmured over her head, "Marcus, we must be patient. We must overwhelm the Romanian scum in one fell swoop, so that they do not have the chance to harm their captives as a last act of revenge. Now that we know he can…we need to allow Edward the opportunity to feed us the information that can shape our strategy. You have waited so long for her; we ask you to wait just a little longer, so that we can insure our success"
"She is alright?" Marcus asked me softly, joy radiating from him. It was if the flame that had once been extinguished within him had suddenly been stoked into a roaring blaze. Marcus had come alive.
"She is there, Marcus. I can't say that she is happy, but up until this moment, you have not been, either. I trust that you will change all that as soon as possible, correct?" I teased him. I was figuring that he and Didyme would disappear on us as soon as the battle was done. His next words confirmed my suspicions.
"Aro…I will wait for Edward to feed us the information we need, but as soon as I get my hands on her, you had better not disturb me for at least a century. The house at the springs is all mine. I do not want to be disturbed. Not for any reason. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear, my brother, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Carlisle can assume your duties at council until you are ready to return to us. Honestly, I can't think of any being, vampire or human, more deserving of a vacation than you."
He broke out in laughter in response. His enthusiasm was infectious, though, and I saw those around us embracing their mates…or at least those around them that they could grab. Carlisle kissed Esme, his hope clear to all those around him. Rosalie and Emmett were wrapped in a passionate embrace that I'd come to associate with them, Felix, my giant warrior, smiled shyly down into tiny Jane's face. She rolled her eyes at him as if she was tired of him acting like a teenager, but I saw the satisfied glint in her eyes. He was winning my she-devil back over. It was about time. I saw all this in the second it took for Sulpicia to pull me to her and kiss me ardently.
The sound of Seth and Leah setting their bags down brought us back to reality.
"Master, I'll drive them over," Alec said.
"One moment," I said, stalling him. "Renata, my phone." I held out my hand for the device. Once receiving it, I handed it to Jacob.
"I'm certain Isabella will be spending equal amounts of time at both locations; please use this to call us. Sulpicia's number is number one on the speed dial."
He nodded his head softly and thanked me. He then turned to Isabella. "Bells, stay here tonight."
She shook her head, but I could tell she was torn between her loyalties. She held Marcus' hand, but I knew she wanted to be with her friend as well.
"Jake, I don't think Edward will be able to give us anymore today," Alice said. Bella turned to Alice with a questioning look.
"They just disappeared," Alice responded, "even without Jake, Seth, or Leah being around."
"The werewolves must have come back," she said, meaning the true Children of the Moon. "I doubt Stefan and Vladimir will let them leave so soon again. Anyway…Alice can call us if needed." She turned to Marcus to check on him.
He smiled brilliantly before saying, "Isabella, go with your friends. I'll be fine. In fact, I think I need some quiet time to just reflect." He sighed softly and looked up to find everyone looking at him with varying degrees of fondness.
"It's not often that your greatest wish is granted, I think I deserve a little time to enjoy it," he argued with good grace.
I saw Carlisle's eyes wander to Marcus, and I knew that he would be checking on my brother-in-law. I also knew he would find him in a state of euphoria, but it was just Carlisle's nature to worry about his state of being. The two had been close during Carlisle's first time with us…that had not changed. Marcus caught me gazing at Carlisle with longing on my face, and snorted slightly as he passed me. He bumped his shoulder against me, letting me see his concern. He knew I loved Carlisle. He also wanted me to see the unbreakable bond between Carlisle and Esme. It was a bond I did not dispute or aspire to destroy…I just wanted a piece of it. I had not given up my aspirations, but for now we needed to worry about his son and my sister.
I was exhilarated again with just the thought. To the delight of those around me, I picked Sulpicia up, threw her over my shoulder and flew unceremoniously out of the room with her laughing at my exuberance. I needed time alone with my wife to celebrate. Our clothes hit the floor before we even made it through the door. Not too much later, I heard Carlisle tease me at finding my shirt in the hallway, but I was too enthralled with the bounty of my wife's charms to even respond.
So, it was with little argument that Isabella went to spend time with the three shape-shifters. Alice and Jasper settled in Isabella and Edward's room that evening just on the chance that he was able to give us anymore. She wanted to be close so that I could see the vision as it unfolded. She believed that with my familiarity with the Romanians that I would pick up on something she might overlook. I was just as eager, wanting to know what was occurring and just how much he would be able to reveal to us.
Although it wasn't to be that evening, our wait wasn't long.
"I'm amazed at Marcus' progress," Caius murmured, watching our brother all but best Demetri at the training exercise that Jasper supervised. "And…I am excruciatingly happy to find Jasper. I don't really care if you like it or not, but I'm handing day-to-day control of the Guard over to him. He is my gift from all this," he said seriously.
I laughed softly watching Carlisle's son flip Marcus to his back on the ground, pointing out a moment he allowed himself to get distracted.
"You are going to want to protect Didyme, Marcus. They will use it against you. Stay focused," our new Master-at-Arms barked out.
He then pulled Marcus to his feet and set the disgruntled Volturi to a new position. This time he paired him with Felix. I could see Felix's glee at getting to tear into his master without repercussions. He slapped his hands together in anticipation, earning a round of encouragement from Emmett. Carlisle, of course, yelled out his words of advice to Marcus, ensuring a round of arguing from within the Cullen ranks.
I, too, was amazed at Marcus' progress. Before he had been a willing and eager participant, but I'd had the horrifying feeling that he was learning to fight so that if any sacrifice was needed, he would be the one. Now…now he had a reason and purpose to live.
"What is going to your reward in this, Aro?" Caius asked slyly.
I couldn't help my eyes jerking toward Carlisle and Caius hissed slightly beside me. "You reach for the unobtainable," he said, softly enough that only we heard.
I was going to rebut his words, but then I saw Alice freeze in the midst of her scuffle with Jane. I ran to her and touched her elbow so that I could see what she did as it unfolded. It was disjointed…clips of things happening…but with small spaces of nothingness in between.
Edward suspended between two large vampires, several other vampires surrounding him, pummeling him with powerful blows. His features are twisted in pain, and deep fissures ran through the side of his face.
Alice shook under my fingertips and I snarled in response to what I saw. I wondered why Edward did not even attempt to avoid their punishment and realized the answer a moment later. He wasn't revealing his gift in order to use it as the ultimate weapon. My respect for my child's mate grew by leaps and bounds as I recognized his strategy and strength, all while watching him suffer a horrendous beating without one whimper.
And then Alice stiffened as another vision took her.
Edward on the floor where he has been dropped, too weak and in too much pain to move. Didyme rushes into the room and to his side, attempting to comfort him. He gives her a look of reproach and then she flies backwards as Stefan kicks her. Edward growls at the treatment and attempts to rise in her defense, only to be knocked to the ground again.
Darkness…followed by the flash of another vision…
Edward is encased within the steel trap of the Iron Maiden. Didyme slowly pulling herself from the floor and walking over to him.
"You have to quit stepping in, Didyme."
"It is just my body," she responds. "I grew accustomed to it a long time ago, Edward."
I snarled at the implication and saw Marcus and Isabella standing to our side, holding hands. Marcus knew by the look on my face that I did not like what I saw.
Fog swirled for a short time…and then another vision, but this one more to my liking.
Didyme unfastens the complicated array of latches sealing the Iron Maiden around Edward.
"I'll have to seal you back before they return."
He nods in understanding.
She scurries back as Edward stands before her and stretches. His pleasure at the simple freedom is obvious. He is quite tall, and she seems afraid of his imposing figure.
When had she become so fearful? What had Vladimir and Stefan done to make her thus? I was going to tear them limb from limb.
"So the wolves have all left?" Edward asks her as he sits in a chair. Seated, he appears less daunting.
Didyme visibly relaxes, and then replies affirmatively. He smiles broadly and looked over to the window as if looking outside.
His expression turns speculative.
"And Aribert Heim has gone with them?" Edward continues, and Didyme looks at him strangely at his use of the man's full name.
It would seem that Edward had not shared Alice's gift with her. Incredibly wise of the young man. I had spoken his words out loud for the group around us, relaying a synopsis of what was occurring in Alice's dream. I heard the hisses of surprise. With the growth of media and information technology, our techniques had adapted, with vampires poring over information from hundreds of different sources, seeking tidbits that might hint at overt vampiric activity in violation of the law. In doing so, we also kept a close watch on the ebb and flow of human society. Aribert Heim? How interesting.
"Does he always go with the wolves?" Edward asks.
"Yes, he and the one that controls them."
He is sitting perfectly still, but it is obvious in his stance that he wishes to run like the wind.
Alice groaned as the vision started to fade, and I felt her tense as if she was willing it to clear.
Edward drawing, rapidly sketching a man's face.
We were seeing the gifted vampire who was responsible for controlling the werewolves. His destruction would be our first priority if it came down to a fight.
Didyme and Edward were like ghostly images, but Alice was fighting it and suddenly their shapes became more substantial.
Didyme speaks. A number.
"I don't see how he controls them all," Edward responds.
The number is the legions of werewolves under their command.
A deep feral snarl rose within me and filled the garden area. "Damn!" I swore out, seeing the numbers we were up against. "At least a hundred or more," I muttered. We were seriously outnumbered. My lackadaisical attitude toward the Romanians had allowed them to amass a veritable army against us.
Felix, Jasper, Demetri, and Emmett appeared at Alice and my other side.
Didyme places her hand against Edward's face. "Are you certain you are alright? We've discussed this before?" She asks softly.
For a moment, I was awash in joy at the sound of her voice. Now we just need to get to her so that Marcus could put the smile back on her face. Her spirit had been sorely missed in the castle. As I looked up at the group surrounding us, I realized something; very few of them even knew Didyme. We'd lost some of our earliest members through warfare and general attrition as they left the ranks to begin existences away from us. Of course I'd manipulated the gifted ones into staying, but it astonished me to realize that a good majority of those standing around us were prepared to fight solely out of respect for Marcus and Edward.
Didyme goes to the door and reaches outside to pick up something. She turns with a pitcher in her hand. Edward's eyes jerk to the container, and the burgundy fluid within.
He must be in agony with this reality of his captivity. What she gave him was barely enough to sustain him, and I knew that the Romanians would have planned it this way to keep him weak. I needed to tell Carlisle, so that he would be prepared, but I suspected he already knew. It would seem that Didyme would not be the only one that would need assistance readjusting to the world they once knew.
Edward had to know that, if his hopes were true, not only would we see the information he wanted desperately to give us…but his degradation as well. At least, that is how he would see it…
Edward manages a convincing smile, placating Didyme as he rises to go place the pitchers and cup by the door.
"I would take them outside, but my scent in the hall would alert them that I've been free," he says to her, ever the consummate gentleman.
A few moments of static again. We had to wait for Edward's next focus.
"I'm so sorry," Didyme whispers hoarsely. "I don't know how long they will keep you bound."
"How long did you stay that way?"
"Centuries… I tried to escape. I was punished. "
"Didyme, what has happened was not your fault. They do not have the right to touch you the way they do, regardless of what you believe."
This time both Alice and my snarls filled the room as we realized what Edward was saying. My fears were well founded. Inadvertently, our eyes jerked to Marcus, and he took in the both of our feral expressions.
"What?" he swore out.
I held my hand up asking him to give us a moment. I wanted to concentrate on what I was seeing. Alice and I could replay it afterward to look for any subtle clues.
Edward moves to the window, and looks out at the great chasms of rock that surrounded the castle.
"The caves where they practice, they are in that direction?" He points toward a particularly rocky crag in the distance.
I quickly noted the location of the sun. The area even looks vaguely familiar. We could look at maps from the region and triangulate a general location using the time of day.
Didyme moves to his side and looks where he points.
"Yes," she admits reluctantly and then turned to him. "That is also where they are housed."
Her expression is blank and hopeless.
"There is no escape, so don't bother contemplating it. He has a network of guards who monitor the perimeter. I made it about a hundred meters from here before they captured me."
Edward looks down into the chasm that yawns beneath them.
A difficult climb, but not impossible for a vampire. It would, however, make us vulnerable as we came over the top. A distraction would be necessary for those forces.
Edward's eyes lose focus, as if he is listening to something in the distance.
"Didyme, quickly, you need to seal me back in and leave." He rushed to the Iron Maiden and fits in exactly the position he'd been left.
"Hurry. They have returned, and I strongly suspect they'll be coming back up here to pick up where they left off. I don't want you here for it."
Her hands shake as she seals him into the hideous contraption
"Now!" he swears at her as she hovers over him. "GO!"
She runs from the room, sobbing.
Alone and immobile, Edward's troubled features settle into a calm mask as he closes his eyes, and a hint of a smile crosses his face.
"Alice, tell Bella I love her. Tell her to remember the moment after our shower, and that she is the reason I endure what happens here. Tell Marcus that Didyme believes she is no longer worthy of him, but loves him and misses him regardless."
As the vision of Edward disappeared, I wondered just how often he'd used his memories of his mate to buffer himself from the abuse he faced. Exhibiting the maturity I was beginning to recognize in him, he'd utilized the time he had to give us as much as possible, but he couldn't resist sending Isabella a message.
Alice began shivering, and I pulled her to me.
"I've not experienced a vision exactly like that before," she muttered. "It was like Edward was just waiting for the moment he knew the wolves were gone. I would guess that what we saw was happening almost in real-time…perhaps with just a second or two between what he planned to do…and what he actually did. It would explain the small gaps." She all but sagged in my embrace, and I squeezed her gently before handing her to her mate.
"We are in need of serious preparation," I said to the four men facing me. "Carlisle, Isabella, and Marcus…I'll talk with you later, but for now allow Alice and I need to review the vision again to see what I missed the first time. Felix, Demetri, Jasper, and Emmett…to Isabella's room. Let's take a look at those papers again. Caius, can you get us a detailed map of the Transylvanian mountains, particularly the Carpathian range. I believe that with Demetri's help we may find exactly what we are looking for there."
Edward POV
"Didyme, quickly, you need to seal me back in and leave." I rushed to the hell device in a panic. They were coming and she did not need to be here, nor did they need to find me unbound.
"Hurry. They have returned, and I strongly suspect they'll be coming back up here to pick up where they left off. I don't want you here for it."
Her hands shook as she latched me in. She was a wreck.
"Now!" I panicked as I could read that she wanted to help me in some way. "GO!" I swore out a little too harshly, and my dead heart throbbed as she ran away sobbing. She was devastated that she could not do anything to protect me.
I had one last message to send.
"Alice, tell Bella I love her. Tell her to remember the moment after our shower, and that she is the reason I endure what happens here. Tell Marcus that Didyme believes she is no longer worthy of him, but loves him and misses him regardless."
I took a deep breath and felt the sting of the teeth slicing into my skin. It was all I could do to keep from shuddering…that would only increase the agony. I needed something to keep me from falling apart.
Bella…
I needed to know that she remembered. I envisioned our post shower kiss. If Alice was watching, she would relay the message to Bella, and Bella would know what I was trying to say. I just hoped I'd been able to accomplish it before the werewolves' presence eradicated the opportunity.
I toweled Bella off after our shower, and pulled her to me. I just needed to spiritually connect with her after the sexual feast we'd just indulged in. Holding her to me by the edges of the towel, I feathered soft kisses across her lips. I felt the deep connection as we both savored one another…no hurry…no overwhelming need…nothing other than the desire to touch one another.
"Bella, you are my whole purpose for living. I would walk through Hell and challenge the Devil as long as I knew I had you waiting for me on the other side…my own little piece of Heaven," I softly said breaking apart from her momentarily. Thinking of the beliefs that had led me to make the worst decision of my life, I wrapped my arms around her and held her to me…wanting the moment to last forever.
The memory of her lips softly molding to mine helped me to keep from jumping when the door slammed open.
Stefan, Vladimir, Aribert, and several other vampires walked into the room. Aribert carried a satchel with him. Seeing what he had in store for me, it took everything I had to not howl in agony and rage. I couldn't, though, for certainly it would reveal that I knew what was coming, and it would also cause me immense pain from the structure he'd constructed.
"Stefan and Vladimir have told me that you have an incredible tolerance for pain. I can't tell you how that excites me," Aribert murmured with great delight as he untied the bundle and spread his instruments across the table.
A weapon that appeared to be made out of a werewolf teeth bound to a strip of metal , a vial of venom, blood…but unlike any I'd ever smelled before, and the damned rope.
"Remove him. I want him suspended in the ropes," Aribert said nonchalantly to the others that stood around us.
Within seconds, the latches that Didyme had just secured came undone under their hands. They stepped forward as if to capture my arms, but I held mine up in a motion to stop. I walked under the power of my own two feet, raising my arms toward the ceiling. Aribert laughed at my show of will. The tooth-embedded rope would keep me bound for what he planned, but I doubt even my willpower was going to keep me still and silent this time. I had to stifle a snarl from the smell of the thing. The usually repugnant smell of werewolf had been replaced by a mélange of the venom of unfamiliar vampires.
They hoisted me until I could not touch the floor, leaving me dangling helplessly in mid-air. The hanging ropes were an ingenious design. The principle of the Lever of Archimedes came to mind; he had said "give me a place to stand, and I will move the Earth." These ropes were the antithesis of that statement. Suspended in midair, all my vampiric strength was useless without something to push against. That they were made out of the one material that I could not break… I was truly bound without a chance of escape.
"I personally soaked the rope in venom for you, Edward. When you move…" he said emphasizing the word with great belief and relish "…it is going to be agonizing." He returned to the small table where his toys were on display, bringing it closer to us. "Now, let us begin." He stepped upon the small footstool that had been brought for his use and ran his fingertips across my face covetously. I was immediately repulsed. I wondered how long it would be before they used this. Didyme had been repeatedly sexually abused; I'd never doubted that they would do the same to me. From Aribert's thoughts, he hoped it would come to that. "I don't believe I'll scar up this face…you are just too damn beautiful." Several of the vampires around me snickered sadistically. One licked his lips.
"My masters desire information regarding their nemeses…in particular, Aro. I…well, let's just say I desire to inflict pain on you." His smile was serene, but I could see the sadistic light in his eyes. We'd thought Victoria was mentally unstable, but Aribert redefined the notion. "It brings me great pleasure. And so, my master's desires and mine coincide this day in spectacular fashion." He dropped his eyes, looking down the length of my body. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
He leaned over and picked up the toothed strip of metal, but before he moved toward my skin, he took the time to dip it in the container of blood. Werewolf blood. I knew the smell had been off, but my suspicions had not been confirmed until I read Aribert's thoughts. It was well known that the venom of a vampire was poison to werewolves…certain death. However, werewolves were not without defenses. If a vampire drank werewolf blood, or if it was introduced into his system via a wound, the vampire would suffer in excruciating agony for hours It was why most vampires attempted to kill werewolves by crushing them or tearing them apart; however, mistakes happened and the legends of vampires lying in agony for days on end were common knowledge. I was about to find out if the legends were true.
"Your question for young Edward, Stăpîn?" Aribert murmured as he watched the blood drip off the werewolf teeth in morbid fascination.
"How many vampires does Aro have under his control at this moment, and what are their gifts?" Vladimir hissed out.
I remained quiet. It was my only hope of survival. I was in a precarious position. Vladimir and Stefan respected strength and fortitude. If they felt I was less than deserving of their jaded respect, I would be destroyed immediately. I had the benefit of being able to read their minds and knew this…I was certain none of their other victims did however…and it was my guess that they had given the rulers exactly what they wanted to avoid the torture…ensuring their swift destruction. However, it was that strength and fortitude that would ensure my torture, for they would feel the need to punish me in retribution for what they respected. It was a convoluted rationale.
I saw Stefan's eyebrow rise perceptibly at my resolve. "You are either very foolish or just foolishly dedicated to Aro. You are mated to his daughter?"
There was no reason to not answer this question.
"I am," I said softly.
"So he does speak," Aribert laughed. "Such a rich, deep voice, too. Velvet. How does it sound when you scream, young Edward?"
He brought his hand down in a quick movement, cutting through my shirt and skin. The poison of the werewolf blood spread rapidly into me. I felt the splash of something against my chest and realized Aribert had added venom so that I would carry the scar as a reminder.
All rational thought left as the inferno erupted within me.
Somewhere far away…I heard someone screaming in agony. I suspected it was me.
But in my little cocoon, Bella's hands stroked me gently…whispering soft words of love against my skin and making me moan in pleasure.
I could not do this without a wonderful beta:
Crmcneill – Thanks for putting up with me, and my less than stellar comma skills. I've learned what screaming looks like over a PM. Trust me the man can scream.