Chapter 71

Aro stared down at his daughter Luciana. She was getting bigger by the day, and to his surprise, Aro found himself more emotionally involved than he had originally intended. Her thick dark hair that had been growing in matched his, and her eyes were of the deepest mixes of red and crimson. Had he been human, he would have shed a tear on the eve of her first steps. Hiding her from Sulpicia had been a challenge, but he was good enough at manipulation to keep that under control.

The times when she craved blood the most was the biggest challenge. He knew that he was breaking his own rules, though the loop hole was the fact that Luciana was brought into the world though a natural vampiric conception. He felt the need to constantly remind Caius of this, who was still secretly unapproving at all levels. Because of his emotional state, Aro knew that a wrong move could cause deep turmoil within the typically solid core of their coven.

Marcus, on the other hand, felt more at ease knowing Aro felt so deeply connected to the young vampire. He could feel how strong the bond was, and Aro tried to downplay his feelings to the rest of them. Out of respect for their leader, Marcus said nothing of this to the rest of the family.

Luciana was making noises to communicate with her father, pointing and cooing, and wandering around the tightly locked fortress beneath the Italian streets. This was another thing that Caius despised. They had come and gone as they pleased for as long as he could remember. Now, they were forced to have to check over their shoulders before leaving, and remained in the locked premises of their lair because the child had not yet learned to control it's thirst.

Jane and Alec returned together, closing the big stone door behind them as they entered. Alec had warmed up to Luciana, while his sister leaned more to Caius's side, never indicating this to Aro. She knew that this reckless time would soon pass, and that Luciana would eventually be a grown vampire like the rest of them. Jane was confident that things would soon get back to normal for the group, and so she did not pick a fight on the issue. As confrontational as she was, she truly did respect Aro and following his orders had lead her to the powerful seating she currently possessed as a prime Volturi member. The only thing she hated was fetching the baby's food, as she and Alec just did.

"Well?" Aro asked in a pleasant tone.

"She's in the corridor," Alec told him.

"I can smell her."

"We weren't sure if we should bring her in, or leave her," Alec said.

Aro thought, and looked to Marcus and Caius.

"I'd suggest bringing her in here," Caius suggested, "We wouldn't want Luciana finding her way through the tunnels if she wasn't satisfied."

Aro nodded and waved his hand in their direction. Jane eyed her brother, who exited through the door to get the unfortunate woman that would soon become Luciana's dinner.

She was young, a party goer visiting from England, and it wasn't hard for Alec and Jane to get the woman to go with them. When Alec returned with her, her eyes widened at the elegant beings standing before her. No one was sure if she was scared or star struck.

"Who are you?" She asked, "Where am I?" The towering stone walls surrounding her caused her eyes to wander the place. She looked at Alec, who's expression was stern, and it was then certain that the young woman was full of fear.

Aro approached her with his hands outstretched, and she reluctantly let him take her hands into his. When he finished reading her thoughts, he smiled at the twins behind her.

"Who are you?"

Marcus, who had been holding onto Luciana to keep her from attacking the woman, released the girl's hand, and she ran at an impossible speed to Aro's side, standing inches away from what she was dying to sink her teeth into.

"Not yet Luciana," Aro instructed in a gentle, fatherly tone. Had the circumstances been different, one would have seen their interaction as sweet.

Caius found himself surprised that Aro was able to have even the tiniest of holds on her. She was actually able to resist her thirst at the wishes of her father.

The woman looked terrified after watching the blur of Luciana's body as she moved from Marcus to Aro at a humanly impossible speed. Her question changed, "What - what are... you?" Her bottom lip began to tremble. She couldn't take her eyes of the locking stare Aro had created through his deep, red eyes.

He smiled and looked over his shoulder at Marcus and Caius. She seemed to eye them at the same time. Caius smiled wide, and he knew instantly that it added to the fright the young European traveler was feeling.

"Oh, my young friend," Aro started, "We're vampires, dear."

Her mouth dropped, and she knew this was certain; it was true. She had heard the stories, and brushed them off as nothing but fun legends, as did the rest of the country's population. Now, she looked around feeling alone. She was surrounded by some of the most beautiful people she had ever encountered, but knew that their beauty was only skin deep. She knew what they were thinking, what they were planning. It was the reason the younger ones had brought her down here. She was about to become their meal.

Tears streaked down her cheeks, and Aro touched the side of her face gently, "Don't be frightened." He wiped a tear away from her face.

"You - your hand... your hand is so cold." More tears streamed down her face, "Aro you.. are you..."

"Are we going to eat you?" Caius chimed in.

Her eyes shot in his direction, and she managed a nod as mascara ran the length of her face. This caused him to laugh, and Jane smirked. Marcus and Alec stayed neutral in their expressions, as Aro and Luciana looked at each other. He knew his daughter's patience was running thin.

"My dear, we've all just eaten," Aro said, motioning at the vampires surrounding her.

A second of relief crossed her face, though she felt there was a catch by the tone of his voice.

Aro looked down at this daughter, then back to the woman before him, "But you see, my daughter Luciana.. she can't quite hunt on her own yet."

The sweet looking little girl before her made her shudder more than the rest of them. There was something much more horrifying about a child capable of something heinous. The dimming redness of Luciana's eyes, and look that possessed her face gave away that the fate she was about to encounter would be a highly unpleasant one.

"Please," she pleaded, "Please, spare me."

Aro cocked his head to one side slightly, "I wish I could, but I can't let the little one starve."

Luciana's painful expression made Aro nod his head and turn his back on the woman. He looked to Caius, and the two of them shared a smile as blood curtling screams filled the room and echoed off the walls of the Volturi's underground realm.