Another chapter posted from sunny Croatia!
Here we have more of Victoria as we get to know her.
Enjoy. Lil'D
Xxxxx
It wasn't until another week had passed that Victoria got back in touch with them. During this time they had seen the sights of the city and explored the well known tourist attractions as well as each other, many, many times. They just could not keep their hands to themselves which made leaving the hotel difficult at times. Not that either vampire complained.
"She's back," Bella commented and Rose hummed her agreement as they scented Victoria's presence nearby
"Shall we head for the park?" The blonde queried of her mate who nodded and they slowly made their way through the crowds until they reached the open space where they had previously encountered the stranger.
"Greetings." They were cordially met by the red-head who stepped out of the darkness and approached. "So?" She didn't waste any time with formalities and got straight to the point.
"Irina sends her greetings and has agreed to trade some items." Victoria was pleased by this but kept her face neutral.
"What are the terms?" She questioned.
"Only your company," Bella spoke out of turn, surprising the elder vampire.
"My company?" A red brow arched as the nomad tried to distinguish the meaning behind the request, her eyes roving over the newborn as she did. Rose did not miss the blatant appraisal of her mate.
"To talk, nothing more. Irina suggested that you were interesting company." Rose jumped in to clarify but her tone belied her scepticism.
"Well, she was right but Irina is my friend What would we have to discuss?" Victoria retorted, not relishing the idea of being forced to spend time with vampires she didn't know. She was a nomad for a reason.
"Please?" Bella pleaded, drawing red and golden eyes to herself. Rose scowled but Victoria blinked, feeling intrigued by the request. If she chose to admit it to herself she was curious about the newborn who had so impressed the Volturi.
"For a short time," she begrudgingly inclined her head then locked eyes with the blonde who's face was impassive, her mask securely in place. Victoria met her stare then returned her attention to Bella. "I will come to your terrace tomorrow after sundown, after I have fed," she flashed her fangs in a wicked smirk before disappearing before any further conversation could take place.
Rose growled and kicked out at a small rock on the ground, sending it flying to the far shore of the lake that stood in the middle of the park.
"Hey! Calm down, it's just to talk." Bella reassured her mate who's face was set in an angry scowl.
"She's old Bella, I can't keep you safe if she tries anything!" Rose growled as she turned her back on the newborn.
"Irina trusts her," Bella countered but there was not change in the tense set of Rose's shoulders as she remained facing away from her mate.
"Irina is a thousand years old and is more than a match for any vampire!" The blonde hissed. "We're no match for her if she decides she doesn't want us around. I won't put you at risk like that!" She snarled, whirling to face the brunette. Rose was surprised to see the determined set of her mate's features as they came face to face.
"Don't worry, she won't hurt us," Bella reached out with both hands and cupped the blonde's face in her hands, Rose continued to scowl but allowed the contact, any contact with Bella was good.
"Listen to me." Rose narrowed her eyes but didn't pull back form her mate's touch as thumbs traced her high cheekbones. "Firstly, Victoria could have hurt us at any time before we first spoke." The blonde didn't comment but begrudgingly accepted the argument with a huff that Bella thought was extremely cute but wouldn't dare mention so just then. "Secondly, she knows we're Denalis. Do you think a lone nomad would challenge such a powerful coven, especially as she is known to have been in contact with us?" Rose growled petulantly but didn't resist as Bella drew her in for a heated kiss.
They pulled apart, both aroused as they locked eyes.
"Come." Rose demanded and ran until they reached the nearest building where she took to the roof and led a chase back to the balcony of their hotel room. "You're mine," she growled as she knocked Bella onto the bed.
xxx
It was an hour after sunset when Victoria arrived at the hotel the next day, she let her feet fall heavier than was necessary to announce her presence to the vampires waiting inside. As she dropped gracefully onto their balcony she came face to face with the young ones who were sitting at a small table, watching the streets below.
"Victoria," Rose greeted her politely and she received a smile from Bella, they had heard her approach so were not at all surprised by her arrival.
"So? What do you want to talk about?" The red-head's voice was gruff, she didn't really spend a lot of time talking and her voice was unused to the exercise. She surveyed the young ones, Bella eyed her with open curiosity, she was too trusting, Victoria confirmed. But the blonde, Rosalie, was the exact opposite, she was tense and uncomfortable and kept her eyes trained on the red-head.
"Well?" Victoria rested against the stone of the balcony and waited for a response, she was agitated, that much was obvious to the mates. "This was your idea," she growled which didn't help the tension.
"I - um. Have you been here long?" Was Bella's first question. Victoria straightened and gave the brunette her full attention before answering.
"This time no, a few months but over the years I've spent much time here. I like the jungle." The response was brief but pleased Bella who smiled.
"Me too, it's amazing and Oooh! On the way here we saw a panther," the newborn volunteered enthusiastically. "But I had to stop Rose from hunting it, she didn't realise they were nearly extinct!" She threw a scowl at the blonde who remained impassive, her only reaction was an indifferent shrug.
"I must admit the choice of diet for you must be a bit limiting?" Victoria queried, now slightly interested in the conversation.
"It's not ideal but it's worth it to see the country," Rose supplied. "There are plenty of cattle, they are the only animals large enough to make it worthwhile." She commented with another shrug. Victoria glanced at Bella who looked a little guilty. "Bella, however has no shortage of eligible meals." The blonde added with a tight lipped smile at the newborn who looked away and began fidgeting with the hem of her light cotton shirt.
"Yes, there are plenty of small villages to hunt from." Victoria confirmed with a nod at the brunette. She was beginning to realise that the two were very different and wondered how they managed to travel together? The conversation came to a stop then and the tension began to rise once more until a thought suddenly came to Victoria.
"I thought your entire coven did not hunt humans?" The question interrupted the awkward silence that had formed. "Why do they allow you to hunt when they do not? I have had many discussion with Irina on the subject and am fully informed of her views. I do not think she would breach her ethics lightly." The red-head stated and Rose realised that the nomad did know her coven mate well. "Bella?" Victoria pushed for an answer now she was invested in the conversation.
"I -." Again Bella faltered when faced with a direct question from their guest.
"Bella is unique, our coven permit her to hunt humans." Rose supplied, keeping her response purposely brief. Victoria watched as the two held a silent conversation, Rose unhappy about continuing on the subject but Bella obviously content to expand on the blonde's brief reply. With a frown and a sigh Rose relented then turned her attention back to the red-head.
"Bella has the ability to sense a persons character, she can instinctively hunt those that prey on other humans." Rose explained and Victoria's brows rose in surprise. "It has been tested on more than one occasion and my coven demand that she sees evidence before making a kill."
"So that is your power?" Victoria dropped to the ground and sat cross legged on the tiled floor of the balcony, smirking internally as she noticed Rose relax at the conscious submissive position she had taken but she knew it would not give them any advantage should they decide to attack. Not that she thought they would but at least Rose was approaching her presence with a modicum of sense, Bella was too inexperienced to realise how quickly relations between unaffiliated vampires could change.
"No," Bella answered the red-head's question and refocussed Victoria's attention on her. "My power is a mental shield, no other powers except those of our succubi can affect me and I'm learning to block those too," she said and waited for a response from their guest who was sitting with her head cocked to one side as she held her eyes.
"Interesting, it is an unusual and strong power," Victoria confirmed with a nod.
"And -."
"Bella!" Rose hissed a warning but the newborn shrugged and ignored her.
"And?" Victoria urged, wanting to know what the newborn was hiding.
"And I can also block all interactions with me, for example should Aro of the Volturi try and read you our contact will not be visible to him. I'm invisible." She confirmed with a slightly smug smile.
Victoria was impressed and made no effort to hide it.
"You really are unique," she let a genuine smile escape and Bella blinked then returned it shyly. Rose exercised every ounce of self control she had to withhold the growl that tried to erupt as she witnessed the interaction between the two. She could tell that the nomad was intrigued by her mate and that Bella reciprocated her feelings and it made her extremely uneasy. Normally, she would have already issued a challenge or at least warned the other vampire off but she was not foolish enough to antagonise the red-head. She was old and strong and not one to pick a fight with unless absolutely necessary so she held it in and tried to calm herself down.
Victoria could sense how tense Rosalie was and she didn't blame her. At least she had the survival instincts to keep her guard up but she sensed it was more.
"You're mated?" The red-head stated when the conversation dropped off. It was the only logical conclusion that would explain their interactions.
"Yes," Bella beamed at the blonde who's expression softened slightly only to harden again when she turned her eyes on the nomad.
"We are," Rose confirmed with a tight lipped smile.
"True mate's," Bella confirmed with another smile at her blonde.
"That is rare, you are lucky," the red-head congratulated them and Rose sensed a slight hesitancy in her voice as she spoke.
"I know, we're both young." Rose confirmed with a nod,
"It was a surprise but Rose has always looked after me since I was changed," Bella offered her mate a soft smile which was returned. "But before that she could barely tolerate me. A lot has changed." Victoria was intrigued.
"You knew her as a human?" She was incredulous. It was very rare for vampires to associate with humans and if they did it was more of a ready blood supply than anything else, or other sick games. Very occasionally a human caught a vampire's attention but the change was usually done quickly, the vampire's blood lust not leaving much of a window.
"Yes, she lived with my coven," Rose informed her but that earned her a frown.
"I have not heard Irina mention they had a human living with them," Victoria was confused. Surely such information would have been shared? Unless- , no. The Volturi would not have approved. Another thought. "She has never mentioned you, either," the red-head addressed Rosalie.
"No, we were previously with the Cullen coven," Rose acknowledged. "Bella lived with us for several years, three I believe." Red eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Three years? And the Volturi did not kill you?" The question was innocent but lacked tact, Rose did not take offence as she could tell from the elder vampire's interactions with them that she was unused to company and social niceties were not high on her priority list.
"No, they forced her to choose. Be changed or be killed," Rose growled. "She was still too young," the blonde scowled as she looked over to her mate.
"Rose, it's Ok. I will be fine," Bella would have said more but did not want to be overly emotive in front of their visitor so instead she pushed the feelings through their bond. Victoria sensed there was something going on that she wasn't privy to as the blonde relaxed and gave a small nod of her head. What power did they possess? Was it perhaps their mating bond? It was one thing she did not know much about, it had never interested her. She liked to be alone. To have ties to another was against her nature.
"So there was nothing there, no bond, before she was turned?" Victoria was very curious about this, she wasn't really sure why but it interested her. Being as old as she was not a lot did these days.
"No, I mean I looked out for her but we never got along," Rose sniffed and Victoria nodded,
understanding how a human would be unattractive to a vampire as a mate, they were so weak and their lives were fleeting.
"But after her change, you felt a connection?" The nomad queried, she'd no experience and no idea how these things happened.
"Somewhat," Rose shrugged. "Bella's change was difficult so I tried to look out for her as best I could. She was so impressive as a newborn my coven forgot themselves and treated her harshly so we left and joined the Denali's."
"We belong there," Bella confirmed emphatically.
"We do." Rose agreed and reached over to squeeze her mate's hand before turning golden eyes to Victoria. The nomad took the hint and offered slight nod, acknowledging the mating bond and after that Rose allowed herself to relax slightly.
"While we're here I'd like to visit as many of the ruins and temples as we can," Bella explained to their guest. "Here -, I have a list." Rose couldn't help but smile indulgently at her mate's enthusiasm as Bella jumped to her feet and reached into her back pocket and pulled out a battered list, brushing it off as she did.
Victoria blinked when the piece of paper was thrust at her, she look up at Bella who smiled and nodded so she took it and unfolded it with marked concentration, not used to handling such delicate, human items. The paper was practically disintegrating and she didn't want to damage something that belonged to Bella. Rose narrowed her eyes as she saw the care with which the red-head examined the list, smiling up at Bella when she was done,
"Have you been to any of them?" The newborn questioned. She was hoping Victoria would be their guide, tour books were one thing but didn't quite cover tourism vampire style.
"Yes, I have visited them all. This, and these," She pointed out Ciudad Perdida in Columbia and some of the very recently discovered settlements also in Columbia, the continued devastation of the rain forest revealing more and more clues to the ancient civilisations that inhabited the continent. "Before the humans re-discovered them," she confirmed before carefully re-folding it and handing it back.
"Wow," Bella beamed, undeniably impressed.
"You carry a lot of knowledge for one so young, Isabella," the nomad complimented.
She really was exquisite, the red-head couldn't deny that had the newborn been un-mated she would have enjoyed seducing her. But, she wouldn't disrespect the mating bond or the Denali's by interfering. She continued her discussion with the Bella whilst covertly observing the blonde. She was an enigma, extremely withdrawn and wary but she obviously cared greatly for her mate. Victoria sensed a great strength within the blonde which intrigued her as much as the newborn and there was no denying her beauty. This was turning out to be an interesting experience she mused, focusing her attention fully on the conversation at hand.
"I like to read," Bella confirmed with a smile, blurring into their suite to come back with a pile of guide books.
"We spent some time at some of the Mayan ruins in Mexico. Before we came here," Rose interjected. "They were very interesting. I'm sure some vampire style archaeology would turn up things the humans have missed." She sniffed, thinking about the poor attempts at some of the sites they had visited.
"I agree, it helps to have a vampire perspective on these things," Victoria added as she idly sorted through Bella's books.
"It is suggested that some of the early cultures worshipped vampires which is why their religious ceremonies involved so many blood rites." The blonde added. "It seems one of the Incan kings had a preference for the blood of children, given the huge number of remains found," she growled, her fangs dropping as she hissed her disgust. Victoria blinked. She was impressed by the blonde's knowledge and shocked by her violent reaction to something that had passed into eternity.
"Hey," Bella was by her side in a second. "Calm down," she admonished softly. Rose snarled at the rebuff, in front of a strange, dangerous, powerful elder vampire no less. Then huffed, already submitting to the reassuring waves pouring through their bond. Then golden eyes turned to their guest. Victoria becoming confused by the swift change of mood and wondered how they communicated, because that was obviously what they were doing.
"I bet you think I'm crazy?" Rose murmured, narrowing her eyes as she observed the Victoria smiled and shook her head.
"No, I have blood in my past but I have never harmed a child." Rose frowned but gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Nor do I condone those that do, in fact I have taken mortal offence at times when encountering such individuals," it was the red-head's turn to growl and Bella's head snapped round at the sound form her previous observation of her mate. It was an extremely threatening sound, much lower and deeper than any she had heard before even from the Denali sisters, many notes sub-sonic to the human ear but ones which resonated with a vampires psyche and warned them off in incredibly primitive yet powerful way. The newborn blinked and looked a little startled and Rose sent a comforting wave through their bond, there was so much Bella had yet to discover about vampire kind. She inhaled, wanting to catch her mate's scent, before turning back the conversation.
"There are examples of our kind back into pre-history, masquerading as gods." Victoria continued as if nothing had happened. "They still do," she rued. "The Volturi may not be saints but they do contain the most vicious of our kind." Rose frowned but reluctantly nodded her agreement. It was true, the news of any such vampire or vampires was rapidly communicated by the Volturi to remind others who was in charge. They were both a blessing and a curse.
"So where do you want to go first?" Rose changed the subject and addressed her mate.
"I dont' know. I would like to see Machu Picchu which will take us into Peru, can you suggest anywhere, I mean Id like to see them all and explore the jungle, maybe follow the roads they recently uncovered and the ones they found because of the drought.
Both older vampires were staring at the newborn as she babbled away and if asked they would probably express that her ramblings were adorable. Well, Rose would be able to express that. Victoria would have blinked and looked a little baffled as to what she was experiencing. The fact that Isabella was also highly intelligent, academic and intellectual had surprised the redhead but she could not deny she was captivated by her enthusiasm.
"Bella, honey," Rose eventually interrupted her mate. "We have time to see them all," her warm tone dropped as she addressed Victoria. "How about you both pick one and we can visit those fist?" She suggested and both sets of red eyes looked her way, their owners nodding.
"Then that's sorted." The blonde said with finality, it was getting light, their guest would have to be careful when she travelled.
xxxx
Next on Crimson Bonds
"What are you? The un-dead Tomb Raider?" Rose muttered to herself and Bella burst out laughing much to the nomad's chargin.