21. REFLECTION
Abby was still in her white nightgown as she walked down the empty halls of the Volturi castle. She again had the feeling that she was searching for something. Every door on either side of her looked exactly the same, but she felt an elusive, almost magnetic pull towards one door in particular.
She gripped the handle and turned the knob. Once inside she immediately recognized the room. It was one that she had been in before during her waking hours. The large canopy bed in the center of the room with the billowing fabric let her know that this was Marcus' room. She suddenly felt very afraid. She knew that she was not allowed in here. She wanted to turn around and leave the room but couldn't. That magnetic pull brought her further into the room, over to the dresser, until she was looking into the oval mirror.
The ancient candles were now lit but cobwebs sill hung over everything. She could feel her heart racing as she anticipated Marcus coming in and screaming at her. But he never came. She looked on the dresser for the red jeweled cross but it was nowhere to be found. Then Abby looked up to see her own reflection. Yet, it was not her reflection at all.
It was a blurred image but Abby knew for certain that the woman in the mirror was not her. She had dark hair and pale skin and she wore the red jeweled cross around her neck. Even in the blur, Abby could still see that she was otherworldly beautiful.
The woman in the mirror tried to speak to Abby, but as always, there was no sound. She looked so sad and seemed to become more desperate to get her message across. Abby tried to read her lips but the image was just too blurry.
"I don't understand." Abby tried to say but could only mouth the words.
The woman in the mirror put her hand up to the glass. Abby felt an overwhelming pull to mimic the image. She opened her palm and also pressed it to the glass where the blurred woman's hand was.
Suddenly, the glass fractured. A spider web crack burst out from where their palms touched and broke the entire mirror. Abby pulled her hand back to see that it was bleeding. The woman in the mirror was gone but Abby was no longer alone.
The room had filled with every Volturi vampire, all glaring at her with red eyes, teeth exposed. They could smell her blood and they wanted her. Even Jane and Alec were there, licking their lips, lusting for a taste. Abby closed her eyes; she knew that the end was coming.
Abby woke up to the sound of a snarling vampire above her. When her eyes opened she saw Corin's wild red eyes and bared teeth. Abby told herself that this must still be part of the nightmare. Corin would never look at her like this. At least he hadn't since the day on the boat when he changed Alec and Jane.
"Corin?" Abby asked in a frightened voice.
He hissed and threw himself against the furthest wall in the room. "What did you do, Abby?" He growled through clenched teeth.
She sat up and looked at him. "What? I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Your hand! What did you do to your hand?" He looked so angry.
Abby looked down at her hand and saw that it was bleeding. Blood had smeared everywhere on her bed and on her white nightgown. Her body began to tremble. "No. No, it's not possible!" She screamed.
Corin held his breath to keep the scent of blood from driving him completely insane. "Abby, what happened?" He said slowly, firmly.
"In my dream, a woman in the mirror reached out for me so I touched the glass. It shattered at my touch and it cut me! But Corin, that was just a dream! This can't be real!" She began sobbing.
Corin wanted to comfort her but he knew that he couldn't be near her when she was bleeding like this. "Go to the water pitcher and bowl and clean yourself up. I can't help you unless you do this first."
She continued to weep as she climbed out of the big bed and walked over to the water pitcher. She used her good hand to pour the water over her cut palm and then ripped a cloth towel to make a bandage. She tightly wrapped it around her hand until the flow of blood had been stopped.
She moved to the bed and tore off the blanket and sheets, tucking the mess into a big ball with the blood in the center of it. Then she went behind the divider to change out of her bloody night gown. It was taking Corin every ounce of self-restraint that he had in him not to kill her.
"Is that better?" She asked him. She had stopped crying but her face was still a little red and puffy.
"Yes." He moved closer to her and finally gave her the hug of comfort that he had been longing to deliver. "I'm sorry Abby. I just can't be around blood like that. Especially not yours."
She nodded with her head resting against his chest. "I understand."
"Are you ready to go see Aro? It's nearly one in the afternoon. You slept in very late."
Abby's body went stiff and she pulled away from Corin. "It's almost one? I have to go! I have to meet Adam for lunch! If I don't come he'll think something is wrong and he might come here looking for me!" Abby started to rush towards the door.
Adam. I almost forgot. Corin thought to himself with disgust. "But you know that you can't keep this up. If you're going to change then you need to tell him goodbye."
Abby stopped at the door and pressed her face against the wood. The idea of losing Adam was more than she could bear but she knew what had to be done.
She turned to face Corin and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'll be back soon so that we can talk to Aro."
Then she walked out the door and left him standing there. She raced down the stairs and out the front entrance. Her timing could not have been more perfect because Adam was just walking up the front steps when she bumped into him.
"There you are! When you didn't come I was starting to worry." Adam smiled at her but then he saw how puffy her face was. "Abby, what's wrong?"
She took his hand and started pulling him away to the Piazzo dei Priori. "Come, we need to talk." They made their way to the fountain and sat on the edge of it. This was their spot.
He saw her bandaged hand and took it into his. "Abby, what happened?"
She shook her head and though she didn't want them to, the tears started spilling. "Just a clumsy accident."
Adam was full of concern and he wrapped his arms around her. "Abby, please, talk to me. Tell me what's happening." His voice began to reflect his own fear.
She opened her mouth and tried to find the words but she couldn't. No sound came out, only sobs. She didn't want to hurt Adam, not like this.
He pushed her hair out of her face and looked lovingly at her. "Abby, do you not want to talk?"
She shook her head no.
"Okay, then let me speak. Whatever is hurting you, we can get away. I can take you away from here, from all of this. I don't want to see you hurting like this. I have a ship that leaves tomorrow and I have to be on it. It's sailing for a new place called New Holland or Australia. They need people to chart the shores and make maps and supplies need to brought to those people. I'm going to be one of the suppliers. I've heard rumors that it's one of the most beautiful places on earth." He dipped his head so that he could look her in the eye. "I want to take you there, Abby. We could go away together and never look back."
Abby couldn't help but smile through the tears. Adam was always trying to take care of her. "It sounds wonderful Adam… but-"
"No, don't say 'but' just yet." Adam stood up from the fountains edge and then lowered himself down on one knee. He pulled a small object out of his pocket. It was a beautiful diamond ring. "Abby, will you be my wife?"
Abby started crying again but they were tears of joy. She laughed through them. Running away with Adam and getting married would be a dream come true for her. She was so happy for that split second. Then reality swung back at her like a pendulum that she couldn't avoid. There was no running away from the Volturi. It didn't matter where she went in this world, they would find her. They would find her and they would find Adam and it would be the end of them both. She had to protect Adam. She had to save him. And there was only one way to do it.
"I'm sorry, I can't."
Adam's countenance fell. He looked at the ground, sorrowfully. "Abby, I don't believe you. I think that you want to be with me just like I want to be with you." He looked up at her again with his hazel eyes. "I don't know what's happening that makes you think that you can't do this but I know that you can take care of it. I know that you're strong. I'll be at the docks in Cecina tomorrow. I'll wait for you there but the ship sails at noon. A carriage will be waiting for you outside if you choose to take it." He took her hand in his and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Keep this as a reminder of everything that we could have together. I love you Abby. And I'll be waiting. I'll always wait for you."
He stood back up and pulled her into a standing position as well. Then he kissed her passionately and she returned the kiss while tears still streaked her face.
She pulled her lips away just slightly and whispered "I love you too."
Adam was about to lose his composure but he didn't want to cry in front of her. He kissed her forehead and started to walk away. "I'll be waiting, Abby." He called over his shoulder.
She took a moment to pull herself together. She wiped the tears from her eyes and then smiled down at the foreign feeling object on her finger. It really was a beautiful ring. It represented everything that could have been hers. That should have been hers. She dared to dream that it might still be hers.
She started to walk back towards the castle. She hadn't noticed Corin hiding in the shadows. He had watched and heard everything. The bitterness engulfed him. He understood now that she would never love him. Even if she was changed into a vampire and had to spend the rest of eternity with him. It didn't matter, because she loved Adam and she wanted to be with Adam. Corin clenched his jaw as this harsh reality crashed down on him. He retreated further into the shadows. He would hurry to beat Abby back to the castle.
