22. LIGHTS GO OUT

Abby opened the front door to the Volturi castle and closed it behind her. She looked up to see Corin standing at the mahogany counter waiting for her. As she walked towards him she saw that his face was expressionless.

"Are you ready?" He asked blankly.

Abby nodded. She followed him up the long three flights of stairs and then into the turret. The room was filled with every Volturi vampire. Even Jane and Alec stood on either side of Aro's throne. Abby was suddenly reminded of her latest nightmare.

"Welcome Abby." Aro said kindly. "Corin tells me that the two of you have something to discuss with us?"

"Yes, my lord." Corin answered for her. "We once spoke of how you would keep Abby on if she could prove herself useful. It turns out that she has a gift after all."

"Is that so? Why did Eleazar not report this?" Aro asked.

"Because her gift is somewhat different. If she were to be changed into a vampire the gift would be lost forever. She is a seer of sorts. She receives visions through her dreams. He did not report it because as a vampire she would no longer dream and no longer receive the visions. However, Abby found the book Natura Defero and we used a spell that awakened the Natura Defero within her. She may have the potential to be as powerful as Jane and Alec. We might need to confer with Eleazar again to be certain of the magnitude of her gift now." Corin said.

Aro suddenly seemed interested. "Visions? What sort of visions?"

Corin looked down at Abby and nodded at her, giving her the okay to speak.

"I'm not sure how to explain because I don't understand them myself." Abby started. "They are nightmares; at least that's what I thought they were. At first it was the dead of those that I knew that would come to haunt me; my parents, my little brother, and my sister, Sarah."

Jane and Alec exchanged glances at the sound of their mother's name. They hadn't known about this until now.

"Then the dreams escalated." Abby continued. "I began to have dreams about many of the Volturi. I suppose you could also be considered dead, in a way."

Aro had a wide smile on his face now. "What happens when you dream of us?"

Abby shook her head. "It's hard to explain but I'm always scared. The images don't make sense to me."

Aro's impatience got the better of him. "Well then come here child, give me your hand so that I might see these visions of yours." Aro held out one hand, waiting for hers. The other rested on the arm of his wooden throne, relaxed around the rounded end of it.

Abby looked up at Corin. His face was still hard but he nodded toward her, signaling that it was okay. She took the few steps forward and softly rested her palm on top of his.

Aro's eyes closed. He saw her entire life. He saw her growing up in Massachusetts, laying in a field with her little brother Joseph, looking up at the sky and looking for shapes in the clouds during the day, then constellations in the stars at night. He saw her move away to Salem, saw her relationship develop with Sarah and the twins. He saw how it broke her heart to watch her sister die twice. He saw Eleazar and Corin save her and the twins and their journey to Volterra. He saw her friendship with Corin grow and her love for Adam develop. Then he saw the thing that he was looking for. He saw the visions.

He saw the red jeweled cross, Didyme's cross, appear in every dream since the night Abby held it in Marcus' room. He saw the only people who knew the secret of Didyme's death: Caius, Sulpicia, Athenodora, Demetri, and himself. Then he saw the image that terrified him the most. He saw Didyme in the mirror, reaching out to Abby, her last attempt to beg her to solve her murder. Aro's hand that gripped the arm of his wooden chair squeezed too tightly and the wood splintered into a thousand pieces under the pressure of his palm.

It surprised Abby and she jerked her hand back. Aro's milky red eyes flew open and he glared at her. The secret that he'd managed to keep for over a thousand years was on the brink of discovery by this mere mortal girl. Ironic that such a small fragile thing could pose such a threat to the most powerful vampire in the world.

"Is everything alright?" Corin asked the two of them.

Aro took a moment to compose himself. She had been telling the truth, she did not understand the messages that Didyme was sending her. She didn't even know who Didyme was. Aro glanced at Marcus but he seemed oblivious to what was going on. Aro forced a smile and said "My, what an interesting talent you have here. You've given me much to consider. Corin, would you mind escorting Abby to the courtyard while my companions and I deliberate?"

Corin was surprised that Aro didn't want to accept her right away but he did as he was commanded. He took her out to the courtyard and they walked the angel ridden paths.

"Corin, what's going to happen?" Abby asked.

Corin shrugged. "I'm sure they'll accept you into the coven. Yours is a gift that Aro hasn't come upon before and I'm sure he'd like to add you to his collection of talented guards."

Abby nodded. She looked down at the ring on her finger. She could feel all the promise that was in store for her slipping away. She still wanted it though. She still wanted to run away and meet Adam to sail away in his ship and never look back. She mused at the idea of finding the hidden tunnel that would take her out of the castle courtyard and into the open. She almost laughed at the thought of trying to outrun Corin.

"What?" Corin asked when he saw the smile lift the corner of her mouth.

She shook her head. "I was just trying to imagine outrunning you." She laughed but Corin's face remained serious.

"I don't know why you're laughing. It's your life that hangs in the balance here. Do you even understand that if Aro doesn't accept you, you will be killed?" He was scowling at her.

"Yes, Corin I understand. I don't need you to remind me." Abby's face was sad again.

A moment of silence passed between them.

"I'm sorry." Corin said. "I don't mean to be harsh. It's just that I want what's best for you. I want for you to be okay."

Abby looked up at him and said "I will be. No matter what happens, Corin, you don't need to worry about me."

He wished that were true. They continued their walk in silence while Abby admired his marble statues. So much work had been put into perfecting them; they must have been very loved. The afternoon clouds rolled by until finally, Heidi came to get them.

"Aro is ready to see you now." She said.

Corin took Abby's hand. He suddenly wished that he had more time with her. He wished he could have told her all the feelings he had for her. How much he loved her. He told himself that she would be changed into a vampire and that he would have the rest of eternity to make his feelings known.

They made their walk inside the castle and walked up the steps that would ultimately lead them to the turret. For some reason, this time the walk there seemed longer. They entered the turret to find that everyone was still present.

"Welcome back." Aro greeted them. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."

"No, my lord." Corin responded.

"Very good then, onto our decision. I regretfully inform you that we have decided against keeping Abby."

Abby felt her heart sink while Corin was convinced he had somehow misheard him, even though Corin had never 'misheard' anyone in more than a millennium.

"I'm sorry, what?" Corin asked.

Aro frowned. "While her ability could serve as an asset to the Volturi, it is still highly unknown if her gift will mature into the waking hours of a vampire."

Corin was dumbfounded. "Well that's why I said we would need to meet with Eleazar again. Only he could know for certain."

Aro shook his sadly. "I'm afraid that won't do. Abby here has already been conspiring to escape. She wishes to leave Volterra behind and to run away with this 'Adam' character. You know as well as I do that this is not acceptable. No human that knows our secret is allowed to survive beyond these walls."

Corin felt sick. He looked down at her with disappointment. He knew that she wanted to be with Adam but he had no idea that she had seriously considered trying to escape. He thought she understood that this was her only option. He thought that she had accepted that.

Abby hung her head, embarrassed. She felt somewhat violated now that Aro knew all of her secrets; every last deep dark thought was now shared with him. Nothing was 'hers' anymore. Her heart began to race as the realization of what was going to happen next occurred to her. The loud pounding of her heart, the hard pumping of the blood, began to whet the appetite of the monsters around her.

Corin's breathing began to quicken. This had suddenly gone so wrong. This was not the way that it was supposed to play out. He was supposed to have more time with her. This wasn't right. His mind began to race, trying to find a solution like the scientist that he was. His thoughts quickly explored all options until it was finally narrowed down to one.

Corin looked at Aro with pleading, desperate eyes. "My lord, please, spare her life."

Aro sighed. "You know I cannot."

"Please, my lord. I love her."

Aro sat up straight in his seat. This was news to him because he had only read Abby's end of their relationship, the plutonic end. This was Chelsea's cue. She began to use her gift to make him feel an overwhelming loyalty to the Volturi. She also tried to sever his bond to Abby but she didn't make much of an impact there.

Abby mouth hung just slightly open as she turned to look at Corin standing next to her.

He also turned to her to meet her gaze. "Abby, I love you. I want to be with you. No one has ever made me feel the way you do. You are the world to me. I would walk through hell and back for you. I would die for you." His face was full of feeling, emotions that were finally being released.

She was so surprised at his words. How could she have been so blind? "Corin, I-"

"I'm afraid that won't do." Aro interrupted her. "Corin, you are like a son to me and I only want for your happiness. But I have seen her mind and she does not love you in return."

Corin felt the pain in his heart again, like someone was squeezing it too tightly, crushing it. He closed his eyes as a desperate gasp escaped his lips. Any hope that he had left that she might love him was destroyed.

"I'm sorry Corin, but you know what must be done." Aro said grimly.

Tears started to roll down Abby's cheeks and Corin would have started crying too if he could have. She sucked in deep breaths through her suffocating whimpers.

"Aunt Abby?"

She turned to see that it was Alec who was now speaking to her. She hadn't heard his voice in so long.

"I can make it so that you won't feel a thing." Alec offered her. His humanity hadn't been completely lost, yet he was tied to Aro more strongly now than he had been to Abby. Whatever Aro had done with the twins in their time alone, made it so that they loved him above all else and would always be obedient to his command.

A louder cry escaped Abby's lips as she tried to smile at Alec. "That's very sweet of you Alec. Your mother would be proud of you."

Alec winced at the name. Like it was painful to hear. Like it brought back a memory that he tried very hard to forget.

Abby took in a deep breath. "But that won't be necessary. I want Corin to do it."

Corin looked at her with surprise. How could she ask this of him? He started to shake his head 'no' but she touched his arm with her soft, gentle hand.

"Corin, you can make it so that I won't feel any pain." The pitch in her voice began to rise as she became more upset. "Please don't deny me my last wish."

Corin's shoulders began to shake with sobs. He loved her, he never wanted to hurt her. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. But how could he deny her? Sadly, he nodded yes.

Abby stepped up to him so that their bodies were touching. She reached up her hands to his face and smiled at him through the tears. She wanted to make this easier for him. He rested his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him. How badly he wanted to protect her.

She lifted herself up towards him on the tips of her toes and pulled his face down closer. Their eyes closed and their lips met. Suddenly the world around them melted away. They were alone in this moment.

Abby's heart raced at the ecstasy of his ice cold kiss. His tongue slid into her mouth, tasting the sweetness of her. He had wanted this for so long and it was finally his. A surge of emotions rushed through her. It suddenly felt so right. It had been Corin all along. He was meant for her, and she was meant for him. Why had she been so blind before?

In an instant, a vision passed through her mind. She saw herself turned into a vampire and being with Corin. She saw the two of them madly in love. She saw them spending the rest of eternity together. She saw a future that she now wanted more than anything. She loved him. He was the one. He was her soul mate.

Just as Abby was about to pull back from the kiss to tell Corin how she felt about him, his sharp teeth pricked into her lower lip. The venom was released into her mouth, numbing it first. The words she wanted to say were now being stifled by the paralysis. Within seconds, the paralytic venom entered her bloodstream and traveled through the rest of her body.

She went limp in Corin's arms and he gently laid her to the ground. She couldn't feel anything. Her mind was screaming out to Corin, No! Corin! I LOVE YOU! But he didn't hear a thing.

His body shook with more sobs as the guilt of what he had just done tortured him. Her icy blue eyes were still open, staring at him. He reached down to wipe her tears away. He leaned into her hair and inhaled the scent one last time. "I love you." He whispered into her ear. Then he kissed her cheek. He stood up and Abby watched him walk away, out of the room, never to know how much she loved him.

Her insides were crying out. She didn't want to die now. She wasn't ready to die.

The other Volturi vampires crowded in around her. Several of them grabbed at each limb and began to feed. Abby wished that she could close her eyes but she didn't even have control over those muscles anymore either. However, she was still grateful that she couldn't feel a thing. She had Corin to thank for that. She then focused her thoughts on Sarah and Joseph. She knew that they would be waiting for her. Eventually, enough blood left her body that the all the light in the room went dark.