Chapter 18 – Decode

How did we get here?

When I used to know you so well.

Do you see what we've done?

We've gone and made such fools of ourselves.


Aro, Marcus, and Caius's departure had left Gianna alone in the main chamber. She struggled to stand as her whole body ached from the punishment Aro had inflicted upon her. Slowly she limped toward the elevator to take it down to the area she had termed "the dungeons."

Present in the castle since its creation, the holding cells were hewn out of solid bed rock two stories below the main chamber. Vampires were never held there, however, just humans. There was no imprisonment for vampires who were labeled "rogue" or "enemies," they were quickly dispatched.

With legs as heavy as granite, Gianna went to the dank, God-forsaken place to face another punishment: Dominic's justified fury at her betrayal. She knew his disappointment and heartbreak would injure her more than any strike Aro could make against her. Dominic had trusted her, and even loved her, but it was more than that - he had tried to make her see her own self-worth. Even though she was practically a stranger, he had believed in her when no one else had ever taken an interest in her or bothered to get to know her. He gave her his heart, and she returned his selfless offering with betrayal.

Gianna slumped against the wall of the slow-moving elevator, throwing her arms around her head in an effort to block out the hideous opera music that continued on an endless loop. What a nightmare. She had thought she would have relief from the miserable human life that plagued her memories once she completed this mission. Instead, she found something – someone- that made her human life worth living! Even if Aro did grant her immortality, she knew no matter how intensely her heart burned in transition, she would never forget Dominic. Mortal or immortal – neither life had any appeal without his presence.

As Gianna moved through the empty corridors, she knew in her mind and thoughts, it was time to let go of Dominic. He had special skills that might give him a fighting chance, and she couldn't risk slowing him down. Besides, Dominic wouldn't want anything to do with her once he realized the extent of her deceit and self-serving treachery.

Gianna navigated by flickering torchlight to each of the several cells, standing on her tiptoes to peer through the barred windows in search of Dominic. Faceless moans floated around her like mournful ghosts.

But someone found her first...

"What are you doing here?"

Logan startled her. He materialized from the shadows to stand before her. Gianna squelched a scream, as they tended to echo endlessly in this hellhole.

"I've been assigned as the caretaker for our guests," she responded quickly in a business-like tone.

Logan nodded once. "They remain unconscious. They have no needs right now."

"Are you on watch here?" Gianna speculated, attempting to gather as much information as she could to Dominic and Isabella's impending fates.

"Yes."

Gianna noticed Logan was wearing a light gray cloak.

"So, this is what you requested from the Volturi? To become part of the guard?"

"Yes."

Logan was definitely not one for words. He may be a skilled tracker, but under all that muscle for hire, he was an idiot. For all his "hard work" had had earned a cloak and the lowly task of guarding the one being whose blood vampires detested the smell of. So, how'd that work out for you, buddy?

A deep groan emanated from the cell behind Logan. Dominic!

Gianna darted around Logan, grabbing at the bars on the cell door window. The door was the only part of the cell that allowed admittance, as all the walls were solid stone. The doors themselves were made of the same reinforced metal as the doors on the main chamber. Only the barred window gave any visual access to the cell, and Gianna pressed her face between the bars, desperate for a look at Dominic.

She could make out Dominic's outline as he lay on the floor. His cell had an opening high above to the right, and from it, light filtered in from the cell next to him. She could make out piles of straw, but other than that, the cell appeared empty.

She wanted to call to him, but then thought better of it. Instead she watched as he fought to overcome the effects of the potent drug that had rendered him unconscious.

He managed to maneuver onto his hands and knees. Then he sat, obviously still disoriented.

"Gianna," he whispered in the dark through parched lips.

Her heart sank. Why did the first word from his mouth have to be her name? Why?

"I'm here, Dominic. You're okay," her voice cracked. The words held no logic, but it was all she could think of to say.

"G?" Dominic began to search around and struggle urgently to his feet. "I can't see you. Where are you?"

"Don't move, Dominic. Stay put! Let the medicine wear off first."

"Medicine?" Dominic moved his hand to his jaw, rubbing at the soreness he felt. "That 'medicine' packs one hell of a punch."

As he moved, his arm brushed against the metal collar. Immediately both his hands flew to it, moving around the object until they stopped at the padlock locking it in place.

"What the fuck?" His voice was now panicked and very angry. "Where am I?"

There was no keeping him still now. Dominic moved rapidly to his feet. He stumbled forward, calling out to Gianna.

"I'm here. I'm here, Dominic," she cried, the pathetic sight of him groping around the cell crushing her heart. He followed her voice, moving clumsily toward the door. Dominic blinked rapidly as his sight slowly returned to him, though the darkness was still disorienting.

Gianna stuck her hand through the bars and Dominic clutched it.

"Gianna, what has happened to us? I remember I was walking down to the road after you drove away. A car stopped to give me a lift...I got in."

He paused. The foggy feeling in his brain made him question what he was about to say to her. Could it be true? Did he really see what he thought he had seen?

"G, the guy driving the car...he took off his sunglasses and...fuck, you're going to think I'm crazy, but his eyes were red! Red as blood! And his skin...he looked…alien."

"I know," Gianna replied softly, squeezing Dominic's hand tighter.

Bits and pieces continued to come back to Dominic as his head cleared.

"He smelled like that smell! He must have sensed I was on to him. He moved so fast! Everything was a blur and then it went black. What the hell was he? Why am I here – with a freaking metal collar on?"

Dominic was shaking. Everything in him screamed he was in mortal danger, and the repulsive smell confirmed it. It made sense that Gianna was most likely in danger too. His surroundings started to ripple. "No, no! Not now."

Dominic stumbled back and pulled with all his might at the padlock keeping the potentially life-threatening device secure around his neck.

Gianna panicked seeing the wide-eyed look of fear on Dominic's face. "Listen to me!" she shouted over the blood pounding in his ears. "Listen, Dominic, just stay calm! Breathe!" Gianna had no idea what to say, so she just kept trying, "Please, I don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't live with that."

To release the energy that was building in him, he cussed and pounded on the door, searching for a handle, hinges, anything. Finally, in a moment of clarity, Dominic remembered thinking of Gianna, being with her, hearing her voice had worked to get him in control in the past.

"Gianna, speak to me, please."

Instead, another voice responded…

"Now, now. Calm down or you just might make a fatal mistake."

Something in that faceless voice, the calmness of it…or the complete utter lack of emotion it held, caught Dominic's attention.

"Who's there?" Dominic questioned.

The door clanged and began to open. Adrenaline coursed through Dominic as he stepped away from the door. His hands balled into fists and the muscles of his legs coiled in preparation to spring. Unfortunately, the intensity of the smell entering the cell repelled him back several feet.

"Believe me, you bring no pleasure to my senses either. Luckily, I can chose to not to breathe. You don't have that luxury, do you?"

As the door opened completely, firelight from the hall torches poured in, and Dominic's eyes adjusted to view who stood before him. He saw three backlit figures. Two very large men on either side of a smaller one.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Dominic asked boldly.

"Oh, yes, we have not been properly introduced. I am Aro – well, Father Aro would be the name you knew me by. This is Felix, and you might remember Logan."

Dominic again rubbed his jaw.

"Where's Gianna?" Dominic demanded, ignoring the news he just received about his supposed employer.

Aro took several steps forward, closing the space between him and Dominic to just two feet. Felix and Logan moved forward to flank their captive.

Dominic studied the man before him. More light entered his cell, and Dominic realized it wasn't a man at all. Aro's filmy red eyes frightened and sickened him. The firelight refracted off his pale skin giving it an iridescent quality. It was eerily beautiful to Dominic's eyes. Still, it was unnatural. Dominic took another two steps back. "What are you?" Dominic hissed.

"I am a super-natural being, such as yourself – only far more superior," Aro replied casually.

Dominic was stunned, his mind raced as his hands moved to the collar.

"Oh, yes. We know all about your furry little secret. Hence the restraining collar."

"Then I am at a disadvantage. You know my capabilities...what are yours?"

"Restraint," Aro sneered.

In a blink of his eye, Dominic's feet were dangling beneath him; a cold hand constricted around his throat. Felix and Logan had his hands pinned behind his back.

"I could kill you right now, but," Aro continued, as he released Dominic, "I chose not to. And I suggest if you don't like the feeling of having your neck crushed, you will refrain from getting too upset. Taking your wolf form would be...most unfortunate."

"Fuck you!" Dominic spat at Aro.

Again, Dominic's world spun as Felix kicked his legs from behind, and he found himself on his knees before of Aro.

"You will show respect to Lord Aro, dog," Felix commanded, pressing down on Dominic's shoulders to keep him in his subordinate position.

"Careful with our guest, Felix," Aro cautioned.

Dominic looked up defiantly. "Lord…Father. You go by many names, but you still have not answered my question. What are you?"

"Dominic! He's a vampire!" Gianna shrieked from the hall unable to hold her tongue anymore.

"Gianna?" Dominic's eyes searched behind Aro looking for her. If he could only see she was unharmed...

"Oh, Gianna. I forgot you were there, dear. Do come in," Aro said, holding a hand out toward her as she hesitantly peered into the cell. "Come, come now. Don't keep us waiting."

Gianna backed away instead. She knew exactly what Aro had planned. He would reveal her. It was another test of her loyalty, and a way of breaking Dominic. Bastard!

"Do you need Logan's assistance, my dear?" Aro's sweet voice crooned his threat.

"No, master."

Gianna entered Dominic's cell. She stood next to Aro, but kept her eyes downcast. She couldn't look into Dominic's eyes -not now, not ever. She wasn't worthy anymore.

"Well, have you nothing to say?" Aro questioned. "I know introductions are not needed. You know each other quite intimately, yes?"

"Gianna, are you okay? Have they hurt you?" Dominic implored.

"Hurt her?" Aro responded aghast. "Now why would we hurt the woman who made it possible for you and Isabella to be here? Gianna is a valued member of our community. An operative, if you will."

"What?" Dominic couldn't believe what he was hearing. Gianna was with them?

"Gianna, I believe our guest has asked you a question," Aro deferred. The next scene was set up purely for his amusement. Aro was curious how she would handle this little snag in their relationship.

"They offered me relief from my pain. It was a mission, nothing personal, Domenico." Her voice was so small, but her tone was unapologetic.

"Don't call me that," was Dominic's snapped response.

Aro grinned.

"Well, I do believe that is enough excitement for one night, don't you think? Make yourself comfortable. Gianna will be tending to your needs during your time as our guest." Aro turned and made his way to the exit of Dominic's cell. Felix and Logan followed, leaving Gianna alone in front of Dominic.

"Why?" he whispered. For the second time, she had ripped his heart out.

"I had no choice," she said, still avoiding his eyes.

"And neither do I."

With those words, Dominic leapt to his feet. He grabbed Gianna, pulling her close and pinning her arms to her side with one hard, the other he placed around her neck.

"Lord Aro, release me or I will kill her!"

Logan spun to act, but Aro commanded him to halt with a simple hand gesture.

"You may want to reconsider that, shape-shifter. Without her, who will feed you? Bring you water? You will rot here without her."

"Release me or I'll kill her," Dominic repeated his threat.

The two adversaries stared at each other. Aro was calling his bluff, he was sure of it, so Dominic tightened his grip on Gianna and she whimpered in pain. He was certain Aro would react to Gianna's dire situation. Aro would negotiate her release.

Instead, Aro shrugged. "Kill her. Then she will rot with you," Aro responded coldly.

"You would let her die?"

Aro laughed. "My boy, I'm a vampire. What part of that do you not understand? We take, we do not give."

To Dominic's disbelief, Aro laughed as he turned and disappeared into the shadows outside his cell. How do you negotiate with an enemy who has no heart, and therefore, no weakness? Left with no recourse, Dominic released Gianna. Logan reached in and snagged her by the arm, dragging her out of Dominic's cell before slamming the door shut.

Dominic sunk to the cool, hard floor as hatred for Aro and his ilk filled his mind and soul.

There was too much for him to process. Though he had come close to accepting his difference, he was not prepared to learn that the world around him was not at all what he had thought it to be. Human/wolves, vampires. What other grievous creatures existed?

Yet, the question foremost in his mind was how had he not seen through Gianna's masquerade? Recalling the hollow sound of her voice as she confessed her allegiance to his captors sent chills up his spine. She sounded so…dead. He honestly didn't know which was worse: being a vampire captive or finding out the woman at the center of his universe was nothing but a light-sucking, crushing black hole.

However, once his emotions had been spent, logic at last had its turn to rule his mind. Everything had been arranged to bring Isabella to this place. What made her so important to them?

Hours of speculation led him to conclude he had an important role in the mission of kidnapping Isabella or they would not have gone through all the effort to concoct the elaborate façade that brought him to Volterra. In addition, it was now obvious to him that his importance was most likely linked to his ability to morph into a wolf.

This led to another important question: why keep him alive at this point in the game? Aro had cautioned his bodyguard to exercise "care" when dealing with Dominic. It could only lead him to one conclusion: he was still valuable to them somehow.

This might give him the leverage he needed. Did he have something he could offer to possibly negotiate Isabella's safety?


A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I love writing, but enjoy connecting with readers even more. To show my appreciation, everyone who reviews/comments on this chapter will recieve a teaser of next chapter!

Thank you to Ashling92 and RowanMoon, who worked through this chapter with me. And speaking of RowanMoon, if you like supernatural E&B fics (like super-supernatural), do consider reading her story Broken Doll and its squel (which I beta) From the Ashes. They are awesome and RowanMoon is one hell of a story-teller! You can find the links to her stories 3/4 of the way down on my profile page.