Chapter seven: Revenge and revelation.
It was Saturday. It had been raining all day. It was as boring as ever.
The Denali's had met us halfway to their place. Seemingly Carlisle called them and informed them of our plans to visit them also. More or less warn them that we were coming, and we weren't on a mere greetings mission. This was serious business, seeing as Aro was now fully involved and had sent us here.
But that wasn't what was on my mind. It was my cold hearted rejection towards Renesmee's advances in creating some solid ground between us three days ago. I should be the better man, I should be able to put it behind me and take it with a stiff upper lip; but I couldn't. I knew I should learn to let go, but how could I? How could I create any solid ground with her; when her mere presence turned me into a rootless tree. I couldn't be her friend. Not yet.
Currently, Demetri was speaking with Jane. Thier chatter was low, that indicated no prying ears should be listening in. Not that I cared enough to listen in anyhow. The warning was probably meant towards Felix anyhow. But he was too occupied in going through the owner of this home's things with Corin. Both sat crossed legged on the floor, going through a CD rack. If they even dare try put one of those things on, I was leaving.
The last thing I needed was for Felix to play some stupid, lousy human's song; that was only recorded because they had a well tuned set of vocal cords, and people wished to make money off them; along with the perk of giving the tuned human some cash in the process. The world today revolved around money and greed, and quite frankly... It made me sick.
To my ears, those who were valued as 'talented singers' weren't entirely that in the first place. I could pick our the cracks in the voices, the little tremors that happened when they hit a note they couldn't entirely preform. Good music didn't come from the voice, anyhow. Nor did it come from a computerized beat. It came from talent and dedication to a crafted instrument. Like a violin, or a... Piano.
I had to stop this. Currently, every remote little thought brought me back to her. This was stupid, pointless, and to be completely honest; highly irritating. How had I gone five months without thinking of her, and yet here I was now; every single freaking thought going back to her.
It was driving me insane. Being in this state was driving me insane. She was driving me insane, because she wasn't mine anymore.
A hand rested upon my knee; stealing me from my thoughts. My head turned from watching Felix and Corin go through the human's belongings to Jane, sitting with her eyebrow arched.
"You haven't said a word in days, brother." She stated the obvious.
I was tempted to roll my eyes. Instead, I blinked as if to inform her to carry on; for I knew that wasn't her true business here. Stating the obvious was just an opening liner, be it may.
"I knew it would take some time after you departed, Alec. But I didn't believe it would be this troubling. You're worrying me, brother."
I was worrying her? Why? Because I was sitting silently, minding my own business, reflecting on my own thoughts? Reflecting on my hatred of the fact I couldn't be her friend. That I couldn't have her the way I wanted too? How freaking dare I!
"They say it gets easier, you know." She said, finally retracting her hand from my knee. "Heartbreak. That time will heal the suffering, and luckily for us... We have all the time in the world. But what you did... Going there, standing up to your fears-" I wasn't afraid, god damn it! "- and standing in the same room as her. They are all steps in the right direction..."
I had thought so too, but now I wasn't so sure. For ever since that moment, I hadn't been able to get her out of my head. Every minute I had spent in that damned room with her there, her eyes on me, had mentally - and felt physically- killed me. To know that I was unable to cross that room, take her in my arms like I once had been, and grin to the rest of the Cullen's because she was mine, and I was hers; and there was nothing they could do about it?
That a Volturi guard had stolen the heart of their beloved little angel. That she had fallen in love with a monster. And yet, I had been questioning her love toward me for a while. Not that it was real, because it really, really felt real. But questioning why she had loved me in the first place. Why she would lower herself to my standard, despite the fact the Volturi were higher up than all coven's. Why would someone so pure, so innocent, so perfect, go for someone like me? A emotionless, hateful, dangerous, deadly, corrupted little... witch.
It had never made sense, but god did it feel right. Darkness and light coming together, being as one. But eventually, that darkness would corrupt the light. It would send it into darkness, just like everything else it came across. Renesmee had done the right thing. She had gotten out before it was too late. She was able to realize just how... Stupid it was for us to be together. A Volturi and a Cullen? I could have laughed. She had seen sense, and brought us into reality.
Now, I had my head where it should be. With the Volturi. With my mission, and my sister. I didn't need anyone else. I didn't want anyone else. It was Jane and I until the end of time.
"I know," I spoke, just to ease her worry. I felt her hand relax around my knee, making me positive it had worked. "I know sister. Forgive me."
Jane nodded her head. I dared a look to her, and was taken back by what I saw. Looking back at me... Wasn't Jane of the Volturi. It was Jane Cecil. The innocent, dirty faced little girl who clung to me for everything. Her hair all ragged and hanging loosely by her face, dirt smeared on her cheek, her eyes light as the ocean itself. All because of the smile she was giving me. I was being transported back to the days when it truly had just been Jane and myself.
"Alec? Are you alright?" Jane's voice spoke, though the girl looking back at me was as still as ice. Smiling sweetly up at her big brother. I felt... I felt sick, yet a swelling sense of adoration. Looking back at me was the sister I had grown up in the human world with. Be it a sick, twisted figment of my imagination or not, I savored every moment of it. This was my little sister. This was the little sister who always saw the light in me, and not the darkness I had stepped into.
"Alec?!"
The girl before me blurred, and Jane's face returned to it's usual. The pale, clean and perfect definitions, the hair scraped back into a firm bun. The dark shadows around her eyes, along with the bright red piercing eyes. The smile she had given me had reminded me of our days as humans. I hadn't seen that smile in... Forever.
"You should smile more... Like that." I mused, letting my eyes flick over her confused looking face more. The confusion only rose on her face while I studied her.
"Ale-"
I shook my head, blinking from my trance. "I need to go for a walk."
I stood from my seat, Jane's hand falling from my knee completely. She stayed silent as I made my way for the door, and it wasn't until I pulled it open that she spoke.
"I can come with you?"
Peering over my shoulder, I shook my head gently. "I'll be fine sister. Besides, Demetri may miss you too much if you leave his side."
Her lips curved at my playfulness. The registering look within her eye told me that she took it as me returning to the way I used to be. Way before Renesmee, when it truly had been she and I. When I didn't care for anyone, when I didn't have a heart to give away. The relief on her face... It brought me joy. It made me happy, seeing her happy. In the end, that was all I truly wanted, wasn't it? For Jane to be happy. For her to have everything she would ever want, and everything she deserved; because she truly did deserve all the happiness in the world. For everything she had been through, for everything that she was going through. She deserved everything and nothing less.
"Very well. Be sure to feed while you are out."
It was just like Jane to shoot in a command, wasn't it?
Never the less, I agreed as I departed the home and made my way into the darkness of the night. The cold air acted like a stop sign to my racing thoughts. Everything came to a halt the moment the cold air brushed around me and took me in. I wasn't entirely sure where I was going, but truth be told; I didn't care.
I would have to feed, I knew that. Jane would no doubt know if I hadn't. In a reflection of a window, I was able to see that my eyes weren't as vivid red as they usually were for a well fed immortal. They were more of a dark crimson, slowly making their way to onyx black.
I needed to feed, and then I needed to clear some things up. Perhaps I could go investigate these disappearances some more? Find out some more information? Take up Corin's specialty in breaking into police station and looking at the files. Anything that could lead me to the culprit would be welcomed, for the sooner we caught them... The sooner we could return home. I knew Jane wanted that more than anything. Truth be told, so did I.
I missed the comfortable warmth that Italy could bring in it's summer seasons. I missed the maze of the castle, I missed the never ending tourists coming to look as our splendid home. Hell, I even missed Aro's voice giving commands and orders.
I knew I would never feel at home anywhere else other than Italy. There had only been one time where some place had become remotely close to what if felt like in Italy, and that was gone.
There really was only one place now, and that was Italy itself.
The sooner we got back, the better.
I noticed that the window I had stopped to examine myself in was that of a news agents. In the window, a display of newspapers. From where I was standing, and the added help to my supernatural eyesight, I could see the headlines perfectly.
DISAPPEARANCE TOLL RISES AGAIN - MORE REPORTED MISSING.
This was a new one, I hadn't see this one yet. I focused on the corner, merely on the date. To my own suspicions, leaving me complete unsurprised in the slightest, it was dated yesterday.
I had expected the rate to continue moving upward. Whomever was doing this was leaving a number of days between each amount they were 'stealing' so to speak. My assumptions were that these dates of no activity were the days of the missing individuals transformation.
Jane was going to find this interesting, no doubt.
Pulling the hood of my cloak up over my head, I set on hunting. I wasn't interested enough to pay attention to mere newspapers. I needed to eat first, and then I could set on with investigating a little more into this.
After a few alleys and quick pace running over and across rooftops and dropping down again to go into more alleys, a slight movement caught the side of my eye. I inhaled through my nose - a big, long pull - and felt my body begin to change and go ridged. As I had presumed. Dinner.
In that instant, I turned off my brain. It was time to hunt.
—xXx—
At first, Demetri didn't know what to make of that comment. He would miss Jane too much? Hardly. Well... Perhaps just a little. He would be lying if he said he didn't wonder where she was when she wasn't with them. Of course he would wonder. She was Jane, after all. There was not a single immortal being that didn't know of her, that didn't fear her, and that hadn't thought of her at one point in their lifetime.
Be it out of fear or not, they all thought of Jane at some point.
Demetri just happened to do it a little more often than usual. It wasn't' a sin, nor was it wrong. Jane was a very attractive looking immortal. Bright red eyes, high cheekbones, full lips that were often curved into the most sinister smile he had ever seen.
Her darkness, her sadistic nature, and her authority made her all the more attractive to him. It was a known fact Demetri had always been somewhat interested in the little blonde, and that continued to grow over the centuries. Of course, Jane had never repaid those feelings up until recently. She had been paying him a lot more attention than usual; so of course Demetri would take it as a sign she was finally interested. She had finally let down those never ending walls around her that deemed that sort of relationship off the table. Perhaps seeing her brother all loved up was the key to it in the first place?
If that was the case, then he was screwed now because Alec was no longer 'loved up.' He was as cold and as dark as Demetri had ever seen. No! He was more than that. He was becoming... Worse than Jane. Jane had always been enough to inflict fear into people's very souls; but Alec? Alec had... Never been like this. He had been the one who took both sides into account and deliberated with his sister. The only one who had the actual balls to stand up to her, if need be. But recently, Alec hadn't been doing that.
In fact, Alec had been the one that gave suggestions on things Jane would speak to make them more... Well, sadistic!
Jane had always been a sadist type of girl. She enjoyed watching people suffer at the hands of her. But Alec? Demetri had never seen Alec like this before, and truth be told... He didn't like it in the slightest. If Alec finding love was what it took for Jane to take the concept of herself having relations like that into consideration; Alec's heartbreak was enough for her to rebuild the walls ten times as high as before.
Just when he thought he was getting close to gaining Jane, it had blown up in his face.
For what felt like the tenth thousandth time, Demetri flicked through the missing peoples reports. His eyes taking in each and every piece of the information. There had to be at least some inkling as to why this was happening.
Alec had pointed out one thing. They were all only children. They were all from families that didn't have other children, and thus making it a little harder on the parents. It was hard enough losing a child, Demetri knew that pain, but losing your only child? It was someone Demetri had once experienced and he wouldn't set that on anyone; even a mere human. It was the worst pain imaginable. He knew exactly what each of these families were going through, the only difference between he and the families... Was he knew his daughter was dead. All of these people, reporting their children missing, still had hope that they were out there somewhere.
Still breathing.
There were two possibilities Demetri knew of. Either there was a vampire going on a mad frenzy with feeding, or it was something much sinister than that. Was it possible there was another newborn army in the making?
Here he he thought the one in Forks had been the last. No one was stupid enough to make that mistake again, not after last time.
Demetri ran his teeth over his bottom lip while scanning the page.
Shay Logan had been the most recent one. But who knew about that anymore? There could be more yet to be reported. Hell, there could be more that weren't reported yet! Those statistics weren't set in stone.
They wouldn't be until they came face to face with this current problem. For the sake of his group, of his team, Demetri hoped they came face to face with it soon. He wanted to go home just as much as the rest of them.
No one probably wanted to go home more than what Jane and Alec did, of course. Corin? Well, he wasn't entirely sure about that one. After all, she was used to sitting in with the wives; but Demetri was positive she was enjoying her time away. She must miss Santiago, though. He had noticed that Santiago often went on runs with Corin, or was either in her company when they were off duty. There must be somewhat of a bond there, so no doubt she was missing him.
He could sympathize. Oddly enough, Demetri did in fact miss Heidi to some degree. Whether it was because he missed the feeling of someone adoring him and knowing there was a woman as attractive as she was waiting for his beckon and call to come running to him or because he actually missed her, Demetri wasn't quite sure.
One look to Jane clarified that. He just missed the attention from Heidi. Because in some stick twisted way, the attention Heidi gave him; he could manipulate it within his head and imagine that it was Jane.
He felt his limbs tense up with even thinking the thought. As if they were on standby, waiting for his imagination of Jane while Heidi did unspeakable things to him. He really needed to stop this. With her at such close proximity, Demetri couldn't afford to... Well, get an erection here. He would no doubt never hear the end of it.
Self control, Demetri. You know this well.
"I have no doubt that Alec will conduct an investigation while he is out; so I suggest we do the same. Demetri, have you found anything?" Jane spoke; crossing the room to stand beside him. With him sitting at the table, and her standing beside him; leaning over to look at the file, Demetri's eye contact was some place he really, really couldn't be caught looking.
The strain in his stomach continued to build as he answered Jane.
"Nothing as of yet, but I'm still looking."
Jane pursed her lips and leant over more. Instantly, Demetri's throat went dry.
He certainly missed Heidi right now.
"Well, we have the basics. They're all only children. They have been captured at a spaced period of time. Evidently the time gap being the previous lot's allocated time to turn."
Demetri thought that also.
"I would have presumed this to be a feeding frenzy, if we hadn't seen the pattern we are currently viewing."
Again, Demetri agreed with a nod.
"Only children... Mostly, no... Wait, all... Being teenagers in their early teens to late teens. If this is indeed a feeding frenzy, the culprit is highly picky." Jane continued, her lips pursing a little more.
"Indeed." Demetri nodded, setting the file down onto the table. Jane twisted it around to face her, while she continued to lean practically over him to read.
"I wouldn't have thought someone in this state to be fussy at all. Vampire's are naturally savage when it comes to feeding, so the time gap doesn't make sense in that department. It has to be a rage of turning them."
Demetri cleared his throat, leaning himself closer to the table; mainly to get his eyes away from the chest in his face. "Indeed. I couldn't help but compare it back to the Bella Swan incident."
Jane's head snapped to face him, her eyes burning with a fire he hadn't seen in a long, long time.
"I thought the exact same thing. Although their disappearances weren't as... Picky. The seattle coven were sloppy with their choices, hence why we had been able to find them so easily. Yet with these... They are careful and well conducted; which leads me to believe it is someone highly skilled. Tell me, Demetri... Were you able to pick up a scent?"
"I was. However, it didn't last very long." Demetri answered truthfully.
"... This sounds oddly familiar, does it not?"
As much as Demetri hated to admit it, it did. It was practically identical to the problem they had faced in Volterra. The vanishing scents. The dead end trails. They enraged Demetri, and he had refused to link them together; despite the solid evidence that did.
"Do you think it could be them?" Demetri asked, daring himself. The anger that was burning within his voice was so evident for each of them to hear, it had caused Felix and Corin to stop their fumbles through the music collection to look over.
Jane turned her eyes away from him and to the paperwork once again.
"Truthfully... I am around 75 percent sure it is them. Whom else would be able to avaid as as easily as the last time? The scent you caught, was it the same as the one that continued to vanish in Volterra?"
They were aware this was all probably new to Corin, for she hadn't the slightest clue what had gone on in Volterra, but it didn't stop their work. They couldn't stop to explain things to her just yet. They had to be certain.
"It wasn't no. But we've established that they are able to hide others, along with themselves."
Jane nodded her head, the flash of Renesmee's disappearing act appearing in her head. That had been the day prior to when she had crushed her brother. She had hated Renesmee to begin with, and she had only put up with her because of Alec's love for her; but now... She despised the little half-breed. If it wasn't for Alec's feelings, she would have slaughtered the entire coven by now; just for her remotely hurting Alec in the way she had.
"Then that adds to the percentage." Jane said, a hand moving to her lips for her index finger to run over her bottom lip; giving the look of her being deep in thought. "There is a high chance that this is the same people... You may get your chance in finding out who is doing this to you, Demetri."
Idly, Demetri felt his lips curve into a smile. He had longed for the day he could meet those who had avoided him, made him feel like a fool and embarrassed him in front of his peers. He had vowed he would rip them into shreds, and if Jane was correct... That day would come. Especially if these were indeed the same people.
Demetri's want to return home so eagerly dropped in the slightest in that instant. If it was them, he wouldn't return home until he had their heads and their bodies burning to ash in front of him.
—xXx—
With a crushing sound of a windpipe below me, the girl was unable to even let out a mere squeak before it was all over for her. The only sound that was apparent was the gurgle of blood and air in her lungs. Her blood was warm and sweet. It quenched the numb burn within my throat, and calmed the nagging and itching to a complete stop.
Once again, I felt numb.
I sucked and gulped, even though there was no need for me to continue. I no longer needed the blood, for my hunger had been completely taken care of. The three human bodies already slumped against the wall, completely drained, provided that.
Just as it felt the heavenly blood began to flow; it was over. She had run dry, just like the others. Unlatching myself from the girls throat, I rattled her body away from me to land beside her previous workers.
The one thing I liked about cities like this were the red light districts. So many drugged up women looking for a dime to supply their next hit with no respect for themselves, so many low life men using women in ways they shouldn't be; abusing them in ways they didn't deserve.
They were the perfect targets when it came to dinner. Easily disposed off, and it was highly rare they ever went reported. Disposing them was easy enough. I would do what I always did. Move them to a more acceptable place for the time being, continue with my business and then return to dispose of them properly.
It wasn't as if there weren't any places I couldn't dispose of them. There was the grand bay; where no doubt sealife would deal with the bodies. And then there was the tensaw river, duck bay... It was all endless.
One by one, I moved them to a bridge; hiding them under it and making sure it was a secure place. Despite the need to dispose of the bodies, I didn't quite feel like getting wet just yet. I would take them to the bottom once I'd done what I set out to do first.
I'd come back. I always did.
With the bodies securely hidden, I made my way back to civilization. Hood still hiding my face while I dedicated my time into walking in and out of alleys. Keeping to the shadows as I retraced the steps I had done countless times with Demetri when he went out in search.
Without him here to lead me, I had my own path I could follow. No clouded judgement, nothing holding me back from figuring this thing out and once I did; we could go home.
We could get out of this place, and I could return to my routine of being... Alone. Although, I was never truly alone; was I? Not when Jane had anything to do with it. She somewhat dedicated her time into being at my side. Be it with sitting with me in my dorm and chatting, or sitting silently reading. She was often, almost all the time, found at my side now. This was one of the few times I rarely got time alone; and even then she had offered to come with me.
Truthfully, I was surprised she had even let me leave the Cullen's on my own, and ditto with this situation. I didn't need her to hold my hand all the time. I was capable of standing on my own, even though I felt empty.
I presumed I would always feel empty now. Before hand, I had felt fine. Before Renesmee, before all of this, I felt I was perfectly fine. But upon meeting the hybrid, falling in love with her, being with her, it was then I realized what it was like to be perfectly fine.
And without her now, I knew what it was like to have nothing. To feel nothing. To want nothing. I was empty, and I believed I would stay that way until the end of time. No, I didn't just believe it. I knew I would.
My hand ran across the wall of a particular crevice of two buildings. This had been the one where Demetri had paused the most. To evaluate everything. He too had let his hand run across the stone walls. I found myself mimicking his actions and bringing my hand to my nose to inhale anything I could pick up.
There was a faint trace there, but nothing strong enough for me to pick out specifically. The faintest smell of metallic copper, which I could instantly tick off as blood. Looking at the odd flakes upon my fingertips, I was also able to justify that statement. Dried blood still lined the walls of this alley. Due to the contrast of the buildings bricks and the blood being dried, it was almost impossible for a human to determine it without closer inspection.
Something had happened in this alley. Something messy, and something most probably revolving these disappearances. Now I understood why Demetri had lingered in this place longer than the others. He was trying to pick out anything from the dried blood, see if there were hidden remains of what happened; if it had so happened to be a vampire who caused this blood to be all over the walls.
I had no doubt in my mind that it was indeed a vampire. There was a particular dent within the brickwork that made me believe there had indeed been a struggle here. Beginning to picture scenarios, I came up with some person had been in here only to be approached by a hungry immortal or immortal none the less. The person fought back, to which caused either their head to be rattled against this wall; or something with strength enough to cause a dent. The blood on the walls indicated something had happened, be it the immortals feeding, or the fact they were fighting back; making it even more messier than what it could be.
I decided I'd call this one; Evidence 1, or E1 for short.
The next set of alleys would interchain, and I'd have to evaluate them carefully if I wanted to pick up on anything that could particularly link them with E1.
Brushing my thumb over my fingertips and removing the fine flakes, and pushed on down to investigate the rest of the alleyway; turning to my right and following the pathway leading me along to yet another one. The layout of these alleys were perfect for the dregs of society. Actually; I presumed that was why they were built like this. With these hidden crevices and long pathways; it was keeping them off the main streets where, what you might call, normal citizens roamed.
The human race never failed to amuse and disgust me. Here they preach about human rights and equality for all, and yet they were conducting a true sign of negligence. Hiding the 'scum' some may call them in the back alleys and hidden parts of the city. If there was one thing I was certain about now, it was that I was glad I was no longer part of the human race. Most, not all; even though it was coming close to all, but most... Disgusted me to the core.
Something felt strange. Something felt... Wrong. I felt as though I was being watched; unseen eyes on my every move. Was it possible that Jane had followed me? No. Jane wouldn't say one thing and do another when it came to me, no matter how worried she was. Besides; I would have picked up on her scent by now. I had lived with it for centuries.
A sound of a thud behind me caused my feet to stop dead in the tracks, while my limbs clenched up and readied themselves for the pounce. With the stalkers movements, it sent a gist of their scent directly to me, despite the wind traveling in the different direction.
I knew that smell.
Slowly, I turned. As if to question if it was really true. If fate had decided to be on my side for once, and deliver me the person I wanted dead most in the entire world. I had pictured this moment countless times. Finally being able to rip her into shreds for what she had done to me. I didn't care if she was part of her family now. I had said I would kill her at the first chance I got...
And that chance was now.
"Alec..." She choked out.
It was her. It was her!
"You."
With no other thought, I leapt forward; my hand outstretching and gripping her throat as tightly as I could. Although I was used mainly to take away unneeded suffering in euthanizing criminals, I was far from the 'kind' type. This girl deserved to suffer! This girl deserved worse than death, so I would do it slowly. With no mercy. With no hint of remorse. I would make her feel exactly what I had the moment she had caused Renesmee to leave me. No, it wasn't possible for her to feel how it had felt for me. But I would make her come close to it! I would make her feel ten times as worse!
"You have a lot of guts coming to me after what you did." I snapped through clenched teeth, while her hand desperately tried to claw at mine clasped around her throat.
"I-I d-d-didn't do it!" She screeched out, her legs desperately trying to kick me from her in hopes I might let loose. There was no chance in that. None whatsoever. She would pay. She had to pay.
"Don't lie to me!" I hissed, clenching a tighter to her throat. I could feel the windpipe under my grasp; her marble granit skin slowly beginning to crack.
No, not yet Alec. This is your chance to find out what happened. This is your chance to finally take the revenge you crave.
My thoughts spoke the truth. It had been bothering me somewhat deep down. Curiosity as to what was exactly said to take Renesmee from me. I didn't want to know, because I didn't see how it would make anything different at all. Renesmee had left me, and that was the end of it. But now; with her here... With the person who had ripped my world in two, who had caused me much more pain than I thought was even possible to endure; I was given not only the chance to remove her from the world, but also find out exactly how she had done it.
"Don't you dare lie to me!" To make a point, I rattled her head against the brick wall. She let out a loud whimper while I stepped in closer, bringing my eyes directly to her level and glaring into hers.
I had believed this girl to be the devil. But the look of pure terror in her slits provided me with the knowledge that she wasn't. I was.
"You took everything from me," I spoke through clenched teeth. "So I'm going to take everything from you."
"P-pl-please!" She clawed more at my hand; her sense of desperation switching to overdrive. "I didn't do it! She lied!"
I was a bit taking off guard with her statement. It sent me into a state of ponderment. She had lied? I presumed she meant Lilianna, but... How was she able to know Lilianna had told me what happened? She wouldn't. Why would she willingly stand by and listen to someone confessing to crimes against me, if they were innocent! So, that must mean... She was lying about Renesmee. Yes, that made sense now. She believed Renesmee had told me. She believed that Renesmee had come clean and told me that she had come to her; stole her from me.
My hand clenched tighter with the accusation.
"Renesmee would never lie to me!" I hissed, slamming her head back once again.
"No!" She cringed.
"Not her! L-l-" she panted for a breath.
"Lilianna! She lied t-o you!" I loosened my grip around her throat, giving her a chance to breathe; but not removing my hand; just incase this was some sort of trick.
"What do you mean?" I said, the bitter tone refusing to leave my voice. God, the urge to kill her is so strong! "Explain yourself."
"I-I can show you!"
"Show me? How?"
She blinked her eyes at me, searching my face and probably seeing the look of confusion on there.
In that moment, her eyes closed; and my mind began to blur. I remember this feeling! I had this in Verona; when I had 'fallen' and had been forced to relive that blasted flashback!
Everything around me blurred for approximately three seconds when it began to clear up again, and automatically I knew I was seeing through the eyes of Delilah.
The sky was a vivid orange and red. The air was clear, yet warm. But that wasn't what she was paying attention too. The shrub used as her only cover; her attention was solely on the two people in front of her.
There stood Renesmee and Lilianna.
And boy, Lilianna didn't look happy.
In fact, she looked enraged and irritated; as if things weren't going to plan. What exactly was she up to? Why did she have the hybrid? She wasn't planning on killing her; was she?! Although that might be one of the answers for this Alec and Jane situation; it certainly wasn't a good one. It would enrage Alec enough to hunt them down! They would be the first targets! Lilianna wasn't thinking things through. She was being reckless. She was letting her love for Alec get in the way of the right thing to do. Delilah knew in that moment that if Lilianna were to make a move to harm the hybrid, she would have to intervene. Killing Renesmee would be signing all of their death certificates. She wasn't just going to be killing herself, but Delilah, Mary and Scott also!
"Don't you understand?!" Lilianna began to pace back and forth in her frustration. "He betrayed you by kissing me! Why would you stand up for such a thing?"
Renesmee wiped her eyes and let them fall down to look at the floor. From her clothes, they were dirty and a little stained. There was most probably a struggle at some point, Delilah decided.
"Because I... I love him." She whispered. Somewhere, she found the inner strength to look up at Lilianna again. "And he loves me! He wouldn't have kissed you willingly!"
"HE LOVES ME!" Lilianna flashed and wound up in her face; teeth bared. "He. Loves. Me. We were always meant to be together. From the very beginning, until the very end."
Renesmee kept the eye contact, even though Delilah could see the water beginning to pool in her eyes. She was trying to hold back. It was only natural. Delilah's unbeating heart ached for the girl. But then, it also ached for Lilianna. Lilianna did love Alec. Lilianna had always loved Alec. They had been brought up together. She had been the only one to accept him for who he was, and the moment he had 'died' in the human world; she had vowed she would find him. Hell, she had screamed and kicked and clawed at her father holding her back from going to him tied up on that podium. She had shown them, Mary, Scott and herself, what it had been like that day for her. She had seen the devastation all over Lilianna's face. There was no denying Lilianna's feelings.
"You love him, do you?" Lilianna then asked, finally stepping away from Renesmee and ending the little stand off between them.
"More than life itself." Renesmee said; her tone dead serious.
"Is that so..." Lilianna began to pace again. With each and every step she took; it set Delilah on edge. She didn't like where this was going. She knew that face Lilianna was pulling. It was her plotting face. And when Lilianna plotted... Nothing ever good came out of it. "Tell me... What would happen if... Say, Alec were to die?"
"What! No!" Renesmee yelled, stepping forward to Lilianna. Lilianna retaliated in a way that made even Delilah flinch. A solid slap to the girls cheek; forcing the girl to lose her footing and fall back and hit the floor with a thud. Her hand clutched at the slapped area.
"You see, Renesmee;" she resumed her pacing. "I don't like sharing, especially my Alec. And... If you refuse to let him go to be with me... I'll have to take drastic measures. If he dies... Then there is no way you can have him."
"You're crazy!" Renesmee hissed from her perch on the floor.
"That might be so! But if I can't have him; then no one can!" Lilianna hissed back. "I won't so much as even blink when I'm killing him!"
"You wouldn't." Renesmee challenged, her hands forming into fists on the floor, taking two hand fulls of dirt. "You wouldn't touch him if you loved him so much."
Don't challenge her, hybrid! Delilah thought loudly; her own hands clasping around some branches of the shrub in front of her.
Lilianna let out a small laugh as her footing came to a stop. Turning on her heel, she took a step forward and crouched down in front of Renesmee. Renesmee did what anyone would do. She tried to shuffle herself back.
"Are you brave enough to test that out, hybrid?" Her eyes bore right into Renesmee's, making even Delilah's insides twist in fear. She didn't like this look on Lilianna. It was... Terrifying. It was devious. It was... Evil.
When Renesmee didn't respond, Lilianna let out another laugh.
"I didn't think so." She laughed, standing herself back up and inhaling deeply. Luck seemed to be on Delilah's side, for the wind was blowing her scent away from Lilianna. But with that, Delilah was able to pick up on the scent Lilianna had also picked up on.
The tracker and his friend.
"I'll give you two days, Renesmee." Lilianna said. "If you are still with him after two days... I'll kill him, and then I will kill you. It's your choice. Tick... Toc."
And with another gust of wind, Lilianna vanished from sight. Delilah knew she should rush home. She needed to get home before Lilianna noticed she was gone, but she was frozen on the spot. Watching the hybrid still try and take in the words Lilianna had said. Trying to comprehend the fact of Alec dying... Because of her. A tear fell down Renesmee's face, while she hyperventilated for air.
"I have to leave him..." Renesmee whispered to herself, her eyes clenching shut. The sorrow in her voice was enough to make Delilah's eyes begin to feel... Irritating. As if they were trying their damned hardest to produce tears. Delilah couldn't help but... Wonder what that was like. To care about someone that much to be willing to give up your own happiness, hell even your own life, for them.
"Reny!" A booming voice stole Delilah's attention, forcing her to hide more in the shrub. The large figure of the beast like man and his stalker friend came into view. They rushed right over to the hybrid on the floor. "Are you alright? What happened?"
Renesmee was freely crying by now. Felix, she was sure that was his name, was crouched beside her, his hand on her back and trying to comfort her. Demetri, the stalker, stood up from his own crouch and looked around the area.
"I... I want... A-a-a." Renesmee's stutters sounded, forcing Demetri from whatever he was doing. Probably trying to pick up a scent.
He moved in before Felix could, and picked her up in bridal style. Renesmee's arms wrapped themselves around his neck, while her head buried into his chest.
"Lets get her back before things get worse." Demetri spoke, gaining a nod from Felix. And just like that, they took off. Delilah took that as her cue. She needed to get back now. Before things got worse for her too.
The blur around me began to fade out, and reality set in about me. Lilianna had lied to me. She had been the one to not only threaten my life, but Renesmee's also. She had made me believe Delilah had been the one behind it, but she had been the mastermind all along.
She had been the thorn in my side all along.
Once my sight had cleared, I stared directly into the eyes of Delilah; still under my hand against the wall. Looking as terrified as ever. With a clenched jaw, I removed my hand and stepped back from her.
"How did you do that?"
"I can... Project images. Memories if I want to.. Which what that was. I swear it was real!"
I nodded my head gently, and flicked my hood down.
"You came here to show me that?" I asked.
She shook her head gently. "No. I... I know things about Lilianna. These people going missing... She's behind it."
Well, I can't say I was surprised. I had presumed it was her to begin with, but refused to accept it. Now the clarification made me believe that I was indeed a fool for letting her live. The promise I had made her clearly didn't mean anything to her.
"Why?" I pressed on.
"She... She wants to take down the Cullen's..." My heart would have stopped if it had been beating. "And the Volturi."
I inhaled a deep breath, and closed my eyes tightly.
This wasn't just a minor mission anymore.
This wasn't even a little battle.
This was a war.
"I'm going to need you to show that again."
She nodded her head quickly, but I was quick to stop her before she did anything by taking both her wrists within my hands. She stared up at me in pure terror.
"To my sister."
A/N:
And now we know what happened between Lilianna and Renesmee. Thoughts on it?
What d'you think Alec is going to do, now that he knows? Get angry? Break something... Like Renesmee's bed, on account of the angry sex?
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Want the next chapter a little earlier than a week? If you manage to get me to 1,125 reviews; I'll upload it straight away. Boy, I do love leaving you guys a challenge.
Take it easy. I love you all.
- C.H