Fear
Panic threatened to overwhelm Adriane when she first walked into the room. Aro and Caius were sitting on two of the throne-like chairs, their personal guard standing in a semi-circle around them. Of the thirty-two vampires she had seen the previous night, only eight were present, Marcus not included. Somehow the lesser amount of people in the room felt more threatening.
Marcus glided over to the chair on the left side of Aro, taking what apparently was his usual seat. Adriane was now completely isolated. From a predatory standpoint she assumed that this was the most logical choice; make your prey fell small and helpless and they'll be more susceptible to interrogation. Fighting down the intense urge to run, Adriane straightened to her full height and lifted her chin. No damn vampire is going to belittle me, she thought.
Sensing her defiance, Aro's lips spread into a thin smile. "Adriane darling", he sighed, "tell me, did you sleep well?"
Adriane bristled at the inquiry. "Not particularly", she said through tight lips.
"Come now, my dear, don't be so harsh". Adriane didn't reply, just continued to stare stubbornly back at him.
He sighed. "As you know, I have taken a slight interest in you, much to the chagrin of my brothers. I would like to hear a little about your life, as well as the opinions you carry, which I have no doubt will prove to be…interesting".
"Is this a vampire's rendition of a job interview?" Adriane snarled.
Aro laughed lightly. "You could say that. I am curious, what would you say if I was to offer you a chance at immortality?"
"I suppose the term bite me wouldn't really help in this situation?" she ventured. Adriane heard chuckling from one of the members of the guard. Turning her head in the direction of the sound she saw Demetri give her a quick wink. Forcing down a gesture of her own (you can use your own imagination for that one) she turned her gaze back to Aro.
"Then I shall simply have to hope you change your mind", he replied. His voice carried a certainty that told Adriane he thought she would reconsider.
"Now then, perhaps you'd care to start with your family. Where exactly is it that you call home?"
Adriane recalled her brief family history much in the same way that she had to Marcus, starting with the death of her parents and stemming out from there. She told them that she had always been headstrong, a characteristic that had failed to leave her in later years. Aro listened to her in complete silence, stopping only when she started discussing her education.
"You say that you have already finished your schooling?" he questioned.
"Yes".
"You must be quite intelligent to have accomplished such a feat" he remarked.
"I am not a fool", she said tersely.
"No, I daresay you are not". He paused for a moment, considering his next question carefully.
"And what of your physical skills? Do you possess any talents, anything worth…noting?"
"I have always been a quick learner. It has never taken me long to master my interests. I learned to play numerous instruments simply by watching others play".
Aro's eyebrows shot up at her last comment. "You say that you were able to…copy… others as a way of learning? How very interesting". Marcus slowly turned his head to look at Aro, his eyes unreadable.
"Yes", Aro whispered, "how very interesting". He continued to ponder this information for quite some time, until at last he got up and made his way towards Adriane, who backed up in response to his advance.
"It is such a shame that my dear friend Eleazar isn't with us anymore…he would have been able to tell with such ease…" he gave a dramatic sigh, "however I wonder". Aro drew closer to Adriane, holding out his hands in what she guessed was his way of showing her he meant her no harm.
"It would give me great pleasure, dear, if you would allow me to touch naught but your hand. You see, there are those of use that possess certain…talents, similar to that of your own kind. I myself am one of the few lucky souls that inherited such gifts".
Aro's eyes had bored into hers the whole time, beseeching her to trust him; all she had to do was lift her hand towards his outstretched fingers. She found her arm rising of its own accord, and she knew that she was powerless to stop him. Out of the very corner of her eye, Adriane saw Marcus shift in his chair, his hands curling to tighten around the arms of his seat.
Adriane jerked her arm back, her fingers only inches from Aro's. "You most certainly cannot", she said breathlessly. She hugged her arms tightly around her torso, keeping them as far away from Aro as possible.
He stood looking at her, a look of disappointment and annoyance on his face. Adriane knew that if he wanted to, he could do anything that he wanted to her and she would be powerless to stop him. Aro's face slowly molded back into its usual charm, and he gave her what was supposed to be a gentle smile.
"Not to worry, my dear, perhaps another day. I have hope for you yet. I shall council with my brothers on where your fate shall lie".
Marcus suddenly materialized at Aro's side. "If you are finished", he breathed, "then I shall take her back to her room".
"Yes", said Aro, "yes, we are done for today". He swept to the other side of the room and settled himself down in his chair, lost in thought. Caius was watching her closely with his cold, detached eyes, a frown forming on his face.
Marcus turned towards her. "Come", he said.
Adriane followed him wordlessly out of the chamber, knowing that one way or another she had just sealed her future, vampire insigne and all. The walk back to her room was a quiet one, though she was too lost in thought to give it much notice.
Marcus opened her door for her. He turned to go when she walked inside, already starting to close the door.
"Marcus?" she called softly.
The door stopped mid-swing and remained perfectly still. "Can you spare me a minute?"
For a brief moment Adriane wasn't sure if he had left or not, then the door was closed and a hulking figure was looming in front of her. His red eyes were staring directly at her this time, not lost in some far off place.
"Can you at least sit or something?" she said, "You're just on the brink of creeping me out".
Marcus hesitated, and then stiffly sat down on the opposite side of the bed, as far away from Adriane as possible. This did not go unnoticed. "My apologies", he said finally, "I did not wish to cause you distress".
She snorted. "Trust me; you are the least of my worries at the moment". Adriane shifted her body so that she was facing him. "I want you to tell me the truth. Please". She played with the throw on the bed, avoiding Marcus's gaze. "Aro wants to change me into one of you, doesn't he?" she asked casually.
Pause. "Yes".
"I see, well, that was easy". Adriane, still playing with the throw, had to put her hands in her lap they were shaking so hard. An unbidden tear fell slowly down her face. She wiped it away quickly.
"How long do I have?"
He hesitated again, not willing to answer. "Aro", he began slowly, "will want to make the change right away. He is…excited by the prospects. We will hold a council later this evening. I will vote against the change". Adriane's head jerked upward.
"Do not be relieved, my word has long been met with indifference. If convinced that you can be controlled to do his bidding, Aro will have Caius's vote".
This was probably the longest speech he'd ever made; it was a shame it had to be about her untimely death. "Thank you for being honest. I would rather know what's coming than be left in the dark".
Marcus sat watching her for a long time, and finally she brought her eyes upward to meet his. He looked like he was trying to figure out a puzzle, a strained expression on his usually smooth face; however this was not what drew Adriane's attention. It was the look of pain in his eyes, a look so filled with agony that her own heart started to ache.
"What's wrong?" she gasped.
His eyes slowly closed. "This", he said, "does not happen twice, not to our kind".
Adriane had no clue what he was talking about. Whatever demons haunted Marcus would stay locked up inside of him, at least for the time being. One minute he was sitting on the bed, the next he was standing in the open doorway. "Goodnight. Get whatever sleep you can", he said hurriedly.
And with that he was gone.
Though she had just been sentenced to a life of damnation, it was Marcus's rejection that followed her through the remainder of the night. It was a very long time before she got any sleep.
What felt like mere seconds later, Adriane found herself being woken up by a cold, hard hand. She sat up in a confused state, not being able to see the room around her. She reached for the light by the side of the bed and managed to turn it on. Upon turning around Adriane was met by Marcus's milky red eyes, not but a few inches away from hers. They looked brighter than she had ever seen them before.
"Get dressed", he said quickly. He pulled away from the bed and started to gather her things from about the room, throwing them in her open suitcase. He flew into the bathroom, a mere streak of color, and came out with his arms laden in soap and shampoo.
"What the hell do you think you're doing", she cried. Fearful that he had lost his mind, for he did look half crazed, she scooted her body up to the headboard, pulling the sheets with her as she went.
He turned slowly around. "Saving you", was his reply.
Adriane continued to stare at him, her mind working slowly with a mixture of shock and lack of sleep. Finally, she pulled herself out of bed.
"Oh, well then, you could have said that in the first place". She didn't bother getting dressed, merely threw on a sweater that was at the top of the suitcase.
"No", he said quietly. He gestured towards a long, silken dress at the foot of the bed. "Put that on. This will be…difficult enough as is. We must try to confuse the scent". He turned his back on her, indicating that she needed to change. Grumbling, she stripped off her clothes in place of the dress, which was silky and cold to the touch, offering her body no warmth.
Shivering, she put her hand on Marcus's arm. "Not that I don't, you know, appreciate what you're doing, but why are you trying to save me?"
Marcus extracted himself from her touch, moving a couple steps back. Looking guardedly back at her he whispered, "I hardly know myself".
Grabbing her suitcase with one arm, he walked over to the light. With its dying rays Adriane was pulled out of the door and into complete darkness, with nothing but Marcus's cold hand to guide her.