A/N: So sorry this has taken a while to get up, but I've been distracted by that evil thing called Real Life, where they expect you to work from time to time in order to feed yourself and your children. So cruel.
In order to make up for taking so long, here's an extra long chapter. Also, to reassure you a little, I thought I'd let you know that chapters 8-10 are finished and just need to be typed up, and chapter 11 is in the works. So enjoy and know that more is coming soon!
I stared out over the wall separating the castle from the rest of Volterra. The sliver of waxing moon rested low on the cloudless horizon, signaling that another day was about to begin for the oblivious humans sleeping below. If I turned around I would see the opposite horizon bathed in a soft rose, but the view below was enough for now.
Nine months. I had been in Volterra for nine months, and still I wasn't comfortable there. I was down to one meal every two weeks, which Felix liked to point out was more like a fully developed vampire than a newborn. I couldn't force myself to take any more lives than that, though, and I had even pulled our procurer aside after meeting her to request that she try and identify those who appeared close to death to bring for me. Her look of confusion had swiftly morphed into contempt and disgust. I didn't care if she came to the true conclusion about my request or simply thought that I couldn't handle stronger prey. I was just satisfied when she began finding the weak of heart, lung, or mind for my meals. It mitigated my guilt the tiniest measure.
My physical training with Felix was the brightest part of my new life. Together we discovered that I was a gifted fighter on the defense, although the concept of "the best defense is a good offense" was the only way I was able to trick my brain into attacking others. Once I overcame that hurdle, Felix brought Demetri into my lessons to teach me how to track and sneak up on other vampires, another physical ability I was surprisingly good at.
Demetri's willingness to help me had increased dramatically after Aro directed Jane to give me a break in trying to manipulate my shield. I suppose I impressed him with my sincerity by trying for three months straight without breaks for more than meals. Renata occasionally joined Jane in my training, but she was more distant than she'd ever been before. Neither could determine whether I would ever be able to shield anyone other than myself. None of the "usual" triggers worked on me, apparently. Pain, anger, fear, all of the emotions most closely associated with the few known shields weren't enough to reveal how I might control my abilities. They simply existed inside of me, dormant as far as I could tell except for the strange sensations I would get when someone tried to use their own abilities on me.
Even though Aro had given permission for a pause in that aspect of my training, I knew he would eventually expect to see a return in the Volturi's investment. In fact, I expected it any time. For a millennia-old vampire, Aro displayed a remarkable amount of impatience for "pet" projects. Three months, the length of my break so far, seemed close to his limit. I could practically feel his eyes boring into me whenever I encountered him, and I could swear he was developing a twitch in the right corner of his mouth.
As if my thoughts had conjured him, Demetri jumped up from the courtyard to stand to my right. I felt the penetrating gaze he sent me without needing to look in his direction.
"The Masters wish to speak to you."
It was a demand, couched in polite words.
I turned without bothering to reply and dropped down to the courtyard, Demetri close on my heels. Within moments we reached the doors to the throne room, as it was affectionately—and accurately—called. I pushed open one side with a brisk motion to hide the dread creeping up on me. This was it. I knew it.
Aro and Caius were the only Masters present, not all that unusual when we were being less than formal. Alec and Jane stood to one side, their calm expressions giving nothing away. Felix stood to the other side, his hands held loosely behind his back.
"Ah, Isabella. It is good to see you, child. We have a challenge for your…unique skills."
I raised an eyebrow and drew closer, each step feeling as if I was signing my own—or my parents'—death certificate. Aro's bright, eager smile sent chills down my spine, and I almost stopped, frozen, until my internal voice reminded me that I must not show weakness to the vampire before me. I continued on without pause until I reached the edge of the dais.
"Word has reached us that an uncontrollable newborn has emerged in Germany. Aro believes that you, Isabella, will prove invaluable in containing and eliminating this threat to our secrecy." Caius sounded doubtful, but I had known for months that he was unhappy having a newborn in Volterra. He did not appreciate change unless there was some value in it for him, and so far I hadn't had much opportunity to prove my worth.
"This newborn appears to have a talent much like dear Jane's, although according to our source this newborn was not mentally stable prior to his change. His mental instability virtually guarantees that he will never be able to gain control over his thirst or his talent, and indeed the tales that have reached our ears through human sources prove this to be the truth. The newborn is your target, Isabella. You have the highest chance of getting close to him with as little notice from the humans as possible." Aro's glittering red eyes swept over the other guards in the room. "As for the rest of you, I am entrusting you with clean-up after Isabella is finished.
I knew from my training with Felix what that meant and barely managed to hide my distaste. Any human unfortunate enough to witness the activities of this newborn or his destruction would fall prey to an "accident," probably after providing one of us with a meal. The nameless newborn's maker would probably also be disposed of, albeit quietly.
I did have one question, however. "Shouldn't Alec's gift neutralize this newborn effectively?" I knew from my occasional interactions with them that Aro would interpret that as the curiosity I intended while Caius would assume that I was trying to get out of the mission.
Before Caius could tear into me, Aro beamed and replied, "Ah, but we discovered through experimentation centuries ago that Jane is still able to use her gift, albeit indiscriminately, while under Alec's influence."
My gaze swung involuntarily toward Jane in sympathy. To endure her brother's gift at Aro's command seemed overly harsh, but she seemed unaffected by the memory. Her chin tilted at its usual proud angle; her eyes remained steadily glued to Aro's face.
"If the newborn proves to have a similar ability to circumvent Alec on the mental level, you may be the only one able to get close while he is incapacitated," Aro continued.
I nodded to indicate my understanding and murmured, "Yes, Master," as I had been taught.
Aro's smile widened, and he held out a hand to Felix. "As you will be undertaking this task as an official representative of the Volturi, it seems fitting that you be adequately attired." Felix handed him a light grey cloak, and he shook it out expectantly. "Come, my dear. It is time that you received this."
I moved forward in a daze. This was not what I expected. Felix had been very clear that the cloaks the Volturi wore would only be awarded to me if I was accepted as a full member after my newborn year. The weight of the wool was nothing to my vampire body, but the responsibilities and traditions it represented settled like a boulder around my neck.
The next few minutes passed in a flurry of instructions, all of which I knew must be followed to the letter. We left directly after Aro dismissed us, a flock of grey bringers of death. I felt out of place but didn't dare let it show. Instead, I copied the confident stalk of the others as they headed for the helicopter that would take us to Germany.
The flight was short, although not as fast as if he had run. Still, the dark tinted windows provided protection from the sun that would betray us. I still marveled at the sight of my skin in the sun sometimes, shimmering with thousands of rainbows. Seeing that for the first time made me understand the outdated cloaks of the Volturi. I often wondered how other vampires, without the high walls and intimidation factor of the castle in Volterra, managed to avoid human notice so completely.
When we landed in an isolated clearing outside a small city, clouds and rain completely obscured the light of the sun, the steady sort of rain that could last for hours. Nevertheless, we all pulled our hoods up, me last of all. I was also the last to leave the copter, mere seconds after Felix, the pilot. I knew instinctively that I should take the last place in our group. I was the youngest, the least experienced no matter how quickly I had picked up the martial arts taught to me.
It was a good thing the others weren't watching me as I descended, the whirring blades above no longer distracting me. They may have heard the hesitation as I froze, overwhelmed by noise, but none of them showed any indication that they were curious about the source since I hurried to take my place behind Felix.
Oh, the sounds of the forest surrounding us! I thought I was used to the constant cacophony detectable thanks to my enhanced hearing. I thought I had conditioned myself to ignore it, to catalogue the meanings behind the sounds automatically and move on. On the ground levels of Volterra and higher, hundreds of human conversations and thousands of cars could be heard at almost any moment. The sounds of the forest were something else altogether. At the same time quieter and more abundant, they combined with the quick patter of rain to momentarily steal my attention, forcing me to compensate.
Demetri led our group. He had met the creator of the newborn before and was using his gift of tracking their mental signature to lead us directly to our target. Alec and Jane followed him, with Felix and me taking position behind them. We walked several miles in a few minutes, guarded by trees and clouds, before stopping just short of another clearing. From the faint sounds of cars in the distance, the rundown house in the middle of the field before us was conveniently close to the city for feeding purposes. The faded, peeling blue paint, broken windows, and rotting wooden doors would have screamed lack of occupancy if I couldn't detect the unique scents of two vampires and hear the quick, frightened heartbeats of two humans. The scents were fresh, very fresh, and underneath their overpowering sweetness the scent of several drops of human blood sent my thirst burning my throat and venom coating my mouth. I swallowed silently and lectured my rebellious body into submission. This was no time to lose control.
What intrigued me was that the humans were still apparently very much alive. Why hadn't the vampires killed them yet? It wasn't that I craved their deaths. I was just confused by the fact that they were alive at all with a newborn, presumably a "normal" one, nearby.
An anguished scream rent the air, torn from a human throat. It continued longer than a mere death cry might, wavering slightly before picking up strength and urgency once more. Demetri looked at Alec and cocked his head. The slight boy smiled, an eerie sight, an ghosted forward until he could see through one broken window. A dense fog began to form around his hands, and he slowly sent his power through the window. As he worked, the rest of us moved so that we covered each side of the building just as Felix had taught me. We were ready in case they tried to run, although Alec's gift should take care of that. Caution was standard procedure, I was told over and over. So I moved as silently as the others, careful of my every movement.
The sound of growls and a second human scream alerted me when Alec's gift took effect. The human cries died to whimpers before increasing into the shrill babble of madness, nonsense words that flowed together in an incomprehensible jumble. More disturbing, the frenzied growls came from my companions as well as the two vampires inside the building.
Unwilling to wait and see whether the vampire's power was influencing actions as well as thoughts, I knocked over the pieces of what was left of the back door and stepped inside. The bottom floor was one large room due to the simple expedient of most of the walls lying in rubble on the cracked wooden floorboards. Dead leaves crackled under the soles of my black leather boots as I made my way to the four figures to my eft, two huddled in misery at the feet of the others. The vampires crouched in defense against an unseen and unheard threat. With Alec still binding their senses, there was no need for me to be quiet, although I was from habit.
As I drew closer, I took in the vampires, the two important pieces, my prey. My throat still burned from the scene of human blood, this time even closer, but I was able to resist with an ease that surprised me. I wasn't concerned about them.
At first I wasn't sure which of the two vampires should be my target. One tall, skinny and male, the other short, plump and female, both moved their lips sync with the babble and growls around me. Then I noticed that the male vampire made no sound at all, not even a whisper, and concluded that he was the source of the deranged rambling. I crossed the room until I stood in front of him. There was a moment of hesitation as I put my hands on either side of his head. What had he done to me, that I was so ready to take his life? I stared into the eyes looking blindly back at me. Then my training took over. A quick twist and his head broke free with a sickening crack.
I had experienced the loss of a limb during training. As I improved, I managed to tear several from my opponents, all reattached via time and venom. However, I had never witnessed a capitation as a vampire, let alone performed one. The feeling was at once exhilarating and horrifying. His skin vibrated against mine under the stress. I knew that he was unaware, unseeing, and yet still I felt as if he watched me while I removed his head from his body.
The babbling of the others died abruptly as soon as his head was left his next. The humans began to wail instead, but the female vampire was strangely silent. I was sure she suspected what was happening. Maybe she was trying not to incriminate herself, a futile effort.
My Volturi companions entered, no longer under the thrall of the gifted newborn. Together, we formed a loose circle around the four bodies, the male's head still in my hands. To my surprise, Jane reached for it while Demetri and Alec, eyes pitch-black from hunger, each grabbed a human and fed. I averted my eyes with the excuse of looking at Jane while I handed off my burden, and she smiled wickedly at me as if reading my discomfort. I was sure Jane would feel no remorse about killing any vampire, especially me.
Once Demetri and Alec were done with their snack, Jane nodded to her brother. He understood the silent signal and released the female. She gasped and glared at us as sensation returned. Dark blond curls fell over one eye, and she flipped it over her shoulder with a toss of her head.
"Oh, Hulda. What have you done now, my dear?" Jane's voice was syrupy sweet with an edge of menace—normal for her. I was surprised that she spoke in English, but perhaps this Hulda didn't speak Italian, the preferred Volturi language. I had learned it in my first months, but Renata told me at the time that most vampires didn't bother becoming bilingual unless they moved to a new country and wanted to attract prey.
"I know not of what you speak." The woman's accent was flawless, of course, but her syntax was strange. I briefly wondered when she had learned English. A few centuries ago?
"None of that. Your little toy has created quite a mess with the local populace. We can only destroy so many humans at once before the whole species becomes suspicious. Your creator explained that to you, I know. Add driving your victims mad, publically, to that list, and leaving their bodies to be found by any unsuspecting authority…" Jane's voice trailed off as she detailed the woman's crimes. The Volturi knew no mercy. She was aware what her fate would be.
Still she tried to plead innocence. Her eyes large, she protested, "I did not know he was not disposing of his food properly! I swear!"
"Are you admitting that you lost control of your newborn?" Alec's silken tones held more malice than his sister's. "And while we're on the subject, why did you choose a weak-minded specimen to turn?"
Hulda tried to deny it. "I did not know of his mental condition! He appeared normal, charming! I believed he would make an admirable companion."
We could all see that she lied. The tells were there, the way her eyes shifted too quickly between us, the note of doubt in her voice. She knew, maybe not the extent, but something, before she made her decision. Turning a mentally ill human was frowned on, and the creator was always held responsible if they lost control, even more than with a regular newborn.
"And what were you and this newborn of yours doing with these humans? Playing with your food?" Demetri laughed at her and kicked the corpse of the human he'd consumed.
Hulda twisted to look over her shoulder and snarl. "I was trying to help him learn control."
I believed her, but I knew the others wouldn't care about her belated attempts to help the one she created.
"The Volturi do not believe you should have turned him in the first place, and then your attempts would not have been necessary," Felix informed her, flashing his teeth as he tossed a lighter into the air with one hand and caught it with the others.
The woman chose that moment to feint to the left and try to run off to the right. She underestimated my size, no doubt not suspecting I was a newborn. I caught her, and in an instant Demetri was beside us and ripped off her head. Without a word we dismembered the rest of her while Felix and Alec took care of the other vampire's body and Jane playfully juggled bothed heads with a burst of spirit I'd never witnessed before.
In seconds they were two burning piles of intermingled limbs, torsos, and heads. As the sweet acrid smell of burning vampire filled the air, Felix and I tossed the human bodies on top. We used no accelerants, aware that if the fire was found it would be assumed the two charred humans were homeless people who had let their fire burn out of control. Felix had spent a whole day explaining the various cover-up methods the Volturi used, although like many other things on this trip it was my first time putting it into practice.
I stayed quiet the entire time and as we headed back to the helicopter. I had killed. At that point it was nothing new, but usually I was able to decompress in my room after feeding, work through my grief and guilt, and remind myself to press on for my parents' sake. Now I could only sit frozen on my seat as the helicopter took off once more. I felt conflicted over my part in these deaths. I was glad there were two fewer vampiric threats to humanity. I was glad the members of the Volturi had been able to take care of the problem so quickly and cleanly.
On the other hand, I felt horrible for the humans who were tortured by the insane newborn. I was upset and felt guilty that I was a member of the same species of killers, and I hated that I couldn't change it without putting my parents at risk.
Thankfully, there was little chatter on the return flight to Volterra, so my brooding went unnoticed—or at last wasn't commented on—by the others. As soon as the helicopter touched down we disembarked and went as a group to the throne room. Aro and Caius, as well as most of the guards not out on a mission, waited there. Felix had notified them of our arrival even as he brought the helicopter down.
"Well, dear ones, how was your trip?" Aro held his hand out, and one by one the others touched him. I did not have to submit to his mental examination, for which I was grateful.
"Ah, I see."
"Brother?" I thought it was interesting that even after millennia Caius could still be annoyed that Aro would always receive a full report first.
"It was as we were told. The newborn was able to project his madness onto others. His creator, Hulda—you remember the delightful Hulda, don't you, brother?—could not stop him from infecting those around him as he fed, although it appears she was making a few feeble efforts to teach him. Isabella was forced to destroy him as he spread his insanity to her compatriots when cornered. Hulda was then disposed of when it became apparent that she knew her newborn was mentally disturbed to a severe degree before she changed him." Aro's voice range with satisfaction, but I detected a false note.
"And they cleaned up after themselves?"
We all stiffened slightly at Caius's implied insult. As if we wouldn't have handled that part of the mission. The others shot me glares, and I understood why he did it. He wanted the rest of the guard to distrust me as much as he did, to see me as an interloper.
"Of course!" Aro threw an irritated glance at his brother and then turned to look directly at me. "I did have one question for dear Isabella, of course. During your encounter, did you actively try to protect your fellow Volturi?"
I stared at him, unsure what he was asking. "I never felt what he was doing. I don't know how I would have blocked him from the others." That was partially untrue. At the time, I registered an angry buzzing at the back of my mind, but it was unimportant compared to taking down my prey.
Aro's eyebrows rose. "I see. You felt nothing?"
"No, Master. Whatever he was doing, it was nothing I was aware of."
Renata stepped out of the shadows behind Aro and stated calmly, "It is as I have said, Master. Young Isabella's understanding of her gift and how it interacts with those of others must be subconscious, instinctual. She can no more control it than an infant can control what it sees or smells, and she may not be able to for centuries—if at all."
I had no idea where this was coming from. When had Renata spoken with the Masters about me? I considered her a mentor of sorts, at least in my early days, but as far as I knew her interest in me had decreased after my formal introduction to the Volturi. I had barely seen her at all in the past months, especially during my training sessions.
As Renata gazed at Aro in adoration tinged with expectation, I realized that she, like Caius, was trying to discredit me. In this case, I believed that she didn't want the competition of another shield within the Volturi. She had mentioned before how rare shields were and that she was the only one with any true force behind hers. Maybe she wanted to keep that distinction.
In a way I was much more appreciative of Renata's selfishness than the biased disapproval Caius displayed. I had no desire to remain interesting to Aro. I never stopped wishing he would simply start ignoring me.
Aro did appear to consider Renata's words carefully. "Does Renata speak the truth, Isabella? After all these months, you can detect no difference when your shield is active?"
I shook my head slowly and chose my words carefully. "I have tried, Master Aro. I swear I have. I have tried to envision my shield in various forms when it's supposed to be working. I have tried to feel a difference when a mental gift is being used on me. There's nothing. No pressure, no buzzing, no stinging, no indication at all that anything is even happening." I looked down at my feet, ashamed that I couldn't seem to do the one thing that would ensure my parents' continued safety.
The room grew silent. I could feel all eyes on me. A swish of velvet warned me that Aro moved, and I wondered if this was it. His large hands landed on my shoulders, and then he patted me awkwardly. "Dear one, do not be disheartened. I believe you. Go now, and tomorrow continue your training with Felix, weather permitting."
I almost couldn't believe it, but it wasn't a good idea to question kindness from Aro, rare as it could be. With a quick nod of my head to him and Caius, I slipped away.
In some small corner of my mind, I noticed that no one moved or spoke as I left, but I chose to ignore it.