Rain splattered against the windscreen as I drove, the streetlamps glinting through the glass. I had to stifle a yawn. Soon it would be time for bed, after the fifteen-minute walk home of course. The joys of living in London, and the never available parking spaces outside my own home. A soft sigh slipped past my lips.
Perhaps a walk would awaken me a little.
I sighed again, my mind starting to wander. Twenty-three, exhausted, with the personality of a pensioner who had seen enough of life already. Some would class me as boring, I suppose, but what would they know of what I've had to encounter in those twenty-three, long, unkind years upon this earth. In my circumstances, one might say I'm quite sound of mind -others would surely have succumbed to the woes of their mental states by now, and yet, here I am. Orphan twice over, plagued by dreams of both harmony and sorrow, and just keeping my head above water.
Very well rounded indeed.
Flicking the indicator, I pulled the car onto the street fifteen minutes away from the house. Shutting off the engine, I stifled a yawn. "Fifteen minutes, and we'll be home Cassie," I murmured to myself, not quite sure I believed them myself. My spine started prickling, doing that strange thing it did whenever something wasn't quite right. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back, waiting for the feeling to pass. My sixth sense, as it had been affectionately named by my adoptive mother as a child, had been going haywire the last few days. Surely nothing would happen. I rubbed the back of my neck, my mind slowing down, as the lull of sleep began to drag me under. I couldn't sleep in my car -too unsafe, especially now, with the mysterious disappearance that happened the other night. They never did find the couple that went missing, something that wasn't entirely unusual for London, but they normally turned up sooner or later, and yet, this couple had yet to do so. Worrying indeed.
Rain splattered against my face as I dragged myself from the car, locking it behind me before pulling my coat around my body, using it to shield me from the torrential rain that was starting to pour. Next time, remember the umbrella, not that I ever did, I mused inwardly. My spine started pricking again as I came closer towards some side streets. My brows furrowed. Tired or not, something seemed to be alerting me to avoid that way. The other way, albeit five minutes longer, was safer, more well-lit, avoiding the alleyways that lurked at every twist and turn, all of them poorly lit. As I approached closer, my whole body began screaming, my feet grinding to a halt. I stood for a second, contemplating. My mind screamed at me to take the longer route, my sixth sense foreshadowing a danger that was apparently laying ahead in my path. I sighed, pushing on for the longer route.
Better to be safe than sorry, I guess.
Headlights swept down the street, a car ambling by. Pulling my coat around me tighter, I trudged on, my shoes squelching. The pricking within my limbs seemed to have died down, humming comfortably in the distant reached of my mind. I was thankful, exhausted beyond imagination to have to deal with that tonight. The restaurant had been unbearably busy, my feet aching from probably racking in over a weeks' worth of steps in one night, as I did most nights of the week, eager to live to British dream, away from the horrors that were my legacy across the pond.
Being the daughter of someone who had gone on a spree and murdered five, before murdering your own mother and sister and then taking the cowards way out, wasn't a good conversation starter it seems.
The screaming within my mind started again as I drew closer to an alleyway opening. Crossing the road quietened it down. In the distance, the sound of an animal snarl shook me. It sounded in the distance, perhaps someone was walking a rabid dog close by? I pushed it from my mind as I drew closer to home. Three more minutes and warmth.
Another snarl sounded as I avoided another alley, a quiet rumbling noise coming from the heavens above. I picked up the pace. I was not about to become a meal for some rabid dog tonight. Not a chance in hell was that happening. Wind blew past me quickly, startling me as it came out of nowhere, dying down once more, just the rumblings of the clouds and the dripping of my curls, now flattened, as water ran in rivers down my skin upon my face.
Home in sight, I hurried, almost running. A noise behind me gave me caution to look, just as I put the key into the lock. My breath caught in my throat as I surveyed what I saw.
A man, tall, menacing, yet seemingly curious, stood under the streetlamps that flickered above him. Eyes, staring straight at me, narrowed as if he were contemplating something. My sixth sense was screaming, this time to the extent of being painful; I gave my temple a rub, squeezing my eyes shut in pain as I grimaced. As I reopened my eyes, the man was gone, and my mind was quiet once more. My limbs shook as I fumbled with the keys, anxiously trying to get into the house where I would be safe and could take up sanctuary for the rest of the weekend.
Flicking the lights on in the hallway, I locked the door, putting on the deadbolt, and I all but collapsed against the door, chest heaving, albeit from fear or as an aftershock of my mind being pushed to such limits. My mind drifted back to that man. What did he want? Why was my sixth sense classing him as a danger so bad? It had never caused me such pain before, never been on such high alert that I was in physical pain. Was he dangerous? I huffed out a breath. "Of course, he's bloody dangerous, " I grumbled, wearily climbing to my feet. My beloved gift, one that had guided me through many a situation, would never give me a false alarm as such.
Pushing the man from my mind, I collapsed onto the couch, closing my eyes momentarily. However, momentarily, was not in the books for tonight.
Laughter ripped from my lips as I dashed around a corner, heavy skirts clutched in but one hand. A pale hand chased after them, seemingly trying to capture their owner. Another laughter left my lips as I turned, shielding my eyes. "No, my love," came a sultry voice as a hand brushed over my breasts. "I found my prize; would you deny me such a feat?"
The hand that covered my eyes trailed down my cheek, but I kept my eyes closed, sucking my bottom lip into my mouth, gnawing it teasingly. "Oh, my love," I sighed heavily, my lips moving of their own accord, the words sounding like my own, yet more whimsical, harmonious, melodious, like church bells ringing in the tower. "You never play fair. I could hide in the depths of the earth, and you would find me." I gave the fingers that trailed longingly over my lips the slightest, gentlest nip. "I am starting to think one enjoys the hunt far too much to be rewarded with a prize such as myself."
A deep chuckle, a gentle hand maneuvering my body through a doorway, a door closing and locking behind me, had the anticipation building within my bones. An excited gasp left my lips as a soft set of lips pressed against where my pulse was thumping, but I could feel no such beat within my body. Before I could ponder such a contradiction, a hand clutched at the soft skin of my thigh, lips inching up past my calf as I was pushed against the door. I heaved, my eyes still shut, as lips found where I burned, jolting forward.
Heat burned in my abdomen. twisting and coiling, a raging fire that needed to be extinguished. I gasped and shook and moaned, my mind burning as my limbs did, shaking as the heavenly sounding man did what I had often fantasized about myself. I shook and gasped, the fire burning hotter, and hotter, until the man gave a smug sounding noise under his breath, pulling away as my body desired his conquests. I sank to the floor, my legs unable to hold me as they shook. "You are indeed cruel," came the breathless, yet murmured words as I was taken off the floor, a soft feather down blanket greeting me instead.
Laughter echoed in my ears. "This is merciful, mio caro, for you made me wait over a century;" I gave a sweet bell-like sounding laugh in return to those words, my laughter soon being swallowed by hungry, yet soft lips, my eyes opening to stare up at my tormentor. A quick push, and suddenly I was staring down, staring at the same man from my dream of the masquerade ball, the one that had looked at me with such lust and adoration. Hungry eyes stared upon me now, dropping down to undress my body with his eyes, lingering upon my heaving bosom, which heaved harder upon his lustful gaze.
"Waiting a century was how I knew your intentions," the words spilled softly from my lips, the man's expression softening somewhat, quite possibly the only part of him that did as I spoke. His thumbs came to gently stroke my hips over the skirts of my attire. "It gave me cause to see I was not another conquest, Casanova, but rather that you were vying for my genuine affection, something I reserve. You proved yourself to me, before everyone, that a title does not dictate one's intentions, nor does a reputation, but rather that actions speak louder than words could ever do so."
HIs eyes never left my face as the words, full of strong opinions and of grace, yet with a gentleness to them that was seemingly reserved for this man only, flowed from my lips. Who was this man? Was this another dream, or had I experienced this? Was this me? Am I this girl? This woman, who spoke so eloquently, so fiercely, so strong minded about her apparent love for this man? Was I her? Was she I?
The man spoke then, unable to seemingly lay there and say nothing. "You are the light in this world, Cassandra, you are my light. I would have waited another century, a millennium, if needed." A soft titter rumbled from my throat. An eyebrow quirked upwards as I leaned down, letting my breasts brush against his tunic. I hummed softly. "Be careful now love, don't want Felix to say you're going soft in your old age, do you?"
The world flipped, and suddenly he was the one leaning over me, a glint in his eyes telling me the fire that had been slowly smoldering in my belly, was about to be reignited. As our bodies twisted together in an age-old dance of passion and lust, sultry moans leaving my lips as the fire burned hotter than before, a whisper in my ears told me that becoming soft was certainly not the case.
I jolted awake, chest heaving as I shuddered, the aftershocks of my dream making my bones shake. Flushed, I kicked my boots off, swinging myself up into a sitting position off the couch, rubbing a hand down my sweaty face. The dreams were coming in at a higher frequency now. What was up with them? They were hot and heavy, and always involved me. Was it a past life? Was it a concoction of my mind, my way of distancing myself from the pressures of real life? I had no clue, but whatever it was, it was seemingly pushing me towards something so important, I don't think I would get a choice to avoid my fate.
Torchlight guided the way down the gothic hallways, a giant of a man leading another, rather stockily built man. Brutus was known to the Volturi, his assistance in the past having been welcomed when it came to missions of such large quantities, or when witness was needed, he was always willing to lend a hand.
But tonight, he came to give his witness on a matter entirely new to him.
The scraping of the library doors being pushed open alerted the Master's to that they had company, Jane and Demetri perking up at the sight of a familiar face. A delighted noise from Aro as he stood, alerted Brutus to that he should begin his witness that he had come to deliver. A delighted clap took his attention. "Ah Brutus, it has been too long my friend! What brings you here to Volterra?"
Brutus merely held his hand out, speaking as he did so. "I was hunting in the outer circle of London this evening. As I hunted, I saw a woman. I believe you will be able to see why I have come in such a hurry, for I knew that you would want to see my discovery imminently."
Taking the hand immediately, Aro did indeed see what he meant. The woman, her face often shrouded in the darkness to where he could not make it out, seemingly knew where he was at every turn, like she was able to sense him, or perhaps sense the danger even, electing to simply move over to the other side of the road to be out of his reach at times. How her eyes had sensed the danger, how she had reacted as though in visible pain when she laid her eyes upon him. Interesting indeed. Her features were mostly shrouded, the memory strong, yet muddled.
Aro pulled back, pressing his fingers together to his lips in silent deliberation. However, in reality, what deliberation was needed. He turned to the two guards the stood against the wall. "Ready yourselves to journey to London, you are to bring back a girl who is displaying some rather interesting signs of a possible gift. Bring her here, unharmed, as much as possible, and do not delay. I expect you to return with her within 48 hours."
Both guards nodded, Aro turning around halfway to address the smaller of the duo. "Oh, Jane?"
The blonde girl blinked devotedly at him. "Master?"
A slight tilt of Aro's lips at her obedience went unnoticed. "Use force, if necessary, but use caution my dear child, humans are not as resilient as we are, and we would hate to break our new friend before she arrives;" a slight, smirk of the lips of the angelic child made Brutus almost shiver, as the two of them, Felix included, disappeared down into the darkness of the flame lit hallways.