Alec. He's who my eyes first landed on as I walked into a less formal throne room, it seemed to function as more of a meeting room.
His piercing red eyes tracked me as I followed his sister to the middle of the room to stand in front of the three leaders.
"Stay," she ordered me before walking off to join her brother.
My eyes flickered from his to the direction of the leaders before flickering back to him. Only this time he was standing beside me holding something out.
Suspiciously I looked down at his hands before I frowned at him. As if I'd ever accept anything from him.
"Ice, for your head," he said quietly, as he grabbed ahold of the back of my head to keep me still and held the ice pack against the side of my forehead where the bruise from Felix grew by the minute. I was unable to flinch away from the cold thanks to his concrete-like hold on my head. "Hold it," he instructed and I nervously raised my hand to take the ice pack from him. Satisfied that I had a grip on it, Alec nodded to himself and turned to rejoin his sister.
"Dearest Wilhelmina," Aro clapped as he stood up from his chair. "I am so glad you could join us," he smiled as he made his way toward me.
As he got closer to me I lowered the hand holding the ice pack, letting it fall to my side. As soon as he was in front of me, he greedily grabbed at my free hand.
"You are a spirited young one aren't you," he smiled. What in the world was he on about? "Mind reading," he seemed to answer a question I hadn't verbalised. "With just one touch I am able to read every thought you've ever had," he smiled brightly at me.
My eyes widened as I sucked in a shocked breath before I immediately ripped my hand out of his hold. Aro merely chuckled as he made his way back to his seat.
"How is that possible?" I whispered to myself, staring at my hand for betraying my thoughts to this stranger.
"Many vampires are talented Wilhelmina," Marcus answered in his dreary tone.
"Talented?" I asked shakily, looking up at the leaders.
"So don't even think about escaping human. You wouldn't stand a chance," Caius sneered.
"Now now Caius, let's not startle the young one," Aro chastised. "But he is correct. There is no point in trying to escape. Our tracker is Demetri," he gestured. "Once he has a feel for your mind he is able to find you anywhere you may go. It's really quite remarkable.
"What about them?" I asked boldly, jerking my head in the direction of Alec and Jane.
"Ah, the twins," Aro smiled fondly. "The most remarkable talent. Perhaps you'd like a demonstration of what they can do?"
A hiss echoed around the room as Alec protested. "No," he growled defiantly.
"Oh of course not on the human, my boy," Aro seemed to reassure him. "Humans have such weak constitutions. Best not to damage her. Felix," Aro beckoned the hulking man forward.
Felix moaned before making his way out into the middle of the room with me.
"Jane, if you would," Aro nodded.
Jane did not need to be told twice. In fact, she smiled. With a small angelic smile, Felix crumpled straight to the ground writhing about in absolute agony.
I leapt back in shock, my eyes flickering from Felix to Jane.
"Pain," Aro answered my unspoken question as Felix convulsed in waves of pain. "That is Jane's gift. She is able to inflict the worst pain imaginable upon her victims." My eyes widened in fear. "Perhaps that is enough my dear," Aro nodded at Jane and Felix immediately stopped twitching as Jane withdrew her gift.
"Master," she smiled at him and Felix gracefully made his way back to his feet.
"Now for Alec," Aro smiled at me. "We usually reserve his gift for criminals only, so we shall make it a short demonstration. For your benefit," he added on before nodding at Alec.
Felix groaned to himself as he seemed to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. I was waiting for him to drop to the floor in pain again. I looked over at Alec to see a clear fog that seemed to pass out of his palms and towards Felix, I had to squint to see it.
I watched Felix, terrified of what I might see. But all I saw was the lights of his eyes leave and all evidence of motor functioning disappeared. I frowned in confusion as Demetri stepped forward and lightly tapped his shoulder, sending him crumpling to the floor.
"That's enough," Aro instructed.
Not a moment later Felix sucked in a desperate breath of relief as Alec ceased inflicting torment.
My breath was ragged as I moved my gaze from Felix, who was still sprawled on the ground, to meet Alec's eyes again.
Horrifying. That was the only word that could come to describe what I'd seen him inflict on the huge man. It was evident the mental effects of Alec's gift lingered even after it was withdrawn. As alarming as the agony of Janes's gift was to witness, Felix had immediately jumped to his feet after. But after taking the brunt of Alec's gift, he was still flaked out on the floor, grasping at the ground as if to confirm his consciousness was back in reality.
"What was that?" I asked shakily as Felix gingerly stood up.
"Sensory deprivation," Aro answered. "No sight, touch, smell, sound or feel. There's just nothingness. Absolute nothingness and you never know when it'll end," he explained quietly as he paced around me. "For creatures that do not sleep it is particularly disturbing to experience. You're utterly defenceless, alone in the blackness, incapacitated and exposed to your enemies." Aro brushed my hair behind my shoulder as he leaned down to my ear. "Alec could incapacitate an entire field of fighters if he was so instructed," he hummed as he listened to my heart pick up speed. "All of our gifts are enough to make a vampire utterly defenceless. Do you understand how useless it would be for a human to try to run?" Aro asked as he came to stand in front of me.
I looked over at Alec, locking eyes with him as he carefully surveyed the situation between Aro and me. I don't know why I continued to seek him out. Perhaps given he was the first one of them I met I derived some kind of comfort from him. When we'd met I'd no idea of his true nature. As far as I was concerned he had the same humanity as me. So perhaps I felt connected to him somehow because of that.
I turned back to Aro and nodded slowly. I had every intention of finding a way out of here. But admitting that would do me no good.
"Marvellous," Aro smiled.
"Why am I here?" I asked boldly. I felt secure enough in the fact that they wouldn't be killing me immediately. I had some room to pressure them.
"All in good time my dear," Aro answered.
"We must discuss the Cullen's, Aro," Caius interrupted. My eyes widened at the mention of my cousin's new family and my mouth fell open as I waited for some kind of explanation.
"Yes, you're right," Aro agreed.
"The Cullen's?" I interrupted. "How do you know the Cullen's?"
"They're vampires," Aro answered me bluntly.
"Obviously," Caius muttered.
I immediately felt my rage come back. "No, they're not. I've known Bella my entire life. I grew up with her. She's not a vampire."
"How dare you speak to us like that!" Caius raged back. "Why you insolent…"
"Brother," Aro interrupted, raising a hand to silence his fit. "I'm quite sure the child does not mean any harm. I am sure she is feeling quite overwhelmed. Alec," he called out and Alec immediately appeared beside me. "I leave her in your charge," he declared as he turned away and rejoined his brothers, obviously wanting to discuss matters the moment I left the room.
Alec gently raised my hand which was holding the ice pack back up to my head after I refused to acknowledge his presence.
"Willa?" He asked quietly, touching the small of my back only for me to jerk away from him. He raised his hand out, gesturing for me to start walking.
Glancing back at the so-called masters I scowled before I stormed past Alec to leave the room.
"Are you ok?" Alec asked.
"Fine," I hissed, slamming the ice pack down on a table.
"That is a 400-year-old table," Alec's eyes widened as he quickly snatched it off. "Be careful. Things here are much older than you are and Jane will not take kindly to you damaging the furniture," he warned icily.
I huffed in frustration and stormed away from him.
"Willa," he growled as he followed me. "You need to learn the chain of respect here."
"I won't respect anyone who doesn't respect me," I snarled back. "Leave me alone."
"You are my responsibility."
"Yes, yes, 'I leave her in your charge'," I mocked. "But I don't care. Go away!"
I stormed down the hall, passing the familiar reception desk. My eyes looked at the stairs ahead that would lead me to the room they'd assigned me before I made a last-second decision to turn and walk towards the exit, only when I turned I managed to walk straight into Alec, who had already been waiting for me.
He smirked down at me. "Predictable human," he mused before grabbing my shoulder and spinning me back in the direction of the stairs. "No go to your room and stay there."
"I am not a dog!" I hissed back.
"Yes, well you're certainly not obedient," he mocked.
At this, I pulled my shoulder out of his hold and turned to look at him as tears began to fill my eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," he sighed. Clearly uncomfortable with the emotion evident on my face.
"Just leave me alone please," I said quietly as I turned away from him. "I'll go to my room, you don't have to follow me."
"Humans," he sighed in irritation as I walked away from him.
Given he couldn't see my face I felt more than comfortable smirking. He was clearly very uncomfortable with emotions, perhaps the only one he understood was rage. My little "sad girl" act should keep him out of my way for a while. And that gave me time to think. That gave me time to escape.