AN: Finally we have it, the dance of the vampires! Tonight is the Volturi's last chance to win Ria over. Therefore, please keep in mind that throughout the entire evening, everyone with manipulative gifts is going to throw it at her. Of course Ria doesn't know that, but if you do, you're going to pick up on a quite a few references, I'm sure. Let's see if you catch them all!
Chapter 7 - The Dance
Ria woke up the next day to the overwhelming scent of what had to be about three hundred red roses. They were everywhere, in vases on her furniture, in arrangements on the floor, as garlands at the walls and their petals picked apart all over her bed sheets. Her sleepy mind actually thought she might've woken up in a horror movie and someone dunked her room in fresh blood. She couldn't get the grin off her face when she realized what was actually going on. This was pretty much exactly as she'd imagined courting with a vampire would be like and she loved it. Feeling adventurous, Ria even made a selfie of herself still in her short white nightgown, posing on the bed of roses Demetri had prepared for her. She sent it to him with a note saying 'Looking forward to that dance'.
Despite the fact that it was nearly 2 pm and thus way past her vampire's coffintime, she got an answering text immediately:
Damn, Claire, you'll make it hard not to devour you. I never want to let you go again.
Ria blushed and hid her grin in her pillow. It was stupid to tease him like that if she didn't want it to lead anywhere... But she wasn't so sure anymore what she did and didn't want.
Yesterday, she'd wanted him to kiss her. Properly. Passionately. She was uncertain about anything beyond that but the more she learned about Demetri and his coven, the more she could see herself fit right in. But...That was her heart speaking. Her heart, she knew, was not reliable. Her heart made mistakes. Her heart could be supernaturally influenced. Her heart was not all that Ria was. She wasn't usually lead by her emotions. She was a professional.
She liked Demetri. She liked his way of speaking that sometimes slipped from his modern speech to that of old dramas. She liked his dry humor. She liked his stories and his strange fascination with any of her pastimes. She was definitely attracted and drawn to him. So what if he was old? That just meant he had history. So what if he was a bit awkward sometimes, not knowing how to talk to her? If he was good at everything that would've just made her feel inferior. She didn't care that he wasn't Mr. Attention on every party or that he was one of those men who had ten times the same bland outfit in his wardrobe. It honestly baffled her that Heidi and the others would think those were faults.
The thing about the killing of humans, that was a fault. Working with the mafia was a fault. Casually mentioning he was taking her to meet a vampire so powerful they used to have entire religions build around them was a fault. Wanting to turn her into a member of the undead was... Well, it wasn't really a fault strictly speaking. She saw where he was coming from, wanting to keep her forever. But it was a major disagreement that stood in their way.
Maybe she could get over the killing thing if Demetri could truly find a way to provide not just himself but also Ria with a never ending supply of criminals. She wouldn't have a problem with the rest of the Volturi going on living as they always had because she didn't feel she had the power to change their habits. But with Demetri it became personal. With him, it definitely would bother her. It hadn't when he'd only been a guest of her Master's, only a client. But if he were her boyfriend, that changed. It was one thing to have him bring in a group of acceptable victims to win her approval once. But would he keep it up or just fall back into old patterns in a year or two, after Ria was turned, after it was too late for her to change her mind?
If there were to be no innocent victims anymore, his involvement with organized crime might become superfluous and the communication thing they could work on. Surely there had to come a point where nothing he said to her would surprise her anymore. So yeah, if they could solve the victims problem, she could see herself giving him a real chance. As a human. Anything else she would not and could not decide at the spur of the moment, no matter how enchanted she was with the whole situation. She had reasons she wanted to remain human, things she wanted to do. She couldn't remember any of them at the top of her head but there had been something. It was sure to come back to her eventually.
Ria made herself ready for the day, still shaking rose petals from her hair as she left her room to hurry to her dance lessons. She had to memorize the steps for the group dance today and could not be late.
Demetri must not have gotten much sleep at all for the sun hadn't even gone down when she returned to the castle and he met her in the shadow of a corridor leading underground.
Ria was happy to see him and she stood on her tip toes to greet him with a kiss on the cheek. Demetri first looked baffled and then started grinning from ear to ear. Heidi, who was standing next to him and hiding her beauty with an old hoodie, openly snickered at his expression.
"I really liked the flowers, Dem. Thank you", she said, feeling a bit shy.
"I'll get you flowers like that every day if that's the greeting I get", he said happily.
"No you won't, you brought out all the stores in Volterra", Heidi reminded him.
"Shut up, Heidi", Demetri said without looking at her.
"Why don't we get started on the testing?" Ria suggested. The two vampires readily agreed. Demitri handed her a file he'd compiled on the ten people Heidi and him had brought in, listing everything from size, weight, blood type, food preferences and even a brief medical history. It also listed at least one crime they'd committed or were wanted for, ranging from rape over drug dealing to homicide.
"How did you get all of this information?" Ria wondered amazed. "And for that matter, how did you find these people?"
"You told me what you were looking for and I found it", Demetri said with a shrug. "The rest Heidi took care of."
"I only have to ask nicely and people tell me whatever I want to know", the vampire explained.
"That's... really convenient", Ria said impressed.
"They're still alive but unconscious. We've set up a basic kitchen right next to where they're kept. We'll draw the blood fresh and you can prepare it, alright?" Demetri suggested.
Relieved that she wouldn't actually have to see the victims in person, Ria nodded.
The two lead her to the kitchen, where an excited Corin was already waiting to be the second taste-tester. Next to her though sat another surprise guest.
"Jane, what are you doing here?" Demetri asked alarmed when they entered to find a petite blonde sitting on a stool at the table. Ria blinked at the pre-pubescent girl in surprise. This was Jane? The one female member of the mobile team Demetri worked with? One of the vampires her Master had explicitly warned her not to get anywhere near of? She looked like an adorable little angel straight from the Sistine Chapel!
"Corin told me there's free candy to be had here", Jane said with a friendly smile. "Why should you get to have all of it? I want to try it too."
"I'm really sorry", Corin muttered apologetically.
Demetri scowled at the little girl. "You're going to get a taste at the ball, like everyone else."
"Oh come on, it's fine", Ria said happily. "In fact, this is even better - I didn't realize there would be children at the ball. This is a great opportunity to see if my creations taste different to younger vampires or not."
Jane's smile vanished and everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath as a tiny scowl appeared on her face.
"I'm not a child", she said coldly.
Ria picked up on the tense atmosphere with some delay but when she did, her danger sense went into overdrive. A shiver went down her spine as she looked at this vampire's very much black eyes. Demetri had shifted towards her as if ready to step in at any moment. For the first time since she arrived in Volterra, Ria felt like she was actually in danger.
Five years of serving under her Master's moods had sharpened her instincts to immediately recognize when she had to backtrack.
Ria bowed her head a bit, adopted a demure position and said very seriously:
"Of course not. Forgive my ignorance, Miss Jane. I merely wanted to state that my creations have only ever been tested on males of a similar age, both physically and chronologically. A variety of testers would be welcome."
That seemed to pacify Jane. She said: "Fine, you're forgiven. But I want to go first!"
"Right away."
She could actually hear the collective sigh of relief from the three adult vampires, as if she'd just rerouted a flaming train heading straight for them. She wondered what that was about but wisely shelved the question for later.
Ria worked fast and efficiently. She prepared a couple of pots for the water baths, which was where she kept the small 50ml samples warm that Heidi got for her from next door. (Demetri refused to leave her side and kept a constant eye on Jane.) Then she set up her cool box with her 'spices' and started to mix one drink after another, which everyone got to take a sip of.
Ria was very glad that she had decided to host this little get-together because as it turned out, the girl's tastes were indeed different. For them, the sweetest blood was that of the youngest male human they'd caught, not the female. There was one older woman who was the most spicy when combined with feline blood, much more so than where spiciness peaked for Demetri at the middle-aged AB female. Surprisingly, Jane liked the blood of the oldest male victim best, liking all the spice combinations very much so long as they came from that sample.
All four vampires had a lot of fun with the testing. Heidi was absolutely amazed at the variety of taste Ria could tickle out of the same human as well as the fact that even after about an hour the blood still tasted very fresh.
"This doesn't make any sense. Are you sure you didn't add anything else but animal blood? This should have coagulated a while ago!"
"There's nothing else, I swear", Ria assured her. "Well, I did buy some blood products from a hospital, like filtered red blood cells and such and there are some additives in that but that's only for a few special drinks."
"Maybe she's got a gift for cooking or something", Corin mused. "Have you ever tried making solids?"
"Ohh!", Jane made and clapped her hands, "could I have old man cake?"
Ria laughed at that because it sounded so very ridiculous. "Some of the drinks do have blood mixtures precipitate in them on purpose. But no, I've never made anything but soup and drinks."
"You should try it", Corin said seriously while Ria was busy noting down all the results in her notebook. "If we could actually have something solid to eat that would still taste and satisfy like blood... That would be revolutionary, Claire. Especially if it can be eaten cold or stored for longer."
"We'd have recruits streaming in in masses just for that", Heidi agreed.
Ria mused about that as they finished the rest of the testing. The main problem was that as soon as the blood coagulated, it started to taste bad. But what part of the blood was actually responsible for that? The red cells satisfied the thirst the most but didn't offer much taste by themselves. It would require a larger set up and probably a real laboratory to experiment with the different cell types. It was a terribly fascinating subject but... She hardly had the time nor the means to really study it.
After the testing the vampires left one after the other until only Demetri was left. It was just past midnight.
Demitri took her hand, placing a fleeting kiss on it.
"If you're not too tired, my love, I could show you that jet you asked about the other day."
Ria grinned widely. She definitely wanted to see that!
Demetri lead her through the castle and into the garage.
When he opened the door leading to the hangar, Ria's eyes widened in amazement as she laid eyes on the Volturi's jet. It was sleek and modern, the grey steel shimmering in the neon light. Once inside she saw dark red plush leather seats in the passenger area. The cockpit held so many blinking lights and buttons and monitors her head swam just looking at them. Demetri lounged himself in the pilot's seat, motioning for her to join him in the space reserved for a co-pilot.
"Wow, this is incredible," she said as she settled into her seat, looking around wide-eyed.
Demetri chuckled at her reaction. "I thought you might like it," he said with a grin. "Felix helped me to boost it a bit. We went on a mission together but ran into a storm and had to do an emergency landing. We ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere, and we swore that we would never let that happen again. So, we fitted this baby to be fully equipped with everything we could possibly need, including some fancy tech to make sure we could evade whatever the skies could possibly want to throw at us."
Ria chuckled, feeling more at ease with him with each passing moment. Moments like these, with Demitri being kind and funny, were such a contrast to the other side she knew he also had, though she had yet to see it. He wasn't just a murderous vampire or a criminal. He wasn't just a Roman soldier or an important member of a secret society or a man in love. He was all of those things and more. He was like that player character in a video adventure role playing game that had beat all the quests and completed all the major quest lines, being both mage and warrior, hero and thief, champion and assassin. Few things remained steady for him over the centuries. His coven was one and he wanted her to be another.
Demetri raised his hand to her face and Ria felt a wave of heat flow through her despite the coolness of his touch. Demetri was no doubt different from any other man she had ever been with. Despite his supernatural powers and status as a vampire and the ruthlessness that had to come with it, he was gentle, kind, and caring with her.
He looked at her with love in his eyes and brushed away her hair.
"Claire," he said, his voice low and soft. "I know you are against the idea of turning and you have doubts about me," he said. "But I want you to know that I meant every word I said last year and I still do. I love you, Claire, and I want to spend every waking second with you. I want to take you to the upcoming ball tomorrow and show you how much you mean to me."
Ria looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. She no longer doubted his sincerity and she came closer to reciprocating his feelings with every hour they spend together but she still couldn't imagine anything serious between them truly working out. She knew that becoming a vampire would mean leaving behind her human life and everything she had ever treasured.
"Demetri," she whispered. "I-"
"Shh", he made, putting a finger to her lips. "Don't say anything now. Let me have tomorrow with you. Don't decide anything before that. Can you do that for me?"
She swallowed thickly. "I... Yes, okay." It was so hard to concentrate on anything when he was so close. Ria was acutely aware that they were alone and probably even out of hearing range of the other vampires. Demitri could do whatever he wanted to her here and nobody would even notice.
But Demetri didn't do anything but smile at her sadly, didn't touch anything but her hands or face. They sat in silence for a little longer, taking in the moment, and then Demetri spoke once again.
"So, do you think I could convince you to put me down for dance number four?" he asked, a hint of humor in his voice.
Ria laughed. "I've seen through you, you know. You think if you're charming enough you can move to the magic number five." According to accepted etiquette, if she danced with him five times or more at the ball, everyone would know they were officially courting.
Demetri shrugged. "Is it working?"
Yes. Yes it definitely was.
"You can have one of my polkas. But I'm warning you, I had exactly one lesson to learn it. I'm definitely going to step on your feet", Ria told him completely serious.
"Maybe I should take all of your polkas then", Demetri suggested equally serious. "Just to protect the feet of the other guests, of course."
Considering Demetri had been the only one to ask her for a dance thus far, that might just end up happening.
"I hardy think vampire feet need any protection from me. I'm not even going to wear heels", she said with a smile. In truth, she doubted she would dance with anyone but Demetri. Not only would she possibly be the only human who was there as a guest but she'd obviously only been invited because Demetri's friends were playing matchmaker. The only other vampire she hoped would ask her was her Master, if only for a single dance. He was the reason she had come to learn about vampires in the first place. Without him she'd have never met Demetri. He'd saved her from a life in poverty by giving her a job as well as new meaning and hope in her life. Now that she was nearing a crossroad, seriously considering stepping into his world with both feet instead of waiting at the sidelines, a part of her wished he could be more to her than an employer. A part of her saw in him a father figure, a protector and guide. She would like to reserve her last dance for him, the one that if she were a vampire, she'd have danced with her sire.
Ria and Demetri stayed in the passenger area of the jet for two more hours, him entertaining her with stories of various travels around the world and adventures in the skies he'd had with the jet. When she began to nod off he brought her back to her room and laid her into her bed of rose petals. Ria was almost asleep when she opened her eyes one last time, spotting Demitri as a dark silhouette, red eyes glowing as he stood by the open door, looking back at her, the floor between them still painted blood red with roses. Any other human, she knew, would've been spooked by him in that moment. Ria however merely smiled, seeing nothing but her Dem, wishing her a good night.
She knew then that she was in love.
The next day Ria woke up at sundown when Heidi and Corin stormed her room. They insisted on helping Ria get ready for the ball that would start at midnight. She protested, wanting to give priority to her kitchen work first but there was no arguing with them. They chased her into the shower and laid out her dress and shoes for her. Heidi pinned up her hair in an amazing artwork of pins and silver and pearl flowers. Corin helped with her makeup until Ria barely recognized herself in the mirror. Evidently the women knew what they were doing. Ria was no vampire and she was a sewer mutant next to Heidi but for a human, she looked beautiful.
The vampires gave her a long black cloak to wear to keep herself clean until it was time to change into her gown and then ushered her into the kitchen. Demetri was waiting for her there, wearing a similar cloak and Ria had to chuckle, thinking they both looked like a pair of satanic cultists about to make a blood sacrifice. Which really wasn't that far from the truth. She thought for a moment what her parents would say if they saw her now and the thought made her smile gleefully.
There were four other vampires present: Michelle, Nathan, Richard and Violet, all lower ranking Volturi members who would be taking the drinks Ria prepared up to the ballroom to distribute. Demetri would help her with the cooking as well as draw the blood itself fresh from the victims next door.
Ria got to work immediately. The day before she'd prepared glasses in different shapes for different tastes and gave the kitchen aides a quick rundown on how to advertise and recommend the different kinds of drinks depending on the age and gender of the guest. She set up ten water baths for the blood of the ten victims to keep it warm while she ladled it into glasses, adding bits of different animal blood as spices. Her aides would bring tablets with filled glasses up to the ballroom to serve to the guests as they trickled in, were greeted and socialized. It went on like that for a few hours. Her aides returned with lots of positive feedback. Curiously, once they returned with a special order; four drinks made up of only animal blood. Ria pondered a while on how to do that - it would be like serving someone pure curry paste or something. She ended up mixing up something hearty and diluting it a lot with water, aiming for something similar to soybean sauce. Demetri took a sip and declared it her worst creation yet but she really didn't have any time nor enough blood to experiment much.
Shortly before midnight Heidi was back. She chased Demetri away and took Ria with her to help her into her dress. Her gown started out midnight blue around her upper body with tiny silver perls stitched onto the bodice in swirling floral patterns. At her waist it lightened into azure and finally sky blue near the bottom in wide skirts laid over a small numbers of steel hoops keeping it in form. Her shoulders were bare and her arms protected from the cold by a pair of long white gloves. She wore little star-shaped silver earrings with inlaid blue stones with a matching necklace.
Thankfully Hedi kept to wearing her own black Volturi cloak as she helped to dress her up and handed her over to Corin before changing into her own dress. Like that she had a couple of very pleasant moments feeling like a princess before she entered the ballroom proper and had her confidence squashed when she saw all the other female vampires and how much better they pulled off their ball gowns.
The hall looked absolutely amazing and Ria decided to make sure to let Sulpicia now such. Four vampires sat on the platform readying their instruments and talking quietly. When Ria entered all nearby heads turned in her direction. Her humanity was probably standing out like a sore thump to them. She felt like a mouse in the midst of a bunch of cats, all staring at her with red eyes.
And yet Ria still couldn't help but feel excited and so happy. She was going to a vampire dance. It was like a dream come true.
Corin patted her back and smiled at her encouragingly. "You're going to have so much fun tonight, I promise. Look, Demetri is waiting for you already."
Indeed he was. Demetri was wearing a black suit with silver embroidery at the seams and a red and silver vest underneath. He also wore a matching cravat with a red needle in it, which Ria thought looked absolutely gorgeous on him. His red eyes found hers and as they lit up with admiration and love, Ria felt her heart make a leap.
"My Lady, you look absolutely stunning", he told her with a smile and offered her his hand with a light bow, leading her further into the hall.
"Why thank you, you're quite handsome as well", she returned with a grin. "I like the vest and cravat."
Up ahead Aro had ascended the platform and the whispers quieted as he addressed the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen! It is such a delight to see you all come together here today. I will not bore you with a long speech - we are here to be merry and have a good time!
All the ladies should've received their dance cards by now. We will begin the first dance in five minutes. Everyone who does not yet have a partner, it's time to hurry now!" He gave a small laugh and the crowd gave hesitant applause. Then Sulpicia pulled her husband from the stage and conversations started again as some vampires went around looking for a partner.
Ria remained at Demetri's side, having already promised him her first dance. He took the time to point out several important vampires she hadn't met yet, like Caius and Marcus, Felix, Santiago as well as Alec, who she was surprised to find looked just as young as Jane.
"Jane and Alec are twins", Demetri explained quietly. "Aro saved them from being sentenced to death by the inquisition in the 8th century."
"Wait, you mean those two are older than you?!" Ria asked shocked. "No wonder Jane got upset when I called her a child."
"Age is always relative with our kind. When we are turned we get frozen in time. We may learn new skills and gather experience but we don't mellow with age and we don't mature much emotionally. Aro was only 23 when turned and you can still notice it today."
"How old were you?" she wondered.
"I was 29 when I was turned."
Ria nodded. It was hard to judge the turning age of an adult vampire because of their natural allure. With Aro she would've never been able to tell as his unusual skin tone altered her perception of him. Her Master, while still attractive, had always stuck her as more mature and experienced. If she had to guess she'd put him in his late thirties, early forties. Even knowing that Demetri was a good 250 years older than him, from the way he spoke and behaved Ria had always had the impression that he was closer to her own age.
A violinist was starting to strum the first notes, the sign that the first dance was about to begin. The couples got in position and Ria smiled softly at her own partner as she laid one hand onto his shoulder and one into his own.
The first song was an epic fall and rise, crescendo and decrescendo of instruments. Ria felt absolutely amazing being swirled around by Demetri. He lead her around in such a sure way she stopped worrying about her feet and just lost herself in his eyes quickly. The other couples around them faded away until it was only the two of them, utterly fascinated by each other. Ria's heart wanted to leap out of her chest every time Demetri pulled her close, their bodies nearly touching. She felt so incredibly drawn to him. Demetri only had eyes for her. It didn't matter that she was human and it didn't matter that she was clumsy and not nearly as beautiful as any of the other women present. Demetri loved her and she loved him. There could be nothing more perfect than this.
The music ended and Ria got a chance to catch her breath. She knew there would be short breaks of five to ten minutes between every dance so they went over to one of the tables at the side.
"That was amazing, Demetri! You're a really good dancer", she gushed.
"I actually had to take some lessons too" he admitted. "I'm glad they paid off."
"Really? You took dance lessons?", she said incredulously.
Demetri rolled his eyes. "Yes - Sulpicia taught me. It was terribly embarrassing. There was every chance she'd take my foot off if I dared to step on hers."
"You really think Sulpicia would've done that?", she asked teasingly.
"She most certainly would've", a voice said from behind Ria and she whirled around to find none other than Aro standing there. "Let's all be glad then that he's a quick learner."
Ria hurriedly did a little curtsy. "My Lord", she greeted him. Her first welcome might've been rather casual but it only seemed fitting to her to treat him with more respect when surrounded by so many guests.
"Dear Claire, I hope you're enjoying the ball", Aro said with a little wink and a large grin. It surprised her at first as it sounded like he was referring to something funny only they knew. That was until she remembered that he could read minds. He must know her true name then but still called her by and put emphasis on her chosen one instead. Ria had gotten so used to people using it that she answered to it instinctively.
"I do enjoy it very much, thank you. Your wife has outdone herself. The hall looks amazing", she said honestly.
"I'll be sure to share the compliment. On that note I have to thank you for those amazing drinks you prepared for us. They were most appreciated."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, my Lord", she said with no small amount of pride.
"Hm. Demetri, you wouldn't mind if I stole your friend away for a dance, would you?" he asked but kept looking at Ria. "That is of course unless you already promised him all your dances?"
"Oh... No, it's fine. It would be an honor", Ria replied, knowing how rude it would be to deny him.
"Of course", Demetri made though he sounded far from happy.
"How delightful", Aro made after Ria put down his name in her card. "Please, enjoy the rest of your evening."
Ria looked after him with a bit of worry - she wondered if she too would loose a foot if she stepped on the vampire king.
To her surprise Aro was not the only other vampire who asked for a dance with her. Demetri's colleagues Santiago and Felix, who hadn't yet had the chance to meet her, were curious about her. Ria had her second dance, a polka with Demetri too and in the second break she got more offers. She was quite nervous when another one of the kings, Marcus, asked her for a dance in quite the cold manner. Three of the guests asked her out as well, introducing themselves as Eleazar, Carlisle and Amun respectively. Seeing as her card was getting quite full, Demetri reluctantly left her side for a moment to get himself other partners for the dance, muttering something about never hearing the end of it if he didn't showcase his improvements to his teacher at least once.
Ria was chatting animatedly with Michelle, one of the vampires who'd helped to serve the drinks when out of nowhere her Master slipped in next to her.
"Scram", he told the small vampire coldly and Michelle ducked away.
"Master!" she exclaimed pleasantly surprised. "I haven't seen you at all the last couple of days. How are you doing?"
"Ugh, I've been better", he complained. "Aro has been doing his best to keep me busy and away from you and he's done so in the most obnoxious way possible."
"I'm... Sorry to hear that?" Her Master's bad mood hit her unprepared. "I apologize, I should've made sure to check up on you earlier."
But Balthazar waved her words away. "We both know you didn't have a choice and you're hardly my babysitter. But considering you came here with me it would only be right if we danced at least once tonight. You're quite popular tonight, I hope you didn't forget about me?"
"I actually kept the last dance reserved for you, Master", she said shyly.
"You did?" Balthazar looked surprised, then frowned and she thought he might've gotten her underlying meaning. "I thought for sure you had changed your mind about that, with the way you made eyes at that Volturi."
"I like Demetri but... You're special to me too, if in a different way." She looked away from him self-consciously. "Are you... Mad at me?"
Baltharzar's eyes softened a bit. "Of course not, Renfy. The last dance it is then." He looked past her then and sighed. "I better get going, your watchdog returns and I've been explicitly forbidden from taking his head off. Now where is that amazing looking veggie lady?" Balthazar hurried off and Demetri glared after him as he took his place at the table.
"I was really hoping to get your last dance", he complained, looking truly disappointed.
"Hm, I do have one last opening in my card, if you want to make the magic five", she offered, brushing her gloved hand against his arm lightly. Demetri's eyes lit up, sour mood forgotten. He leaned in close to her, touching her face but before he could say anything else, music started to play again. It was time for the third dance.
Her dances with Demetri were full of heady tension, filling Ria with both excitement and a feeling of safety. But her dances with the other men were definitely an experience too.
Her most casual one was with Santiago. They were equally bad at the polka and kept stepping on each other's feet. Santiago asked her a number of ordinary questions, how she liked Volterra, what she did for work and what she liked to do in her free time. In turn she learned a bit more about the Volturi's hierarchy.
"In our coven, standing is decided by talent, connections and ambition. Skills and experience come with age but if you don't have the former three, you'll never get far", Santiago explained. "Our Lords have connections by virtue of having recruited most of us themselves, Marcus and Aro have great talent and Caius has the most ambition. Chelsea has great talent and the most connections but little ambition. Felix has ambition, driving him to improve his skills faster and he's good at making friends but he has no true talent. Demetri has only talent."
"Why is he working in your team if he has no ambition to go further?" Ria wondered. "Isn't your job the most dangerous?"
"True", Santiago allowed, "but there are many advantages to an affiliation with our coven. If anyone threatens one of us, he threatens all of us. You'd be surprised how many times we're called to investigate a possible crime and the foreign coven will just give up the suspect without any fight at all. They know they can't win, they can't escape and if they try, that would only make things worse."
The dance ended soon after and Santiago handed her over to Felix. Unlike his more serious colleague, Felix freely joked and flirted with her as he whirled her around the dance floor.
"I'm really glad Demetri found himself a beautiful lady", Felix told her with a grin. "If you haven't run away yet that means you're going to stay, won't you? It'll be great to have you around!"
"How would you know that?" Ria replied with a laugh, dodging the question. "You're meeting me for the first time. Maybe I'm secretly a fool tempered beast."
"No lovely flower such as you could hide a beast inside", Felix said convinced and twirled her around. "But honestly, you could probably get through with a lot and we'd let it slide, so long as you stay."
"Why's that? I have no talent, no ambition and no connections", she answered.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. Your connection to Demetri makes you valuable all by itself but I've heard from the other ladies they already basically adopted you too. I had one of your special drinks and I can say I know why." He gave her a wry grin. "Thankfully Jane and Alec are too young to get any ideas and Santiago and me are expendable. But with Demetri there was always a chance he'd fall in love with a vampire from another coven and leave us for her. I'd hate to lose my best friend like that so I'm glad he picked someone unclaimed. "
"Technically I am claimed", she replied with a scowl. "And I never said I'd join the Volturi."
Felix shrugged. "Maybe not. But you haven't tried to get him to leave with you and that's already worth a lot."
Demetri took her away for a third dance after that, glaring at Felix as he did so, who laughed at his protective hostility.
Ria's dances with the guests were also interesting. Her first one was with Eleazar, a thin dark haired vampire with strange golden eyes. He didn't say much, only observing her with a strange concentration. Near the end he asked :
"I wonder, little one, what is it that you do? What special talents or skills might you have?"
"There's nothing special about me", Ria said with a polite smile. "No talents, unless you count cooking."
"Cooking?", he asked, raising a brow. "Well that might explain it. Hardly a useful skill to have for a vampire, of course."
Ria didn't like his condescending tone and scowled. "I've been told it was most appreciated by everyone who tried the drinks I prepared for today's event."
"I'm afraid I haven't indulged but I'm sure it was good", he said dismissively.
Her next dance partner was equally as delightful. Amun was a small and unusually tanned male and he looked down on Ria from the start with a certain level of derision.
"I fail to see what Demetrius sees in you", he told her. "How did you catch his eye, little mouse?"
"Amazing acting at a funerary home, lectures on why unicorns are better than pegasi and a few good meals", Ria replied sarcastically. "Why, you didn't think I'd be his type?"
"Careful, mortal", Amun warned her coldly. "I have known Demetrius for as long as he exists. I made him what he is today. He never would've developed his talent so much without my help." He scoffed. "Not that he ever thanked me for it. And now he chose an untalented wench like you as a mate? I'm disappointed."
Ria narrowed her eyes but then replied with a mean little smile. "Oh so you're his sire then? I always thought it was one of the kings. He never mentioned you."
Amun snarled at her. "Impudent mortal! Do you have any idea who I am?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm not all that well versed in ancient history", she said with a saccharine smile.
The decrescendo of the music probably saved her life, though she had the feeling that the song ended rather abruptly and it was shorter than any of the others. Demetri looked a little bit panicked as he ushered her away as there would be a short break before the group dance began.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit rude, wasn't I?", she guessed as Demetri wrapped an arm protectively around her as he lead her away.
"Oh, you were absolutely amazing, love. Please don't ever do that again."
"He started it", Ria grumbled.
"Amun is just jealous that I left his coven for the Volturi. He used to collect talents too, back in his day. But his days are long over."
"Everyone keeps talking about talent", Ria muttered. "You never really explained to me what yours was."
Demetri shrugged. "I'm a tracker. All vampires can track, most by using their sense of scent or hearing. It's a common talent but I'm unusually good at it."
"That's why you had an easy time finding those criminals", she guessed and Demetri nodded.
"In the past there were a lot of vampires who made humans worship them as gods or other superior beings. Vampires with different talents were useful both at defending territory from other covens and and building and spreading myths that established our supposedly divine status. The practice fell out of fashion before I came into this life but Amun was definitely one of the last to give it up. Ironically, he often went about pretending to be Ra, the Egyptian God of the sun."
"Wait, for real?!" Ria made. "But the sun... "
"Obviously wouldn't shine at the sky if it supposedly descended to Earth in human form", he completed for her.
"Right. That's smart, actually", she admitted.
The group dance was up next, males and females starting out on opposite sides of the hall. Ria had a lot of fun with the quick paced, upbeat song. Plus the vampires quickly all milled together and she got to dance with her new friends too, with Heidi, Corin, Chelsea and Renata.
At the end of the dance she ended up with Aro as her partner, who smoothly lead her into the next dance.
This one was another polka and Ria was very distracted for most of it, trying to avoid stepping on Aro's toes. She was very much attached to her feet. She'd expected Aro to ask more questions about Demetri and her but he only made polite small talk. There was a permanent smug smile plastered on his face though that she wasn't sure she liked. Towards the end of the dance he gave her a bow like a gentleman and hovered his lips over her gloved hand, mimicking a kiss without touching her. He was being perfectly pleasant and she was very much relieved that he was a good enough dancer to have avoided her unpracticed feet. It was all the more surprising then when, as the music ended, he raised his hand to her face, brushing away that same strand of hair Demetri was so fond of. It felt wrong and inappropriate and Ria flinched back from the cold touch of his fingers. Aro's smile only widened at that and it sent a shiver down her spine. She was very glad when she was back in Demetri's arms for their fourth dance together.
After that passed she had a waltz with a pale blonde vampire who'd introduced himself as Dr. Carlisle Cullen. They exchanged a few polite words and Ria asked:
"Are you actually practicing as a Doctor?"
"I am", he confirmed friendly. "My coven has a rather unique lifestyle - we drink only the blood of animals. I am trying to use my eternity helping humans rather than feeding off them."
Ria's eyes widened. "You're the one I made those terrible drinks for!"
He chuckled at that. "Actually that was for my wife, Esme, and my adopted children. They were curious about those rumored cooking skills of yours."
"Was it any good?", she asked doubtfully. "According to my research, it should've been barely digestible."
"Esme claimed it was a step up from what we usually have but human blood has a natural draw that is hard to match", he told her.
"I didn't know it was possible for vampires to survive on only animal blood", Ria said fascinated and intrigued. "Are there no... side effects or anything like that?"
"Vegetarian vampires, as we like to call ourselves jokingly, are physically weaker than normal vampires", he confirmed. "We have to feed more often and even then we never quite sate our thirst. It requires a lot of self-control but the rewards are well worth it in my opinion. Other than that, the only noticeable difference is our eye color."
Ria wondered for a moment if Demetri would be willing to become vegetarian for her as easily as he'd agreed to feed off criminals only. Knowing what she did about blood and how it tasted to vampires though, she wasn't even sure she felt comfortable even asking him. She likened it to being forced to eat nothing but ketchup or raw ingredients like flour. It was disgusting and only nourished him because it literally couldn't kill him. It would be like being a cancer patient high enough on med pills to not feel any pain but to always be a little weaker than anyone else. He'd have a have severely reduced quality of life simply from not being able to taste anything or have everything taste wrong. No, she couldn't ask that of Demetri, not when she'd already come to terms with him feeding on the worst humanity had to offer.
"If you don't mind me asking, young lady, I have a question for you", Carlisle said gently, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Of course, ask away", she offered freely.
"I happened to have seen others in a similar position to yours", he said carefully, watching her reaction. "In fact, I first met my own wife when she was still human. I strongly believe that it is wrong to rob a human of their life, even if it is not to be their final end. So I let her go, even though it pained me greatly to do so. As chance would have it the next time I saw her, years later, she was severely injured and my curse was the only thing capable of helping her. She's thankfully never begrudged me the choice I made for her but... Your situation is quite different, from what rumors say. I realize this is a personal question and you do not have to answer. I would like to know though, how do you handle being with Demetri as a human?"
Ria blushed and looked at her feet, even though it wasn't necessary as the waltz had slowed to a point where they were really only swaying back and forth. "I'm not really... with him, like that."
"Oh no, that's not what I meant", Carlisle hurriedly said. "I apologize, I'd never inquire into something quite so personal. I merely wondered whether you aren't concerned about what you'd be giving up if you accepted him as a partner, be it as a human or a vampire. You would never lead a normal life."
"My life hasn't been normal for a long time", she replied dryly. It had actually become way better ever since it started to get weird.
"You would never be able to found a family of your own", Carlisle said gently.
"Blood family is overrated. The family I chose for myself if the one I treasure", she countered. "Even if I had a child..." ...which she had... "there's no telling who they'd grow up to be. Maybe they'd hate me when they're grown, maybe I wouldn't like them and only struggle with stupid inbuild mother instincts that force me to love them anyway. Sure, raising a child can be a big adventure but it's never been one I dreamed of having."
"I see. And I suppose you don't believe in any gods that would look down on such a union?", he assumed.
"Oh, I believe in god", she said. "It's just that vampires have collectively treated me better than all the humans I know who worship him. It made me realize I couldn't just believe what other people tell me about either side. I have to look at what I see in the real world. I started actually reading the bible while looking at god as an overpowered character like superman or something - and even in his own holy book he does some pretty damn despicable things that superman would never do. I came to the conclusion that god is really just a self-absorbed, cruel child addicted to human worship who doesn't care about anyone but a few select favorite humans. If going to heaven means having to spend an eternity worshiping that, I don't have a problem giving it up. At least then I won't be forced to be happy sharing a living space with some of the other bastards that will supposedly go there while the people I actually care about burn in hell forever."
"That's... a rather pessimistic view on all of our afterlives", Carlisle noted.
Ria shrugged. "I don't know if heaven or hell exist. I've never seen proof that they do but me preferring that they don't doesn't mean they'll disappear if they are real."
"And Demetri agrees with your views?" he asked.
"I... I don't know. We haven't really known each other for all that long", she admitted. "He's been trying to convince me that vampirism is the best thing since sliced bread from day one though. I think he just doesn't want to stay alone forever."
"But you haven't decided yet if you want to join him for that long", Carlisle said with such surety that Ria wondered if he too was a mind reader.
"Ah, forgive me - my daughter is a seer. In fact, she met Demetri once, shortly after he first got to know you. She took a glimpse at his future and tried to steer him to a better path. But her visions are subjective and change with the decisions people make."
"Oh", Ria made when she remembered Demetri actually mentioning an oracle. "You're the friends he wanted to visit in Washington."
Carlisle nodded. "That's right. Alice - that's the little black haired vampire over there", he nodded towards one of the dancing couples and a pixie-like small vampire ducked her head past her blonde partner to wave at her happily, "mentioned that your future is still uncertain."
Ria blinked, shocked at first at learning that fortune telling was a possible talent for vampires to have. Yet another mind-blowing detail that was mentioned to her so casually. She absolutely had not expected that. Demetri had met his oracle during the day after all. What the fuck where all those vampires doing, flitting around at day, only protected by the shade of buildings? That was dangerous.
Her second reaction though was to feel relieved. With everyone in the Volturi acting as if it was a given she'd be turned, she had secretly worried that she wouldn't get to have a choice after all. If her future was still uncertain because she hadn't chosen yet, that meant she'd actually get to chose.
"Thank you for telling me", she said quietly. "I don't like the idea of having a pre-determined fate."
"Do you resent Demetri for trying to make you chose his life?", Carlisle wondered.
Ria scowled at that and he hurriedly added: "Please don't misunderstand - I have no intention to influence your decision either way. I merely wish to gain some insight into your perspective. It could be... useful in advising people with a similar problem. I happen to get asked for advice a lot."
"Oh. Well... No, I don't", she replied. "I understand why he wants that. Honestly, I'd doubt his sincerity if he didn't push for it. We got off on the wrong foot because at first I didn't understand a lot of things about him and his background. Because of that I didn't take his feelings serious in the beginning. I've learned a lot in the last couple of days though that turned my views around."
"What changed your mind the most?" he asked curiously.
Ria thought about that for a moment. "I think it was meeting the other vampires here, especially the women. They were really great."
"Chelsea and Corin", Carlisle said, sounding disappointed. "I see."
"And Heidi and Renata, yes", she said, scowling and feeling a bit defensive at his tone. "They're strong and independent and they're all very different, with their own personality and their own views. I... I had a really skewed mental picture of what vampire women were like, before I came here. You know, what with most vampires having grown up in social structures much more patriarchal then they are in human society today. I thought that's how Demetri would treat me, that he'd expect me to be quiet and submissive and never tell him no - so I told him no extra loudly without even really getting to know him."
"Oh", Carlisle made surprised. "That's what you meant."
"Demetri wants me to turn but it means a lot that he leaves the decision to me. He can try to convince me all he wants, I welcome his perspective, so long as that doesn't change. He may be an old and powerful vampire but that doesn't mean that he knows what's good for me better than I do."
"I see", Carlisle made. The song they were dancing to came to an end and he gave her a little bow. "Thank you for your answering my questions. You've helped me more than you could know."
"Anytime", she returned friendly and gave a little curtsy. "My greetings to your family."
In the break between dances Demetri came to visit her again and asked concerned what she had talked about with Carlisle.
"He seemed awfully interested in what you had to say", he muttered when she teased him about it.
"He was just asking my opinion on a couple of things. Scientific interest, I think - he is a doctor", she returned.
"The Cullen's are a weird bunch", Demetri said quietly. "They're outsiders in our community, all but Carlisle himself who has a talent to make connections with others. Don't let him put any strange ideas in your head."
"Like drinking animal blood instead of human?" she guessed.
Demetri grimaced. "Yeah. Like that."
"Don't worry", she said with a chuckle, putting one hand on his chest. "I love cooking too much to restrain myself by cutting down my range of ingredients that much."
"Oh thank god", Demetri sighed, looking like a huge weight was just lifted off of him. Ria had to laugh at that.
The music began to play again and despite her feet starting to hurt, Ria shared one last amazing dance with Demetri. This one was a slow waltz and she got to put her head against his shoulder, enjoying the closeness and breathing in his floral scent deeply as they swayed in tact with the music. Demetri held her close and did the same, burying his nose in her neck whenever the music let him dip her, breathing in her scent, once even giving her a soft little teasing kiss right against her neck. She marveled at the nerve he had but the attention was not unwelcome. The want, desire and temptation he showed her was all part of the Dance and she loved it.
"I want to show you something, after the ball is over", he whispered into her ear. "Follow me after your last dance."
Heart beating faster, she promised him she would, wondering what he had in store for her.
After Demetri her next partner was Marcus. She'd seen him and the third Volturi king only from afar and she hadn't seen him speak a single word other than when he invited her. He was quiet now too, seeming cold and absent as they both followed the tact of the music. After a while Marcus spoke up suddenly:
"I know that you do not know much about the life of a vampire yet", he told her. "You're in love with Demetri but not enough to commit fully. There is something else you should know before you make your final choice."
"And what would that be, my Lord?" she asked politely as she twirled away from him, choosing to neither confirm nor deny his statement.
"If you reject our way of life", he answered quietly, "I'm going to kill Demetri."
Ria stumbled and barely managed to stay on her own feet, staring at him with wide eyes. "W-What?" she stammered, suddenly chilled to the bone.
"Not today and not tomorrow. Maybe only in a few decades, after you've died your natural death. I have promised him that", Marcus said in a detached voice. "Demetri has served us loyally for many years. He does not deserve the existence of one who has known the light of love only to be plunged into eternal darkness." He looked straight into her eyes with his own red ones. "Not all have the courage to do what their heart desires. But I will not suffer to be around him in such a state. If you go, he follows. I will make sure of that. Consider that when you foolishly throw your life away for it is yours no longer."
Ria could only stand there staring stupidly. Marcus gave up any pretense of dance and turned away from her, leaving Ria to stagger back to the tables at the side of the hall, joining the few vampires there who didn't have a partner for the dance. She stood there for a few moments, eyes wide and thoughts racing, Marcus' words echoing in her mind.
Eventually a familiar presence slipped in next to her.
"What the fuck was that?" her Master made, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Marcus, he said..." Ria licked her dry lips and looked up at her Master, trembling. The spell that laid over the entire evening was broken and she had caught a glimpse behind the curtain, the charade that everyone was playing for her. That's why all of Demetri's friends and colleagues and even his bosses had gone to such lengths to make her feel welcome, to convince her not just to accept Demetri as a partner but to accept vampirism. The women had insinuated something similar the other day but it had all been so casual, she hadn't really grasped the gravity of it.
Demetri wouldn't just be a little sad if she decided to stay human. It wouldn't just break his heart if she died in an accident or from a disease or just old age one day. It would kill him. His own coven would kill him, not as punishment but as a mercy.
"He said if I die, because I'm human and I will, then... Then Demetri will die as well. Is that true?" she asked, looking up at the closest thing her heart accepted to a father with big eyes.
Balthazar hesitated for a long moment. Then, eventually, he sighed.
"It is not a given - there have been vampires who survive the death of their mate. It is however very, very rare. Self-inflicted death over the loss of a mate is the second most common cause of death for vampires, after territory disputes with others of our kind", he divulged.
The second most common death? More common than sunburn from not finding shelter in time or vampire hunters?
"Why did nobody tell me that?" she whispered, afraid and horrified. "Why didn't you tell me? When I first rejected Dem, when I didn't even give any consideration to the idea..."
"Choosing a mate doesn't happen overnight", her Master said seriously. "It usually takes a few days at least."
Days. Not years or centuries as she had naturally assumed, giving their skewed perception of time in all other things.
"I thought if you made it clear you didn't want anything to do with him, he'd give it up as a lost cause and that would be it. I didn't know he was that serious about you. If nothing else I wouldn't have dared to anger Aro like that, deliberately costing him one of his pets", Balthazar continued.
"But you knew he was heading in that direction and you didn't say anything!" she accused him.
Balthazar sighed again. "Yes, yes, I did. I wanted to keep you, Renfield. You're the best servant I've had in... Well, maybe ever. It was rude of him to start courting you without even asking my permission. Call me petty but I found you first."
"You're petty", she said, glaring at him. "You just wanted me to continue to cook for you."
"Dear Renfy, you're underestimating how delicious your creations are - for none more so than for me. I don't usually pay attention to what I eat. You have quite literally brought spice to my life. And I know you take pride in that. Just saying I used you would be downplaying what we have. It was fun, wasn't it? You liked working for me. Heck, I'm seriously considering returning to the Volturi if you stay here just so that I can have continued access to your drinks."
Curse him. Curse him but he was right - Ria did take quite a bit of pride in her work. She was torn between being angry at having been manipulated by her Master and flattered that he'd even bothered to do so.
"You should've told me", she insisted coldly.
"Alright yes, I should've told you - I'm sorry", he agreed. "Is that it then? Will you turn to save his life?"
Ria froze, feeling exposed and put on the spot. Her Master had always been her strongest, her only support in her decision to remain human. He'd never argued against it, leaving the choice up to her once it was on the table but still making sure that she knew that she didn't have to, that she had other options. Now she found that he too had had ulterior motives from the very start. He'd given her the choice, yes, but he'd done his damnest to leave her as uninformed as possible.
What did that mean for her now? What else did she not know about vampirism? What else were people keeping from her? She could understand Demitri not telling her about the true depth of vampire mate bonds. Maybe he didn't want that particular detail to influence a choice she made for herself. Maybe he just never found the words. Maybe he'd even thought she knew, what with how many times he'd told her that he loved her, that she was his only light in the darkness, that he couldn't be without her. Was it even really fair to blame Balthazar when this was something she should've figured out by herself?
"I don't know what I'll do. I... I'm so confused", she said. Her emotions were tearing her up inside.
"Well", Balthazar said sadly and took her hand, "you have one more dance to make up your mind before you'll have to decide whether to leave here with me or stay behind. Come on. The night is almost over."
Her Master lead her onto the dance floor as the first notes of the final song of the evening were being played. It was an energetic song similar to the first but while she would remember that one as filled with passion and excitement, her last mirrored the storm of conflicted emotions she felt within her.
She was in love with Demetri but excluding the many months they spend apart, she'd known him for barely two weeks. An amazing, eye opening two weeks full of ups and downs, temptation and heartbreak and passion and secret desire - but still only two weeks. Ria knew, now that she was aware of the gravity of Demetri's choice to declare her his mate, she didn't really have years to get to know him. She would have to make her choice before the sun rose. Maybe she had a little wriggle room given his fear of a final rejection and his importance within his own coven. What Ria really wanted, what she needed was more time. Time to learn more and ask all the questions she'd never bothered or been too scared to ask before until she felt she could make an informed choice. She'd thought before that she could deal with being a vampire given all she knew. But the whole choosing a lifelong mate that you loved so much most vampires just committed suicide if their partner died? That was a part about their species that she'd definitely have liked to know beforehand. It was one thing to imagine getting frozen in time with her current emotional stability (a scary, off putting thing but again one she could deal with). It was another to get her love for a partner frozen at maximum forever. If she became a vampire, would she ever be able to say no to Demetri ever again? Probably, if Chelsea and Sulpicia were representative. In fact, they both seemed to be the ones wearing the pants in their relationship. That didn't mean that Ria shouldn't use her humanity-induced lack of dependency while she had it to make as many demands as she could.
That sounded cold even in her head. But she really only had one demand, concerning the slaughter of innocents. Demetri had already promised her to stop that but she simply didn't know him well enough to trust that he would.
These were the things Ria pondered as she danced with her Master. Tonight had been the most exciting, happiest but also scariest and confusing event of her life. Tonight would change her life forever as surely as that one evening five years ago had when she'd found a weird ad on Craig's list.
Tomorrow, everything would be different.
XxX
AN: Here you go, the Dance of the Vampires! Who of you has watched the musical? Did I hit the tone correctly? I think I did.
The next chapter will be the last and it'll include both the finale of this evening as well as a very long sort-of-epilogue.
I'm having major troubles writing my side story though... I can't even agree who to pair Bartholomew up with or what the tone should be. Werewolves are definitely going to be involved because let's face it, he would find that awesome but beyond that? ...I'm already on my third draft.
I'm torn between Leah just straight up imprinting on him and the two having to deal with triple-hybrid babies OR I could pair him up with Rebecca, Jacob's sister who never got more than a footnote in the books and thus has no idea about vampires OR werewolves. So it would start out as a normal romance with her shifting ability getting mistaken for a vampiric gift. Both cases would eventually escalate into a werewolf-vampire war.
Feel free to voice your preference in the comments!
