A/N: Sorry this took so long, physics was a real pain in the rear but I managed to pull an A so it's all good, I suppose. As always, I don't own Twilight, only my OC's. Enjoy!
Three ancient vampires sat in a row at the far end of the room, one blond, two dark haired, surrounded by a small crowd of vampires. As Courtney led them across the plush carpet, Vince could feel the weight of eyes on his back. Or was it aimed at Bella? He flicked a glance sideways and noted Edward had her tucked as close as he possibly could, but considering the sheer numbers involved, he doubted any of them would survive should the Volturi decide to attack.
The vampire in the middle rose from his throne and started towards them, arms wide in a gesture of greeting. "My dear Courtney, I was beginning to worry."
"What for?" Her tone was light, almost teasing, but there was the hint of an undercurrent so slight Vince wondered if anyone else could hear it. Edward, likely since he had a front row seat to her thoughts, and maybe Alice, provided it affected the current situation. "It's not like they could have escaped." Her gaze slid to a tiny blond vampire standing next to a boy with hair a slightly darker shade. Jane, maybe? A tiny snarl left the girl's mouth, but Courtney merely arched a brow and returned her attention to Aro.
"I always worry about my dear ones," the ancient purred. "No matter how powerful they may be." he reached them and looked around with an excited gleam in his black eyes. He rubbed his hands together and giggled. "Look brothers, Bella is alive after all!" The blond ancient rolled his eyes and smothered a growl.
"All that makes her is a liability, Aro."
"But what an intriguing one!" He turned back to them. "Tell me, is it true? Can dear Edward not read your mind?" All eyes focused on Bella, and she turned a deep shade of red. Aro's eyes lost focus for a split second. "La tua cantata," he murmured. "How can you stand to be so near her?"
"Practice," Edward said through his teeth.
"But why? She smells absolutely delicious. Such a waste."
"For some, perhaps. But not me."
"Yes, yes, of course. But I am terribly curious as to how this … mistake, shall we say managed to happen. Dear Alice, from what I saw you seem to be considered infallible." A flicker of confusion lined her brow before Edward stepped in to explain.
"Aro has a talent somewhat like mine. Only he can hear everything you've ever thought once he touches you. Much better than what I can do," he continued dismissively.
"Oh, but you can hear at a distance," Aro protested. "That would be so helpful, and to hear everyone at once … but do go on Alice." Courtney's eyes flickered with what Vince could only label disgust before she blanked her face as she drifted to her mate's side, her hand slipping into the crook of his arm as easily as breathing.
"I'm far from infallible," Alice insisted. "As this only goes to show." She took a step forward and held out her hand. Aro snatched it almost indecently fast and closed his eyes. When he finally opened them again, he was staring at Alice like she was an angel descended from Heaven.
"What an amazing talent. The ability to see … especially the things that have yet to happen." His eyes gleamed with avarice and Vince swallowed hard.
"You see? There is no danger from Bella," Alice said smoothly. "She will be one of us." Aro looked thoughtful. Vince stiffened when that black gaze landed on him.
"And then you … such a talented family. I wonder …" But he didn't finish. "Jane dear, answer young Vince's question, please."
"Of course, Master." Her babyish voice fit her diminutive size, but not the power she clearly held within the guard. She turned to look at him, face perfectly smooth. "What do you wish to know?" Vince looked to Aro in confusion.
"Go on, I want to see your talent." He rubbed his hands together again.
But he didn't know a thing about her. How was he supposed to know what she might lie about? With Aro around could she even lie in the first place? He studied her again, recalling how she'd stood with her brother. And Courtney didn't like her.
"Who do you love most in the world?" He purposely didn't weight his tone with his gift, wanting to see what she said.
"Master Aro, of course," she replied without hesitation. He caught a flicker from the other dark haired ancient still on his throne, and he knew he had her.
"Are you sure?" He smiled, knowing it didn't reach his eyes. "I said, tell me who you love the most in the world." Her eyes lost focus for a split second, her mouth seeming to move of its own accord.
"Alec." Vince broke eye contact and her gaze cleared, before it rapidly filled with shocked horror. "No, Master, I didn't mean it!"
"Interesting." Aro drew the word out, giving it twice as many syllables as it had. "How very useful … how would you like a position with our guard?" His face brightened. "All of you would be welcome, and I'm so curious about how Bella will turn out!"
"No, thank you." Vince took a step back.
"You can't seriously allow them to leave, brother!"
"Peace, Caius. I would like to know one thing, if I may. I wonder if Bella is immune to my talent. May I?" He offered his hand and Bella looked to Edward. His brother shrugged and she let Aro take her hand. His frustration was immediately evident and he stared at her in shock. "Jane?"
"No!" Edward moved to leap, but he was writhing on the floor before any of them could so much as blink. Jane watched him in silence, a tiny smile on her face. Courtney scoffed under her breath, bring the flicker of a frown to Jane's face.
"Stop," Bella shrieked. "Stop it!"
"Jane." As soon as she turned away, Edward lay still, breathing as hard as if he'd still been human and run a marathon. Aro nodded at Bella and Jane smiled at her, the smile slipping instantly when Bella merely crouched beside Edward without so much as a whimper. The ancient vampire giggled again and rubbed his hands together. "Isn't this fascinating? Courtney, my dear?" Golden eyes narrowed in annoyance, but she stepped forward.
"Yes?" He nodded at Bella again. Courtney slipped off her cloak, revealing an ivory wool dress that ended at her knees and a matching pair of leather pumps. He'd never been one for fashion, but thanks to Alice's little gasp of delight, he'd bet that outfit came from some big name designer sporting a hefty five figure price tag. She ghosted across the stones underfoot and stopped maybe two feet from Edward and Bella. "Run." Bella looked up, her face a mask of confusion.
"What?" She looked around.
"Run. Try and escape the room. Do something."
"I'm not good at running."
"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall." He could have sworn he heard a disgusted sigh in there somewhere. Bella gulped and scrambled to her feet. She seemed to size up the woman with the golden eyes and gulped again. Had it been him she was staring down, he might have done the same. There was a lethal grace about her that screamed she wasn't a rank newborn when it came to fighting.
Bella darted away, tennis shoes slapping on the stones as she stumbled for the door. Courtney watched her with a smile on her face, her lips mouthing numbers as she counted. When Bella was ten feet from the heavy doors and the count reached eleven, the woman flashed past them all, appearing in front of Bella, who instinctively lurched to the side.
And Courtney was there, blocking her. Bella dodged left, then dove right, only to be brought up short again. She turned to run, and found herself face to face with the golden eyed woman. Courtney laughed lightly and motioned for her to keep trying.
Whatever it was that kept Edward and Aro from reading her mind and prevented Jane's talent from working was pathetically useless against Courtney. Vince watched closely, trying to figure out just what she was doing. Bella tripped on a stone and he flinched, only to see Courtney catch her, just as she'd promised. Less than a minute later, she reached out a split second before Bella slipped and he finally understood.
She was reading her target's moves, not so different from Alice seeing the future and reacting off of what she saw. Only she was going off of weight shifts, eye movements, and other physical cues. "Amazing," Edward murmured from the floor. His brother's gaze was turned inward, listening to her mind. "She's highly analytical, even more so than me and you put together. Her mind is like a computer, she's tracking everything Bella does and factoring it into when to move and where to go. I'd lay odds she can predict someone's moves if she fought them long enough."
"She can, young Edward," Aro said with a smile. "The jewel of my guard. My brothers and I are completely safe so long as she is around for no one can get past her. Ah! See?" They turned and saw Courtney setting Bella back on her feet. "Your mate is a clumsy one, Edward." His brother hummed a noncommittal response. "Courtney, I believe that will be all for now." The woman stepped back and retrieved her cloak from Demetri, the two of them drifting away to stand beside Marcus.
"Well done," the second ancient said in a voice like paper.
"Thank you, Master Marcus," she said softly. "If there's nothing else, I shall return to my rooms."
"Do go on, my dear," Aro said before his brother could respond. "It is almost time for the next group." Her face hardened and she touched her mate's arm before ghosting through the doors. "Bella is not immune to everything after all … oh, I am so curious!" He rubbed his hands together again and almost squealed. "It would probably be best for you to leave now, Heidi is returning soon and mistakes do happen …" Bella paled even more than normal as she seemed to realize what they were talking about. "Demetri, do let Edward borrow your cloak, he'll attract attention with no shirt. Escort them out please." Their tracker slipped off his cloak and handed it over without a word. "And do keep your word, I would hate for us to pay a visit and find Bella still human." Caius sneered behind him and Vince fought back a snarl.
"The date is set," Alice replied.
"Of course, of course. Just do linger in the reception area until dark."
"Let's go," Vince said under his breath and they hurried back to the doors, Bella in the middle. They were halfway down the hall when a group of people stepped off the elevators, craning their necks to see the ceiling and studying the walls. Gianna smiled at them, offering a greeting warmly in Italian. Vince wanted to be sick. A tour group they'd said. No wonder Courtney had disappeared. How much did it bother her that her mate still held to the traditional diet? A tiny woman at the rear of the group eyed him and Edward with suspicion, clutching the cross around her neck tightly.
"This way, please." A strikingly beautiful woman with purple eyes ushered the group towards the … throne room … for lack of a better word, and Bella smothered a moan. Demetri sighed.
"Move," Edward hissed, tugging Bella along faster. They still weren't far enough away to avoid hearing the screams fifteen seconds after the doors closed.
"How can you take part in that?" Bella demanded as Edward held her on the plush sofa diagonal to Gianna's desk. Demetri shrugged. "You could have eaten your own mate!"
"Considering I would have had to look at her to eat her, I would have discovered the bond myself."
"Someone else might have gotten to her first!"
"They had no more luck catching her than you did getting away from her."
"Those people don't have that."
"No," he admitted. "They don't. I'm a vampire, and that won't ever change so why try to be something I'm not?"
"You might find it better than what you have," Alice said softly. Demetri shook his head.
"I have everything I need right here. Wait here until after the sun goes down, I'm late for lunch." He glided away and Bella dissolved into tears.
"All those people …"
"I know," Edward soothed. "I know."
"How can he be so … so heartless?"
"He's been around for a millennia, I guess he can't bring himself to care about humans when he's seen so many die already," Vince answered.
"Carlisle's been around almost half as long and he saves people all the time."
"Most vampires aren't like us and they never will be." Alice crouched beside her. "That's something you'll have to get used to if you really want this life." She glanced back over her shoulder in the direction Demetri had vanished. Her eyes drifted in and out of focus and Vince knew she was reading futures. "I wonder …"