Chapter 30
Demetri drove into a massive garage that was under the castle and parked the car. We got out, and I looked around at a massive array of expensive cars and motorcycles. It seemed that vampires, just like humans, had a fondness for flashy toys. As we passed a long row of sleek-looking motorcycles, I couldn't help but admire them. I envisioned myself riding one, all decked out in black leather, and smiled. It was yet another thing to look forward to, as I knew that one day I would buy a bike of my own.
We got into the elevator, and Demetri pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors soon opened to a beautiful room, which must have been the reception area, as it was manned by a human female behind a large desk. Demetri nodded to her as we passed. He opened one of the main wide doors leading into the castle, holding it for me as he motioned for me to enter.
"The artwork is quite impressive," I commented as we walked along the long halls. I wasn't that knowledgeable about paintings, but they all looked quite old, and knowing they were displayed in vamp central, they were probably the original owners.
"The kings consider themselves quite the patrons for the arts and have been collecting for millennia. Many of the pieces were commissioned by them from some of the most respected artists in history." We came to an open circular area where the path diverged. There was a large fountain in the center with sunlight streaming in from the large windows around the room. "The path to the left leads to the gardens. We will be sure to visit them during your stay. They are quite large and isolated from the outside world, so it's one of the few places we can go outside during the daytime in Volterra. Our path is to the right, which leads to the throne room."
We passed several vampires on our way to the throne room. They gave us, or most likely me, curious glances, but that was all. Eventually, we came to two large gold-framed doors which must be the entrance to the throne room.
Demetri opened the doors and went in first, then motioned for me to follow, probably as a way to better make sure I was safe. As I entered the throne room, I saw clearly why he called it that. The room was massive, almost like a nave in a church. The ceiling must have been three stories tall, at least. The walls looked to be a mixture of marble and wood. It was hard to judge the age of the room, as while it looked quite old, everything was in immaculate condition.
There were maybe twenty or so vampires in the room, most milling around the edges. The room was brightly lit, in addition to the many large windows at the highest levels that let in sunlight but the light did not seem to hit us directly, so they were not always sparkling. There were beautiful massive murals along all the upper walls. The arched ceiling had a beautifully carved mural on it as well that was extremely detailed and must have been carved by a master sculptor.
Ahead of us was a raised dais with three beautifully carved wooden chairs, or I guess thrones, and on them were three vampires who had to be the kings.
As we approached the thrones, I noticed many of the vampires around the room break off their conversations and eye us as we advanced to stand in front of the kings. Before anyone spoke, I studied the three kings.
The leftmost was a man in his early 20s. He had straight, long hair that was as white as snow. His face was hard, and he wasn't smiling. From Demetri's description, that must be Caius.
The vampire in the center looked to have been changed later in life, maybe in his mid-30s. It was hard to tell, as vampire skin always looked so smooth and perfect. He had a gleaming smile and straight black hair. It was clearly Aro.
The vampire on the right had a blank expression with slightly wavy brown hair. He looked to be in his 20s and didn't seem as interested in what was happening as the rest. That left him to be Marcus.
All my observations happened in a moment, and before Aro stood and addressed the room.
Aro held up his hands, and the room became silent. "Everyone," he began, his voice carrying an air of refined authority,"I would like your attention as I am pleased to welcome a very special guest. This is Isabella Swan, and she will be staying with us for the next couple of weeks. Demetri here met Isabella last year, and she has graciously agreed to join us in immortality in the coming years. I would like for all of us to show her the utmost courtesy during her stay, as I am quite hoping she will agree to join us once she becomes a vampire."
I could see the shocked expressions from the surrounding vampires, most notably from Caius. Before he could say anything, I spoke loudly and clearly, "Thank you, Aro, for inviting me. Your home is quite extraordinary, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing your wonderful city and country."
Before Aro could respond, Caius jumped to his feet, nearly exploding in a loud, angry voice. "What is the meaning of this, Aro? This human clearly has knowledge of us, and you allowed her to live knowing of our existence? This is outrageous! What has come over you? Explain yourself, and you as well, Demetri. You know the law better than anyone."
Before Demetri could say anything, Aro spoke up. "Brother, please calm yourself, and I will explain the situation." He made a calming motion with his hands, and Caius reluctantly sat back in his chair to listen. "When Demetri met young Isabella here, he was amazed to see an extraordinary individual. She may not be a vampire yet, but I dare say even as a human, she is more powerful than most of us. I have heard firsthand of some of her exploits, and I would hardly call her a human at all, so the law does not entirely pertain to her."
It sounded like Aro was altering the details of my story to portray it as if he and Demetri had committed no offenses under their law. I didn't mind, of course, as what he was doing benefited me, but it was interesting to witness nonetheless.
"Her more powerful than a vampire? Preposterous! What makes you believe this?" Caius spouted, clearly unimpressed with Aro's words.
"From Demetri's memories, I have clearly seen Isabella perform amazing feats. And not three months ago, I received a report that Isabella came into contact with two vampires who were flaunting our laws, risking the exposure of our race. When she observed this, she put an end to them with great haste. I was told it was quite the sight to behold."
Aro must have been talking with Carlisle, I assumed. Caius looked intrigued and asked, "What did you do, human? What abilities do you claim to possess?"
"Well, as for my abilities, I have many, but they are all related to shields of differing power and usage. When I encountered the two nomads, they had already been leaving drained humans out in the open, easily discoverable by the authorities, thus posing a threat to expose vampires to the world. I was with another group of vampires at the time, but they weren't inclined to confront the nomads, so I had to stop them myself. I had never used my abilities on vampires before, so I wasn't sure how effective they would be. I used everything I had. It turned out to be far more than necessary, and the two vampires pretty much exploded into a spray of parts and pieces. In the future, if I find myself in a situation requiring action, slicing off a head should do the trick and be less messy." I heard many murmurs around me, indicating that the Volturi were either impressed or frightened.
Aro spoke up, "Well, luckily, I don't think that type of demonstration is warranted here, but perhaps something a little less lethal, just to mollify Caius," he said with a smile.
"Of course," I replied with a matching smile. I looked around and saw the largest vampire I had ever seen. He was even bigger than Emmett, whom I thought of as a giant. This had to be Demetri's friend, Felix. I addressed him, "Would you mind if I used you as a test subject? I promise I won't harm you."
The giant vampire smiled and nodded. "Names Felix. Sure, I'd be interested in seeing what you can do." I nodded to him with a smile and quickly lifted him up in the air. I heard gasps from all around me, and to really show off, I started spinning him end over end like a spinning wheel while moving him around the room above everyone's heads. Felix was so large that it felt just like the practice I had done at home in the forest with the large tree trunks. It must have impressed the others, as I heard loud murmuring now, with everyone talking to each other. I carefully brought Felix back to where he was standing originally, righted him, and set him down on his feet.
Once Felix was back on his feet, he gave me a big smile and said, "Wow, that was quite impressive and really fun. I look forward to getting to know you, Isabella."
"Same here, Felix," I addressed the entire throne room, "but everyone, please call me Bella."
"That was most impressive, Bella," Aro said, smiling as he used my preferred name. He stood up and walked towards us. "I have to admit, ever since I heard of you, I've wanted to know if my power would work on you," he addressed the room. "I neglected to mention that so far, no vampire powers have been able to work on Bella. Would you allow me to test to see if my power is any different?"
"Of course, Aro. I would also be interested in seeing how everyone's abilities interact with my own during my stay," I said, holding out my hand for Aro to take. As he did, I watched his face intently to see if he could read every thought I had ever had. It was a little weird knowing he might be able to see all my most intimate moments, but thinking about it, he must have already read Demetri's thoughts many times, so he had already seen everything. Hmm, I pondered this fact, but then determined that after reading humans and vampires for over three thousand years, I doubted he got titillated by what he saw anymore.
He looked intently at me and smiled. "I see nothing at all. A first. How extraordinary," he said before walking back to his throne. "Well, I'm sure you would like to get settled. I have had a room assigned for you. You are welcome to explore the castle, and I will let it be known to all not present that you are a guest and should be treated as such. I'm sure we will have time to converse more during your stay. It has been lovely to meet you in person, Bella."
"Same thank you," I said, looking to Demetri. He smiled with a nod and motioned for me to go through the doors at the back of the throne room, which must lead to the living quarters. After we left the throne room, I asked, "How did I do?"
He looked at me with a bright smile. "You were magnificent. What you did was beyond impressive. I've seen immortals centuries old cower in fright when under the dark glare of Caius. I think you will be quite the talk of the castle during your stay. Let's get you settled. You can sleep if you want, but when you are ready, I'd love to show you the castle."
"I'd love that as well." We walked for a time through the halls and then up some flights of wide marble stairs. Finally, we came to a big door and Demetri opened it to reveal a beautiful large room. It was decorated with furniture that looked quite old but immaculately maintained. It had a king-size bed with a beautiful headboard. There were doors to other rooms which I assumed must lead to the bathroom and maybe a closet. There was a balcony which, when I opened the doors and walked out onto it, I saw overlooked an amazing large garden that went on and on. Walking back into the room, I turned to Demetri and said, "The room's beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it. My own room is just down the hall. I'll show it to you once you are settled. I will have your luggage brought up to you as well. Do you require some time to rest?" he looked at me earnestly.
"No, I'm still a little wired from meeting everyone. I do want to ask you something though. Do you want it known that you and I like to… well, sleep together? I didn't want to do anything to embarrass you during my stay."
Demetri's fingers entwined with mine, drawing me nearer to him. His ruby red eyes held a warmth that penetrated my uncertainty. He held my gaze, his sincerity evident in every word he spoke. "Being with you is no embarrassment, Bella. I would greatly like it if we could continue our time together during your stay. I'm sure every single vampire here will be quite jealous of me to see you accepting my affections."
His words brought a bright smile to my face. I had been a little unsure how Demetri viewed our relationship, but it certainly sounded like it was more than a fuck buddy, which pleased me greatly. "That's good to hear. I would like that very much as well."
While I was probably still jet lagged, I had slept for a few hours on the plane and was not tired yet. I looked around my room but did not want Demetri to leave yet as I always felt better and more relaxed in his company. "Let me just use the bathroom for a minute then maybe you could show me your room? I'd be interested in seeing where you call home."
"I'd like that too," Demetri said, smiling. He had still been rubbing my hand, and he reluctantly let it slip from his fingers. "I'll just wait outside, come out when you're ready."
I nodded as I made my way to the bathroom. It was quite large with a spacious shower and a separate tub. I was glad it had full plumbing considering vampires did not go to the bathroom. I still thought that was kinda weird. The blood had to go somewhere. After relieving myself, I looked in the mirror and was pleased to see I looked fine. I met Demetri outside my door, and he led me down the hall to his room. As he let me in, I saw that his room was quite large and more of a suite with several rooms. We were in the main room, which I would consider his living room. There were several sofas for entertaining, paintings on the walls, and a large TV. The room actually looked quite normal.
"What do you think? Does it look like the home of a vicious vampire?" He said, smiling at me.
I played along, "Oh yes, I'm literally quaking in terror just being in your presence. And now you've somehow managed to lure me to your dark abode." We were both grinning now, trying not to laugh.
We walked around his living room so I could take a look at his artwork and pictures. I picked up a framed photo of Demetri along with Felix and a beautiful woman I hadn't seen in the throne room. They were all leaning against a car that looked like it was from the 50s, and they were sparkling, which caused an unusual effect in the photograph.
"That was taken in 1956," Demetri informed me, smiling and clearly remembering that day. "We had organized a drag race as we had just seen 'Rebel Without a Cause' and it looked like fun. The woman is Heidi, Felix's wife. She was away this morning, but you will get a chance to meet her. I'm sure she will be kicking herself that she missed you spinning Felix around like that."
"I'm sure many will get their chance to ask again. I know Emmett begs me almost every time I see him, now that he knows what I can do. He even bought a Superman outfit to wear," Demetri closed his eyes, and I could tell he was trying to hold in his laughter. I studied the picture some more before saying, "It's so unusual seeing you in such old photographs. I know to you it must feel like yesterday, being as old as you are, but to me, it is still hard to wrap my head around the concept of living forever. I am really looking forward to it though. I've already made some plans for far-off dates in the future with Alice. If you want to reserve a day with me, you better lock it in now." I winked at him and put the photograph down.
"I'll be sure to remember that. Actually, I have another photograph I think you might find interesting," Demetri said as he walked over to his wall unit and opened a cabinet. He pulled out a very old-looking case with a fancy design on it.
"I was in France in 1837 on a mission. It was nighttime, and I had stopped to look for a meal. While I was on the hunt, I started to listen to a conversation two humans were having, and their words grabbed my attention. I didn't understand it at the time, but they were describing the invention of the photograph as the inventor Louis Daguerre had his studio nearby. It sounded so unusual, but I decided to go to his studio to see for myself, and this is the result of that night."
Demetri opened up the case, and inside was a very unusual-looking picture of him. It reflected the light differently, having a silver look to it. Demetri had a serious look on his face. It was a portrait view, just showing his head and upper chest. I could tell by the way he held the case that the photo meant a lot to him.
"This is actually one of the earliest surviving photographs ever taken. I remember bringing it back to Volterra and telling everyone about the process and showing them the picture. Everyone was quite amazed at the time."
"Thank you for showing it to me. I can imagine there have been many moments for you over your lifetime where it seems the world has changed. Just think, one day we might see flying cars or people living on Mars, or other things we can't even imagine yet." I watched as he closed the case carefully and put it back in its safe resting spot.
Next, he showed me his bedroom which had a large king size bed. Off to the side was an easel and several works in progress propped next to it on the floor. I indicated if I could look at his works. He nodded, and I picked up the first one. It was a beautiful landscape. When I looked out the window of his balcony door, I could clearly see it depicted the Volterra countryside. I smiled at him as I looked at the next and was quite surprised to see my face staring back at me. It was quite the piece, and he had captured my look perfectly, if not making me look a little more pretty than I really was. "This is amazing. I've never seen myself as a work of art before. You're very talented."
"Thank you. I've been dabbling at painting for quite a while as you can imagine. After our initial meeting, inspiration struck and I found myself painting your likeness when I returned home. I'm glad you like it."
"Maybe before I go, we could do another pose. I'm sure we could think of one on your bed that you would find tempting to paint," I offered, giving him a knowing and flirtatious look.
He grinned at my tempting offer, and I could sense he was in the mood for more fun. I carefully put the painting down and looked at the bed. "How and where do you want me? I think you deserve a chance to run the show as you were so kind to let me on the jet."
Demetri thought for a moment before smiling. "You haven't gotten a true look yet at how beautiful Italy is. How would you like to see it in all its splendor while I take you from behind?"
"Sounds enchanting," I said, my grin taking on a sultry edge. Demetri walked up to me and started unbuttoning my shirt. He took his time, unbuttoning each button slowly, building up my anticipation with each one freed. Soon, my shirt was on his bed. Yep, there went my bra. His hand trailed down my chest, skimming over my breasts, and his skillful fingers toyed with my nipples,causing a delicious craving within me that made me hunger for more. His hand went lower, and he went to work on my other clothes. A few seconds later, I was completely nude. It felt so freeing, and I couldn't wait for what would come next.
He took my hand and led me to his balcony. This would be interesting. As Demetri swung open the balcony doors, they unveiled the same beautiful gardens that I had glimpsed briefly from my own balcony. Stepping onto the balcony, I saw Demetri sparkling in the sunlight, his form radiant and alluring. From our elevated vantage point, I could see a panoramic view of Volterra's beautiful city and the surrounding fields and forests that stretched as far as my eyes could see. It appeared the castle was situated at one of the highest points in the city. It was such a beautiful, sunny day, and the city had a picturesque, old-time feel to it, as if time moved slower here.
While I marveled at the view in front of me, Demetri must have undressed quickly, as I felt his cool fingers on my hips, and then I felt his firm length rubbing against me, igniting a surge of desire within me. I bent over slightly, enticing him further as his dick rubbed along my bottom; he'd always commented on how he loves the curve of my ass. I took a deep breath, placing my hands on the stone balustrade, and exhaled slowly as I felt him slide into me fully. "Oh god," I moaned as Demetri started moving in and out of me at a slow, even pace.
He whispered in my ear to enjoy the view as he continued working me into a tizzy. I attempted to take in all the breathtaking sights of the distant city and the garden below me, yet the compelling distraction of his hard dick thrusting in and out of me was impossible to ignore. Soon, he was really pumping away, and I found myself panting heavily, my yearning for more growing insatiable. His hands cupped my breasts, pulling my back against his firm, cool chest. I lifted my arms and entwined my fingers behind his head, inviting him to draw me closer. His pace escalated, and I felt my orgasm approaching. "I'm almost there. Come with me," I moaned, my body teetering on the edge of euphoria.
As I was overcome, the ecstasy surged through me, and a primal cry escaped my lips. Demetri's thrusts grew more intense, until he climaxed as well, and I felt him jerk his hips, pumping a few more times as his cool release flowed deep inside me. The sensation was exquisite, a feeling I always adored. Turning my head to the side, our lips met in a passionate kiss. The intensity of the moment coupled with the earlier day's activities began to take its toll, and after that amazing orgasm, a wave of drowsiness washed over me. "I think I'd like to take a little nap," I murmured, feeling Demetri scoop me up in his arms, carrying me back to his bedroom, and gently placing me onto his bed. As he lay beside me, I nestled into his embrace, swiftly falling into a peaceful sleep.
Let me know your thoughts.