"Best not to damage the human, brother."
Alec pulled his wrist back from her grip, a reluctant glare matching his sister's as they stared each other down. He was the first to back off.
"Sister," he acknowledged her.
Why had she returned? Not that I was complaining.
As if to answer my question, she stated, "Aro wishes to see her." They both stood in front of me, neither one seeming to want to leave me alone with the other. Then Jane cautioned forcefully, "you need to feed."
The dark smoke had indeed returned to fill his irises. Realization spread across his face and he angled his head away from me. Coal black hair fell across the side of his face, fully blocking my view of him.
"I'm fine." His chest stopped moving in response to the deep intakes of breath he'd been using before Jane's arrival. He stepped away, turning his back on me completely. "Get her away from me." Something shoved against my chest in response to his sentence, as if the words themselves wanted to further elucidate how little he wanted to do with me. To be honest, even if it wasn't exactly news, it hurt my feelings and I think it showed on my face because Jane interrupted my moment of self pity.
"Come." She indicated that I follow her and I did, but I couldn't stop glancing back to Alec every few steps.
Everything had happened so quickly. Every little thing I did seemed to infuriate him to the point of losing control. The part of me that should've pointed this out and stopped me from egging him on was nowhere to be found during any interaction we had. It was simply him, me, and a lack of self-control from either of us.
Yet the anger and fear that had been recklessly in charge of the wheel only moments ago, had vanished. In fact, the remnants of the overwhelming emotions seemed to fade the further I got from him. Alec seemed to be the fuel to a fire that I didn't even know existed in me. It made me feel alive, and if I could learn to control it -
In one instant, he looked back at me.
"Saffiya." Jane's voice pulled me away. I had stopped in the middle of the hallway and she was watching me with an almost pitying expression, but she pressed on. "Aro is expecting us."
I glanced back again, but he was gone.
As I fell into step with Jane, the silence we so often found ourselves enjoying together settled in between us. And as usual, I was the first to break it. "Jane, about earlier..." She lazily raised her head to acknowledge my words, so I continued. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to anger you. I was just...curiosity killed the cat, I suppose..." I rubbed my arm, the apology escaping me without forethought.
There was no response from her for a second and I worried that I'd damaged whatever form of association we had with each other. "But satisfaction brought it back." She was wearing a disarming smile and I released a small breath in relief.
With nothing else to say, our silence returned. It was short-lived, however, as we turned a corner to a single short hallway. A pair of double doors settled, almost hidden, in the cubby of the hallway. I took a step forward, but was interrupted as Jane held out her arm in front of me.
It was her turn to interrupt the quiet. "He wouldn't have done it."
"Huh?" She rolled her eyes and I wondered if she was more annoyed with me or her brother for the start to the morning. Though there was a softness in her tone as she continued, similar to the one with which she spoke to her twin.
"Alec would never lay a hand on you."
Sarcastically, I chimed, "you sure about that?" The immediateness of her response stung.
"Yes."
I expected her to be fixing me with a glare and prepared to test her gift on me, this time without my consent. Only, she wasn't. She regarded me with a kind of inward contemplation, as if she were as unsure of the situation as I was. I didn't see fit to challenge her. For one, I knew I'd lose. But for some reason, despite the show of exact opposite behaviour from her brother, I believed her. I nodded and she accepted this, pushing open the doors.
The room was new to me. It was extravagantly simple, the definition of sophistication and culture. The room rounded in the shape of an oval and was about half the size of either of the throne rooms. The walls were made of bookshelves, save for the door Jane and I had just entered from. Unlike the library, these books were carefully organized and delicately maintained.
On either side of the doors stood two guards. One of them, Demetri. The empty expression they all seemed to have when they were on duty enveloped his face and he didn't so much as glance at me. They were like the queen's royal guard and I finally understood the connection of referring to the Volturi as royalty.
In the back of the room, Marcus was seated at a table, frozen as ever with a pen clenched in his hand and a piece of parchment paper curled up under it. In the corner, striking white blonde hair introduced Caius with his back to us, one arm holding up a heavy looking book and the other hand twirling around a standing globe.
Aro was in the middle of a chess match with a man I'd yet to meet. The man was the most normal looking vampire I'd ever seen within the walls of the Volturi's castle. Head to toe 21st century attire, his posture was as elegant as any vampire if not only slightly less dated than Caius or Marcus's. A curious smile rested on his face as we made eye contact. Gold.
Aro and his guest were the only ones to acknowledge our entrance.
The leader of the Volturi stood gracefully, softly dancing over to me and Jane. "Ahh, Saffiya!" The lilt of his accent was distinct, treating each syllable of my name to its own individual attention. "I was just telling Carlisle of your unique condition."
The man, Carlisle, stood to meet me and held out a hand. I followed the societal expectation and shook it. "I've heard wonderful things about you, Saffiya."
Aro reclaimed the conversation. "We heard your cries," his eyes flickered to Jane. "Jane has informed us it was of your own free will."
As polite as ever, I replied, "yes, sir." He raised a hand to ask for mine and I fulfilled his request without a second thought. When he was satisfied, he dropped it.
"A fascinating theory indeed, my dear." He stepped away from me and glanced to the side. "Would you mind sharing it with Carlisle?"
Sure, I'll just spill my entire life story to a stranger like a circus freak. "I have a rare condition —"
"Congenital insensitivity to pain." I confirmed this.
"The first time Jane used her gift on me, it didn't effect me right away. Eventually, I did feel a small pressure that I associated with what could be as close to pain as I've ever gotten." He was staring at me with rapt attention, seeming fascinated by a topic no stranger I'd ever met knew much about. Yet, his focus implied a more comprehensive understanding than the bare minimum of what Aro may have told him. "It hurt, a lot, but I believe that it was because I'd never experienced the feeling before. It wasn't until I saw Felix's response to it that I thought it might be possible for Jane's gift to overpower the wires crossed in my brain."
"To rearrange the neurological blocks?" He tapped a finger to his chin, regarding me with a sterner, more professional tone. "And what did you discover?"
"It worked. But only for her gift." Carlisle nodded, processing the information in the way only an intellectual would. That is, slowly and completely. "I'd like to try again, if Jane is willing." I couldn't see her as she'd moved behind me, but both Aro and his friend seemed to spend a moment observing her reaction to this.
Carlisle folded his hands together, regarding me with a mix of curiosity and concern. "The experiment in itself does contain several risks," he pointed out and I provided him with a patient smile.
"My life is a risk, Mr. Carlisle."
He nodded, tilting his head in thought once more before turning to his friend, his tone just as patient as mine. "Aro, have you considered the change?"
"We haven't set a date, yet, old friend."
Carlisle hesitated, looking to me once more before addressing Aro. "We should discuss it."
Before I could ask what exactly this stranger could have to say about my impending future, Aro spoke, bringing us back to the matter at hand. "Since there is no bad blood," I found his choice of words to be a tactless choice of phrasing considering their diet and my current human status. "You would be content if Jane were to remain as one of your guards?"
"She is not the guard I want to avoid, sir." I heard a snicker from behind me, but it was ignored by the room. Aro raised an eyebrow, and Marcus and Caius seemed to finally take interest in the conversation, though I had no doubt they'd been listening in prior to. As much as he appeared to lead, I doubted that the tokens and perspectives the two men contributed would be undervalued by Aro.
"And whom would that be, dear one?" I refrained from scoffing. As if he didn't already know.
Still, I played his game. "Her brother."
Jane had reappeared in the side of my vision and her head whipped around to me so fast, she might have torn it off her spine. While I pretended not to notice, there was a small rock of regret in my stomach. I could feel the focus of the room's occupants shift to Aro. Only it wasn't him that spoke.
"There is no one safer for you to be with than Alec, Saffiya." I squinted at this, feeling slightly betrayed. I thought Marcus and I were tight.
I couldn't help it, "has anyone told him that?" Carlisle coughed, turning away. But once he looked back I definitely saw a twinkle of amusement on his face. Glad my misery brought someone some giggles.
Aro also failed to hide his cheer, though it lacked the same genuine spirit as Carlisle's. "Perhaps a short respite, then?" He suggested and without waiting for my opinion, "Demetri."
The man appeared beside me. "Master."
"See if you can find a more engaging activity for Saffiya."
Demetri bowed his head to the masters, sending me a wink when his head was down before leading me out of the room like a shepherd. The door closed behind us and I opened my mouth to question him about where he was taking me but he slid a finger to his lips. I huffed impatiently, but obeyed as I trailed behind him.
The further we got from the study, the more Demetri's energy levels increased. He was practically hopping by the time he finally decided we were far enough away to fill me in.
Stopping abruptly, he moved to stand directly in front of me, taking hold of my shoulders. With the guise of an incredibly serious nature, he inquired, "have you ever seen American fighting? WWE?"
"Yes. The nuns got together religiously every Sunday to watch Americans knock each other around."
He gaped at me. "You're joking?" "Of course I am." He pouted. So as not to disappoint him, I asked, "what is it then?"
"Wrestling!" He exclaimed excitedly and I couldn't help but laugh, his positivity amping me up.
"Felix and I are supposed to practice right now and he's typically got the upper hand."
Gee, wonder why. "Cause he's a giant?" Demetri moved his head up and down intensely, brimming with determination. "Exactly. But this time, you're gonna be my secret weapon."
The sarcasm was evident as it coated my words, "yes, I'm sure I would make an excellent weapon against a vampire."
"Just tell him about what happened this morning." With that, he threw open the door to what he and Felix had referred to on our tour as the training room. It was, without a doubt, the most modern room in the Volturi's castle. It could've been taken straight from a university catalogue as one part of the room resembled what could only be described as half fancy cafeteria, half elegant study hall. Which may have been underselling it, still, it was immediately obvious to me that there was no way any of the three masters spent any time in the room. Judging by the variety of furniture and activities, I assumed it must be a space for the guard members to gather. Like a teacher's lounge, only more inclusive.
The doors opened, on the far right side of the room, into an array of modern, yet classy, sofas and chairs. Bookcases spread out around the area, some holding an additional entourage of chapter books while another was filled with board games lazily shoved on top of each other. The seating was arranged in small clusters, meant for small groups to gather and chat comfortably. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine a single member of the coven doing so in an every day routine.
Towards the middle of the room, there were tables, two chairs per each. Assumably, the setup was meant for chess or a similar game. A large circular table in the middle could've been used for anything but, someone had failed to clean up a recent game of mahjong.
On the far side, it was clear where the room's name had come from. It was empty of any additional trinkets or tables, as its main purpose was clear. This entire side was claimed by a giant mat that reminded me of a gymnastics class I'd taken once as a kid. I had twisted my ankle in the first five minutes and never went back. This was a practice mat and judging by the various markups and tears, it was quite popular.
Felix was flicking around pieces on a checkers board when we entered. He jumped up gratefully at the opportunity for interaction and I had a feeling he had very little patience when it came to board games.
"Fiya!" New nickname. I bit my lip, not too sure how I felt about it. Felix ruffled my hair in greeting, which I quickly smoothed back as soon as his hand left my head of curls. My reaction cause him to chuckle and I beamed up at him.
"Hullo, Felix."
He pulled out a chair for me at a table and I squinted suspiciously. He'd done the exact same thing before giving me 'Aro's homework assignment'. Once I did take a seat, he was prompted to investigate my progress on the very topic, "how's the homework?"
"I'm still missing a few of the guards' dates. Including Prosper." I'd tried to talk to the different guards while Alec was guarding me the last two days. But he was such a bully to both me and the others, that nobody really wanted to talk to me past providing their birth years. Which was more counterproductive than I liked, seeing as I actually wanted to remember them. Eventually, I'd given up. Alec's mood had, however, remained as sour as ever.
"And the twins', right?"
I shook my head, remembering that day in the library. "Alec wrote it down himself."
"You actually asked him?"
Shaking my head once more, "I didn't have to. Marcus did."
The two men gasped dramatically, winking at each other. "That sly old dog." I scrunched up my face at the idea of Marcus being described as a 'sly old' anything.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing!" Felix chirped. "Demetri, you ready?"
In the least casual manner possible, Demetri indicated his head towards Felix when the man's back was turned, "Fiya's gonna watch."
Right. Distraction. "So, Felix. I met Aro's friend today." I lamely offered up the story. I wasn't the best at storytelling, usually including either too much detail or the wrong ones. Though, Demetri didn't seem to have any preference so long as I talked.
"Nooo," Demetri whined. "Start at the beginning."
Apparently, the plan was for me to tell Felix about my morning in the hopes that it would distract him enough for Demetri to get the upper hand. As Demetri went flying across the room, it was clear that it hadn't worked.
Though Demetri was smaller and more agile, Felix's strength seemed to be the ultimate upper hand. He was unbeatable and their matches were the opposite of any fight scene you'd watch in an underdog movie. It had only gotten more embarrassing for Demetri once Heidi had joined us. Felix seemed to take even more joy out of embarrassing him in front of the woman.
Especially when Demetri got a bit arrogant and like a child, told us to "watch this" as if he had gained any inch of the upper hand against Felix.
I'd been assigned the role of referee. Though the job had gotten a bit dull after the first nine rounds of Felix shoving Demetri's face against the mat. They were moving at a normal speed so I could clearly see. The playfulness of their competitive natures was amusing, enough so that despite a small break for food, I'd been able to watch them battle it out for a considerable amount of time. Heidi had brought a colouring book though, and I was grateful for the side hobby.
Felix rose from a crouch, standing in front of me as Demetri tried to recover across the room. He pulled up the sleeve of his shirt. They had been wrestling in full formal attire, which should have have been put into consideration before they started. However, their attire didn't hinder their movements in the slightest and I quickly realized that that was the purpose. If they were to fight, they likely wouldn't be wearing yoga pants or basketball shorts — not that I could imagine them in either. Like me, they didn't sweat so it wasn't a factor. Their only concerns would be for outside damage like rips, which so far had been avoided, or mud, which was not a feature of the inside wrestling mat.
"How many is that?" How many times had he absolutely destroyed Demetri's pride?
"I stopped counting." A victorious Cheshire smile revealed Felix's teeth as he put his hands on his hips, gloating to the rest of the room.
Heidi rolled her eyes, "does this really entertain you?"
I shrugged, "it'd be more fun if I could actually get in the ring. But for now, I'm satisfied watching Demetri get his butt kicked."
"Hey!" Demetri trampled over and the men seemed to have agreed to a brief time-out for a higher purpose: Gossip.
"Heidi — get this! She actually enjoys being around Jane."
My mouth dropped open as they revived the conversation topic for what was most likely the eighth time today. "It confounds me how you're so upset by this."
However, the shocked expression on Heidi's face was proof that the men may not have been overreacting. "You mean she hasn't threatened to kill you?" I shook my head avidly, for some reason determined to defend Jane. "I would have lost that bet."
"You bet on whether or not Jane would kill me?" I wasn't sure whether to be amused by the audacity of the statement or alarmed by how casually she considered my life.
"Chelsea thought she would just ignore you," Heidi explained, "but I was sure she would've tried to tear you apart by now."
I pointed towards Demetri and Felix. "That's what they said. I get that her gift is scary, but she's—"
"— the most feared vampire in the world." I frowned, not doubting the claim but disturbed by the implication. Most feared was a negative association, as if there were something evil about Jane. I could fathom it and I'd certainly seen it, but the puzzle piece didn't seem to fit. "Her and Alec, of course."
"Jane is...nice." I didn't know of a more suitable word to use. I'd left out several details in my recount of the morning events to the boys. Jane and I's interactions were always private and I had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate if I told the entire castle that she had a gentle side where she softly giggled every time she tried to cheat at chess. That it instantly gave her away and made the game more fun. Felix and Demetri would probably die if I were to tell them that she giggled. If they hadn't already seen it, there was no way she wanted them to know that side of her. "It's her brother with the murder agenda."
"He's changed since you arrived." She met my eyes and quickly reassured me, "in a good way, I think."
I considered the idea for a moment, the suggestion contrasting sourly in my head. "Jane said he's been moody."
With a lilting laugh, she informed me that, "the twins seem to have switched personalities on you."
"How so?" I turned away from Demetri and Felix, questioning the woman's perspective. However, her opinion was drowned out by Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
"Jane's usually the one throwing temper tantrums —" Felix was cut off as Demetri came barreling towards him and managing to knock him on his back, propelling him a few feet away. Demetri winked at Heidi, grinning proudly before finishing Felix's sentence.
"Alec's usually the one taming her." He shouted out as he caught sight of Felix running towards him. He met him in the middle with a loud crash. Newly invigorated, the two men began darting around the room at vampire speed, no longer interested in slowing down to show off.
I looked to Heidi for clarification, relying on the fact that she wasn't one to mince words. "You bring out the...passion, in Alec."
I snorted, "right, because I exude impetuous passion that attracts righteous jerks that like to threaten my life."
"In a way..." Heidi smirked, "your blood is practically begging him to come and suck you dry 24/7." My eyes widened as a loud bellow came from one of the guys on the other side of the room at the innuendo, followed by another crash.
My mind flashed back to the alley. Running through every detail of events since that day. Each time, Alec's eyes, a deep burgundy one moment and black as sin the next. To the tap tap tap of his fingers on my pulse in the library and right up to this morning. When his lips had hovered at my neck, the rise and fall of his chest producing airy breaths that tickled the sensitive skin.
A small gasp left me as my hand snapped to my neck. "Oh my god." Heidi gave me a weird look before she appeared in front of me, forcing my hand away.
"What is it? I wanna know!" Felix whined from a headlock in the other corner. His heightened interest in the conversation now having the impact Demetri had originally intended for their competition.
"He was making me so mad — I didn't even consider..." Suddenly, Demetri and Felix joined us and the three vampires crowded in a circle around me. They all peered down at me as I took my hand back from Heidi and ran two fingers deliberately across my neck. I could make out a small bump around my collar bone. "I told him to bite me."
Felix let out another extravagant laugh, causing Demetri to take full advantage of his diverted attention and flip him back onto the middle of the floor. Felix was still giggling, unfazed by his defeat, as he rolled around on the mat in theatrical amusement. In-between the laughter, I could pick out his words, "he gave...a hickey!" If I weren't so stunned, I would've blushed in embarrassment.
"Didn't know Alec had it in him."
"I've got to give Alec some credit," Heidi shrugged, returning to her chair across from me. "When I found mine, it took me only seconds to drain her."
"When you found your what?" She ignored me, inspecting the design on her nails. I noted that her interest in art seemed to extend past her wallpaper. Each nail had its own intricate design reminiscent of the 20's flaunting art deco style.
Felix chimed in, "from the way I learned about it, I couldn't believe the Cullen's pet lasted as long as she did."
Demetri offered his two cents, jogging back over to our table with Felix casually following behind him. "I'll bet you Alec can last longer than the Cullen did."
There were so many secrets that they used to whisper, but now discussed right in front of me without ever clueing my in to the topic. The bits and pieces I did pick up, only fuelled my curiosity. They continued to banter and I felt that curiosity mutate into the unfamiliar rage that had attached itself to me. I needed to get control over myself. I'd always been a tad temperamental but nothing so overwhelming as the emotional immaturity that seemed to plague my behaviour in the last few weeks. I pushed the raw emotion aside, not wanting to explode at them in a melodramatic fashion.
Taking a deep breath, I insisted, "can someone please tell me what you're all on about?" They all gave me a quick glance before exchanging expressions with each other. I shot daggers at Felix, the one with the weakest willpower of the group. He couldn't help it — the man loved to gossip.
As Felix opened his mouth, Heidi stood abruptly, "you're on your own. I want no part in pissing him off." She dawned a brilliant mask of dominance, but she seemed almost...scared. With that, she strutted flawlessly out of the room. Her departure left a a certain heaviness that captured the air in the room. Had I asked for too much?
Left to their devices, Felix looked to Demetri, who nodded and took Heidi's seat. Felix pulled a chair from a neighbouring table and sat beside me. "What do you want to know?"
I swallowed. I'd expected them to throw me some curveball answer, but this — I could finally get the answers I'd been dying for. "What did Heidi mean? She has to give Alec credit?"
"It's called la tua cantante. As Heidi put it, oh so delicately, your blood calls to Alec. Arms waving, voice shouting — well, actually singing, but you get it." I frowned, confused by another factor but Felix guessed my follow up and answered, "More than any other human's."
Not one to miss out on the action, Demetri included, "It's extremely rare. You, dolcezza, are a delicacy."
My gaze dropped to the floor as I worked to process the information and assume the implications. I had to ask my questions carefully, but my emotions, again, got the better of me. I whispered hoarsely, "so, you're all keeping me alive so Alec can drink my blood at some random future interval?" Betrayal hit me like whiplash as I prepared to move away from them. A gentle hand on my knee stopped me.
"No. Aro will turn you." I stared at the hand. It was flawless, smooth, as Alec's had been, courtesy of the venom in their veins. But it was different. It didn't bring me the same calm that his did. Calm. How could I ever be calm in his presence, especially with this new information. I felt small. The kind of small that engulfed the senses when you contemplated the universe. Where you ended up in a maze and every turn challenged your beliefs and questioned your free will. I felt small and I hated it.
My hand began to shake and I balled it up into a fist, placing it down onto the table as I demanded more information. "Then why are you making a bet to see who can last longer between him and...Colon?" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the two men exchange timid looks.
Felix corrected me, "Cullen. You met Carlisle Cullen earlier. His coven is...unique."
"Stay on topic, Felix." Another secret.
Felix appeared to heed his warning, as Demetri backed off, his hand dropping from my knee. "A few years ago, Carlisle's 'son', as he refers to him, met a human who happened to be his blood singer-"
"Le tia...?" He nodded.
"La tua cantante. Only, instead of drinking her blood...he fell in love with her." An eye roll, "he refused to change his mate into a vampire." Felix relaxed a little as he noticed that I was no longer in fight or flight mode. He spoke with a relatively laissez-faire observance of the story, though the hint of irritation was clear in his choice of words. "She knew our secret, however, and so, by our laws, he didn't really have a choice."
"Mafia." Felix cracked a smile at my taunt and continued,
"She was his mate, so it was an inevitable situation." He folded his hands behind his head and leaned his chair back on two legs. I refrained from trying to kick one of the legs out of balance to see if he'd fall, recognizing that this was not the time for such antics. "Long story short, his stubbornness for her to remain human created an unfortunate avalanche of events that were easily avoidable. As a result, their little love story caused quite a few problems, which is why Carlisle visits once a year. He's trying to repair the damage his coven caused us."
Demetri interrupted with an uncharacteristically scathing statement, "but the Volturi do not forget."
They waited for my response and I tried to come up with a reply that had to do with anything but the one question the story thrust into my head. Except I couldn't.
Reluctantly, I punched away butterflies as I deadpanned, "You're messing with me, right?" I squinted at each, moving my head back and forth, less than 1% serious as I continued to clarify, "are you trying to tell me that Alec is in love with me because I'm his...compadre?" They seemed to dismiss the idea with a wave.
"Cantante — learn Italian, woman!"
Demetri and I both ignored him. "We're just trying to explain that being around you is...difficult for him."
I scoffed, "the feeling is mutual."
"Minus the whole extreme temptation to drink your blood thing."
I groaned, pushing away from my chair and throwing my hands up in the air. "It's like Aro has a death wish on my behalf." I turned back around to face them and both men stood at attention, as if they expected me to either go on a tangent or throw some more furniture around. Either way, they planned to be there with me. "If it's so hard for Alec not to kill me, and Aro wants to keep me, then why does he refuse to take him off my 'protective detail'?"
"He has his reasons." I glared at Demetri, before pulling my chair to me and plopping down in it with my arms crossed.
"Yeah? Well, I don't know what they are. But they're stupid." Demetri chuckled beside me as I ranted. "I mean, Alec hates me."
Felix spoke up a little too quickly, "he doesn't hate you."
"Well, I hate him." I didn't. I don't think I hated anyone. But the claim obviously held more weight for the two of them as they immediately sat up to rebut the declaration.
"Don't—" I raised my eyebrow and Felix hesitated, ignoring the warning look from Demetri. He sighed, "listen...It's near impossible to resist your blood singer and he is obviously not handling it well. Maybe just give him a chance?"
I couldn't believe they were sticking up for him. All they did was give his sister crap and makes jokes about how rude he was to me. But now they were defending and supporting him, as if it mattered. They shouldn't want me to get closer to Alec. It would be safer for me if he were to stay far away from anything remotely related to me. That is, if they truly wanted to keep me alive. It wasn't exactly rocket science.
"Felix, he hasn't earned a chance! The first time I met him, he killed someone in front of me."
Demetri piped in. "For you."
"Sorry?"
"He saved your life."
I stared at him incredulously, "by killing someone?" A disbelieving cough clung to my throat, "are you mad?"
"We're vampires. Murder to you is a meal to us." It was a harsh reality that I constantly needed reminded of. They were vampires. Humans weren't people, we were things. Food. I suddenly had a real appreciation for cows. "Just another way to look at it."
Felix brushed invisible dust off of his tailored pants. "As far as Alec is concerned, you're here. Whether they are or not is irrelevant."
I shook my head back and forth so hard it made my head ache little. "Are you trying to tell me I should thank him?"
"Saffiya," Demetri's voice gained my attention away from Felix. "That night, the four of us were returning from a mission. We all heard you running, we knew what was happening. Alec was the one who broke rank."
Felix butted in, far too relaxed as he leaned back on two chair legs once more. "If you ask me, those boys got off easy compared to what Alec did to Prosper." He snorted, completely missing yet another warning from Demetri. "When Prosper lost you? Phew, it took Santiago a long time to put him back together."
Demetri rumbled lowly, dropping his head into his hands. "Damn it, Felix."
Felix whipped around, his gaze landing on me and my wide eyes. He quickly realised his mistake, but it was too late. Another secret spilled from Pandora's box and they couldn't put it back. I was already hooked.
"What are you talking about?"
His face fell with every word. "...you didn't know."
"Why would he go after Prosper?"
He hesitated, but couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut. "With the whole, you know 'blood thing'...by our, I guess...vamp commandments..." He stumbled over his own words, trying to make it seem like he hadn't given me more information than he should've. But it was impossible to hide what had escaped the shadows. "You kind of belong to Alec." I flinched at the suggestion. "And Prosper—"
"—didn't do anything wrong. I tricked him." Felix desperately turned to Demetri, who was just lifting his head from his shell. Poor Felix, in his attempt to help ease my concern, was only making things worse. It appeared that Heidi had made the right decision.
"Go," Demetri muttered. "I'll take her back to her room."
Felix rubbed the back of his head, shoulders dropping uselessly. "Sorry, Fiya." He placed a large hand on my head and with that, he was gone.
I could feel Demetri's eyes on me as he contemplated his next move. However, I was stuck in a trance, four words repeating themselves over and over in my head.
"He lied to me." I wasn't sure why I felt so betrayed. Alec had even less reason to tell me the truth than he did to lie to me. But he had given me an answer when he could've just refused to say anything or pretended I hadn't asked. There was nothing for him to protect in a lie. He didn't care what I thought of him so he didn't have to hide anything from me. So, why did he?
Demetri stood. "Come on. I'll take you back to your room," he repeated. I silently followed his lead, crossing my arms tightly over my chest as we walked side by side down the long halls.
When we'd arrived at my room, we stopped in unison in front of my door. "Fiya..." the nickname meant to soften his intent but it was still unfamiliar. I'd never been called anything but my full name. I regretted that it didn't do what Demetri intended, "with you being his blood singer...Not everyone finds what you are to him and he's doing his best."
"His best is mean."
"It doesn't excuse his behaviour." Demetri nodded fervently, trying to appeal to a more agreeable side of me. "But now that you know," like Felix, he seemed to struggle with his words. However, in a more well-thought out manner, he suggested, "you've hardly had a non-hostile moment with him since you've arrived. Maybe it's time for a different approach."
I couldn't keep the bitter tone from my tongue, "what? Be the bigger human?"
Demetri relented, pushing open my door for me. "I have to return to the masters."
I stepped inside the door, spinning around at his words, "wait, I thought I was supposed to have a guard at all times?"
He tilted his head. "I suspect Alec will be back soon then," and he winked in an attempt to change the mood, but the sparkle didn't reach his eyes.
"Demetri?" He waited patiently for me to continue. "If love kept Carlisle's son from killing his blood singer, what's keeping Alec from killing me?" He shrugged, unable or not willing to provide any more thoughts with me, lest he also revealed their secrets. "Really? That's all you're going to give me?"
He sighed, "it's not my place." There was a lump in my throat. Clearly, our conversation had crossed some unspoken line. But it seemed innocent enough. They were simply answering my questions. Didn't I have a right to know something as big as my blood being a constant craving for someone I spent most of my time with?
Still, seeing the downtrodden looks and nervous reactions of my friends, who had nothing but the best intentions, upset me. I wanted to help them, but how could I when I didn't even know what they were afraid of. Now, I was lying to myself. The answer was too obvious to miss, no matter how much I wanted to ignore it. Heidi's voice rang in my ears; 'you're on your own. I want no part in pissing him off.' No way was I letting anything bad happen to Felix or Demetri, especially not for fear of retaliation from someone who could've prevented this whole situation in the first place.
I raised an eyebrow, placing a more mischievous tone to my voice. "Oh, but it is your place to tell me everything else?"
Demetri tried to hold back the small smile that slipped onto his face. With an equally mischievous song, he provided me with a "buona notte, dolcezza." He closed the door with a soft thud and I was alone.
Maybe Felix was right. I needed to start learning Italian. And Latin. Maybe even Romanian, for the heck of it. If I was a vampire, I'd have all the time in the world. I could learn every single language ever spoken.
The clanging of the clocktower, however, was a reminder of the real plan. Despite kidnapping me and wanting to change me into a soulless, invulnerable vampire, the Volturi coven had grown on me. But, I had something bigger than me to take care of. There was no time for friendships that couldn't last. This was about family — blood that wasn't a meal.
I was going to find my father.
~•~•~•~
Hi all! I felt the need to note that I took affective neuroscience for psychology and I can maybe understand every five to seven words in a neuroscience case study. So, please forgive any neuro faux pas. Also, not gonna lie, I don't truly remember the plot of Twilight so curse me if I'm also wrong in my retelling.
Thank you guys for your support!