Chapter 2

"What are you?"

Alice swung her dark eyes up towards the human girl in her capture with genuine surprise, stunned that she was already staring at her. The girl raised an eyebrow when the pixie only continued to look at her in silence.

"That's your only question right now?" Alice replied slowly, as if she were speaking to a child just about ready to throw a tantrum. " - Shouldn't you be trying to beg for your life?"

"Would that work?"

"No," Alice smirked in mild amusement. "Still, I am surprised by your calm demeanor."

"I already tried to escape. You saw how well that went." Bella attempted to yank herself free from Alice's grip, unsurprisingly failing once again. It felt like steel cuffs were locked around her wrists. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm aware. Until your fate is decided on if you are turned or not, the law about humans not allowed to know about us remains."

Alice turned a corner in a hall while at the same time, she gently tugged Bella over to her left side, avoiding a red eyed guard that passed by them in that exact moment. The vampire male paused a step, his nose upturned towards the air, inhaling deeply. He slowly turned to face the pair, but Alice had already walked them down towards the end and was taking the next turn, vanishing from sight.

"What did you mean by you can't see me? That…man said he couldn't read my thoughts. Do you all have powers of some kind?"

Again, Alice was shocked by the calm observations from the human. Normally, they wouldn't even notice any of these things, either too dazzled by the beauty of her kind or frightened stiff. By the fast pace of Bella's heartbeat, Alice knew that she was scared. Yet she was able to still question what was happening around her and be brave enough to ask something she didn't understand for answers.

Alice ignored these questions while she pushed open a door to an empty guest room reserved specifically for humans. It was a simple setup with a full sized bed, a dresser with a lamp on top of it as the only source of light. There was a small walk-in closet, a bathroom with a custom built-in shower/tub, and a wash sink. Other than that, it was completely barren with maroon coloured walls.

"You should be comfortable here until Aro decides what to do with you." Alice turned to leave but was stopped by the human tugging lightly on the sleeve of her robe.

"Wait. I-" Bella sighed heavily, the stress evident in her shaky voice as she ran her hand through her long, chestnut brown waves of hair. "Am I going to die?" She murmured quietly, staring determined brown eyes at the pixie.

Alice took in her first deep breath since encountering the human girl and was unsurprised at the delicious aroma of her blood pumping through her veins, wafting up her nose. She smelled heavenly, like fresh cut strawberries, with honey drizzled on top. Alice's throat started a slow burn that she felt right up against the skin of her neck, and she took a couple of steps back, reminded just how thirsty she was. She cut off her next inhale before the temptation could take her.

"Maybe. I'll have something delivered for you to eat in a while."

Outside the castle, warming herself under the heat of the sun, no fear of humans catching sight of her; Alice held a warm blood pack with the straw attached to it between her lips, sucking it down as she scrolled through her phone, checking on restaurants that could deliver to her location for the human. She was contemplating between burgers and fries, or chinese take out, (unsure which would be better as all human food smelled like dirt to her, and she had no memory of the taste to compare it to) when she felt a familiar chill brush down her spine. She glanced up from her phone screen to make direct eye contact with Jane.

"What are you doing out here?"

Alice held up her phone and shook it a little as she watched the blonde ancient child make her way towards her with gliding steps, graceful as ever.

"Ordering food for the human."

"About that, why did you volunteer to watch over her? Feeling sentimental?" Jane had reached her and was now running the tips of her fingers up Alice's arm before brushing back down past her wrist to lace their fingers together. Alice gave her hand a gentle squeeze, suppressing the urge to shudder in disgust at the same time.

"Felix barely has more control of his thirst than a newborn. He would have killed the girl on accident and upset Aro. I was just avoiding an incident."

"Did you see this in your visions?"

"Yes," Alice lied easily, stiffening slightly when Jane stepped into her space and wrapped her thin arms around the small of her waist, holding tight.

"- I am trying to decide between chinese and classic american food."

"Get the burgers and fries." Jane muttered with a wistful expression, as if she could remember the taste of it. She probably could, honestly.

Alice did as she said, then slid her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, under the thick robes she always wore. They remained silent for several minutes, simply soaking up the sun rays, but then Alice felt Jane's hands start to roam over her body, and she was quick to spit out a protest.

"The food will be here soon. These human delivery services have gotten advanced. I should take it to the girl while it will still be hot."

"I can be quick." Jane purred, standing up on her tiptoes to press her lips against Alice's throat. The pixie disengaged herself and stepped back from Jane when she felt the scrape of fangs against her marble skin.

"No, you can't." Alice spread her full lips into a smile that she forced all the way up to her eyes, "I know you. Just give me until after I've made sure she's eaten. Aro wants her to be comfortable." Jane huffed in annoyance, but Alice knew she would never go against Aro's wishes. So, thankfully, she fluttered a hand dismissively and made her way back inside the castle.

Alice dropped the smile as soon as she was gone, deflating in an instant. How she absolutely loathed that child and hated the situation she was in. Not for the first time, she again wondered if her sacrifice for her family was worth this eternal torment. If it was worth allowing herself to be abused so very often by that wretched thing. Then, she bolstered herself once more. Of course, it was worth it. If she hadn't offered herself up to Aro, her visions had told her that he would have massacred her entire family, and she could not have that. No matter what happened to her.

A notification ding went off on her phone, alerting her to the message that popped up that said the delivery person had arrived. See? These humans were getting fast. Stuffing her phone back inside her pocket, she moved to the front gates that were massive in size and ordered the guards to open it.