Impressions of Three Men in Black
Chapter Twenty-One
Take a break; the war will wait
Celeste has spoken with her friend Felix and her mate Caius about her concerns in staying with the Volturi. She wants to hear what Marcus, her more level-headed mate, has to say, so intends to pay him a visit.
I used google translate for the Italian, so my apologies if its wrong.
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It was another week of feeling the near abandonment of her mates when Celeste met up with Felix. He had found her sulking outside on the flat roof top of the castle, eating food she had gotten from the Volturi's chef. This roof was a place the vampires could go to observe the city in relative peace, and high above prying eyes. Some didn't like the feeling of being fully exposed when they moved among the humans.
Felix sat next to his friend, and glanced over the collection of food she had managed to get. "Hmmm, looks...disgusting, but you're obviously enjoying it."
"Felix, I swear, if you start talking about blood, I'll...I'll..."
"You'll do what?" he asked, leaning closer, his crimson eyes fixed on hers.
"Better be careful you don't incur the wrath of my mates," she warned, hoping Felix was just teasing her.
Sitting back, he laughed. "What did I do?"
"You're flirting," she replied accusingly, her mouth full of cold lasagna.
"I would never dare," he said grimly. "The masters are not that forgiving."
"Ok, ok, sorry. I don't want you to get into trouble anyway, so no more teasing. Besides, I'm eating this delicious food you can't have."
Felix waved a hand at Celeste. "Thank the gods, and no thanks. Preferirei morire piuttosto che mangiarlo," he continued muttering. "So you bothered the chef. He didn't snap your head off?"
"Not at all. He likes me," Celeste said smugly. "And he practices his English on me."
Explaining to Felix that she was feeling hungry, Celeste told him how she had decided to go find something for lunch. Most of the human staff had already eaten, so when she entered the kitchen, there were only three people sitting at a table together, eating and talking. Celeste spied the chef wrapping up the lunch leftovers. She ran over to him before he could put everything away into the giant refrigerator, asking, "Chef, posso avere il resto? Ho tanta fame e non ho ancora mangiato." She hoped he had no plans for the food and would gladly give it to her. He did, and with a smile.
The Chef, enjoying practicing his English with Celeste, replied in her language, "Of course you may. Let me get you something to carry it in. Will you be going to your room, Signorina Celeste?"
"No, I want to have a picnic up on the roof. It's too gorgeous outside to waste the day."
"Ah, molto bene. Here are some utensils and a bottle of water as well." He gave her a big grin while packing everything into the food carrier. "I tossed in some cinnamon cookies too." He handed her the chiller to carry. "Divertiti, piccolina."
"Piccolina! I'm five feet, seven inches," she huffed, but gave the normally gruff older man an impulsive hug. "Grazie, Chef. Il tuo inglese sta migliorando," she said with a smile, praising his improving English. She waved at him as she left the kitchen and headed upstairs.
"So here you find me, having a wonderful meal of leftovers, and his leftovers are better than some people's first attempts." She wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin the chef had included in the carrier, and turned to Felix.
"So my friend, besides trying to spoil my appetite, why are you here?"
"Master Marcus would like to see you." He stood formally as he imparted his message.
Celeste froze. Caius must have gotten to him. "Oh god, my food."
Felix reached down to take Celeste's hand and help her up. "I'll take care of this and put it the refrigerator for you to have later. And I'll explain to your benefactor, if he's still there." The giant guard winked and watched as Celeste ran across the roof to the stairs.
When she reached Marcus' chambers, Celeste knocked on the heavy wooden door and waited for him to answer. She was wringing her hands nervously, pacing in a small circle, but felt sure he would know what to say that would alleviate her worries. Finally, the right-side door opened. Celeste saw Demetri, facing her with a smirk on his face. His expression told her he was glad he didn't have to go find her. The smile Celeste had prepared for Marcus, however, instantly disappeared from her face.
"Demetri, is Marcus here?" she asked, attempting her most imperial voice. She was mate to all three masters after all.
As if he knew a secret he could not reveal, but desperately wanted to, the coven's tracker moved backwards while opening the door wide enough for her to enter.
Silently, Demetri stepped around Celeste and walked out into the corridor, shutting the door behind him. Celeste took several steps into the ante-room, and turned...to see Marcus, Caius, and Aro waiting for her.
Her eyes went wide, taken completely off-guard. "Oh, merda."
Celeste's head whipped around, so she could face Caius, her expression one of betrayal. Caius looked away, refusing to meet her hurt gaze. The vampire warrior felt he had no other choice. He had reluctantly chosen to tell Marcus AND Aro about his talk with their mate, in case she was close to deciding not to be their mate any longer.
"Brothers, may I speak with Celeste alone?"
Marcus and Caius crossed the floor to the outer door, feeling their human's eyes upon them the whole way. Marcus attempted a reassuring smile, while Caius gave her a small shrug of apology. It wasn't a pleasant awareness for either of the vampires.
Once Marcus and Caius left the room, the outer door closing softly behind them, Aro took Celeste's hand, drawing her over to the blue velvet sofa. Once both had settled next to each other, Aro continued to hold her hand. In a soft voice he asked her about her concerns, determined to show her his sincerity.
"How did you find out Caius and I spoke, Aro?"
"He told Marcus and me you were experiencing doubts. He was only trying to help, cara." Aro reached up, ghosting his cool fingertips over Celeste's cheek, settling them under her chin. "My dear, do you really think anything that happens within the walls of this castle goes unnoticed by me?"
She sighed and lowered her head. "Of course not. I was naive."
"My dear, Caius tells us you spent some time letting him know about your growing concerns. First of all, I'm hurt you felt you could not come to me. You said you loved and trusted me, but perhaps you don't as much as you think."
Celeste said nothing in response.
"Do you do not wish the immortality we've offered you?"
"Aro, do I want an eternity of boredom?" Before he could argue against her point, she continued. "If I were an artist, I could spend my years creating beauty to share with the world. If I were a writer, I could spend my time creating literature for the ages. If I were a scientist, I could do research and create new inventions for the betterment of the world's societies." She let a sigh escape her lips. "I am none of those things, Aro."
"You can learn. Do you think all artists, writers, and scientists were born knowing that was what they were to be? Give yourself a chance, and we will give you the time and the tools."
"Aro, I...I understand what you're saying, I do. But that's only part of it. This...lifestyle I find myself living, the three of you, it doesn't feel normal to me. I was raised to believe there was one man out there for me. But the three of you, something some women would die to have...it's more than I can manage."
"You haven't been happy?"
"It's not that, Aro. Until recently anyway, and that isn't really your fault. You've all been caring, generous, and loving."
"So we have satisfied you in all ways," Aro questioned, wondering how she could say no. It was only recently they had to leave her to her own devices.
Celeste smiled and blushed. "Absolutely. Don't you think so?"
"So why did you go to Caius instead of coming to me." He held her hand while he spoke, his voice low and oddly casual in tone.
"I'm sorry. But I think I know you a little, Aro. You would have probably told me my concerns were trivial. I can hear you now. "Just give things time." I..." She stopped talking, seeing the expression on his face change. He frowned at her.
"You always have to be first in line, don't you, Aro," she asked almost as an accusation.
"I don't stand in line," Aro hissed. His hand grabbed her upper arm, pulling her tightly to him. He felt her struggle, but thought it lacked conviction. He brought his mouth closer to her, his cold lips pressing on hers, his tongue forcing them open.
Aro stopped mid-kiss. It had been awhile since Celeste had lain with her mates. Aro wanted to woo her, slowly pleasure her until she cried out his name. He traced his fingertips over one cheek, his eyes never wavering from hers. He then ran his thumb over her parted lips, gently tugging on her bottom lip.
Celeste inhaled sharply. She needed this so badly. It had been far too long since she had felt connected with Aro. She waited for her mate to instigate his desires, while she was being drawn into his eyes.
Aro knew Celeste wanted him. Had circumstances been different, he would have spent time with her long before this. For a brief moment, the vampire gritted his teeth, then relaxed his jaw. He pressed his lips against the warm skin of her neck, feeling her tense up. "My dear..." He gave a small shake of his head and smiled.
He began to kiss her neck, then moved up to her temple, cheek, forehead, the tip of her nose, then her mouth. He pulled her flush with his body so that she could feel the proof of his desire. Aro felt her hands slide up his back, and when she tilted her head, baring her neck to him, he felt pleasure in her trust. He tasted her warm flesh, careful to nibble with his lips and not his teeth. His hands moved up to unbutton her shirt, parting the sides. Stepping back, Aro took in the view of his mate. He noticed her eyes shiny with her own desire. How beautiful she would be with the bright red eyes of a newborn.
Aro removed her shirt, letting it slide off her shoulders and drop to the floor. He feathered kisses along her right shoulder, eliciting sounds of pleasure from his delightfully human mate.
Celeste began to reciprocate by divesting Aro of his black shirt and tie, and sucking on the side of his neck. Against the cold skin, she murmured, "What's good for the goose, as they say."
Aro pulled away, and quickly slipping his arms beneath her, lifted Celeste, carrying her to the bed, where he lay her down and finished undressing.
While he was seeing to that, Celeste merely watched him, recognizing the darkness taking over the red of his eyes. Soon, she knew, they would be almost black in colour. Even though she thought herself too old for that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling, Celeste had to admit Aro gave her sensations no other man ever had. Before she let go her thoughts, he had unzipped her jeans and was sliding them down her legs. When they reached her ankles, she kicked her feet to send the denims flying across the room and land on a chair.
Aro climbed up on the bed and hovered over Celeste, his arms braced on either side of her. His silky black hair had fallen over his ears, tickling her face when he bent to kiss her. But as he tasted her with a cool tongue, she stopped giggling and placed her hands on his shoulders, but when they moved to his back, it was as if they were moving of their own volition, her body simply reacting to Aro's touch.
When his knee slipped between her legs, forcing them apart, Celeste decided to take more control. Letting her mate play her body like a violin was fine, but she had been left to her own devices for so long, she would have him know what she needed.
Aro settled between Celeste's long legs, waiting for the warmth of her skin to surround him once she wrapped them around his hips, so he was surprised when she managed to shove him onto his back. She straddled his hips and looked down at him, one of her hands pushing at his chest.
"So Master Aro, are you prepared to love me in the way I want, to give me all of you without question?" She asked in a low demanding voice.
"Isn't that my line, amore mio?" Aro replied, giving her a teasing smile.
Celeste reached down to take Aro's chin in the grip of her thumb and forefinger. "Did I say you could talk?" She bent to kiss him, her lips parting, her tongue exploring his while murmurs echoed deep in her throat.
"Fate di me ciò che volete," Aro said, his hands sliding over her back and down to cup her buttocks. He pushed her hips slowly back and forth over his hardened length. Damn, how had he not missed this while in those tiresome but necessary meetings. He had to take her right now. Flipping her onto her side, her one leg still draped over his hip, Aro moved to push himself deeply into her receptive body. His subsequent groan sent Celeste into lust mode, and she responded with a throaty "God, Aro!" before moving her hips in unison with his.
He buried his face into her neck, spurred by her arousal, a heady scent his sensitive nose recognized. While he took his pleasure of his human, he wondered how she had managed to do without this. Perhaps that was what had caused her dark moods, and Aro was instantly regretful. "No more, il mio cuore. Never again. You will always be mine."
"Always, love." Celeste bit her lower lip while her mate filled her, thrusting hard and deep. She could not remain still the entire time, meeting his thrusts with her own. Eventually Aro filled her with his cold emission as he came, feeling her inner muscular spasming as if they were milking him dry.
Her own climax was so intense, it took her by surprise and she gasped, then cried out. Her fingertips gripped Aro's hard back, unable to penetrate that vampire flesh. Celeste panted as she waited for her heart to stop beating so hard.
Aro was not breathing at all. While his mate came down from her orgasm, he bent over her and licked at her breasts, which were already hard peaks. He could taste the salt on her moist skin. Dei buoni, what had he done to deserve such a mate.
Aro continued kissing Celeste, running his mouth over hers. He was so wrapped up in the sensation, he became careless.
"Ouch! Aro, you bit me!" Celeste cried, running her hand over her lips. She pulled it back to see a small smear of red on one fingertip. Negligible.
But to Aro, it was a sample of a magic elixir. "I'm sorry, il mio cuore. I was carried away. It won't happen again." His eyes went to her finger.
"Yes, it will, but don't worry about it. As long as you don't change me, just yet." Celeste had to suppress a giggle at Aro's panic.
Finally, the two lay together in silence, limbs wrapped around each other and the sheet pulled over them up to their waists. Finally, Celeste cleared her throat, determined to ask the hard question.
"Aro, are you upset that I've expressed doubts to Caius? I mean, did he tell you everything?"
He took her hand and kissed each fingertip, then twined his fingers through hers. "I was more hurt you felt you could not come to me. Caius, my dear, seriously?"
"I'm sorry. I can't say it more. I only asked him because he didn't want me here at all..."
Interrupting her, Aro held up a finger to make his point. "In the beginning."
"Yes, in the beginning. So I felt he would listen and give me honest opinions."
"And I would not?"
"Aro, you already know what happened, what was said and how I felt. Please don't make me say it aloud. I didn't want to hurt you." Sitting up and moving back against the headboard, Celeste decided she wanted to know more about these meetings. When she saw Aro follow suit, moving closer next to her, she knew he was willing to talk.
"So do explain, why the meetings and whom are you watching?" Celeste asked, more than curious.
Aro had decided he should tell Celeste the reason why they had been in council so often, and were unable to spend time with her. He'd intended to keep his word and let her sit in with the coven as soon as the next meeting was held. He leaned back against the headboard, his arm around her shoulders while she lay against his side. He felt her fingers tracing random lines on his bare chest, and settled comfortably when her left leg draped over his possessively.
"Rumours started flying through the network that a European coven was planning on expanding in size, something we cannot allow. Since they seem determined to go through with this idea, we've been deliberating on two ways to handle it. One, send representatives to...discuss with them why this is unacceptable, and talk them out of it. Two, if they refuse, we'll need to convince them in other ways."
"Wait, Aro. Network?"
"Yes, cara. We may be thousands of years old, but we know about the modern world, and do make use of its technology. Those covens that wish to be included in this network may be included in the telecommunications. Nomads are especially encouraged to join, since they tend to run in smaller groups, don't stay in the same places for very long, and have less protection."
Celeste had no idea the vampire world operated like the CIA or military. "So, if they refuse, Aro, does that mean you'll have to fight them?"
"We may, my dear." Aro thought a moment, his mind jumping to the various times over the centuries they had to do actual battle. Extremely unpleasant but necessary. "We will discuss this more when we have our next meeting. Until then, don't think about what may happen."
Celeste sat up and asked, "Who is this coven, and where are they located?
"It's a small coven in Romania."
"So Dracula IS real?" Grinning, Celeste lowered her head, then looked at her mate, head tilted quizzically.
Aro tweaked Celeste's nose with a bent forefinger. "No, my silly human. But they did inspire the character. The area used to be called Dacia, now Romania. The Romanian covern consisted of several covens that had joined together to increase their strength and influence. There were once a dozen leaders, but after we defeated them, only Stefan and Vladimir and Vladimir's mate remained. She would be killed later, by what I heard. And that is why they hate the Volturi so much. Every blow they have suffered over the centuries was delivered by us. Over a thousand years old, and they were no match."
"You...destroyed their coven. If they were so powerful, how could you do that?"
"They had very strong vampires, perhaps stronger than Felix, but they made one fatal error I would not. They ignored the potential of gifted vampires for those with brute strength. The first war against them lasted a long time, but in the end we were victorious. We thought that was it. Later we found out they were creating an army by changing humans, as many as a hundred. You can imagine their surprise when we introduced them to Alec and Jane. Our dear twins made us nearly invincible. The second war took much less time." Aro sounded almost proud when he spoke of the Volturi and their victory.
Drawing Celeste back against his body, he had to make his mate understand that the Volturi have laws for a reason, and those that flout the laws must be stopped or punished. He preferred they obey, but at times the other coven made the choice for him. "You remember the law that forbids a vampire from revealing our existence."
"Yes, of course," she answered.
"If the Romanians begin randomly changing humans, their actions may be noticed. And I will not tolerate them creating another army."
Celeste leaned against her mate, his concern palpable. "Is it that imperative?"
Aro turned to peer at her, the seriousness of the situation reflected in his expression. "With modern technology, if half the world knows about them today, the other half will know tomorrow. Yes, it's an imperative."
Feeling she would no longer be able to live if any of her mates were destroyed, Celeste snuggled against Aro's cold body. She was used to it, and it was a warm afternoon in any case. She sighed and tightened her hold on him. So this was what permanent deprivation of one's mate felt like, and she still had them with her. It was the thought alone that seemed to trigger the feeling of loss within her. Her breath caught in her throat when she closed her eyes, trying to dispel the uncomfortable sensation.
Aro sensed her emotional reaction to the force from which the binding of mates orginated. "It would be a hundred times worse, cara. You remember Marcus when you first met him."
She did. It was a terrible thing to see and she was happy she had managed to give his heart a reason to beat again, so to speak. The smile faded in a flash.
Tucking a strand of hair behnd her ear, Aro tried to reassure his mate. "Don't worry. Celeste. None of us is going anywhere. I'm afraid you will be stuck with us for a very long time. Unless... you need time to yourself. Yes, Caius told me you are not even sure if you wish to stay. Would you be content if you did, or come to hate us. That is a concern of mine."
"Is that why we're here? Are you trying to bribe me with sex?" she asked, laughing ruefully.
"Of course not! I have missed you, whether you believe that or not. You're important to us all, and we don't wish to lose you. I don't wish to lose you." He peered into her eyes, looking for a sign of acceptance. He hoped he was able to convey her importance to them, and not just for the sex.
"Thank you, Aro." Celeste whispered in his ear. "I do love you, you know." She was rewarded with a sincere smile from the man whose smiles were not always so.
"Do you still love me more, cara?" He kissed her forehead and carefully tightened his embrace.
Celeste rolled her eyes. "Really? I refuse to answer that in case Marcus and Caius are listening."
"You didn't seem to care out on the boat," he teased.
She smiled and gave him her answer with a deep kiss. "Do you have to leave soon?"
As his response, Aro rolled over on top of her. "Did you think we were done, my love?" He kissed her neck as he buried his head there, his hair tickling her, making her laugh.
"Aro! Please! Don't get cheeky." She shrieked when his hands roamed downward. Celeste knew the others would hear them. With their enhanced hearing, how could they not, but perhaps it would give them an incentive to come see her too. She reached down and pulled the lightweight blanket up and over them.
A/N : I decided to try and get another chapter out before my Net connection is lost. Once its gone, it may be a while before I can come back. :-(
So Caius blabbed, but he felt he had to. And as it turned out, it wasn't a bad deal for Celeste. She wasn't right about Aro after all, was she.