Days slipped into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. The human war ended, and yet the vampire one with the Romanian force waged on. She lost count of the battles that ensued over the next two dozen years, how many times she had to smell the smell of burning vampire corpses as the smoke from their burning bodies wafted in front of her face, her cloak hood pulled up tight around her face.
Her more calmer self disappeared too. She remained set in her ways -training, patrol, and then she'd seal herself into her room, the dust that was gathering on the rarely used furniture gathering all the time. It was how it had always been since that day, and that was how it was going to remain, that was, at least, until she didn't need to be trained anymore, and then it was guard duty, patrol, and room retreating.
Her small heels clicked quietly as she walked the corridor the main hall to feed, her dirty blonde waves pulled into a tight bun atop her head, her dark dress suit being something that Corin got her, the platinum blonde haired vampire having become a close friend over the past years, the cheeky vampire always attempting to make her smile, although she rarely succeeded anymore.
She walked into the large marble decorated room, taking her place beside Corin, the vampire giving a mischievous grin in response to her arrival. Olivia remained silent, her hands clasped over her stomach neatly, eyes focussed on her fingers. She could hear the chattering of the approaching tourists, the laughing amongst some of them, a sound that would soon be extinguished.
And extinguished it was.
The burn that had been there was now a dull throb, and she watched as the bodies were thrown into the bottomless pit beneath the hall, the putrid smell of the strong acid hitting the bodies making her nose turn up, the blonde beside her mirroring her own expression. She went to leave, but a voice stopped her. "Olivia, a word, if I may," Aro called, and she paused, turning around while everyone else filed out behind her, walking forward to stand in front of the Master, her eyes fixed on him.
He gave her a smile. "My dear, you've excelled these few years, more so than I anticipated you would do so, I must confess. Your progress, and existence, is spreading to the others in our world."
She gave a slight incline of her mouth. "Is that good, or bad?" She inquired and he chuckled, hands clasped together in a prayer stance. "It can be both, but I don't think I'm quite ready to share you with the world just yet, although there have been many whispers, wondering who you are." He informed her and she hummed. "They should keep whispers to themselves," she stated and he gave a rolling titter. "Quite right, Olivia, but rumours do fly fast in our world, and after over two decades within our ranks, although I'm not comfortable about it, perhaps showing who you are but not disclosing your gift is a way to go about such a problem."
Her head bowed as she nodded. "Of course Master. When will this gathering happen?" She inquired and he gave titter. "In one week. Prepare yourself, my dear, for as I'm sure you're well aware, not all of our kind are as civilised as we are."
Walking back from the main hall was daunting, and even after three decades, she hated being out in the corridors with the lower guard, not oblivious to the hungry eyes that followed her as she walked to and from places within the castle. It was a little more than daunting sometimes.
Her heels clicked as she walked, her head held high, red eyes blank, void of all emotion. It was a mask she wore well, even after three decades. It made sure she wasn't vulnerable to anything, or anyone for that matter.
A certain someone didn't make it easier than it should've been, that was for sure. She knew he followed her with his eyes, and while she wished she wouldn't, she did too, occasionally, nowhere near as often as he did. And he seemed to be wherever she was too, that irritating her beyond belief.
And speak of the devil.
Rose petal coloured eyes locked on the figure waiting beside her door, those pretty coloured irises narrowing as she picked up the pace to her bedroom door. She raised a brow as he looked at her. "What do you want?" She asked and he sighed. "Can we talk, in private?" He hinted and she remained straight faced, not showing an ounce of emotion, but inclined her head, opened the bedroom door and gestured for him to go first. He did so, and she followed, irritation slowly filling her newly red eyes.
The door shut behind them and she clasped her hands over her incredibly flat stomach, arching a brow as he remained silent. "You want to talk? Lets talk. I don't have anything to say unless it involves official Volturi business, and if its about what happened three decades ago, you can leave." She stated firmly and he nodded. "Understood. I was just wondering if you wished to train for a while." He stated, and she gave him a blank look before she stepped aside, allowing him entry into her room.
She closed the door softly behind him, taking a seat on the small seat that would house three by the lit fireplace. She motioned for him to sit opposite her. The thick black smoke coiled out of his hands, and rushed straight over to her. She didn't flinch as it seeped into her body through her creamy white skin, only closing her eyes briefly as the thick black coiling smoke coursed throughout her lithe body. It hurt immensely, as it always did, but she pushed the pain away, focussing on the simmering rage that was always brewing just beneath the surface. It coiled around it, attacking it like a foreign entity would be inside a bloodstream, and she exhaled softly, reopening her eyes, the once ruby red orbs now covered with a thick sheen of black.
Alec watched quietly; her hands clenched, the black smoke coiling around her fists in almost a loving caress. It was strange, to know that despite their revulsion to one another, she needed his gift to be able to power her own, a dependency that she neither liked nor appreciated. If he were to somehow fall, she would be all but useless to the masters, something that left an extremely bitter taste, besides the venom, in her mouth.
Olivia exhaled softly, her eyes finding his as rose coloured irises watched her closely. She quirked a brow upwards, unimpressed somewhat at his persisting, unwavering stare. "Is something bothering you?" She clipped and he hummed. "Just thinking."
Both brows were raised this time. "Thinking is a dangerous thing."
A smirk flashed across his face as he leant backwards, eyes still firmly on her as she turned to face him, the darkness having left her body and now coiling around her hands loosely, It wafted in and out of her fingers, like a mother caressing a child -a gentle caressing touch.
He eyed her hands before looking straight at her again. "Are you going to the gathering Master is planning?" He asked and she hummed, closing her hand into a fist, the smoky black vapour vanishing. Her eyes returned to their normal red colour. "Of course," she replied simply, and he raised a brow. "And here I thought large gatherings weren't your forte." He commented casually.
Scarlett eyes flashed to his. "They aren't, but it is Master's gathering. It would be disrespectful and rude not to attend." She stated coolly and he nodded firmly. "It would indeed. Are you going with anyone? I know some of the lower guard have set their sights on asking you." He mocked.
A scoff ripped from her pale lips. "Absolutely not. And those in the lower guard are only trying to make themselves known to everyone else here. Trying to woo an elite guard member would do that, so how unfortunate for them that I'm most certainly not interested in looking at someone of their stature, whatsoever." She snorted.
Alec smirked, the open-mouthed, smug smile making her a little uncomfortable. "So what if someone from the elite guard were to ask you?" He asked and she frowned before her eyes widened and in a flash, she was standing. "You have got to be joking," she snapped, fury alight in her crimson red orbs, eyes that were growing darker by the minute with anger. "You use training as a way to worm yourself into my bedroom to catch me off guard?"
He stood too in a blur. "I didn't mean myself, but if that is how you feel, suit yourself. Just know other members of the elite, say Lawrence for example, was planning to ask you himself, but if you'd rather deal with his constant advances, suit yourself, Olivia," he stated with a smirk and her eyes narrowed. "You're lying." She accused slowly.
HIs smirk widened a little. "Am I? I wouldn't demand your attention all night, unlike him, and I certainly wouldn't try any unwanted advances. One dance, and then you'd be free to yourself for the rest of the evening. I spend such gatherings with Jane regardless." He stated smoothly.
Her almost wine red eyes looked at him suspiciously before she hummed, giving a slow nod. "Fine." She stated coolly, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders. "I'll go with you, if only to stave off others advances. One dance, and then you leave me alone for the rest of the evening, agreed?"
Alec flashed her a pearly white razor sharp toothed grin, backtracking towards the door as he did so, not about to let her back out of the agreement. "Agreed," he answered, whirling around sharply yet gracefully at the same time before he pulled the door open and strode out of her room, a smirk plastered firmly on his face.
As he rounded the corner towards his own quarters, his eyes met the disapproving red ones of Jane, the same, silent blonde merely narrowing her eyes to her scheming brother. "Lawrence wasn't ever going to ask her. He found his mate in another coven a month ago," she stated accusingly and Alec gave a nonchalant raise of his shoulders as he eyed his sister slyly. "Did he? That news eluded me."