Yes, the title is inspired by a Måneskin song.
[Twilight characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer]
[English isn't my first language, so please be kind]
21
Le parole lontane
Claudio was dead, and there was no cure or poison for that. Elia checked his pulse and heartbeat over and over as Jane dug the grave as if waiting for some miracle. The girl couldn't think straight before, as if her brain didn't respond to her and there was no logic or explanation for it, just hunter instincts. She had simply attacked, and then the man's life had slipped between her teeth.
That's when her mind realized what it had done, and the feelings came all at once. Even though Elia didn't remember his face, her heart did. And it was uncomfortable, harrowing and cruel. On the way back, Jane just had to follow the screams.
- How much did you know? - Elia asked. She could barely see Jane's head. She was digging deep just like Demetri had once taught the newborn and the fact that she had a shovel available was morbid.
Jane took a long time to reply, first she jumped out of the pit, gracefully if anyone could do that. She had tied her hair in a high ponytail and her face was covered in dirt, as were her nails. Her black lace dress was all frayed and her white socks would probably be thrown away. But that wasn't the worst of it.
Elia didn't notice how Jane was completely alert. She didn't like the way the newborn was reacting, and the sight of Elia's face and clothes covered in dried blood just didn't help. The vampire would shiver on her own sometimes, especially when she looked at the dead boy's face and Jane feared that she would take her anger out on her in some way.
" If she attacks me," Jane thought, "how much pain can she take?"
- Alec stole a letter from your house once - Jane finally answered, kneeling beside Elia - when he showed me the guy in the hideout I knew he must be important to you, otherwise it wouldn't be worth so much effort.
- If he was important to me then why Alec... - Elia spoke too quickly, then her whole body trembled as if in a painful spasm.
Elia took off the silver ring and quickly placed it on Claudio's little finger before Jane wrapped the body in a red cloth. She avoided looking at the wound on his body.
- Out of jealousy, of course - Jane spoke as she continued the mortuary work, she wasn't as shocked by the scene as the Italian - Claudio was life and Alec... Well, death. It was a choice between something greater than love.
- But it was my choice, my... - Elia lowered her head, caressing the dead boy's face.
Jane hadn't covered his head yet, but she noticed how the newborn seemed more comfortable now that the wound on his neck had been hidden.
- I think I'll miss seeing his eyes - Elia said, her fingers gently touched his cheekbones and lips. If Jane wasn't so experienced, she would think the boy was asleep. - He didn't seem afraid of me, he was just... desperate.
Like other newborns, Elia had a habit of breathing, Jane noticed this the first day she saw her, but now, the girl's chest was motionless as if she had finally accepted defeat, accepted that she was dead.
Elia didn't say anything else, so Jane covered his head in a hurry to put an end to it, that's when suddenly the newborn bent to the side, her hands pressed against her stomach while her face contorted in an expression of agony.
- No, you can't vomit! - Jane threw herself towards her, covering her mouth with her hands - you can't!
Elia closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the feeling of despair that consumed her, but Jane didn't give up. The newborn then pushed Jane, and the vampire hit her back against an old tree trunk a few meters from the grave, and a crack appeared in the middle, and Elia hadn't even used all her strength. For the first time then, Jane looked at Elia with the intention of hurting her, as lightly as she could. She focused on her hands that were still shaking and soon Elia hissed in shock.
- If you vomit the blood then he died for nothing - Jane hurried to say, there was suffering in her voice - let him sustain you for a while, he would like that rather than being thrown away!
Elia lowered her head, as if agreeing silently. Jane walked cautiously, until she finally reached the body, placing it at the bottom of the grave. Elia had chosen a spot far from the hideout, a hill with trees and wildflowers with easy access from one of the tunnel passages after a walk. The grave would have only a stone as a memory, so Jane didn't object when Elia carved the 'E' of her name in it, after all she couldn't do more than that.
They covered the grave, both girls, in a melancholy, silent task, and Elia placed some flowers on top when they were finished. Elia's hands were still shaking as she spread the flowers, so Jane tried to hold them when she was done, but the vampire pulled them away.
Jane knew that the body could never be discovered or identified, but her biggest concern now would be how Elia would act towards her brother. Alec had taken precautions regarding this possible meeting; he had stopped the boy from speaking by hitting his vocal cords. But Jane had also acted while her brother was away, and she hoped that this would at least bring some comfort to the girl she considered a friend.
In the end, both Elia and Jane were a mess, but the newborn looked scarier. While Jane looked like an abandoned doll, Elia had the appearance of a serial killer covered in blood. And now that the sunlight had faded, the twilight began, and the annoying shine on their skin was finally fading away.
- Let's go back to the hideout - Jane said.
- You mean the cage.
Jane didn't want to argue, on the contrary, avoiding a confrontation with a newborn was her biggest goal, and the stares Elia gave her at that moment were concerning. Even after she had felt a taste of Jane's gift, it was as if she had no fear.
- Yes, the cage.
Elia took a while to get up, she kept staring at the stone that now held someone who was special to her as if Claudio was going to get up and dig the land. As for Jane, she just wanted to get out of there, away from the dirt, the worms and insects and especially the open space. Her brother was out, as was Aro, hunting enemies, but some could stray into the city and Jane wanted to be inside the castle.
"No, it's not just that," the vampire thought, feeling a tightness in her throat, greater than thirst, greater than hatred or fear, "it's guilt."
At least Elia accompanied her without complaint, and soon they found themselves back in one of the passages that led to the hideout where the human had been confined.
- He left something for you - Jane said when she realized that Elia was heading in the direction that led to the castle - don't you want to see?
Jane led Elia back to the hideout, a stone room in the middle of nowhere, close enough to the surface to have light and air, with metal bars where, in the past, a few humans had been kept before Heidi had joined the clan and things had become more sophisticated. Now they could make a list, age and appearance, color and gender, none escaped Heidi.
Fearing that Elia would lose control again, Jane hurried to grab the things that were inside the cage and hidden around the room.
- He couldn't talk so I gave him something to communicate with - she took an old, worn journal and handed it to Elia - of course I didn't answer any of the questions, I just instructed him to leave something for you if the worst happened.
Jane expected some desperate reaction, as there were blood stains on the journal, but Elia just pressed it to her chest in silence.
- Oh, and this... - Jane went to the mahogany piece of furniture with flower paintings, throwing the food packaging and the syringes that had not been used on the floor, she searched through the drawers until she found a woman's purse, whose handle was torn.
Elia reached out and took the purse, opening it, there were things in there with her name and face, documents, and a camera.
- I didn't look, I'm not good with these modern devices, the cell phone Gianna gave me is already complicated enough.
Elia said nothing, just nodded in gratitude, like a broken robot. Her gaze soon moved away from Jane and was drawn inside the cage, where there were still traces of the human's blood, and Jane couldn't' tell if she was hungry or disgusted.
- I won't tell Alec anything about this - Jane continued, eager to get some reaction from the girl, after all she was demonstrating her loyalty - if I tell him, he'll come back and take the journal from you.
Once again, Elia just clung to the journal as if it were a precious thing.
- Let's go back to the castle - Jane gave up, aware that it would be her responsibility to clean up that mess, and Elia went ahead, without asking if she was going in the right direction.
She locked the hideout and followed the newborn in silence.
Hello everyone and thank you for reading this far! I know you were expecting a longer chapter after two weeks, but I ended up not adding anything new in this chapter specifically. I think it was just a moment for Elia and Jane as the owner of the POV. Things now need to go back to being centered only in Volterra, there is a new character to arrive. And of course, Demetri needs to step up!