Hello!
Happy 2025!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Strangely enough, I ended up getting sick these days and I thought I wouldn't be able to write. Soon my life will also change, but anyway, I'm satisfied with this first chapter of the year. Please be patient with the author until the end of the story haha. I promise I'll do my best.
[Twilight characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer]
[English isn't my first language, so please be kind]
25
The Talk
When the Volturi left the city in a large procession, dawn was their greatest ally, even so, they had to split into several paths because of the few humans who remained awake keeping watch in the square. The same happened on the way back. Alec returned through the underground tunnels of the Church, along with Aro, Caius, Renata and a few others. Renata's expression was getting worse every day and Alec hoped that returning home would at least cheer her up a little, although Aro's future visit to her uncle's house must be the biggest cause of her anxiety.
There were many things Alec wanted to do when he finally got home, but the first thing he wanted to do was find Elia and find out what was going on. It had been weeks since they had spoken, and the silence left Alec's mind free to wander with theories.
Seeing Jane at the exit of the tunnel, practically near the castle reception, made Alec's eyes light up. He missed her dearly, and suspected that Aro's caution in choosing to separate them on missions had secret reasons, but at least Jane was safe. He held himself back from running and hugging her, as he didn't want to seem childish, but before he could be illuminated by the lamps of the reception where Gianna was, once again, on standby, Jane led him to a nearby corridor, far enough away from Aro and the others.
- What are you doing? - Those weren't the first words he expected his sister to say upon his return, but for Alec it was too strange to see Jane ignoring Aro and the gifts that Caius brought her. - and what is that you are wearing?
- It was a gift - Jane replied, looking at her brother to make sure there were no missing pieces - I promised her I would stay quiet until you got back, but now I need to tell her something...
Like every guilty man, Alec knew exactly what he had done wrong, but he still expected a different outcome.
- He's dead - Jane's words were quick and almost silent, she moved her lips more than she made any sounds, so that he would be the only one who heard - the prisoner.
- We knew he wouldn't last long, but... - Alec didn't understand why this should be treated with such secrecy - What about Elia?
His eyes wandered around the corridor that was now lit up by Aro's conversations with Gianna and the remaining guards, it was always like that when they returned from a mission, everyone wanted to know what had happened. Alec saw Marcus arrive timidly out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to greet Elia right away, before Demetri or Minos arrived.
- Alec, don't you understand yet?
Jane lost her temper with her brother's lack of focus.
- Elia killed him.
Alec blinked for the first time in a few weeks, it was as if those words didn't make sense.
- I beg your pardon?
Jane rolled her eyes.
- I took care of your girl for all these weeks, she tracked me, followed me, I was careless and then the boy died.
Jane finally pulled away, she wouldn't whisper anymore and Alec didn't realize how uncomfortable that subject made her.
- Is he really dead? - Alec replied, holding back a laugh - Are you sure?
It was as if lightning struck Alec's feet the instant Jane looked at them, making him jump until he stopped laughing.
- Why are you so angry? - Alec replied, holding his sister by the shoulders - You should be grateful that this torment is over, but I need to know one thing... Did he suffer?
- Of course he suffered.
The newborn's voice made Alec lose all desire to laugh. There was Elia, watching their talk, aware of what had happened, of what Alec had done. He hadn't thought about it before, how she would react to seeing him, on the contrary, he wanted the human to suffer and die so much that he didn't even think about her feelings. And now Alec didn't know how to react.
- Good luck with him - Jane said as she left, she had many questions to ask Aro and Caius than to stay there trying to make things better for her childish brother.
"Would she attack me?" Alec thought, "Is that why she didn't come to meet me with Jane? Is that what Jane tried to warn me about? Is it all over now?"
When she walked towards him, Alec backed up against the wall, but Elia only stopped when she managed to touch his face.
- You are covered in dirt - she said, and her concerned look was strange for the vampire.
She hugged Alec, who didn't feel any hostility from her, and he was good at sensing when someone wanted to hurt him. "Wait," the vampire thought to himself, "but she shouldn't remember him, should she? Did she remember him through the blood? Either way, if she tries something against me, I can defend myself."
- You smells like forest, mold and ash - she finally let go of him. Alec hadn't returned the gesture, he was still too shocked, too focused on thinking whether Elia hated him or not, whether she remembered who the human was or not.
They heard more footsteps approaching, the second group was arriving, with Demetri among them.
- Are there more coming? - Elia asked, she approached Alec as if she was suspicious, as if she expected him to protect her the same way he had done before he left.
Alec finally found the strength to hold her hand.
- Demetri, and the others - he said, paying attention to her reaction - do you want to stay and see him?
"What if she's faking it?", Alec thought, "what if this is all just an act?".
- It's okay - Elia's gaze returned to Alec's face, and he thought her red eyes contained a melancholy beauty - come and clean yourself first.
Out of the corner of his eye, Alec saw Caius hand Jane new daggers, this time encrusted with emeralds, and Aro glanced at them, as if interested in finding out what was going on with the young couple. As for Elia, Alec followed her before the second group reached the castle, a little impressed that she apparently knew her way around the underground hallways, as if she also belonged to the castle now.
Sometimes Elia seemed confused, but when Alec tried to help her, Elia would gesture for him to be quiet and quickly find the right path.
- Jane said I need to learn, and Marcus thinks it might be faster if I figured it out on my own.
He hadn't expected to hear about Marcus, and the third master had also been one of the last to arrive at the reception. Alec remembered Jane telling him that Elia might be a good companion for the elder vampire.
- Have you been spending time with Marcus? - The jealous sensation was unbearable.
- Yes, he is... - Elia hesitated, and that caused a strange feeling in the vampire's chest - Different.
- Different? - Alec seemed surprised, he squeezed Elia's hand and made her turn to face him.
Theoretically he should still be suspicious of her actions, but he was also foolish and reckless.
- What? Don't you find 'different' an acceptable word?
- I don't find any word you use to describe another man acceptable - Alec replied. The more he thought, the more Marcus resembled the dead young human.
Elia started laughing, and didn't stop even when Alec pressed her against the wall. An icy tension hung between them even as they heard the second part of the entourage arriving on the upper floors.
- What's the problem now? - Elia stopped laughing, her expression softening as she asked - I thought you'd be happy if we got down before Demetri arrived, and now you're jealous of Marcus?
- Do you know who that human was in the cage? - Alec asked at once, the black veil was already forming at his fingertips.
To his surprise, Elia shook her head.
- If you don't... - the answer made him hesitate, because again it was true - Why is Jane afraid?
- Because she's your sister - Elia answered.
It was a situation the vampire found himself in for the first time, with a sincere victim who didn't hate him.
- You're not mad at me? - he had to ask out loud.
- You don't understand…
- No, I don't understand, why are you here acting like you missed me when you know what I did?
- Because I missed you!
The simple, honest answer was incomprehensible to Alec. He had expected anything from her, anything, punches, slaps, death vows, but not that.
He gritted his teeth. Her words reverberated in his mind like an echo. Soon Alec could no longer control himself and the small distance between them closed in an instant. His eyes, which had previously been cold and calculating, were now filled with desire. Before Elia could react, his lips met hers, abruptly but desperately, as if he were trying to assert that she could not escape his control. Alec did not understand the outfit Elia was wearing, the green skirt seemed to have several layers torn, but intentionally, and she wore a thin-strap blouse and two large belts at her waist. He did not notice because of the tension when he saw her, but she was wearing the bracelet he had given her as a gift and the ruby stones matched the earthy tone of the skirt. They heard more footsteps approaching and Elia pulled her face away from Alec. She was panting because of the kiss, an old habit that made Alec want to take her for himself even more.
- I won't run away from you - Elia held his face as she said those words.
- Won't you? - Alec still wanted to test the waters - Even if I say that I will curse you and Demetri if you choose to stay with him? That I will torment you both wherever you go?
Alec was overcome by a whirlwind of feelings, and the words came out of his mouth with the force of a warning, but also full of possessiveness that he was tired of hiding. He still held her as if he wanted to make sure she wouldn't go anywhere.
The words hung in the air, weighing between them, the silence that followed was almost palpable. Alec fixed his eyes on Elia, trying to decipher her reaction, expecting to see her shrink, perhaps even retreat before the force of the threat. But what he found was completely different.
Elia didn't pull away. She didn't react with fear, or anger. Instead, her eyes softened, and a delicate smile appeared on her lips. She didn't look terrified, as he had imagined. On the contrary, the serenity with which she stared at him made Alec feel more vulnerable than he would like to admit.
With a gentleness that contrasted with the tension that filled the room, Elia enveloped him with unexpected tenderness.
Alec's head tilted slightly, confused. This was not the reaction he had expected.
-You really need a shower - Elia repeated, her voice filled with a sweet warmth that completely disarmed him.
When Elia touched his face, this time it was Alec who pulled away, stepping back like a lamb afraid of the slaughter.
- They're close now - Elia leaned her face forward, brushing her hair away from her ears, then continued on her way to the dorms - I'll go to your room, if you want to follow me... I really wanted to know about the Romanians, Marcus' answers are too vague and Jane only knows how to talk about severed heads, which gets weird after a while…
Alec stayed still, at least for a while, but followed Elia when the girl's figure disappeared into the darkness.