In the shadows (Caius Volturi)

Awake and alive

***Nobody's position***

Shado didn't wake up that day. Or the next day. Or that week. Her condition wasn't getting worse and her wounds were also healing perfectly, she just didn't wake up.

This puzzled Carlisle. He knew Shado and she had also been hurt before while he took care if her and she never took this long to get better. Caius was due to leave the next day, but he was able to postpone it to when she was awake again.

It had been two weeks since the incident when Shado walked downstairs like nothing had happened. She was alone when she woke up, as the others were in the living room, talking about hunting and other vampire stuff.

Emmett fell off the sofa when he saw her. As she had been asleep for so long, she was unable to take nutrition to her, so her body looked even more thin and pale than normally. Carlisle had given her an infusion every day, but this didn't help her gain any weight or keep her old one. (Yes, this actually happens. I was in hospital and lost a lot of weight even if I was always hooked up with an infusion)

"You're awake!" Alice squealed when she saw her. Shado just nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like she hadn't been unconscious for two weeks.

"You shouldn't be walking around with your ribs. You managed to damage them real good. Do you feel any pain?" Carlisle asked, looking at her with a calculating gaze, trying to check her injuries. Shado shook her head. She didn't feel a lot of pain and she didn't like taking pain meds. They made her tired and she felt really weird afterwards. Besides, she had had much worse and then she couldn't have had any meds, as they didn't have any. A few broken rips, a stiff wrist and a few stiches wouldn't kill her.

"Do you remember how you got out of the water? We found you at the beach," Demetri asked after she had sat down beside Caius with a hiss.

Shado looked thoughtful and then shook her head furiously. "No, I got out myself" she said with a raspy voice. She didn't use her voice a lot and had been asleep for two weeks, which made his sound horse and painful.

"Well, then how did you get so far away from the cliffs. There is no way you swam that far with your injuries." Jane gave her a pointed look. What annoyed the blonde vampire even more was the fact that she couldn't see if Shado was lying. Her eyes gave nothing away which was very unusual. Shado managed to cover everything up that could help her figure out the girl.

"I'm a good swimmer" Was all she said. Jane scoffed but shut up after a pointed look from Caius. "Are you sure?" he asked calmly.

This was the first time Shado glared at Caius and it hurt his deeply. Then she gave him a firm nod. The two looked at each other, neither baking down from the staring battle.

"So...you got a parcel while you were asleep. Would you like to open it?" Esme questioned, tyring to break the tension. Without getting a reply she sped away and returned later with a small box a few seconds later.

It was black with a sleek white bow on top. Shado frowned but took it anyway. She opened the boy, putting the lid on the table in front of her before moving the silk cloth away, so she could see what was inside.

Shado just stared at the contents, tracing it gently with her finger. "Well what is it" Emmett asked impatiently.

Wordlessly she puled out an arrowhead. It was made of silver and had gold accents at the side, looking like vines which were trying to crawl up it. There was a leather band attached to it, so you could wear it as a necklace. There was an engraving on the back but before anyone could read it Shado flipped the arrowhead around again.

There was a card at the bottom of the box. The writing looked flawless and beautiful. It didn't say much. Just a "Get well soon" and it was signed with an S. Nothing more.

"Do you have an idea who it is from?" Jasper asked. Shado didn't react she just stared at the necklace in her hand. It looked so fragile, but it was still a weapon. It could kill someone if you put it on the ned of a stick.

"Shado?"

She shook her head. No, she didn't just have an idea. She knew for sure. Caius took the necklace out of her hand and helped her put it on.

He ignored the scar at her neck but decided to ask her about it at another time. Jane had told him that Shado was quite beat up, as Jane saw her shirtless when Carlisle dealt with her wound.

"It suits you" he commented. He was about to say something else when they heard a loud truck pull up on the driveway.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and gave out an annoyed sigh. "Great...Bella is here" Edward gave a pointed look before going to the door, returning a few moments later with Bella.

Bella gasped when she saw the Volturi sitting in the living room like it was normal. "The year isn't over yet...why are they here. Is that the reason you haven't had any time for me lately, Edward?" she asked with an accusing voice.

"Bella the Volturi have been out guests for two weeks. Except for Jane, Alec, Demetri and Felix who came with us from Volterra to make sure Shado is safe."

Bella looked gobsmacked at that. She looked at Shado and then smirked. "It doesn't look like they did a very good job at that" she said pointing at the bandage, which you could see through her thin jumper. "What did you do?"

"She was thrown off a cliff by Viktoria who wants to kill you too by the way" Rosalie said with an evil smirk.

Bella paled at that. "But I mean you caught her right? She won't hurt me?"

"Wow...you are really more selfish than I thought. Didn't think that was possible" Santiago said without even looking p from Emmett's switch, which he stole two days ago.