gift or curse (A Twilight fanfiction)

Chapter 5

Being among so many humans was strange, to say the least. It felt uncomfortable at first, thirst hitting me in the face with a jackhammer, but I got used to it. It had helped to feed before I ventured out into the world of taxi's and airplanes once more. Miraculously, my passport still worked. I hadn't realized that could have become a problem until I was at customs.

I sucked in my breath and tried to keep the shock of my expression as I watched in terror as the woman behind the counter scanned my document. Would I have to run? Feign forgetfulness and simply exit? Would she warn the police?

There was no fear that they could harm me in any way or even try to detain me, but the one rule I had deduced myself, that was law to a vampire, was to be invisible.

I exhaled and smiled exuberantly as she handed the brown leather booklet back to me, causing the pour woman to stumble while standing still. Apparently my parents didn't think I was dead.

However, the knowledge that they still hoped I would turn up one day, hurt me more than thinking they had peace with my demise. And what would me using this passport do to them? Would they find out? Track me? I needed a new identity after I arrived in Europe. Perhaps my new friends could help me there. For now, I got on the plane without any questions asked.

At the first stop I barely dared to use my passport again, but I really didn't want to swim across the ocean.

The man that checked my data halted me, when a warning appeared on his screen. "Hold up, please, I have to check something."

I scrunched my eyes, looked over my shoulder as inconspicuously as I could and then leaned forward.

"There is nothing the matter, you have to let me pass without sounding the alarm", I begged in a frantic whisper.

The man straightened up, looked at me in a daze and quietly approved my passing. My eyebrows shot up as I saw how he deleted the warning and smiled at me like a child who was positive he had made his mom proud.

When I arrived in London, I ditched my passport and traveled the rest of the way on foot. Carlisle had drawn the route with a red marker on the map I memorized. It only cost me a few days. There was enough forest to hide and feed in without anyone noticing, between England and Italy, so when I finally arrived at the doorstep of the beautiful village of Volterra, my eyes were a bright gold and I felt optimistic. I've made it this far, I was sure they wouldn't turn me away.

---

It was quiet in the night as I calmly walked through the streets of the town that somewhat reminded me of home. The plaster on the walls of the lovely homes had a sandy color by day; at this hour everything was gray. At least for a human eye. I could see every facet of the stucco on every house, even a mile away and my brain stored all the information with room to spare. I knew I would be able to store an entire library of information in there and hoped fervently that these Volturi indeed had a library.

The scent of vampires lingered in every street, and part of me warned me to stay away. Yet my feet automatically pulled me toward the large cathedral like building at the top of the hill. I wondered who would come to greet me and if they would want to help me.

All of a sudden, two dark figures appeared in front of me, seemingly out of nowhere, but my senses had picked them up a little before their feet hit the cobblestones, so I wasn't too shocked to see them. They were both so huge that Emmet was small in comparison. I wondered if even the wolf Jacob could match their heights. Were these guards? I recoiled and automatically crouched down a little.

None of us spoke at first, should I begin? What if they didn't speak English? I could try Greek, but my Italian went no further than pizza and grazzi.

After al those long seconds had passed, I straitened and asked: "Ehm... Do you speak English?"

An offended huff told me they did. Yeah, if these vampires were indeed very old, they probably had learned many languages. I studied their faces for a moment, but saw nothing that could indicate their age. Would it even show?

I sucked in a deep breath, not because I needed it, but because it felt like the thing I would have done if I was still human. My five years in solitude had apparently not taught me to give up those little human trades completely.

"I am looking for the Volturi."

"Why?" the smallest one, his skin a strange shiny brown in the moonlight, asked.

"I wish to learn and I understand they are the eldest of our kind?" I rapidly answered.

As I looked from one grim face to the other, I was beginning to wonder if these brutes could actually help me. They looked more like bouncers to me.

Becoming irritated, I snapped: "Can you take me to someone who can actually help me or are we going to stand here until the sun comes up?"

"Tsjk tsjk tsjk," a new voice came from behind and I quickly swirled around. This vampire was different. His skin was lighter as was his hair. And he wore a smile on his face that took my breath away.

Vampires were dazzling. I had learned that quickly after meeting the Cullens, but none of them could compare to this young man. He seemed not much older than me, but appearances were deceiving in this world. He stood there as a matador, one hand behind his back and chiseled chin held high.

Hoping my astonishment wasn't showing, I waited for him to speak again and he did; his voice a rich velvet. It would have given me goosebumps. Right now I kind of missed these human emotional responses.

"Volterra is a peaceful town, we don't want to make a scene now, do we?"

I shook my head automatically. But then I pushed the enchantment away from me. I needed a clear head, after all the Cullens seemed to be terrified of these creatures.

"I'm sorry, I didn't come here to make a scene", I replied, using his own words. Perhaps I would just have to tell them the whole reason I came here. Didn't Carlisle warn me to be truthful?

So I added: "I was created in Seattle, but lived in Canada for the last five years. When I was sure I could walk among humans without killing anyone, I started to search for others, looking for answers. I found a coven in Washington, they told me about the Volturi, so here I am."

There was a crease in his eyebrows after hearing my story. "You met the Cullen clan?"

I nodded, aware of the disapproval in his question.

"And they sent you here?" Disbelief was clearly audible in his words.

I hurried to put his mind at ease. "Well, no. Actually, they warned me not to come, but I wanted to."

His hostile stance lessened. "So you are not a part of their clan?"

It took me but a missing heartbeat to reply with a negative to that question. "No! I couldn't live with that constant peaking in my brain."

The handsome vampire with his classy dark gray coat, chuckled and his clear red eyes sparkled. "I know what you mean. You don't have an accusation about them?"

I frowned. "Ehm, no."

"That's a shame."

All of a sudden the biggest vampire behind me said with a heavy voice: "If you don't have a complaint, you have no business here. Go back to where you came from."

"But-" I started to say, yet was interrupted by the one in front of me.

"Felix", he hushed the giant, "she comes in search of knowledge. You heard her, she has been alone from the day she was created, she at least needs to be instructed about our laws."

Looking over my shoulder, I wondered whether I should be grateful or suspicious that the younger one seemed to want to help me. The look he gave me was rather flattering, but I didn't want to be distracted. Still, it could be fun to let this obvious attraction play out some more.