gift or curse (A Twilight fanfiction)

Chapter 16

I marched us straight to the door that led to the courtyard with the fountain, but it was still light outside, so I halted in front of the massive doors that kept the shadows inside. It was there that Demetri found his voice again.

"That ... was incredibly stupid. I can't believe you got away with it."

I quirked an eyebrow at him and huffed. "Just because you are all afraid of him, doesn't mean he has the right to do whatever he pleases. That just makes him a bully."

He chortled, still with wide open eyes, as if he couldn't believe what had happened. "He may be a bully, but make no mistake, if he wants you dead, you won't live another second. I am really beginning to wonder what he thinks you can do. Clearly you have no idea, yourself."

That fact annoyed me more and more. "No, I don't, and yes, I would like to find out. Isn't there some test you can do? Like those stupid things on the internet where you can answer a bunch of questions and it tells you what kind of person you are?"

Apparently Demetri's search history never encountered those before. Then again, he was over a millennium old, internet must be too new for him. Here in Volterra, time seemed to have rewinded a century.

His hand, the one that wasn't holding mine, stroked the smooth surface of his chin. He never had to shave, a big plus, for me as well. When he spoke, I halted that train of thought.

"There is someone who knows that kind of stuff, but he lives over in Alaska, last I heard and I doubt I would get permission to travel there."

"Permission?" My hackles rose. "We don't need permission, we're not his slaves. I know you sort of work for him, but it's not as if we'll stay away forever. We're just going on a trip." My voice rose as well.

Demetri moved closer and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Shh, it's alright. You're right, we are slaves to no one, but you are not old enough to understand how serious a threat an enemy like Aro could pose. Do not underestimate his power, please. I implore you not to antagonize him."

I forced myself to let go of the anger that was building up inside of me. I had seen that power in Aro's eyes, truly, I understood the warning. But Demetri was right, I was young. And that meant that I had grown up in an age of freedom, not servitude. I could not and would not submit myself to some self-appointed dictator, no matter how powerful.

My decision was made and I was glad he couldn't read my mind as I reassured him: "I will ask. I don't know what he wants from me, yet, but if he is serious, he will listen to me."

My handsome tracker didn't like it, I could see it in his eyes. His hold on me increased, but when I stepped forward and pressed my lips to his, he relaxed. Besides, if Aro had wanted me dead, he'd had every opportunity the past week.

Imploring Demetri to wait here, I rushed back inside the manor. However, my object wasn't to ask Aro for permission. I felt no need for that. Besides, Demetri was the best tracker in the world, who would be able to out-track him? No, my quest was for Chelsea.

I stopped to ask for directions twice and found her at last in some sort of common room, where she sat beside a man that I figured to be her husband.

"Chelsea," I immediately prompted, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

For a moment I questioned whether it was wise what I was about to do, considering Aro would be able to find out about it with little effort. But if I was very careful with my words, I would be able to keep our trip a secret. There was only one thing I wanted to ask her anyway, and that was no secret at all.

She stood up with a weary expression, but followed me to a spot just out of range of vampire ears. Without further hesitation, I softly asked: "What is your superpower?"

Whatever it was that she had feared I would ask, this was not it, and when she began to laugh, I smiled as well.

"Is that what you came to ask? I thought- no, doesn't matter. My ... superpower, as you call it, is that I can see the ties that bind people together. Lovers, friends, any sort of loyalty. I ..." here she became hesitant.

"What? Tell me."

She inhaled and said without further wavering: "I can also break those bonds or make new ones."

I scrunched my face. Why would anyone want to do that? My mind flipped this peculiar gift over and over, until some sort of understanding dawned.

"You can make bonds ... Strengthen them? Between anyone?"

Her nod was dejected, as if she was ashamed of her gift.

"Against their will?" I whispered, as the light bulb above my head suddenly switched on.

This time, the nod was minute and I inhaled sharply. That was what made everyone so incredibly loyal to Aro. Chelsea did.

I didn't dare to ask her about Demetri, or even if she had used her gift on me yet, but there was one other thing I wanted to know, before I left. "Why did you look at us with a funny look, before, in the throne room."

"Throne room?" She smiled a little, but then her frown reappeared. "I was looking at the bond between you and Demetri. It is incredibly strong, but I could not understand why Aro was so ... forgiving, towards you. I thought, perhaps he was afraid that the bond between you two would lessen the one between Demetri and himself, but that bond is also strong. In the beginning I made that bond, to get Demetri to choose us, but for many, many years, I didn't have to encourage it. Most of the guard see it as a great honor to work for the Volturi. Demetri as well. So I guess I still don't understand." She shrugged and eyed me curiously.

I pondered for a bit. It made sense now, why Aro had so much power. I didn't ask Chelsea why she remained by Aro's side. Her reasons were her own, I didn't need to know. I was also grateful to learn that, at least for the most part, Demetri's choice to remain in servitude, was his own. I guessed there was not much else I wanted to learn from her at this point, so I smiled and said thank you.

Relief was visible in her face and we said a friendly goodbye before I left and hurried back to where Demetri was waiting.

Happy, that Chelsea's strange look hadn't meant anything to worry about, I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him. He enthusiastically responded and since there was not much else to do, but wait for the sun to go down, we enjoyed the empty, dark corners of the hallway as best as we could.

---

When the sun set, we left the building and walked leisurely through the streets of Volterra, until we were out of sight of the humans, then we ran. I would wait to tell him about the non-existing permission he thought we had, until we were far away from Italy. No need to worry him for nothing and I would deal with whatever Aro would throw at us, when we got back. Perhaps he wouldn't be too upset because we would be back anyway.

My mind located a map of the world that my poor human memory had stored one time and as we crossed the border tot Switzerland, I figured this time we did have to swim across an ocean, since I didn't have a new passport yet. Oh well, so be it. Demetri was with me, he could fight off any sea monsters.