Allure (Caius Volturi)

14

Perfect Manicure on a Severed Pinky

I watched confused as the scene front of me played out. My parents danced slowly to the music on the stereo.

"Hero went to bed earlier than usual tonight." My father said and my mother hummed in agreement. "Maybe we could spend some time catching up on things we've gotten behind on..." He trailed off and my mother turned to look up at him. They kissed slowly and I found myself enamored with the whole thing.

They should be dead...

A crash in the kitchen made the three of us jump and my mother sighed.

"Is that you, Hero?" She called gently. "I thought you were asleep already."

No answer. I felt my chest begin to tighten as my mother moved away from my father.

"Stay here with Dad." I heard my voice come out, but neither responded. I tried to grab my mother's arm as she went to the doorway. I heard her gasp and I scrambled forwards to pull her back. Maybe shield her with my own body instead. My mouth opened to create some sort of noise anything to further warn her. But her blood curdling scream and my father's call of her name told me I was too late. The blood that dripped onto the carpet made me freeze, taking me back to that morning, where the first thing I saw was her bloody stain and then their bodies.

I woke up crying, my tears falling into my hair line and pooling in the corners of my eyes. I sat up quickly, glancing around my room, checking for unwelcome apparitions. I jumped when a sillhouette near my door moved. I scrambled back, heels scraping the bed to push me further.

"Hero, you need to breathe." A far away voice said as the shadow got closer to my bed. I saw its blood red eyes and it only served to further my panic. "Darling, breathe." The voice took a tender turn.

"N-no." I shook my head wanting to scrunch my eyes shut, but I had to keep an eye on it.

"Amore Mio, you have to breathe." The shadow moved so quickly, so similarly to...

"No- don't want to die. I can't- you'll kill-" Air entered my lungs, a cold seal over my lips, my nose squeaking with a surprised inhale. A soft, yet cold hand on my cheek held me still.

"Good, keep going." The voice coaxed, the assumed connected body maneuvered on my bed, fixing the covers that I'd churned in my panic. I jumped at the cold hand on my exposed leg. "It's just me. I will never hurt you, Tesoro." The voice spoke again and I blinked into the dark as the person, I had identified as male in gender, helped me back safely under the bed covers.

"They should never have died." I mumbled numbly as the covers were pulled over my shoulder. "I hate my birthday." A soft hand over my hair made my eyes close slowly in comfort. Esme usually stroked my hair to get me to sleep after nightmares. I had been getting better the past four years. Now, I wasn't so sure.

~

Caius strode with purpose. He knew where Jane was. He needed to speak with her. It had to do with Hero, that was enough to put him on edge, though he didn't like to think about why.

"What can I help you with, Master Caius?" She asked formally as he pulled her from the guards' quarters.

"Tell me what Hero told you." He said bluntly.

"Master Caius, I promised Hero that-"

"Don't try my patience." Caius growled glaring down at her as he stepped forwards. "Hero had such a traumatic experience that she's having nightmares that leave her almost delirious." Jane had begun to look resigned. "Voglio che tu mi dica."