Edward Cullen's Little Sister

Chapter 8 - Italy

My senses returned and I saw the mist retreating. I looked around. I was no longer in Angmering. I was in a magnificent, large hall covered in ornate decoration.

Many Vampires, dressed in the same black cloaks as the boy and girl who kidnapped me, where stood around the room. Most were stood in defensive stances but some where in more casual stances including a young looking vampire stood to the side of the room. He only looked a few years older than me and he didn't take his eyes off me.

My eyes travelled round the room before landing on the three vampires sat on three thrones on a raised platform at the head of the room. They had the darkest cloaks out of everyone - pure black. The others varied to lighter shades of black and dark shades of grey.

"Greetings," The vampire in the middle throne said as I stood up.
"Who are you?" I asked. I heard a faint growl from behind me to my left.
"My name is Aro. I'm sure you have a few questions for us." He gestured to the vampires sat on either side of him.

"I do. Who are the rest of you? Where am I? Why am I here? And what did he mean" I pointed to the boy who had kidnapped me "when he said 'We've been waiting for you?'"

"Slow down young one," Aro said. "I will answer your questions and then you can answer ours." I didn't like the sound of that but I wanted answers and this seemed to be the easiest way to get them so I nodded.

"You are in Volterra, Italy and we are the Volturi," Aro began. "Have you heard of us?" I shook my head. "There aren't many in this world who haven't heard of us. Are you a young vampire?"
"You answer my questions then I answer yours." I crossed my arms over my chest. I heard another faint growl.

Aro spoke again. "My my, we do have a feisty one here. Well, we are the rulers of our world. We keep the order and make sure our kind is kept a secret which brings me to you. You are here for the same reason Alec" he pointed to the boy "said we were waiting for you. You murdering the whole of Angmering was very conspicuous. As soon as we received news of the many deaths I dispatched a number of our coven to see to the problem. The bodies were burned before the humans discovered that they contained no blood but it was a very close call. We have been waiting for you to address you about the incident and make sure you are very clear on the laws."

Aro stood up and approached me. "May I have your hand dear?" He asked holding out his own. I wasn't sure. I didn't know what he was going to do. For all I knew, he could have a gift that would torture me if I touched his hand.
"No." I told him. My arms were still folded over my chest.
"Jane," Aro's eyes didn't leave me.

Suddenly I was overcome with the worst pain I had ever felt apart from my transformation. I let out an agonised scream and fell to the floor. My head was filled with pain but I could just about think clearly enough to know of a way to stop the pain. I didn't know which vampire was Jane so I used my power on all the vampires in the room except Aro and the other two sat in the thrones. They clearly weren't Jane. I used my gift and made it so everyone couldn't see anything, hear anything or smell anything. The pain stopped and I stood back up.

"Jane?" Aro asked. He turned to look at her, surprised when he got no response.
"What have you done?" One of the vampires who was sat on one of the thrones asked. Anger laced his voice as he stood up.
"Caius," Aro spoke his name and the vampire, Caius, sat back down, still seeming angry.
"What did you do?" Aro asked in a calmer tone but I could hear the anger behind it.
"What did Jane do?" I countered.
"It's her gift," Aro explained.
"Well, that is my gift. Why did you need my hand?"
"Release them and I'll tell you."
"Tell me and I'll release them."

With his weapons incapacitated, and seeing that I wasn't going to release them unless Aro told me what he wanted, he gave in. "My gift is that I can read every thought you've ever had with a touch. I was going to see if you knew about the laws or anything about vampires when you massacred the village or afterwards." I released the rest of the Volturi.

Jane looked confused and Alec looked bewildered but there was something else there too. "So that's what it feels like," he whispered to Jane but as we were in a room full of vampires, he might as well have spoken at a normal volume; we could all hear what he said.

"Now may I have your hand?" Aro asked. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his. Aro's eyes widened at one point. He soon let go of my hand and returned to his thrown.
His voice rang out around the room when he spoke. "Eliana had no idea about our vampire laws or about us. There was no meaning to kill conspicuously and therefore no punishment shall be issued today." Jane's face fell slightly.

"Eliana you are now aware of the laws are you not?"
"Yes I am. I will not kill conspicuously and will keep my vampire identity a secret."
"Well then, I think we are finished here." I was about to turn and leave when Aro called "Actually, there is one final thing I would like to say. You have a very powerful gift, one that would be of great use to us. I would like to offer you a position in our guard. I'm sure you would find your place. Would you like to stay and assist here with our work?"

I looked around the room. Jane's face wore an expression of anger that she wasn't even attempting to hide. Based on her obvious and sudden dislike for me, the fact that Aro had been so willing for Jane to torture me only mere minutes ago and that he had asked me to stay only after he had discovered I possessed a powerful gift I knew what my answer was going to be.

"Thank you for the invitation but I'm going to decline. I'm not really one for staying in one place for a long time. I like to roam and be free and I feel like I could not do that so much if I stayed here. Plus the difference in our diets. I'm not comfortable drinking human blood and I know that human blood is preferable to you than animal blood. So thank you but no thank you, sorry."

"Don't worry Eliana, I understand." Aro was the one to answer; he is very much the leader. "Remember we are always here if you change your mind."
"Thank you."
"Demetri," Aro turned to the young vampire at the side of the room. "Please show young Eliana out."

Demetri headed for the heavy, oak doors at the back of the room and I followed him out.
"So do you know who changed it you?" He asked.
"No. Do you know who changed me?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Me."
"Why?" But Demetri refused to answer. As I looked at him, a strange feeling built inside me. He suddenly seemed more attractive. I liked him. I would even have gone as far to say loved him even though I had only spoken to him once. He didn't say another word.

He showed me to the exit and I left. It was night so I could leave without fear of being seen.

I ran for the ocean and swam until I reached America once more.

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Shoutout to @savagekillerblue ❣️❣️❣️