Twilight Imagines

Size doesn't matter, buddy part 8

Word count: 1476

You were in a brightly lit, unremarkable hallway. The walls were off-white, the floor carpeted in industrial gray. Common rectangular fluorescent lights were spaced evenly along the ceiling. It was warmer here, for which you were sure Bella was grateful, as the sound of her chattering teeth seized. This hall seemed very benign after the gloom of the ghoulish stone sewers. Edward, Alice and you glowered darkly down the long hallway, toward the slight, black shrouded figure at the end, standing by an elevator. Edward pulled Bella along, while Alice walked on her other side and you walked closely behind them. Closely followed by Felix and Demetri. Felix still walked very close behind you, nearly touching your back with his chest and it made you feel giddy in a weird way. You wanted to turn around and let this man hold you in his grasp. But you knew better than to give in to your desires.
The heavy door creaked shut behind you, and then there was the thud of a bolt sliding home. Jane waited by the elevator, one hand holding the doors open for you. Her expression was apathetic. Once inside the elevator, the three vampires that belonged to the Volturi relaxed further. They threw back their cloaks, letting the hoods fall back on their shoulders. Felix and Demetri were both of a slightly olive complexion and it looked odd combined with their chalky pallor. Felix's black hair was cropped short, but Demetri's waved to his shoulders. Their irises were deep crimson around the edges, darkening until they were black around the pupil. Under the shrouds, their clothes were modern, pale, and nondescript.
Bella cowered in the corner, cringing against Edward. His hand still rubbed against her arm. He never took his eyes off Jane. The elevator ride was short; you stepped out into what looked like a posh office reception area. The walls were panelled in wood, the floors carpeted in thick, deep green. There were no windows, but large, brightly lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside hung everywhere as replacements. Pale leather couches were arranged in cosy groupings, and the glossy tables held crystal vases full of vibrantly coloured bouquets. In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter. A woman standing behind it. She was tall, with dark skin and green eyes. She would have been very pretty in any other company, but not here. Because she was every bit as human as Bella was.
She smiled politely in welcome. "Good afternoon, Jane," she said. There was no surprise in her face as she glanced at Jane's company. Not Edward, his bare chest glinting dimly in the white lights, or even Bella, dishevelled and scared. Jane nodded. "Gianna." She continued toward a set of double doors in the back of the room, and you followed.
As Felix passed the desk, he winked at Gianna, and she giggled. A frown crept onto your face and a growl was stuck in your throat. You wanted to drag the human over the mahogany desk and do things to her you had only done to those men whom nearly beat you to death years ago. You shook your head quickly and regained yourself.
On the other side of the wooden doors was a different kind of reception. The pale boy in the pearl gray suit could have been Jane's twin. His hair was darker, and his lips were not as full, but he was just as lovely. He came forward to meet you. He smiled, reaching for her. "Jane." "Alec," she responded, embracing the boy. They kissed each other's cheeks on both sides. Then he looked at your group. "They send you out for one and you come back with three and a half," he noted, looking at Bella. "Nice work." She laughed, the sound sparkled with delight like a baby's cooing. "Welcome back, Edward," Alec greeted him. "You seem in a better mood." "Marginally," Edward agreed in a flat voice. Bella glanced at Edward's hard face, and wondered how his mood could have been darker before. Alec chuckled, and examined Bella as she clung to Edward's side. "And this is the cause of all the trouble?" he asked, sceptical. Edward only smiled, his expression contemptuous. Then he froze. "Dibs," Felix called casually from behind. Edward turned, a low snarl building deep in his chest. Felix smiled, his hand was raised, palm up; he curled his fingers twice, inviting Edward forward. You quickly pulled Edward back before he could launch at Felix. Alice touched Edward's arm. "Patience," she cautioned him. They exchanged a long glance, knowing Alice was showing Edward the future if he would jump. Edward took a deep breath and turned back to Alec. "Aro will be so pleased to see you again," Alec said, as if nothing had passed. "Let's not keep him waiting," Jane suggested. Edward nodded once.
Alec and Jane, holding hands, led the way down yet another wide, ornate hall, would there ever be an end? They ignored the doors at the end of the hall doors entirely sheathed in gold stopping halfway down the hall and sliding aside a piece of the panelling to expose a plain wooden door. It wasn't locked. Alec held it open for Jane. You walked through the door. It was the same ancient stone as the square, the alley, and the sewers. And it was dark and cold again. The stone antechamber was not large. It opened quickly into a brighter, cavernous room, perfectly round like a huge castle turret which was probably exactly what it was. Two stories up, long window slits threw thin rectangles of bright sunlight onto the stone floor below. There were no artificial lights. The only furniture in the room were several massive wooden chairs, like thrones, that were spaced unevenly, flush with the curving stone walls. In the very centre of the circle, in a slight depression, was another drain. Your stomach turned slightly as you quickly figured out that was where they dumped the bodies of their meals.
The room was not empty. A handful of people were convened in seemingly relaxed conversation. The murmur of low, smooth voices was a gentle hum in the air. A pair of pale women in summer dresses paused in a patch of light, and, like prisms, their skin threw the light in rainbow sparkles against the sienna walls. The exquisite faces all turned toward your party as you entered the room. Most of the immortals were dressed in inconspicuous pants and shirts, things that wouldn't stick out at all on the streets below.
But the man who spoke first wore one of the long robes. It was pitch-black, and brushed against the floor. For a moment, it looked like his long, jet-black hair was the hood of his cloak. "Jane, dear one, you've returned!" he cried in evident delight. His voice was just a soft sighing. He drifted forward, and the movement flowed with such surreal grace that even Alice, whose every motion looked like dancing, could not compare. Once he floated closer you got a look at his face. It was not like the unnaturally attractive faces that surrounded him (for he did not approach you alone; the entire group converged around him, some following, and some walking ahead of him with the alert manner of bodyguards). You couldn't decide if his face was beautiful or not. You supposed the features were perfect. But he was as different from the vampires beside him as they were from Bella. His skin was translucently white, like onionskin, and it looked just as delicate it stood in shocking contrast to the long black hair that framed his face. His eyes were red, the same as the others around him, but the colour was clouded, milky. He glided to Jane, took her face in his papery hands, kissed her lightly on her full lips, and then floated back a step. "Yes, Master." Jane smiled; the expression made her look like an angelic child. "I brought him back alive, just as you wished." "Ah, Jane." He smiled, too. "You are such a comfort to me." He turned his misty eyes toward you, and the smile brightened and it became ecstatic. "And Alice and Bella, too!" he rejoiced, clapping his thin hands together. "This is a happy surprise! Wonderful!" Bella stared in shock as he called your names informally, as if you were old friends dropping in for an unexpected visit. You chuckled softly at her complexion before returning your attention on Aro again. He turned to the hulking escort, the one whom still stood very close near you. . "Felix, be a dear and tell my brothers about our company. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this." "Yes, Master." Felix nodded and disappeared back the way you had come.