Control

Chapter 9

Hours passed, and Aro finally arrived.

"What do you mean not normal?" Aro questioned in confusion. 

"They are not turned like any of us were. They are a lab experiment." I explained to him.

Aro looked at me like I was crazy.

"He is telling the truth." Jane chimed in. "These things are not normal and know all of our weaknesses."

"Damnit." He breathed out. "You all are sure that those two are linked to those things?"

We each nodded in agreement.

"I faced one. It knew everything about me. About all of us."

Aro rubbed his chin in thought. His normal chaotic expression and demeanor were gone. "How could I have missed it? I would shake their hands or touch one of their backs. Nothing. Never one hint of betrayal or resentment from any of them."

"They have to be having help to hide that from you. From all of us for so long." Demetri rubbed at his temples and let out a heavy sigh. "We just don't know how."

Aro ran his long fingers through his ink-coloured straight black hair. "Damnit." He breathed out.

Jane and I looked at one another. We had never seen Aro in such a state. In all of our years working for him we had never seen him in a state of dismay. It made me uneasy.

"The two witches of this house." Aro walked over to me and looked me over. "What else can they tell us? What is the extent of their abilities? You have been entertaining one of them against our rules. You must know something about what they can do."

"If you are questioning if they will be able to help us stop what is going on, then yes. They can. They are both powerful in their abilities." I replied. "They can look again to see what they can find if you ask them."

"Good. Then they won't be useless after all." He turned from me and walked away.

I pierced my lips together and glared at his back.

"I am not done with you yet on this matter, Alec. Once this is resolved you and I will be having a very long conversation and a punishment will be given out." Aro looked back at me with a cold look. "Demetri as well."

"Leave him out of it. I will take whatever you plan to give him." I replied. 

"I figured you would say that," Aro smirked and sized me up once more.

I glared at him and didn't respond. 

"Wise of you to not argue with me." He kept that smirk on his face and rubbed his hands together. "Back to business. We still have to locate their location?"

"Yes," Jane spoke up. "We are not clear on where they are operating from. We believe it is somewhere underground and has been for some time now."

"Underground?" Marcus questioned. "That would make it easy for them to travel around and go unseen."

"They may have spent time creating an underground system to travel between state lines and pass borders with neighboring countries," Demetri replied. "They could have been at this for years to make it happen. They could have taken advantage of the underground tunnels already created back when the Underground Railroad was running to help the slaves."

"Wouldn't some of them be in bad shape?" Marcus questioned again.

"Yes, but would not be horrible for a vampire. It would be easy to make useable again and add to it." Demetri shrugs.

"That thing runs for miles. All the way into Georgia and who knows where else." Jane licked her lips and let out a shaky breath. 

"We are going to have our work cut out for us. We are going to have no choice but to work together with the wolves and whoever the Cullens can get to be on our side to stop what is in the works." I finally chime in again.

Aro scoffed.

"Aro, we have no choice. We are outnumbered. If you want to keep your throne then we have to work together with them."

"I have two of the most powerful in my guard in this room. Don't tell me who I have to work with when you two alone can bring down armies."

"Aro! Jane and I cannot do this alone. I was almost killed by just one of those variants. My powers are nothing against them. They know us. They know what we can do. Stop letting your pride win out before we are all killed!" I raised my voice at the monarch.

"My pride!" Aro rounded on me. "Do not give me that excuse. You have gotten soft and I know it is due to that human girl. You will be lucky if I don't have her killed after this is over."

"I swear to you Aro if you touch her I will end you myself." 

"You dare speak out against me?"

"Yes."

"All because of that human girl? How bold of you."

"Let's calm down," Marcus said calmly. "We cannot start turning on one another with all that is going on."

"Marcus is right. The last thing we need to do is fight each other." Demetri worked to help Marcus calm things down.

I was still fuming but I was not about to argue more. I would be damned if I let any harm come to Sophia. Aro would have to go through me first before I let it happen. "Right." I let out a heavy sigh. 

"Why don't we take a break from all of this? Regroup tomorrow." Demetri recommended.

"I agree. Give us some time to think." Marcus spoke.

"As you wish. We will break for today." Aro walked over to Marcus and nodded for him to follow him out of the room.