gift or curse (A Twilight fanfiction)

Chapter 26

Aghast I wrinkled my nose. They were joking. They had to be joking.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" I jumped up and took a step back. Demetri was there, also on his feet, looking at the girl with a cool, calculating expression.

"We are familiar with your peculiar taste, we only aim to please."

"Let them go", I commanded, furious.

Vladimir's stance changed infinitesimally, but he too was no match for my power. With a small flick of his wrist, he motioned the girl to leave. She looked at me, her eyes watery, petrified.

I softly urged her. "Go, run home."

She took a step back, but still didn't leave the room.

"Ah, yes, I forgot to mention", Stefan chuckled, "this is her home, had I not disclosed that bit of information? We are lord and master here. Prey comes to us, it's quite the honor to be chosen to serve here."

"An honor?" My voice almost jumped.

Vladimir and Stefan weren't very impressed by my outburst, there was still a slight smile in their faces.

"Tell her, dear, what an honor it is to live here."

The girl was shaking so badly now, it was a miracle she could speak at all. Stuttering and faltering, she managed to squeak: "M... my fam- family is s- safe because of ... of m- me."

I didn't need an explanation of what that meant. "You are threatening her family. How many more like her do you have captive in this dungeon?"

Demetri inched a bit closer, grabbing my free arm with his other hand.

The smiles on the faces of the ancient vampires evaporated.

"They all come of their own free will. We never lie about who we are. They know we protect the town from neighboring covens or incidental visitors. In return, we only ask a meager donation once in a while."

"Who cares about one little life, they can easily beget more."

"We have saved more lives than we took."

I opened my mouth, but this time Stefan halted me. The kindness, however false it had been, had completely disappeared from his countenance. "Whatever you do, know that they will pay the price."

And before I could even utter a syllable, he moved over to the girl, sank his teeth in her neck and killed her with one swift bite.

A silent scream left my mouth and all I could do was watch as the life drained out of her. The smell of her sweet scented blood filled the room, causing even my venom to rise. It disgusted me.

Guilt overtook me and a helpless groan passed my lips. This was all my fault. We should have left when we had the chance. The girl would still be alive if we had.

A little voice in the back of my head told me she would have died eventually, but I silenced it. I needed to get out of here. This was something Aro had to handle. This required the law, not a stupid girl with a superpower she could not control.

"I want to leave", I forced out in a chocking voice.

Vladimir's denigrating smile returned. "Of course, child. Go, run back to Aro, tell him no laws are broken here."

He opened the door for us and as Demetri released my other arm, we walked past him, past Stefan, who dropped the girls dead body with a satisfied grin, and past the dog who cowered in a corner. Our speed increased after we crossed the threshold, but when we got to the place where the car was wrecked, Demetri halted me.

"Ariadne, slow down."

"She died, because of me. I killed her." My voice broke into a sob as I turned and allowed him to wrap me up in his embrace.

"You didn't kill her, Stefan did", he shushed me.

"Please don't say she would have died eventually, that won't help." My stone heart was bleading.

Demetri only pressed me closer.

"We have to do something. There could be other children in there, we have to help them." Suddenly I felt so angry I wanted to break something.

Calm words tried to reason with me. "We'll tell Aro, let him take care of it."

Reason didn't work. "But you heard them, they're breaking no laws, Aro can't do anything."

Demetri pressed me back a little, to look me in the eye. "You're forgetting the most important rule: to keep hidden from the human world. This particular part of that world might not be so enlightened as the part where you grew up in, but it only takes one to inform those who are. Vladimir and Stefan are so old, they still believe they can get away with superstition. Aro will see the danger in their unobstructed continuance, he will step in."

Those words finally appeased the anger, just enough for the next worry to present itself.

"But then you will have to fight."

"Don't you think we can handle two short vampires?" He smirked.

"No, you don't get it. They will harm more children. And how do you know there aren't more vampires? They could have an entire army hidden somewhere in that castle. Waiting for you to come in, thinking it will be an easy win."

When I said this, Demetri looked up, in the direction of the castle. It was hidden from sight by high rocks and lines of trees. I could see him digesting my words.

"I see your point. We need more information."

I knew what that meant. I meant we couldn't leave yet. Part of me wished I hadn't said anything. Let Aro fix it. But Demetri was sure to be part of that fix and if there really was an army, he would be in danger.

My eyes roamed the mountainside. Nothing moved. The old Romanian vampires probably thought we were halfway home by now. They would never expect us to double back, would they?

Demetri still held my hand in his and when my eyes found him again, he pulled me in for a searing kiss.

"Don't do anything stupid", he breathed, when he finally released me. "I don't care how many humans die, I only care about you."

I didn't argue. If I told him I wouldn't let anyone else die because of me, he would make me stay behind and that would not happen. He looked as if there was something else he wanted to say, but he didn't. Instead he gave one nod, kissed the back of my hand where the ring was securely around my finger and pointed at a different route to the village.