The Girl Who Was Taken (Renesme Cullens Twin Sister)

Forty-Three

Renesme

I distracted Aro with visions. With my memories, and he ate them up so eagerly. I had to keep reminding myself that I didn't like him. But as I touched his face again and again, and I showed him my first birthday party, and how the entire house was filled with balloons that day. It was hard to separate his feelings from mine.

I remembered how I kept getting lost in the sea of balloons. Mom pushed them out of my face and smiled down at me like an angel. I remembered it with a glow of love.

Aro said I made him feel. Did he really feel the love and affection I felt radiating off of Mom's face that day? Would he look at her now as if she had all the answers in the world? Would he mistakenly assume she would always keep him safe? Did he really feel the same way I did?

I pulled my fingers away from his face, I kept my eyes wide with trust,  and my lips curled up in the shy smile that everyone ate up. I didn't have to say a word. It was easy to lie. Growing up with Dad being able to read my thoughts, I had a lot of practice. It was second nature now.

And it was hard enough to get here in the first place. Mom and Dad weren't going to allow it. I had to convince Jacob to buy plane tickets. And then when he caught the scent of Paul in Italy, the entire plan changed. Suddenly we weren't alone. It was a surprise to find that the most hot headed shape-shifter ever had not rushed into the Volturi castle without a plan. He had been patient, he'd scoped out the city for the last year, just watching for the right time to attack.

That time was now, so I could not mess up. We had a plan, and I was going to make sure it worked.

His dusty red eyes were filled with a childlike amusement. "You're so young, and already you have so many memories," Aro said. 

We were walking past a fountain. It had multiple tiers, and dark red blood flowed over the edges, down in waterfalls. I could smell the blood particles that floated in the air. Taste them on my lips even. My head went dizzy from the flavor. Ignore it, stick to the plan.

"Would you like a glass?" Aro asked seeing that I was staring.

I hesitated a moment before shaking my head. Not now. It was bad timing. We had a plan, I needed to focus. Not drink human blood. I looked over at an almost dead woman that was laying on top of a table. Her eyes were rolled back into her head from the blood loss. Bite marks littered her body.

I just kept reminding myself that it hurt people, that drinking blood hurt people. That I didn't hurt people. I was good. I didn't need blood. I didn't need to hurt people. Stick to the plan.

Aro had a coy smile on his lips. "You don't have to lie to me like you do to your parents. I remember your table manners from last time. Here, have a cup, it's a ball, enjoy yourself. I won't tell on you." He tapped my nose and winked.

I froze as he picked up a glass and held it under the fountain of blood. It slowly filled up, and blood ran down the edge of the glass, over his hand.  He held the glass in front if me, gently wobbling it around so that the blood stirred around in a small whirlpool.

"Renesme, don't be afraid of your own nature, don't let your weak grandfather prevent you from reaching your full potential." Aro bent down close to my face, holding the cup under my nose.

My hands hesitated inches away from the glass. Just about to rip it away and swallow it down. A second later and I would have. There was too much blood everywhere, it smelled too good, too strong. I could feel my control slipping away.

But Grandpa put his hand on my shoulder, angling himself between me and Aro. "Your hospitality tonight is too much. We don't want to overstep our welcome, or take advantage of your kindness," Grandpa said, politely. I didn't know how he could do it. I would be screaming if I opened my mouth.

Aro stood up tall. "Why don't you let Renesme decide for herself?" He held the glass out. "Or do you not trust her?"

"She does not drink human blood., Grandpa said firmly.

"Trust is very important," Aro continued, ignoring Grandpa. "For example, I would not have invited you to our home if I did not trust Ember's loyalty." Aro looked across the room at Amber, she was being coddled by our parents. "She's really grown fond of Demetri over the years. They're almost inseparable."

Demetri was standing not too far away from them, feigning engagement in conversation with another vampire. It wasn't hard to notice his eyes often finding their way back to Amber.

Aro had been nudging the glass towards me. Grandpa squeezed my shoulder, pulling me further away. They stared each other down.

And then someone bumped into my back rather harshly. I should have been able to keep my feet on the ground. But my mind was preoccupied with lying and distracting. And I was hungry, and on edge, and nervous about the plan.

And there was so much blood everywhere. The air was saturated with it, it wafted off of peoples breaths, filling my nostrils, dizzying my head. And I wanted it so bad.

Deep within myself, I knew I let the impact push me into the fountain. I didn't try to catch myself. I crashed head first into the bottom tier of blood, it was the same temperature as my skin. My vision was filled with red. The sweet salty taste filled my mouth. And then I was tipping with the fountain. Down onto the floor. All the blood poured out on top of me.

The affect was instant. Stronger than when I had drank blood in Amber's body. The world became crystal clear. My muscles were suddenly breathing with life and strength. I could hear everything. Feel everything.

From under the fallen fountain I could hear the entire ball slow down and stop to watch me. Aro laughed and then more vampires followed his lead, laughing along. But not my family. They were silent. Frozen in fear. Mortified.

I lay my head down on the ground for a moment. Soaking my cheek in blood, sucking it in with my lips. It was the most flavorful thing I had ever tasted. It brought back memories from when I was first born, drinking old blood from the blood bank out of a sippy cup. But this was so much better. 

I opened my eyes realizing that I was laying in a puddle of blood on the floor. I shouldn't be drinking blood off the dirty ground. I was being disgusting. This was a ball. Everyone else was drinking blood out of dainty glass champagne flutes.

I threw the fountain off of me like it was nothing. I sat up. The fountain had hit the wall on the other side of the room, smashing, falling to the ground with a clang. My golden dress was completely ruined. Stained from head to toe. I must have looked silly.

Alec stood above me. He must have been the person who pushed me over. I smiled up at him. I wondered if my teeth were full of blood. I had gotten bloody noses before, and I knew that bloody teeth weren't pretty. Like he would care if I was pretty though.

I stood up in front of Alec. "Renesme," he said with a smirk, standing too close. As if there was a spark between us or something. As if he thought I still liked him.

I smiled back at him quietly before I swung my arm around and punched his teeth out.

A/n
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