When the sun almost touched us, we got dressed and continued our journey.
Aro let us in even before the knock on the wooden door finished its echo. And before he could ask or demand any of our hands, I related our whole adventure. It wasn't difficult to leave the part out where I had taken away my power over Demetri. There was enough to distract Aro and the others from anything that might be skipped.
In detail I described the castle and the village and the hold the Romanian vampires had over the poor people there. I wanted to describe the newborn army, but Demetri took over from there. Giving information and details I hadn't known were important. His explanation was a bit more sedated, except for the part in the end. His eyes were on fire as he described how I commanded the raging newborns. I could see how it was still difficult for him, having seen me throw myself in harms way.
For a minute all eyes were on me, but then Aro took control.
"It seems we will have to deal with our enemies at last. And this time make sure they won't be able to return. Leave us to rest, my friends, we will discuss the course of action."
We didn't need rest, but I knew what he meant. For as long or short – probably the latter – as we had, we could spend the time any way we pleased. There was no way either of us would remain behind the next time Romania became a mission.
---
"Teach me how to fight", I pleaded, as we rounded the corner that led away from the grand hall.
"Now?" Demetri's eyes told me he'd rather do something else. Something that also included physical contact, only a bit less violent.
I smirked and pressed my body against his, as I whispered: "After. First I need to know how to free myself, so I can look my attacker in the eye."
"Do you think that matters? You stopped all three of the newborns at once with one command."
Taking a small step back, but still keeping my arms wrapped around his neck, I frowned. "They all looked my way. As did the humans in the dark, even if they could barely see me. I don't know if my power works without some connection."
"Then we shall test that first. If it does, we'll spend our time my way." He ran a finger across my face all the way down to where my breasts were covered by the low cut shirt I wore under the leather jacket I'd chosen for the trip. I almost wished he would be right about my gift, but I really wanted to learn how to fight.
With a sigh, Demetri took my hand and we walked to the gym. A few vampires were sparring, Felix was not among them and I didn't know the others by name. Demetri gestured for me to go ahead and I swallowed. What command could I use to test my gift without them noticing?
After a short deliberation I softly spoke in the general direction of the three fighting men: "Stop fighting for one moment."
Perhaps it was too subtle. Only one of them lost his focus for a second and he was facing me, though not looking at me directly.
"Try it louder, with more conviction."
Demetri's suggestion however, made all three of the fighters look our way, so the exercise became pointless. Fine, so they realized what I was trying to do, now. They might as well help. I walked forward and asked: "I need to determine my limits, will you help us?"
"You are the one with the mind control thing, aren't you?" the one on the left asked. He wasn't angry, so I smiled a bit.
"I guess you could call it that. I need to know if it works when someone isn't facing me."
He shrugged and looked to his mates. "Fine by me, as long as I don't end up doing the funky chicken."
I raised my eyebrows, that was the first modern expression I'd heard since I came to Volterra. Good to know not everyone here lived in the past.
"Turn around", I ordered, and they immediately did.
"Okay, yeah, felt that", the same vampire commented.
"Walk to the left", I ordered with the same inclination.
This time, however, there was a slight jerking motion, but none of them turned to walk.
"So much for ordering someone who's not looking at me", I muttered.
The chatty one looked over his shoulder and said: "I did feel something, but I didn't feel the need to comply. Perhaps in time, you'll learn to strengthen it.
My eyebrows shot up. Was that possible, to advance my gift?
"Any more you'd like us to do?" The three of them faced me again.
I was about to say no, when a thought occurred to me. "Do any of you speak Greek?"
Two of the three shook their heads.
"Okay, let me try this. Perpatíste pros ta aristerá. Only the one who did speak Greek, turned and walked to the left, as I ordered him. The other two responded to the command by straightening up a little, but other than that they didn't move.
"Hmm, it seems they grasp the power of the command, but are unable to comply because they don't understand."
A sinking feeling overtook my good mood. Apparently there were a lot of restrictions to my gift. Enemies who didn't speak my language wouldn't obey me. I guessed I had been lucky up till now. It might also explain why the newborns had grumbled a bit before obeying. If their English was bad, it took a while for their brains to process the order.
I made to walk away from the gym, not feeling like fighting anymore, but was halted by the one vampire I had managed to order to walk. He was still walking.
"Care to give me back control?"
I opened my mouth, but Demetri halted me. "Walk out of the room", he said. When I looked at him with a frown, he explained: "Another test, to see how long a command lasts."
The vampire, it was the chatty one, shrugged, still walking in circles. So I left the room and waited in the hall.
Demetri's voice came to me through the door he had closed: "Go to the other side of the manor and then come back."
It didn't take me long to reach the other side. I counted to ten and ran back. When I opened the door, the vampire was still walking to the left. He scowled at me as he passed me, but he didn't really look upset.
"Interesting", Demetri pondered. The other two vampires began to laugh. "I guess you wouldn't want to walk in circles a bit longer to determine how long it lasts?"
The laughing increased and I bit my lip.
"I'd rather not, no."
Quickly I said, when he looked my way: "You can stop walking."
He did, took a few more steps and grinned. "Thanks, that's one tricky gift you have there."
I frowned. "Tricky indeed. Do you think it has something to do with the way I give the order?"
The other two vampires lost interest and resumed their sparring, but the one who spoke Greek joined us at our spot near the door.
"Perhaps with the intention."
Demetri interjected: "It might simply have something to do with the content of the command itself. Turn around is a singular order. Only one action is required, just like 'stop'. But the command to walk is indefinite in itself."
"You might be on to something", the chatty vampire agreed.
"What is your name?" I asked, it seemed a bit unusual to keep talking to someone I didn't even know the name of.
"Nikos, you can call me Nick. You're Ariadne, Demetri's sudden wife." He grinned as Demetri threw him a dirty look, but I giggled. I liked this vampire. And not just because he was probably Greek, like us.
"So, anything more we can test?" Nick rubbed his hands together and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"Not unless you want to collect the entire guard to check how many people I can command at once", I joked.
The men looked at each other, Nick with eyebrows still raised and Demetri with a frown.
"Guys, I was joking."
"It would be a good test. To see if she could stop an entire army at once. That would save us a lot of trouble in the future."
"Not gonna happen", Demetri suddenly growled fiercely.
Nick took a step back and lifted both hands. "Wow, easy there, I wasn't suggesting anything."
I placed my hand on Demetri's arm. "It's alright, I'm sure Aro will come up with a better plan than that."
"Plan? What plan? Plan for what?"
I left it to Demetri to explain the situation, everyone would hear soon enough. In the meantime I mulled over all the different things that could influence my power.