"So, what do humans do all day?" Felix asked as they walked through the castle.
At first, Cecilia had been afraid of the big brute who reminded her somewhat of Emmett, but worse. She knew it would only take a small nudge for her to end up against the wall, possibly breaking all of her bones. Then again, if Jane would do it, it would have the same effect, but at least she appeared less... threatening. In size then, because her facial expressions made up for it.
However, she soon learned that Felix was probably the only vampire in Volterra with a sense of humour that didn't consist of scaring her half to death. He was also Demetri's best friend and so far he'd shared some interesting facts.
"We eat, we drink, we sleep, we work, we go to school," she replied, shrugging. She didn't understand the Volturi's fascination with her human life, maybe it was because they didn't have a lot of respect for mortality outside of her. "It's probably a lot more interesting than being a vampire for centuries."
"I highly doubt that," Felix replied. "It sounds boring to me."
She rolled her eyes. "Like staying in one place for and doing the same thing but slightly different for decades on end is so much more exciting."
"Are you insulting me?" Felix asked, turning his head to watch her. He was even taller than Demetri and the difference in height was more impressive as well.
She smiled innocently, her hands folded together. "I wouldn't dare."
Felix nodded and shifted his eyes to the corridor in front of them. "You know, back in the day, when Demetri was still absurdly nostalgic about his Greek roots," he said, causing a soft chuckle to escape Cecilia's mouth. "We used to pick a book or a topic and we would discuss it after a week or two. Jane and Alec joined in as well, but after a while, we stopped since we ran out of the good stuff, you know? Maybe we should start it again, you could join too."
"Like a symposium?" she said and as soon as the words left her mouth, her brain started to work. It was as if she finally saw the missing piece to the puzzle and everything just shifted together. Symposium literally meant 'drinking together' and it was something the ancient Greeks used to. Every once in a while, they would organise an evening, which mostly consisted of drinking themselves half to death, but in which educated words about a certain topic were exchanged as well. It was also a book written by an ancient author.
"Plato's symposium!" she cried out, effectively cutting off Felix mid-sentence. She clasped her hands together, loving the feeling of triumph rushing through her veins. "Marcus' 'little drink and good discussion'! Gosh, I am smart."
"I feel like you just blabbered in a language only you can understand," Felix said, staring at her with an incredulous expression on his face. The expression on his face slowly turned from disbelief to worry. "Are you having a stroke? Humans have strokes, right? Demetri will murder me if you die."
"Get your hands out of my face," she said, slapping them away. She felt fine. In fact, she felt more than fine. She loved the feeling of cracking a riddle. "We need to get to the library straight away."
"What's in the library?" he asked, but he did turn around and take a left.
"The answer to my question," she said, increasing her pace. "Come on, hurry up."
"You're uttering nonsense," Felix muttered. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"
"Positive," she replied determinedly.
Though Felix was the one knowing the way to the library, it was Cecilia who urged him to hurry as if he was the human and she was the vampire. Her fingers were itching to grab the book she wanted and as soon as they entered the library, she walked to the aisle with the P.
"You can't remember which way is the kitchen, but you do know your way around this maze?" Felix called out sarcastically.
"Books sing to me," she said, as she took a sharp corner. Her eyes fell on the book she wanted first, the leather cover of it was worn and looked as though it could fall apart with a single touch, but then she noticed the thin, bony-like fingers snatching the book away right before she could touch it. Snapped out of her daze, she followed the fingers, ending up at Marcus' face, ever so ancient, but seemingly less depressed than before. It was as if someone had lit a small fire inside the man's eyes.
"Marcus," she said, dropping a little courtesy. She'd been so fixated on getting her hands on the book she'd completely cancelled out her surroundings like white noise.
"I have seldom seen a mortal with such cleverness and with such a longing for knowledge," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Cecilia thought he sounded somewhat amused. "I had expected it would have taken you longer than two days to figure it out."
"But here I am," she said, her eyes drifting to the book in Marcus' arms.
The vampire nodded. "But here you are."
She stared at the man, trying to hide her impatience. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. After all, he knew she wanted that particular book, so there was no use in voicing her demands. Besides, he was the royalty of the vampires, she was a mere mortal, meaning she wasn't in a place to demand anything.
After some time, he finally held out the book, which she took gratefully. "Thank you."
➻
Mankind didn't always look like this. A long time ago, they were three in number; the man, the woman and the union of the two. Much like the sun, the moon and the Earth are three. They had four hands and four feet, two faces and four ears, the remainder to correspond. Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods.
The gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained and so they thought of a plan. Though it would have been easy for them to annihilate all of mankind, it would have been unwise, for who else was supposed to entertain them. And so, Zeus discovered another plan: "I shall cut them in two, to diminish their strength and increase their numbers. It will teach them a lesson in humility and humble their pride. Might their insolence continue, I will cut them again and they will hop on one leg."
And so Zeus cut men in two, like a sorb-apple which is halved for pickling, and bid Apollo to heal their wounds and compose their forms. After the division, the two parts of man, each desiring his other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one.
Now, as the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called love.
She closed the book, feeling slightly out of breath even though she'd done exactly nothing but sit at the desk, soaking up the words like a sponge. She knew what Plato's symposium was about, but she'd never read the actual text. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel better now that she had.
She looked around the room, deciding to hide the book in one of the nightstands next to the bed. She wasn't sure why she didn't want Demetri to find out she was reading it, but she didn't question it.
Just as she closed the drawer of the nightstand, the door to her room opened, causing her to turn around with a little jolt. She laid a hand on her chest, willing her heartbeat to slow, and smiled sheepishly at Demetri. He looked at her with an amused smile, a single eyebrow raised, it made her heart race even harder.
"I have the evening off," he announced as he went to sit near the fireplace, his eyes never leaving her body. "Would you fancy going to dinner with me?"
"Dinner?" she asked, instantly feeling stupid for repeating his exact words. She felt her cheeks heat up as she went to sit on the edge of the bed. "I mean, how's that enjoyable for you? You can't even eat ice cream without acting like somebody poisoned you."
Demetri chuckled, the sound music to her ears. "I'll manage," he said, sounding amused. "So, are you up for it?"
"Are you certain?"
"I am."
"Then, yes, I'll go," she said.
"Great," he said, the smile on his face bright enough to light up the entire room. He was standing up already, moving to the door. "Be ready by seven."
She only nodded, not trusting her voice in the slightest to give a verbal response. As soon as she heard the doors to the chamber close, she let out a soft sigh, falling on the mattress a little more dramatic than necessary. She wasn't sure if Demetri was just being nice and entertaining her by taking her out to dinner, or if he considered it a date, but she didn't care.
If she was to believe Marcus' hint, Demetri and she shared a very special bond indeed, but she didn't want to rush in it, or live like it just because she suspected. After all, it was probably worse on her side, considering Demetri was immortal, with all its perks and beauties, and she was just a human, plain and simple, with all her imperfections. Only for the time being, she reminded herself. In a month's time, she would be turned as well, by none other than the said vampire himself.
She tried to ignore the way her stomach flipped at the thought of a date with Demetri. Much to her own surprise, she felt like she was actually starting to develop some feelings for him, or maybe her mind was tricking her into thinking it based on what she just read.
Another sigh escaped her lips and she folded her hands over her stomach. Life was difficult enough already, but she had a feeling it was about to become more difficult still.