Chapter-28
Jane bumped into us and if we weren’t vampires then we all might have been tripped and would be on the floor, but we got our balance and moved right on time.
“Oh! I am sorry Lin.” She apologised. I waved her off, knowing it’s mostly my fault. “You should probably get ready, the dance is about to begin.”
“Yeah, hey you mind escorting them to the floor?” I asked her nodding towards Alice and Bella. She confirmed just by a nod and then flitted without even looking into their direction.
“Wow! I feel so welcomed already.” Alice remarked and then they both flitted after Jane.
I closed my eyes and pictured Marcus’s room and when I opened them I was there. I went to his closet where I know he has kept my dress and found it in no time, but there was a note stuck to it which read ‘LOOK DOWN’. I did and there was a box, a shoe box to be precise and a small flat velvet one. I rook them out with the dress and started changing.
I never got the chance to see what Marcus had bought me. So it was a surprise, when I opened the dress bag, and found a red dress, not any other shade, but the colour of fresh blood. I had doubts about fittings but it fitted me well, hugging all my curves. Then I opened the next big box, and as expected it had a pair of stilettos, which was also red. Then I reached towards the small, flat velvet box. When I opened it, my breath caught up in my throat. It had the most amazing piece of jewellery I have ever seen.
A silver chain, which was just the size to hug the neck, not choking anyone, but long enough to be visible. At the end of it, there was a round silver locked, with small red stones encrusted all over it. No doubt it was ruby but it looked like blood was frozen to make it. I put it around my neck and as thought earlier, it just fitted in the hollow space between my two collar bones.
There was a knock on the door, I called it out and Jane came into the room.
“I knew you won’t be ready in time.” She scolds me, Although Jane was frozen at a younger age than me, but she was much older to me. I just shrugged and she shook her head smiling.
Thank god Jane was there to help me or otherwise I would have made a joke of myself in front of only god knows how many vampires. I was about to go with my hair down but Jane insisted on a French roll, and let me tell you one thing that I won’t ever be able to do that on my own. Next was make up which I thought won’t be necessary given that we all are vampires but I guess I was wrong on that one too.
By the time I was finished, we were already two and a half minutes late. Everyone was getting worked up and because Aro was the most impatient one, he was on edge and everyone was scared that he might blow up soon. In fact when we reached them, Aro gave Jane a glare and she scurried away. But he knows that he can’t give me that look so he gave me a sarcastic smile and I just returned him the same, only that mine was more laces with venom and annoyance.
“I am so glad that you can finally join us.” He remarked.
I just rolled my eyes and replied in an over joyous tone, “oh trust me Aro, the amount of work YOU gave me, I never thought that I would ever be able to make it.”
“I think the most important thing is that you made it on time.” Marcus smiled at me and looked between us, which shut us both.
The lights went off; the whole place was lit with fire torches. First the guards enter the ball room. Then Aro and his wife entered followed by Caius and his wife then me and Marcus. We were all wearing our volturi robe. So when we all had entered the ballroom, we took our place which was the centre of the room. The dim lights were giving the whole room a very medieval look. Wonder how it would look when the music system would go off.
I was about to snicker at that very thought but something caught my eyed, which was a group of people, vampires to be exact at a high raised podium just behind Aro, at one of the corner. They were ready with their instruments, waiting for their cue to start.
Just after three seconds of us taking our place, six guards came forward and took all our robes. As soon as the robes were off, there was a loud noise of gasps. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that they were gasping to see me. After all, to them Marcus found his new mate, but to us it was something very rare.
I looked up and Marcus was looking down at me. He has this mischievous smile playing on his lips like he knows a secret no one was aware of. I returned his smile and he winked at me, which created a new wave of gasps. I looked around and my eyes landed on Edward, he has his knowing smirk plastered on his face, while the rest of them were still not recovered from shock.
Aro gave a nod, and the music started flowing. Only six of us danced on the first song but as soon as that ended, more people joined the floor and soon everyone was dancing. After a while we started talking and mingling. Very few people were still dancing but the music was now being played in the background.
The trio were going around thanking everyone for joining us tonight. I saw Aro talking to the cullens. Wow, he just not misses a chance. I tugged at Marcus’s arms and when he looked at me I nodded towards Aro. He followed my gaze and just gave a big sigh. Marcus excused us from the guest he was talking and we trudge towards Aro and the cullens.
“Carlisle my friend, I am so glad that you could join us.” Marcus greeted Carlisle, stretching his hand, which he took.
“Wouldn’t wanted to waste such an opportunity.” Carlisle smiled back. “And now I think I would have missed such a pleasant evening, if we wouldn’t have come. It is a nice evening and you have organised well, it actually reminded me of my time. There used to be balls like these, with dance and music. Gentlemen asking ladies to dance, and such formality.”
“Oh it was all Aro’s idea, and with Lin’s help, we were able to organise it in such short notice. I hope we didn’t fell short anywhere.” Marcus mused.
“Not at all.” Esme praised. “I really liked the idea of the band. It gave a feel of old time.”
“That was the point, Mrs. Cullen.” Aro piped up.
“Congratulation, Marcus, on finding your new mate.” Edward greeted him. And I felt like tearing down his tongue, so that I could have something to shove down his throat. Aro boomed with laughter, a little more than necessary. And I see a hint of shock on Marcus face but he smiled and tightened his arms around me.
“Oh Edward, you never fail to amuse me,” Aro said between his laughter. Thank god before anyone could say something, Marcus cleared the confusion.
“Lin is not my mate Edward; she is more like my daughter.”Marcus cleared, although he said it playfully but he had an edge to his voice like he was trying to make a point.
“So how is everything going on with you guys, I hope our little Lin here isn’t give you any trouble.” Aro inquired with a laugh but no one missed his curiosity.
I was dreading an awful response, like Esme or Carlisle being polite but Edward surprised me with his answer, “Well for starters, it would have been very generous of you if you wouldn’t have gone with the pleasure of sending her to us, knowing that she does not like or follow our diet.” I was very happy with his diplomatic response, knowing full well that Aro isn’t fully satisfied, his thirst or curiosity for a weakness doesn’t get quenched, but when did I get to be this much happy in one day, usually Edward is a man of few words, but sometimes, which is happening a lot today, he is having a hard time shutting his mouth.
So, just as everyone thought that the worst is over, he had to open his big mouth, “but seen as you enjoy tormenting us by various means, by let’s just say like, kidnapping my daughter and torturing her, I think I like having a vampire like Lina around” he finished by smirking.
Everyone thought that Aro would burst or in the very least become the bitter self but he surprised all of us, even Marcus but laughing out loud, “or Edward, you know that I would never harm little Nessie in any way, it was just a little moment when my curiosity and patience got the better of me...”
At that Edward’s patience ran out and got the better of him, “it will be better that from the next time you put a lid to your little jar of curiosity and patient and stay the hell away from my family.”
We all thought that it was the last thing Edward will ever speak but Aro laughed again and by the looks, everyone sigh in relief, he then continued, “oh Edward, I see that sending Lin brought no good to you. You could have learned so much from her; especially patience, which is one of her greatest trait.” At that he chuckled but when he spoke again, he had that sinister tone where he challenges someone to dare deny him, “but you see Edward, when I sent Lin to live with your family, I never intended your family to learn anything from her. In fact I sent her so that she sees that living off human blood makes us weak, that we cannot deny our nature. But most of all I wanted her to learn that family doesn’t keep secrets off each other. And where would be the best place to show that other than your place?” he challenged Edward to say something but we all know that maybe for the first time Aro is right.
Although, when he said about keeping secrets, he gave a pointed glare towards Marcus and me but we all knew that there are no secrets hidden within the cullens. Not that it would be impossible but also, no one ever intends to keep one. On the other hands Aro never believed that Marcus had nothing to hide from him. I have never actually told him anything but Aro and his doubting mind.
“But Lin feeds on human blood, we all know that.” finally Alice broke the silence.
“Yes my dear Alice, she feeds on human blood but never off human. You see her life is sustained just on packets of donated blood. But I am sure you must have known that, because we all know that nothing escapes your visions.” Aro raised a brow on it, challenging her. Alice just shook her head and Aro chuckled, “so I guess she never learns and why is that Alice..?”
“Well,” Alice started but I guess she knew by then what I meant when I told everyone to keep away from Aro, “ our gifts doesn’t work around her. Edward can’t hear her, I can’t see any future which involves her decision, jasper can’t feel her emotions and Edward never lets Ness near her so we don’t know about that.” she finishes shrugging.
“So, I guess it’s just not us who she defies.” Aro finishes giving me a pointed look like he knows that I am doing it on purpose and I just shrug giving him a smile in return. “Will you please accompany me to the library..?” he asks everyone, they look at Carlisle who is looking at me. WHOA... is he asking for my permission, I gave him a small unnoticed nod and which he returned to Aro.
Aro flitted towards his study with us on his trail. I was last to enter and by the time I turn to them after closing the door I realise it’s too late. Almost all the guards of the volturi were there and by the time it all clicked to me what is happening, Aro has already pinned me to the wall with his hands on around my throat. Nobody moved, no one touched the cullens. Everyone is as surprised as me except Edward, I guess he knew about it but why didn’t he said anything.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snarled at Aro, his hands still around my throat. It’s not that he can pin me and I can’t do anything but I just wanted to know what it’s all about.
“It took me almost two decades to figure you out, but now I know Lin, or should I say Angelina.” I froze how the hell he knows my name and how much he knows about me. “You see, after you left, I started a little search, I knew that you didn’t lie about your age so I looked for every single missing person around the time you were turned. And not so surprisingly, there was never a Lin, but after much search I found out that, thirty years ago, there was a woman named Angelina. At first I didn’t paid any attention because it’s just a name which could be just a co incidence but what intrigued me the most is the lack of information they had on her. There was just a local newspaper saying that the woman was the daughter of a renowned doctor, who by the way died on the day his daughter went missing. As if this was not enough for me, then there was this rumour which said that the woman was married to a man who was also a doctor and who also disappeared that day only, but I didn’t found anything about a husband. It was like he vanished from the face of the earth too. Finally I send someone there with one of your pictures and the people there confirmed that you are the missing Angelina. So, the question remains, why all this secrecy?” he finished and by the confused look of his face and a little detour of the insides of his head I realised he knew nothing about my family.
“I don’t remember anything...” I started but Aro cut me off.
“LIES LIES and LIES. When will you learn that you cannot hide from me forever.” He said a little bit of annoyance clearly reflecting in his anger.
“And when will you learn that you can’t make me do thing or say thing I don’t wanted to?” I replied with my own set of anger and annoyance.
“I am sick and frustrated with you and I don’t know how much longer I will be able to control myself from...” this time I cut him off.
“From what?” I challenged him, “huh, destroying me?” I asked and he just gave me a sinister smile of his. I knew I have to end this once and for all, “look Aro, if for maybe only for a second you thought that you can kill me then let me just lay down how that stupid thought of yours going to end. If you ever, and I MEAN EVER, for a second even think of harming me or any person whom I hold dear to me, then I would go back in time, find that creature you call or ever have called your mother and then I will kill her while she is in her mother’s womb. That way you will never ever exist, you understand?” I gave him a look which said he better do.
He just gave a laugh, well more like a smirk, “but won’t that mean that you wouldn’t exist too?” he ask me innocently like I haven’t thought that through.
“Yes, it would mean that I won’t exist too. But then again, I may not even become a vampire and will be living my life happily. It’s not that I enjoy my life now.” I smirked back and his face hardens, he looked like he could explode any minute.
“You wouldn’t.” He dares me.
“TRY ME.” I challenged back. I know that I am lying now. I can never go back into time. My gifts never covered that, not that I have tried going back, but then again how would he know.
“GET OUT. LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN.” Aro roared.
“not even if you were dying, but then again I would be the one to be delivering your death so, just wish that I don’t come back cause if I do then it will be the last day of your life and just for the demo,” I snap my fingers and one of the guards burst into dust. Everyone was shocked including the cullens, actually they have never seen the demo.
I turned to Marcus and he knew that this is the end of our journey. He spread his arms and I quickly went to him. He gave me his bone crushing hug, which I love, and I hugged him back with the same intensity. We didn’t say anything to each and parted with a nod. There was nothing to be said, we both knew that this day will come since the day I left for the cullens.
“Are you guys coming?” I asked to the family which was dumbstruck from the moment they entered the room and Aro attacked me. They came to their senses and just followed me, after nodding to everyone, especially Aro who was still in shock to lose one of his guards in just a blink of his eye. Jane and Dmitri looked like they wanted to say something or even wanted to join me but I gave them a look saying no.
I took the cullens back to their home and before anyone could say anything I flitted to my room. I know I have to work fast and track my family. My threat would certainly buy me some time, maybe some decades or maybe a century but I have no doubt that Aro would leave no stone unturned to bring me down. And even a century seems less compared to eternity, which I have no intention of spending alone.