The room was cold, although not as cold as whatever sewer system them had us walking through earlier. The three men before me were regal looking, to be sure, but so disgustingly pale, I didn't know what to think of them. I must've missed the part of the trip where Alice had said that the Cullens knew these creeps because the only one with an actual expression on his face was greeting Edward, Bella, and Alice like he had known them their entire lives. Clearly, my sister traveled to Italy in her spare time.
"And who is this?" he questioned, gliding towards me. His skin looked like papyrus paper, crinkly and rough. His eyes were ruby red, more so than that parasite in the forest. His chin was small, his features child-like, but he was anything but a child. "You brought another human?" His hair fell below his shoulders, brushed back perfectly. He eyed me with adolescent curiosity.
"This is Bella's sister, Ryanne" Edward said, although he had yet to take his eyes off the little blonde. She had joined someone that stood near the thrones. I could only assume they were siblings with the similarities in their features.
Upon the other two thrones sat two beings, just as ancient as the one before me. One was blond, his features distinctly younger than those of his companions and yet, there was something sharp about his eyes. He was obviously a kill you and suck you dry, ask question later kind of vampire. It was the one on my far left that interested me the most. His hair was not as long as the man before me, nor did he look as strong as either of the two. But there was something about him that looked exhausted, as if he couldn't wait to end his existence. I could think of a few people back home who would be willing to take of him without question. Hell, all he had to do was step foot on Quileute land.
"She's a very curious one," the man before me said in his delighted voice. "And is she of some importance?" he asked, taking a step towards me. I backed away, my heart screaming for me to run; my head reminding me I was in a room full of vampires. "She has spirit," he laughed, turning his attention to the men behind me.
"Marcus, Caius, look; it's Bella and Alice," he said delighted. Alice motioned me towards her, away from the outskirts of our little huddle. I just wanted to get home and get to Jake. "Well, Edward, are't you happy I didn't grant your request?"
"Yes, Aro; I am," Edward replied woodenly. Aro?
"How you can stand to be so near her; she smells so delicious. And to have smelled her through your thoughts," Aro trailed off. His gaze came to settle on me. "And this one; she smells so strange and yet, she has me longing for a bite." I stepped back again. I just wanted to get home! "How you and your family manage such a strict diet! I greatly admire Carlisle for that."
"It is not without its difficulties," Edward said quietly.
"Isabella," he said, coming closer to my sister. I swallowed, afraid of what I might see. We were the only two humans in this room. "Edward has told me that you are immuned to his gift, but I wonder if it would be so with me as well." Bella looked up at Edward.
"Aro's power is much like my own, but stronger. Aro can read any thought a person has had in their entire life with just a touch," Edward explained. I folded my arms around my chest, wishing I had one of Jake's sweatshirts to hide on.
"Ah, but to be able to read without the contact would be much more impressive," Aro said.
"And limiting," Edward reminded him.
Aro held one of his delicate hands out to Bella. My sister looked at Edward, who nodded. I watched her slip her little hand into Aro's, almost laughing when their skin colors were the same. Aro laughed, the sound like nails on a chalkboard to my ear. I cringed and tried to find somewhere to hide. But there was nothing I could do; no one I could actually trust. "I have never in all my years met someone I could not read. And this one," he said, smoothly gesturing to me. "Is she also immuned?"
"No, Ryanne can be read when she wants to be," Edward said. Aro quirked an eyebrow. "She is quite skilled at distracting her thoughts with trivia and memorization." Aro smiled and laughed again before he held his hand out to me.
"No," I whispered. The entire room went silent; not even Bella breathed. I had too many secrets that weren't my own. I didn't know if these creeps knew about the wolves, about what Jake and his people could do. I wouldn't put them at risk. What if the Volturi decided to come after the pack? No; I wouldn't let them no.
"Are you refusing?" the blond one asked. I nodded. "Who do you think-"
"Caius," Aro said quietly. "She is obviously a very ferocious human. Perhaps some persuasion," he said, motioning behind him. The blonde that had frightened Edward and Alice stepped forward, her red eyes hard and dead. "Be kind, my pet," Aro said.
My body felt like it was on fire; like a thousand hot daggers were stabbing me at every available point. But I couldn't see anything. No one was near me. Aro looked at me expectantly as I fell to the floor. A million needles were stitching me closed, but there was no anesthetic given. I bit my tongue, tasting blood in my mouth. Whips lashed at my back, invisible hooks clawing at my back and tearing my flesh away from my bones and I convulsed on the ground. My organs boiled, my blood curdled and then... it stopped.
Aro laughed as I panted for breath. "I have never seen a human endure it in silence!" he shouted with glee. "I wonder, Jane dear, if Bella is as strong," he said. I felt a cold arm around me as Alice gently helped me up.
Edward shouted and jumped in front of Bella. Oh sure, now you're chivalrous. Where was your chivalry when I was the one on the ground? I flinched as I watched him writhe in pain, re-imagining what had just happened to me. Alice released me to wrap her arms around Bella, who was begging the little imp to stop hurting her beloved Edward. Where had those shouts been when I was being tortured? "Jane," Aro said quietly.
The red eyed vixen turned her attention to my sister, but naturally, Bella didn't get to feel the pain. She stood there, face scrunched as she waited for the agony that never came. Edward pushed himself to his feet, looking worriedly at my sister before he turned his eyes to me. I'm fine, I said in my head. He nodded, although he didn't look convinced. "Extraordinary!" Aro squealed. Jane looked angry. I could see her focus a little harder, but Aro rested a hand on her shoulder. "Do not be put down, Jane; she is a mystery to us all."
The girl retreated, her face angry. She looked like she should be completely red, but she had no blood. "Now, Ryanne, dear; perhaps you have reconsidered. Knowing what Jane could do, surely you can recognize that it would be easier to just shake my hand," Aro said, extending his paper-mache hand to me.
"You can torture me all you'd like," I whispered. "But I won't touch you." I was tense, my muscles prepared for whatever that bitch wanted to throw at me.
But Aro just laughed. "So determined! She would make for an interesting immortal. As would her sister," Aro said, gliding back towards Bella. "Would you all not like to join our family? I am so interested to see what becomes of these two when turned? And Alice, your gift could be so valuable to us."
"No thank you," I said politely. Bella repeated the same.
"What a pity; you would have made such exquisit immortals. Well, that leaves the only one solution," Aro said. Edward stiffened. I had always said my sister would kill me. "Unless," he began. Unless what? Unless you were a wolf's imprint, in which case, naturally, you could go because vampires don't mess with wolves? "Unless, of course, you intend to turn them." Turn me? Into what? Dinner? "Of course, I would need some proof."
"Just say that you'll do it, Edward," Bella begged. Oh God, they were talking about changing my sister and me into one of them.
"I won't," Edward said, his eyes on Bella but his voice loud enough for all to hear. Bella looked broken. "But you knew that, right? It's why you brought us to this room," Edward accused.
"We were already here, Edward, awaiting Heidi's arrival. It is just convenient-"
"I've seen it," Alice said, stepping forward. "I can show you," she said, slipping her red leather glove down her pale arm and extending her hand.
Aro took her hand like it was the elixir of life, cradling it between his two and staring off into the distance. It was only moments later that he released, confused and elated at the same time. "Why does her future disappear?" he asked like a toddler that wanted to know the end of the story.
"Her time is up," Alice replied.
"So amazing to see the things that have not happened, but will," Aro said, turning back to the thrones.
"Aro-" Caius began.
"I have seen it, brother. She will be changed and she will be as glorious as I imagined. Ryanne," he said. I looked up from the marble ground at him. "With your time so short, surely you would rather join us than expire."
Alice couldn't see the wolves. As soon as I'd made the decision to run to La Push the second I hit Seattle, my future disappeared because it became intermingled with Jake's. Alice let him believe that I was going to die. As much as I hated the leech, I just wanted to hug her. "I choose death," I said with surety and a touch of attitude. Because whether I died when we hit Seattle or in seventy years, I would rather die than become the thing that my friends hated the most.
"Well then, farewell my young friends. Give my regards to Carlisle and the family. And Edward," he said. Edward looked up at him. "If I were you, I would not wait to long. We will be checking in." Edward nodded and led us out the ornate doors.
The asshole who had cornered us in the alley and followed us in was showing us the way out. A blonde woman walked by, her long legs clad in dark wool stockings, a fitted pencil skirt and long sleeved blouse. "Nice fishing, Heidi," the guy said as we passed her. "Save me a few." Save me a few? I watched with horror as a petite woman clutching her rosary shivered. Oh good God; they were going to eat them.
Bella must've had the same revelation because Edward pulled her into his side, hurrying us out of the corridor. It was all for naught as I heard the terrified, high pitched screams. Alice pushed me from behind, shoving me towards the reception area. "Wait until dark to leave," the vampire behind us commanded. Edward and Alice nodded, pulling my sister and I towards the couches.
"Can I get you something?" a polite voice asked behind me. I turned to find Gianna, the woman who had greeted us. She was all to human; all too normal. And yet she was working for vampires. I heard Bella voice the questions bubbling in my brain and Edward affirm them, as well as her hopes to become a leech. And then my sister started breaking down. I wasn't sure if the past months had finally gotten to her; if she was overjoyed, if she was devastated, if she was terrified. All I knew was that she was crying.
I could feel my emotions spiraling out of control. I just wanted to be home. I wanted Jake to yell at me and tell me I was stupid and- Right; mind reader. Where had I left off? Good old U.S.A. Right. Warsaw, Poland; Vilnius, Lithuania; Vientiane, Laos; Viena, Austria; Victoria, Seychelles...
I couldn't tell you how long we sat there, only that I was on Moroni, Comoros when Gianna informed us that we could leave with a warning not to linger in the city very long. I chortled. I wanted out of here and back to the Rez. I was afraid of what I would think about if I fell asleep. So while Alice probably stole another car, Bella and Edward stared lovingly into each other's eyes, I continued listing. Montevideo, Uruguay; Monrovia, Liberia; Monaco, Monaco; Mogadishu, Somalia; Minsk, Belarus. By the time we were in the car and headed towards the airport, I was up in Luxembourg.
Bella fought against the exhaustion, although I couldn't tell you why. She was in the arms of the man she loved. Surely she could believe that he would protect her. Unlike my sister, I had had months of living with exhaustion. I had been a functioning insomniac and caffeine addict. So while she sipped on the little soda the flight attendant brought her, I used my secret twenty to by whatever energy drink the airline offered. Edward gave Bella some disapproving look about drinking caffeine until she told him she was afraid of her nightmares. Hell, I was afraid of her nightmares. Edward shot me a sympathetic look that I roundly ignored. Abu Dhabi, UAE, I finished. Damn; five hours of flight left and no more world capitals. I suppose I could test my knowledge and go A to Z as opposed to backwards.
"Or you could give your brain a break," Edward suggested.
"See, and that right there is why I can't," I said.
"Why do you know those?"
"So that if I'm ever stuck on a plane after rescuing a mind reading vampire, I can distract myself and protect my brain," I said. "Isn't that why everyone learns them?" He chuckled, but Bella just glared at me. Right; I wasn't funny and I was rude to him. I forgot that is why she hated me.
Honorificabilitudinitatibus. H-O-N-O-R-I-F-I-C-A-B-I-L-I-T-U-D-I-N-I-T-A-T-I-B-U-S: the state of being able to achieved honors; coined by Shakespeare in his play Love's Labour's Lost.
"Why do you know that?" Edward laughed.
"I know a lot of things," I smirked. Antidisestablishmentarianism . A-N-T-I-D-I-S-E-S-T-A-B-L-I-S-H-M-E-N-T-A-R-I-A-N-I-S-M: the ideology that opposes the separation of church and state. Bella and Edward sat in their little corner of the world, staring at each other with gross romantic emotions while Alice talked quietly into her cell phone. I didn't even know that phones worked when you were in the air. Floccinaucinihilipilificatio n. F-L-O-C-C-I-N-A-U-C-I-N-I-H-I-L-P-I-L-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N: the deeming of something to be trivial.
Hours later, I was snapping my eyes open after almost falling asleep for the third time. "Ladies and gentle men, we are now making our descent into Seattle. The current temperature outside is," I stopped listening, turned off my iPod and zipped it into my pocket. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. S-U-P-E-R-C-A-L-I-F-R-A-G-I-L-I-S-T-I-C-E-X-P-I-A-L-I-D-O-C-I-O-U-S: a phrase coined by Mary Popins but no one really knows what it means.
I waited impatiently for the people in front of me to disembark the metal bird. "Ryanne," Alice called. "Wait!"
I turned on my heel, still walking towards the doors. "Alice, thanks for saving my life and everything, but I just want to get out of here and back to La Push," I said.
"I know, " she said, pressing a hundred dollar bill into my hand. "I think I owe you that much. Thanks for saving my brother," she said.
"I haven't forgotten what we talked about, Alice; if my friends get hurt-"
"They won't; I would never hurt them." I waved down a taxi, Alice standing right by me. "Don't worry about Charlie; I'll tell him you had nothing to do with it," she promised.
"Don't bother; I'll go home first and talk to him." But then I was going to La Push and I was never leaving again.