My bloody hand was making me dizzy and I could feel myself getting sicker and sicker as I walked behind the vampire in front of me. He avoided every single person in our way but we were still watched suspiciously. Of course a fully covered man and a bloody girl would not be left unnoticed.
After a couple of minutes of walking under the sun we reached a long and deserted alley and he suddenly stopped and turned to me.
"Go in." He ordered me, looking over my shoulder to check nobody was near us.
"But how-" I asked him trying to find a door or some type of entrance.
"NOW." He told me sternly.
I quickly began walking down the alley, looking at both sides of me, waiting for a door or a window. But when I got to the end of the alley, the brick wall in front of me slowly opened and a cold breeze messed with my hair.
I was finally there.
I took a deep breath and went in, completely unaware of what was waiting for me on the other side.
The brick door closed behind me as soon as I was inside, leaving me in total darkness. Suddenly, my bleeding hand was the last thing I cared about.
I was panting for air but telling myself to calm down and not to be scared. I had not crossed an ocean to die now of a heart attack. When I recovered my breathing I just stood there for a minute, but when I finally decided to take a step, a voice called me.
"Still human?" an angry female voice sounded in my ear and it somehow rang a bell.
"Yes," I barely said as I was scared as hell again.
"And bleeding. You're not so smart."
I remained silent with my eyes and lips closed as I pressed my hand to stop the bleeding.
"Follow me." She ordered me and I heard her steps going away.
I took my suitcase and clumsily tried to catch up with her with my hand extended to avoid hitting a wall or something. Luckily, some seconds later a torch illuminated the room and I realized it was not a room, but a hallway.
The figure leading the way was also wearing a black robe, so who she was was still a mystery, although I suspected who might be.
We walked in silence for a long time and I could not help it; I remembered the previous time I had been here, surrounded by vampires taking care of me while others wanted to kill me only.
"Wait here." She told me opening a black door and going in in a blur.
I recognized the door and my heart started to beat faster since I knew what and who was inside. I was taken aback when the girl reappeared and stood in front of me with her red eyes only inches away from mine.
"Ready?" she asked me with an evil smile, showing all her teeth and making me shiver.
I nodded, unable to utter a single word since I now confirmed what I had guessed.
It was Jane.
She laughed at my reaction and quickly turned around and walked in the other room. I followed her inside and for some strange reason I felt at ease in that familiar room. The marble floor and walls, the high armchairs and the soft light were the same as before. But what caught my attention was, of course, the three men standing in front of me.
My eyes went through their faces, their mischievous smiles and red eyes. I would lie if I said it was not intimidating, but being alone this time I knew I needed to be brave for my own sake. I slowly left the suitcase on the floor and the sound of it echoed in the whole room.
"What a surprise, Miss. Swan." Aro spoke first, smiling and taking a step towards me. "I have to say we didn't expect you back so soon."
"And certainly not alone." Marcus said raising his head and looking at me intrigued.
"And not human." Caius concluded and his voice was full of hatred.
"I- I. Hi." Was all I could say.
"Oh, you don't need to be scared, Bella." Aro told me extending his hand to take mine but putting it back behind his back once he saw my blood. "I guess you are nervous-"
"And bleeding." Jane interrupted him and looked at me furiously, like if she was trying not to kill me.
"I'm really sorry. I just didn't know how to-"
"Very smart." Marcus commented sitting down on his chair and winking at me.
"Jane, call Melissa to take care of Bella's injure so we can talk more relaxed, right, Bella?" Aro asked me smiling again.
"Thank you." I managed to say as I tried to return the smile.
"Great. After all," he paused to look at the other two men. "We are plenty of time."
The three of them nodded and, just like Jane, left the room in a blur again. I was left alone but a moment later a blond woman came in carrying a bag and, to my surprise, she was human. She walked straight to me and nodded her head as asking for permission to take my injured hand. I lifted my arm and she quickly took care of it without saying a word.
"Are you Melissa?" I asked her, trying to be sympathetic with the only human here.
She smiled and nodded but did not say anything. In a couple of minutes she finished healing my hand and bandaging my hand. I thanked her like three times but as soon as she put everything back in her bag, she left.
"So," that disturbing voice made me jump once more. "Did the Cullens forget about you already?" Jane's smile was terrifying and I knew she was trying to piss me off, so I just let her. I needed no enemies.
"Kind of."
"I bet they realized it was a waste of time. Fighting for a simple human, ugh!" her face showed all her disgust to the mere idea of a family of vampires getting involved with a human.
"It was just more complicated than that." I told her looking at her in the eyes. I did not want to confront her but I would not let her mistreat me either.
Her eyes met mine and got wide open, like if she was not used to people answering her back. Bad news to her, I was not common people.
"Like if I care about you." She told me sternly and turned around.
"Jane," Marcus scolded her entering the room, "manners."
She disappeared after that, leaving me alone with Marcus who was by my side already. He remained silent and began walking around me, looking at me from head to toes, like if he was inspecting me. Once he stopped, he sighed in frustration.
"I'm trying to guess why are you here but I'll need some clues, I'm afraid."
"Don't spoil the surprise, Marcus!" Aro shouted coming in, followed by Caius and his constant suffering face. "Bella, dear. I bet you're tired and need to rest, don't you?"
"Uhm, yes. But I need to talk to you first."
"And we will talk, a lot. Trust me. But we are good hosts and we want to treat you as you deserve."
I gulped and frowned, afraid of what their idea of being good hosts might entail.
"Melissa has arranged a room for you. You'll have all the commodities a human need. So go now, make yourself comfortable and we'll meet again for dinner."
My heart stopped beating as I exhaled abruptly and took several steps back. I guess you cannot blame me for my reaction, but the three of them laughed so loud at me that even I mocked myself.
"Just to be clear, only you will have dinner, Miss Swan." Aro explained to me intertwining his hands.
Very shyly, Melissa opened the door and gestured me to follow her. I bent down to grab my suitcase but it was not there anymore. I looked around the room trying to spot it, but it only made the three vampires in the room laugh again.
"We are good hosts, indeed." Marcus told me and escorted me to the door.
Melissa showed me the way to the room I had been given and I admit it felt strange, as if I was in a hotel or something. But the more I walked through the place, the more I got used to it. It was an old construction which was only illuminated by torches on the walls. It resembled much to an old castle, something quite appropriate to a royal clan.
After crossing many corridors and climbing up stairs, Melissa pointed at a wooden door and then went away. She was definitely weird, but I could not blame her. She was living with vampires and I was aware of what that was like.
I opened the heavy door, entered the room and froze at the sight. There was a fireplace with a lit fire which illuminated the place, an arched window which led to an indoor garden and a large bed with some basic furniture. My suitcase was there too. My eyes wandered around the rounded room and I found what I needed the most right then, a small door which led to a bathroom.
I did not think it twice. I quickly locked the main door and ran to the bathroom, filled the tub and undress. Carefully, I got in and immediately felt my body relaxing at the touch with the water. Except for my bandaged hand, I submerged into the hot water until I calmed my nerves.
I sat straight in the tub and stood there like if I was hypnotized. I had like a thousand thoughts in my mind and I needed to rearrange my priorities again.
"I did it," I whispered to myself as I smiled proudly. "I'm here."
And I was indeed proud. I had not only left Forks, crossed an ocean, and found the Vulturi but had now the chance to ask them what I desired the most. Turning me into one of their kind.
A tear rolled down my cheek and joined the hot water in the tub, making me giggle at my silly thought. Maybe I was like this tiny tear, about to join a world I belonged to.
I was definitely wishing for dinnertime to arrive.
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These are Bella's last moments as a human ♥ How do you think she'll be as a vampire?
Please vote and comment!
Agus