All an Illusion

“You’re not serious!” Jade gushed, clutching Fred’s arm as they both laughed. It was so unnatural, to laugh like this, but Jade didn’t complain. For just once, she Jade Stone was having fun, and that in itself was enough to make her smile.

“Excuse me Miss, but if you could please keep it down, passengers are trying to sleep,” the stewardess smiled sweetly through gritted teeth with no hint of amusement on her face at all.

Jade only sighed as they were being told off for their second time, “Have there been any complaints?”

“No, but…” the stewardess protested wandering where the girl was going with this.

“Well then I don’t see any reason, why we should have to keep our voices down? Don’t come back again,” Jade ordered the hostility creeping back in to her voice. The stewardess was immediately away down the aisle.

“Well, how did you do that?” Fred asked amused but slightly confused at the same time.

“I don’t know,” Jade said frowning, not really comfortable with the change of topic, “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“You know, when you came on the plane I felt this really nauseating feeling, and you said something like it was your fault,” Jade countered back her eyes narrowing.

Fred shook his head, “Well you definitely are very observant, but I guess you have a point,” Fred mused, “To be honest I don’t even know how I do it. Just when I think I’m getting used to controlling my power, when I can become invisible or repel someone away with enough force that they don’t even see me, I slip up and feel like I’m back at square one.”

Jade nodded, swallowing her surprise. Become invisible? It was just another reminder of what they were, and the fact that the person sitting next to her was still a stranger.

An uncomfortable silence enveloped them both as the light mood immediately became heavier. Jade was motionless in her seat when he finally broke the silence.

“So are you going straight to um….?” Fred began nervously.

“Volterra,” Jade finished for him. “I don’t know. I’ve never been on a plane before let alone Italy. I thought I might just spend a day sight seeing before I, er… seek the Volturi,” Jade smiled weakly looking down at her hands.

“Cool,” Fred sighed, frowning. “Actually, no. That is not cool. I just can’t understand why you would want to find those… people. If what your friend told you is true, that the Volturi are the ones who took part in creating the new born army I was part of and that it could be one of them that turned you into a vampire, then why on earth would you want to find them?”

Fred sounded sincerely frantic as his voice rose. Jade tried to hush him, not really sure to react to the genuine concern in his eyes, how he was actually making some sense…

“Because I have to,” Jade said breathlessly, “Because I messed up. I actually killed someone, and not just anyone but my own family! The only important person in my life is gone, and even if she were, I probably wouldn’t even be able to be here like this. So what if one of the ‘Volturi’ did bite me and turn me into a vampire. Chances are I’ll never find out who it is I don’t really care. As long as the Volturi live up to their name and finish the job by ending my life properly.”

As she spoke, Jade’s hands had balled into fists, the arm of the cheap airplane seat reforming itself to fit the shape of her hand as she held onto it just that little to tightly. She refused to turn away from Fred’s confused and concerned stare. It was him who looked away first.

“I’ve killed people too Jade. And not just a person but people, soo many innocent people,” he didn’t look at her as he spoke, only making Jade feel worse for the poor choice of her words. She cursed herself for being so insensitive and stupid. “How I about I make you a deal,” he said quietly, turning back to her again. “I’ve never been to Rome myself, how about we spend the day sightseeing together and then I’ll see you to the Volturi myself. You won’t have to go alone. The last time I let someone out of my sight, I never saw them again, and she was just like you, so young and innocent.”

Jade regarded Fred, eyeing him all over as she tried to find any hint of deception or lies hidden in his eyes. But there was none, his face the picture of honesty.

“Okay,” she smiled taking a deep breath but then wincing at the luring smells of blood that came with it. Still, her smile widened as Fred offered her his pinkie. She laughed as she wound her own mini little finger around his. It was so strange and funny at the same time, to feel the same cold touch of marble skin against her own and to see the same red eyes staring warily back at each other.

“What’s so funny?” Fred asked reaching for his bag as the pilot announced they were soon nearing their destination.

“Nothing. It’s just that with you, I feel….” Jade began not quite knowing how to finish.

“…human again. With you I feel human again,” Fred said getting the words exactly right. Jade could only smile back. Right there and then, for the first time in her life she felt like saying a prayer. She felt like saying thank you that she had taken this plane, taken a seat next to what was probably the only vampire on the entire plane. Any niggling doubts that it had been a coincidence that they had met vanished. Instead there was something abnormal or supernatural about it, - something like destiny.