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All an Illusion

Tormented

Some memories, no matter how traumatizing and no matter how we wish to forget them, can never leave the mind. Instead they stay like a stubborn weed in the back of our heads ready to torment as soon as you’re emotionally unprepared. In his recent discomfort, Alec was being haunted by the same significant memory. His twin sister sensed his anxiety but wisely chose to ignore his uneasiness, well for now at least. They were as close as all twins are thought to be, however their immortal lives gave them even a tighter bond that was hard to compare. She knew when he needed to be comforted and when he needed to be left alone. This was one of those times. When he was ready he would come to her. She didn’t even need to doubt her decisiveness that was how close they were. It made her smile.

Little did Jane know that what was troubling Alec was going to stretch the boundaries of their relationship more than ever. Since the catastrophe with the Cullens a similar distress had engulfed the whole clan and it was this that Jane thought was troubling her brother. Instead it was actually what had happened afterwards that was bothering Alec.

On their way home, they had stopped now and then to visit some fellow vampires and also to feed. Jade was simply supposed to be another way to relinquish his thirst. Alec shouldn’t have given her a second thought. Yes, her striking looks were enough to make, maybe a human stop and stare. And yes the appealing, ripe aroma of her blood was enough to make his mouth pool with venom, but it wasn’t that, that had him enraptured. Instead it was the vulnerability of a small, sniffling teenager in the middle of a meadow at night that had Alec reigning in his instincts to let his eyes instead roam her body instead of his teeth. It was a strange feeling; to be drawn in by a human for anything else other than her blood.

He attacked her in the end. That was inevitable. Alec and Jane are known to be the most dangerous vampires due to their incredible gifts which give them the respected air of invincibility. The Cullens had only recently lessened that fact with Isabella, the newborn, but still, they are the Volturi’s most defensive weapons and he was not going to back down from a kill. That was unthinkable.

It was when he bit into her skin, and her beautiful scream filled the night air that Alec ran. He couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t continue. That fact had him so spooked that he took off. He ran away, leaving her blood streaming openly from her wound.

The not knowing of what had happened to her, had tormented him for months. Had she died? Had she survived? Had she made the actual transformation and turned into a vampire? None of those options gave him comfort. And then for the girl herself to stride into the heart of the Volturi, requesting her own death! It was like a slap in the face. Of all the possibilities he had never imagined that she would turn up at his own doorstep!

“Alec?” his sister sighed, her small pixie-like pretty face was lined with worry.

He nodded and looked around him, trying to gather his thoughts. They were standing in the dining room, along with the majority of the coven. Jade herself was only standing a couple metres away from him talking with her companion, Fred. Even now, as he thought about her, he couldn’t resist glancing over at her, as if to verify her existence.

“Sister, have you ever… ever you know, doubted your abilities… to know, do what you have to do when the time comes..?” He looked straight at her, desperately willing her to understand when he knew he wasn’t making much sense.

Jane breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Brother,” she smiled reaching up to take his shoulders, “I know your disturbed by the ‘incident’ with the Cullens… but don’t worry. We will find a way to break them. Me and you, we’re invincible, don’t ever forget that. Now is not the time to go soft, trust me.” Alec was shocked. He knew he had been vague, but for his own twin to misunderstand him completely? Then again he wasn’t making much sense even to himself. He knew she was only trying to be comforting and yet he could hear the underlying warning in her voice. Now was not the time to soften up.

“By the way Aro wants to have a little talk with you,” Jane added lightly as she brushed past him.

Alec immediately turned to follow her. Aro was not someone who liked to be kept waiting. Still, he was reluctant to go. He had a feeling whatever Aro had to say was not going to please him in any way.

*
Aro was in his own quarters and as Alec entered his front room he passed the vampire Corin on her way out. Corin was a lovely soft appearing woman and the Volturi kept her because of her useful ability to ease pain. However the majority of the coven felt uneasy around her because of what her ability did to the Volturi wives. Her gift could be compared to a drug the way it made the wives so complacent with their situation. They didn’t complain about their guards or the fact that they never really left the tower. Unlike the rest, Alec didn’t really care and thought that Corin should be more appraised for her talents. It was a wonderful gift and Aro and Caius were very smart to utilize her skills.

He smiled respectfully at her as he entered Aro’s chambers. Aro was standing to the left admiring a large Anglo-Saxon painting. Alec instantly knew how this conversation was going to begin.

“Do you still remember that night?” Aro said lowly without even turning around to acknowledge Alec’s presence. It was a silly question. How could Alec forget? Exactly 1211 years ago and the memory still burned in his memory… the sweltering heat of the fire… the impending doom of what was to come… the roar of the anger villagers as they yelled and spat endless allegations at him and his sister… They were about to die. But Aro had saved them. And as much as Alec worshipped his creator he didn’t like to remember that oh so close encounter to death and his invulnerability.

“Of course.”

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Aro sighed theatrically. “If that passing nomad hadn’t stopped to share the news of the execution I would never have been able to save you.”

Alec bowed his head as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Then Aro said something that instantly had him on edge. “I’ve been talking with Marcus and he thinks that you should be the one to make our newest member at home.”

Marcus had the ability to read the emotional ties behind people and Alec knew that he must have informed Aro of the strange bond he had with Jade. He didn’t know to what extent but Aro’s demand was enough to know that he was being warned. “She has already agreed to your offer?” Alec asked.

“No, but she will, in good time. I’ve already sent Corin to make her acquaintance, but I know that your input will make this… transformation easier,” Aro explained, stroking the oil of the priceless work of art.

“Transformation?”

“Yes… Jade appears to be under the illusion that the Cullens are harmless and that we are instead the horrible misguided coven. I need you to change that. You help her to gain our trust and you will bring her to the understanding that she is a magnificent creature and deserves to remain ‘alive.’ But don’t encourage her too much, we don’t want her to understand too much about her power, well not yet anyway. Understand?”

Alec nodded and turned to leave. He didn’t trust himself to speak. He could never object to Aro’s wishes and yet every atom of his being was screaming at him to protest – to turn around and take some other pathway. He didn’t know what it was with Jade but somehow this wasn’t how he expected to make her acquaintance. Maybe his sister was right and he did need to toughen up. Alec stopped to recollect himself before his made his way back to the dining room. He was preparing himself to do something that vampires were so great at – lie.
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It is absolutely unforgivable how long its taken me to update... I apologise and my only excuse is writer's block which I hope hasn't affected this chapter in any way (: