275AN Back with a new story!
Isabella the first was the first vampire ever created. Her duty is to keep the balance of the world. Being an ancient, her powers are unfathomable and the supernaturals that know her name fear her. Tired of being the only one to be judge jury and executioner to keep teh balance, she started putting capable vampries in charge. this time This age it's the volturi brothers that are in charge. But when Aro brings her a report of a suspicious coven in the pacific northwest with a rumored seer, Isabella doesn't trust his motives and goes to investigate herself.
she finds more than she bargained for or ever saw coming when she meets Edward, the coven's mind reader.
what will she do when Aro defies her and threatens this coven of good natured and loving vampires? How will the coven react when they find out who she really is?
I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
Chapter 1
BPOV
The world would sometimes pass me by. I would sit and stare out into the world, watching it pass me by without participating. Sometimes I closed my eyes and it would almost feel like I was sleeping. It wasn't something I preferred, or even liked to do; it was empty and lonely. And yet I couldn't seem to stop myself from slipping away and sinking into myself.
I didn't fit in with the human world, and in the vampire world I was mostly feared. That is if they found out who I was. Not many did. Most that found out didn't survive for long after.
'Ms Isabella?' Aro asked, breaking into my trance and pulling me back into the world. I hated his sickly sweet voice.
'Did I give you permission to enter?' I asked as I slowly opened my eyes, my voice raspy and creaky from disuse.
'No Milady.' He bowed immediately, sinking down onto one knee.
'Then why are you here?' I asked getting to my feet and stretching my limbs.
Though being still was like second nature to us vampires, being still for months on end left me a bit stiff.
'You bid us to wake you when it had been six months. Remember?' he said.
'I do remember. But that still does not warrant you entering my chambers without permission.'
He bowed his head. 'My most humble apologies.'
'Very well.' I sighed. 'Make sure it does not happen again.'
He nodded.
'I'll be in the hall in an hour.' I dismissed him.
He dipped his head in acknowledgement before standing up and backing out of the room slowly. When the door closed after him, I heard his rapid footfalls running away. The coward. I scoffed and shook my head, trying to bring myself fully back into the present.
I headed to the bathroom and started the shower, turning the radio on as well. 'Good evening, you are listening to the Christmas station for all your festive favourites, all day long.'
I stepped under the spray as Barry White's voice started filling the room.
Six months.
It had been six months since I'd last actively participated in the world. I always knew when I was fading away into oblivion for a while, it was like my brain needed the time to disassociate and recover. It happened every decade or so. If possible I asked someone to bring me out of it in a few months, or if it was a crisis time, a few weeks or days. If no one woke me, I could stay like that for years. The longest I'd ever slept, for lack of better term, was a decade.
It had been a nice reprieve, I had to admit. It was a good way to make time pass faster and to let myself rest. But too long meant the world I would wake up to would be thrown into disharmony and my work would start all over again.
For the past few thousand years, the Volturi brothers have run the day to day policing of the vampire world for me. Though I didn't trust them fully, they hadn't caused a lot of disruption as of yet. I had been able to pull back like this without too many issues arising when I returned. They'd fill me in on what I'd missed when I woke up again. Things had been rather quiet lately, and I'd felt myself slipping away this time and warned them to wake me in six months.
The newborn wars of the nineteenth century had been the last rough period, requiring my direct involvement. Ever since those had been stopped things had been… dare I say it? Calm.
'Milady?' there was a knock on the door.
'Enter.' I called out, as I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I switched off the radio and stepped into the living area as Jane stepped inside, carrying numerous bags.
'The latest fashions.' She said with a smile.
Jane was my childe. I'd saved her and her brother from a quite desperate situation. She'd been only twelve and her brother only fourteen and they were being abused in the most monstrous of ways. I'd taken them both under my wing, placing them in the care of a lovely human family, that gave them the love, support and help they'd so desperately needed after what they'd been through. I checked in with them often and when Jane was twenty two she had asked me to turn her. She had wanted to become like me and help me like I'd helped her. Although I'd resisted at first I soon realized she'd really thought it through and so I had agreed. Who was I to tell her what direction her life should take? Of course when her brother heard what was happening, he wanted in as well.
Since then, nearly two hundred years ago now, they'd both been my companions. I kept them both close to me and made sure the Volturi brothers kept their distance with their outdated and sometimes twisted views on ruling and justice.
Jane picked up a bag and held it out to me, telling me to wear what was inside. I took the bag and started dressing as she filled me in on everything new in the human world over the last few months.
'And what have you been up to?' I asked her when she was done telling me about a recent development in some territorial dispute of the humans.
'Not much. I've been practicing. But mostly just hanging around.'
'Tell me you were responsible.' I quirked my brow at her.
She nodded. 'Only with Alec and only far away from castle eyes and ears.'
I nodded. Jane's gift was a dangerous weapon when mishandled. It was a secret we guarded closely. No one was to know the full extend of her gift or she would be used as a weapon without mercy. I'd always impressed on her to be careful and to never use it without cause. The same went for her brother. Though less violent, his gift was no less deadly and could be used to wipe out entire populaces quite easily.
Alec could take away one's senses completely, while Jane could inflict unbearable pain with her mind.
These were not gifts that could fall in the wrong hands. Their gifts were also one of the reasons I kept both of them permanently under my shield. My shielding ability was my gift. One of my gifts at least. Under my shield they were safe from any malice; mental and physical attacks could not reach them. Their minds would be their own, no one could influence them unduly.
When I was dressed and ready, Jane and I headed to the great hall where the brothers were already waiting for me.
Jane opened the heavy wooden double doors and I stepped through first. The brothers immediately got to their feet and knelt down, bowing their heads. I almost rolled my eyes at the exessive display, but held back. Like I said; outdates views on ruling. Sometimes I wondered just what century they thought they were living in.
'Isabella' Aro greeted me.
'Aro, Caius, Marcus.' I greeted back coolly. I stepped towards the raised dais and took a seat in the middle throne. Why they insisted on having thrones I had never understood. I didn't really care for these types of displays, but I also couldn't be bothered to stop them. 'What have I missed?'
The brothers filled me in on what had happened during my sleep. Thankfully things had been slow it seemed. There was a new addition to their guard, a young man with a strength that was unequalled. Or so they claimed. He was brought forward and I appraised him silently. A large frame with thick corded muscles. He did seem impressive. I greeted him and wished him well.
The brothers continued.
There was a minor case of disappearing humans in North Africa, which they were keeping a close eye on. For now it didn't seem suspicious yet, so they hadn't intervened. It seemed to be nothing major enough to require my direct attention.
'Things seem quite peaceful.' I surmised when they'd finished their update. Caius and Marcus nodded, yet Aro seemed to be fidgeting and nervous about something.
'Spit it out, Aro.' I commanded him in a bored tone, he jumped slightly, probably not expecting me to call him out like this.
'Well…' he started. 'It's nothing… Nothing yet at least… There's a coven in the US and it's growing rapidly and amassing dangerous talents.'
'Dangerous?' I echoed, slightly interested. Covens that gathered talent would usually become a thorn in my side not too long after. It was how the newborn wars had started as well.
'Rumours have reached us of a seer being among their ranks.'
I sat back, considering that fact. 'That's a very rare gift and could indeed be very dangerous depending on how the gift works.'
Aro nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. 'Yes. indeed.'
'Are they drawing human attention to themselves? Or breaking any laws?' I asked.
'Well…' Aro hesitated.
Marcus rolled his eyes. and Caius looked away.
Ah. I supressed a smile. This meant there was a personal vendetta of Aro's against this particular coven. Every once in a while Aro manged to antagonize a coven because of some perceived slight. I usually stayed out of those squabbles. Unless there was a direct threat of a law being broken, or the balance of the world being upset. Still, the presence of a seer had me slightly curious and concerned.
I looked at Aro, still waiting for his answer.
'Well, they've not drawn any untoward attention.' He finally settled on.
I sighed and shook my head. 'Alright. Then it's just this gift that it's about.'
Aro nodded once, looking slightly unhappy about it though. I wondered what this coven had done to get on his bad side. 'But they won't answer our summons.'
'And why would they? They've not done anything wrong.'
'But…'
'No.' I cut him off firmly. 'We're not tyrants, Aro. Though it seems you sometimes forget that. If they are not dangerous or threatening human exposure, then there is no basis for a summoning.'
Aro hung his head in defeat.
'Now, since everything has been going well enough. I suggest you leave this coven alone until you can prove that they are in fact a threat or breaking a law. Until then I will be going on a trip, you can reach me the usual ways.'
I stood up.
'But, Ms Isabella, you've only just woken.' Caius sputtered.
I quirked a brow at him. 'Yes. Which is why I have some friends I need to catch up with. Not that it's any of your business.'
With that I swept from the room with Jane on my heels, and the brothers staring after me in disbelief and confusion, which was exactly how I liked my chosen leaders. I couldn't let them get complacent, or they would try to stab me in the back. It had happened numerous times before after all. The power eventually all went to their heads, no matter how much I tried to instill in them that they were my subjects first and foremost. I feared these brothers were reaching the end of their usefullness.