Libra's Symphony (Alec Volturi x OC)

Power

 I had never been in a castle before.

I had been in numerous castle-like buildings but never in a real castle. We don't really have many of those where I come from.

When I first saw Palazzo dei Priori my jaw fell comically. I had never been out of my country and so I had never seen any construction that old in person. It was mesmerising, entirely made of stone in romano-gothic style, with a clock and a central tower, beautifully watching over the plaza like a proud father. When I glanced at Alec I could tell he was really happy with my reaction.

"You live in an actual medieval castle? That is both awesome and incredibly stereotypical. Are you sure you don't sleep in a coffin?"

My comment was met with booming laughter and he put a hand on my shoulder to guide me to the entrance.

"I don't sleep, I already told you."

He never stopped smiling at my teasing observations as we made our way through the square, his skin protected from the sun by a thick cloak. My body was aching all over and I desperately needed to sleep, the madness of the previous days finally catching up to me the closer we got to our final destination. I had napped some more in the car going from the airport in Florence to Volterra but the lack of uninterrupted sleep was beginning to get to me. Even so, as we walked through the piazza an insistent thought wouldn't leave me.

What if I try to escape now, before we go inside? Can I outrun him? Where would I go? I barely speak any Italian, he probably knows this city like the palm of his hand, could I make it out of here?

Unlikely. The space was very open and not very crowded, and even if it wasn't I knew I wouldn't even make it out of the square before he caught me. I knew it would only upset him. Still that voice in my head wouldn't leave me and when we reached the opening on the floor at the end of the street, the one that led to the inside of the building, the voice began to scream because Alec said he would go first to catch me as I fell.

He obviously had the same thought as I did because he squinted his eyes and warned me –

"Be good and follow right after me. Don't think you can escape just because I will go first."

I most likely couldn't, anyway. But it was so tempting. I watched him disappear and found myself apparently alone in that part of the street, it was too good of an opportunity. My body shook with the impulse to run as far from the castle as I could.

"Marina" I heard him call from down the opening, "come now."

What if I do run? Even if he catches me, I would have tried. Maybe I will manage, maybe I will have a miracle.

I risked it. I quit overthinking and just ran right back to where we came from, feeling a numbing thrill shooting through my body to the end of my limbs.

It was incredibly short-lived.

I barely took three steps and collided with someone just as cold and hard as Alec, but it was not him.

"And where does the lady think she is going?"

A very large man wearing a grey cloak taunted me as he held my arms. With the hood that shadowed his face I couldn't make out his features but the brightness of his crimson eyes was unmistakable even to my human eyes.

"Just getting some air."

Where I found it in myself to be funny I couldn't tell for the life of me but the man seemed to be in a good mood and chuckled darkly at my lame joke.

"None of this now, go inside like Alec told you to." He winked at me "be good."

I sighed and went back to where I saw Alec disappear, the man following closely behind me.