𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 ; volturi kings

CHAPTER XIV

CHAPTER XIV

"What about this?"

"Are you joking? I'm not a stripper, Dia."

"We've talked about this- you seriously need to upgrade your wardrobe."

Nadia Petrova dragged a very exasperated-looking Jasmine Swan through one of the many high-end clothing stores in Siena, an overflowing basket rolling behind them.

"There's nothing wrong with my wardrobe..." The younger vampire pouted.

"Those Gwen Stefani sweatshirts are doing nothing for your figure, скъпа." Her roommate rolled her wide, scarlet eyes, which were hidden behind a large pair of Christian Dior sunglasses.

"You say that as if I have a figure." Jas chuckled dryly as she picked up a piece of coral material, wondering how the small square of fabric was supposed to cover anything.

"Hey-" Nadia turned around to the girl whom she had grown close to in the past month, "you are beautiful, you just need to find the right shape and style- the clothes are supposed to fit you, not the other way round."

"Yuh-huh," Jasmine responded half-heartedly, instead focusing on the cloudy street outside.

Nadia held up a white pair of heels; "now, what do you thi-"

"Look! They're showing Just Like Heaven." She suddenly declared excitedly.

"But we-" The older girl was cut off as she was enthusiastically dragged outside.

Considering the grey weather, there was no one outside in the dreary street. The threat of rain hung over the cobblestone paths, with many locals deciding to take shelter in their own homes.

It was the quiet calm before the storm.

Jasmine was strolling along, her companion in tow, when a sleek, black car slowly pulled up.

From the driver's side, a man emerged.

Well, man was an understatement- both girls could immediately tell by his distinct lack of heartbeat, of the true monster that wore his human skin.

Nadia's first reaction was to freeze, discreetly dragging her friend back so Jas was behind her.

"Posso aiutarti?" She coldly observed him.

Despite his air of authority and maturity, he couldn't have physically been any older than 14- his dark hair was swept to one side, his mouth held in a way that was reminiscent of tasting something sour.

"Sì, credo che tu possa farlo." His voice rang out in the deserted street.

"What's happening?" Jasmine asked her roommate, the language barrier frustrating her.

"Ah, American." He mumbled, "you are both tourists?"

"We live nearby, not that it's any of your business."

As the words left her mouth, two other figures emerged from the car- one unusually tall, whilst the other's ruby-red iris' shimmered with mischief.

Jas didn't think it was possible anymore, but she could feel her stomach sinking as the boy continued to talk; "but neither of you are in a local coven, no?"

She felt Nadia suddenly freeze up as the taller one walked around the car- it took her a split second to notice what had spooked her friend, as the man's golden crest necklace glittered in the dull sunlight.

The Volturi are sort of like the royal family for vampires... They're extremely old and powerful, they've killed a lot of people.

Realisation flowed through Jasmine as the memory of Edward's voice in the rainy English class echoed within her mind.

"Not at the moment- I don't believe that's a crime, though." Her voice was unwavering as she considered how her words could decide her fate.

The boy chuckled lowly as he looked at her, his scarlet eyes seemingly peering into her soul; "that's for us to decide."

The third vampire suddenly stepped forward, seemingly fed up with how long they were taking, "no one cares whether or not you're in a coven- what we do care about, however, is when your meals end up on the news."

The tall one stayed menacingly silent, but nodded in agreement.

The severity of the situation suddenly hit Nadia, and a flash of panic burst through her undead heart. Her survival instincts kicked in and, despite how much she loved her friend, she found herself fleeing; her reminisce nothing more than a soft whoosh noise.

Jas watched in awe as the boy turned to the direction where her friend had fled, and brought his pale hands before him, a dark vapour pouring from his fingertips.

Shit.

Wait a minute- Jasmine attempted to keep an unbothered demeanour as an idea hit her.

The other member suddenly grinned as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder (which was immediately shaken off), "calm down, Alec, I'll take care of it- I was bored, anyway."

He then sped off as Alec turned back to Jas, "I hope you'll act a little more maturely than your friend." His eyes held an annoyance that opposed the genuineness of his words.

"I don't have a death wish," she replied, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Most don't." The taller one finally spoke, even if it was only an irritated grumble.

"Am I to come with you, then?" She asked, raising one eyebrow innocently.

From then on, Jas had to act quickly.

She moved forward as the taller man moved behind her, prompting her towards the open back door of the car. As Alec walked alongside her, ensuring she didn't follow the same path as her friend, she saw her opening and latched onto his arm.

For a split-second beforehand she panicked that she wouldn't know what to do, how to control the boy's strange abilities. But, the second his skin touched hers, she knew.

She could feel a deep pressure on her chest- it was comforting, in a way, this shroud of darkness that would protect her- and she visualised it, attempting to force it outwards through her fingertips.

She acknowledged the look of confusion within Alec's eyes.

Any day now, she thought to herself.

And that was when it happened.

It was a strange sensation at first, a black mist that flew out from between her fingers and surrounded the two men.

She smirked slightly at their cries of puzzlement and surprise, remembering to keep a steel grip on the boy's arm.

A few more seconds, and then she would run- Jas had no idea what the mist was actually doing to them, but she had a strong feeling they would be too disoriented to follow her.

1, 2, 3-

She suddenly shrieked as she was pulled back by a strong pair of arms, losing her grasp on Alec, and losing the feeling of the gift that had flowed through her just a few seconds before.

She was harshly shoved into the back of the car by the third member, annoyance burning in his scarlet eyes as ash covered his hands.