The Volturi

Nine Lives

Requested by GreeneI27

Quick Note: I, with the power of having the memory of a goldfish, forgot that I had this sitting in a journal all written out just waiting to be typed up and published. I apologize for the long overdue one-shot that you requested. I had combined the earlier entry of Oops... (can be found in my first Volturi One-shots book for those of you looking for it) with this one, sort of a continuation since I personally enjoyed writing about a baby Caius. So, without further adieu, here is your request.

"What. Did. You. Do?!" Demetri bellowed.

Maria, his magically gifted hybrid turned ever so slowly to the door and her seething with anger father. "It's not as bad as it looks."

The door slammed shut behind the tracker as he took in the mess of his wife's laboratory. Broken vials littered the once clean floor, two potions sat in cauldrons boiling over and releasing black smoke out the nearby window, leather-bond spell books sat all around the room, and his 10-year-old with soot and what appeared to be claw marks on her cheek stood in the middle of it all. " 'Not as bad as it looks'," Demetri gestured to the mess, "It's beyond reason! What will your mother say-"

"-Meow." 

Maria tensed, as Demetri turned his attention to the shelf of ancient grimoires. There perched between the third and forth shelf sat a cat with piercing blue eyes, tan body, and darker brown face, ears, and tail. In an instant Demetri knew it was a Siamese cat but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why it was in his wife's lab. 

"Please tell me you didn't find another stray to bring home Maria," Demetri began with a sigh, "we told you after you brought home that deer that you could not have a pet until you prove you are responsible enough to care for a living thing."

Maria looked down at her hands and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I didn't."

Demetri scoffed, "Do not lie to me, I see the cat right there!"

Maria looked up at her father, tears threatening to spill at any moment. "It's Master Caius, Daddy."

Demetri stilled for a moment. He looked between his daughter and the cat. He felt something brush against his leg and turned his attention to the floor. Another cat, this one the color of copper and eyes of green rubbed its head and body against the trackers pant leg. It reared its head up looking directly into Demetri's eyes. Demetri could feel the venom in his veins run colder than usual, the cat was no ordinary cat. No for it to be ordinary it wouldn't have the look it had in its eyes, one of danger and wicked glee. 

"Master Aro?"

The cat purred in delight and rubbed itself more against Demetri. "You turned both Master Caius and Aro into cats?" He asked softly, still trying to process what was happening. 

"And Master Marcus..." Maria answered, her voice barely above a whisper. 

She pointed towards the bay window where a cat, its black fur looking more purple under the light of the sun, laid bathing in it's warmth. 

Demetri took a shaky breath and pushed his hair out of his face with a trembling hand. "I'm going to be fired," he said as he sank to his knees, "First it was your mother turning Master Caius into a baby-"

Maria perked up. "Mom turned Master Caius into a baby? Did she dress him up in ridiculous onesies and took pictures for blackmail?"

Demetri shot a glare at his daughter making her fall silent instantly. "Can you fix this?" was all he asked, "Before your mother comes home in a week?"

Maria looked between all three cats. "I think I can, but I'm not sure Daddy."

Demetri picked up the closest spell book and handed it to his daughter. "You or the Masters are not allowed to leave this room until they are back to their normal selves, do I make myself clear young lady?"

Maria nodded, "What about if people ask to see them? It'll raise suspicion if nobody see's them in the throne room or when Aunt Heidi returns with a new tour group."

Demetri sighed through his nose, as usual his daughter had a point. "You let me and Uncle Felix worry about that. You," Demetri pointed at his daughters nose and to the books, "worry about fixing this mess."

Days bled into nights and Maria in the midst of her searching had come up with nothing helpful. She turned to her mothers notes and the notes of every magical wielding woman in her family, hoping that they too may have done something like this or even stumbled across something of similar nature. She only found her mothers mistakes and how she could remedy them in the future. Maria was just about to give up when Aro the Cat ad begun to meow.

"Master Aro, I can't play with you right now."

The meowing grew louder.

"We'll play later."

The meowing had turned into full on yelling by that point making Maria slam her grandmothers grimoire down and turn to the noisy cat. "WHAT?!" she yelled.

Aro simply grew quiet, turned and walked behind the bookshelf closest to the door. Maria stood and followed. There wedged between the wall and bookshelf sat Aro and what looked like a book bound in cloth. Aro, being the man that he was, pawed at the book, trying to bring it out of hiding. Maria reached down pulling Aro out of the way and grabbing the book herself.

It was heavy, Maria couldn't argue about that and was troublesome to bring to the table. She laid the book down with a heavy thud. The cloth around the book was old and stained with a multitude of stains some looked like blood that had long since been dry. Maria paused for a moment as she removed the last bit of cloth, her stomach turning. The book, didn't look like any spell book that she had ever seen before. It was black in color, the edges of the pages were yellow in color and the smell of the book reminded Maria of the smell of the dungeons, mildew and rot. It was stitched together by wire that was now rusted. Maria ran a hand over the cover only to wish she hadn't touched the book. It was not the normal leather she had grown use to feeling under her fingers, no, it was skin that had been tanned and used to create the covering. Something that felt like a needle pricked Maria's impenetrable skin causing her to give a yelp of surprise and pull back her hand but not quick enough that a single drop of her blood fell onto the cover. 

Maria inspected her finger as it healed and the book came to life. Where the skin was crudely stitched together began to glow red and the lock had unlocked itself. Maria stared in horror as the pages began to turn themselves to the spell she was in desperate need of.

Marcus gave a distrustful hiss and tried to put himself between the book and Maria to no avail. 

The hybrid only scooped him up and placed him on a chair. The king gave a meow of fear. Maria looked at him to the book. "I'm sorry."

She could understand Marcus and the other kings distrust but what harm could come from this book? Something deep in Maria recoiled as if the book was something to be distrustful of but yet she was left with no choices. Her mother was due back in mere hours and her father couldn't buy her any more time saying the masters were busy visiting their queens. 

She rolled up her sleeves and held her hands over the book, her magic sparking to life in her palms. 

"Lets do this."