𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑, sam uley ✗

𝐓𝐖𝐎

┏━━━━.˚✧˚₊ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.━━━━┓

LINGERING SPECULATION

IF YOU WERE TO ASK HER, Talullah would tell you that her life began the day she had set her sights on the city of Volterra. Crimson eyes peering onto the city below, she had noticed the array of bustling people speaking in a foreign tongue first and her heightened senses second.

The thing she noticed third was that she had no idea how she got to the bed chamber that she stood in, much less why she awoke on a stone floor that hadn't seemed all that cold. It was only when Aro arrived to the room, with a disinterested-looking man dressed similarly in towe, that he told her the tale of her demise. He had informed her of what would have been her fate had he not sent Marcus to save her... had he not given her a place where she would be content, be wanted.

Due to this, she had placed a certain trust in Aro like any other member of the Volturi — but it was nothing in comparison to the innate loyalty she felt towards Marcus, an apathetic vampire who was her creator. Although she felt indifferent to him, she couldn't help the strict obedience towards his every word that coursed through her being. Everyone in the vampiric world seemed to catch wind of this new guard member that was sired to Marcus, but they failed to understand that it was Aro's persuasiveness that triggered the connection to manifest in her frantic newborn state of mind.

She viewed him as her saviour, but Bella Swan had unintentionally placed a seed of doubt in Talullah's mind against her coven that day which she couldn't seem to shake.

.˚✧˚₊

The group that consisted of the three visitors and the four guard members were led by Jane herself through a vast array of corridors before reaching a modern elevator, and it was truly a spectacle to see them crowd into the tiny contraption.

Standing beside Talullah's figure, Bella found herself gazing between the girl's oh-so familiar face and her own arm was pressed against Talullah's being. What got Bella's attention the most was how similar she looked to the photo of her plastered onto the folder of her case file.

Talullah felt the girl's eyes on her and it began to agitate her to no end. Bella knew something she didn't, and to be bested by a human was incredibly aggravating to any vampire — especially to a young vampire like herself who found it hard to regulate her heightened emotions. Luckily the elevator ride was short, leading them to exit and enter an elegantly decorated space that danced with old world charm. The group was greeted politely by an entirely human receptionist whom Talullah paid no mind to as they swiftly passed her.

The grand doors before them soon opened with Jane sauntering in first, and the scene was then set for their three guests. The three leaders sat atop their thrones, surrounded by other Volturi guards in dark clothes who lined the walls. The human's eyes wandered to the figure of a girl standing calmly just to the right of Marcus, her red eyes were hazed over as if she was in some sort of trance-like state.

The figure mirrored Talullah to a T. Her brown pupils flickered to where she last saw the brunette vampire, only to notice there was suddenly no one next to her. Gazing back to the identical version of Talullah, she inhaled suddenly as the body began moving closer to the three ancients' thrones. Her red eyes were clear of haze as she blinked once, rolling her shoulders back slightly as if she had just settled back into her own being.

Surely that wasn't possibly.

Edward and Alice shared similar sentiments as they conversed mentally, but were interrupted by a fellow guard member reaching out to Jane. "Sister, they send you out to her one and you bring back two," Alec said, almost admiring her efforts at speeding along the process. It was then he noticed a new smell in the room. "And a half."

Talullah nodded to herself, attention zeroing in on the human in the room. Prior to this, she had been able to detect Bella's scent, but the dull nature of it while she was in her different state vanished as soon as she was back in her vessel. Still, it was unrecognizable to her, but the blood running through her veins was something she filed away in her mind. It was unlike anything she had smelt before.

"What a happy surprise!" Aro exclaimed, bounding down from his throne as he rejoiced, "Bella is alive after all. Isn't that wonderful."

The other leader, a blond vampire named Caius held a soured expression on his face, whereas Marcus really didn't seem to care all that much. He didn't care much about anything, really, so his reaction wasn't all too surprising.

Aro finally approached Edward with his pale hands jutting forward to try and clasp onto the Cullen boy's own palms. "I do love a happy ending," he smiled, and did so with no pushback.

A beat passed, followed by Aro's telltale gasp that he had found something, or multiple somethings, to be worthy of note within Edward's millions of thoughts. The leader's smiled lowered only slightly, alerting the Cullen boy that a thought of his unsettled the leader, before he turned around while still holding onto the boy's hands.

"It seems as though there was a... misunderstanding, of sorts," he spoke, almost ruefully. "Dearest Talullah," he summoned, beckoning the young vampire forward and dropping his grip of Edward's hands. He raised a hand in the girl's direction, smile returning. From her spot observing them, she was yet again filled with confusion; why was that the first thing he needed to confirm? They had broken the rules, surely that was a higher cause for concern at this moment.

Talullah craned her neck in Marcus' direction, who didn't match her gaze but did nod ever-so slightly. With that, she set off down the few steps and reached them. There was reassurance in Aro's eyes as she clasped her hand around his.

Another beat passed, and all that sounded in the quiet room was a short hum. Aro's eyes flickered to Edward's, assuming he was listening in on his thoughts. Then, their leader dropped her hand, but raised his own to touch the very pendant wrapped around her neck. "You needn't worry, for you know your place is here among us," he said convincingly, trying to dispel the doubts he had so obviously seen within her thoughts. "Why don't you help Heidi with her duties, and then join us again?"

Talullah faltered, fearing she did something to upset him. An upset Aro was not a fun time, which was something she discovered not long after she awoke there. "But, Master Aro, I—"

"Run along now," he repeated, softer tone of voice gone within a second. Looking over his shoulder, the young vampire spotted another nod from Marcus which gave her all the direction she needed to leave the room.

Embarrassed by her doubts being aired out to her Volturi coven mates, she softly bowed her head and stalked out of the grand room. The human's eyes followed her retreating figure, causing her palms to clench heatedly.

Talullah knew Aro was right about one thing; her place in this world lied with the Volturi. She also knew that he was hiding something from her, and the only way to get answers was most certainly not by being cooped up within her chambers with her endless duties.

She would only get answers straight from the source, and only after weeks after the dismissal of Edward, Bella, and Alice was was lucky enough to be called on a surveillance journey to Seattle alongside the guard.

.˚✧˚₊

[ wyn's note ]

chapter two has arrived! but in reality i've had it in the drafts for a while LOL. talullah's still considered a newbie on the block, doesn't really know that much in comparison to the likes of her fellow guard members – but what she does know is she's confused as hell

also SIRE BOND MENTIONED! hellooo i loved this concept in the vampire diaries (creds to JP of course) and found it interesting, especially from tyler's perspective on klaus as a leader, soooo i weaved it into tal's storyline! you'll see why this is so important in the coming chapters.

all love! xx