Numb But Moving

Chapter 3: Return to Feeling

I just stood where I was, waiting for what felt like an eternity, until the members of the Volturi and the Cullen family all came into view. The minute Demetri caught sight of me he growled. I had caused him much frustration in his efforts to track me. Unless you followed my scent, which was diminished greatly by my protective barrier, you couldn’t track me, nothing else worked; handy for me, ripping-out-your-own-hair-in-frustration for them. I smiled at him, actually no, I positively beamed.

             “Hello Demetri.”

             My only true entertainment for the past twenty or so years was my “near escapes” from those tracking me and the battles that came from said encounters. I, of course, pissed the whole lot of them off through teasing and tormenting. What can I say, I was bored. When you’re spending eternity by yourself you have to find your kicks somewhere. I found them in the more dangerous aspects of my life.

             The next to growl was Felix and Jane. I wasn’t sure about Felix, but I knew Jane absolutely loathed me. All of the members of the guard thought me too small a problem for them to deal with…at first. After fives years of being no closer to catching me than when they were sitting on their butts in Italy, I think I registered on a new level of being despised. They, I think, finally recognized me as someone of possible value, but that didn’t mean they wanted me joining the guard.

I felt the same way about them, but lack of manners was rude. I settled to smile in their direction as well, which, of course, only caused more growls.

            If I hadn’t had my own vision warning me ahead of time, I would have been…touched and awed that Aro had actually come along as well. I didn’t know whether he had been planning a trip here and it just happened to coincide with this visit, he was getting impatient with their lack of progress, or they called him thinking they were actually close to finding me. I assumed it was one of the first two.

            Aro smiled in, what could only be described as, an evil way. “So I see you have something to do with this,” he nodded in my direction, “Carlisle. I would have thought you would have known better.”

            Carlisle seemed about to speak but I cut him off. “I just met them today. Don’t go assuming I would have ties with them.” I knew it sounded harsh, especially since it came out as a growl, but I didn’t want any of the Cullens caught up in a battle that was mine.

            “Did you really?” A smiled played on his lips. It seemed like he knew something more than he was letting on. “Would you be willing to prove it?”

            I raised an eyebrow, “and how would I be able to do that?”

            He lifted his hand slowly as he walked toward me. I had heard of Aro’s power. It was something like Edward’s except it required physical contact and he was able to see much more. I presumed my mental block would work for him the same way it worked against Edward, Jane, and Demetri, but truthfully, I didn’t really care what he saw. I still made a face though.

            “Afraid of what I’ll see?” Aro almost seemed to be gloating. Wouldn’t he be disappointed?

            “No, actually it’s not you that I’m afraid will see.”