Calamity || Jasper Hale [2]

chapter four

survival of the fittest
word count: 1,154

"golden child, lion boy; tell me what it's like to conquer. Fearless child, broken boy; tell me what it's like to burn."

The chains unclipped, releasing the feral vampire as it barreled toward her like a train. They unclipped hers as well, just in time for her to dodge him, letting him barrel past her and into the wall to catch himself. He didn't quite have control over himself like a normal vampire. He was insane and feral with thirst.

His nails raked down the tender skin on her chest as he came at her again, trying to find a leverage on her to pull her toward him. She kicked him in the head, knocking him away but barely stunning him.

Allie met him this time, ducking underneath his legs and yanking them out from underneath him. He landed on his stomach and she leapt onto him, her foot on his neck. She pressed down, the sound of his skin cracking and the fissure being created sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

His head came off and Aro clapped daintily. She launched herself at the nearest guard but her fingers couldn't find purchase fast enough and they chained her again.

"Quite the show, my dear Aeldra. You'll be of great use to us." She was bleeding, the blood soaking into her shirt and when it no longer could it dripped onto the floor.

"Bite me." She snapped and he laughed, walking slowly down to her.

"Don't tempt me." He drawled, his fingers brushing her face. Aro was determined to break her, ruin every memory she held dear because he had seen them all. He would take away any solace she had, any friend, any comfort, any hope. All of it would be gone and leave room for suggestion, leave room so he could persuade her.

"Jane," he called, stepping back like she was made from fire. "Your turn."

The small blonde was grinning. Such a young child shouldn't have so much malice in her, but after being burned alive by those you held dear and spending hundreds of years with the Volturi it made sense. The pain could twist someone into an unrecognizable creature, and Allie was terrified of following the same path.

Alec was softer, he looked regretful sometimes and it was only a matter of time before she could exploit him to her advantage, she just needed the right moment.

Demetri was another one. He was cruel and angry but she saw him staring at her.

"Pain." Jane whispered, her voice smooth and soft as fire erupted in her.

It started in the pit of her stomach, erupting and invading every crack and crevice.

Her eyes screwed shut and she was on her hands and knees, gagging. There was no need for the chains.

She threw up. What little food they gave her was in chunks on the floor, half-digested, and the pain didn't stop.

She was growing a tolerance. She could now last longer against the pain. It was up for grabs if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Allie rolled, narrowly missing falling in her pile of vomit. She curled up into a tight ball, arms clutching knees, limbs burning, trying to escape the pain as she screamed herself hoarse.

Black spots crowded her vision but just before she passed out the other twin swooped in like an angel of death. His dark cloak swooping and black volcanic mist erupting from his palms.

It enveloped her and she took solace in the painless smoke. Sweet and euphoric. It was like she was in space, distanced. She assumed that was what death felt like, she saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing, felt nothing.

She had no sense of time in the cloud so when it retracted she had no idea how long it had been, it could have been a year and she wouldn't have known. Allie locked eyes with Alec as the smoke sunk back into his palms. His face was hard but his eyes were vulnerable and worried. He looked away first.

They had to drag her back to her cell because she refused to walk and Demetri was getting fed up with her and her shit as he tossed her inside, her back roughly hitting the cement as he slammed the door.

"Are you alright?" Vidar asked, his voice careful and kind.

"How long was I gone?" Allie asked, not wanting to answer his question.

"Six hours I think. I'm not really sure, it could have been more." He answered and Allie let out a shaky sigh, her fingers going to the slowly healing slash on her leg. "You're bleeding." He stated as if she didn't already know. The scent sent every vampire in the vicinity crazy and they were screaming, clutching the bars, shaking them. He was the only one it didn't seem to effect. "What did they do to you? I saw them drag out Travis."

Travis, so that was his name. Allie felt guilt for the first time since she had been locked up. She didn't know what he did to be there, he could have been innocent, driven mad by their cruelty. "They made me kill him."

Vidar was silent for a moment, absorbing the information. "He was a good man. I'm sorry for you and for him. I understand, he went insane with thirst."

"Why did they take him?" Allie asked, knowing it would add to her guilt but the curiosity was killing her, she needed to know.

"He killed a prized member of the guard after she came at his mate. Lost Aro a good gift so he locked him away. Travis and his mate Anna were good people, vegetarians. You should see a vegetarian's eyes sometime. It's like molten gold. A true sight to see." Vidar explained and she swallowed thickly, her chest aching as she wrapped her arms around herself, hoping to collapse in on herself. "I said something wrong."

"The family I left behind, they are vegetarians. My mate. God, I miss him. We were going to live in Greece for a while. And my daughter. Adopted of course. I protected her from the Volturi killing her and then adopted her." Allie explained, choking up as she progressed, her head against the stone wall. "God I miss them all."

"What is his name?" Vidar asked and Allie smiled bitterly, reminiscently.

"Jasper Hale. My great love. Strong, great in battle." Allie said, hearing Vidar sighed.

"My mate's name was Banning. It meant small and fair and he was. Fast and stealthy and even in his human life pale as snow. We were turned by the same woman, Petra. She was loyal and strong, helped us with the transition. But after I said no to Aro one too many times he killed them, and when I said no again, he locked me down here." Vidar explained mournfally.

"We'll get revenge for them. I promise."