Calamity || Jasper Hale [2]

chapter nine

witness
word count: 1,007

"she was a silent fighter with a demon in her lung, that stole her breaths right from her before they'd hardly passed her tongue. he was a silent fighter, who was always taught to share, and held his breath when he was with her, just so she could have his air."

Alec stood before Allie, seeing her crumpled in a ball getting whatever sleep she could. The dungeons were hell and it was an honest miracle she made it so long. He got Heidi to up her meal content, little by little and just enough to not attract attention from Demetri. He, besides Aro, seemed to enjoy Allie's torture the most.  He took particular joy in watching Jane.  The delight he took in seeing Allie writhe on the floor in pain seemed almost as though he was deriving sexual pleasure from her pain.

She gasped, her eyes flying open and quickly locking on Alec. "Bad dream?" He asked, seeming vaguely concerned. She sat up, letting the blanket drop from her shoulders as she began to do her daily exercise, desperate to keep in shape while locked in the tiny cell for Aro's ordered fights.  He enjoyed watching her tear vampires apart.

"A dream too good to be true." Allie huffed, her breathing coming out in puffs. "How's Heidi? I see my meals have increased." Allie mused as she switched from sit-ups to push-ups.

"She has no loyalty to anyone but herself but that doesn't really matter, she hates it here and that's what really matters." Alec paused, a deeper frown carving its way into his stone skin. "There has been rumors of the Cullens gathering an army against us, calling them witnesses." He paused, giving her time to absorb the information. "He knows we have more than enough on the guard but we'll leave less behind."

"Carlisle has pure intentions, he'd never want this to come to a fight, he's purely trying to protect his own. I doubt half of them will fight, regardless." Allie explained, leaning her head against the stone wall.

"If you can't make it out in time your family will be slaughtered. I don't want any part of it, but even with me and Heidi on their side we wouldn't win." Alec stopped, seeing her jaw clenched in anger not directed at him, but at her situation.

"I will, Alec. I have a plan. Just take care of yourself until the time comes, kid." She stood to face him, not daring to touch him for fear of someone seeing. "It'll be okay, Alec. You can neutralize Jane and I'll do my best to ensure her survival but I can promise nothing."

Alec gave a curt nod. He knew that with Jane's aggression and loyalty to Aro he had a low chance of saving her, but hearing it spoken made his chest feel tight.

"I'm sorry, Alec. If you could get her to sit out or anything that'd be best. But the next option is for you to use your gift so she can't use hers. We could lose a fight because of her and I can't risk it. I'm so sorry. I know how hard it is to see someone you love on the wrong side." Allie paused, her mind obviously wandering to Sierra. "Do you know what happened to the girl that betrayed me?"

Alec's brows furrowed as he thought a moment. "I think she was put on a plane to Nigeria to live with her family. I assume Aro decided making her live with what she did to you and your pack would be a fate worse than death." He explained gently, gauging her expression.

Allie agreed, to live with that guilt was a fate worse than death. She lived with the guilt every single day. The guilt of not seeing Sierra for who she was, not protecting Danny or Thea or Camari, not being vigilant enough to know the Volturi was coming for her.

"It wasn't your fault that she did what she did. She cost your entire pack their lives and you paid the worst price of all." Alec explained, knowing what the look on her face meant. "She is a coward and paid the price of one. You are a warrior and you will get your revenge. Be angry at her, not yourself." Alec said sharply, his voice leaving no room for argument before he left. Sometimes she forgot that while he may look younger than her, he was over a thousand years older than her.

"He's right you know." Vidar chimed in after the witch twin left. "Never feel guilty for the actions another has set in motion."

She knew he was right but she hadn't even thought of Sierra since she had been locked away.  Her thoughts mainly revolved around the pack she loved, the pack that died because of her and what she was.  It wasn't like she should have done her job worse, should have killed fewer monsters, lead her pack worse, she should have been good enough at her job to protect her pack if she was good enough to catch the Volturi's interest.

Suddenly her guilt melted away, replaced with anger directed toward Sierra.  And suddenly she wasn't thinking for her own freedom, but for revenge.

"Vidar, what would it take for you to break through these bars?"  Allie asked suddenly, her mind whirling with the possibilities.  "If I can get you to say, three-fourths strength, could you break through mine, yours, and be in decent enough position to fight?"  Allie questioned, coming to a stop with her workout and sitting down on the cement.

"I think so, yeah.  Why?  Tell me what you're thinking."  He requested and Allie grabbed the tin cup they gave her water in.

"How much blood would it take to get you strong enough in a few months for a riot?  Think in terms of the tin cups."  Allie advised, biting her nails once more.

"I'd say two a day,"  Vidar confessed finally and Allie bit into her wrist, the entire dungeon instantly going crazy at the scent of blood.  "What the hell are you doing?"

"Drink,"  Allie ordered, gently sliding the tin cup through the bars of her own cell and in front of Vidar's.  "You'll need your strength for what is to come."