INFELICE | Alec volturi | Joel Courtney |

-» capitolo tre

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" break down the barriers instead of building walls "

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V I O L E T

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Sadness flies on the wings of time.

My encounter with the Volturi was nothing I imagined it to be. The moment I stepped through the double doors, nervousness had spread through my form. 

The feeling of being surrounded by vampires was not what I imagined it to be. In their presence, knowing they fed off my kind, made an involuntary shiver run up my spine. All their crimson eyes were on me. My eyes fluttered to my best friend, calming me and giving me the strength to face the Volturi. 

The welcoming was mundane and two of his guards were assigned to guide us to our given rooms. 

Towards the evening, Cleo and I decided to go to the library to pass our time before the tour Aro organized for us the next day. Not knowing where the library was, we decided to wing it and explore the dark halls of the castle while we search for it. Coincidentally, we met Alec and Joel a couple of minutes into our journey. 

"Hi! um - could you please do us a favour and point out where the library is?" I asked them.

"It's on the way to the throne room. Here, let me guide you." Alec said, nodding politely - his face stoic. He walked forward followed by Cleo and I, Joel trailing slowly behind us.

Cleo and Alec began arguing on the way there as they walked ahead us while I was left behind, Joel walking slowly a couple of steps away from me. 

I spared him a glance and continued walking, my gaze downward which was a big mistake on my side. I had unknowingly bumped into a pillar which made me loose my footing and fall headfirst into the ground. My eyes shut tightly awaiting impact, but instead felt a pair of stone cold hands catch me. 

My eyes snapped open and I realized that I was literally a breath away from Joel. 

One arm was wrapped securely around my waist, while the other steadied my upper back. He reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear as his crimson orbs pierced into my own.

His eyes were intense - torn between frustration, thirst and endearment. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine at the sight of him so close to me. He set me on my feet before I could open my mouth and apologize - or say something stupid - then lowered his gaze and walked away.

His odd behavior made me snap out of my 'lovelorn' state and focus on what was happening before me. Alec and Cleo had minimized their argument to a series of smart comebacks worthy for tumblr. 

By the time we actually reached the library, they had thankfully shut up. 

The library was situated at a corner on the third floor. It was a huge room with plush red sofas decorated around and isles of bookshelves on all three sides. It was bigger than the public library I had been to as a child and was far more dark and intimidating than I imagined it to be. 

"This library has been established several centuries ago and the books here are dated back to..." Alec explained, but stopped, his features twisting in annoyance when Cleo ignored him walking towards the bookshelves to skim through the collections of books. 

"Is she always like this?" Alec asked me, eyeing the girl in question with vexation clear in his burgundy eyes.

"Mostly." I shrugged, and Cleo shot me a dirty look from between the shelves. 

"Never mind. As I stated, you can find books of various genre's here. Feel free to look around." He said, smiling lightly. I could see Joel from the corner of my eye, standing there and watching us talk.

"Thank you Alec." 

🕸️🕸️🕸️

Fifteen minutes later, the four of us were reading our own literary choices in a peaceful silence. 

"The Odyessey. It's a bit too - up your level, don't you think?" Alec smirked, not once glancing up from his book. 

Here we go again. 

I sighed deeply and focused on my book, trying to ignore the constant squabble between them. It was cute - but it was more annoying.

But, I would prefer this over them making out constantly. 

Though I have been reading my book for twenty minutes, I still didn't know what it was about - since I was already preoccupied with my thoughts about Joel. 

There is something about him that makes him stand out from the other vampires that I've met so far. His wispy brown hair was swept to the side covering his eyes adding to his enchanted aura. He wasn't muscled, he was more on the lean side of the spectrum. His crimson eyes held beauty, but also an added pain. It was like there is something killing his soul from the inside and completely drowning him in the agony.

"Vi, can you pass me that book?" Cleo asked, her voice snapping me out of the trance I was in. 

"What's wrong Hopper? Finally realize the book is out of your intellectual standards?" Alec teased. 

"Oh shut - wait. You know my middle name?" Cleo growled, her accusing eyes landing on me. I held my hands up in surrender and shook my head. 

"Not me." I denied. 

"We are a vampire monarchy. We have records of all the vampires that are turned. Yours included." Alec smirked. 

"You - what? I have kept my middle name a secret since I was turned. How did you find out?" Cleo snarled. 

"Your death certificate had a few... details." Alec snickered. 

"You -" Cleo scowled and I could practically hear the millions of curses running through her mind. "You creepy old pedophile. You snooped through my records and you're making fun of me to top it off? You are the most annoying, vexatious, irksome and the most infuriating person I have ever met, and I have seen a lot in my time. Do you have any idea how angry you make me? You get on every single one of my nerves to the point where I want to smack you into the next oblivion. You are so prissy and annoying that half the time I wished I could teleport you to the bottom of the ocean. I don't - " Cleo ranted. Alec rolled his eyes and got up, placing his book on the shelf as Cleo followed him. He ignored her and walked to the coffee table, picking up a book from the small pile and walking out - Cleo hot on his trail. 

Even when they were gone, I could still hear her voice down the halls making me smile involuntarily. 

I decided a couple of minutes later that the book I was reading was too boring and so I put it down and picked up another one. My eyes lifted and made contact with Joel's and for a second I was transfixed. It was only the two of us and everything else had faded into blackness. 

As we looked at each other, I felt whole, complete.

He was meant to be there, just watching me. He felt familiar, like home. 

And just like that, he was gone. 

My nails practically dug into the book in my hand. Why am I so foolish? I should have realized it a long time ago - no one stays forever.

My glorious past is a great example.

With a shake of my head i resumed reading.

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