Chapter 7: The Meeting

Chapter 7: The Meeting

Aro POV

“Here she is master!” Jane called as she entered the room. I smiled at her, and the guard members around me began to snicker as the girl came into view. I too watched her, curious.

She was fairly tall, maybe 5’ 9”, with light brown hair that fell straight to her shoulders and eyes the colour of rain clouds -light grey, with a little sparkle in them- behind rectangular glasses with thin lilac frames. Her skin was peachy, fair with a little tan, her features rounded and irregular, with full, naturally pink lips. She wore blue jeans and a tight pale pink t-shirt that showed her curves; she had an hourglass figure, though she wasn’t skinny, with wide hips and a full bust.

Her stance was confident, without a trace of fear, her expression curious as she studied the room around her.

She stopped in the middle of the floor and bobbed a curtsy, bowing her head respectfully.

“Bonjourno Aro,” she said her voice steady and her accent perfect.

“Bonjourno,” I replied, a hint of a smile on my lips. “We are on unequal footing my dear. You know me, but I know nothing about you.”

She smiled too. “Ask away sir. I will answer any questions you have.”

I got up from my seat and walked slowly towards her. She made no movement, only watching me with polite interest, her hands folded in front of her. I began with the most conventional question.

“What is your name child?”

“Rebecca Kathleen Wainwright, sir.”

I continued to walk slowly, circling around her while she looked straight ahead.

“And how old are you?”

“That depends sir.”

I was intrigued. “On?”

“Whether you mean my true age or the age I appear to be, sir.”

What an amusing young girl! Such a novel way of speaking. She smirked, as if she had heard my thought.

“Very well. What say you to giving us both?”

“Of course sir. In physical age I am at this moment 18 years old, but my true age is only 14.”

What? How could that be possible? Did she grow quickly? Or something else, something even I couldn’t imagine.

It was Caius who voiced my confusion.

“How is this possible?” he thundered, leaping up.

The guard shrank back in terror.

Rebecca didn’t even flinch.

She smiled at him sweetly, though her eyes were hard and cold like steel. Her tone remained polite as she spoke.

“My necklace sir.”

She pointed to a silver chain at her throat. The neckline of her t-shirt was just low enough to show the little bow that hung from it, sparkling as it was caught in a chance ray of sun slanting in through one of the thin windows. I was instantly captivated by it.

She looked up at me. “I’m afraid you can’t have it Aro,” she said, a touch of the steel in her eyes leaking into her voice, “It’s my only way home. Besides, it wouldn’t work for you anyway.”

I started. “You can hear my thoughts?”

“Yes sir, but only if I am listening or if you want me to hear.”

“And your necklace lets you do this too?” I asked.

“Yes sir. It can do anything.” she smiled, before adding, “for me.”

“Do you know what surrounds you Rebecca?” Marcus asked, speaking for the first time.

“Yes sir.” Rebecca smiled at him warmly. It was interesting, but also slightly confusing, to watch her, the different responses she gave each of us, her manner differing from person to person, though always polite.

“And what is that?” he said, continuing his question.

“Vampires sir,” she replied calmly.

“And are you frightened my dear?” I asked.

Her chin jutted out, as if she were insulted by the question. “No sir. I have confidence in my ability to protect myself.”

The guard snickered again and Caius laughed out loud. I smirked.

Rebecca’s hands clenched into fists and her expression turned murderous.

“It is not in your best interest to underestimate me Caius,” she almost growled, spitting his name between her teeth, “That is a mistake you would regret very quickly.”

The laughter got louder...and then died away as Rebecca’s eyes closed and a soft glow emanated from her. Her eyes snapped open and they were no longer the colour of rain clouds, or like solid steel.

They were golden.

A shocked hiss ran through the room, only to be silenced by a feral snarl that ripped from between Rebecca’s lips like the roar of a lion.

There was a beat of dead silence before anyone could compose themselves enough to speak.

I still stood near to Rebecca, just a few metres away, and so I took it upon myself to speak first.

“Ah yes,” I said, smiling despite my feeling of unease, “my spies told me about this. An interesting little trick; changing yourself into one of us and then back again. I wonder...”

She turned on me, her manner hostile rather than polite, her eyes blazing and fury so prominent in her perfected features that it seemed like she would never smile again. I took an involuntary step back, stunned for a second by the force of her anger.

“Oh, spare us the theatrics Aro,” she growled, “You can have your precious tests if you wish, but be clear in your intent. I have no patience today, and I wish to be on my way.”

“Very well,” I said, still a little muddled, “Felix!”

I snapped my fingers and Felix’s huge form separated itself from the light grey crowd at the edge of the room. He stalked forward, a cruel little smile on his lips.

Rebecca turned to face him, also smiling; but her smile was not cruel, it was assured. She was, as she had said, confident in her own abilities. I had never seen anyone look so sure of themselves when faced by Felix. Most people, vampire or otherwise, were terrified of him.

She sank into a low crouch, her weight forward on her right leg, and waved him forward.

Felix charged, hands out, ready to grab her around the waist as he passed. But she moved too quickly for him. At the last second, she reached out and grabbed his wrists, then lifted him off the ground, shifting from one foot to the other and swinging him over her head. Releasing his wrists at just the right moment, she sent him soaring across the room to crash into the wall over Marcus’s head.

Rebecca grinned as Felix got up and brushed the dust off of his clothes, his face a mixture of surprise and fury. He charged her again, but she caught him once more, this time throwing him up towards the ceiling. As he came back down, she took a fighting stance, feet apart, knees bent, hands ready to strike. As he came level with her, her fist snapped out, catching his jaw and sending him flying again.

The rest of the fighters leapt into action, spreading out until they completely surrounded her, before closing in. For one half-second, she was entirely obscured by grey shapes. Then there was a flash of bright light and they were all on their backs, Rebecca standing tall and proud in the centre of the circle, hands on hips, that infuriating smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she studied the toppled figures around her.

Once again, the room was filled with a shocked silence. Then Caius began to clap. Slowly, sarcastically, his trademark sneer firmly in place.

“Excellent Rebecca!” he said, almost crooning, “You will make a fine addition to our fighting force.”

She turned on him, furious once again. She snarled, and then began to yell, the words exploding out of her so loud that they rang around the room, making several people clamp their hands over their ears.

“If you are honestly deluded enough to think that I would join your stupid, sycophantic killing squad, you’ve got another thing coming. You are exactly the opposite of what I stand for, and don’t think you can threaten me, because I am ten times as powerful as you and I don’t have to hide behind muscle the way you do.”

The guard growled in sync, but Rebecca paid no attention to them. She turned on her heel and darted out of the door, pushing the two vampires that tried to stop her back onto the floor.

“Get her!” Caius screeched, and the sound of Rebecca’s footsteps picked up pace, fading away faster as half the guard charged out of the door behind her.

I had a feeling this was one chase we were going to lose.