This Time Of Year
Written by: wizardtho
Story dedicated to: Bella MacLeod
Chapter 11:
Walking through the halls on the way to the throne room, I couldn’t concentrate on what Demetri was saying. I was holding his hand, and he was setting the pace, but that wasn’t the issue. It was all the other vampires, scents, and sounds. It was the colors of the vampires in my head. I couldn’t help but pull myself as close as possible to Demetri when we came near some of the worst colors.
Finally, Demetri asked me, “Isabella, are you listening?”
I saw a small niche and pulled gently on his hand. When he followed me to the niche, I whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m trying to concentrate, but the colors of some of the vampires here make me really uncomfortable. They set my nerves on ice… make me jumpy.”
He whispered back as he gently took my chin between his fingers, “We’ll talk about all this as soon as we get back to the room, to sort through it together, alright?”
At my nod, he offers, “Instead of holding my hand, hold my arm instead… you’ll already be closer to me that way. When you see one of the colors that bothers you, just flex your hand slightly against my arm. Aro will be able to see in your thoughts who they are, and do a deep dive into each vampire, to find out the reason for your concern. Right no-”
Though there was only a foot between us, the male walking down the hall toward us had a mucky black color -the worst I’d seen yet- and it suddenly made me feel like I’d been violated. On instinct, I pulled Demetri to me, trying to hide myself in his massive frame. My sire took the hint and wrapped his arms completely around me, ducking his head so his lips rested near my ear.
His words were barely audible to me, so I knew no one else would be able to hear him as he said, “Shhh. I’ve got you, Sweetheart. I saw the face of the current threat and will be able to show Aro. If something should ever happen and I’m engaged in a fight in the halls, find the brothers in your mind and run. Run straight to the closest one as fast as you can, no stopping for any reason.”
Though Demetri’s words calmed me some, it was his scent surrounding me that kept me the calmest as the vampire passed our location in the hall. I let out a relieved breath when the vampire got to the end of the hall and turned out of sight. Looking up at my sire, he asked softly, “Better?”
I nodded, breathing, “His color… it was the worst I’ve seen since waking. It was a mucky black, and I felt… wrong… like he had violated me. Part of me wants to find out the reason for these colors, what they mean, but the rest of me is like, ‘Nope, I’m good. I’ll stay far away from anything that has to do with those colors.’”
He chuckled slightly, then said, “We’ll figure it out together. You won’t be alone. Now, we need to get to the throne room before Aro sends out a search party. Can you hang in long enough for us to make it back to the room?”
He again took my chin gently between his fingers to catch my gaze, so I looked into his eyes as I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. Just… stay close, please.”
We made it to the throne room only minutes later, and though Aro let out a breath as we breezed into the room, the female tried to disappear behind her mate with a small startled ‘eep’. I tugged gently on Demetri’s shirt cuff, asking in a whisper if I could speak to them. It was Marcus who nodded to me as Aro read my sire’s thoughts, but I still waited until Demetri’s eyes met mine to give his okay.
With his cup of my cheek as he nodded, I turned and slowly walked toward the couple. When I got within 20 feet of them, I stopped, then said softly, “My name is Isabella. May I please have your names, Miss?”
The female’s mate clearly knew what I was trying to do, and thankfully, he went along with it. He turned enough to wrap an arm around her, then whispered into her ear for a long moment. After a heavy breath from her, she finally caught my eyes for the briefest moment before whispering into her mate’s chest in a thick Irish accent, “Molly… this is me mate, Finley.”
I nodded with a slight smile, then asked in the same soft tone, “Have you been introduced to the others in the room? Do you know who they are or why you are here?”
Molly tightened her hands in Finley’s shirt, but he just hugged her to him while saying to me, “We weren’t exactly introduced, but I know of the kings and the Volturi.” He pointed at the heavy double doors we entered, then continued, “The big brute who brought us here thinks I hurt me Molly.”
I shake my head, then say calmly but surely, “Someone called the Volturi because they recognized the signs of abuse in Molly. They wanted to make sure Molly was safe and cared for. That’s why Felix was sent out. I don’t think you had anything to do with Molly’s abuse. I think you saved her from her abuser, just like my sire saved me. There’s one problem with that, though. I may have been alert enough to know what was happening, but you weren’t, were you, Molly? Finley had to turn you because you were almost dead. You didn’t see your abuser's death, did you?”
Molly practically spat a name in a deep growl, but Finley shook his head at me, “She was so close to death that I was afraid she wouldn’t make it through the change. She was unconscious when I killed him.”
I nodded, then said, “And here’s where the problem lies. I understand you not wanting to put her through more distress, but by you not telling her… not making sure she knows the details of his death… it’s making her terrified of every male that comes within range of her. By trying to protect her from it, you aren’t helping her heal. Any male in her vicinity becomes her abuser when she can’t be sure he’s dead. I know it doesn’t sound rational, but believe me. Until I saw my abuser’s death, I would even flinch at my human father coming near too quickly, and he was a teddy bear of a cop.”
He looked down at Molly with sad eyes, so I stated softly, “She needs to know, Finley. She needs this to start the healing process… and Aro can help. He’s never met any of you, but his gift will allow him to see your memories of that night. He can then confirm for Molly that her abuser is dead… he can never hurt her again. All the two of you need to do is let Aro read your memories. He’ll see that you are innocent, and how her true abuser died.”
Demetri stopped at my side then, which inevitably made Molly curl further into Finley. I took Demetri’s arm, leaned into his side, and said softly, “Molly? This is my sire, Demetri. He’s the one I was telling you about. The one who saved me from my abuser.”
Molly peeked out from her mate’s chest, saw how I was leaning close to Demetri, and gave him a short nod while attempting to smile. She then looked at Finley, who nodded at me. “You think it will help? I’ve tried just about everything else I can think of, to make her more comfortable.”
Demetri and I both nod as I offer, “I truly do. Why don’t the two of you take a minute to gather your bearings, and when you’re ready to let Aro read you, you let me know.”
They both nodded, so I smiled up at Demetri, who led me toward Aro. The raven-haired king smiled down at me, then held his hand out. I smiled and offered him my hand, knowing that Finley and Molly were watching us intently. I allowed myself to relax at the pureness of Aro’s sky blue color in my mind, then felt him kiss my hand before closing his eyes. He hummed, then opened his eyes, “You had a rough start tonight, Little One. Rest assured that what you spoke to Demetri about will be looked into thoroughly. We will find the answers.”
I offered sincerely, “Thank you, Sir. For everything.”
He patted my hand, then I heard movement to my left. I smiled when Molly’s eyes met and held mine, earning a small smile in return. It was her that spoke as they stopped near us, “I need to know. Finley has agreed to do this for me. How soon-”
I smiled, offering, “Right now, if you’re ready. As I said, all you need to do is allow Aro to read the both of you. Simply offer your hand to him, as I did a few moments ago. I’ll stay right here with you if it will make you feel more comfortable.”
Molly did ask me to stay. Finley was first, though he seemed reluctant. Aro soon said aloud while his eyes were closed. “Black hair, clean-shaven face. Scar in the shape of a hook above his right eye. Another in the shape of a trailing comet on his right thigh. Your attacker was your human husband. Am I correct, Molly?”
Molly nodded, and I visibly saw her swallow the lump in her throat before she forced out, “Yes.”
I rubbed her arm to help her stay calm as Aro continued. His eyes met Molly’s as he let go of Finley’s hand. “His death was not easy, Molly, I assure you. Your mate made sure there was no coming back for your attacker. I will leave the specifics for your Finley to tell you, but let me assure you that your attacker will never be able to hurt you again. May I?”
He held his hand out, and though Molly’s hand shook as she extended it, she willingly placed her hand in Aro’s. He smiled softly while saying, “Thank you, My Dear. I know this is all very stressful for you. I’ll try to be brief.”
When Aro was finished reading Molly, he bent to kiss her hand, then patted it before releasing it. Standing tall, he said, “Finley, you are officially cleared of any charges. I will have Felix escort you home, where you will be explaining the night of your mate’s death to her, so she can begin to heal. Molly, you will need to speak up about your fears, so Finley can help you work through them. We will check on your progress in 1 year’s time.”
Aro looked to Demetri then, stating, “Demetri, if you would please retrieve Felix from reception, I’ll instruct him to escort Finley and Molly home. Isabella may stay here under my care until your return.”
Demetri looked into my eyes, his hand cupping my cheek, so I said softly, “I’d rather stay until you return. Fewer people… fewer colors in my immediate range.”
My sire studied my face for a long moment, kissed my forehead, then nodded to his king, stating simply, “Sir,” before disappearing from the room.
Walking through the halls on the way to the throne room, I couldn’t concentrate on what Demetri was saying. I was holding his hand, and he was setting the pace, but that wasn’t the issue. It was all the other vampires, scents, and sounds. It was the colors of the vampires in my head. I couldn’t help but pull myself as close as possible to Demetri when we came near some of the worst colors.
Finally, Demetri asked me, “Isabella, are you listening?”
I saw a small niche and pulled gently on his hand. When he followed me to the niche, I whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m trying to concentrate, but the colors of some of the vampires here make me really uncomfortable. They set my nerves on ice… make me jumpy.”
He whispered back as he gently took my chin between his fingers, “We’ll talk about all this as soon as we get back to the room, to sort through it together, alright?”
At my nod, he offers, “Instead of holding my hand, hold my arm instead… you’ll already be closer to me that way. When you see one of the colors that bothers you, just flex your hand slightly against my arm. Aro will be able to see in your thoughts who they are, and do a deep dive into each vampire, to find out the reason for your concern. Right no-”
Though there was only a foot between us, the male walking down the hall toward us had a mucky black color -the worst I’d seen yet- and it suddenly made me feel like I’d been violated. On instinct, I pulled Demetri to me, trying to hide myself in his massive frame. My sire took the hint and wrapped his arms completely around me, ducking his head so his lips rested near my ear.
His words were barely audible to me, so I knew no one else would be able to hear him as he said, “Shhh. I’ve got you, Sweetheart. I saw the face of the current threat and will be able to show Aro. If something should ever happen and I’m engaged in a fight in the halls, find the brothers in your mind and run. Run straight to the closest one as fast as you can, no stopping for any reason.”
Though Demetri’s words calmed me some, it was his scent surrounding me that kept me the calmest as the vampire passed our location in the hall. I let out a relieved breath when the vampire got to the end of the hall and turned out of sight. Looking up at my sire, he asked softly, “Better?”
I nodded, breathing, “His color… it was the worst I’ve seen since waking. It was a mucky black, and I felt… wrong… like he had violated me. Part of me wants to find out the reason for these colors, what they mean, but the rest of me is like, ‘Nope, I’m good. I’ll stay far away from anything that has to do with those colors.’”
He chuckled slightly, then said, “We’ll figure it out together. You won’t be alone. Now, we need to get to the throne room before Aro sends out a search party. Can you hang in long enough for us to make it back to the room?”
He again took my chin gently between his fingers to catch my gaze, so I looked into his eyes as I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. Just… stay close, please.”
We made it to the throne room only minutes later, and though Aro let out a breath as we breezed into the room, the female tried to disappear behind her mate with a small startled ‘eep’. I tugged gently on Demetri’s shirt cuff, asking in a whisper if I could speak to them. It was Marcus who nodded to me as Aro read my sire’s thoughts, but I still waited until Demetri’s eyes met mine to give his okay.
With his cup of my cheek as he nodded, I turned and slowly walked toward the couple. When I got within 20 feet of them, I stopped, then said softly, “My name is Isabella. May I please have your names, Miss?”
The female’s mate clearly knew what I was trying to do, and thankfully, he went along with it. He turned enough to wrap an arm around her, then whispered into her ear for a long moment. After a heavy breath from her, she finally caught my eyes for the briefest moment before whispering into her mate’s chest in a thick Irish accent, “Molly… this is me mate, Finley.”
I nodded with a slight smile, then asked in the same soft tone, “Have you been introduced to the others in the room? Do you know who they are or why you are here?”
Molly tightened her hands in Finley’s shirt, but he just hugged her to him while saying to me, “We weren’t exactly introduced, but I know of the kings and the Volturi.” He pointed at the heavy double doors we entered, then continued, “The big brute who brought us here thinks I hurt me Molly.”
I shake my head, then say calmly but surely, “Someone called the Volturi because they recognized the signs of abuse in Molly. They wanted to make sure Molly was safe and cared for. That’s why Felix was sent out. I don’t think you had anything to do with Molly’s abuse. I think you saved her from her abuser, just like my sire saved me. There’s one problem with that, though. I may have been alert enough to know what was happening, but you weren’t, were you, Molly? Finley had to turn you because you were almost dead. You didn’t see your abuser's death, did you?”
Molly practically spat a name in a deep growl, but Finley shook his head at me, “She was so close to death that I was afraid she wouldn’t make it through the change. She was unconscious when I killed him.”
I nodded, then said, “And here’s where the problem lies. I understand you not wanting to put her through more distress, but by you not telling her… not making sure she knows the details of his death… it’s making her terrified of every male that comes within range of her. By trying to protect her from it, you aren’t helping her heal. Any male in her vicinity becomes her abuser when she can’t be sure he’s dead. I know it doesn’t sound rational, but believe me. Until I saw my abuser’s death, I would even flinch at my human father coming near too quickly, and he was a teddy bear of a cop.”
He looked down at Molly with sad eyes, so I stated softly, “She needs to know, Finley. She needs this to start the healing process… and Aro can help. He’s never met any of you, but his gift will allow him to see your memories of that night. He can then confirm for Molly that her abuser is dead… he can never hurt her again. All the two of you need to do is let Aro read your memories. He’ll see that you are innocent, and how her true abuser died.”
Demetri stopped at my side then, which inevitably made Molly curl further into Finley. I took Demetri’s arm, leaned into his side, and said softly, “Molly? This is my sire, Demetri. He’s the one I was telling you about. The one who saved me from my abuser.”
Molly peeked out from her mate’s chest, saw how I was leaning close to Demetri, and gave him a short nod while attempting to smile. She then looked at Finley, who nodded at me. “You think it will help? I’ve tried just about everything else I can think of, to make her more comfortable.”
Demetri and I both nod as I offer, “I truly do. Why don’t the two of you take a minute to gather your bearings, and when you’re ready to let Aro read you, you let me know.”
They both nodded, so I smiled up at Demetri, who led me toward Aro. The raven-haired king smiled down at me, then held his hand out. I smiled and offered him my hand, knowing that Finley and Molly were watching us intently. I allowed myself to relax at the pureness of Aro’s sky blue color in my mind, then felt him kiss my hand before closing his eyes. He hummed, then opened his eyes, “You had a rough start tonight, Little One. Rest assured that what you spoke to Demetri about will be looked into thoroughly. We will find the answers.”
I offered sincerely, “Thank you, Sir. For everything.”
He patted my hand, then I heard movement to my left. I smiled when Molly’s eyes met and held mine, earning a small smile in return. It was her that spoke as they stopped near us, “I need to know. Finley has agreed to do this for me. How soon-”
I smiled, offering, “Right now, if you’re ready. As I said, all you need to do is allow Aro to read the both of you. Simply offer your hand to him, as I did a few moments ago. I’ll stay right here with you if it will make you feel more comfortable.”
Molly did ask me to stay. Finley was first, though he seemed reluctant. Aro soon said aloud while his eyes were closed. “Black hair, clean-shaven face. Scar in the shape of a hook above his right eye. Another in the shape of a trailing comet on his right thigh. Your attacker was your human husband. Am I correct, Molly?”
Molly nodded, and I visibly saw her swallow the lump in her throat before she forced out, “Yes.”
I rubbed her arm to help her stay calm as Aro continued. His eyes met Molly’s as he let go of Finley’s hand. “His death was not easy, Molly, I assure you. Your mate made sure there was no coming back for your attacker. I will leave the specifics for your Finley to tell you, but let me assure you that your attacker will never be able to hurt you again. May I?”
He held his hand out, and though Molly’s hand shook as she extended it, she willingly placed her hand in Aro’s. He smiled softly while saying, “Thank you, My Dear. I know this is all very stressful for you. I’ll try to be brief.”
When Aro was finished reading Molly, he bent to kiss her hand, then patted it before releasing it. Standing tall, he said, “Finley, you are officially cleared of any charges. I will have Felix escort you home, where you will be explaining the night of your mate’s death to her, so she can begin to heal. Molly, you will need to speak up about your fears, so Finley can help you work through them. We will check on your progress in 1 year’s time.”
Aro looked to Demetri then, stating, “Demetri, if you would please retrieve Felix from reception, I’ll instruct him to escort Finley and Molly home. Isabella may stay here under my care until your return.”
Demetri looked into my eyes, his hand cupping my cheek, so I said softly, “I’d rather stay until you return. Fewer people… fewer colors in my immediate range.”
My sire studied my face for a long moment, kissed my forehead, then nodded to his king, stating simply, “Sir,” before disappearing from the room.