A tall, sinister looking gentleman appeared from behind a tree.
Something wicked this way comes*, I thought.
His skin was like onion skin, it looked papery and insubstantial. His eyes were red pools which surveyed me intently. His mouth was set in an amused expression like he was secretly plotting some evil scheme. He was dressed in a long, vermillion cloak. Gold clasps on his shoulders held it in place.
He turned to Carlisle and said "Carlisle, dear friend, you have not informed me of the newest member of your coven."
"It happened so quickly," said Carlisle courteously. "I haven't had time to notify you."
"Understandable," said Aro. "The pressures of organising a new member to a coven are extensive."
"Aro, this is Ella," introduced Carlisle. "Ella, this is Aro the leader of the Volturi. "
He glided across the ground as if no gravitational force held him there and stood directly in front of me.
"Dearest Ella," he said in feathery tone, "you are exquisite."
I didn't know whether to be flattered or terrified.
'Dear, dear Ella. It seems as though you have become our latest immortal. I was simply unable to endure another millisecond of not having met you. I came to see you today dear Ella to meet you and to ascertain what your special gift is."
I wondered what he meant.
"What's a special gift?" I asked shyly.
"It seems as though your new family have failed to give you an education in this matter." said Aro, looking scornfully towards Carlisle. "It seems it will fall to me to explain. When you are human you may possess certain qualities that are strengths. When you become an immortal, these strengths are amplified. For example, when our dear DEAR Alice was human, she had a gift of foresight. Once she became a vampire her gift became stronger. Now, our dear Alice has visions and premonitions of the future. She is rather adept at it."
He looked almost lovingly at my Aunt Alice. He then turned to look at Renesmee's mum, Bella.
"And our lovely Bella has the gift of being able to shield others. This is a prized talent and one that would be exceedingly beneficial in a fight."
"I must go now," Aro said. "I will return later to learn more of your gift, Ella."
He moved away from us so gracefully he almost appeared to float. Then he was gone.
I turned around and faced my new family. I could sense their apprehension.
"What's wrong?" I asked nervously.
"Aro is a collector. He loves obtaining the talents of others. He has always wanted Alice and now he wants Bella too. He wants to see if your gift is worth collecting as well."
"But what is my gift? I don't even know what it is?"
"You will learn your special gift in time," said Jasper. "It took me two years before I learned that I could sense and control the emotions of others."
Suddenly, I heard a low growling vibrating from the bushes...
Soundtrack:
While I was thinking about and writing this chapter I was listening to:
* Editor's note: In this sentence, Ella alludes to a line from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The line 'something wicked this way comes' is sung as part of a choir performance by students at Hogwarts Academy. The line originated in Macbeth by William Shakespeare and was spoken by a coven of witches.
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