Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Reparations

"Alec, I am disappointed with you."

"Alec." The name tasted foreign on my tongue, like when you've gone to a new country and eaten the food they're famous for after only eating knock-off versions in chain restaurants for years. It was like honey, in its evolution from the jar to the taste in your tea. It sent shivers down my spine and I didn't realise I'd said the name out loud until the ancient man in the right throne lifted his head, watching me intensely. But he still looked sad. He looked sad in the way a homeless man not asking for change looked. I had the urge to sit beside him in contemplation for hours, as if the company of one in silence would make him feel a little bit better.

The man in front of me had a growing grin on his face at my previous words and he was eyeing the boy behind me. Alec spoke clearly, "parce mihi pater." He moved away from me and offered the man his hand. The man took it eagerly, closing his eyes as if Alec's hand was a new piece of music and he wanted to focus on it.

After a moment, he tittered with excitement and released the boy's hand. Without a glance at me, Alec joined the small girl off to the side of the room. Though, now that we were closer I could see she wasn't much different in size than me. She was young, but probably around the same age as the boy — Alec. He didn't so much as look at me, but he did appear to be a little more than upset with the situation.

The girl, however, was watching me with almost as much focus as the ancient man. She was wearing a completely blank face, with her eyes betraying an almost bewildered state of curiosity. When she noticed me watching her, her eyes flickered back to the man in front of me and the emotion disappeared. Perhaps it was never there.

The third throne guy spoke up, as if annoyed by my very existence, "Aro." Aro seemed to ignore him and he raised his hand as if asking for mine.

When I didn't comply, he spoke, "You have nothing to fear right now, dear one. I only want to see if your experience was similar to our beloved Alec." Right now. Did he think that would convince me?

I could see that I didn't particularly have a choice. I held my hand out and he met me halfway, the same look appearing on his face as it had with Alec. He took his time making friends with my hand before releasing it and I pulled it to my chest, as if to protect it.

"Et petram, ex saxum." Except it wasn't Aro who spoke. It was the relic in the left corner.

They were both looking to Alec, whose face hardened at the meaning the Latin words must have held. "It appears so, brother." They all stood in contemplation, switching their gazes between me and the boy, who definitely wanted me to disappear.

I tended to agree. "Look, err...thank you for saving me, lovely to make your acquaintance, but I've got things to do, so if someone could show me the way out—" I began to turn around but once I did, two men moved from the wall to block my path. And I say moved as in they made teleportation look like technology of the past. "Right, what are you?"

The blond one hissed, "is she slow as well, then?"

"Actually, yes. And that's rude," I shot back at him and the shock on their faces allowed me to continue. "But I want confirmation."

Aro let out a stuttering laugh. "She is a breath of fresh air, is she not?" He was as giddy as a child with a new toy. "They make a lovely match, don't you think Caius?" Caius rolled his eyes, turning away as if now bored and placing his head gracefully on his propped up hand.

"So long as he doesn't eat her first." Someone muttered behind me. I was completely and one hundred percent lost as to the purpose of their banter. The topic and all of its implications flying right over my head.