Not the Right Shade

Tracked

Demetri smelled it first. The scent of an unknown vampire while he was on his nightly patrol. Felix was the second, silently flitting behind the tracker. The taller vampire looked to the smaller, as if to ask if they really were on the same scent track together. Demetri nodded in confirmation.

Together, they moved toward the scent at the end of the alley way.

Neither were expecting a frail looking girl with questionably dark hair color and purple eyes. She appeared to be confused, turning every which way around the small space made entirely of various stones. She seemed beyond confused, having an internal battle with herself, tugging at the end of her tattered green shirt in nervousness.

"The sun is coming up. We need to leave." Felix hissed urgently. He was right, the only reason that the duo could still be out is because they were on the west side of the mountain, away from the sun. Demetri swatted towards Felix to get him to back off, his own red eyes still honed in on the rough looking girl.

Demetri's decision would be their final action, as he was the senior officer between the two. "We'll take her in. Have the Masters decide what to do."

"But-" Felix began to argue.

"No! No crime has been witnessed. All she has done is enter the city, and is staying out longer than we should. Like we've been doing." Demetri hissed harshly.

"But I doesn't mean she won't be accused." Felix mumbled hopefully. Demetri dutifully ignored him. The two moved into the alley, and the girl's head snapped to their direction.

"Who are you?" she rushed, blinking rapidly at the duo dressed in olden gray clothes.

"We were just about to ask the same." Demetri growled, trying to establish dominance. "Do you realize you are that you are in Volturi territory?" he clipped icily string unblinkingly at the girl.

"Vol-Volturi? Like Volterra Volturi?" she asked excitedly. The looks of 'Well, duh' on the guards face answered her question. "I am in the right place, right?"

Demetri took this time to assess the girl. Her flat accent told the tracker that she was from North America. The state of her clothing said that she was also a traveler. She smelled like too many separate vampires to just be with a few coven member, and Demetri didn't sense any others with her, so she seemed to be alone. He found that strange, most vampires travel in at least pairs, rarely venturing alone. Her hair was dark. That was the only way to describe it. Even the trackers keen eyes couldn't distinguish the browns from the reds from the black. Though the most bizarre thing about her, by far, were her eyes.

If a vampire drank human blood, then their eyes would be red; if they drank animal blood, their eyes would be gold; if they drank both, their eyes would be orange; but Demetri had no idea what one would drink to make their eyes as violet as the lilacs and irises in the castle's garden.

It was Felix who broke the awkward silence. "You were... searching? For us?" he asked tentatively.

The strange girl nodded vigorously in excitement. "Yes! I need to report a crime! That's what you do right? You're like the police." The two male vampires very nearly left then and there to avoid the obvious problems that would follow the vampire girl.

Demetri sighed in exhaustion at the situation. With a nod from the tracker, Felix shot down the alley way, gabbed the girl, and all three vampire made their way to the castle.

After all, the sun was coming up.

---

To the girl's credit, she didn't scream as she was flitted to the castles entrance. She didn't even make a noise. Demetri was impressed with that, though it could be because she was terrified beyond all reason. When the three vampires were safely inside the foyer, Felix noticed that the girl was looking up at the ceiling in awe. Demetri noticed too, how her eyes carefully traced the paintings above her and the intricate designs and structure. Demetri realized he would have to forcibly move the girl or else she would stay rooted and stare for eternity. Which is why he just grabbed her wrist to lead her down the hall. Rather than pull away, the strange girl twisted her hand around to properly hold hands.

The seasoned tracker decided the best way to deal with this unconventional girl was to hear her complaint to see if it was even worth his masters' time. "And what is this ever important crime?" he asked sarcastically and tiredly, showing he had better things to do. The girl waited until they were in front of the elevator before she answered.

"I saw an immortal child."

Demetri and Felix froze at that statement.

Sybil thought it was funny that the two distinguished looking men both suddenly s=ceased all movements with the most terrified expression on their face. Though it became less funny when the skinny guard with the spiky gelled hair roughly grabbed her arms and dragged her closer to him.

"Are you sure?" Demetri hissed sharply. "Are you absolutely sure it was an immortal child? Do you know the consequences for lying about such a crime? Do you know the punishment?"

The girl writhed and struggled in Demetri's grip. "Yes! It had orange eyes and blood dripping down its chin! It was chained to a wall for God's sake!" she yelled, still trying to free herself. "Do you really think that a human child would survive that long around vampires without being eaten!?"

Demetri looked to his friend, the girl remaining in his grip, asking a silent question. The larger guard seemed troubled, but nodded.

This girl would have to tell the masters. And God help her if she was lying.

---

Aro was most interested in what Demetri was telling him. "Truly, she said an immortal child?"

"Yes Master Aro. She seemed very distressed about the situation. She was most adamant about reporting the crime." Aro prized tracker responded.

The head of the Vulturi glanced behind him to see his twins. Jane, already wearing a small, sadistic smile in anticipatoin for the trial, and Alec, standing shoulder-to-shoulder by his sister, his expression blank and passive. The witch twins, of course, were always prepared for a trial as interesting as this would be.

"Well, my brothers, shall we hear what this young traveler has to say?" Aro prompted. The two nodded in agreement. Caius seemed eager at the prospect of an execution, and Marcus remain apathetic as per usual,

With a nod from Aro, Demetri left to retrieve the girl.

(Please alert me of grammatical or spelling errors!)