DESTINED, jasper hale [book 01] ✓

xi. red-eyed volturi

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𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃

❀ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘳𝘦𝘥-𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪

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𝐤𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

     JUST AS KAYA SAW in the vision three decades ago, this coven is in pieces and very few newborns remain alive. Maria is furious at the desolation and destruction, and Kaya is far away from her — currently pregnant with Jasper's only child. Kaya never believed it possible to have another child due to becoming a vampire, but she was proven wrong by her ability when she siphoned that vampire's ability to see into his own future.

     She had siphoned a girls' ability to have children one night, and it was Jasper's final night with this coven — the night that he spent with Kaya before leaving to head up north. That night was a month ago, and it's not even a week later that a man with red eyes and powdery skin in a black cloak appears in the middle of the night in search of Kaya herself. He takes one look at her and holds out his hand, beckoning her.

     "My name is Afton," the tall man greets, giving the female vampire a small bow. "I am here to take you to the Volturi. Our leaders would like a word with you."

     Kaya tilts her head in recognition. "From your accent, I can tell that we will be leaving America. For how long exactly will I be required to stay?"

     "It is difficult to say, Miss Salvatore."

     "Very well. There is nothing left for me here." Lie. Kaya has Kaya and Jasper — her grandchildren — but they will understand from the letter the vampire wrote them the other day.

     Afton and Kaya instantly make their way through the night, heading in a northerly direction. He informs her that we will be in South Carolina by sunrise, and that she will not see Texas again for as long as time will allow. She merely nods in acceptance, not feeling any desire to turn and run back to the state that has both built her up and torn her down. She will not miss the place where she grew and lived and learned — and loved another so much that it consumed her.

     The sun rises above the horizon and the light dances across the brilliant blue expanse that she has been informed is called the ocean. Her blood red eyes take in the array of colour that she's not seen in such large quantities, and let out a breath of wonder. Except, the one colour on the horizon that she has seen is red. The battlefields of the past century were bathed in the colour, and is the colour of a vampire's sustenance; the blood of the humans.

     Hours pass like mere seconds as they fly over the endless blue expanse in what humans call an aeroplane. It's rickety and uncomfortable, but Kaya does not doubt that they will become more luxurious as time goes on. After all, it is only the 1930's, and the world has only just begun to turn itself around — through inducing another war, no less. Whilst that plays on Kaya's mind, the ocean soon gives way to land before returning to the expanse once again. The next time it passes over land, it touches down for its final destination in Italy.

     Here, it is almost mid-morning, and people are starting to bustle around the streets. With no halting, Afton pulls the hood of his dark cloak over his head and strides out of the building. Pulling up the hood of her old, black cloak — that is, somehow, still in one piece — Kaya follows the older vampire out to where a car with blacked out windows is waiting, a dark skinned man holding open the door for her. Almost as soon as she slips inside, the door is closed and Afton lowers his hood, signalling for Kaya to do the same.

     Looking out the windows, she can't help but marvel at the beauty of the city. The French Renaissance impacted Italy and drove it to evolve alongside it, creating prospering nations of unadulterated beauty and peace. Kaya's mind buzzes with the possibility of creating a life here, and she almost misses that they've pulled up, her thoughts being cut short as the door to the car opens. On instinct, Kaya covers her head with the hood of my cloak and steps out, waiting for her companion to do the same. Once he does, the large gilded, wooden doors before the vampires swing open and the two of them walk in, indifferent to the sound of the dark skinned man's screams behind us as the heavy door shuts.

     Inside, Afton removes his hood, but Kaya does not — unwilling to bare herself in unknown territory without knowing that she is safe. She follows Afton through the labyrinth that is soon to become familiar to her, and pauses beside him outside another set of heavy wooden doors. Soon enough, a powerful voice commands for them to enter. In doing so, Kaya is greeted by the sight of almost three dozen red-eyed, powdery-skin vampires dressed in black garb. As her eyes flicker to the three chairs placed above all the vampires, her entire body freezes at the appearance of three beings emanating wave upon wave of power and control — and Kaya has to fight her instinct to flee, and her instinct to fall to her knees under their brilliant red gazes.

     The vampire in the middle stands and walks down the steps leading to the podium, and Kaya can clearly see that he is dressed in an entirely black suit. "Welcome, welcome. It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Salvatore. I have heard much about you."

     Pushing back her hood, Kaya eyes his outstretched hand warily before hesitantly taking it. In that instant, his other hand moves on top of hers and he steps closer, his red eyes downcast for a second before looking straight into her matching eyes. An expression that Kaya can only call glee spreads across his face, but that's before it is replaced with complete and utter wonder as his eyes move to her abdomen. Instantly, Kaya snatches her hand from his and takes several steps away from him.

     "How unbelievably extraordinary," the man breathes, instantly gaining the attention of the other two men still seated on the podium. "You are carrying a child conceived while you were a vampire."

     The white-blond vampire stands from his seat, and gives off an aura of almost pure rage. "That is impossible! No such thing has ever existed!"

     "This child has the ability to siphon anything from another individual — without limitations of any kind."

     "A siphoner?" the older brunet still seated asks in wonder, his red eyes glimmering brightly as they turn to Kaya. "How rare."

     "You will be a lovely addition to this coven," the black haired vampire assures, his hands clasped in front of his chest. "How would you like to join us, my dear?"

     This time, Kaya feels no hesitation in what she does. Stepping forward, she stands resolute before the three elder vampires. "I would be honoured."