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Sage has always hated the chamber room.
It was wide and spacious with too much sunlight streaming in from it, reminding them of who they were every passing second. There were always stains of blood in crevices they couldn't find, and Sage hated that, too, because it was a reminder. There were mirrors, too, in the corner of the room, hiding with the other antiques, where Sage saw her crimson eyes and luminescent skin. That was her worst reminder yet.
Mostly, though, she hated that Aro only called her in there when he wished for her to be the very thing she hated most.
When she opened the doors, Sage wanted nothing more than to turn around and walk back out. The chamber doors slammed shut behind her as Aro gave her the brightest, most sadistic grin she had ever witnessed from him in all of her years of being his guard. The cause of this pitiless pleasure was a young boy with blond hair, and he cried from his position in front of his parents, who were laying in front of him, their blood a pool of misery surrounding them.
"Ah, young Sage," Aro welcomed warmly, standing with his arms wide open. Sage had no choice but to fall into them, to open her mind up to him under the disguise of compassion. "How lovely for you to join us," he said as he broke the embrace.
Sage nodded silently, giving Marcus a tiny grin of acknowledgement while she was there. Caius was ignored in favor of addressing the sobbing child in front of her.
Sun was shining onto his ocean-colored eyes as he stared at her dazzling face in terror. Amazement broke through them as well, though he pushed himself away from her as she neared him. Sage flared her nostrils against the tang of blood, and she forced her ears to go deaf to the delectable beating of his heart.
"Hello," she greeted softly. "I am Sage. I am here to help you."
"No!" the boy denied, shaking his head. He threw himself back again, and Aro gave a delighted hum behind her. Sage grit her teeth, continuing forward.
"Please," she pleaded softly. The boy's trembling persisted, and Sage hated that Aro continued giving her these cases--continued tormenting her this way. Thirst dried her throat, hunger pushing everything away until it was just instinct. His heart pounding. His veins rushing like a river in the forest, solid and soft.
It had been so long since she ate.
"Perhaps you should get on with it. This is boring me," Jane muttered from the right. There was blood caked on her chin, remnants from the pile of tourists in the corner.
Sage growled with the fire of an animal. The boy screamed again. Aro swiftly said, "Now, Jane, let her be. She will work at her own pace."
Jane snapped her lips shut, ashamed. Sage would have felt victorious had she not known that Aro understood how much pain this put her in. Murdering someone so innocent was like breaking her limbs off, over and over again until she was forced to wait in agonizing pain as they slowly came back to her, melding back her skin once more. Why had he picked him for her? Why had he not let her starve?
