The Seventeen Promises They Made (An Alec Volturi Love Story)

A Game of Cards

Everyone gave me a nervous chuckle.

"Haha....real funny Secret. Time is in control of you. Hell, another person can't even be in control of you less an inanimate object." said Demetri.

I shook my head.

"This is not something that I can control. It is something that controls me. Something that controls every single vampire in this room. Time. We cannot manipulate it to our well being. Time does not stop for us. It never will. You have to understand that time is a set variable. It's an independent variable. We are the dependent variables. We rely on time. Without it, we don't exist."

Everyone was silent.

"So what do you mean when you said that time was in control of when you leave?" asked Felix quietly.

"I do not wish to tell you just yet. I don't want anyone to know."

"At least tell us where you'll be going after you leave the Volturi!" begged Demetri.

I looked at him sadly.

"The thing is....I don't even know."

"Can you at least tell us how long you are going to stay with us?" asked Jane.

"Eight months at the least. Twelve months at most."

"Who do you think you are? You cannot leave and return to the Volturi whenever you wish!" growled Caius.

I looked up at him, not a bit fazed.

"I told you. This is not my choice."

"Yes it is! You choose to leave the Volturi! You choose to return to it! How is any of that not your choice?!" he growled, standing up from his throne.

"You don't understand! None of you do!" I hissed, matching his tone.

"Peace." said Aro.

I backed down a little.

"Excuse me." I mumbled, running off to my room.

Jane, Alec, Demetri, and Felix wandered off to the game room.

"What do you think Secret meant when she said that time was in control of her?" asked Demetri, breaking the silence.

Everyone shrugged.

"You never know anything when it comes to Secret. Perhaps that's where she got her name. She has so many secrets that she doesn't tell anybody." suggested Felix.

"I don't think that is the case." chuckled Alec.

Only Jane seemed to be in deep thought about what Secret said.

This is not something that I can control. It is something that controls me.

Jane frowned.

Time does not stop for us.

Time...does not stop for us.....

It's an independent variable. We are the dependent variables. We rely on time. Without it, we don't exist.

"What if....it's a game of cards?"

Everyone stared at her.

"What?" they asked simultaneously.

"Secret's secret. It's a game of cards. Time is the dealer, the controller of the game. She is the cards."

"So you're saying that she is being controlled..." said Felix.

Jane nodded.

"But by who?" asked Alec.

"No...it's not by someone. It's by something. Some uncontrollable thing. Remember that Secret is only half vampire. She still has qualities of a human. So what is this 'something' that is controlling her only happens to humans, and not vampires?"

"Damn Jane....no wonder Aro likes you." muttered Demetri.

Jane smirked.

"So what could that 'something' be?" pushed Alec.

"I don't know. We'll have to find out. And there has to be a shift."

"What shift?" asked Felix.

"We have to hold the cards."