Infinite Bliss || Volturi Kings [1]

chapter 8

This was the first time I was actually being allowed to navigate the castle on my own. Sure, I wasn't going far, having been given very specific directions to the kitchen and being made to recite them perfectly to ensure I had them memorised, but it was still a refreshing feeling of independence. I practically skipped down the hall, took a left just as Marcus had instructed, and headed down the stairs to a set of double doors. The whole time I'd been here, I'd been treated like a baby, a guard member constantly nearby in case I hurt myself or got into trouble. For once, I didn't need to worry about someone watching every little thing I do, and it was only then that I realised how much I'd been longing for freedom like this.

I inhaled sharply, looking around me before pushing the doors open and walking in. The room that I'd just strolled into happened to be the empty kitchen, which even surprised me. Usually by this point I would have entered somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, like someone's private quarters or straight into a dungeon, but by a pure stroke of luck, I actually managed to follow directions correctly.

Feeling pretty proud of myself, I went over to the fridge to look for something to make myself for lunch, a smug grin still on my face. In the end, I settled on making myself a quick bowl of pasta after spotting a jar of pesto sauce in the door of the fridge. I'd only just finished cooking, heading over to the sink to pour out the boiling water, when Chelsea decided it was a good idea to materialise beside me.

"Jesus, Chelsea, do you mind?" I gasped, almost dropping the entire saucepan in the sink.

"Sorry Eliana, here, let me take that," she took the handle from me and placed the pasta back on the stove, now pouring the sauce in for me.

"It's fine, you can just call me Eli," I smiled.

"Okay then, Eli," she grinned, "wow, I love that nickname. It suits you well."

"Thanks, I was never a big fan of the name 'Eliana' in anyway," I beamed at her as she passed me a bowl and dished out a serving of lunch.

"What? Why? Eliana is such a gorgeous name though?" she raised her eyebrows, before smirking, "I bet the Masters love it in anyway."

"Does everyone here meddle in each others' private lives?" I asked, unamused by the fact that everyone seems to be under the impression that they can give me relationship advice all of a sudden.

"No, just yours," she giggled, taking my hand in hers and leading me out, "let's go."

"Go? Where?"

"To the private library. Unless there was somewhere else you wanted to be."

"No, no, I'm yet to see it for myself in anyway," I went along with her, my bowl of pasta leaving a trail of steam behind us.

We made our way down the dimly-lit halls which were surprisingly scarce of guard members, until I remembered that everyone else was in trials.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a trial right now?" I asked her.

"If I will be needed, it won't be for another, hmm," she glanced at her wristwatch, "half an hour? They should be finished soon in anyway."

"Fair enough-"my sentence was cut short by Chelsea.

"Corin!"

"Chelsea!"

The two ran up to each other and embraced like they hadn't seen each other in years. I confusedly wandered over to them, not wanting to interrupt what was apparently an emotional moment. The moment Corin spotted me, she embraced me the same way, causing me to drop my bowl which was only just caught by Chelsea and her cat-like reflexes.