My head was banging again so I took a Tylenol, one of the few things I'd brought from home and drank it. It was one of those migraines that attacked one part of your brain.

I sighed as I stared at the incomprehensible criminal case I had to present. My eyes watered. I was so tired but I had to preserve. This was my last exam.

There was a knock at the door. It was a jarring sound. Who was that anyway? I cautiously stared out of the peephole self-consciously.

I was shakingthere was a man with dark, long hair and pale skin outside. It could be Aro again! I opened the door to a slit and the face of the man turned towards me.

"Makayla?" a staccato voice said uncertainly.

I smiled unconsciously and I ran out to hug Demetri. Then I stepped away from him He smiled lovingly then he quirked his oil brows.

"You aren't glad to see me anymore?" he said in a sarcastic voice.
"No, I'm not. What are you doing here? Pisa is too far from Volterra for you to just drop in like this."

My tone was hard, disinterested. He was taken aback.
"What's eating you?"

I crossed my arms and my head blared uncontrollably.

I winced. He furrowed his brows before brushing my shoulder. Great, I couldn't even be angry because my head was hammering.

"Are you alright?"
I breathed out harshly through my nose.

"No, I have a lot on my mind Demetri; my head is also killing me."

"May I?" he gestured inside to my foyer with his dazzling green eyes.

I stepped aside and let him enter. I whisked him away to my living room.

He sat exactly where I found Marcus the day of the incident with his brother and I was furious. Absolutely furious.

Demetri held my hands.
"Are you having a stroke?" he asked half perplexed and half worried.

"If only, I just remembered how angry I am with Marcus. You are sitting where he last sat when we had a disagreement."

I untangled his hands from me and he stood up as if his derriere touched a hot stove.

"I had no idea."
I glared at him resentfully.

"You're a liar! I'm sure you knew this whole time," I said shaking again.
"No, no!" he said. I know nothing of this.

His hair flew as he shook his head like a reluctant toddler.

"You dont?" I said.
"Please tell me what you mean."
The migraine expanded to my nose and I squealed hoggishly.

My head.

Demetri held up a finger and he went off. I tried to follow but I could literally see stars. I closed my eyes and flashes of red and white came behind my lids. I heard the kettle start up.

"Dude, what you doing?" I shouted.

He shouted back: "I'm fixing you a little medicine."
I scoffed. Was he cooking drugs; what the hell was he fixing?

Then the kettle whistled and turned off. I had the slam and crick of cupboards, the tinkle of spoons. Demetri came back with a steaming mug and I was immediately distrustful.

I recalled the revolting mucky green concoction I was fed by him the last time he came with a mug.

"What's that?"
"Only tea."

"Only tea?" I said hopelessly.

"Only Tea. In fact, you might enjoy it. Take a few sips of this as you tell me what has you so worked up."

I took it from his hands. It smelled scrumptious but the seed of doubt still laid in my heart but a reassuring smile made me willing to ignore the seed.

I closed my eyes and tried to think with the deafening pain paralysing me; it had now concurred my sinuses. I blew the hot drink swiftly and gulped it down.

"This is good. What's in it?"

As I drank it happily, he explained it had honey, lemon, turmeric that I thought was only for fried rice and a hint of ginger. I felt the unease and tension unfurl. I relaxed my body.

He watched me with a satisfied grin.
"Now tell me," he prompted.
"Why you were so upset."

He crossed his legs like Aro had. I quivered with rage and my remaining tea danced about in the cup. I set it down on the stool adjacent to me.

Two weeks ago, on Sunday Aro came to see me. And he was not himself. He was dressed too young and he invited himself in and started claiming he owned the entire building!

Demetri scratched his chin.

Well, he technically does own the apartment complex. It is under the name Volturi, but Marcus when he found out you stayed here, he took most of the family shares for it.

He even reduced the rent and accommodated more university students with that he added more security services from your security deposit.

I dropped my jaw. Aro wasn't lying.

"And I did think my Master was behaving odd that day. He was so excited. When I asked where he was going to, he said to take care of loose ends." he admitted.

I shivered. I was the loose end.
"Anyway I tried to get him to go but he insisted on me seeing his car. I was dragged out in shorts and a blouse in the cold.

He took me to some park came back and found Marcus here. Marcus was upset but he just let it slide. I asked him to help me win some justice but he shut me down and I kicked him out."

"Oh, I see that's why you were ignoring him and me?" he laughed.
I stood and grabbed my phone I threw it at him and he reflexively caught the cell-phone.

"Scroll through the gallery."
He stared at me bear eyed.

He did it though. At first, he was annoyed but then a frown came onto his face.
"Is this your wrist and soles? And are they..." he asked.

"Swollen! You can make fun but Aro kidnapped me, took me somewhere against my will and he hurt me intentionally!" I interjected loudly.

Demetri let the screen turn pitch.
"You said Marcus did nothing?"
I nodded.

"Odd." he said.
I want to report this.
Demetri's face darkened.

"So, he can never hurt me again. Can you help?"
Demetri bit his lip and looked at the wall.

I paced as I waited for him. Did he change his mind about helping me?

I watched my classmates scatter across the parking lot as their rides arrived. Then a little green beetle approached me with tinted windows. It was cloudy.

Demetri rolled down the window and he had on a messy bun and shades.

"Get in. How was your final exam?"

"I'd rather not talk about it now. As soon as you left after cooking, I was out. I only managed a quick review today before rushing to campus."

"I'm sorry but it means you were exhausted. You need to take better care of yourself."

I nodded. He was acting like my mother. I missed her actually. I could hardly wait to see her againand Jamal. Would the two of us be able to coax mom into revealing our fathers whereabouts?

He stopped in front a tall grey building with sign: Polizia Locale.

We were here. It was now or never. We disembarked and headed inside. There was a buzz of workers in black uniform running about. People cuffed being shoved in through the door. The people walked in lines like ants.

We strode in the hallways until we came into a room with brown and sky office desks, red chairs and brown chairs.

The windows were covered in blinds. A woman with long brown hair sat behind her desk twirling her gun and a man sat behind it typing away. I nervously eyed the solitary pair. Demetri walked ahead and I followed.

I sweated as we went nearer. The police greeted us. I replied timidly feeling like decorating their floor with my midday snack.

The man continued typing.
"What brings you?"
"I'm here to report..."

The man stopped typing. What should I say? Abduction? I was here! Assault?

The woman tapped her gun on her black boot.
"Harassment."

She spat on the floor and Demetri gave her a stricken look.
"Come sit. And recount for me."

She took out a backless, yellow notepad with coffee stains and a bobble-head pen. It had the head of a bear. It jiggled as she jotted down the date.

I beamed in relief.
"Ok, I..."

"Name?" she interrupted.
I frowned and she reiterated.

"Makayla Benjamin."
"Age!" she urged.
I said: "Twenty."

She followed those two questions with my date of birth, nationality and address in Italy.
"When did this incident happen?" she said.

"Sunday the third."

I told her about what happened and then she asked what I was wearing. I told her, and her and the man grimaced.

"Do you know the perpetrator?"
"Yes."
"What is his name?" she yawned.

"Mr Aro Volturi."

She dropped her pen and she looked like a white sheet. The man slammed his leg on the desk. She put the notepad back in her desk.

"I see, madame. Don't you think you are exaggerating? Did he even harm you?"

I felt tear pricks.
"Yes! My wrist was bruised and I had cut up feet."

"Hardly a need to panic. And if you thought it was urgent why didn't you report this earlier?"
I sat there, mouth agape.

"It doesn't matter if she reported it late."
Demetri broke his silence reminding us all he was present. He had quietly watched my interrogation unfold.

"Sweety, we know women like you are notorious with our men here and when you get a little roughed up you come here. My advice is to talk to your client."

I shouted: "I'm not a prostitute!"

"Boyfriend, whatever you prefer. Just don't bother us with this again," she said wadding up the paper she wrote on and chucking it in the bin.

Fresh tears rolled down. Demetri tried talking to the police once more but our trip there was a vain one. He drove me home. I had no appetite and I slept early that night and fitfully.