chapter one: the kind of protection that keeps me alive

:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

Mercy Bennett moved slowly in the shadows towards the small castle in Volterra, Italy, trying her best to not be noticed. She couldn't risk being seen by anyone, she could never know who to really trust these days. She could never know who was real and who was a threat. With the sun looming overhead, nearly ready to set, she ducks into a dark alley, heading towards the very end where she knew stood a secret entrance into the castle, an entrance the guards used. 

The dark haired teen didn't even bother to hesitate or rethink what she was about to do and jumped right in. The drop lasted only seconds, but she was surrounded in darkness when she landed with catlike grace on the uneven stone flooring in the passage way. Without a second thought Mercy start moving forward, she could smell them so it couldn't be too far, and the darkness wasn't too bad after he eyes adjusted to it. 

Within minuets she was in their main lobby, it was oddly bright and nicely decorated, with a human sitting at a desk in front of a computer and phone. She was dressed smartly in a gray pant suit with heels, her hair up in a neat bun atop her head. She smile warmly and greeted a tourist group of humans that passed, lead by a vampire into what appeared to be a throne room of sorts. She could just make out Aro's hair as the doors closed. She let out a grimace, knowing exactly what was happening. 

"Ciao, come posso aiutarla? Non dovrebbe essere con il gruppo?" The woman at the desk asked, causing Mercy to turn towards her, nobody had noticed her pop out of the secret passage. She continued glancing around the room before answering the woman, noticing an elevator, there must've been another passage that led to it somewhere in the city. "Signorina?" 

With a roll of her pretty blue eyes the girl turns to the woman, taking her in, wondering how she could sit out here day after day, knowing what happened in that room. "English please." She states, tugging her jacket off. "When they're finished, tell Aro that Mercy is waiting in his office." And with that, she walked off down a hallway, ignoring the calls from the woman, telling her she couldn't go back there. In the teens eyes, she had every right to be back there. She did contract work as a favor to the man at a low point in her career, and now he owed her. In her eyes, that gave her the right to act like she owned the damn place. 

Aro's office was neat and organize, but dark. Exactly what you would expect from the man. She couldn't help her self looking over the papers strewn over his desk, eyeing each one but not taking everything in in her search to find if he already knew of the information she held so dear. 

Information that could save not only the Volturi's lives, but world as well. 

News that would give Jasper Whitlock nightmares if he slept. 

She knew Jasper, she knew all of the Cullens, infact, they were the reason she even came here in the first place. Althogh none of them seemed to like the volturi, they seemed to think they would give her the protection she needed to survive. God she hoped they were right She didn't feel right putting her life in the hands of creatures who kill to survive. It just wouldn't be right, especially with her line of work and lack of trust for anybody other than herself and the old man buried in a grave in new Orleans. 

It wasn't long she had to wait before Aro was strolling through the doors, smiling warmly at her. Well, what he thought was warmly but what everyone else thought was creepy. "Mercy, it's been a long time." He greets, clasping his hands together before motioning for her to sit. HE wouldn't bother shaking her hand, he always had a hard time reading her. "What brings you in." 

Mercy simply stares at the man for a moment, trying to decide if this was what she really should do before sighing. "I have information." She states, not bothering to sit down. She had to be on her guard at all times these days, never knew when se had to run or fight. Aro simply cocks his head at her, raising his eyes brows with another creepy smile of his. "Information that I am willing to give you, but only if you agree to something first." 

"And that would be?" Aro wasted no time in asking, sensing the young woman he had previously worked with was serious. She was always serious, but he sensed that this was even more so.

"Protection." 

Aro looked at her curiously, he knew how the girl felt about his kind, and It only made him wonder what was so bad that she was willing to give up information for their protection. It certainly couldn't have been good. "What kind of protection?"

The teen gives an eye roll, crossing her arms over her chest. "The kind of protection that keeps me alive." She stated. "But I need your word before I tell you. And trust me, you'll want to hear it." Aro thought for a moment,  pursing his lips as he did. He noticed that the girl seemed agitated, scared, which definitely meant trouble, Mercy wasn't one to scare easily, he knew from experience. 

"You have my word." He says after a minuet, noticing how Mercy seems to visibly relax at the promise. He would keep his word, he knew she knew that. "What information do you have?" 

"The central American Covens." Mercy speaks, feeling slightly relaxed knowing that she'd be somewhat protected for right now. Aro motions for her to go on and she finally sits, letting out a breath of relief, she felt a sense of security for the first time in days and she felt as if she could finally let her tired body rest after being on the move for nearly a weeks straight and only a ffew hours of sleep. "There's going to be another war. They're trying to keep it as quiet as possible, they dont' want your interference until it's too late to stop them. They're turning people again, just like in the old days. I don't know exactly who is behind it all but I have a hunch and i'm sure you do too. They want to over throw the entire world, our world and the human world. " She speaks, letting him know of the secret she wasn't supposed to be aware of. "The Director  is on their side, she wants to fight against you guys, she wants the world to know of our exsistnce, she'd tired of living in the shadows. Of not being able to show people what we realy are. I'm not supposed to know of any of this. I'm not even supposed to be alive right now." 

Aro is still for an entire minuet, watching her, thinking. He knew she was telling the truth, Mercy Bennett was many things, but she was not a liar, and this was bad. Very bad. If Maria really was planning another war, it would surely start the same way as last time. Small skirmishes, nothing the volturi could step into, and slowly build up to full scale attacks, and she'd keep going until she had the entire central American covens under her rule. This was very bad indeed. "Stay here Mercy." He left the room in a flash, using his vampire speed to get through the entire castle in a matter of minuets. He needed to have a convference with the others about this, and about what they should do. But first, he had to deal with Mercy. 

Mercy found that the man was quick in his work and came back in the room barely three minuets later with a tall-ish, dark haired boy that looked to be her age, although she knew better than to believe that. He was well older than her, she could tell by the red eyes. Despite the act that every part of her distrusted this boy already due to the slightly menacing vibe he gave off, she couldn't help but find him very attractive. He had a kind of strong jaw line, and some how adorably cute lips and she found her self wanting to run her hands through his hair. She shook the thought the though and stood up, already tensing as the new vampire stares her down. 

Alec's attention was drawn immediately to the girl as soon as he stepped foot in Aro's office, she smelled intoxicatingly mouth watering good and he wanted nothing more than to drain her completely right then and there, it didn't matter that his mater was there to witness it or not. He wanted her, and he would have her, if it weren't for the strange feeling of also not wanting to hurt her in anyway. He held in his breath so as not to attack her, to stop his throat from burning in that god awful way it did when he hadn't fed in weeks, and instead took her in. She stood a few inches shorter than him and had a very petite but toned and fit hourglass figure, her hips were wide and her bosom large, her hair was long black as night and wild. It framed her oval shaped face almost perfectly, and complimented her bright blue eyes perfectly. She had high cheek bones, and a small crooked nose that looked almost as if it had been broken more than twice. Her eyes held  a coldness though, a calculating stare that instantly gave him the feeling that she didn't trust him, and why should she? He was a killer after all and right then, she seemed like the perfect kill. 

"Alec, I need you take miss Bennett to your room," Aro says, motioning to the teen hurriedly. "I want you to clothe her, and help her with that wound on her arm," it was then that Alec managed to look anywhere but at her face and noticed the large gash on her forearm, it seemed to be the first time she noticed it too because she looked down in surprise. "I'll have Heidi bring her up some food. You are to keep her in your sight at all times, and I mean it." Aro knew she was serious when she said she needed protection, although from what he didn't know, he had a hunch that it had something to do with her supposed to be dead already. 

Aro leaves the room in a flash after giving his orders, leaving the two strangers together. 
"If you try to eat me, i'll cut your eyes out and feed them to you for dinner" Mercy said in a calm and even voice as Alec held out his hand to direct her out of the room. He somehow knew that she was deathly serious and made a mental note never to cross her. 

:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

hello loves!

so i was originally planning to rewrite each chapter before i posted it, but that's alot of rewriting because there's actually a lot of book believe it or not, and you know what? i wanted you guys to see me how i used to be, so you can see the evolution from old kara to new kara..i will however edit/rewrite chapters privately by hand in one of my numerous notebooks and post them seperately when ive finished posting this book in it's entirety..

i did originally have the English translations though i don't at the moment, i will come back and add those later!

1986 words