Chapter 2 – Two Months Previous…

The room was dark, save a few candles whose iridescent flames flickered in the breeze each time the large, oak door at the end of the room opened and closed. It always amused her how many candles were erected along the smooth wall. It wasn't as if they needed the illumination to see. The door opened again, as a slim figure entered the room quietly closing the door behind him.

"Jane"

The figure continued to walk towards her, although walking perhaps wasn't the right word. Jane had always secretly marveled at the way he seemed to glide so smoothly and quickly, not that she would ever confess this to him. His arrogance was legendary; why pander to it?

"Aro" she replied as he took a seat closest to her.

"You've... taken care of business?" he asked crisply, as Jane smiled. "As always" she replied, glancing down at her slender hands that were placed on her lap. Slowly lifting one hand, she stretched out her long, pale fingers. "Not once did I have to use these" she continued, as she moved her fingers in front of Aro.

Aro laughed a deep and rich sound that echoed around the chamber walls.

"My dear, dear Jane... when do you ever... use... those..."

Jane laughed now, "true" she acknowledged, taking the vacant seat that was next to him.

"Did you find our Cullen's…." he paused, as if in thought. Jane tilted her head.

"Hospitable?" he continued, as Jane nodded slowly.

"I would have liked more... time... with them" she replied, as Aro now smiled, his white teeth gleaming in the candlelight. "They are... intriguing" he admitted, "I am sure that particular opportunity will present itself". Jane smiled in satisfaction as Aro nodded, suddenly standing, "but you did what was required, Reuben is... better placed here with us" he continued as Jane nodded again.

"And the new addition, how did you find her?" her asked, walking towards the stone alter at the opposite side of the room.

"That depends" Jane casually replied, following Aro's footsteps.

"On?" he asked, turning to face Jane.

"On whether you want me to flatter your ego, or tell you the truth". Aro laughed once more. "Oh Jane, life would be extremely dull without your daily disparagement". Jane sighed as Aro picked up a small dagger that had been placed on the alter.

"Merely dull?" she replied, as her eyebrow arched.

"Dull, monotonous, mundane…" his voice trailed off before he pointed the dagger at Jane.

"Flatter my ego" he finally answered, as the door opened once more.

Jane's eyes never left Aro as another figure walked towards them, pulling a seemingly unconscious figure behind them.

"Bella is no threat to you, to us... just another adopted Cullen with a thirst for animal blood. Her… gift… is… dull, monotonous and mundane" she replied with a smile, "she is weak and no match for you Aro"

Aro nodded, as the person being dragged into the chamber was thrown before him.

"Thank you Demetri, please leave us now". Aro commanded as Demetri nodded and left, his gigantic form vanishing from view.

"And the truth" he asked, reaching down to lift up the semi-conscious person with one hand.

"You could hold my hand, read my thoughts and memories" Jane stated as Aro looked from the body in his arms back at her.

"But you tell it so eloquently" he answered, as Jane shrugged her shoulder. "She is strong both mentally and physically and she has a gift that I have not come across before". Aro's eyes narrowed as he brought the knife edge down onto the arm of the semi-conscious figure, cutting lightly at first and then deeper exposing red flesh that started to ooze with blood. Jane's eye's shifted from Aro to the arm that was now spurting uncontrollably as Aro cut deeper and deeper. Only now did the figure start to move.

"And has she... crafted this gift?" he asked, as Jane licked her bottom lip.

"No" she replied quickly, "not yet".

Aro smiled. "Good" he replied, tossing the figure at Jane's feet. "My way of thanking you" he continued as he replaced the dagger on the stone alter. "I did consider asking Alec to… clean-up for me, but we both know how… excitable your brother can be".

Jane was crouching over the body, her mouth sucking on the gaping wound within seconds. Aro continued, oblivious to Jane's lack of concentration on his words. "I often wish you had his ability of sense deprivation, although your gift is… beautiful…" His voice trailed off as she now started to suck and bite hungrily on the wound. Accepting her non response, Aro started to walk toward the door, pausing when his name was spoken lightly. Turning he tilted his head, his dark hair cascading around his shoulders.

"What do we do now?" Jane asked, wiping the claret blood from her lips. Aro raised his eyebrow as if in contemplation.

"We question Reuben" he responded, as Jane started to laugh.

"His mind is a matrix of confusion, Aro. He made no sense to me when I questioned him after we… removed him from the Cullen's. I no longer have any patience when it comes to Reuben and his multiple personalities"

Now it was Aro's time to laugh, a rich deep tone that bounced around the walls of the room.

"You have never displayed patience my dear, unless you are torturing. Reuben is, I admit, a bewildered individual who is often disorientated with his surroundings and chaotic mind but I have ways of extracting the information I desire… ways of bringing order and clarity…"

Jane stood, wiping a finger across her bottom lip to remove the last traces of blood. "And who will you be using to achieve this?"

"The latest addition to our family" Aro replied, "the Cullen's are not the only ones to have new members".

Jane nodded slowly, "And once this person retrieves the information you desire, what then?"

Aro turned and opened the large Oak door. "We watch them, we follow their every move and we piece together clues... and then… then we solve this little enigma that is Bella Swan"

Jane nodded her mouth and concentration now back on the wound.

Aro turned;

"And then we bring her here.