Dark Paradise

chapter five

'i could get used to that'

Felix Volturi stood in the training room across from Mercy, watching her, trying to calculate every movement she made. She was fast, almost a dark blur and hard to keep up with. It was something unexpected. They decided to try sparring with each other, and so far he was losing.

"Hah!" Mercy called out, landing a round house kick to the chest, sending the enormous man flying backwards. Mercy was on him in moments, somehow maneuvering him so that she was under him, ,her legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck in a hold.

Felix tried to fight it, but as he twisted and turned his neck, or tried to (the woman had a strong hold), he could feel his neck start to c***k. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and tapped her hand. Mercy let go instantly and let him stand, watching as he rubbed his neck. "Okay," He says. "I think that's enough for today."

Mercy just shrugged in response, they'd been at it for a few hours by that time and she was starving. "Fine by me." She stated, standing up. "See you tomorrow." Felix simply watched her, that was the most she had spoken in the entire three and a half hours they'd been sparring and he found it strange. Whenever he saw her she always seemed to have something to say and now she was simply quiet. He had half a mind to be worried about her.

Mercy made her way quietly through the chilly halls of the castle, glancing occasionally out of windows when she passed them, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. She was trying to remember something, something she had forgotten about the night that Franklin died. It was one of those nagging feelings that you would get at the back of your head, it was just within reach but she couldn't quite grasp it. It frustrated her to no end and made her want to pull her hair out and scream.

She hadn't slept since she'd woken up from the nightmare and wasn't sure if she was going to be okay. She thought about maybe telling Aro about it, but wasn't too sure how he could help her. Or if he even would after she sent three of his vampires to the infirmary, their heads still weren't attached yet.

She lets out a long sigh before pushing the door open to the kitchen and stepping in. It was empty. The few humans that worked for the Volturi were gone for the day, home with their families or maybe out with their friends. Mercy envied them for that reason. She had no family or friends. She never has. But that's the kind of life you sign up to live when you work for the Organization.

A life of solitude.

She had never been given a choice when it came to the Organization, it was simply thrust upon her when she was old enough to learn. Franklin had been relentless, showing her no mercy when she was training.

Franklin..

She supposed she could consider him family. He was her grandfather after all. They weren't a proper family though. That's what she craved most, she figured; normalcy. Two parents who loved her, maybe a sibling or two, friends, maybe even birthday parties.. She had never had one of those before. Franklin thought they were stupid.

Mercy had never had two parents either, or even one for that matter. She had Franklin. Her father had thrust her upon him after her mother died giving birth to her, at least that's what Frank told her. She had no pictures of them, no memories. She had nothing, no one, what with Franklin being dead. She loved the old man, she knew that he loved her, he just had a horrible way of showing it sometimes.

Someone had left a half-eaten pizza in the fridge and Mercy just shrugged before taking a couple of slices and sitting at the small oak table at the back of the room.

Alec had acted weird after she had woken up, recoiling off the couch as he cradled one of his hands to his chest, as if he had been hurt. He seemed freaked out, and she wondered what had done it. He didn't seem the type of person to get freaked out too easily.

Alec had sat as far away as possible from her, perched on the arm of the couch, but he had also patted her shoulder in an attempt to make her feel better. It was strange and she wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Mercy suddenly jumps as the door is swung open. She glances up with wide eyes as Aro strides into the room, Marcus in tow. Aro seemed to have a happy glint about him, while Marcus just looked bored to death and in pain. "Aro, Marcus." She bowed her head respectfully at the two.

"Ah, Mercy darling," Aro says in a light but creepy tone. "No need to do that when it's just us." Mercy nods once. "I have just heard from Felix that you're exceptionally well trained already." Mercy only raises an eyebrow, hadn't they already figured that out after what she did to the three others? "He feels you'll need no training, so I've decided to send you out on a mission. You'll be going back to New Orleans." Mercy knew instantly that this was a test. "There is a coven of vampires that reside there and I would like you to make sure that their allegiance lies with us and that they'll fight with us should the time come. You'll be taking Jane and Felix along with you."

"Yes sir."

Aro simply smiles at her. "You leave at sunset."

Mercy hurried from the room as soon as they were gone, running all the way back to Alec's room. Sunset was in less than half an hour.

Jane was sat on the couch talking quietly with her twin brother. They both look up as she rushes into the room and starts flinging her clothes and a few weapons into a bag. "You really are going then." Alec says, standing up as he looks at her with what seemed to be worry written in his expression, which confused her. Why would he worry about her?

"Yes." Is all Mercy said, moving into the bathroom to collect the few things she had in there, like shampoo and tampons. She had no idea how long she would be gone for and figured she'd take them as a just in case thing. Mercy realized then that Alec had never seen her fight and he was probably worried that he'd be stuck watching after her if she got hurt.

Jane said nothing, simply watching the two from the couch. Her eyes narrowed in thought as she watched the way Alec seemed to hover over the girl, almost as if he cared. She could see how annoyed Mercy was becoming and almost smirked when she slammed the bathroom door in his face.

Mercy appeared a few minutes later dressed in her signature dark clothing and knee-high boots. Jane couldn't help but giggle when Alec started hovering like a mother goose.

"Alec-" The girl warned. "Back off. I'm not going to die. I'm a lot stronger than I look. Thank you very much. I'm not even sure I'm human, so if I do, I'll probably survive. Now stop pretending to be worried and shut up before I stab you." Alec just looked at her, his eyebrow raised as if to say 'you won't' . Mercy pulls a dagger out of her bag and holds it up, as if to say 'test me!'

The door is swung open and Mercy acts on instinct, as she often does when holding a weapon, thrusting her arm out and letting it fly out of her hand. It sails through the air for half a heartbeat before impaling itself in the fabric of Felix's cloak.

The vampire's eyes are wide with alarm as he looks at the room's occupants. Alec and Mercy stood staring at each other while Jane had an 'oh s**t' expression on her usually bored looking face. "The sun is setting." Felix says after pulling the knife from his cloak, releasing himself from the door frame. "Let's go." He hands the blade back to Mercy, who puts it in her bag before zipping it closed and slinging it over her shoulder. She marches out of the room and towards where they keep the cars, Felix and Jane not far behind her.

The headlights flash on the new blacked out SUV as the locks click up. Mercy opens the door to the passenger seat and climbs in, shoving her bag towards the back. Moments later, Felix is in the driver's seat and Jane sits behind them. Neither of them bothered with seat belts, but Mercy made sure to do hers tightly. She was thankful that she did because, unlike Alec, Felix knew how to drive. It went from zero to eighty as soon as the garage door was opened.

She got the feeling that he was really trying to scare her, but he didn't know that she had learned to drive like that.

With Felix's driving, they made it to the airport in under two hours and skidded to a stop on the tarmac directly under the wing of a plane that bore the Volturi Crest. The pilot was at the passenger side door in an instant, opening it and helping her out after Jane handed her her bag.

"Welcome aboard, Miss." The man says, bowing slightly as he helps her up the stairs of the plane.

"Oh, I could get used to that.."