Supernova - Chapter 6: I couldn't resist it, even if i tried.

Ignacio is pronounced ‘ig-nas-e-o’

Amirah Cullen

Axton and I were inseparable for the few days we were in Chicago. I did a run and some training with my wolves each morning and then spent the rest of the day and night attached to Axton. Anytime I left Alena’s house I would have a wolf following me. Elliot had a rotation going to make sure at least one wolf was always with me. It was nice being with Ophelia again, I had helped train her as she grew up as her magic worked similar to mine, but she caught on pretty fast with her aunt being her main teacher. It took me a few days to build the courage up to read Zio’s report and it mostly sounded like fairy tales to me. I knew there was a very high possibility it would all be true but I could help but feel like I was being thrown into a fantasy novel and I was about to be the epic heroine that saved the day. Considering time was supposed to be pretty non-existent to immortals, it definitely went far too fast in the days leading up to meeting Vicente’s leader. Vicente had told us his name was Ignacio, but he couldn’t actually voice what he was. Esther had taken it from his mind because there was a block on his ability to talk about his leader out loud. She explained it was like an alpha order but darker. This didn’t sit with me the right way, why would Ignacio want to hide what he was if he was trying to get us to work together? I hoped we’d get the answers today.

Mia, he is a few minutes away. They’re calling a court. Esther placed in my head and I suddenly went cold.

“We have to go,” I said looking to Axton at my side. He frowned up at me, but the realisation hit him.

“I’ll meet you in the throne room,” Alena said walking over to us. She looked between us for a moment before leaving. It had been just us three in her living room. I turned to Axton who stood up beside me. I looked at him for a moment and he stared down at me. It took a moment before he smiled a bittersweet smile and rested his forehead on mine.

“It won’t change how I feel about you,” I said.

“It will,” he said and sighed softly. “But I’m okay with that. At the end of the day, I just want you alive and happy. I will be by your side in this to make sure you survive it. Then happiness will come after.” He said and placed a kiss on my forehead.

“I will always love you.” I said with certainty.

“I know,” he said softly and reached down to kiss me gently. “I’ll see you in a few days though okay?” he asked, and I gave him a nod. We had discussed what would happen if the events unfolded how everyone thought they were going to. Axton would leave for a few days. Just for his own mental health, just to clear his mind and focus on the fight that was to come. I knew that imprinting on a stranger wasn’t going to make me fall in love, but I knew the centre of my world would shift and my life wouldn’t just be my own anymore. I would be worrying about someone else. Even if I didn’t know a single thing about him. I didn’t want Axton to see that, as much as he was confident he could handle it.

“You’ll go to Clara, right?” I asked him. And he let out a gentle smile.

“That’s the plan,” he said. I sighed, content with the fact he would have her. No matter what.

“Alright, let’s go,” I said taking his hand and we left his sister’s house. Elliot and my mother were waiting outside. My parents had arrived a few days ago. I was surprised how much they didn’t freak out honestly. I think part of them knew I was born for something more. My mother had shadowed me since, almost as much as the wolves had.

“I have to go ahead and be in the throne room when they bring him in. Chloe Cullen hasn’t been able to track him or the people he’s been around. We’re stepping into the unknown here. I should be there in case.” He said to us as we reached the throne room in the Volturi mansion.

“Axton,” my mother said to draw his attention, he turned to look at her for a moment. “Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for my daughter. I know this can’t be easy for you,” she said sincerely. “I don’t know how I would have made it this long worrying about her without you.” She added and her hand entwined with mine.

He smiled as he looked to me at her side.

“There’s nothing to thank me for. She’s a fighter and she’ll get through this, I know she will,” he said and my mother squeezed my hand as he turned to leave us. “You wait here until Zio calls you in okay?” he asked, and I nodded swallowing nervously. He gave me another smile before he walked into the court room and the door closed.

I sighed and leant against the wall, focusing on the sounds from inside the throne room. Elliot and my mother moved to lean against the wall opposite me. I was aware they were watching me closely but instead I focused on what was going on inside the throne room.

Esther? I asked in my head hoping shed hear me.

Yeah honey? She asked.

Can you let me see what’s going on? I asked nervously. She didn’t answer, but suddenly my mind was seeing what she was seeing inside the throne room. The guard had lined the walls, the three leaders on their thrones. The six chairs behind them had Lidiya, Anelie, Chantelle, Allesandra, Micah and Ivana. Esther seemed to be in the corner of the room, by the door I was standing behind. Axton and Alena were on the opposite side, by the other door that led to the conference room.

Seeing through Esther’s eyes gave me a direct link to her mind, and I could see as she was scanning for thoughts of the people coming to visit but she couldn’t find them. It was like they were shrouded. It was only a few moments before the doors of the main Volturi mansion opened and a group of people had walked into the building. Vicente was in the lobby to greet his people and introduce them to the awaiting court.

“They’re open to listen,” Vicente told his people in Spanish before they all followed him to the second set of doors that were between them and the court.

I can’t see Vicente’s mind anymore. Esther thought. She could only hear them on the other side of the door.

There was a knock and the three leaders of the Volturi stood from their thrones.

“You may enter,” Zio called out and the doors swung open.

I felt the fear sweep into Esther as she took in the sight of the visitors. There were sixteen men and women following Ignacio and Vicente at the front of the pack. They were all covered in tattoos, their chests bear except for some small cloths. They wore mostly modern pants, such as denim or cotton shorts and no footwear. The remaining guard that escorted them, dissolved into their ranks at the walls and the door of the room. Esther noticed how various members blocked the exit of the room at that end. It now made sense why Zio had asked Esther and the twins to stand by the other exits of the room. The doors into the actual mansion were deadlocked. No one without a code, not even magic could get through those two doors, but he was being careful with the unknown. We had no idea what these people could do.

The fear Esther was experiencing was the realisation that none of her abilities were working and neither was anyone else’s in the room. Micah couldn’t see their essences, Anelie couldn’t feel their life, Esther couldn’t read their minds, Zio couldn’t feel their power. Nothing. They were all just blank. Even Vicente now.

“State your name for the court,” Vicente whispered to his leader as they stood and stared at the leaders before them. He had been informed of the proceedings of the court before his alpha had arrived. Zio liked to be on first name basis with most of the subjects to try and remove any initial hostility they may have.

“Ignacio Navarino.” The leader announced.

“Ignacio, my name is Pancrazio Cullen, I am grateful you accepted my invitation.” Zio said with a courteous nod but he did not move from the safety of the stage. Ignacio walked to the centre of the room. The floor had intricate marble patterns and there was a natural centre point where most subjects stood to speak to the court.

“I thank you for taking care of my brother so well,” he said with a nod and his hand fell onto Vicente’s shoulder.

Brother? I asked Esther.

Pack brother. Like your wolves. She answered me. Remembering how Vicente had called everyone in his tribe his brother or sister.

“I hope you can understand, we are very concerned about the threat you may be to us. I apologise for the excessiveness of the guard. We are extremely cautious about what you are exactly.” Zio said carefully motioning with his hand to the guard lining the walls, watching.

“I understand.” Ignacio said with a nod as he turned his head to observe every member of the Volturi in that room.

Zio turned then to look back at Esther.

He’s definitely part demon? He asked her and all she did was give him a small swift nod. She couldn’t see the demon; not like she could see the demons on the astral plane but she could sense it. She knew he was empty, there were no readings on him and she daren’t get closer to him.

This scared Zio. I remembered the conversation I had with him a few days ago. He’d never met a threat Esther couldn’t ultimately beat.

“You have to understand Ignacio, we have a tremendous amount of power within the members of my coven and not one of them can sense or see you with their abilities. I must ask you. What are you?” He asked carefully.

“I was hoping to meet the tribrid before we had that conversation,” Ignacio announced, and my heart picked up in response.

“You have to understand, Reinette isn’t a member of this guard. She is not the protection of this world, we are. And I have a duty to understand what I’m putting her in a room with. So, I will ask you again. What are you?” His voice was stern. Esther watched Ignacio’s reaction to this statement. His head tilted ever so slightly to the left, his lips pursed, and he let out a small sigh. His black eyes bore into Zio on the stage like he was staring into his soul.

“I need the protection of your tribrid before I give you my secret.” He insisted.

I’ll just come in. I said to Esther reaching for the door, but the door would not open to my touch.

No. Not yet Mia. I don’t like how he’s challenging Zio. This isn’t okay. For all we know this was a trap and they plan to take you away from us for your power. She thought and I saw her hand was on the other side of the door, stopping me from opening it. I sighed and let go.

Ignacio had noticed Esther’s movements and his eyes were drawn to Esther.

“Ester,” he grinned with a thick Spanish accent onto Esther’s name, making it sound almost like a different name. Esther’s blood ran cold as her eyes locked with the strangers. “I have heard much about you the original luna creazione.” He said fondly.

“That is ester?” One of his followers asked as they all turned to stare at her.

Luna Creazione? I asked her.

It’s the original name given to my species. Luna Bambini was a colloquial term coined later. She answered.

“I am creacion de sol,” he announced with a nod. “Your opposite, I suppose,” he said before turning back to Zio. “That is your answer.”

“Sun creation? That doesn’t give me much to go on,” Zio responded with scepticism. There was a pause before Vicente stepped forward and rested his hand on Ignacio.

“I believe we can trust them. I have met the tribrid. She is who you dreamt of. They have their theories as to what you are. For this friendship to work, for us to fight together against the evils, we need to trust them. I believe you can tell them the truth before the unification,” Vicente insisted in Spanish to his leader. Ignacio took a moment to take in his friends’ words before he turned back to Zio.

Unification? I asked Esther. That’s the ritual he was talking about with me and Ignacio right? I asked her.

Yes. She responded to my thought. And she watched as Ignacio bowed his head slightly as if to take in the words before he spoke them.

“I need you to know, I am here for the tribrid and that is all. I respect she has ties to you, and your coven may be of use to us in the war to come. But the future is held with her, I mean you no harm here today.” Ignacio began and Esther saw Axton tense at the words. Esther caught his eye and gave him a small shake of her head. Axton and Alena’s magic maybe the only thing that could actually go against Ignacio and they couldn’t reveal themselves as Esther had.

Zio didn’t respond, he just waited. Ignacio took a deep breath and his head fell back as he stared at the ceiling above him. His arms extended out to his sides and Vicente took a step back. As Ignacio opened his mouth Esther could see nothing but darkness inside him. One moment stood a man and the next it was but a shadow copy in human form. His eyes shone orange, and the shadow form focused only on Esther.

Esther leave. Now. Zio said in his head but Esther was transfixed by the demon in the room.

“Esther,” Zio called, concern, panic and anger coating his voice, but I could see it in her head. She could not move. She could not do anything.

I reached for the door and pushed it open with a strong shove. It bounced off the wall of the throne room.

“Stop it!”  I called into the room and Esther suddenly gasped. She was let free of his grasp and the shadow solidified into the human form of the man again.

“Amirah,” Zio said shaking his head at my disobedience. Axton was suddenly over by me, blocking my view of the man in the room. My hand was tugged back by my mother behind me, but I did not move. Her strength had no match to mine.

“Get out of this room.” Axton whispered to me.

“Amirah,” my mother hissed behind me.

“No,” I said strongly staring up at Axton before me. He looked pained and I hated that I was doing this to him.

Mia. Leave. Now. Please. We don’t actually know what will happen here. Esther placed in my head as she recovered from the incident. The guard lining the walls were on high alert, waiting for their master to give them the order to restrain their new visitor.

“I mean you no harm. I did not intend to hurt the original. It is a side effect of the blood that runs in my veins. I am a shapeshifter; my other form is that of my demon side. I am a creation of human and demon. The only one of my kind. Much like someone else,” Ignacio explained, and I could still see through Esther’s mind that he had looked slightly shocked at the effect he had on Esther.

“I do not mean harm.” He said again strongly. “I want to fight the army of demons coming to this world. I hate this part of me, the part that keeps me from being normal. The part that has kept me hidden from the world for so long. I never asked for this, but I was raised to do the right thing. And the right thing is unifying our people and bringing an end to the evil that is about to threaten our world,” he spoke, and a feeling of kinship ran through me. His words were my words. The feelings I felt. We may be completely different species, but we were the same.

Zio, I recommend you dismiss the guard. Mia doesn’t need an audience for this. Esther placed into Zio’s head, showing him my thoughts to Ignacio’s words. Axton was still in my way, blocking the view to Ignacio in the centre of the room.

It took him a moment but suddenly the doors opened, and people started to leave the room.

“Zio,” I heard Chantelle whisper under her breath in a panic.

“it’s okay,” he said reaching for her hand in comfort for a moment. He never showed affection to anyone in his family in front of strangers. He was either completely defeated or accepting of the moment that was about to come. A few moments later, I was left with the three Volturi leaders, Chantelle, my mother, the immortal twins and Esther.

“Axton,” I said softly staring up at the man before me. He hadn’t moved. He hadn’t stopped watching me. “Axton,” I said again emotion and nerves rocking my voice. I lifted my hand to his cheek and his eyes closed. As his eyes closed, he finally took a step to his right and I had full view of the hybrid in the centre of the room.

His black eyes locked with mine and my entire gravity shifted. I took a gasp of air as my entire being evolved. It felt like it was being sucked in by a black hole. My soul began to orbit the man in front of me. My imprint. I couldn’t resist it, even if I tried.