"What's a Volturi" Bella demanded

"The Volturi are a very old, very powerful family. I guess they are the closest thing to royalty my world has." Looking over the painting Bella could recognise five figures, The clearest in the middle was a snow-white man with ink-black hair. The second closest off to the left were a pair, the first was a tall pale man with silky golden hair, held tightly into his side was a beautiful pale woman with perfectly waved fiery red hair. What was both noticeable on the couples faces was the utter indifference and almost irritation in their crimson eyes. On the right was the tallest man, with dull straight brown hair and deadpan eyes. If depression had a physical form, Bella thought, it would be this man. Furthest on the right she noticed a very familiar figure.

"Is that Carlisle?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he lived with them for a few decades, Aro is the king in the middle, he's often attributed as the leader or at least shows the most interest in it, Marcus is the king on the right he's been like that since the death of his mate and Caius and Adela are on the left. Carlisle described them as very refined. No respect for human life of course, but respect for the arts and the sciences at least. And the law, above all the law." Edward continued to explain.

"Vampires have laws?" Bella was in complete disbelief now, she thought that vampires just did their own thing, if they weren't in covens they just had to be nomads.

"Not very many, and only one that's regularly enforced." He continued

"What is it?" It had to be important then, she theorised.

"That we keep the existence of our kind a secret, we don't make spectacles of ourselves, and we don't kill conspicuously. Unless, of course, you want to die" Edward sounded completely indifferent at the thought, something Bella found horrifying, not being able to even comprehend living a life without Edward. Continuing to stare at the painting Bella couldn't help but be drawn to the image of the redheaded vampire, her eyes were cold and calculating, it was impressive that someone could capture such detail in paint.

Her gawking was interrupted by Edward leading her downstairs, still feeling the gaze of the crimson eyes on her back long after she's left the room.

Like fire licking at her spine.

Thank you for reading~