On the evening of the third day after leaving Volterra, Demetri was the first to return to the Palazzo dei Priori. Removing his gloves, he unfolded his memories for Aro to examine, reporting every detail of the pursuit. No sooner had the report concluded than he was immediately assigned a new task: delivering invitations for the upcoming banquet.
"Go put on something more presentable," Caius said with unconcealed disdain, turning his face away. "Don't let those lowborn vampires out there think the Volturi have gone bankrupt."
After several days roaming the wilderness, Demetri's clothes had inevitably suffered. His black cloak was marred with countless scratches, while the fabric had stiffened into unsightly creases after being soaked through and left to dry in the open air. He genuinely needed a little time to make himself respectable again, partly for the dignity of the Volturi, and partly because, in his own opinion, it was simply in his Italian blood.
Aro chuckled good-naturedly, smoothing things over. "Perhaps a tailored suit instead. The cloak might frighten our guests."
The entire exchange lasted less than five minutes.
Demetri hurried back to his chambers and stripped off the filthy clothes he had worn for nearly four days. A bath had already been prepared for him, filled with warm water and scattered rose petals, a personal indulgence of his. He believed roses best embodied the elegance of Italy, while warm water released their fragrance, making the scent linger pleasantly enough to improve his mood.
Most vampires who lacked Demetri's fondness for flower baths cared little about water temperature. They would have happily jumped into the icy Atlantic without the slightest complaint.
The water cooled rapidly the moment he stepped into it.
By nightfall, Demetri emerged from his room carrying the rich fragrance of roses with him. He thoroughly enjoyed the tender, succulent "feast" Heidi had carefully prepared, and the red-black tint lingering in his irises deepened once more into pure scarlet.
A satisfying meal soothed away the irritation brought on by days of uninterrupted missions. After exchanging a few playful jokes with Heidi, he departed the castle once again. Aro had entrusted him with another task, and Demetri intended to carry it out without delay.
As a result, when the twins returned to the castle at dawn on the fourth day, Demetri was nowhere to be seen.
Deep within the forest, Jane and Alec entered an abandoned chapel. Beneath the statue of Jesus lay a concealed passage leading directly into the castle.
At the opposite end of the hidden entrance, the guard on duty respectfully opened the door to welcome them.
“The leaders have been waiting in the Tribunal Hall for quite some time."
Jane and Alec exchanged a glance, instantly realizing just how seriously Aro regarded the newborn they had captured.
"Find Fabio," Jane ordered the guard calmly. "Tell him to wait outside the Tribunal Hall."
The newborn herself was never Aro's true objective.
Whether the Volturi Guard should be reorganized... that was what truly interested him.
Jane looked toward the unconscious girl slung over Alec's shoulder. Draped in Jane's own cloak, she looked almost doll-like in her stillness. Deprived of sight, her closed eyes followed an old human habit, concealing the red irises beneath peacefully shut lids.
Another guard approached, respectfully placing a fresh black cloak over Jane's shoulders. In his hands he also carried a temporary red cloak. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, "Master Alec... should your... guest be given another cloak?"
Within the Volturi, every article of clothing represented rank. Pure black belonged only to those of the highest status. No one would dare dress a prisoner in such attire, so the guard naturally assumed the girl must be an honored guest instead.
"No," Jane interrupted flatly.
The girl's clothing had been ravaged by violent impacts and brutal weather alike. Her back, trouser legs, and countless other places had torn open, while the remaining fabric had become so fragile it was barely holding together. By the time Alec and Jane noticed, sunlight had already begun shining through the thin cloth, causing her to glitter like a crystal mirror ball suspended above the center of a human ballroom.
To reduce the chance of exposing her identity, Jane had removed her own cloak to cover every inch of exposed skin. Alec's cloak had simply been far too large.
She had no intention of ever taking that cloak back.
If Aro's final verdict was execution by fire, then the cloak could accompany its wearer straight into the flames.
Alec tilted slightly toward his sister and asked quietly, "Jane, who do you hope comes out on top? Fabio, or her?"
Jane kept her gaze fixed ahead, pretending to focus on the corridor. Concealing the unusual concern she felt, she answered with deliberate indifference, "The stronger one wins. Whoever wins... stays. They'll join us."
Alec immediately understood the meaning hidden beneath her words.
"In a way, she's already remarkable," he said. "How many people in the world could escape both of us? Probably fewer than ten. Fabio certainly couldn't."
"Not against the two of us together," Jane replied coldly. She refused to admit that the twins had each failed against the same opponent, even if both defeats had ultimately been caused by underestimating their prey. To a warrior, that was nothing short of disgrace.
Unless...
Jane secretly glanced at the unconscious girl resting on Alec's shoulder.
Unless the person who embarrassed us becomes one of our own.
If that happened...
Jane would gladly welcome such a formidable fighter into the Volturi Guard.
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