Before dawn, negotiations with the Finnish coven had finally concluded. In the end, for the sake of preserving the Volturi's dignity, Aro had been forced to compromise.
For security reasons, the Finnish coven would remain until midnight before departing.
Three had arrived.
Four would leave.
Simply by making the journey to Italy, they had gained a powerful vampire possessing a supernatural gift, all at the Volturi's expense. It had been an astonishingly profitable trip.
Caius looked thoroughly displeased.
"Our family suffered a tremendous loss this time."
His tone grew increasingly bitter.
"Not only did we fail to recruit a powerful new guard, we ended up losing one of our own."
Chino had always been one of Caius's favorite guards to train. Losing him meant the Guard's regular combat drills would have to be redesigned from the ground up.
In Caius's opinion...
That loss belonged entirely on Aro's shoulders.
With unmistakable sarcasm, he glanced sideways at his brother.
"Brother... perhaps it's finally time to reconsider that ridiculous tradition of assigning every newborn a permanent supervising guard."
The painful truth struck Aro squarely where it hurt most. He inhaled deeply, trying to soothe the lingering frustration left behind by Aurora and Chino's unexpected romance.
"We'll discuss that another time." He waved the subject away. "At least we've solved Jane's little problem."
Caius had never appreciated Aro's overly complicated methods. He spoke even more bluntly than before.
"You spend centuries nurturing emotional bonds only to sever them once they no longer prove useful."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Brother, is that truly how we're going to waste our endless lives?"
"Because Sophie has been an enormous disappointment!" Aro finally snapped. "We sacrificed Charles and she still failed to awaken a single useful supernatural gift!"
Seeing the argument steadily escalating, Marcus quietly intervened before either brother could continue.
"Some flowers simply aren't suited to Italy's soil." His voice remained as calm as ever. "Perhaps her gift is extraordinary luck itself."
He looked thoughtfully toward the valley.
"And luck is difficult to measure."
Out of respect for Marcus, both brothers reluctantly ended their quarrel. After all...
Neither of them truly cared what they argued about.
They merely enjoyed arguing.
Once he had calmed himself, Aro's familiar cheerful smile gradually returned.
"Very well."
He clasped his hands together behind his back.
"After all our tests, Sophie appears fundamentally unsuited to life within the Volturi." He paused. "So perhaps it's time to reconsider where she belongs..."
Then suddenly...
His eyes lit up.
"No." He grinned.
"Wait."
Since events had already failed to unfold according to his expectations, perhaps ending the matter quickly would be the wiser choice. Clasping both hands together excitedly, he rubbed them back and forth like someone preparing for the final episode of a favorite drama.
The new idea immediately lifted his spirits.
Looking toward his two brothers, one looking half-asleep while the other still simmered with irritation, he proposed enthusiastically,
"Brothers... let's put it to a vote."
He smiled brightly.
"Sophie Luca left the Palazzo dei Priori. Does that constitute a violation of vampire law severe enough to revoke her right to continue living?"
Three voters.
No abstentions.
Every proposal required a conclusion.
As the public face of vampire law, Aro valued proper procedure above all else. Every official judgment issued in the Volturi's name had to be decided through formal voting.
Marcus and Caius quietly waited.
Ordinarily...
Aro always cast the first vote in favor of his own proposal.
Only after that would Marcus invariably support him, followed by Caius supplying the decisive third vote.
The council would unanimously approve the sentence.
Then the guards would carry out the execution, tearing the condemned vampire apart before consigning the remains to fire.
This time...
Aro remained silent.
Instead, he turned toward Marcus.
"Brother... I'm sure you'll support it."
Marcus calmly extended his hand. As the first to vote, he answered exactly as Aro expected.
"I support the motion." He spoke evenly. "Sophie Luca violated our laws."
The direction of the discussion had become strangely unusual. Aro, however, had been harboring his own private intentions from the very beginning.
After hearing Marcus's answer, he smiled with obvious satisfaction. Reaching out to place his hand atop Marcus's, he cheerfully declared,
"Don't be so harsh, Brother. Jane prevented Sophie from exposing herself. The situation was saved." He laughed lightly. "So...I vote against."
Aro opposed.
Marcus supported.
And just like that...
The final decision unexpectedly fell into Caius's hands.
The two older vampires turned toward him simultaneously. Neither spoke.
Their silent gazes urged him to cast the deciding vote.
Caius immediately realized he had been maneuvered into this position. The realization made him laugh despite himself.
"My goodness, Brother."
He shook his head.
"Even after sending Chelsea to sever the bond between Jane and Sophie... you're still worried Jane might become angry over losing one little follower."
"I simply care about her." Aro answered with practiced sincerity.
Whether he truly meant it...
Only he knew.
"It was your idea to have Jane's little shadow executed." Caius sneered. "So tell me..."
"Does it really matter who makes the final decision?"
Unlike Aro, Caius had never placed much value on life itself. Whenever an opportunity arose to bring death or disaster upon someone...
He rarely allowed it to pass.
Aro remained convinced Caius would cast a vote in favor. If that happened...
Aro alone would become the merciful god who had tried to spare Sophie's life.
Instead...
Caius once again defied expectations.
A contemptuous smile spread slowly across his face.
"A powerful supernatural gift brings glory to our family. But lacking such a gift doesn't mean someone lacks the right to become strong."
Of the three leaders, Caius alone possessed no supernatural gift whatsoever. Yet he was also unquestionably the greatest warrior among them.
Of course he had once resented that fact.
Which was precisely why he trained every guard beneath him with such ruthless severity, regardless of their individual talents.
Had Sophie been nothing more than a weak, helpless little vampire incapable of protecting herself...
Caius would have gladly ended her life without hesitation.
But she wasn't.
She possessed the qualities of a true warrior.
And more importantly...
She had become a constant source of irritation for Aro.
Just imagining Aro's frustration was enough to improve Caius's mood considerably.
He extended his hand.
"I also vote against."
The three leaders stacked their hands together, one atop another.
The result was decided.
As the council's spokesman, Aro announced the verdict.
"Sophie Luca..." He smiled brightly. "Not guilty."
There wasn't the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice.
Perhaps...
The entire vote had simply been another one of his passing whims.
Caius, however, was genuinely in a better mood now. He even offered Aro a rare word of encouragement.
"We still have a war against the vampire hunters ahead of us." He shrugged. "If Sophie's talent for close combat is developed properly she'll become useful on the battlefield."
"I certainly hope so." Aro answered quietly.
After all that commotion...
Nothing had truly changed.
Unable to hide a trace of lingering dissatisfaction, Aro suddenly proposed another idea.
"When Sophie finishes her newborn period..." He smiled mischievously. "How about sending her to Finland in exchange for Aurora?"
Marcus sighed.
"That won't be until next year." He gently reminded his younger brother. "There's no need to vote on it today."
Then he lifted his gaze toward the approaching corridor.
"Jane is coming to find us. We should go."
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