ArchonIluthraDanar

One September afternoon, you are strolling the Piazza dei Priori, where the castle casts a cool shadow over the square. Summer was refusing to give way to Autumn, and the heat through the hewn brick is felt on the bottoms of your sandals. You stop and pull a bottle of water from your bag, and take a deep drink. Looking around the square, you notice a group of tourists gathered near the castle. You'd always been curious about the ancient building, but stories about strange happenings had kept you away. Older now, you know ghosts and strange creatures don't really exist. If you joined the tour, you could get out of the heat, and leave when the sun lowered below the horizon. Home was not a far walk, but in the afternoon sun, it felt further than it was.

Putting your water away, you head for the small crowd milling around an attractive woman who is giving them instructions before entering the castle doors. Unnoticed, you linger at the back of the group and follow them inside. Low murmurs fill the old fashioned hallway that is lined with fire-lit wall sconces, as the tourists comment on the antiquity of the building.

You wonder how the rumours about such a typically old work of architecture had come about, especially one in Italy, where antiquity was commonplace. Inexplicably, a shiver runs through your body. You shake it off, assuming your sun-heated body is just adjusting to the cool air inside.

The woman leads the crowd down a dark corridor, through archways and past columns. The lanterns now sit on floor stands, casting shadows dancing on the walls. Your unease grows as everyone approaches a pair of carved wooden doors. They open to reveal a round room made of stone, and decorated with statuary that looks old...very old. Across the room sit three chairs on a dais, and on the chairs are three motionless men watching the tourists. Along the wall, stand several people, all dressed in black and at attention. You feel a sudden urge to run.

Once the doors shut, all hell breaks loose. The tourists begin to scream as the people in black appear before them, grabbing for throats, attacking without mercy.

You slink back, hiding behind a large column. Falling to your knees, you close your eyes, but can not close your ears to the sounds of screaming, gurgling, and thuds as the dead fall to the stone floor. You open your eyes, waiting for the massacre to end, no doubt with your own death. You spot a red beetle as it crawls over the stone. You fixate on it, willing yourself to disappear. Suddenly, you feel a strong hand grip your shoulder, pulling you up from the floor.

When you turn to face the person the hand belongs to, you see a tall man, eyes as red as the blood on his lips. He easily drags you across the floor to the dais and pushes you to the floor.

You look up, seeing the man on the middle chair staring down at you, unblinking. A brief smile appears on his reddened lips. Fingers brush over them, removing traces of blood, an extended tongue licking them clean.

"Now, my dear. Since our meal is concluded, what shall we do with you?" the man says, not expecting you to answer. Instead, a blonde man sitting to his right replies.

"There is no question, Aro. She must die. Or we could store her in a cell downstairs, and save her for a later meal." His red eyes stare at you, a taunting expression on his face.

You begin shaking, realizing now the rumours you'd heard your whole life were true. Today, you would either die or be imprisoned, and no one will even know what had happened. You glance around the room, seeing fallen bodies and blood, but notice the mess is already being cleaned up by several people, the bodies now piled near a grate in the floor.

With no prelude, the man who sits to the left speaks low. "Wait, Aro. This one is different. Don't kill her."

The blonde starts to protest, but is silenced by a raised hand from the man you now know as Aro. He stands and walks down the three steps to stand before you. He reaches down and raises you off the floor. His hands take yours, and he seems to be listening, to what, you don't know. Then he smiles and releases your hands.

Aro has read the woman to find an ordinary human, with no special qualities or gifts. She is a native Italian, twenty-four years old, unmarried, her parents dead, and she has lived her entire life in Volterra.

"You will stay here, with us, Cristina." How does he know your name? "Don't attempt to escape. It will only result in your immediate death." He was letting you live? "Do you understand?" Your answer is a frightened nod. "Felix, take our guest to a room. Make sure she is comfortable."

The tall man takes you by the arm and leads you from the room. You soon find yourself in a comfortably furnished room. Not the dungeon you imagined.

And so this was the beginning of a friendship between a human and a coven of vampires. Over the following weeks, you remain with the Volturi, as you have discovered they're called, learning from them, keeping them company, and doing odd chores. Aro treats you well, his curiosity compelling him to sit with you for hours, talking about many things past and present.

The blonde, whose name is Caius, took longer to overcome his disdain for a human, but eventually he comes around, speaking to you with simple civility while enjoying a game of chess.

And the older of the three, Marcus, the man who had essentially saved your life, brings you flowers from his garden.

The tall man, Felix and his ever present companion, Demetri, have warmed up to you as well. They teach you self defense moves, unnecessary, since you're never allowed to venture outside the castle walls. You teach them card games, using biscotti baked by the castle chef as wagers. Since neither Felix nor Demetri eat human food, they give you all the cookies after you finish playing, regardless who wins.

You even come to know a few of the humans allowed to work at the castle, but dare not question if any one of them disappears suddenly. You come to know that is not a safe topic for discussion.

One day, when you think it's the right time, you decide to make a request of the Volturi lords. You go to Aro's private room and knock on the door. In a fraction of a second, the door opens, revealing a smiling Aro. He steps aside, saying, "Come in, my dear. I was hoping you'd visit. You just missed my wife Sulpicia. She was asking for permission to go shopping."

So old school, you think. A modern woman asking her husband permission to go shoppping. But Aro insists she be escorted by one of the guard whenever leaving the castle.

"Would you like to accompany her?" he asks.

You shake your head. Whenever Sulpicia or Athenadora go out, Aro asks you if you want to go too, giving you money to buy whatever you want. Today, shopping is not important to you.

"Aro, can we sit? I need to ask a favour of you."

Aro leads you to a velvet-covered settee. "Of course. Is anything wrong?"

Eager to take advantage of his good mood, you speak quickly. "Aro, I want to go home."

The vampire looks at you full on. "You want to leave us? But my dear, you know the rule. If a mortal knows about us, they must be changed or die."

"Please, Aro. I'm so grateful for everything you have done for me. But I need to be home. I need my normal life back. I swear, I would never tell anyone about you. I love you all too much to endanger any of you, you must know that."

"I know you would never betray us, Cristina, but this is a hard rule, and we cannot ignore it." Aro can sense your need, and he hates to deny you anything. "I'm sorry."

You try another tactic. "Aro, I know I'm nothing special to you, having no talents or gifts, but if you give me my life back for five years, I promise to allow you to change me. Just five more years, and I can return for visits during that time. I can't live without you all, in any case. But I need to be human for a while. And I'll have time to be with my friends while preparing to come back to you, for good."

Aro considers your words. "Let me speak with my brothers, see what they think about your request." He stands, taking your hand, and places a kiss on it. "Go to your room and I will come to you to let you know our decision."

"Alright, but please consider it. Don't say no just because you feel there is no other answer, Aro." You turn and leave his room to return to yours.

Rather than sit and pace the room, you go out into the garden. The sun's warmth feels soothing as you walk the large courtyard. You hear a cough behind you, and whirl to see Felix standing behind you.

"Aro wants to see you in the throne room." You'd thought Aro was coming here, to you. You didnt know if either way bode for good news or ill. "I'm coming, Felix."

Once there, you peer up at them, anxiously awaiting their decision.

"Although you asked us to break the highest of our laws, basically THAT being no human can know about us and live, we will this one time make the allowance, provided you stay in touch as much as possible. Also, after five years time, you return to us and agree to be changed. You will then become a member of our coven. We would do this for no one else, Cristina. Do not disappoint me." Aro sat back, head held high, his body stiff. The almost regal stance was spoiled though when he gives you a wink. Marcus is smiling at you in his sorrowful way, while Caius smirks.

Running up the dais, you give Aro a tight hug. "Oh, thank you, Aro. I agree to your terms. I just need to do this. But I will be back. I promise." You hug Marcus, and then stand before Caius, finally hugging him when he gives you the slightest assenting nod.

"You big softy," you murmur in his ear. Laughing with joy, you run to your room, Felix behind you. He has been ordered to take you home. Unbeknownst to you, he will become your invisible protecter, making sure nothing happens to you.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Three years later...

It was a cool April afternoon, when you are returning home after watching a friend's ten year old son. His mother had an errand to run that was going to take all day, so you offered to help. You're carrying a basket of fruit your friend has given you, humming as you head home. You turn down an alley that leads to a street three blocks from your house. Many of the shops are closing, and the streets are quiet as people go home to prepare for supper.

You cross a street devoid of people, when you hear a commotion coming from behind the wall that separates your yard from the main road. The ground slopes on the far side, and that was where you hear growling...growling? Are dogs fighting one another? You tiptoe to the wall and peer over the top. There you see three men struggling with one another. Two are obviously paired together against the third man, who seems to be fighting with no finesse. But he has strength, making it difficult for the two men to get a grab-hold on him.

The battle is fierce, the taller of the two men being knocked down and rolling down the small hill. The lone man flies to him, grabbing his head in his hands.

It is then you recognize...

"Felix!"

Apparently, Felix and Demetri are after a rogue vampire, since you have never seen him at the castle.

You hop over the wall and run carefully down the hill, sliding on the grass as you go. Reaching the two men, you jump the rogue, catching him off guard. He releases Felix, but now flips you off him, and is about to take you by the throat, when Demetri jumps him from one side and Felix the other. In the madness, you are sent flying further down the slope, your body helplessly rolling until it reaches the bottom. You lie there, unconscious.

Felix holds the rogue vampire by his arms, pulling them behind his body, while Demetri grabs his head, twisting until it has been torn off. He sends it flying up against the wall while the now-headless body has collapsed at his feet. He bends and lights the fabric of the cloak, watching as it burns the unmoving body. Felix picks up the head and throws it on the fire. Fortunately, it is now dark, and the fire burns unseen on the opposite side of the wall until there is nothing left of the rogue vampire.

The two Volturi notice in the darkness your prone body. Fearful the worst has happened, both men fly to your side. Felix checks you over and is relieved to find you still alive. But it is obvious you are gravely injured. He gently picks you up, and both he and Demetri speed back to the castle. They have succeeded in their mission, but at what cost.

On their arrival at the castle, the three Volturi masters greet the guards, but when they see you in Felix's arms, their expressions change.

"She's still alive, Master," Felix says grimly.

He transfers your unconscious body to Aro's arms, whereupon the leader of the Volturi speeds to his room. The bed is bigger there. He lays you gently on it, then checks your body for wounds. "What happened?"

Both Felix and Demetri expain that while fighting the rogue, you had wandered by and must have seen them. "She saved us, Master Aro, by distracting the rogue. But he knocked her down the hill. He's burned now."

Aro gestures for them to leave the room.

"How is she, Aro?" Marcus asks, but you cannot hear him.

"No bones broken," he replies, feeling your arms and legs with cool fingers. "It could be a concussion. A bad one by the looks of it."

Caius is oddly more concerned than he had imagined he would be. "Change her before she dies, brother."

Hesitant to make that drastic decision, he looks at Marcus. "The five years have not passed. We gave her our word."

"If she dies, what will our word matter?" Caius shouted. "Do it, before it's too late!"

Aro leans in close and whispers to you, "My dear, it's Aro. Can you hear me?" He hopes to get just a groan from you, but you are silent. He holds your hand, but your fingers remain limp. Your heart is beating, he can hear it, but is it getting slower or is it his imagination.

"Perhaps you should change her, Aro," Marcus says. He knows if she dies and is not changed, it will be more their loss than yours. You will never be aware. Not many humans had stolen the hearts of the cold Volturi masters. He had said you would be different, and you have proven that.

"Save her, brother...or I will," Caius hisses.

Aro made his decision, and bending close again, his arm slips under your neck. He supports your head and lets it fall toward him, exposing your throat. He inhales your sweet scent, then presses his lips against warm skin. He bites hard, feeling the flow of venom from special glands in his mouth. His teeth make holes large enough for the venom to fill them, quickly flowing into your blood stream. He lays you back down, making sure you will be comfortable. "So now we wait."

It has been nearly three days of extreme pain for you. You are aware of nothing but the pain. You thrash on the bed while all three vampires take turns holding you, trying to calm you. Finally, the pain ceases and you sleep. Your breathing has stopped, and already the transformation is in the final stages. Your hair has thickened while your skin has taken on a pale complexion, all blemishes gone. Once you wake, your eyes will have taken on a red hue.

Felix comes in to see how you are doing, and marvels at your inhuman beauty, not that you hadn't been pretty before. He knows the masters are waiting anxiously to welcome you to their world.

When you do awaken, you notice a hunger inside you. You see the three Volturi lords and your friend Felix gathered around the bed, watching you. "Aro? Where am I?" You see both Marcus and Caius looking concerned. you reach up to feel your smooth face, your thick brown hair tumbling around your shoulders.

Marcus helps you off the bed and leads you to a cheval mirror that sits in the far corner next to a wardrobe.

You see your brown eyes are now bright red. Everything about you has been changed, perfected. "Aro?"

The Volturi master moves behind you, his hands resting on your shoulders. "We had to, my dear. You were badly injured, possibly near death. We hope you are not disappointed."

You laugh and hug Aro impulsively. "It would have happened eventually. I still didn't get to settle my home and say goodbye to my friends." Your one regret.

"We will let you write someone, to ask them to dispose of your house and belongings as you desire. This castle is your home now, and we are your family."

It was true. The ancient castle you had heard so much about, with its frightening stories about creatures you once feared as a child...you are one of them now. "Alright. I can do that." You turn and give both Marcus and Caius hugs. You trust them now more than ever.

You speed over to Felix, bumping into him when you don't stop in time, and hug him. You feel this will not be the last time you hug the tall protective guard.

Caius -- Perhaps the cruelest of the three masters, he will look at the child as potential food, despite the fact its adopted father is a vampire and one of their own guards. But while gently testing the chubby arms and legs of the infant with his cool fingertips, the ensuing laughter coming from it touches Caius' heart and he freezes. The sounds coming from the baby are like rare music to the vampire, and Caius will tickle it to make it laugh more. He soon begins to coo, before realizing Aro and Marcus are staring at him, then he will cough to clear his throat. "I believe the child needs a change." He sees Aro and Marcus each raise a brow, and says, "I mean its diaper."

The vampire warrior decides he will be the one to teach the baby how to fight, the sooner the better.

Marcus -- The most melancholy of the masters lost any chance of having a family when he became a vampire. Then he lost his heart's love when his mate Didyme was killed, so unlike the guard, was not able to even adopt a child and raise it as his own. "I will take it, brother. You wouldn't know the first thing," Marcus said flatly.

Setting the baby on a towel on his bed, Marcus removes the soiled diaper and replaces it with a clean one, as if he'd been doing it all his long life. He changed the infant's shirt with one that had a cartoon wolf baby on the chest. "We won't show this to Uncle Caius, will we?" Of course, Marcus would dare Caius to say anything. HE thought the shirt was cute. He holds the baby and bounces it on his knee, while singing an old Greek lullaby.

Aro -- Being a smart, overly educated man with centuries of experience under his belt, Aro will be thinking about the baby's future at the best higher-level school possible, the University of Bologna. Despite it not being his child, Aro never considers that its parents won't agree. Better it be educated before its change. He begins to relate historical trivia, seeing the child's smile as it gazes up at him as proof it agrees with Aro. "You know I'm right, don't you. Of course you do. See, smart already."

***********

Since the masters have done well with their first babysitting assignment, the guard and his mate agree to let them babysit anytime they want.

Caius gives it a small wooden sword, and regales it with stories about the glory of past battles.

Marcus shows the infant volumes of old paintings, while humming both Greek and Italian lullabys.

Aro, in all seriousness, shows the child the latest curriculum brochure from the U of B, explaining the class suggestions may change before it comes of age.

The guard and his mate stand behind a marble pillar, watching and smiling at their baby with its godfathers.

"Did you know?" the mother asks her vampire mate.

The tour guide urged everyone to follow her closely, but Diana decided to linger in back of the crowd. She ran her hands over the old stone walls dotted with lit sconces, and wondered why in this modern age they were even needed, but it lent to the atmosphere. She admired the old style chairs and wooden tables that were sitting here and there along the walls of the long corridor. The air itself smelled old, with an underlying scent of rotting something. Diana pondered why that would be.

Her uncle had once brought her to a slaughterhouse to purchase a pig for a luau he was holding for his work staff. She recalled while she waited, the nearly overpowering scent of fresh blood. Old blood smelled worse. Maybe the kitchen wasn't far away. In old times, people slaughtered their own animals for food, right? But would anyone be doing that these days?

Realizing she was falling behind the group, Diana ran ahead and saw them being led through large carved wooden doors into a small room that harkened back to medieval times. Her eyes caught men and women dressed in black suits and dresses standing along the walls as if waiting for something, while others sat on chairs that were raised about the main floor. She was looking around when the group was told to stop. There wasn't really anything of interest here. Maybe a history of the castle talk had been prepared for them. Diana chose to stand near a marble pillar in the back of the group to watch the ensuing program.

It was past time for lunch, and Diana's stomach agreed, rumbling a little too loudly as the woman at her left noticed and said, "I hope this tour is over soon too. I'm dying for some real Italian pasta."

Diana gave her a courtesy smile and went back to scanning the room. Her eyes were drawn to a man sitting on the center chair that was on a dais. He was so different in appearance from any man she'd known. He had shoulder-length black hair, and was dressed in an expensive-looking black suit, right down to the shirt and tie. His pallid face was expressionless as he himself seemed to be scanning the room. His eyes fell on Diana, his gaze so intense, she had to look away from him. When she looked back, Diana noticed his chin raised and mouth slightly open. Was he sniffing the air?

It was at this moment that an unspoken order was given, and an attack began on the tourists, who started screaming in confusion. Diana had no idea what was going on, but something inside her yelled 'Run!'. She moved back to the doors they had come through but found them locked. Spying another set of doors across the room, she stayed close to the wall as she headed toward them. She had to dodge several of the attackers holding individual tourists in their arms like lovers, but she saw their mouths were smeared with blood. She grabbed the handles of one of the doors, only to have her hand yanked from it by someone else's icy cold hand.

Looking up, Diana saw it was the man who had momentarily intrigued her. He pulled her closer to him, close enough she could feel his oddly cold breath on her cheek. His eyes, which were impossibly red in colour, gazed at her unblinking.

"Going somewhere, my dear?" he whispered into her ear loud enough to overcome the din the room. "I'm afraid that is not possible. Come with me quickly, or die here."

His words sounded like a threat, and they frightened her. She started to struggle against his hold on her wrist when he spoke again, his words harsh but hypnotic.

"You are my gift, my bountiful wine-press, so stop struggling!" When he had first met Bella Swan, Aro had discovered her being Edward Cullen's blood singer. Now he had found his own singer in this American tourist.

Diana briefly forgot her fear in her momentary shock. This man knew the Bram Stoker novel "Dracula", quoting from it. She ceased struggling once she realized she couldn't free herself from his tight grip as he dragged her from the chaotic scene in the room.

So everyone in her tour group was being killed by these psychopaths, while one held her captive. "All right, all right, I'll follow you." She looked up to see her captor slowly smile. He let go of her wrist, grabbing her hand instead, and forced her to follow close behind him down the corridor, until she protested he was going too fast.

"Ah yes, you're just a human, after all." With that, Aro threw her over his shoulder and ran down the corridor.

Despite her curiosity, Diana shut her eyes. When they stopped, she opened them as she was set down roughly to stand on the floor. What had he meant when he said she was "just a human", as if he were not.

The man pushed opened a set of wooden doors that led into a large ante-room. He pulled her inside and shut the doors. Glancing around, Diana noticed another room beyond this one.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on out there, and why you brought me here?" Diana took several steps backward until she felt a sofa up against the back of her legs, blocking her. She felt trapped, unable to run anywhere. Looking at the man who now had his back to her, ignoring her completely, she asked, "Who are you?"

After too many minutes, the dark-haired man turned back to face Diana. "I am Aro, leader of this coven, my dear. You arrived at meal time, unfortunately."

"Meal time," she echoed. Her mind recycled the images of the attack, the people in black holding onto the tourists, and the blood on their mouths. Vampires, she thought. Sitting down on the sofa, Diana felt safer with something behind her. This Aro could only attack her from one direction.

"So why did you pull me away and bring me here?"

"I sensed you out of all the others in the room." he said. "You are il mio cantante.

"Actually, I'm Diana Walker," she replied while making a face at Aro. "What does that mean anyway, mio cata...?"

"Il mio cantante. The truth is, you're my singer, the one whose blood calls to me. I brought you here to my chambers to enjoy you, privately."

"You what?" Enjoy her, he had said. Oh my god, was he actually talking about drinking her blood? Vampires didn't exist. These people were just a bunch of sicko murderers. She had to think of some way to stop him and his delusion. "You can't...please, let me go. I won't tell anyone, I swear." Her eyes widened as they searched the room for any weapon she could use.

Aro knew what she would be thinking, having read her already. "Don't consider fighting me. I'm too strong for you." He sat next to her on the sofa, his hand taking hers. "This is a special occasion, my dear. Don't spoil it. It's rare for us to find one's singer." He leaned into her, her blood scent filling his nostrils.

Diana put on a brave face, trying another tactic. She placed her free hand on his chest, leaning closer to him, and whispered as seductively as she could manage, "Aro, you can choose to kill me if you wish. But what if you could savor me, savor my blood, and more than once."

Curious, Aro asked, "What do you propose?"

She gazed into his now dark red eyes. "Keep me here with you, and every few days, take what you wish. Just keep me alive. I would only need time for my body to replenish itself. You can get what you need from other tourists. This would be like drinking a fine wine."

"What would you ask for in return?" Aro asked, leaning to within inches of her face.

Moving her head slowly away from Aro, she replied, "Nothing. I already owe you for saving my life from that massacre. Just let me stay here, with you, and in turn, you keep me entertained. That's all. I promise, i won't run away if you treat me well." It was a gamble she was taking, but would it work? Reaching up, Diana played with a strand of the vampire's silken black hair.

Aro was becoming more intrigued with this human female. It was true, he could drink his fill and kill her, or make use of her, as the infamous Bram Stoker Count Dracula had mentioned. A bountiful wine-press, taking his time enjoying her sweet life's blood. Prolonging the pleasure of sipping from her might be worth it.

"Why should I not just drink from you now?" he asked her, pondering whether having a human around who was not staff would be too much trouble.

Her eyes never wavered from his, her gaze a challenge. "Because then the story would be over, and we'd have nothing to look forward to."

Aro laughed. "You're right, my dear. Very well. You may stay here. I rarely use this room anyway. But do not leave without a guide to accompany you. Some of my people have little restraint."

Diana understood the warning. "Thanks," she replied, feeling a bit more confident that her life would not be drained away by this...vampire. At least not yet.

Aro reached out for Diana's hand, pulling her to him. "Before I leave you, one taste, my dear. Just to be sure."

Before she could utter one sound in protest, Aro was on her neck, his razor-sharp teeth in her flesh. She cried out in pain, the worst pain she had ever felt. So much for those vampire films that tell viewers, mostly women, that being bitten is an erotically pleasurable act.

Finally, the teeth were gone as quickly as they had bit. Aro sat up from his singer since she had fallen back on the bed in shock.

Diana reached up to touch her neck, seeing her fingertips a bit bloodied. "Why am I not bleeding more?"

Aro pulled her hand away from her neck. "Our venom can change you into what I am, once it enters your bloodstream."

Her eyes wide, Diana felt a sudden fight or flight feeling, mostly flight. Aro saw this.

"Not to worry, my dear. I removed the venom and healed your wound, sealing it when I licked your skin afterwards." Rising from the bed, Aro looked down at his human. "Get some rest now. You may feel weak for awhile. I will send someone with food later." He leaned over her, his hands on either side of her prone body, an enigmatuc smile on his face. "Thank you, Diana. You're right. This may be a most satisfactory arrangement. Sleep now." With that order given, Aro turned and left the human lying on his bed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Diana was sitting on Aro's sofa in the ante-room, a book on her lap. She had been about to read it, but her thoughts strayed to the trip Aro had taken her on three days ago. She looked over at the two bottles of very expensive wine sitting on the desk.

Aro had driven her to a very old family-owned winery, letting her choose what she wanted. When she asked if he wanted to taste something during their wine sipping, he had shaken his head. "I never drink...wine."

Diana laughed when she heard yet another quote of Count Dracula's. Show off, she had thought. He seemed to enjoy teasing her, and he was probably looking forward to his next taste of her blood.

Hearing the doors open, she looked up to see Aro entering, a beautiful, almost ethereal, woman at his side.

"Diana, I wanted to introduce you to my wife, Sulpicia. My dear, this is the human who apparently is my blood singer."

"You are so fortunate, Aro, to have found one after so long a time." Sulpicia floated over to a now-standing Diana and held out her hand.

Diana felt like she should curtsey, but merely shook the extended hand, finding it hard to the touch and very cold. The woman made her feel so inferior in her grace and appearance, she became tongue-tied. "I'm pleased to meet you...Lady Sulpicia."

Aro stood by while his wife examined the human. She reached out a hand to gently force Diana's chin upward.

"You're quite lovely, child."

"Thank you, but that isn't important. Aro isn't interested in me for anything but my blood." Diana didn't want Sulpicia to fear her husband might invite her to his bed for more than his periodic tasting. That was not in her own imaginings. Perhaps she should ask Aro for a separate room for as long as she would be remaining here.

"Of course, dear. I know what Aro wants from you since he told me about you," Sulpicia admitted.

"He told you?"

"Yes, we have no secrets between us, child. We've been together for many hundreds of years, so after so long a time, we know each other too well. There is no point in trying to hide anything." Her smile seemed to hold many pleasant memories, then she turned to Diana. "What do you plan to do as a distraction?"

Diana sat and shifted on the sofa to get comfortable. "Is there anything I can do for you, Lady Sulpicia? Do you play cards or chess? And of course, I love to read if you have anything to suggest. Aro said he'd let me use your vast library."

Sulpicia's face lit up. "I do love playing cards, just as my sister Athenodora does. So you will come visit us on occasion."

"Absolutely, and you have...a sister?"

"She's Caius' mate. I only call her sister because she is a vampire as well. We have a familial relationship here in the castle."

Diana shook her head slowly, saying, "I see. Well, anytime you and she wish to play games or just gossip, I would love to join you."

"That would be lovely. Enjoy your evening, child." With that, Sulpicia took Aro's extended hand, and the two left the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Over the next few weeks, Diana's life settled into an easy routine. Once a week, Aro would visit her in a bedroom he had given her, where they would talk or perhaps play chess, before Aro would sink his teeth into his singer's neck, taking just enough to satisfy him.

Diana was given iron pills and lots of spinach salad, something that made her roll her eyes. At the same time, she thought on the arrangement she'd made with the vampires, giving her blood to her host and spending time with his wife. The other vampires in the castle had little to do with her. Human workers brought her meals and freshly washed clothing.

Aro would offer to take her out and away from the castle, or sit with her in the garden. His guest proved to be an adept chess player, so they often played together.

Diana noticed he never let her far from his eyesight, but he did seem willing to explain the history of the Volturi to his singer, so she asked him lots of questions. Even as he entertained her, Diana wondered how much longer she would be able to tolerate being here. Her freedom was important to her, and she felt she was about to lose it.

When visiting Sulpicia and Athendora, Diana would ask about their long lives, alone and with their mates. In turn, Sulpicia asked what her husband was doing to keep Diana occupied.

The three woman got along well, a pleasant surprise to Aro. The two vampires would let Diana try on some of their gowns, while Diana picked up a few fashion magazines when Aro had take her to Rome for a shopping trip, whereupon the three women would admire what they liked about modern wear and laughed at what they found horrid.

Diana told Sulpicia about the day trips she and the vampire's mate took, sure to make it sound as innocuous as it was. Only once had Diana even thought of what a sexual relationship with Aro would be like. She immediately booted that idea from her mind. She liked Sulpicia, and would never entertain tempting her mate to cheat on her. But as the outings and talks with Aro become more frequent, Diana noticed a chilliness in the beautiful vampire's attitude toward her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hearing the doors to Aro's ante-room open and close, Diana, who was sitting on a sofa, looked up to see her host's wife standing at her side. "Hello, Sulpicia. I'm still amazed at how gracefully you move," she said in admiration. "You're so beautiful."

"Thank you, dear. I just wanted to visit with you for awhile. How are you today?" the elegant vampire asked, her ruby eyes taking in the human female. She sat on the opposite end of the velvet sofa Diana was seated on. She noticed a small stack of books sitting next to her on the floor.

"It's fine," Diana explained. "Aro let me choose these books to look through. We must have been in the library for over two hours."

Sulpicia's eyes flashed angry briefly, too briefly for Diana to notice. "That's sweet," she said with no sincerity whatsoever. "So you are enjoying your time here with us?"

"It's been very interesting, I mean considering I never knew vampires really existed. And you're nothing like legend. No coffins, fear of garlic or sunlight burning you. No stench of the tomb. In fact, you all smell wonderful. That natural attractant Aro explained to me."

Sulpicia had wanted to speak to her mate about either drinking from Diana and ending this charade, or letting her leave. She genuinely liked the mortal woman, so never brought that subject up.

"Aro is nothing like what I imagined a vampire would be like."

"Oh? And how is that, child?" Sulpicia asked, her voice honeyed.

"He has been so generous. And in our many discussions, he has shown himself to be intelligent, creative, a true patron of the arts."

Diana didn't realize by praising the leader of the vampires, she was only making his mate more upset.

Flashing suddenly to Diana's side, Sulpicia's hand reached out, grabbing the human by the throat.

"Sulpicia..." Diana could barely squeak out the name. Her eyes wide in disbelief, she wondered in fear why the vampire was doing this to her. Had she not previously been kind to her? Hadn't they been having fun with the visits? "I thought we...were friends. Why would you...attack me? I've...never slept with Aro, I...swear." It was becoming too difficult to breathe now.

"I know that, dear. I just want what you took away from me. My husband's attentions."

"Are you...going to suck me...dry?" Diana felt it harder to breathe now, her words just sounds in the air, but Sulpicia understood her..

"No, Diana. Your blood belongs to Aro." With that, Sulpicia barely twisted her hand to hear the crack of the human's neck breaking.

Rising from the sofa, Sulpicia glanced at the human who now lay dead. She reached down for the book sitting on top of the stack, taking it in her hands. She flashed from Aro's rooms to return to her sanctuary in the tower. Perhaps the book would be of interest, diverting her at least until Aro came to visit her...once he found his little human lying dead in the library. He would be furious with his wife, of course, but he could never remain angry at her for long.

"He loves me, after all," Sulpicia said aloud, then opened the book and began to read.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When he found out that Sulpicia had killed his singer, Aro was indeed angry with Sulpicia for what she had done, but she was his wife after all. It could be centuries before he would find another singer, but it had taken time for him to find and cultivate the perfect mate. And to him, she was perfect. But at the moment, his temper would express his anger at her.

When he found her in her chambers, Aro was beside himself. She stood, waiting for him to speak. But he didn't. He knew why she had killed the woman. Jealousy, not for his love and loyalty to her, but for his time. She had missed him since the human had been here. It had been wrong of him to spend so much time with the human.

Glaring at Sulpicia, Aro paced the space of her sitting room. He hoped his expression let Sulpicia know how disappointed he was with her. After a moment of silence, he reached up to caress his mate's smooth flawless cheek. "I do love you, wife."

"I know, my husband. And I am sorry."

Aro pulled Sulpicia to him, hugging her within the embrace of his arms. He kissed her deeply, remembering how he had come to love her in the first place. Aro would tell Felix to immediately dispose of Diana's body. Then the leader of the Volturi and his mate would head to the garden where he would choose the perfect bloom for his perfect mate. There would be other singers in the world, and he would wait patiently as he always had.

"Felix, why must you always deliver me to Marcus? I do know the way," Caterina remarked.

"Sometimes, as you're well aware, he wants me to stay until your visit is over. Standing guard, as it were," Felix answered, careful not to say too much.

"Why does he require you stand guard anyway? Guard against what?"

"The castle is old and large, where one could easily get lost and end up in a dangerous area. Please don't question him or his orders, Caterina. It's for your own protection," Felix pleaded, unable to explain further. He knew not all vampires within the castle walls were trustworthy, and this human had to be kept safe at all costs.

"All right, I won't say a word, for both our sakes," Caterina said, not wanting her friend to get into trouble because of her. She gave the tall guard a smile and waited outside Marcus' doors.

Felix smiled down at her, thinking that this human knew nothing about the Volturi, yet she worried about him being punished by Master Marcus. He wished she knew the truth so he wouldn't have to hide his innate traits. For now, he would have to wait to see if Master Master revealed their secret. Hopefully, Masters Aro and Caius would not kill her for having that knowledge.

When Marcus opened the doors, he offered a welcoming smile to the woman who could prove to be his savior...and possibly more. He wondered if she thought differently of him, or was he still nothing more than her employer, the man forcing her to be here against her will. His need for her to love him was being superceded by his own growing realization that he was beginning to love her. He looked forward to their time together, having missed being close with someone for so very long.

Marcus allowed Caterina in and nodded to Felix. He then shut the doors after she had entered the ante-room. The fire was already blazing, Marcus knowing she loved its warmth.

Caterina had brought the book they'd last been reading. Her employer was almost done with it, and she was already looking forward to the next one. She sat on the sofa after handing Marcus the book.

"Did you have a satisfactory supper, my dear?" He asked, walking over to the sofa, carrying a carafe of red wine and a crystal goblet. He placed them on a small table next to the sofa. "Would you care for a drink?"

"I would like that, Marcus, thank you. Supper was amazing, as always. The chef is quite creative and there is always enough for seconds. I will miss his cooking when I go home."

Go home, she had said. Marcus was saddened that she still had the assumption he would release her, but what else could he expect. Each time she spoke with her father, he heard the joy in her voice, and he became jealous that her father inspired the happiness he wanted to bring about in her.

Caterina took her glass of wine, and made herself comfortable lying on her side by the fire. Marcus sat on the floor, using the sofa to brace his back. He extended his legs, crossing them at the ankle, and began reading.

While Marcus read, he experienced an ease he had not felt in so long. Was it her presence, or just the fact he had something to do that did not involve the other Volturi. He feared if he willfully forced the woman to stay, she would come to hate him. He needed her to be willing to stay of her own accord.

Caterina was feeling at odds with herself as well. She found herself admiring and liking Marcus more each day, but she missed her home. Even though she felt excitement at the idea of going back, she also felt some sadness at leaving the man who now seemed to be bending over backwards, in small ways, to please her.

While she listened to his deep voice reading the words from the book, Caterina had a brief image of her straddling his bare feet and climbing over his legs to his torso. These nights they spent together, Marcus dressed more casually in a pair of black slacks with a smoking jacket loosely tied closed. She imagined herself opening the satin jacket to kiss his neck while her hands caressed his hairless chest. Blinking her eyes, Caterina knew the wine was affecting her judgment.

When Marcus finished the book, he set it down on the floor beside him. He determined he would choose something more romantic for his next reading. He hoped to inspire something within Caterina that would bring her interest around to him.

Both moved to sit on the sofa, enjoying the last warmth of the dying fire. The wine was nearly gone, and Caterina was glad. It threatened her inhibitions, causing her mind to go places she needed to stay away from. She stifled a yawn, something not unnoticed by Marcus. He didn't want to let her go yet. His need for her was beyond sexual. He would be content to hold her in his arms while she slept, but he tamped down that thought, knowing he was jumping ahead of himself.

"You are sleepy, my dear. I can have Felix return you to your room." He hated parting from her, but he knew she would never agree to remain here in his chambers, let alone in his bed.

Caterina was tired, but was reluctant to leave. Marcus always had stories to tell that she found interesting. His knowledge of history was vast and unexplainable. He would often speak as if he had witnessed events firsthand. Realizing she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, she said, "Yes, I think I'd better go, Marcus. I'm sorry I don't have the stamina you do. You never seem to tire." She stood and let Marcus guide her to the doors.

With one hand holding the small of her back, Marcus suddenly leaned in and kissed her. It was a gentle kiss that held much promise, but Caterina pulled away. She looked up at her employer, then took a step back, forcing Marcus to remove his hand from her.

"I have to go," she said, and turned to head for the doors. She pulled them open while Marcus watched, dumbfounded. "Felix, take me back to my room." Then she was gone.

Marcus now knew she was not ready for this. He wanted to kick himself for the rashness of his action, but what was the point. The damage to their burgeoning relationship had already been done. Stupid stupid! Now what was he going to do? He closed the doors and retreated to his bedroom.

Caterina arrived at her room, entering with Felix in tow, then shut the door hard. She fell back on her bed, hands over her eyes, and huffing loudly.

Felix sat beside her, seeing something had happened to upset his friend, but what. "So, are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?" he asked grimly.

Caterina sighed, sat up and turned to the tall guard. "He kissed me, Felix. Marcus kissed me!"

"And?"

"I didn't come here to find love, Felix. I came to work off my father's debt, and when I'm done, I'm going home." He looked down at her hands, tightly clasped together and lying on her lap.

"Was it so bad, Caterina?"

"No, it wasn't bad. It was actually quite nice, but I am not staying here, Felix. I can't! I won't."

"Do you like Master Marcus?" the tall guard asked, wondering what, if anything, she felt for him.

"Yes, of course. After he flipped out on me, well, we got past that, and he's been very kind to me since."

Felix held in his laughter. So Master Marcus had "flipped out"? He'd love to have seen that. Marcus' expressions of any kind of emotion were few and far between.

Caterina looked up at Felix. "I like Marcus a lot, but I don't love him."

Felix understood. He also knew what that news would do to Master Marcus. "Oh," was all he could say. He saw Caterina try to remove the bracelet Marcus had given her, but he placed his hand on hers, stopping her.

"Caterina, do you really want to hurt him?" He knew Marcus would notice the bracelet's absence if she removed it.

Letting her fingers fall away from her wrist, she whispered, "No, of course not."

She looked down at his gift, remembering when he had given it to her. She had come to his chambers one evening, when he had asked her if she'd like to take a walk instead of reading. It was dark out, but Caterina inexplicably felt completely safe with Marcus at her side. They strolled the square which was now quiet. The marketplace was devoid of tourists and locals, the stalls empty of their wares. Tomorrow morning, it would be bustling again, but for now, all was calm.

He had stopped her when they came to the square's small fountain, and pulled a square velvet box from his jacket pocket. "I found this earlier today, and wanted to give it to you, Caterina."

She opened the box and gasped to see a gold bracelet set with several sapphires. "Oh, Marcus, it's too much. I can't..."

"Please accept it. A thank you for your company." He took out the bracelet and locked the clasp once he wound it around her wrist.

"It...it's beautiful, Marcus." She'd stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

The memory was one that made her smile, but still, she did not want to stay here.

Leaning against Felix's shoulder, Caterina sighed. "Surely you have heard the rumours people spread about this place. How people enter...and never leave."

Felix frowned, knowing she could not see his face from her current position. "Do you believe those stories?" he asked, curious if she assumed the worst, which was the truth.

"I have never met anyone here, besides you, Marcus, and Demetri. There must be others. It's all very strange. All I know is I want to finish up my obligation and leave. I miss my home. I miss my father. I miss my own bed!"

Felix felt bad for Caterina, knowing Master Marcus wanted her to stay in order to break the witch's spell. But if she wasn't absolutely in love with him, what did it matter. "It will be all right."

Caterina sat up and sighed. "I'm hungry, my friend. Want to walk me to the kitchen? Just for a snack?"

"I thought you were sleepy," Felix said.

"How did you know that?" she asked. "You must have great hearing."

"It's late and I guessed." Felix stood, holding out his hand. "Come along then. I need to find Demetri anyway."

The pair left her room and walked the corridor to the kitchen.

"Want to have something with me?" she asked her friend while she rooted around the refrigerator.

Felix shook his head. "I'm not hungry," he replied.

"You never are," Caterina said with a wink and smile. "It must be those work outs. You probably drink a lot of protein shakes made up of green stuff."

Felix laughed, hoping he hadn't slipped up in any way that would clue her to their true nature. "Enjoy your evening, Caterina. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, the tall guard left her alone in the kitchen, since the short path from the kitchen to her bedroom was safe.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next day, Caterina had finished her chores and was in her room, reading through one book that was in Italian. It was a travel diary from someone who had visited North America, a place she'd love to visit one day. It detailed various locations in both Canada and America. She fantasized visiting places like New York City and Niagara Falls. Her musings were interrupted when she heard a knock on her door. She set the book down and went to open it, surprised to see Marcus standing before her.

"Good afternoon, Caterina. I was wondering if you would come to have a private supper with me in my rooms this evening. Something a little fancier than what you're used to when eating with the staff. Just the two of us."

"Oh...that would be nice, Marcus, but I don't have anything really nice to wear," Caterina said, wondering if he expected the experience to be like a date. He did seem to perk up when she expressed interest in his suggestion.

"I will get you something to wear, my dear. We have people who can help you." His eyes seemed to light up while talking with her.

Inside, Marcus was more than pleased. He wanted to offer her a fine meal, and perhaps coerce her to dance. He had a device ready with a few musical pieces he hoped would delight her enough to inspire her to want to dance with him. She hadn't mentioned the kiss, so maybe she was not as upset as he'd feared. "Heidi and Chelsea you haven't met yet. They will be around later this evening, so look for them. As for now, I will leave you alone until later."

"Thank you, Marcus. I look forward to it." Caterina felt excited at the invitation. It would be different than their usual get togethers. She closed the door and went into the bathroom to shower and dry her hair until the two women Marcus had mentioned arrived.

Hearing a knock on the door a few hours later, Caterina met Heidi and Chelsea for the first time. Both women were beautiful, with flawless skin and violet-coloured eyes. They introduced themselves, the woman named Chelsea holding up a dress bag, before unzipping it to reveal a lovely full-length blue gown made of lace and chiffon fabrics dotted with sparkles that looked like stars. Once Caterina had donned the dress, Heidi did her make-up while Chelsea later pulled her hair into a loose top knot.

Both women did what they could to encourage Caterina to consider Marcus' favour.

When they finished their work, they smiled at her. "You look perfect. Master Marcus will be so impressed," Chelsea said, Heidi nodding in agreement.

She was given a velvet box containing a pair of sapphire drop earrings that matched the bracelet Marcus had given her. "Are these from Marcus too?" she asked.

Both women looked at one another, then at Caterina, nodding. "He is being very generous with you because he likes you. You are aware of that, aren't you?" Heidi said.

Of course she was aware, but to what extent did he care for her, she wondered while she slipped on the earrings.

Lastly, Caterina stepped into matching blue heels, which fit perfectly. Obviously they had done very well in choosing the right size and style for her. She looked in the full length mirror that sat in the corner of the room, feeling like a princess in such expensive clothing.

"Is this really necessary?" she asked Heidi. "I will never have use for a dress like this at home."

"Master Marcus wants tonight to be special," Chelsea replied.

"Like we're on a date?" Caterina asked, looking behind her in the mirror. She saw Chelsea and Heidi glance at one another again, and knew she was right. This was a date.

There was a knock at the door. Chelsea opened it, stepping aside so Felix could enter the bedroom. She and Heidi gave Caterina encouraging smiles and quietly left.

Felix walked up to the human and took her hands in his. He spread her arms open and gazed at her. Then he spun her around. "You are a vision, Caterina. Master Marcus will think so as well. He's waiting now, so are you ready?" He let her hands go and stepped back, giving her a respectful bow.

"Oh, stop, Felix. You're embarrassing me, but thank you for the compliment. I guess we should leave now."

The guard looped her arm in his, and escorted Caterina to Marcus' rooms, knocking on arrival. Marcus answered and let in the human woman, while telling Felix he didn't have to wait tonight, that he would take his guest back to her room himself.

While Marcus was speaking with Felix, Caterina looked around the ante room, seeing a table beautifully set, complete with lit candles. A cart sat next to the table, where she saw several covered dishes and a bottle of champagne chilling.

She then turned to peek at her host. He was attired in what looked like old-fashioned dress, with black slacks, a white shirt with white ruffles around the neck, and a blue satin waistcoat. The ever-present pendant she'd noticed when she'd first arrived hung around his neck to sit on his chest atop the ruffles. He wore over the shirt a navy blue velvet coat with gold embroidery, making him appear like someone out of an old painting.

Caterina looked down at her gown, realizing anything less elegant would have been inappropriate. Marcus must have known her dress was blue, so dressed accordingly. She bent her head and smiled. Then for effect, she curtsied low before him.

Marcus took her hand and lifted her up from her position on the floor. He felt satisfaction in seeing her smile, cherishing each and every one of them. He had hoped this evening would please her, and he would be able to show her a different side of himself.

Marcus gazed at Caterina, appreciating the choice in dress made by Chelsea and Heidi. The woman looked positively ethereal in the star-lit gown. He noticed she was wearing the sapphire earrings he had ordered for her as well. He thought they suited her well.

He led her to the dining table he had ordered set up in the ante room. "I hope you enjoy tonight, Caterina. The chef has prepared several dishes just for the occasion. Champagne?" Marcus opened the bottle after he pulled her chair out and waited for her to get comfortable. Then he poured a glass of the sparkling liquid. He removed the lids from the food, showing Caterina her menu.

"Pepper Roast with baby potatoes, and green peas with mushrooms." He began to serve her, filling her plate while ignoring his own.

When he sat himself opposite his guest, she spoke. "It all smells so good. Will you be having any?"

"Not tonight. Forgive me, but my constitution means I can't always eat rich foods. But please, have as much as you wish."

Caterina nodded slowly, not surprised. Why, she didn't know. She cut a bit of the beef, and was amazed at the tenderness of the meat. "The chef is so talented. This is wonderful! It's so easy to overcook beef." She took a sip of the champagne, finding it perfectly chilled.

While she ate. the pair discussed the history of the city of Volterra, including how the Volturi came to be here in the first place. By the time she had indulged in more champagne and her dessert of tiramisu, Caterina was feeling both full and in a relaxed humour.

Marcus mentioned that he had found some music, turning on his laptop. He set the saved file he hoped she would be willing to dance to with him. "Would you make me the happiest of men and do me the honour?" He held out his hand to her, feeling her warm hand being placed on his open palm. Leading her to the center of the room, they waited for the music to begin.

"I'm not an expert dancer, Marcus, so you will have to lead well," Caterina cautioned, looking up at the taller man.

"Rest easy, my dear. I'm a long-time expert," he replied, his free arm wrapping around her.

When the music began, Marcus spun Caterina around the room, twirling her beneath his arm, then drawing her against him. He so wanted to kiss her at that moment, but feared her pulling away from him as she had before. They danced as the music carried both from the lives they lived apart to this moment together. Her warmth seeped into his flesh through the fabric of his coat, so sensitive to their physical differences as he was.

Caterina looked up into Marcus' eyes, feeling drawn to him. Her lips parted, her top teeth biting gently into her lower lip. She leaned into his cool body, her heart beating faster.

Marcus not only heard but felt each beat against his chest. He took a gamble and lowered his head, then pressed his lips gently on hers. When she did not pull back, he pressed harder, his lips parting. He tasted her, his arms wrapping more tightly around her trim body. When he finally released her, Marcus stepped back.

"I am sorry, Caterina." He did not continue when two fingers rested on his mouth, silencing him.

"It's alright, Marcus. I'm not offended." She held her body close to his, happy when she felt his arms encircle her, again pulling her against him. His mouth captured hers, drawing in her breath through parted lips.

They continued dancing for almost an hour while talking and laughing together. The music finally stopped, leaving Marcus and Caterina in the middle of the room, staring at one another in silence. That is, until Marcus pulled her to him, embracing her in his arms. He gave her a chaste kiss in her forehead, then when she moved her cheek to his, he lowered his head to kiss her neck with a meaning that was not so chaste. At last, his lips moved to hers once more.

Caterina sighed, the pleasure of his kiss stronger than she had ever felt with anyone, not that there had been that many men in her life.

She lay her head against his chest. "Thank you for this evening," she murmured against his coat. She felt she had to end this now. "I had so much fun. But it is late, and I am a bit tired."

"Of course. Let me return you to your room." Marcus held Caterina's hand and led her from his chambers to her room. He kissed her hand before watching her open her door and turn to look up at him.

"Again, thank you. I had a truly marvelous time, Marcus. I'll see you tomorrow." She stepped back and shut her door.

Marcus felt had his heart been able to beat, it would have been beating fast and hard. Not in centuries had he felt so happy to be with one person. He returned to his rooms, hoping she felt as he did.

Once Caterina had undressed and showered, she hung the beautiful gown up in the wardrobe, and put on her nightgown. She then climbed into bed. A smile unconsciously formed on her face when she thought about the evening. The smile vanished when she considered what she was falling into.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was days later when Caterina was wiping down Marcus' desk and she looked out to the window to see it was snowing. She watched as the large flakes stuck to the grass in the garden. Excited, she quickly finished cleaning up Marcus' room, and after putting away her cleaning supplies, Caterina ran to get her coat to go out into the garden.

Marcus had returned to his room shortly after, and heard sounds of laughter coming from outside, and the garden below. He looked out the window to see Caterina spinning around, her arms wide as she danced in the falling snow. He smiled to himself, and decided to join her. Taking a coat for effect from his wardrobe, he strode the corridor to the garden door and went outside.

Caterina saw Marcus and waved him over. "Marcus, come join me. Isn't it beautiful?"

Marcus agreed in his mind, but he felt it was she who was beautiful, her cheeks pink and eyes shining with sheer joy.

"Have you ever had a snowball fight?" she asked him, attempting to sound innocent. She bent to gather snow in her hands, forming a ball.

When Marcus gave her a questioning look, he felt the unexpected smack of cold snow on his face. His entire body was as cold as the white stuff, but Caterina didn't know that. Marcus did something he had never done before in his existence. He bent down to gather snow in his hands and formed a snowball. He turned to Caterina just as another snowball hit him on the shoulder. He threw his at her, grinning when it hit her on the chest. Her ensuing laughter was like music to his ears.

They played like this for a while before the snow started coming down harder, and Marcus was afraid Caterina would become too chilled. He ordered her inside, and took her to the kitchen for some hot tea. She practically glowed from within while she thanked him for the fun while sipping her tea. He had never seen her so happy, and he hoped she felt it was due to his presence in her life.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Days later, Caterina was cleaning in Marcus' rooms. Once she had finished up, she went up to his desk where Marcus was sitting and working on some papers.

"Marcus, may I call Papa before I leave?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course, my dear." He fetched the phone from his desk drawer and handed it to her. He went to sit on the sofa to wait for her to finish.

Caterina went to sit on the sofa and dialed her home number. Hearing the line pick up, she said, "Hello, Papa! Oh, Signora Rossi. What? Wait, what did you say? Is he badly off? I'll try. Thank you for staying with him. Good bye." She handed Marcus the phone, a frantic look on her face.

Marcus stood, taking her hands in his. "What is it, Caterina? Is something wrong?"

"It's Papa. He's sick. He had been outside too long in the snow trying to get the last of the seasonal crop harvested and he caught a bad cold. One of our neighbors, Signora Rossi, went to take him some eggs from her hens and found him very ill. She said she has been caring for him, but he's asking for me. Please, please, Marcus, may I go home to take care of him?"

Marcus didn't want to let her leave him, but the look in her eyes compelled him to. She would be too worried if he forced her to stay. What would she feel for him if her father died. "Felix can drive you home, my dear."

"Thank you, Marcus," she replied with gratitude in her voice.

"Will you be coming back?" Marcus asked, but she was gone without having heard the question. He hoped she would return, but he determined that if she did not, he would let her know he was allowing her to stay home for good. He felt she had served her time and cleared her father's debt. His love for her enabled him to free her even as he sacrificed his own hopes for redemption.

Felix came to his friend's room to find her packed and waiting. Fortunately, most of the snow had melted by now, and the road was clear at least.

Caterina begged Felix to go faster, but he told her, "There are people in the road, my friend. Don't worry. I will get you home as quickly as possible."

Once they reached her house, pulling into the driveway, she jumped out of the car and headed for the front door. When she opened the door, Felix set her bags just inside the entrance. Caterina thanked him, giving him a quick hug. Once he saw she had safely entered the house, he drove away.

"Papa! Papa, I'm home!" she shouted, dropping her coat on a nearby chair.

"Shhh, child, he's sleeping," an older woman whispered, appearing from the kitchen.

"Signora Rossi, how is he?"

"He's better, my dear." She explained what the doctor had said, and gave Caterina instructions for the medicine she was to give her father. "Now you get re-settled. Since you're here, I'll leave, but do call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Signora Rossi, for everything," Caterina said, letting the woman out.

She went to her father's bedroom to see him lying in bed, sleeping peacefully. She felt his forehead, finding it only slightly warm to the touch. She took the small pitcher of water to the kitchen to refill it with fresh water, and waited for him to wake up.

When he did awaken, he was overjoyed to see his daughter sitting on a chair next to the bed.

"Caterina, daughter, you've returned," he said, taking ahold of her hands.

"Yes, Papa. Marcus let me leave when I found out from Signora Rossi you were sick. I'm home to take care of you."

And she did, making him porridge for breakfast and soup for later in the day. She told him all about her time at the castle, and how things had slowly changed between her and Marcus. She had left so quickly, she had forgotten the dress, shoes, and jewelry he had given her.

"Have you feelings for the man, daughter?"

"I don't know, Papa. I know I care about him, and he was kinder to me the longer I was there. It changed things, you understand."

"Caterina, Guiseppe had been here, asking about you. He was not happy that you were staying at the castle. I only hoped he didn't make trouble for you."

"I never saw him, Papa. I pray he does not go there. The people who live there are...they're strange. Not that I was afraid of them, but there is something...well, I hope he stays away. I'm home now, so he has no reason to go there." She patted her father's hand and rose from the chair. "I'm going to get you some soup now."

While she ladled the hot meal into a bowl, Caterina wondered if she should warn Marcus. No, Guiseppe would not be so foolish, surely not.

After a few days of care, Mario Cassiani recovered from his illness and was eager to be up and about. He pulled himself out of bed and walked to the kitchen. Still a bit weak, he took his time and entered the kitchen to see Caterina cutting up vegetables for supper.

When Caterina saw her father, she frowned. "Papa, you need to stay in bed..."

"Child, I am fine and going crazy. You'll see. I'll take a quick shower and dress. By the way, Guiseppe doesn't know you're home. He wanted to go to the castle to retrieve you. If he goes there with others, who knows what will happen. Perhaps you should call him."

Setting down the knife, Caterina looked at her father. "I'm not ready to talk with Guiseppe, Papa. Did he say he would go there?"

"Call him, Caterina."

Sighing, she picked up the receiver and dialed his number. When he answered, she said, "Guiseppe, this is Caterina, I..." A man's voice spoke.

"Caterina, this is Guiseppe's father. He is on his way to the Palazzo dei Priori with some of the other villagers. They're planning to..."

"No! They can't do that!" Hanging up, she turned to her father.

"Papa, that fool is on his way to the castle. I have to stop him. They might hurt Marcus."

"Take the truck. The back way is faster on the county road."

"Yes, yes, and it leads to the garden gate behind the castle. I can get in through the garden gate, and find Marcus without the crowd seeing me." She gave her father a kiss and turned to leave. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Papa."

"Be careful, Caterina," her father called out as she left the house.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A small group of male villagers, led by Guiseppe, headed for the castle. Armed with rifles, guns, even farm equipment, they followed the man who was determinded to bring Caterina home with him, even if it meant killing the residents of the castle.

Driving over the speed limit, Caterina mumbled the entire way. "Idiots! How can you follow a man like Guiseppe. Stupid!"

When she came to the back gate that led to the garden, she prayed it wasn't locked, and sighed in relief when the gate swung open. She ran into the castle through the side door and headed to Marcus' rooms.

On arrival, she went from the ante-room to the bedroom and didn't find him. She left his rooms and was heading down the main corridor, when she heard shouting and the sounds of gunfire. In the large audience hall she rarely saw, she noticed a small crowd of men fighting what she assumed were Marcus' family. Then she saw Marcus himself, fighting Guiseppe.

Guiseppe was holding an axe. He aimed for Marcus' neck, swinging it hard until it hit flesh. The impact left cracks on Marcus' neck, but the vampire was able to knock aside the axe and grabbed the human by the throat. He opened his mouth and leaned in to bite Guiseppe in the throat, his teeth tearing into the warm flesh.

Caterina saw Guiseppe attack Marcus, shouted "No!", then gasped loud enough for Marcus to hear. He turned around to face the woman he loved, knowing she was finally seeing him for the monster he was. Blood was smeared on his mouth, and he let his human attacker fall to the floor.

Her eyes wide, Caterina ran to Marcus, kneeling beside him. "Are you hurt? Marcus, are you hurt in any way?"

"I'm sorry," he said to the young woman next to him. I'm fine, but I..." He felt warm arms move around him, hugging him ever as she searched him for wounds.

"Oh, Marcus, when I heard what was going on, I had to stop Guiseppe." She looked at the man who was her captor, her employer, her admirer. "I had to...I love you, Marcus. No matter what has happened, I do love you. I was so afraid you'd be hurt."

Standing, Marcus pulled Caterina up off the floor. "You see me for what I am, my dear heart. A killer. A vampire." He wiped his mouth with his sleeve while Caterina only stared at him. She noticed his eyes, now red, but how.

"I don't care." She meant it. If he was really a vampire, an honest to goodness creature of legend, she didn't care. He was safe. She looked around her, and saw several bodies lying in the room. She should be mourning them, but it was their choice to follow that brute Guiseppe. The other Volturi, a few she knew, others she didn't, stood around as if waiting for orders.

Caterina had seen the blood on Marcus' lips as it dripped down his chin. What he had told her was true. He really was a vampire, and he had killed Guiseppe. She saw two men walk down the steps leading from three throne-like chairs.

Just then, a bright light blazed briefly in the center of the room, before revealing a beautiful woman standing in the middle of the audience hall.

Aro and Caius frowned at the sudden intrusion, but Marcus recognized her instantly.

"Marcus dei Volturi, you fulfilled the requirement of your redemption," the witch said. She seemingly floated over to Marcus and Caterina. "Child, you love this man?"

Gazing at the beautiful woman, she frowned. "Of course I do. With all my heart." She felt Marcus' holding her hand tightly.

"Then Marcus dei Volturi, you may choose to regain your humanity, and be mortal again. Or you may remain a vampire, and change your beloved to become an immortal like you."

Marcus held Caterina by the shoulders as he gazed into her warm brown eyes. "It means aging. But it also means a home, family, children. Things you won't have here if you're a vampire." He gave Caterina a kiss, and sought the answer to his question in her eyes.

"No children?" If Marcus was letting her choose, the answer was simple. "Marcus, I want to be with you, in my world, in my life. We can live together and watch our family grow while we grow old, together."

Marcus glanced over at Aro and Caius. Aro knew Marcus hadn't been happy, but Caterina had changed that. He nodded at his brother.

The witch held her hands up and began to chant a spell. Marcus felt a sudden and excruciating pain in his entire body, and fell to the floor.

Caterina started to go to him, but Felix held her by the arms, saying, "Wait. This is something Master Marcus has to endure. Let's see what happens."

Marcus writhed on the floor, pain written on his face while he tried not to scream.

Caterina struggled against Felix's grip on her arms. "Let me go!" she demanded. Reluctantly, Felix complied, letting her loose. Once free, she ran to Marcus, dropping down next to him.

"Marcus, I'm here with you, my love. Please don't leave me now." She held his hand with both of hers, squeezing tightly. She was tempted to pull back when she saw a curtain of light form around Marcus, but she decided to hold on. With tears in her eyes, Caterina glanced up at the witch, who only smiled down at the pair.

When the glow receded, Marcus caught his breath. The pain had finally stopped. Caterina helped him to sit up, checking him over, but seeing no physical damage. She did notice the changes in his body immediately however.

"Marcus, your eyes, they're brown." She realized the hand she still held was warm to the touch. She reached out and caressed his cheek to find it was also warm. They were not pale either, but pick with the flush of blood in his veins. "If you're physical changes mean anything, you...you're human. It worked." She wiped the tears from her face and helped Marcus up off the floor, the pair turning to one another and hugging each other in joy.

Marcus cupped Caterina's cheek and kissed her deeply. He felt different and knew he was no longer a vampire. He was human again, after so many hundreds of years and it felt more than strange. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, the sensation foreign to him.

A bright light filled the room, and the witch vanished.

Caius ordered the guards to clean up the room and dispose of the bodies. He had some damage control to work on, and began that task.

Aro stood off to the side, but took several steps towards Marcus, placing his hand on the taller vampire's shoulder. "You will always be my brother...our brother. You may still stay here with Caterina. Or you may leave to travel the world. We leave that up to you both." When he saw the surprise on Marcus' face, he huffed. "I know, I know, the rules, but I can make exceptions when I want. And I'm making an exception now. I don't expect you will tell anyone about us, and as your mate, I can assume Caterina won't either." He smiled when he saw her shake her head vigorously.

"Aro, we will let you know. If we choose to leave and return later, it's good to know we will be welcome." He turned to his mate, for that was what she was now. "We will marry the old fashioned way, if that makes you happy, my love."

"Ah, a wedding. I do love weddings, so you must have it here at the castle," Aro said with excitement.

Caterina responded with a nod of acknowledgement, grateful for their attitude and now the offer of a wedding. This was Marcus' home and she didn't mind it becoming hers. She would be able to visit her father, who would not have to pay for the cost of her wedding. When she had mentioned that to Marcus, his eyes glowed with happiness as he laughed pleasantly.

Caterina decided as long as her human guests were guaranteed their safety, why not have it here. Perhaps it would help dispel the nasty rumours if her family and friends were allowed to attend. They would see there was nothing to fear from the castle's residents after all.

Later, Marcus led his bride-to-be out to the garden, where they stood in the gazebo, Caterina's hands holding onto Marcus' arm. He noticed she seemed relaxed, which shocked him the most, and not freaking out about what she had seen today.

"You truly surprised me, my dear. I never imagined you to be so strong, and here I was so worried about you." Marcus leaned over to give his mate a kiss on her forehead.

Caterina smiled, and nodded, replying, "I never imagined I would have to be. You don't have any other secrets, do you?"

"No, my heart, you know everything. From now on, I am only a mortal man who loves you." Marcus leaned into Caterina and kissed her deeply, his arms around her securely. Her warmth was less noticeable now that they were the same body temperature. "I love you," he said with emotion in his voice.

"And I love you, Marcus, for always." Caterina hugged her husband-to-be tightly, knowing their life together would never be boring.

Marcus walked over to the table and smiled down at his meager but heart-felt tribute to his lost mate. Indicating with his free hand at the bust, he said, "Caterina, this is Didyme, my wife. She was killed...many years ago. The garden, I've dedicated to her. I bring in one pink rose, her favourite colour, until it wilts, then I replace it." He looked at the human. "I was not expecting to see you here. No one comes in without my permission, and it upset me seeing you here. I never should have shouted like that at you. Accept my apology, please."

"I understand, Marcus," she responded. "She was very beautiful. How long were you together?"

"She was beautiful, inside and out. Didyme had the gift of making everyone around her happy. We were together for what felt like...hundreds of years." Marcus could not tell the human it was literally that long and longer.

Caterina looked up at Marcus, saying, "Please accept my apology for running away. I was frightened, but it was stupid of me, and you did save me, so I owe you that."

"Speak no more about any of it." Marcus smiled. "At least we have worked through our misunderstandings."

"You know, my father is a farmer, so I know how to cultivate the earth and make things grow. Would it be alright if I helped you in the garden some time? After I've done my other chores, of course. And I would not mind cleaning this room for you. At least I could sweep the floor and dust the furniture. For Didyme."

He thought a moment, deciding it would give them a chance to get to know one another. And he found her offer of caring for Didyme's room touching. "I thank you for that, and I would enjoy having you help me in the garden." He led her from the room, never having let go of her hand.

Later that afternoon, Marcus asked Felix to get Caterina and bring her to the garden. He had all the supplies needed already lying on the grass.

When Caterina arrived, she smiled her thanks to Felix and walked over to Marcus. "I'm here and ready to work. What can I do?"

"Well, my dear, let me show you the varieties of roses I have here. Some, I developed myself."

Caterina perused the rose bushes, marveling at their beauty and the fragrance of the blooms. And all of this was dedicated to a woman long dead. He must have loved her very much, she thought. It explained a lot. Some people never let go their grieving. Her father had mourned her mother for a long time too.

Together they worked the beds, turning over the dirt and trimming away the dead buds from the bushes. Once, when Marcus removed a caterpiller off a branch and showed it to Caterina, she shrieked, jumping back.

Marcus laughed, and asked her if she was afraid of the small creature.

"I don't like insects of any kind." When Marcus held it out to her to show her how harmless it was, she huffed and walked back several feet. "Please keep it away."

The tall man laughed with pleasure, since he rarely laughed prior to her arrival at the castle. He tossed it to the other aside of the yard, showing her his empty hands. "It's gone, Caterina. You have nothing to fear now."

"It's silly, I know. I just hate bugs," she shivered while saying it.

The pair enjoyed talking while working. Caterina actually laughed aloud at some of the stories he related to her, finding the tall man humorous. She leaned on her rake, watching him while he worked. Was he really so bad? He had saved her from those ruffians, and who knows how far they would have gone, had he not appeared. But how had he found her?

Once they were done with the gardening, Caterina helped Marcus return the tools to the supply room in an area of the castle she'd evert been before. She washed up at a sink there, then Marcus led her to the kitchen for supper.

"Won't you stay?" she asked him.

Marcus looked down at the young woman. He felt a warmth suffuse his body when he heard her question. Did she really want him to stay with her? "I never eat with the staff, but I will talk with you later. And Caterina, thank you for helping me today. I...enjoyed myself."

Caterina smiled at Marcus, watching him as he left. Then she joined the others for their evening meal.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise, for me?"

"Yes, Now I'm going to blindfold you, so do you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you, Marcus." Caterina waited with anticipation when Marcus tied the length of black fabric around her eyes.

"Can you see anything, Caterina?"

"No, it's dark as night," she replied, reaching up to check the blindfold. She felt Marcus' cool hand take hold of hers, leading her to wherever he was taking her.

"Good. Don't try to walk too fast. Don't worry. I won't let you fall," he said reassuringly.

Caterina held Marcus' hand tightly. She had no desire to trip and embarrass herself. She heard the sound of an opening door. The air was slightly musty, causing her to wonder where he had brought her.

"This is for you," Marcus whispered in her ear. He removed the blindfold and let her see his surprise.

Caterina gasped. "Books! So many books! Marcus, where did you get all these books?" She moved among the shelves, her eyes perusing the vast collection. She would carefully remove one to slowly turn the pages, then seeing they were in a foreign language. She recognized if they were in French, Spanish, or Greek, but could not read the words.

"A lifetime of collecting," he said. "Some are in foreign languages you may not understand, but if there is something you'd like me to read to you, I would be happy to do that for you."

Caterina searched the shelves, looking for titles in Italian. Running her fingertips over the spines, she noticed some seemed very old volumes. Others looked like actual manuscripts. In one area, she saw a locked glass case enclosing what looked like actual scrolls, written on parchment. She marveled at the written word in all its forms she had come to love since she was a child.

"Well?" Marcus asked, a small smile on his face.

"I love it," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitment. They drew Marcus in, and he felt satisfaction knowing he'd done something that pleased Caterina. He left her while she ran from shelf to shelf, looking for something to read. She found several books in Italian and another in French she would ask Marcus to read for her.

Back in his rooms, Marcus had lit the fireplace in the ante-room. He never used it, and found the warmth of the flames strangely comforting. Caterina had asked him to read an older book to her that was about the English queen Elizabeth the First, written by a French courtier only a few years after she had died. She could read only the simple title. It wasn't very large, and she felt able they could finish it in two days.

Marcus wondered how she had come to have an interest in the woman who ruled England for nearly 45 years. Farmer's daughters didn't generally have such interests beyond their homes, and then the families they would later raise with their husbands. Marcus decided he would ask Caterina if she had any suitors for her hand. He had to know.

Hearing a knock on his door, Marcus answered it to see Demetri with Caterina. "Come in, dear."

She gave Demetri a smile, then entered the room, thanking Marcus for inviting her. "I am very interested in the book I indicated. To write about eye-witness events during that time, it just seems so exciting." She went over to the fireplace and sat in front of it, holding the book almost reverently. She handed it to Marcus, saying, "Here is the one I hoped you would read. It's in French. I kept three books I found that were written in Italian. They're in my room, if that's all right. I thought to read them before bed."

"Of course. Keep them as long as you wish." Marcus sat on the sofa, Caterina next to him. He began to read, sneaking a peek at her now and then. Her eyes betrayed her interest as she listened to the days at the English court told through the eyes of a French nobleman.

Marcus stopped reading when he noticed Caterina nodding off. "I believe it's your bedtime, young woman. We can contimue tomorrow evening." He set the book down, and helped her back to her room. By the time they reached it, Caterina was awake and able to ready for bed.

While Caterina was getting to know the man who held her life in his hands, Guiseppe had visited her home to find her absent. Her father told him she was working at the Palazzo dei Priori, a place rife with rumours of strange happenings.

The strapping man became angry. "How can you, her own father, allow her to go there, knowing the stories about missing tourists? Has anyone spoken with the people who live there? It's said they see no one. I will gather some of the townsfolk and retrieve her myself."

"No! Please do not interfere. I do not believe those stories, or I would not have allowed her to go. She will finish her time working there and be sent home soon. If you interfere..."

"Have you spoken with Caterina?" Guiseppe demanded.

Mario looked down at the floor. "Not since I dropped her off at the palazzo."

"There you are! I will go there and demand to see her."

"Please, Guiseppe, leave it alone. You may cause more harm than good."

The man who wanted Caterina for his wife reluctantly nodded. "Very well. For now, I'll wait. But if you hear anything from her, I want to know."

Guiseppe left, Mario closing the door behind him. The older man wondered himself, why had his daughter not called him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

One day, Caterina was cleaning in Marcus's rooms, when he entered to pick up some documents Aro needed.

On seeing him, Caterina smiled and nodded. "Good day, Marcus. I hope you are well."

The Volturi master glanced at the woman, giving her a smile in return. "Thank you, Caterina. I won't be here long. I just needed to retrieve something." He went to his desk and found what he came for, and was about to leave, when Caterina blocked his way.

"Marcus, I have been here quite awhile, and I...I haven't talked to my father in so long, and I was wondering...please may I call him?"

Marcus thought for a moment. She had not asked this of him, so she must be worried. She had done her job well, and he found he enjoyed her company more and more. He had to wonder if Caterina was enjoying his company. "Very well. This afternoon, I will allow you to use the phone here, and...with me listening. Just to be sure."

Caterina smiled broadly. "Oh, thank you, Marcus. Of course I don't mind you listening. I have nothing to hide. I just need to know he's fine and eating, and doing well at market."

"I'll send Felix for you when I'm finished." Marcus saw the pure pleasure on her face. When she threw herself at him in an impulsive hug, he was taken aback, but the sudden warmth in his chest would not allow him to chastise her.

Once she had released him, Marcus quickly left the room, but the warmth stayed with him even after he had reached the throne room.

"Are you alright, brother?" Aro asked, seeing Marcus with a strange expression on his face.

"Yes, I'm fine. Here are the papers you needed," he said, walking to his chair. Sitting down, the vampire still felt her arms around him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Caterina had finished her work, and returned to her room to clean up and add some makeup. Not that she was trying to appear attractive to her employer...or was she? It didn't matter, she told herself. She was going to get to speak with her father today.

Felix brought her to Marcus' rooms and then winked at her before walking down the corridor. "Enjoy your conversation, Caterina."

Marcus smiled on seeing her, thinking there was something different about her. He handed Caterina his cell phone, showing her how to make a call. It wasn't something he used often. Unlike Aro, he had no one to call, but he was glad he had it now, if only to make Caterina happy and see her glowing smile.

Caterina thanked Marcus and dialed home. When she heard her father's voice, she cried excitedly. "Papa, it's me, Caterina!"

Marcus could hear what the older man was saying.

"Caterina, my daughter, how are you?" The old man was excited to finally hear his daughter.

I'm well, papa, do not worry. Marcus, the man I'm working for, has been very kind. You have no need to worry. I am eating well, and the work is not too hard. I've made a few friend among the staff. I wouldn't even mid being here if I were free to go home every night."

Hearing that was good news for Marcus, since it let him know she didn't hate being here.

"How are you, papa? Are you eating? And how is the market? Have you making enough money? I miss helping you."

"Child, I'm doing well, and I've sold all the produce I've been able to take. It's amazing! We will be doing well for some time."

Marcus smiled. He had made sure the old man's produce was bought for the staff's meals here at the castle and paying above market price.

"When will you be returning home, Caterina? If your work has been excellent, I would think it would be soon."

She looked over at Marcus who had his back to her, as if he were not listening. "I don't know, papa. It cannot be much longer. I should go now. Please take care of yourself. Good bye, papa. I love you very much."

"I love you, my dear Caterina. Thank your master for letting you call."

Caterina hit the 'end' button and disconnected the call. She handed the phone to Marcus. "Thank you, Marcus. Papa thanks you as well." Tears slid down her cheeks. "I had better go. Thank you again, Marcus." With that, she fled his rooms, and headed for her bedroom to have a good cry. It felt wonderful to hear his voice. At least her father was well and earning some money. She lay on her bed, wiping her face with her hands. Hopefully she would be able to use the phone again.

Marcus was pleased at the call. Caterina had spoken well of him, and her father was not pushing, demanding she be released. Unknown to him, Guiseppe was at his favourite birrerie, or the local pub, fomenting hatred among the pub's patrons. He worked hard to get men to agree to join him, invading the castle and retrieving Caterina, by force if necessary.

Caterina quickly walked the streets of Volterra after leaving the castle she was being forced to work in. Escape had seemed impossible, so she'd accepted her fate, hoping Marcus would appreciate her hard work and let her go home soon. But an opportunity appeared and she took it. It was illogical since he could find her, and possibly do something terrible to her or her father. But one doesn't think logic in such situations.

Once she reached the main street, Caterina searched for her father. Hopefully, he would be at the market selling his produce, but after looking at every stall for almost half an hour, she knew he was not here. Either he had come earlier and left, or never came. It may have been a harvesting day, she couldn't remember. Now her only option was to find someone who would let her use their phone.

She stopped at a nearby store, and asked the cashier if she could make a call with their phone. The cashier was friendly enough, but explained it was store policy not to allow anyone to use the phone. She tried to ask at other shops, but after having been burned by that request by others, policy was no one was allowed to use the phone. Perhaps if she went to the police, they might help her. What would she even tell them? And what if Marcus, being a wealthy man, had influence in town. Who was she to override that. She was just a farmer's daughter and no one of importance.

Tired, Caterina sat on the edge of a fountain and sighed. Why had she left? This was so stupid. She would be found and sent back, and perhaps end up under the control of a man now very unhappy with her. Tears flowed, her thoughts on her father. Papa, I made such a mistake.

The sun was beginning to set, dusk arriving without her noticing. Many of the vendors's stall had closed, the sellers having gone home. Stupid girl, she berated herself. It would be dark soon. Walking home would be out of the question now. She should admit defeat, and go back to the castle. Maybe if she asked nicely enough, she might implore Marcus to forgive her and let her come back. She wondered what kind of punishment she would receive. His temper had scared her into fleeing after all, so it was just as much his fault as hers.

Before Caterina had executed her escape, Marcus had realized he had not seen her all day. He had to sit in on several trials earlier, so he'd assumed she had cleaned his rooms first, and when he had returned there, he saw she had. He left for his office, where Marcus was expecting to find her, but she had already cleaned there as well. He checked the kitchen, where the chef told the Volturi leader he had seen her there for lunch with all the other staff.

Deciding to return to his rooms, Marcus passed through a side corridor and noticed the door to Didyme's room open. He entered the room to find Caterina inspecting his beloved wife's marble bust and the single pink rose from her garden. When he had lost his temper at the unwanted intrusion, Caterina did what he had hoped she would never do, look at him with abject horror and fear. When she ran from the room, he instantly regretted his harsh words.

It had been far too long since Didyme's death. His curse meant nothing to him from the first day he had met his future mate. An eternity with her was not hell. It was a heaven he never dreamed of. Now she was gone. And Caterina was missing as well.

When it was discovered she had not returned to her room, he decided she must have taken his outburst to heart, and was hiding somewhere in the castle. He had to find her. It was far too dangerous here for one lone mortal.

When Marcus left the kitchen, he went in search of Felix. The guard had oddly become the human female's friend. He might have seen her and knew where she'd gone off to. Marcus was slightly jealous at the ease with which Felix had cultivated a friendship with the girl. How did he do that?

Finding the guard, Marcus asked if he knew of the whereabouts of Caterina.

"No, Master Marcus, I haven't seen her since early this morning. Perhaps Demetri knows."

Marcus checked with the coven's tracker, who also had not seen Caterina.

"Master Marcus, should I see if she is here? She might have gone outside." Checking for the tenor of the human, Demetri detected a lead out the back doors into the drive. Then she had gone outside. He and Marcus sped to the back of the castle, exiting through the rear doors, but she was nowhere in the garden or in the gazebo.

"She's left the castle grounds," Demetri said grimly. He and Marcus left through the back gates, going into the village. Demetri easily followed the trail the human had left.

Marcus wondered what made her take the extreme solution to run off. He realized the way he had exploded at her must have frightened her. She did not belong in Didyme's room, but he never should have shouted at her. It was getting dark out now, and he worried for her safety.

By now, Caterina had begun the walk back to the castle, feeling utterly dejected. As she headed down an alley of closed shops, she noticed a small group of young men standing at the end of the alleyway. Caterina turned around to go back the way she came, but hearing footsteps behind her, she knew they were now following her.

She went from a fast walk to running, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling hard enough to tear her shirt. Then someone blocked her way.

"Where are you going, pretty thing?" He reached up to play with her ponytail, then tugged on her earrings. "Are these worth anything, sweetheart?"

"Have you a purse?" another man asked. "Maybe you have some money you could share with us."

Caterina spun around, trying to find a gap she could run through. She started to scream, but a hand covered her mouth.

With a sudden jerk, Caterina was tossed to the ground, her face scraping against the cobblestones.

Above her, Marcus and Demetri had pulled her attackers away from her. Bodies were tossed against the walls of the alley. Blood splashed onto the stone street as sharp teeth pierced soft flesh, tearing into the throats of every one of the molesters. In minutes, all five men were dead.

Marcus flashed to Caterina, who had fainted. He bent down and gently gathered her in his arms. "Demetri, clean up this mess."

The tracker nodded. "I'll return as soon as I'm finished. I'm glad we found her, Master Marcus. I hope she's all right."

Marcus sped back to the castle, returning the girl to her bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he went into her bathroom and wet a wash cloth with warm soapy water. He pulled the desk chair to the side of the bed, and carefully moved locks of her hair off her face. She has so pretty, even when unconscious. He had been furious when he saw what the young men were doing to her, and the possibility of what they might have done, made him want to rip them apart.

He gently washed the grit from her skin, noticing the scrape marks. Peering down at her face, he wondered what she would say to him when she came to.

While he continued dotting the wash cloth over the abrasions, Caterina's eyes opened. She looked up into Marcus' face, seeing an expression of worry. "Am I still alive?"

Marcus smiled and nodded his head. "Luckily, we found you in time, and as for your attackers, they...ran off."

"We?" she asked, wincing when he touched a sore spot on her face.

"Demetri helped me look for you as soon as we noticed you were gone. I will let you rest for now, Caterina, then we will talk about you running away. Perhaps you'd like to shower and change clothing. Those mongrels tore your shirt, but I will replace it." He bit back his fury once more, but smiled down at her. "And before you protest, it will be my pleasure."

Caterina winced again, but this time it was not pain that had caused it. She was ready for her punishment, however. "Yes, sir." When she saw him rise from the bed, and start to leave, she said to him, "Thank you, Marcus."

He graced her with another smile. "You're very welcome." Then he left her alone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After Caterina had showered and dressed, she sat at the desk, waiting for Felix to take her to Marcus' rooms. What was he going to do to her? What would he say? What would she say about her ridiculous hope to go home.

It wasn't long before Caterina heard the expected knock. She ran to the door, yanking it open to find her tall friend standing there. "Oh, Felix, what have I done? Is Marcus very annoyed with me?"

Felix looked down at Caterina, feeling actual sympathy for her, but only he knew running away was a hopeless effort for the human, now that Demetri had her in his mind. She would not ever be able to escape him and his tracking abilities in future. But Felix hoped she never tried. Master Marcus may forgive her once, but would he again?

Caterina grabbed Felix's hand. "I'm scared. Do you think if I apologised and promised never to leave without permission, he might let me try again. I will work very hard to please him."

Felix admired the human's courage, but couldn't help teasing her. "How will you try to please Master Marcus, Caterina?" He raised an eyebrow at her, his meaning clear.

Her eyes went wide and she slapped his chest. "Don't you start!"

Felix pulled back and laughed aloud. "Master Marcus is not that kind of man, Caterina. You can trust him. Now we'd better go." He raised a pointed finger at her. "Remember, be contrite."

Caterina held her hands together, walking beside Felix until they reached Marcus' rooms. He let her in and waited outside the closed doors.

Once inside the ante-room, Caterina saw Marcus sitting at his desk. She stood, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

"So, you're still here. I expected Felix to report your room being empty," he said, not looking up from his ledger.

"I'm not going anywhere again, Marcus."

"Come over here by me." Marcus set down his pen, waiting for Caterina to stand beside him.

Slowly walking across the floor until she was inches from her employer's side. She took Felix's advice, and stared at her feet, saying nothing.

Marcus looked up at her. "Why did you leave?"

Unable to come up with a good excuse, Caterina told Marcus the truth. "You frightened me when you lost your temper. I'm sorry for intruding in that room. It won't happen again."

"It had better not." he repied a bit harsher than he'd intended. You should not have run away."

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't frightened me!" she said, biting back her annoyance.

"You should have not been wandering around going into rooms you had no place!" Marcus said, raising his voice higher.

"You need to learn not to frighten women!" Caterina retorted. Then she felt bad and lowered her voice. "One other thing. Thank you for saving my life."

Marcus turned to gaze at the human. "You're...welcome." He rose from his chair and taking Caterina's hand, led her to the sofa. When both were seated, he asked her, "If I let you continue your work as you have been doing, will you swear not to run away again?"

She looked up into his warm chocolate-brown eyes, raised her hand, and smiled. "I swear. I will not run away again. I'll do my work as ordered." The smile disappeared. "Until such time you choose to relieve me of my duties...and let me go home."

Marcus drew back. Always, she was thinking about leaving. They had not spent much time together, but he wanted to remedy that. "When you've finished your work tomorrow, I would like to take you back to the room where... I want to explain why I was initially upset at you for being there."

"All right," Caterina replied. 'You don't have to though..."

"I want to explain to you. Just have Felix bring you here when you're finished with your work tomorrow. Now you'd better get some supper while the Chef is still here. Then go to your room, get some sleep."

"Thank you, Marcus." Caterina got up and walked to the door, but then she stopped and turned back to her employer. "Have a good evening."

When she exited the room, Felix gave her a look of mock surprise. "You're still alive! And I assume he did not beat you."

She smacked her tall friend again. "Will you stop? Now take me to the kitchen at once. That's an order."

He gently took her chin in his hand and bent low, whispering in her ear. "An order, is it?

She patted her ear, trying to get rid of the slight tickle that sent goosebumps down her arm. "Please take me to the kitchen, Felix? I'm hungry."

How he wished he could throw her over his shoulder and speed down the corridors. But no, it was up to Master Marcus to reveal their existence, when the time was right. "Well then, let's go." And he led her to the kitchen, all the while asking her about her attempt to flee and what had ensued.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Caterina began her chores, wanting to get done as soon as possible so she could meet with Marcus and see what made that near-empty room so special.

Felix was waiting at the door of Marcus' office. "How did you know I was done?" Caterina asked him.

"Telepathy," Felix said in reply. When he saw Caterina roll her eyes at him. "All right, I heard the vacumn shut off. I know that's the last thing you do when you clean."

"Hmm, smart. Will you help me return my supplies to the supply room? Then let me freshen up before taking me to Marcus' rooms?"

"I'm beginning to feel like your servant," Felix scoffed.

"Ha ha. Please then?" she begged.

"Oh, all right, let's go," he said, picking up her heavier items. When they had done that, he took her to Marcus' doors and again stood guard while waiting. This time, however, Marcus told Felix to go, since he would be showing Caterina around. Felix nodded and left, but not before giving Caterina a wink of reassurance.

Marcus held out his hand to her. Caterina looked at it, debated in her mind, then placed her hand in his. She felt how cold it was, so cold, but she let Marcus lead her down that corridor. They stopped in front of the same doors she'd found open that night.

She turned to Marcus before they entered the room. "In my defense, the doors were not locked or I would not have been able to go in." A stupid excuse, she knew. "I realize I should not have been checking doors to see if they were locked anyway."

"It's in the past. I am bringing you in myself this time." Marcus turned to look at Caterina. How unlike Didyme she was, yet this human might be the key to his current affliction.

Caterina sat on her bed, unsure what to do. Marcus had more or less given her her first order. Join him for supper. His words were cold and to the point. But wasn't she just his employee in servitude? She didn't really expect him to treat her any better than he might have treated her father. She huffed and folded her arms. This was insufferable. Slavery should not exist in modern day Italy. The more Caterina thought about things, the hotter she got. No, I will not join him for supper, she decided.

It was nearly seven o'clock, and Felix would be here soon to take her to Marcus' rooms. When she heard the knock on the door, Caterina answered it.

Felix looked the human up and down, and frowned. "You're not ready. Master Marcus will not be pleased."

"Well, he's probably going to feel a lot worse, because I'm not going."

Felix stared down at the impudent female. "Miss, I would not risk your well-being making Master Marcus angry."

She turned and walked to the bed, sitting down on it. "Felix, I am duty-bound to work here. It doesn't mean I have to have supper with him. He can send me a list of my duties, along with the wheres and whens, or confer with you so that you may tell me." She folded her arms again for emphasis.

Felix didn't know what to do apart from flinging her over his shoulder and dragging her to Master Marcus' chambers. "Very well, Miss. I'll go let Master Marcus know you won't be coming." He turned to leave but before leaving, he said, "I really wish you wouldn't do this." Then he left her room.

Caterina wondered if Marcus was that impatient or that cruel. It didn't seem Felix was afraid of him, but more that he was afraid for her. She grabbed her book off the side table and lay back on the bed to read. In moments, there was a pounding on her door. "Shit!" she grumbled low. She never cursed in front of her father, but she was in a mood.

"Open this door, Caterina!"

"No! I told Felix to tell you to relay my duties to me through him. Now go away! I won't be joining you for supper, Marcus."

Felix ventured into the situation on behalf of the human. "Master Marcus, perhaps a calmer approach would be better. Courtesy would do more to allay her fears than shouting."

"She refused me an order, Felix. Until she decides to have her meal with me, she can starve. And she will stay in her room until she learns courtesy toward her master."

Wincing at the words, Felix nodded, waiting until Marcus left the corrider to speed back to his own rooms. He then knocked on the door, saying, "Miss, it's Felix. Master Marcus has left. You heard his orders?"

The door opened, a tearful Caterina looking up at the tall guard. "Oh, Felix, what am I going to do?" She turned to let him in while she walked to the window, looking outside. "I'm willing to work as it's my obligation, but he is being so...so...oh, I can't even articulate what I'm trying to say."

Felix wanted to comfort the woman for some reason. He hoped Master Marcus had found the answer to his problem, and if he was unable to at least be civil to her, all might be lost. "Are you sure you won't let me take you to him?"

"No, thank you, Felix. I'll be all right. I'll just shower and go to bed. Good night." She waited for him to leave, then locked the door behind him.

Pacing the floor, Caterina thought about her future. She felt that if she capitulated now, Marcus might feel more emboldened to treat her badly. "Oh hell with it!" she said aloud. She went to the wardrobe and got out her nightgown, and proceeded to the bathroom. Turning on the water to as hot as she could tolerate, Caterina enjoyed her shower. The toiletries left for her were fragrant, smelling slightly floral but not sickeningly so. When she was finished, she got out of the bathtub and grabbed a towel off the rack. She dried her hair and body, pulling on the nightgown. She used the hair dryer because going to bed with wet hair annoyed her. When her hair was dry enough, she set down the dryer and leaned against the sink. Tears flowed when she wondered what her father was doing. Had he eaten supper? Was he missing her as much as she missed him?

Rinsing her tear-stained face, she decided she would lie down and read awhile before going to sleep. This first night away from home would be the hardest. And now her traitorous stomach was grumbling. Oh well, she could do without a meal tonight to make her point. Caterina lay down and read her book until she felt she could stay awake no longer.

In his own rooms, Marcus was at his desk, thinking about the woman who was to be his for as long as he demanded. She was disobedient and arrogant, possessing a fiery spirit that intrigued the ancient vampire. She didn't seem to fear him, but she didn't yet know his true nature. Marcus felt he had blundered tonight, but he had to show her who was in charge here, and that she owed him respect. He would wait to see how long it took for her to concede.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Caterina was just finishing dressing, when she heard a low knock. She went over to the door and asked, "Who is it?" A voice she'd not heard before answered.

"It's Demetri. Felix sent me."

Caterina opened the door to find a handsome young man with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes holding a tray. She let him in and watched as he set the tray on the desk.

"Felix said you might be hungry."

"Demetri, is it? What if Marcus finds out you and Felix arranged for breakfast?"

"We'll probably be punished. Tell you what. Go ahead and start eating, I'll take the tray back, and no one will be the wiser."

She grinned, seeing a full hot breakfast on a plate. She removed the plate and utensils, and a cup filled with coffee, and handed the tray back to Demetri. As he headed for the door, Caterina said, "Thank you, and tell Felix I thank him as well. Please don't get caught."

Demetri gave the woman a smile and quietly left. What Caterina didn't know was, it was Marcus, not Felix, who had ordered breakfast be sent to her. He also wanted Demetri to meet her personally. If she ever tried to run away, he would be able to track her now.

Truthfully, Marcus felt bad about their misunderstanding, and he wanted to be sure she did not go another day hungry. Somehow he hoped to make things up to her. He still wanted her to clean his rooms and office, but not out of fear, and not with anger towards him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Making one more attempt at gaining her cooperation, Felix came to Caterina's room. She let him in with a smile, grateful for her one, maybe two, friends here.

"Good morning, Miss. Are you well? Did you enjoy breakfast?" He stood solidly in front of her, his hands folded in front of him.

"Yes, thank you. It was wonderful. And who is this Demetri? If he a friend of yours? He seemed very nice." She placed her hands on her head, huffing loudly. "All I want to do is get my time started and do my job so I can go home!"

Relieved, Felix asked, "Does this mean you will give Master Marcus another chance? He will see you whenever you're ready."

Surprised, Caterina thought a moment. She pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes! Let's get this out of the way." She ran to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and hair, applied a sheer layer of lip stain, and sat on the bed to put on her shoes. She stood and inhaled, then exhaled. "Lead the way, Felix."

The pair headed for Marcus's room, and one more chance to start on the right foot.

Once they came to the carved wooden doors, Felix went in first, then waited for Caterina to enter. He stepped outside, and was about to close the doors but not before Caterina hissed at him, "Don't leave me here alone." It was too late. She turned around and looked around the room. Then she saw Marcus enter from the bedroom.

"Please sit down. We will talk and only talk. No meal involved." Marcus held out his hand at the sofa. Once he saw Caterina seated there, he took his place on a nearby chair.

Caterina peered over at Marcus. He seemed less annoyed with her, filling her with a sense of relief.

When Marcus saw she wasn't going to say anything, he took the lead. "I will explain your duties to you now, and show you the way to my office, which you will also be responsible for keeping clean.

"Yes, sir," she replied, causing Marcus a moment's pause. She had called him 'sir'. "Please call me Marcus."

"Yes, Marcus."

Her formal tone did not please him. Perhaps Felix was right. A calmer, more friendly approach might help her relax towards him. Standing, Marcus asked her to accompany him to the bedroom.

"What?" she asked, her expression one of shocked indignation.

Marcus suppressed a smile. "So that I may show you what I expect you to do."

Caterina tilted her head, her expression unchanged.

"To clean," Marcus clarified, amused in the thoughts obviously running through her mind.

"Oh, alright then," she said, just wanting this interview to be over.

Marcus headed into the bedroom, Caterina following behind him. "This bed rarely gets used." He noticed pink suffuce her cheeks, making her even more attractive. "What I meant is I don't require much sleep. However, I want the bedspread kept dust free and straightened." He walked slpwly around the room, detailing her chores to keep his room acceptable. "And please, do not touch anything that is not included on the list of things to clean."

"No, Marcus! I would never snoop in your things. I am trustworthy."

He looked down at her, forcing himself not to grace her with a smile. "I know you are. Or you would not be here. Follow me now," he said, leaving the bedroom and going to the doors. He opened them allowing her to leave the ante-room first. Then he went into the corridor, closing them. They walked down the corridor together, when Marcus said, "Watch our path and memorize it, so you will know how to get to my office. Do not vary the path or you will get lost. This castle is large, with several floors. I would not want you to end up in areas you don't belong."

Once they arrived at his office, Marcus opened the door for her, and showed Caterina what he wanted her to do to satisfy his need for cleanliness.

She glanced around the large room, noticing his choices in art. She envied him the paintings and statuary he had displayed here.

"Come with me to the housekeepers' storage room. There you will find cleaning solutions, rags, aprons, and buckets."

"Marcus, when is the best time for me to begin my day's chores?"

"I will give you time to get ready and have your breakfast which is served every day at eight o'clock. You will eat with the rest of the staff in the kitchen. Is that all right with you?"

"Of course! I'd love to meet other staff here, even I'm not staying for long."

Marcus heard her words. If his heart was beating, he would have felt it tighten within his chest. She was still eager to leave.

"Begin at nine o'clock. If I'm working at my desk or am absent, feel free to do your duties. Only if I am lying on the bed, reading or resting, take care of the office first, then return to my rooms. Once your duties have been completed, you're done for the day."

He hoped with time, she would change her mind and decide to stay with him. He was already drawn to her, and not just because she could be his savior. But in the end, it had to be her choice, for both of them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Over the next week, Caterina began to learn a routine. She met the other staff who worked in the castle for breakfast, then proceeded to do her day's work. She was slightly annoyed that Marcus' behavior towards her was still impersonal, but she tried not to let it get to her. After all, she would be gone soon. She worked hard to impress her employer so that she would be released soon, her obligation fulfilled. She had dared ask him once if she could call her father and he had brusquely refused. Caterina accepted his reply, wanting to avoid feeling depressed.

She enjoyed cleaning Marcus' office, able to take the time to examine the artwork there. She had not yet asked him if they were geniune or copies. Feeling he was wealthy, it was more and more unlikely they were fakes.

When her chores were done, she would talk with Felix or Demetri, asking about the people who lived here. Where they related? Was it some kind of club or cult? Both men were ready with answers to her questions, maybe too ready, as if they had rehearsed their replies. While she found Felix caring about her needs, behaving more like a friend, Demetri tended to flirt with her. She didn't mind as he was rather handsome, but that was not why she was here. Still, he was much better than Guiseppe. Demetri did not smoke or drink alcohol, and smelled so good. Pushing those thoughts from her head, she admitted she was finding herself more comfortable here.

One day, having finished her work earlier than normal, Caterina wandered from the supply room down the corridor Felix had earlier led her, taking her back to her room. She took a side corridor, curious about seeing areas he had not shown her. There were double doors on either side, all closed and all locked. She finally came to one door, finding it unlocked. She pushed it open and saw a room with very little furniture. It was dark and obviously wasn't being lived in. The only light was the ambient sunlight streaming through two windows. Sitting in the center of the room was a round table measuring about five feet across. Sitting on the table was a marble bust of a beautiful young woman. Next to it was a crystal vase holding one perfect pink rose.

It was almost as if someone had created a tribute, probably to the woman the carved bust represented. Caterina bent to look at the bust. The work was exquisite. Her fingers glided over the cool marble as she traced the cheeks, the eyes, and the lips. She moved to the vase, and sniffed the sweet fragrance of the rose. Who was this woman, and who had arranged the display?

The door suddenly opened, a shadow falling over Caterina. Squinting, she stood straight and saw it was Marcus.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice low and rumbling.

Caterina began to tremble. "I'm sorry. I was just looking around and I found this room."

"You do not belong in here. Get out now!" Marcus, in his anger at the unwanted intrusion, moved toward Caterina. "OUT!

She backed away slowly, before turning and running out the door. She ran down the corridor, but became hopelessly lost and ended up at a door that led outside. She saw a driveway, and a wrought iron gate. This must be where the cars leave from and re-enter the castle grounds. She ran up to the gate and pulled one side open, running out to the street that led to the main road into the village.

She couldn't go home. That would be the first place they would look for her. Perhaps if she could get to a business that might let her use their phone, she could call her father to come pick her up. They had relatives in Genoa who would be able to hide them, if they could get there.

Caterina looked back at the palazzo. For a few days, it had finally become pleasant. Until Marcus' angry display. She decided she just couldn't stay there anymore, feeling it wasn't safe for her. She had to get home, so she ran.

The tall man in black led Caterina through the back doors, shutting them once she was inside. "Follow me," was all he said. They proceeded down a long corridor, passing spaced apart doors, some open, some closed, until he stopped in front of one. "This will be your room." He opened the door, letting Caterina pass through first. He came after, setting her bags on a large bed covered in a soft comforter. "Stay here," he said. "Someone will come for you later to bring you to meet Master Marcus. Please, do not try to leave your room, at least not without someone to escort you." He then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Caterina looked around at what she hoped was her temporary home. She tested the bed with her hand, finding it firm but not too hard. There was a side table with a lamp, a desk that sat in the left corner, a wardrobe against the far right wall, and double doors that opened onto a Juliet balcony. Leaving them open, she walked to another door to find a nice sized bathroom with a bath/shower combination. Toiletries were arranged on the sink's countertop. Towels were hanging on a rack, with others folded on a shelf beneath the sink. It was far from the spartan room she had expected, and much nicer than what she had at home.

She thought of her father and felt a sudden melancholy. She hadn't been gone long, yet missed him already. She hoped he would be able to manage without her. Caterina decided it would do her no good to cry, that she just had to get the debt paid off as soon as possible so she could go home. She had noticed during her inspection the lack of a phone in her room. Her father could not afford a cell phone so they managed with the less than modern technology of a landline. Still, she hoped her employer would let her call home once in a while.

Caterina left the bathroom and walked back to the bed to unpack her clothing. When she opened the wardrobe door, she found some clothes already there. There were extra hangers for her use, so she hung up her shirts and a couple of plain dresses, then packed her pants and underthings in the drawers. Her hands brushed over the pieces already there, surprised to find they didn't feel inexpensive. How did they even know her size, she wondered. Tucking her bags into the back corner of the wardrobe, she went to lie down on the bed. She would nap until someone came for her.

Guiseppe had come to Mario's cottage to see Caterina. He had become besotted of her the first time he had seen her at the farmer's market held in the village every weekend. Her long brown hair and hazel eyes had instantly entranced him. It was then he decided he would have her for his wife. Unfortunately, she had no such feelings about him. He was a brute in her eyes, uninterested in anything but hunting. He would spends days off in the countryside, looking for prey to bring home. He would brag to her about the animals he would catch to bring home, with a vision of Caterina preparing them for his meals. She was disgusted by Guiseppe however. He always smelled of tobacco, beer, and sweat. He hated reading, and she feared if she was forced to marry him, he would take away all her books. Being here and away from him was the only good thing about her servitude to this Master Marcus.

When Caterina awoke, she noticed the shadows in her room had lengthened. She looked at the clock to see it was after 3:00 pm. When she rubbed her eyes, her stomach also reminded her of the time. She was hungry, but where to find food. She'd been told she would get to eat before meeting her taskmaster.

There was a knock on her door, prompting Caterina to run to the bathroom to wash her face and run the brush through her hair. She straightened her clothing and went to the door, opening it. It was the tall silent man who had showed her to her room.

"Hello, miss. I was told to take you to the kitchen now, if you're..."

"Hungry. Yes, I am, thank you." She slipped on her shoes and smiled up at the man. "What is your name, if I may ask."

"I'm Felix. Come this way." He led her down corridor after corridor. How would she learn the maze of this place if she was supposed to be cleaning it? What she did like was the number of paintings she saw hanging on the walls as they passed by. Were they real or mere copies? She'd have to ask Master Marcus when she met with him.

"Felix, when will I be meeting Master Marcus?"

"You will meet him when he calls for you." After passing through a wider corridor, Caterina saw a large room to her left. It was brightly lit, the sun coming through skylights lining a large dome. There were pillars all around, and in the time it took to pass the open doors, she saw words in Latin lining the upper portion near the ceiling. She hoped to get the royal tour of this place. What little she saw so far was proving to be fascinating.

Finally, the pair reached the kitchen. A man wearing a full apron asked her to take a seat at a long table. He set a plate in front of her. "If you want more, just ask, miss."

"Did you cook all this? It looks delicious." She noticed Felix standing just inside the kitchen door. "You're not eating?"

"I have already eaten," Felix said, lookig straight ahead. When he thought the human was not looking, he would sneak a glance at the master's new housekeeper.

Giving a small shrug, Caterina started her meal of roast beef, new potatoes, steamed vegetables, and fresh hot bread. Everything tasted wonderful, and she found herself devouring her food quickly. When the chef had seen she'd finished, he offered her a large piece of chocolate cake with a glass of cold milk. Caterina noticed plates lined up on the counter being filled with food by someone else. So there were other staff members here, but then, why did she have to eat alone?

She also assumed those who lived here didn't eat in the kitchen. There must be a separate dining room for them. It just made her want to be given a tour of the castle all the more. But, no, that would not be possible. After all, she was just another worker here, no better than a servant.

Once she finished her dessert, she thanked the man she assumed was the chef and went over to Felix. "I'm done. Now what?"

"I'll take you to Master Marcus."

Caterina followed Felix out of the kitchen and back into the maze of corridors. She realized her hands were trembling. She was finally going to meet the man who had taken her from her father and her home without any consideration. "Felix, what kind of man is Master Marcus?"

"Just be respectful, answer any questions truthfully, and do what you're told."

Well, that told her what was expected of her, not what he was like. She held hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. Sometimes, she would accompany her father to the market, and meeting their customers was part of the fun. Never had she been so afraid to meet someone until now.

Felix stopped at a set of double doors made of heavily carved wood. He reached up with a hand and knocked. A voice came from inside the room, telling them to enter. Opening the doors, Felix stepped aside for his young charge to go in, then shut the doors and waited outside.

When Caterina entered the room behind Felix, she saw a tall man but one not quite as tall as her escort. He was in the center of the ante-room, standing impossibly straight in a plain black suit with a black shirt and tie, his hands behind his back. She glanced down at the rug on the floor, afraid to look up at him, but long, cold fingers moved beneath her chin, forcing her to look up. It was then she saw he had long dark hair and skin so pale, he must never go out into the sun. His brown eyes gazed at her with no evident emotion.

Talking an involuntary step backwards, Caterina decided she had to be brave, and show it. It wouldn't do to have this man think he could walk all over her.

Marcus walked around the young woman, satisfied with her appearance. He wondered what her personality was like. As long as she wasn't uneducated, frightened to the point of being useless, or too defiant, he would let her stay. How many other servants had been dismissed, permanently, due to incompetence or their constant inclination to run away? None had proven defiant though, once the fear took over.

He decided she was pretty enough and strong too, thus acceptable. He was glad to see she was not some ill-fed waif. "Tonight, you will dine with me. Seven o'clock. Be ready promptly. Felix will bring you to me."

She flinched at what sounded like an order. So this is what she was going to have to deal with.

"I will tell you then what I expect of you as far as your duties are concerned. You will be my personal maid. We have staff to take care of the palazzo, so you will be responsible for me and my rooms alone. Anyway, we will talk about this later. Have you any questions?"

"Not at the moment, sir...uh ...Master Marcus. I'm yours to do whatever work you require of me, for the time I'm here." There, so at least he knows she doesn't plan on staying forever.

"Very well, that will do for now, Caterina. We will talk later." Marcus stood before the woman, detecting some spirit within her, but he was not surprised at her initial timidity. Humans, like animals, had some innate sense to not trust his kind. He abruptly turned his back on her and walked to his bedroom.

So she was being dismissed? At least he knew her name. Caterina hadn't known if she should introduce herself, since he hadn't asked her for it. Felix came in, oddly knowing when the audience was over. She followed him out into the corridor.

Felix gave her an encouraging smile and led her back to her room. "I think you will do fine. Master Marcus is not the easiest to serve. Kindness is not a strong point, but he has endured much over the cen...over time. He can have fits of anger as well. Avoid those if you can."

Caterina nodded absently, her mind filled with a mix of emotions. Curiosity, interest, excitement, and yes, fear.

Marcus paced in his bedroom, thinking about his new maidservant. She was better than he had expected. Perhaps he would be able to create a bond between them in time, and she would agree to stay with him. No one before her had proven to be suitable. Marcus wanted this to work. He needed it to work.

Sitting in his favourite chair, the vampire contemplated his fate. His human existence in Greece had been cursed by a powerful witch many hundreds of years ago. when he had insulted her by refusing her hospitality during a night storm. The result was she had taken his humanity away and turned him into a vrykolakas, a vampire.

If you choose to show no compassion to anyone, your heart will cease to beat, yet you will live on as a creature who must feed off the humans you so callously ignored. You will remain alone in your life, unloved by anyone. Until such time you find a woman who can accept you as you are, one for whom you can feel true love, this will be your existence.

Marcus wasn't alone. He was with his brothers in blood, Aro and Caius. The Guard protected them and this castle, as well as patrolled the vampire world to keep their kind in line. But he was a lonely man who longed for the touch of a woman, someone to talk with, someone with whom to share his existence. Would Caterina be the one?

Mario Cassiani was a modest man, a simple man. He owned a small farm outside Volterra's village where he grew vegetables that he would later bring to the village farmer's market to sell. His wife of 37 years had passed after a long illness, but he had his beloved daughter Caterina, who had just turned twenty years of age to keep him company. She was not only beautiful, but was also a great reader. He feared for her that some ignorant man would ask for her hand, and her intelligence would go to waste. Mario knew it was more difficult for women to get educations. Wives and mothers, that was the goal for most woman in the city.

Today was Saturday, and after kissing Caterina goodbye, Mario headed to the market, his old van filled with his produce. He hoped to get a good price for all his goods so that he could use a bit of the money to buy Caterina a gift. She was a kind-hearted young woman who asked for nothing of her father. She had taken care of him since the death of her mother, keeping their cottage clean and their meals cooked. As long as she was able to borrow books from the local library, she was happy.

As dusk approached, Mario was pleased to see his entire stock of vegetables sold. Before leaving, he checked the used book seller's stall to see if he could find something for Caterina. After browsing for a few minutes, he found a travel book of places to visit around the world. If she was not able to travel herself, perhaps she would enjoy reading about the places, and dream of making that desire a reality.

On the drive home, he saw the old Palazzo dei Priori to his right, the tower's fading shadow looming over the piazza below. He passed the old stone wall that extended the length of the castle grounds, and saw a hole. Through the hole, the branch of a bush had pushed through. On the branch grew a beautiful red rose. Mario knew Caterina would love the bloom, so he stopped the van and went to the wall. Surely the owners would not mind if a rose not visible from inside was cut. Mario did just that, pulling a small pocket knife from his pants and cut the rose as far up the branch as possible. Smiling, he walked back to the van, when he felt a breeze fluff his hair.

Standing in front of Mario was a tall man with long dark hair and dark eyes that glared down at him.

"Who said you could take my roses?" he demanded. "I saw you from my room up there." He looked up at the castle, where a window was built into the old stone wall of this wing of the castle.

Mario was afraid, but he tried to reason with the tall stranger. "I did not take your roses, sir. There was just this one sticking out from the yard through that hole. I didn't think anyone would mind. I only wanted to take it home to my daughter, Caterina."

"My roses are very important to me. No one may cut them without my express permission. You will have to pay a penalty for this crime."

Mario's hand began to shake. He offered the rose to the man, apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry. Please, I will pay you for the rose, if you wish."

The tall man gazed at Mario, his eyes oddly lightening, but now appearing red. It must be the fading sunset causing the change in colour. Mario waited until finally the man spoke. "You say you have a daughter. How old is she?"

"My Caterina is just twenty years, sir."

"Very well. Bring her here tomorrow evening. Park at the back near the wrought iron gate. She will work off your debt to me, here at the castle. You may take her home when I say she may leave."

Mario was afraid for his daughter. Being that she was beautiful, he feared what this man might try to do to her if he found her desirable. And how long would she be required to stay here. "Let me pay for the rose, or let me work for you, sir. I will gladly toil in your garden or clean the castle. Please do not ask for my Caterina."

"It is decided. Bring her here tomorrow at dusk, or pay the penalty with your life. Go now, and spend time with your daughter while you can." As an after thought, he added, "You may give her the rose."

Mario bent his head to the man. When he had raised his head, he saw the man had left without a sound.

Getting into his van, he held in the tears he felt threatening his vision. It wouldn't do for him to have an accident while driving home. Reaching up, he rubbed his eyes with one hand, clearing them so he could see. "My poor Caterina. What will become of you because of your father's unthinking actions?"

Once he reached his home, he went inside, and was greeted by his daughter.

"Hello, papa. Welcome home. I have your supper waiting." After giving her father a hug, Caterina fluttered around the kitchen, preparing their plates.

Mario handed Caterina the red rose, trying to smile. "This is for you, my dear. Oh, and this too." He handed her the book, wishing he had been satisfied with that.

"You must have done well at the market, papa." She looked at the cover of the book, and grinned. "A travel book. Oh, I love it. And the flower is so beautiful. Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek, then set about getting his meal on a plate, setting it on the kitchen table.

After washing his hands at the kitchen sink, he sat at the table and looked down at the plate of food. How was he going to tell his only child that she was going to have to leave her home tomorrow to work for some strange man in the village, at the castle of all places.

"Caterina, I need to tell you that the man who owned this rose caught me taking it, and now demands payment."

His daughter sat at the table, her own plate in front of her. "Papa, what do you mean you owe him payment. For a mere flower?"

"It seems he is very protective of his garden. I never should have taken it. And now he wants you to work off the debt he has in mind. You will stay at the castle and do as the residents say until such time they allow you to return home to me."

"Papa, I'm frightened. Why is this asked of me?"

"Child, I offered my services, but was refused. I even offered to pay for the rose, but was told no. I don't know what else to do." He took her hand in his. "I'm sure they will treat you well. They would not risk me going to the police if any harm were to come to you."

Caterina bowed her head, holding back the tears that wanted to flow down her cheeks. She held her father's hand with both hers. Trying to appear brave, she said, "I will do as you say, papa. I promise to make you proud, and don't worry. I won't allow anyone to hurt me." She gave him a wink and sniffled a smile.

Mario kissed her hands, grateful he had such a wonderful daughter. Forcing themselves to forget about tomorrow, they ate and talked about their day, the amount of money Mario had earned at the market, and why he chose the book he had bought for her.

The next morning, Caterina had packed a bag of clothing, unsure as to the length of her imposed stay. She imagined she could wash things out if she was there longer than she expected. The price of a rose in exchange for her labour could not be that long of a time. She had a smaller bag for her toiletries and her new book. She left the house, and headed to the driveway, her father already waiting for her in the van.

Mario was surprised Caterina was not crying. How brave his child was in the face of the unknown. "Are you all right, dearest?"

"Yes, papa. I will look at it as an adventure. I have never been out of Volterra, but...well, this is different at least." She sat looking straight ahead. She feared if she looked at her father, she would break down. "I'll be home before you know it."

The drive to the village didn't take very long, and he did as he had been instructed, parking at the back gate. A very tall man dressed in black was obviously waiting for them at the gate. When he saw Mario park the van, he opened the gate and waited for Caterina to exit the van while Mario gathered her bags. He handed them to the tall silent man when he held out his hands for them, easily carrying them as if they weighed nothing.

Caterina hugged her father one last time, kissing his cheek. "I will be all right, papa. Perhaps they'll let me call you." She stepped back, determined not to cry, and turned to the tall man. "I'm ready now," she said to him, following him through the castle's back doors. She gave her father one last look, blowing him a kiss, then went inside.

Aro has called for you to come to the throne room because you're told he has something to ask you. When you get there, you see the three masters, including your mate Marcus, sitting on their thrones. You run up the steps to his side and kiss him, making a facial expression that silently asks him 'What's going on?'. You see him shrug in reply.

"My dear, will you come over here please?" Aro asks of you.

"Yes, Aro. Of course." You walk over to his chair and see he is reading a white card.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks, holding the card out to you.

You reach out to take the card from Aro. Seeing it is an invitation, you can't help but smile. "This should have come to me, Aro. It's from friends in America. I couldn't very well give them my exact address, so used general delivery. Just call me 'resident'."

"It appears to be an invitation, but to what, my dear?" he asks.

You look down for a moment, trying to figure out how to describe the reason for the invitation. "Aro, there is a holiday in America called Halloween."

Not surprised, the Volturi master explains, "It is celebrated here as well, more in recent decades."

You look askance at Aro. "Do you celebrate Halloween?" you ask, thinking it would be interesting if vampires celebrated the holiday, the day when the lines between the living and the dead blurred. But you believe Aro and the others are not dead.

"Of course not, but it has caught on among humans who look for any excuse for a party. There is generally a festival in the piazza for the children and their families, but why would we attend?"

"Why, indeed." You look down at the Volturi, clarifying. "Aro, this is an adult party with costumes and dancing and food. And a few tricks, I imagine. A friend of mine who has a little money is putting on the party at her modest mansion in California."

"And you would like to go." Aro stares at you, knowing the answer before you can respond.

"Well, yes, since Marcus will soon be changing me, and I'll no longer be able to share my world with you nor will I be able to see my friends."

"Not meant as an insult, I do understand your love for childish doings, dear one."

"Oh, but adults have taken over, and they enjoy their own form of festivities." You give him your version of puppy eyes, and you smile when you see him relent with his typical overdramatic sigh.

"Very well, send a reply to your friends. Tell them we will all be there, along with our mates. Just give the secretary the details and I will see to the jet to get us to America, and a limousine that will await us at the nearest airport..."

"LAX," you pop up. "That's the Los Angeles airport."

"Very well," Aro says.

"And um...you and the wives will need costumes. Couples...costumes."

Aro laughs. "Costumes. It might be fun after all."

"I can show you an online catalogue so you and Caius may choose, with Sulpicia's and Dora's input as well."

The master who sees himself to be in charge waves his hand. "Yes, yes, of course. Now you go with Marcus and make your own choices. Thank you, my dear, for sharing your very human experiences with us." He kisses you on your cheek and sends you off to the secretary in the reception area.

As you leave the room with Marcus at your side, you hear Aro muse aloud to Caius, "What costumes shall we wear?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the early morning on the day of the party, you and Marcus meet Aro at the foot of the staircase leading from the tower rooms, and wait for the others to join you.

"Aro, you look fabulous as the Mad Hatter," you tell him while you walk around the vampire leader. "Your face is already suitably pale, and the colour around your eyes is to perfection. The wig is just right, and the costume..."

"Yes, yes, my dear, I look wonderful." He gives you a grin, satisfied, if you are.

"You did watch the videos I saved for you?"

"Of course. I know how to act the part. I will be splendid, you'll see."

Marcus stands behind you, his hands on your waist. You can hear him inhaling your scent, so you lean back against him.

"You look so handsome, my love," you tell him, looking up at him over your shoulder. "We make quite the Roaring Twenties Italian mobster and his moll, don't we."

Unable to help himself, Marcus leans in to kiss your neck, sending goosebumps down your arms. "You are a delightful vision yourself, my heart." After Marcus kisses you, you turn within his embrace and throw your feather boa around him, drawing him even closer.

Just then, Caius comes downstairs with his mate, Athenodora, on his arm.

"Caius, you're going as...vampires? Gothic vampires? Seriously?" you exclaim. You have to admit, the Goth look plays up their natural beauty. Dora looks so different from the woman you know her to be.

"Yes, how do you like it? I thought it would be easier to pretend to be what we are, vampires. We won't have to wear contacts for one thing."

"Well, actually you do look quite attractive." You sigh at the tempting picture Caius makes, but go to his mate, giving her a sisterly hug. "Dora, you look absolutely beautiful, a perfect match for Caius. I see you both found suitable wigs, and the black costumes suit you." Dora is attired in a long black dress, her hair now a burgundy colour. Caius wears a black suit, the jacket long but not quite to his knees. He has donned a black wig as well which you think is perfect.

You peer closer as you admire them, now noticing a strange affectation. "Caius...fangs?"

Pulling them off, he replies, "And here I thought you'd like them. It would have been easier if we had fangs, so we would not have had to glue these on," he groused. "They may last a while since they're made of porcelain, but eventually the venom will make them unwearable." He tucks them into a small box where another pair sits, with a small bottle of dental glue. He then gives Dora a kiss. "Sei una vera bellezza, amore mio."

"Well, you both look perfectly dark and menacing," you say, seeing a cold smile form on Caius' face. At least he's happy with his choice in costume, you think. Has the usually blonde vampire ever been so hot?

You are luckily distracted by Sulpicia descending the stairs. Aro goes to wait at the base of the staircase, holding out his hand for his mate. "You look delightful, my sweet," he says, bending over her extended hand, kissing the top. Then he pulls her close and kisses her naturally red lips.

Sulpicia cups Aro's face with one flawless hand, whispering, "Il mio compagno perfetto."

You wait for the couple to finish greeting each other, then go to her. "Your costume is perfect, Sulpicia. You really look like the Alice of Wonderland of the film, and I adore the stuffed bunny." You smile, rubbing the soft stuffed animal she carries. You give the vampire queen a kiss on each cheek. "Your wig looks marvelous as well, but I love your beautiful brunette hair."

"As do I, dear, but this is just a costume. Doesn't Aro look splendid though." She openly admires her mate, who smiles back at her.

You rarely see Aro and Caius with their mates. It pleases you they actually seem to care about each other. Having no desire to upset either wife over the familiarity their husbands have taken with you, their displays of affection make you feel better.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The flight to Los Angeles is a bit long, but you visit with the wives, play chess with Marcus, and also eat and nap, something the vampires do`n't need to do. On touchdown, a limousine is waiting for you. You look out the window at the passing scenery, missing America. The car reaches the Bel Air area, spotted with mansions that rival the palazzo you now call home.

When you arrive at your friend's house, everyone gets out to be greeted at the double front doors by their hosts.

"Tracy, it's so good to see you," you say with excitement as you hug your friend and her husband, David. You introduce them to your companions, glad it's dark out, but they easily hide behind their costumes.

Once inside, you're shown to a small ballroom where music is playing, courtesy of a DJ. Your friend leads you to the buffet that makes you hungry all over again, but of course, it doesn't appeal to the Volturi. Still, they have already managed to enthrall your friends and their guests with their vampiric allure.

"They are a bit strange, but I like them," she whispers to you.

You laugh, but say, "They're quite influential back home. And I am completely in love with my fiance Marcus."

"Pleased to meet you, Marcus. You must make my friend very happy. I see it on her face. I'm so happy for you both." She gives you another hug, then says, "I had better go greet the new arrivals. Please, enjoy yourselves and as always, my friend, make yourself at home. I have missed you."

You slide an arm around your mate. "She likes you," you say proudly, smiling.

The music infects not only you, but the five Volturi as well. As if free for the first time in a long while, they are enjoying mixing with humans. You hadn't heard one crack or complaint from them, not even Caius. The wives were definitely taking pleasure in being admired by the male humans around them, even dancing with a few they consider worthy. And yet, neither Aro nor Caius appear jealous. You were afraid at first, but everyone is just having fun. You remind yourself to thank them later for their restraint.

The song 'Slept so long' from the film Queen of the Damned comes over the speakers. You didn't think any of the vampires in the room had seen the film. You're surprised the DJ has such a mix of music in his repertoire, but you love it. A slow jazz one song, hard rock the next.

Your feather boa is draped around your neck, your long cigarette holder in your hand. You start to circle Marcus, attempting to show him that you can seduce him with your own form of aliure. You shimmy your hips as you dance, parts of your dress moving with you. You see his eyes darkening and tone back. It would not do to have him take you here on the dance floor.

Later, during a slower dance, Marcus holds you just tightly enough, as you both twirl on the floor. You looked up into his temporarily brown eyes, smiling. Your mate had not left your side all evening, even when you told him he could dance with others.

"Marcus, I noticed the others are dancing and talking with the humans here. Why don't you mingle?"

"I am content to be with you, my heart. There is no other for me." He leaned in to kiss you deeply, making your heart beat faster.

You look across the room to see Caius speaking to a woman while Dora dances with a human male. When you see Caius bare his fake fangs and lean into the woman's neck, you stepped back from Marcus and walked quickly over to the blonde vampire, crying out his name.

"Caius, don't!" By the time you get there, Caius and the woman are staring at you like you're insane.

"Sister, what the hell! I was only teasing with this woman. I wasn't really going to bite her," he hisses.

The woman in Caius' arms laughs nervously. "I had better go find my husband. It was a pleasure to meet you...Dracula." She left quickly, not looking back.

"Dracula, indeed! Sister, you ruined my fun, and almost drew more attention to me than if I had bitten her."

You apologize to him. "I'm sorry, Caius. It just looked like...from over there, it seemed...I'm so sorry. I should trust you more."

Marcus came up behind you, placing his arm around your shoulder. "Is everything all right here?"

"Yes, Marcus, my fault. I guess seeing you all acting so normal around humans, I keep expecting a shoe to fall." You give Caius a kiss on his cheek. "Forgive me?"

"Of course. Just relax. I won't harm any of your friends' guests, I promise." He gives you a smile and wink.

"Thank you, Caius." You hear a loud series of cackles, and turn to see Aro entertaining a small group with his typical humour. He is the Mad Hatter to perfection.

"Marcus, can we get something to drink?" You and your mate head for the bar, where you ask for a glass of wine. Without warning, the lights in the mansion go out. You smile, thinking it's just a prank being played by your hosts.

In the darkened room, Aro and Caius, along with Sulpicia and Dora, flash over to you. "Something is very wrong, my dear. Stay near our mates. Marcus, guard them."

You start to speak, "Aro, what is going on?", but he and Caius are gone, having flashed to the other side of the ballroom, safe with their speed before the humans' eyes become accustomed to the dark.

The party's hostess comes over the loudspeakers and asks everyone to stay in place, that there has probably been a circuit breaker overload due to the amount of power being used. But when you look up at Marcus, he subtly shakes his head. You lean into him, suddenly afraid.

Marcus sniffs the air. "I smell the stench of wolf."

"A werewolf?" you ask, holding onto your mate, your eyes peering blindly into the dark.

Guests are staying close to each other, their voices murmuring in confusion. The doors to the patio fly open when two bodies hurl through them. Caius is in his vampire clothing, now torn but he is minus his cloak, while the werewolf has his hands around the vampire's throat. Aro is close behind, attempting to come between the two battling creatures.

By now, the guests think that this is a show being put on by their hosts, and begin to cheer for one or the other of the combatants. Aro's hat has fallen off his head, hiding his identity. All the group sees is someone in a werewolf costume fighting two men.

"Marcus, is this...real?" you ask, holding onto his arm. The wives are also holding each other's hands, their eyes showing fear for their mates.

"Should we warn our hosts?" You fear Aro and Caius will fail, and the werewolf will look to the guests as victims. Your life with the Volturi has made you aware the world was not what you thought, and the supernatural was real.

"No, it would be best to let them remain in ignorance. Aro and Caius will take care of things." Marcus can see clearly the advantage his brothers have over the single werewolf. The animal is missing an arm, but is still able to inflict damage on his vampire attackers. Growls are heard outside, but you can't tell who is doing the growling.

"Our presence must have drawn it to this place," Marcus says. "Now you see they are real, my love. Caius was nearly destroyed by their kind long ago."

When someone flashes to your side, you think it is Aro or Caius, but your vision clears enough to see it's a stranger's face looking at you. "Marcus?"

Your mate is back at your side, gently pushing you behind him. "Who are you and why are you here?" Marcus demands, knowing this man to be one of them.

The nomad explains, "I am the one the werewolf was hunting. I hid in this place after seeing the lights and crowd, and borrowed this costume."

"Did you kill the owner?" you hiss at the stranger through gritted teeth. You hear no reply. "You should be out there fighting the beast, not our coven members!"

You see your friend coming into the ballroom with several flashlights, handing them out. "Marcus, this needs to end. We can come up with some excuse or sneak out in the dark."

"They've taken the creature outside. It will be destroyed, the evidence gotten rid of." Marcus notices the nomad has vanished and tells you. He hears Aro taking care of him, removing the head easily before tearing his limbs off the torso. They can't light a fire so near the mansion, so instead, make sure the body parts are buried far apart.

"In any case, we have got to get out of here too," you say, while watching your friend.

Now that the "entertainment" is apparently over, the crowd breaks up, many heading for the bar.

You hear Aro talking near you. "The car is waiting out front. We should depart now." No one argues, and all six of you head for the front door before your hosts notice you're leaving.

Once you're in the limousine, you assess the damage. Aro has cracks on his face and arms, while Caius is missing a hand.

"Oh my god, Caius, you're hurt!" you exclaim. You see Dora is already helping him, ripping the sleeve of his costume, letting him bathe the end of the dismembered hand with his own venom where he will press it to his arm, Dora ready to wrap it firmly with the torn fabric.

Knowing his life had almost been lost at the hands of one of these creatures, his courage impresses you, since it was Caius who first threw himself at the creature.

Caius sees the way you look at him. "This is my mission. It never ends, not until every last werewolf is destroyed. The fact I eradicated another one gives me great satisfaction, sister."

"And what about the other vampire, the nomad," you ask.

Aro kisses Sulpicia's hand that has been stroking his face. "That one will be no bother to anyone again."

You're proud of your new brothers for having saved your friends' guests. You see them as heroes, even if they aren't particularly fond of humans.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The private jet takes off from the Los Angeles airport, allowing you to feel relief. You're sure Tracy will wonder where you have gone, but once you're home, you will never need to explain anything to her. You will probably never be returning to America again.

You sit on the long sofa, your mate's arm around you. Marcus smiles when he feels you snuggle into him. You watch as Dora pampers Caius, and Sulpicia is sitting next to Aro, their hands joined. You are tired, but everything worked out, you and your family are safe, and you're on your way home.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Aro...Caius."

"Do not worry, my dear," Aro tells you, feeling like a contented victor. "We have not had such excitement in a very long while. It validates our existence."

"Is my life always going to be this exciting?" you ask Marcus, your breathing more relaxed.

"I think not, but if it keeps you occupied, I will see what I can do."

You smile and sigh, nestling against Marcus, your eyes closing.

Marcus sees your smile and kisses your temple, letting you sleep as the jet heads home for Volterra.

A/N : Thanks for costume ideas from @Sparklybuildingsdesign88 -Marcus and his mate as a Roaring 20s gangster and his moll. And @Kimvolturicullen -Caius and Dora as a vampire and his mate, and Aro and Sulpicia as the Mad Hatter and Alice.

"Master Aro called for me first this time, Demetri," Felix taunted the tracker of the coven, who was presumably the best tracker in the world.

"I don't see why. You lumber around like a bovine, and have the mind of one," Demetri hissed back.

"Humpf, tossing around university-level words. Just because I was a gladiator and never went to university..."

"A bovine is a cow, Felix. Hardly a university-level word," Demetri said, knowing he had struck a nerve.

"So I never worked on a farm. Still, I get to hold the robe," the tall vampire gloated.

"What, now you're the Cullen's fashion coordinator?"

"And you spend two hours working on your hair. YOUR HAIR! I'd be as wealthy as the masters if I just invested in hair gel stock."

"But I make it look good," the tracker replied, smirking at his fellow guard member.

"You make it look ridiculous," Felix retorted before he laughed.

"Shut up, Felix!"

"When we were in the elevator, you were totally scoping out the Cullens' human pet," Felix spoke his accusation aloud.

"I was not!" Demetri denied vehemently.

"What then, you were scoping out Edward Cullen?" Felix teased.

"Absolutely not!"

"I saw you looking in their direction." Felix smirked.

"Nope." Demetri refused to give Felix a glance.

"Well, you weren't looking at Alice Cullen. You should have. She's a sweet dish," Felix said, not without some admiration.

"I wasn't interested in the human or Alice Cullen," Demetri replied, trying to sound bored.

"And you spoke to her. We're never to speak to humans, as per Master Aro's orders."

"I only said..."

"Then Jane put you in your place, didn't she," Felix laughed. " 'Or dessert', she said, after you told the human Gianna would be changed. Little Jane correcting the big bad tracker."

"Shut up, Felix."

Felix stepped on Demetri's heel, trying to get him to trip. "Going to make me dessert, Dem?"

"Shut up, Felix!"

Demetri turned to the right to see the tall guard on his knees in pain. It was all the tracker could do to hold in his laughter. So who put whom in whose place?

"Shut up, Felix," Demetri said, rolling his eyes while Felix screamed in agony.

"At least I impress the Cullens with my clothing. Your pants could use a tailor. Sloppy, Felix, sloppy."

Felix looked down at his bunched up slacks. As tall as he was, his slacks were too long. "Delusional, Demetri, to think they were looking at your clothes. You're just a fashion queen. Everyone knows it, Poser"

"Shut up, Felix."

After destroying Toshiro....

"Hey, Felix."

"Yes, Demetri."

"I know I talk a lot."

"Yes, you do."

"What I mean to say is..."

My name is Allie Carson. I was an American who had lived in Washington state all my life. It was a fairly normal life, that is, until I met Caius. He was handsome, almost regal in his carriage, rude when it suited him, and an old-fashioned gentleman when he chose to be. I could tell right off he was...different.

I had bumped into him on the street, literally. He had been sent, he later told me, to keep an eye on a local family here in Forks.

"Are you a cop or FBI agent? I asked him, curious.

"Nothing so mundane," he replied curtly. "Why do you care?"

I ignored the snark. "Mundane? Now you have me really interested. I would never say the work of a detective or an agent of the government was mundane."

He only smirked, which intrigued me more. I told him I was on my way to have lunch at a local diner and asked him to join me. He agreed after looking around the main street. I briefly wondered what he was looking for, but by the time we reached the diner, my mind was on the hamburger lunch deal my stomach was demanding.

We sat at a table, and the waitress came by with two glasses of water. She set them down and took out her pad. "Hello, Allie, I see you found a friend. Stranger around these parts?" she asked Caius, her eyes obviously admiring him. "What can I get you both?"

"Marsha, I'll have the hamburger lunch deal, with a Coke." I looked at my impromptu companion. "Can I get you anything...uh?"

"Caius," he said, finally smiling.

"Caius? Ok then, Caius...did you want anything?"

"No, thank you. I've eaten already," he replied, leaning back against his chair.

There was that smirk again. "I guess I'm the only one eating, Marsha." After she went to put in my order, I looked the blonde man over. "Caius is a strange name."

"It's an old family name. I rather like it," he said.

"Oh, I do too. Unusual names run in my family. Even though I ended up with 'Allison', dad once told me he wanted to name me Athena, but mom objected."

"The Greek goddess," he said knowingly.

"Are your parents historians or something? Your name, the fact you instantly recognized one of the Greek gods."

"Actually, I am a historian so to speak. I...read a lot about history. Do you like history as well?"

I was so impressed to meet someone like Caius. Here in Forks, the library had minimal books on ancient history, so I had to buy a lot of used books online. "Yes, I love history, I don't even care what era. It all interests me."

His brilliant blue eyes lit up at my words, so I must have said something right. Just then, Marsha came by with my lunch plate and a glass of Coke.

"Here you go, Allie." She turned to Caius, asking him, "Sure you don't want anything?" When he shook his head, she nodded and left us alone.

We talked about anything that came into our minds until I had finished everything on my plate. "How long will you be in town?" I asked my lunch companion.

"Two days, maybe three. Then I'll return home."

"Where is home, if I may ask." I wasn't sure if he had to keep that secret, his job and all.

"I'm from Volterra." He must have seen my frown, since he immediately clarified. "Tuscany region, Italy.

"Wait. So you're not an American officer? Interesting." His accent didn't sound Italian, but perhaps he was a transplant.

We left the cafe together, but I had to get home, and Caius seemed distracted, his eyes again scanning the streets. We bid each other goodbye and went our separate ways.

I walked across the street, still watching Caius. A young man, whose face I didn't recognize, walked up to him. They seemed to speak to each other as if they knew one another. The stranger was dressed in what appeared to be clothing from another era. He was handsome as well, and I wondered who he was. I sneezed, which forced my eyes closed. By the time I opened them, Caius and the stranger were gone.

The next morning, I left my house to find the blonde stranger standing on the sidewalk out front. He smiled when I walked over to him. "I just wanted to see you before I left," he said.

We spent the rest of the morning together. I asked him if he could reveal the name of the family he was watching. Were they criminanls, I asked him. He laughed.

"Not exactly criminals. The Cullens tend to do their own thing with no concept of the law."

Did he mean Carlisle Cullen? "Caius, Dr Cullen is highly respected here in town. We feel fortunate to have such a...a skilled physician in our small hospital, when he could find a better paying position anywhere in the country. And his family's great. I don't know them very well, but we have spoken at times. Alice is so sweet, and Emmett is a hoot."

"They've done nothing wrong...yet. I was only sent to watch them," Caius replied, trying to reassure me.

I admitted to myself I was intrigued by this man, a foreigner to my country. But I was stunned when the last day of his stay, before he was supposed to leave for good, Caius demanded to see me. Demanded.

We had gone for a walk into town and ended up at the park. We sat on a bench beneath a tree. I didn't say much, unsure how I felt about his leaving. His next words stunned me.

"I want you to join me in Volterra. Come with me and be my mate. I know it sounds strange, but it won't when I explain everything."

"It's been three days! I hardly know you, Caius! What is this all about?" I looked up at him while he stood and paced in front of me.

"I cannot tell you everything, Allie. You have to trust me when I say we belong together. I confirmed this with Marcus."

"Who the hell is Marcus? Caius, are you crazy?" I shut up when he took my hands in his and sat beside me.

"I...work with Marcus. He has a gift of recognizing relationships between people, a hundred, fifty...two. He told me you and I are destined to be mates."

"Mates. As in spouses?"

"If you wish to call it that. All I know is what I feel when I am with you. My previous mate died long ago."

Long ago, he said, when he barely looked thirty years old. My head was spinning, yet when he suddenly kissed me, my brain took the time to stop thinking while I let this man gather me in his arms and continue to kiss me. When he pulled back, I gazed at him in shock. Yet could it have felt more natural.

So I left Forks forever, binding my life with Caius', before I even knew much about him, or what he was.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was like any other night, Caius and me lying in our bed while we talked about the day's events. We were laughing about something that happened, when he moved to hover over me, pressing his lower body against mine. I smiled up at him while wrapping him in my arms. then kissing him. I was still human, so he had to be careful he didn't accidently bite the tip of my tongue off. Soon he would change me, and he would not have to hold back any longer.

We made love until I was tired out. He let me lie against him, our fingers entwined. "I love you, my heart," I said.

"I love you, amore mio," he replied, pulling me closer.

I closed my eyes and Caius held me until I fell asleep.

Sunlight poured through the window, waking me. I turned to my left to see an empty spot in our bed. I sat up, calling for Caius. Maybe he was in the shower, but he usually asked me if I wanted to join him. I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. No Caius. I touched the shower wall. It was dry.

Had he been summoned by Aro for a last minute meeting or trial, and didn't want to wake me?

I quickly dressed and went in search of my mate. I entered the door of the throne room, and found no one. Perhaps they had gathered in the larger audience hall. I was on my way there when strong arms grabbed mine, pulling me back against a tall, marble-hard body.

"Felix, you startled me." When I turned to look up at him, his expression frightened me. It was as if he didn't know me. When he grabbed my arm, I struggled against the pain. "Felix, you're hurting me." Even the fearsome Felix had never harmed me since I arrived here. This was very much out of character for him.

I was unceremoniously dragged to the smaller throne room, where Aro now sat with Marcus on the dais that lacked one chair. This was crazy. Where was Caius' throne?

I was about to ask what was going on and where was Caius, when Aro rose from his throne and walked down the three steps to stand before me, Felix still holding my arms but less tightly.

"Who are you and how did you get inside this place?" His red eyes bore into mine.

"Aro, I've been here ever since Caius brought me here. And where is he, by the way. What have you done to his throne?"

I saw Aro glance back at Marcus, who was sitting still, as he usually did. The quiet one merely shook his head.

"Aro, can you please ask Felix to let me go."

Aro gave the tall guard a blink and Felix stepped back, but not far from me.

I rubbed my arms and glanced around the room to see most of the top guards standing against the wall. They all looked at me as if they didn't know me.

"What is your name, my dear," Aro asked.

I had to laugh. "You know me, brother. I'm Allie, Caius' mate?"

Aro looked aback when I called him brother. He stepped back, turned and walked slowly back to his throne, sitting once there. 'You say you are Allie, mate to Caius. Yet we know no Caius...nor you."

This was insane. I was in a nightmare it seemed.

I pointed down the line of guards. "That's Demetri, Chelsea, Afton, Santiago, Jane, Alec. Heidi is most likely out fetching tourists for your next meal. You're Aro and he's Marcus. If I hadn't been here awhile, how would I know your names or theirs? I also know you're vampires." I looked over at the empty far corner. "Where is Caius' throne? It usually sits there, at your left."

"There has never been another throne, my dear. Marcus and I are the sole leaders of the Volturi. There are no others." He spoke gently, as if to a child.

"Yes, there is! Caius helped you form the coven ages ago." I had lost my composure by now.

Aro asked me a question, I think to test my story. "And who are you to this Caius?"

"I'm his mate, from America. He brought me here 10 months ago. You promised me one year before you insisted I be changed. I have two months left. And now I don't even belong here, so it seems."

I gave a pleading look at Marcus. who was always kind to me. He stared back at me as he would a stranger.

Aro appeared to be thinking, when he suddenly stood, walked down the steps, and grabbed my wrist, saying tersely, "Come with me."

I was suddenly afraid. "Where are you taking me, Aro?" Very afraid. "Aro, please don't kill me. Give me a chance to explain!"

"Foolish human, I'm not going to kill you, or you would have been dead already." We stopped in front of our chambers, mine and Caius'. "You say these are the rooms you shared with this Caius?"

I opened the right door and walked in. "These have been Caius' rooms for longer than I know. I have lived here with him for the last ten..." My heart dropped. I looked around to find an empty set of rooms. The furniture was gone. Our belongings were gone.

I ran to the bedroom, then searched the massive closet. It was empty of our clothing and the large jewelry case Caius had bought me to hold all the beautiful necklaces, earrings and rings he had chosen for me over the months. There was nothing left behind to bear witness to his extreme generosity.

I turned to Aro. "I don't understand. It's all gone. But it was here when I woke up this morning. I dressed and left to look for Caius." I thought for a moment. If Caius had disappeared from this place, perhaps time itself, all the things he had bought for me would be gone too. It was a logical assumption that if he never existed, anything tied to him would never have been here. And I would not be here. But I was. I am.

I started to walk back to the outer door. While I stood in the corridor, I felt Aro move behind me. I awaited execution, but instead, he took my elbow and led me back the way we came.

"You're not going to kill me, Aro?"

"I said I would not. You know too much, but what you know proves some of your story. For now, Marcus wishes to speak with you."

"No problem. I know the way." He let go my arm and we walked side by side to Marcus' chambers. When we came to his doors, Aro left me there with a pleasant expression, reassuring me.

I reached up and knocked on the heavy wooden door. It opened to reveal the tall melancholy vampire.

"Welcome, my child. Come in." He stepped aside to allow me in and led me to the settee. I sat down and tried to get comfortable.

"It's good to see you again. Marcus. I'm glad you asked me here since I want to ask you, do you see me with your gift? Am I with anyone?" Caius maybe.

Marcus looked a bit surprised that I mentioned his gift. "Yes, I know about your gift. When I arrived here from America, you confirmed with Caius and me, that we were mates and belonged together. Why don't you remember that?"

Since I had arrived here in Volterra, Marcus had always favoured me, and his lack of emotion basically made him more relaxing to be around. When Caius was off on some mission with the guards, Marcus would invite me to his rooms and read to me while I lay my head on his lap. Sometimes he would comb my hair with his fingers in a soothing manner. Anything to calm me during my mate's absences.

"Sit here, child. Aro asked me to talk with you about your delusion..."

"Marcus, it's not a delusion! I'm telling you all the truth. Caius met me in America, and we spent some time while he was in Forks. He asked me to go home with him because we belonged together." How many times did I have to say it. "He checked with you, telling me you have the gift to see relationships." I shut up, too tired to speak anymore.

"I have something to ask you, child. If you want to stay here, Aro has given his permission, as long as you stay with me. Eventually if you wish, you can become my mate and I will change you myself. For now, I will ask nothing of you."

I knew what he meant. I looked over at Marcus. Dear Marcus. I had no where else to go. I nodded silently.

I stayed with Marcus for the next 4 days. He was true to his word, asking nothing of me. Instead, he did what he could to make me feel better.

He had chosen a favourite book, reading to me while my head rested on his thigh. His fingers caressed my head while he played with my hair. His soothing voice became an even drone of words.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I must have fallen asleep. I rose up on one elbow and looked around me. I was back in my bedroom, Caius' bedroom. Everything seemed as it should be. I turned to see Caius walking from the bathroom as he was drying his hair with a towel while completely naked. I stared up at him with what must have been a look of utter shock, before I jumped out of bed and ran to him, grabbing him and kissing his face and mouth.

"Oh my god, where have you been? I have been looking all over for you and no one knew who you were and everything here was gone..."

Caius dropped the towel when I had grabbed him. "Whoa, my love, what is all this? What do you mean I was missing and everything was gone."

"Am I dreaming now?" I grabbed his hands and looked at him, my expression serious. "I woke up five mornings ago. You were not in our rooms, so I went in search of you, thinking perhaps Aro had called for you. Felix found me and dragged me to the throne room. I asked Aro about you, and he acted like he had never heard of you. No one had. I was sure he was going to kill me since I had no reason to be here and was still human. I think the fact I knew so much convinced him I had been here for the last ten months." I would have rattled on hysterically had Caius not stopped me.

"Allie, shhhh...slow down, love." Caius cupped my cheek gently, then pulled me to him. He was here, back with me, and yet it was like five days ago all over again, only Caius was the one who didn't believe me.

"I spoke with Marcus and he offered to take me in so Aro would not have to kill me. He promised me if you never came back, he'd take me as his mate and change me himself."

"Wait, Allie, what are you talking about?" He gripped my upper arms with his hands. "Who the devil is this Marcus?"

Once everyone had returned to Italy and their castle home in Volterra, Felix and Demetri had changed from their battle dress, donning more leisurely clothing. They sat in the training room, neither wanting to say anything about the confrontation with the Olympic coven. They were soon joined by Jane and Alec who sat apart from the other two guards. They glanced at each other, but none of the four guards favoured most by Aro spoke.

Finally, Felix broke the silence. "Jane, what do you think of Master Aro's decision?

Jane looked at Felix, unused to being confronted by anyone, her gift terrifying to any vampire. Felix had already felt her power when he had once questioned her orders while they were in Seattle, America.

Before answering the tall guard, Jane looked over at Alec, her hand resting on his. Alec had always been there for her, supporting and praising her. He nodded at her, his fingers curling around his sister's.

Jane gazed at Felix, raising her chin in the air. "We could have easily defeated the Cullens and their witnesses."

"So you think Master Aro made the wrong decision?" Demetri wasn't sure how he felt, but if the battle had been stopped before it had started, there had to be a good reason. Alice Cullen had approached Aro and let him read her. A few minutes later, he had released her hand, his expression strange. What had he seen, Demetri wondered.

"I just wish Aro would tell us something," Felix murmured. "Anything."

One by one, the lower guards had joined their superiors, standing around the room, alone and silent, or in small groups whispering together.

"Maybe Master Aro knew we could defeat the Cullens, but didn't want to destroy his old friend," Afton suggested.

Chelsea reached over and smacked her mate. "Surely, my love, you don't feel Aro would let the law be flouted merely for friendship! Immortal children are too great a risk to our kind."

"What about the spoken rule, we give no second chances," Santiago remarked.

Heidi huffed. "What has the confrontation with the Cullens have to do with that? Master Aro believed them guilty of a crime. When he found out there was no crime, he still expected them to explain the child and any threat she might be. When he found there would be no threat, he let them all go. Master Aro is a man of justice, as the rest of the Volturi should be viewed."

Many of the vampires murmured their agreement with Heidi.

Just then, Caius entered the room, able to hear the guards even from a distance. He knew they were unhappy running out on a fight. Hadn't he been also?

"Aro wishes for everyone to gather in the audience hall in thirty minutes." The blonde vampire felt the guards staring at his back as he left the training room. Aro had ordered him to say nothing more to them.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The guards entered the more modern, larger audience hall that was reserved for such meetings and special affairs. They stood in relation to the circular wall, all facing the dais where the three masters now sat. Aro greeted the guards.

"Welcome, everyone. I have asked you all here to explain my actions on the Field of Snow. I have heard your vocalizations, but I will leave your thoughts to yourselves. I know many of you feel it displayed cowardice to leave the Cullens unpunished, but..." Aro stood from his chair, and stepped down the stairs while holding out his hands. "...had any of them committed a crime?"

Some of the guards were visibly happy to hear they would be left alone. They had feared Master Aro would want to read each one of them, their thoughts being less than complimentary.

"The reason I did not continue any attack on the Cullens is because Alice Cullen showed me a vision of our future if we continued on that path. In that vision, I saw our coven nearly destroyed. Only a handful remained. And I saw not only the final deaths of Masters Marcus and Caius, but myself."

The guards looked shocked at Aro's words. How could this be, they defeated instead of the other way around?

Aro walked up to Jane and Alec. "My dear, you and Alec are like my own children. I not only sired you, but I have watched you both grow in power." He touched her smooth cheek. "Seeing you die in Alice's vision...I could not let that happen for the sake of my pride." He turned to the group of his fellow coven members, his voice raised for effect. "I could not let that happen to any of you."

"Master Aro, how do you know it was not some sort of trick devised by the Cullens. How do you know the vision was real?" Santiago was unaware that in Alice's vision, his final death came from the actions of one of the shapeshifters. Aro had seen that as if he had been there.

Aro replied to his guard's query. If only he had the ability to show them all the horror he had seen. "Santiago, before I myself had been dispatched in the vision, I saw Alec, Demetri, and Jane destroyed in their own fashion. Caius, Marcus and so many others of you killed by the Cullens, their witnesses, and their guard dogs. Not to say you all didn't get your fair share of their side, but does the desire alone to defeat an enemy outweigh the survival of our coven? Caius, you still wanted to fight, feeling insult in the presense of the shape shifters. I could not tell you then how unimportant that had become compared to your impending destruction. We don't always agree, brother, but we serve the Volturi together, and that makes you as important to the coven as myself." He took several steps across the floor, his hands clasped together. "I trust Alice's gift enough to want her to join us. Why would I doubt the veracity of her vision."

Aro remembered the scenes so clearly. It had felt absolutely real, even up to the moment of his own approaching death by fire. When he had been pulled from the vision, he realized it had been only that, but Aro was shaken all the same. He had looked at the Cullens and his own people, still very much alive. But the feeling he had at losing everything remained with him.

"Regardless of what you may think of me, there is no way I will be able to share with you what I saw. It was either accepting your final deaths, or allowing the Cullens to leave in peace, ourselves surviving to return home."

The guards began to murmur among themselves. Perhaps they had judged Master Aro too harshly. It was believe him, or see the ancient vampire as a coward. None of them truly believed that. Aro had led the Volturi for thousands of years. Were they not the creators and enforcers of vampire law? Were they not the strongest coven, and the most feared?

Jane walked over to Aro, and after waiting a half minute, impulsively hugged him. When she pulled away, she looked up at her sire. The two spoke to one another without one word between them, such was their relationship.

Aro reached to brush her chin with his fingers, giving her a light kiss on her lips. He looked around the large room, knowing his people believed him and no longer thought ill of him.

To prove that point, Felix took a few steps toward his leader. "Master Aro, we of the guard respect your decision, now that we know there was a reason we left the Cullens and their witnesses alive. There is no purpose in fighting if you end up losing everything you have."

Aro nodded at his executioner. "Thank you, my friends. You may go now." Aro turned back toward the dais and returned to his chair.

Aro, Marcus, and Caius remained in the audience hall, waiting for the guards to leave. Some looked back at Aro with a new appreciation for the vampire who led them with such resolute determination. They now knew he would do nothing to put any of them at risk as each was integral to the strength of the coven.

When the hall was empty of all except the three Volturi masters, Aro stood and faced his brothers. "I believe they all understood," he said, his expression one of equanimity. His coven was intact. The leadership was secure. Aro was worried about Marcus, however, his one wish now exposed. Marcus had wanted to experience final death. To keep Marcus with the coven, Aro had to sacrifice his beloved sister, Didyme. This action had literally changed Marcus and dulled his desire to live. Aro decided he would have many, many years to make it right for his true brother. Somehow.

When the Nazis invaded Italy in 1940, I assumed Volterra might eventually become an occupied city. I wasn't happy with that thought. The Volturi had held control of this city for countless hundreds of years. Who were these Saxon mongrels to think they could take our home away from us. Marcus, Caius, and I called for a meeting with the entire coven to discuss what actions should be taken. We would have to decide whether we would hide underground, leave the city entirely, or fight against this impudent invading army?

When the occupation finally happened, the mood of the city completely changed. No more weekend gatherings in the piazza with music and dancing. No more festivals. The humans were virtual prisoners in their own homes. Now we had no choice but to make decisions, both for their protection and ours. I would not tolerate the Germans locking us down as well. Our bi-weekly meal deliveries were at stake. Without that, we would have no choice but to feed off the humans within our walls, something I hoped we would not have to resort to.

Our symbiotic relationship with the Volterrans had been beneficial for us all. The city's human leadership turned a blind eye to rumours about us, deflecting any prying into our business. We paid them well for their aid and loyalty, with the threat of death hanging over their heads and those of their families as insurance. The Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the Bishop of Volterra were a few of the more important humans taken into our confidence, and they had served us well.

First, we had to decide how important our home was. Moving to another location would take time and effort. Right now, most of Europe was involved in the war, and there were few places the Germans and their allies had not already occupied. Marcus spoke up first, wanting to keep our home here in Volterra. He didn't care how that would be accomplished.

Caius agreed. "I prefer to fight rather than hide or run like cowards. These are just humans, after all. I say we fight." He had a point.

I readily agreed, but how would we fight the Germans without revealing ourselves to them or the rest of the city? Caius was willing to set up plans of attack. The idea of killing humans excited the former commander, as I knew it would. An offensive by the Volturi would not only protect our home, it would also protect the city. These foolish humans, however, deserved whatever we gave them. They were disrupting the peace of our city in their quest for world dominance. For once, I felt humans needed to be controlled and by whom better than us.

The most important block to quick defeat was there were more human invaders than there were Volturi. Jane and Alec would be important in any vanguard that would move against these Nazis. Jane's gift incapacitated vampires, but it could kill a human if the illusion of pain was intense enough. Alec's gift would make that easier by blinding, deafening, and silencing the humans first. After so long, I trusted Jane. She worked well with no supervison, and with her brother Alec at her side, I knew they would make short work of the Nazis.

We decided we needed intel, the more information, the better. Since an all out assualt was not feasible, we would pick off the humans one by one. They expected no resistance, therefore more soldiers were kept in key locations, while fewer stood as guards. By day, their presence was more intrusive. They would eat at the cafes and shop at the stores, some genuinely enjoying mingling with the Volterrans. But after darkness fell, small groups of four to five soldiers would walk the streets at night, enforcing curfew and making sure no one was out committing sabotage.

One night, our sharp ears heard the sound of gun shots. When I called Mayor Guiseppe to find out what had happened, he explained several young men had tried to steal a jeep being used by the Germans. They had been shot without ceremony. I strongly advised the mayor to make it illegal for citizens to harass the Germans. He agreed, making it clear he would tolerate no one bothering the invaders. He didn't want to see any more of his people die at the hands of the Nazis. The fact the city remained quiet for weeks after the order was issued, indicated his warnings had worked, and that was to our advantage.

I sent Felix and Demetri to find out where the Nazis were based, the silent speed of the guards making this an easy task. I had wanted to keep an eye on their positions. Was there one main headquarters, or several locations where soldiers kept vigilance over the city's population. They returned a few hours later with plenty of news.

"Master Aro, the museum that was the Palazzo dei Medici is where the Germans have set up their headquarters. A Colonel Friedrich Mannheim is in charge of the city's occupation force," Felix said. "They have approximately 400 soldiers based there while another 100 or so are constantly monitoring the streets. They're using the rooms of the villa as quarters while Colonel Mannheim has exclusive use of the Blue Room."

I knew the Blue Room well. Royalty had slept there over the centuries. Once, I had been invited to the palazzo during the 1760s, and as an honoured guest, I had been afforded the use of one of the prettiest servant women while staying in the Blue Room. I pleasured myself with her body for a few hours, before slashing her throat and slaking my sudden hunger. I hated killing her, but the scent of her blood was too much. Sadly, it made me thirsty. I had to hide the body and make up some story to my hosts. It was so long ago and of little consequence, but some memories linger longer than others.

Of course, the human military leader would choose the very best for himself. The fact that particular castle was chosen would make it easy for us to plan an attack. I knew the floorplan, and helped Caius map out every level.

Demetri gave his report next. "There are five satellite stations scattered around the city, each manned by no more than twenty-five humans. There are two check points, one at the old city gate and one along the newer roadway into the city. Everyone is heavily armed." He smiled, knowing their weapons would have no effect on vampires. "There's no danger for us there. Even if they get a chance to use them."

"We have to consider the humans who will be backing us up, Demetri," I reminded our tracker. "For now, we will act alone. But I trust there will be human volunteers who will gladly help us when we are ready to attack the Palazzo dei Medici. I plan to call Chief de Luca to see how many he can gather." I looked over at Caius who smiled and nodded.

Later, I spoke with the chief of police, Angelo de Luca, in person. He knew about our nature, but he and his small police force were well paid to stifle any rumours about us and to make sure we were left in peace. Losing Volturi protection and financial support was not something anyone wanted.

"Angelo, my dear friend. We find we have a common enemy in these Germans, but we have the power to do something about it. It may mean the sacrifice of some of your people. Would they be willing to fight alongside us, not knowing what we are, of course." I knew from past experience that some humans were indeed brave and capable of fighting well.

"Master Aro, I know my people would willingly sacrifice their lives if it meant freeing their families from this scourge. Are you planning an attack soon?"

"Caius will be in charge of that. We're going to concentrate on killing those manning the city gates and outposts, and the groups of city sentries. The Germans are headquartered at the Palazzo dei Medici. We will take care of that last." De Luca listened raptly as I detailed our plan. "We haven't enough guards to replace those killed, so we will need some trusted humans to do that for us, wearing their uniforms and pretending to be Germans. I just need to know that your people can be ready when called upon."

"Of course, Master Aro. I will gather the best fighters Volterra has to offer, and wait for you to let us know when we're needed."

I knew I could trust the chief of police, as I had trusted his predecessors and would trust his successors. The entire city benefitted from the patronage of the Volturi, that was well known.

I stood, giving the human a smile, and held out my hand. He took mine in an affirmation of our long-time partnership. "We will free our city, Angelo," I assured him. "For both our kind."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When the guards had returned from their first mission to take back the old city gate, I read each in turn. I saw, with satisfaction, their actions that led to success.

Heidi had worn a deep red dress, emphasizing her hour-glass figure, but she eschewed her gloves, the darkness of night making that possible. She styled her hair and applied her make-up just so. It was only window-dressing since her allure would take care of distracting the Germans, and once she was upon them, it would be too late for the humans.

The plan was for Felix, Afton, and Santiago to swoop in and assist Heidi in dispatching the hapless soldiers. A few lower-level guards would then take their uniforms and put them on, so to the curious, it would appear the gate was still being guarded. These guards were fluent in German, and would easily fool anyone, as long as they weren't called out as strangers. In that case, they were ordered to kill the humans, and do what they must to hide the bodies.

As she sashayed up to the jeep where several guards sat, her walk showing off her curvy hips, Heidi flashed a dazzling smile at the men. "Guten abend, meine Herren. Es ist eine schöne Nacht."

One of the soldiers jumped off the jeep, and smiled back at Heidi, his eyes revealing his admiration for her beauty. "Ja, Fräulein, das ist es in der Tat." He unconsciously licked his lips. "Du solltest nicht so spät draus sein, schöne. "

Heidi reached up to play with his uniform collar, all the while flirting not only with him, but every man sitting in the jeep, such was her irresistible vampiric allure. The man whispered something in German, and setting down his rifle, he drew Heidi into his embrace, nuzzling her neck.

At that moment, the three waiting guards jumped from the top of the brick arch overhead to land atop the soldiers still sitting in the jeep. Fingers grabbed hair and twisted necks, while teeth sank into soft flesh so fast, no screams emerged from the humans.

Heidi turned her head to bury her face into the lead soldier's neck, biting hard and swallowing as much blood as she could manage in so short a time. She may not have even been thirsty, but we don't refuse blood if the opportunity affords us an easy kill.

I released Heidi's hand and spoke to the four guards. "You all have done very well. The gate is ours. We will now look to the front entrance of the city and take that back. Once the city check points are under our control, we will go after their sentries, the individual guard stations, and lastly their headquarters. Soon, Volterrans will take our places, freeing us up for the main attack on the Palazzo dei Medici."

"Humans, Master Aro?" the tracker asked, confused.

"Yes, I spoke with the chief of police, and he will be gathering volunteers to help us with ridding ourselves of their guards, so we're able to go into the German headquarters. This is their city too, Demetri."

"Of course, Master Aro. I understand."

"Good. Caius, would you join the guards for the attack on the front gate?"

Caius' eyes gleamed as he slowly grinned. "With pleasure, brother."

With Marcus busy seeing to the attack plans in Caius' absence, he worked with Jane and Alec, instructing them on handling the sentries outside the headquarters, allowing the rest of us easy access into the castle. Then the twins would join us, disabling any who might fight us.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The chosen group of guards, led by Caius, headed out to the forefront of Volterra under the cover of darkness. I waited in the throne room with Marcus now, wishing there were some way to see what was happening, but we would have to wait for their return. I paced the marble floor. Perhaps I should have gone as well, but no, I knew Caius was the best leader for this mission.

Several hours later, Caius returned with our triumphant guards. I quickly took my brother's hand and saw what had transpired on this latest mission.

Our people approached the human guards walking the length of the road they had been assigned to watch. Santiago and Afton began to speak to them in German, confusing their prey. Once they were close enough, they attacked. Heads were twisted, while some used only their teeth as weapons. Caius shouted orders while our guards easily defeated the humans. Soon, silence permeated the air. Caius told the lower guards to don the uniforms of the German soldiers and walk along the road as they had seen them do.

"So we now have the front city entrance as well," I said.

"Yes, Aro. Now we go after the city sentries and replace them with our people."

"I will check with De Luca to see if his people can take our places once these locations have been secured. I would prefer they not be present when we do attack the Germans."

When I called the chief of police to ask for his assistance, he agreed, saying he had 50 ready and able men willing to replace our people at all the gates and outposts currently manned by us. Once night fell, they would do that, freeing up the guards to join us at the Palazzo dei Medici.

I had ordered our kind to wear contacts when around the humans. When their volunteers approached, Felix greeted them and gave them their orders. Just as one human began to remove the uniform off a dead soldier, another who was not quite dead, turned to pull a gun from inside his jacket and pointed it at the man. Felix sped between them, deflecting the bullet before he finished off the soldier.

"Thank you. My name is Sergio," he said, his hand out.

Felix took the man's hand with his own glove-covered one and shook it. "I'm Felix. I couldn't let him just shoot you."

Both human and vampire laughed, before getting back to work. It pleased me to see our peoples working side by side. If our nature were to be discovered by any human, we would have no choice but to kill them. I hoped that would not be necessary.

The work contunued, and it wasn't long before every vampire had been replaced by a human.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It had been days since we had destroyed the Nazis serving outside the palazzo, and the entire coven was now ready and eager to attack. Several of the vampire guards speed-scaled the walls of the castle until they reached the windows, smashing the glass and jumping inside whatever rooms they found themselves in. They eliminated any Germans they ran into as they headed to the lower floors and the room I had ordered everyone to meet us.

Soldiers aimed their pathetic weapons at the advancing vampires, shooting them, surprised when seeing the bullets bouncing off them harmlessly. In a flash, the vampires sped to them, pulling the weapons from their hands before they could react, and destroying them. Then the vampires killed the soldiers.

Marcus, Caius, and I entered the palace through the front entrance. Alec blinded the Germans, then Jane imagined pain in each soldier we met up with. Some died from the intensity of the pain, others found themselves immobilized and writhing on the ground.

By the time we five had reached the Blue Room, Colonel Mannheim had already baracaded himself inside, surrounding himself with as many soldiers as he could muster in so short a time. Felix pushed on the twin doors, easily forcing them open. Bullets began to fly at my executioner, none harming him as he went into attack mode, his visage dark and frightening. He was followed by Demetri, Santiago. and others. Uniformed bodies flew across the room, while Mannheim attempted to hide. So the leader of the invasion force was a coward at heart. True commanders I can respect, but cowards deserve the worst of deaths.

Jane and Alec entered the large room and stood by, waiting for my order. Soon, every last soldier was lying around the room, dead. All save for Mannheim. I wanted to save him for last.

When Mannheim attempted to run, I gave Alec a nod. He sent out tendrils of dark grey smoke, catching up with and surrounding the human, blocking his senses. He stood still, unable to see a thing.

I turned to Jane. "Go ahead, my dear."

She merely stared at the human, when he suddenly cried out in pain and dropped to the floor.

I reached down and picked up the human by the throat. He had four inches on me, but my strength made it easy to ignore his height. I grinned up at him, feeling pure hatred. "You are nothing but a coward, and should die like one." My eyes focused on Mannheim.

"What are you?" he asked, his voice shaky. So he noticed my eyes, now dark red with anger.

I could reveal myself to him, since these were the last few minutes of his life. "I am a vampire. Your kind attempted to take our city from us. For that, you all must die. You will be my last kill. I'm telling you the truth about us, before I rip your throat out."

He struggled to speak, my hand gripping his neck tightly. "My men...where...are they?"

"Gone, all of them. The invaders of our town have been vanquished."

I saw abject fear in his eyes now. This spurred me on with a great deal of satisfaction.

"And now it's your turn." I clenched my fingers tighter, the nails digging into soft flesh. I felt the warmth of blood dripping down my hand. The colonel's eyes bulged, his hands attempting to pull mine off him. His head began to tilt awkwardly to the right as his eyes went dead but still open. Then his head fell to the floor, blood splashing around us to pool on the marble tiles. I had let his body fall on top of his head, hiding his fearful expression.

"Felix, get some others and clean up this mess. I don't want to leave it for the humans to manage. Burn them all. Then return to the castle."

Marcus and Caius returned with me to the castle, where I sat in my office and called our allies to let them know the city was ours again.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The citizens of Volterra celebrated their freedom from the Nazis with music and dancing in the streets. The Mayor, the Chief of Police, and I met, the humans who knew about us expressing their gratitude to me for our work in ejecting the occupation forces. The coven members who wanted to join in the celebration were given permission to do so. Wearing regular street clothing and contacts, they readily mingled among the humans. I had given everyone a stern warning to behave and leave the humans alive, or face immediate punishment.

When the guards met up with the singing crowds, the warning was unnecessary. Everyone was jubilant at their success, human and vampire alike.

I saw Felix across the road, a human male walking up to him. It was Sergio. I could hear him as he slapped our tall guard on the arm, expressing gratitude to him for saving his life. Felix looked down at the man, smiling back, telling him it was unnecessary to thank him, as they walked off together, talking while grabbing some drinks being handed out to people gratis. Felix took a bottle, toasting with the other humans, but he did not drink, of course.

"I never imagined that vampires would one day be our saviors, Master Aro. We owe you so much," Angelo said

"My friend, we have worked beside your ancestors for centuries in keeping the city safe for humans and vampires alike. I will not allow this war to disrupt it now. Come, let us join the others in the celebration." I gently clapped my hand on his back as we walked to join the crowd.

Stories later circulated among the Germans that the city of Volterra was haunted, and no one wanted to send any troops there again. I found that humourous while I looked out my upper floor office window down to the streets below. The city was vibrant with life again. Everything was back to normal for us and for the humans who fought beside us.