Chapter X: Moving In

Of three things I am absolutely sure. . .

First, that hidden in the far-flung town of Volterra is a clandestine sanctuary for immortals. An ancient, guarded fortress obscures itself from prying eyes and is inhabited by a coven of vampires. The coven calls themselves the Volturi, and they govern the rest of the vampire world with an iron fist. Shrouded in raw power and authority, the Volturi dedicate themselves to concealing vampire existence from human knowledge, even if it means using their talents to end the lives of their own kind.

Second, that vampires are beautiful creatures lost in time. In their existence rests a bottomless well of knowledge, but the loneliness and heartlessness evolving from the consumption of liquid, human life turned them into vicious, formidable monsters of lore. Vampires yearn for companionship in their detached unlife, and a sense of belonging in an ageless, deathless world gives them purpose.

Third, that I am a human gripped with these secrecies, and my existence amongst the Volturi poses a dangerous tread to the dark unknown. In between the confines of shelves stocked with the antique works of the masters, I often find myself wondering why I allow myself to be lured by books and stories from the likes of ancient men when what I crave for is life... living. I now fear that my fascination lies beyond what I am capable of understanding. . . .

A. A. B.

THE WEST WING, VOLTERRA CASTLE. PRESENTLY. . .

Tap... tap... tap... tap...

Altheia tossed fitfully on her bed as incessant tapping sounds pulled her into consciousness, stirring her from sleep earlier than she would have liked. She emerged from underneath the thick comforter and pushed herself upright, brows knitted and eyes squinting as they adjusted to the daylight.

... tap... tap... tap... tap...

Realizing that the taps sounded awfully close to her person, the woman only had to turn her head to the left to meet the unwanted noisemaker in her room.

What the hell?

"You." Her voice was coarse but frosty nonetheless. "Why are you in my room."

Her gaze focused on a vampire sitting languidly on her mahogany study table with a book in one hand, cross-legged, the tip of one leather shoe knocking on the side of the desk. Tap... tap... tap... tap...

The woman glowered at Caius Volturi, who seemed unbothered by his own behavior. Oddly enough, he was dressed in a navy linen shirt and a pair of beige trousers, as opposed to the three-piece suit usually donned underneath the masters' cloaks. The fact that vampires had the audacity to look like Greek gods in their casual outfits and made it look so effortless in the morning only added to her annoyance. Why did vampires keep showing up in her room at sunrise anyway? At least Sulpicia had the decency to knock...

Altheia contemplated chucking her bedside lamp at the vampire.

"Master Caius," she said through gritted teeth. "Why are you in my room."

But like the first time, it was as if she hadn't said anything, and the vampire continued to ignore her as he read. She let out a long-suffering groan before rolling back to bed. Determined to ignore the intruder for a few more hours of oblivion, Altheia pulled the blanket over her head and shut her eyes closed. As soon as she started to fall asleep...

... tap... tap... tap...

She bolted upright, eyes ablaze with annoyance. "What. Do. You. Want."

"Want?" the figure across from her finally spoke. "Blood."

Caius turned his head to assess the disgruntled woman. With her rat's nest hair, sleep-deprived eyes, and pale, surly face, she really was anything but threatening. What exactly did his brothers see in this human again? Initially he had opted on finding out as the opportunity presented itself, but recent events proved that the bookish human had been able to obtain the tolerance, not only of his brothers, but certain members of the guard as well. All without his knowing. He had expected one of the sentries to slip from control, given the natural scent of blood drifting from the woman, but it seemed that the discipline amongst them had improved.

Unfortunately.

Another aspect to consider was the series of drastic changes spurring from the scholar's arrival. Her scent. Marcus' behavior. The strange thirst. Aro's scheming. Athenodora's departure. The comfort of his stagnant unlife perturbed by one mediocre bibliophile.

Unacceptable.

"Bloo—wait a minute," the woman's voice raised into a screech. "Are you—Are you reading my diary?!"

An unmistakable crash and the sound of breaking glass followed the next second. Most regrettably for the sleep-deprived woman, vampires had an astonishingly rapid reaction time for incoming projectiles.

"How dare you! Che te pozzino ammazza!"

»»—- ❈ —-««

Rage boiling under her skin, Altheia marched out of the dormitories and headed for the northern chambers, with the intruder-in-question following just ten steps behind her. Arriving at her destination, she pushed the doors to Aro's office with a flourish. Surprise registered in the telepathic vampire's face as she stomped into the room and up to his desk.

"To what do I owe this visi—"

"Aro," the brunette cut him off and placed both palms on his desk sharply. "I am human. I need sleep to function. Do you agree?"

Expression turning into one of bewilderment, Aro noticed the presence of his snow-haired brother in the hallways, leaning against the doorframe of his office. He answered warily, "Yes, I agree."

"A vampire trespassing into a woman's bedroom and declaring his thirst for blood is cause for concern and immediate intervention. Do you agree?"

An amused grin made its way onto Aro's face as his student's words clarified the situation.

Oh brother. He smothered a snicker with the back of his hand. "Why yes, I agree."

"Good," Altheia leaned back and crossed her arms, seemingly satisfied. "Would it be possible for you to remind the coven that this human expects to be treated with propriety?" she emphasized. Caius scoffed from his place by the doorway and the woman whipped around to throw him a harsh glare.

Clearing his throat in attempt to conceal his laughter, Aro replied, "I will inform the coven if that is your wish."

"You're making fun of me!" Altheia accused him, cheeks reddening. "This isn't funny, Aro! I woke up and he was in my room, on my desk, reading my diary!"

The telepath was trying very hard to school his expression, but when the disgruntled woman turned her attention back to his brother and then launched into a creative string of Italian expletives, Aro knew he had to intervene before the morning could get any livelier.

"Now, now, children," he placated the two. "In the interest of propriety, perhaps resume the bickering after merendina has dressed for the day? Perhaps after breakfast?"

As if Aro's words sobered her, Altheia eased and looked down at her clothes. A second passed, and then two, before a horrified look took over her face.

In her haste, she had marched to the north wing barefoot, scantily dressed in her sleeping clothes—a mere satin slip that did no favors in obscuring the figure underneath. Automatically, she threw her arms around herself to shield the silhouette of her chest from view.

But Caius was relentless. His red gaze followed the woman as she ran out of the office in mortification, "Bit too late for propriety now, don't you think?"

"A fanabla!"

»»—- ❈ —-««

After both men tore their gazes away from the woman's retreating figure, Aro shook his head as his eldest brother seated himself on the divan with a nonchalant expression.

"You've always been the most barbarian of us all," Aro remarked, laughing lowly and promptly returning to his bookkeeping.

Caius shot him a look before taking out a brown notebook from the back pocket of his trousers.

Is that....?

Aro's eyes widened in disbelief before he burst out laughing. "Truly a barbarian," Aro teased him. "You'd think you would have returned it to her possession after her tirade."

"Your little merendina threw a bedlight at my person," Caius said offhandedly as he twisted the word under his breath.

Aro paused from his reading. Did she really? He itched to view the memory.

"I find that a woman's attention is divided in her waking hours." Caius smirked. "When she realizes, she will come running to me in search of it."

Oh dear, Aro pursed his lips. Caius is in a playful mood.

"Although I understand the sudden interest," Aro muttered. "Perhaps it is time to reacquaint yourself with human needs and limits? And how will you explain this to Marcus? I am sure he heard her shouting and will be asking questions."

The scowl on Caius' face was telling. Aro placed his ledger away with unusual promptitude.

"Now let me read that before any of those two arrive."

»»—- ❈ —-««

To bottle down her mortification, Altheia spends the rest of her morning secluded in the west wing. After lunch, she busied herself with laundry and sorting through the trunks of clothes Sully and Dora left with her the week before. As she sorted through the last of the items in the trunk, she found a velvet jewelry box. Peering inside, she gaped at the delicate, pear-shaped sapphire necklace resting on beige silk. Diamonds traced the shape of the sapphire and its chain was plated in rose gold.

To Altheia Volturi, the card attached to it read. May you find happiness in Volterra. S&A

Altheia smiled softly and clasped the chain around her neck. She would thank them next time.

After cleaning and organizing her room, she headed for the kitchens and met with Bella, who had just come from her shift. They chatted around as they prepared their meal together.

"Bella, now that I think about it," Altheia said as she test-tasted the pasta sauce. "Shouldn't you be readying your transfer credentials for Pisa? It's application season."

"I need to meet with my dad about it though." Bella replied thoughtfully. "Maybe this month."

"Oh. When's he coming over?"

"I'm planning to ask him about that but he hasn't picked up my calls since Saturday. Charlie's probably swamped with work. He's chief of police," Bella explained and then sulked. "I hope he's been eating well..."

"You can still go home, you know," Altheia nudged Bella with her hip and made her way to the dining table with the serving plate in tow. "Spend more time with your dad. Take life easy," she suggested.

Bella paused thoughtfully. "I guess, yeah..."

"But the real question is what's happening with you and Edward," the older woman laughed as she sat down. "Really. You had his room transferred to the east wing. Don't even deny it, Marcus told me."

"It's not what you think. Some distance is good, you know? Gives me space to think." Bella said stiffly, helping herself to dinner.

"Hmmm. Really now," Altheia had a smug look on her face as she ate and it made Bella uncomfortable. "Are you sure it's not because of... a certain guard? Last night at the party you were making heart eyes at—"

"Shhhhh!" Bella pushed a fork of spaghetti into Altheia's mouth and whipped around the room to see if anyone overheard. "Altheia!"

"Oh my god. It's not just paperwork keeping you busy!" Altheia accused after she chewed and swallowed the pasta so quick Bella thought she'd choke. "Are you dating both of them? I turn my eyes away for one month—"

"Altheia! Shut up!"

After eating and watching Bella almost sprint to the privacy of her room, Altheia decided that she had postponed enough and geared herself towards the kings' chambers. On her way there, she noticed that the corridors were sparser than usual and not one guard was stationed at the hallways of the north wing. Weird.

Altheia sounded three knocks on the chamber door and waited until a voice replied, "Enter."

She was met by the single presence of Caius Volturi as he lifted his head from the files he was preoccupied with and turned to regard her.

"You will not find my brothers here," he informed her with a levelled stare. "Sulpicia called for them. They are at Palazzo Viti."

Hmm, he's civil.

"That's fine, I think." The woman replied after a moment and took a deep breath before walking farther into the chambers. Caius raised a brow at her and she explained, "Aro can see for himself that Sulpicia's doing well, Marcus is moving around again and... I'm not here for them."

"Oh?" Caius leaned back on his leather chair and placed his fingers under his chin.

The scholar sighed and gestured to the armchair across him. "May I?"

Caius stared blankly at her for a moment, as if gauging her intentions.

Hmm, she's civil.

Eventually though, he nods.

»»—- ❈ —-««

Caius allows the human to collect her thoughts, opting to work in silence as she settled into the armchair and tucked her feet underneath her. What would she decide to start with? The glaring issue of her mortality? The unease between them stemming from his tendency for violence?

"This morning," she blurted out suddenly. "What was that about?"

Ah. That. Of course.

"Curiosity," he said with a shrug. "My brothers offered you a place in the coven. Why keep you alive? What differs you?"

The inclusion of the Italian woman into the Volturi was anything unlike Aro's previous acquisitions. In the past, even Caius could understand his brother's whims. With Jane and Alec, the twins were not only human, they were also too young to be turned. However, the raw and undeniable power that exuded from the two, even when they were still human, served as the reason why he consented for Aro to circumvent the law and pursue the twins until they turned of age. After all, the Volturi's existence was devoted to law enforcement, and enforcement required power.

It was a worthy haggle in the end. Until this day, the presence of the twins safeguarded all aspects of their position as the tribunal coven. Jane and Alec were the missing pieces to Aro's quest for security, strength, and prestige. With the twins, they were invincible.

So, no. He genuinely could not comprehend why Aro was so fixated on the girl across him. At least, not in any way he could determine. It's true that, like the Cullens' pet, she was a potential shield, but that was no reason for Aro to prolong her human life and burden the coven with raising a student in the castle walls.

Nonetheless, the girl survived the first month and was inducted and he could no longer interfere. At the minimum, he was satisfied that she was capable of rational thought. That he didn't need to tolerate another idiot in his ranks. That the coven scholar stayed true to her title and spent countless hours slaving over the bibliotheca, treating the anthology of ancient works with the respect they deserved.

But he still couldn't understand. Why? Why were his brothers so intent on treating her differently? Why keep her alive?

"I don't think it's about being different. I'm just another human, after all." the woman answered quietly. "When Aro offered me to be the coven scholar, I knew that wasn't what he really wanted from me and... I think Marcus knows that." She smiled to herself. "Aro said that he'd teach me the sciences. That Marcus would teach me Philosophy. That you'd teach me art. But none of that has happened, and the reason why I don't say anything is because I know that wasn't what he planned for me at all."

When Altheia glanced up at his expression, she read his confusion and clarified, "Master Caius, I'm not here because Aro wants a student. Of course not—what need would he have for one? Calling me the coven scholar is probably just the most convenient excuse."

Frowning, Caius wondered to himself, "What use would Aro have for you?"

"I don't know what Aro wants from me. I don't know who Aro needs me to be," the woman admitted. "But with what he's given me... I'm more concerned for what he'll ask in return."

And then into the long period of silence that followed, Caius said, "And Marcus?"

The snow-haired monarch narrowed his gaze when the Italian's face softened at mere mention of his youngest brother's name. Caius scowled. Yes, that was another concern entirely, wasn't it?

"Marcus believes he's died twice since meeting you and Aro. First when he was turned, and again when he lost his wife. He told me he wished for the third for the longest time."

Caius averted his gaze and glared at the chamber walls. "It's not a secret."

"No, it's not. It's a curse, I think, that comes with becoming immortal. Losing what makes you human... Loneliness pulls you." Altheia sent a weak shrug in his direction. "But I know Marcus is more than the darkness that eats at him. If Aro's plans involve making me Marcus' companion, I'm happy to fulfill that purpose."

"You speak like a saint," Caius scoffed. "Only because you don't understand what monsters we've become."

"There's nothing wrong with being a monster. I've never faulted any of you for being what you are." Caius narrowed his eyes at the sincere statement. "All I'm saying is that's possibly why I'm here at all."

With a huff, the monarch wordlessly returned to his paperwork, and Altheia understood that the conversation was good and over for now. When she rose from her place on the armchair across him, Caius' arm darted unexpectedly and tossed an item to her direction.

Almost dropping her diary before she caught it, Altheia glared at him.

"You could pretend to be ashamed, at least."

Caius gazed coolly at her. "Your insights were laughable."

"Charming," she replied dryly. "It's a wonder you're a divorcee."

"Get out of my sight."

»»—- ❈ —-««

After her dialogue with Caius in the convening chambers, instead for heading directly to the library, Altheia settled for wandering aimlessly around the hallways of the west wing. There was a different feeling in her bones as she passed through the corridors now— it felt like her roots were nestling into the marble of the halls, that her presence in the castle was no longer just a memory she'd look back on someday. She really was one of the Volturi now, and recalling the coven members' welcoming words for her during last night's party eased her self-doubt.

This was it then. Three years of hopping from one city to another, she was finally back home.

"Why don't you go around Volterra? You've been cooped up in here." Bella suggested when the scholar loitered around the interim secretary's bedroom in her boredom. "I'd go with you, but..." she cringed.

Unlike the scholar, Bella Swan was still considered to be a visitor and was bound by visiting rules. She still needed permission to go beyond the confinements of the castle and with Aro and Marcus away for the day, there was absolutely no way Bella would ask Caius. He'd slice her head off in an instant.

Altheia winced and headed for the door. "Right. I'll be out then. You want anything?"