Violet Forsythe has finally found peace.
She successfully escaped a coven of malignant vampires, worked hard to get an education, and has actually managed to pull herself together.
But, as old acquaintances begin to resurface, the life that Violet w...
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When Jane and I approached the worn and rusted gates of the castle, it stood slightly ajar, almost as if it were beckoning us forward.
"That's strange," I muttered.
"Whatever," Jane said, brushing it off.
"That doesn't bother you?"
"The person responsible for this is clearly not one to attend to the finer details. This whole operation has been a mess."
"So your plan is to swoop in, announce the charges, execute the punishment and skip all the way home?" I couldn't believe that she was still seemingly unconcerned by the whole ordeal. I knew I was new to the team and that I was on my first major mission, but still. I had a bad feeling about the open gate.
"I know what I'm doing," Jane said in a clipped tone.
"I know," I said defensively. "I just...I'm surprised you're not approaching this with more caution, considering the magnitude of this mission. Aro seemed pretty certain that this situation was a big deal; so did you."
"Approaching a mission with anything less then complete coolness is a fatal mistake. We are in control of this situation. Panic, fear, concern...it will get you killed."
"That seems a bit dramatic."
"Emotions will get you killed. There's no room for drama in our line of work."
"I guess I better get my act together," I muttered. I knew I'd been a volatile train wreck, even before I was turned. Now that I was officially apart of the Volturi, it was apparent that I was running out of free passes and do-overs.
"Yes," Jane said flatly, "That would be wise."
"It's done," Felix said, drawing our attention as he and the other two men approached.
"Are there any survivors?" Jane asked expressionlessly.
"Not anymore," he replied.
"Good," Jane said, turning away from the team. "Let's get this over with. I'm ready to go home."
Without any hesitation, Jane led us through the gates.
I followed closely behind her, keeping my eyes open for any suspicious movements or unusual sounds. If anything, or anyone, popped up I had to be ready to defend Jane because not only did she not know how to fight, but she had no desire to in the first place.
Past the gates, we entered a large courtyard. It was made mostly of dead flora and broken stone, and it was frozen over by the harsh winter.
"This place is a dump," Demetri said from behind me as we briskly crossed the courtyard toward a large set of heavy wooden doors at the opposite end of the enclosure.
"You can say that again," Felix said.
The twins failed to respond.
"It's definitely not Volterra," I said in agreement. Bizarrely, I felt a pang of homesickness. I would have given anything to be back in my room in Italy, at the top of the tower, instead of in this murky shit hole I'd found myself in.
Just then, the sound of footsteps on the tarnished stone floor echoed toward us.
All five of us looked in the direction of the footsteps and waited for whoever it was to come out a face us.
I was a bit on edge, if I were to be completely honest, but I felt somewhat comforted by being surrounded by my covenmates. They hadn't survived endless centuries by being incompetent or weak. All I had to do was stay on my toes, and watch and learn.
An older man, a vampire, appeared at the edge of the courtyard. He appeared to have been turned in his fifties and was dressed smartly.
"I didn't realize we had guests," the man said with a subtle eastern European accent.
"Who are you?" Jane demanded coldly.
"I'm Salvatore. You must be the esteemed Jane, of the Volturi," the man said with a polite smile.
"That's correct," she said curtly. It was obvious that she had zero tolerance for his act. "We're here on the behalf of our leaders. But, something tells me you're aware of this already."
"Yes, I do," Salvatore said, maintaining his light demeanor.
"Are you responsible for this?" Jane asked, cutting to the chase.
"No."
"But you've been involved?" she asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.
"Heavily, it appears," Alec said without an inkling of emotion in his voice.
"It certainly does," Jane replied.
"Yes, unfortunately so," Salvatore admitted, "but I'm not in charge."
"Oh?" Jane said, her tone mocking. "Then who is, exactly?"
"Lady Moreau."
"I can't say I'm familiar."
"I can take you to her, if you would like," Salvatore offered.
"Yes. Do that," Jane replied icily.
In that moment, I was beyond thankful that I wasn't on her shit list anymore. That girl had a dark side and she had no issue with throwing her weight around.
Salvatore promptly escorted us through the decrepit castle, each step carrying us deeper down the winding maze of dark hallways and dusty parlors. The interior of the castle reeked of damp, water logged furniture and musty, moth eaten clothes.
The men and I said silent as we followed Jane in loose formation, drifting after her silently like ghosts. Alec and I flanked her, and Demetri and Felix followed closely behind us.
We sensed no sign of life throughout the massive castle.
Salvatore led us up several flights of wide staircases until we entered a corridor that led to a set of large, ornate doors. Gentle light from a candle or a fire seeped into the cold, dank corridor from underneath the door.
Salvatore paused just outside of the door, almost as if he were collecting himself before he made himself known, although I was sure the occupant of the room on the other side of the door could hear us approaching.
"Lady Moreau," Salvatore said after a moment, projecting his voice, "please excuse me for interrupting, but we have guests."
Silence greeted us.
We stood by stoically. The woman had a lot of nerve to keep us waiting.
"Please. Come in," a haughty woman's voice drawled from the other side of the door.
Salvatore gave us a slight nod before pushing open the door.
