Troubled Blood

Chapter 5

The sudden announcement of an imminent political conflict, instigated by Arthur Faith, sent shockwaves through the leaders of the Italian clan. Everyone grasped the potential vulnerability of their position, even though the enemy had revealed themselves in a rather unremarkable manner. Nonetheless, this revelation made the Volturi aware that they were facing a formidable adversary with the intention of overthrowing the established clan.

After Aro swiftly dispatched the stranger by tearing off their head, a decision was made to hastily assemble an army of newborns. A massive force of immortals was recruited with great urgency, bolstered by Aro's impressive displays of diamonds. However, this did not provide a hundred percent certainty. Only God could know whom Mister Faith had managed to recruit in the span of five hundred years.

Arthur had been a vampire since the sixteenth century, a fact known to the Volturi. During that era, a young vampire—Carmilla, a stunning blonde of exquisite beauty with a delicate face—visited the clan. Her request, however, caught those present off guard: she sought death.

Rare were the instances when the clan encountered such cases, although the circumstances leading to them were numerous. When questioned by the Volturi about the reason for such an unusual desire, Carmilla revealed that she had fallen victim to the forced conversion by a certain Arthur Faith. He had disclosed his plans, which included overthrowing the Volturi. Upon hearing this, Aro was by the victim's side in an instant, gesturing for her palm with a friendly smile. Who but he would be curious about the man making such loud proclamations? Through his touch, he gleaned more details of her past - the periodic abuse inflicted by Arthur had gradually fueled her growing resentment towards her new existence. Faith had, on more than one occasion, expressed his desire to dismantle their clan, envisioning a different model of governance that didn't align with the Volturi. However, Aro hadn't discerned the specific actions he had taken toward that goal. Consequently, everyone concluded that Mister Faith was just another ambitious upstart, of whom there were many. Carmilla was merely a reflection of what he was capable of. Without further inquiry, they granted her request. Little did anyone anticipate how it would unfold centuries later. There was no time for regret now; the clan needed to take action.

The next course of action involved a visit to the Cullens. The Volturi were banking on the assistance of one family member, Alice, who, with her ability to predict the future, would prove to be invaluable to their cause. Additionally, Aro intended to enlist Carlisle Cullen to examine Estela.

"A mortal to accompany you?" Caius snorted unhappily upon hearing Aro's statement. He had been observing his brother's peculiarities lately, wondering why he would want a mortal. Caius attempted to convey his skepticism through verbal jabs, but Aro simply brushed them aside.

"Carlisle and I may not be friends, but we have a deep respect for each other. He's a skilled doctor, and he'll help me determine what's wrong with her."

Marcus gave Aro a nod of approval. It was evident to him that Aro was making the right decision.

Two weeks had passed since Estela took residence in the castle. As the Volturi delved into her thoughts, they discovered that her physical condition remained stable— the illness neither receded nor progressed. Traditional medical treatments proved futile, and medication no longer had any effect. It was apparent to others that her ailment had taken an unnatural course. Unfortunately, this provided little relief, as it appeared that Estela did not suffer from a typical white blood disease. This was a primary reason why Aro intended to present her to Carlisle.

However, as time elapsed, one aspect changed: with each passing day, Estela found herself retreating further into isolation. For an ailing person to coexist under the same roof as predators was perplexing. The realization that these cold-blooded creatures quenched their thirst with innocent lives at least twice a week while she resided nearby became mentally challenging. There was a weight on her soul, pulling her down, as she knew deep down that this was wrong, an unethical and vile way of doing things. She was only being kept there because she held definite interest for them. Once they extracted the information they needed, she felt they would dispose of her—she was merely an object in their study.