Timeless Ties || Volturi Kings

40. Starting Line Pt. 2

Tell me, am I brokеn? I can never leavе
Bitin' on my tongue and checking if it bleeds
Oh, is it lost on me, all the things I believe?

— Luke Hemmings

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Alessia raised both her eyebrows, feeling somewhat incredulous. Just last Tuesday, she had been considering learning more about soulmates, and now here she was, arriving to find Marcus conveniently discussing mates with whom Alessia recognized as Antigone.

The oddity lay not in the fact itself, as Alessia was certain every vampire learned about mating bonds, especially those born into covens where such knowledge was imparted by fellow members. What struck her as peculiar was the unsettling convenience of the timing.

Alessia wasn't complaining, of course. In fact, she realized this wasn't the first instance where what she desired to hear echoed in her dreams. To some extent, she had been experiencing this phenomenon ever since she began dreaming about Aro, Caius, and Marcus — whenever Alessia searched for new information, her dreams often reflected what she had been looking into.

(This consistent pattern was one of the reasons she had become convinced she was dreaming — aside from more obvious signs. It suggested to her that her dreams operated much like typical dreams: the brain processing and synthesizing information based on recent experiences and interests.)

(When Alessia researched the topic, she found various theories about dreams suggesting they helped people process emotions, solve problems, or confront hidden desires. Alternatively, some theories proposed that dreams played a role in clearing brain waste, strengthening memories, or deciphering random brain activity. Regardless of the theory, Alessia concluded that her dreams consistently incorporated things she had been thinking about, which aligned with these perspectives.)

Now, Alessia had another example, but this time it felt more explicit than usual, leaving her unsure of how to interpret it. Was her gift evolving? Had her intense contemplation somehow compelled her gift to manifest to this extent? Or was it merely luck? Mayhap it was tied to the supposed bond she shared with them? Alessia knew they could influence her dreams to the point of stopping them, but could they also manipulate circumstances to bring her closer when wished? If so, she couldn't trust the authenticity of what might be communicated. Having said that, she found it hard to reconcile this possibility with the peaceful months she had experienced without their presence.

Thus, with a fair amount of hesitance, Alessia decided to listen, striving not to dismiss everything due to her wariness and suspicion, knowing she needed the information regardless.

"—rmal to wait decades or even hundreds of years for a mate," Marcus was saying, as always, sounding extremely gentle. "You don't need to worry about not finding yours."

Alessia hummed to herself, realizing he was already mid-conversation, so she would need to rewind time.

As she did, Alessia recognized that she could have stopped when Marcus and Antigone first entered the room together, but by then they were already deeply engrossed in conversation. Alessia felt an almost urgent need to rewind further — not out of mere curiosity about their activities upon entering together, nor because of the unsettling sensation that stirred within her at the sight of Marcus' soft and warm smile while talking with someone else. No, she was merely driven by a compelling necessity to gather every detail, to ensure she didn't miss a single word from the conversation's inception. This was crucial, she reasoned, reassuring herself, only to fully understand the context and conceivably uncover clues that would elude her if she didn't.

It took longer than Alessia would have preferred for Antigone to depart, but when she finally did, Alessia allowed time to resume its normal pace. Marcus sat in his room, deeply engrossed in studying the map before him. He scribbled something down, his demeanor focused and composed. Alessia watched with a profound sense of relief, noting that his hands remained steady, devoid of any tremors.