Nimbus

Chapter Six

Volturi Castle, 12:23pm.

Marcus burst into the Throne Room at top speed, a scowl that could rival Caius' marring his typically emotionless face. "This had better be a matter of life and death, because if you just cut my time with our mate short for some triviality—"

Aro raised a hand to cut off the oncoming tirade. After thousands of years of complete apathy, Marcus' sudden liveliness would be quite the change to get used to for the entire Volturi. Now was not the time to explore his pent-up feelings, though. "Brother, you have my sympathies and most sincere regret for the inconvenient interruption. I can assure you, though, that this is most urgent."

At Aro's words, Caius scoffed. "You insult our station in this world with such hyperbole, brother," he spat.

Aro's hand went from being held up in Marcus' direction to pointing directly at Caius so quickly that no human would have been able to perceive the movement. "You insult her station in this world with your petulant insolence, brother. Forget not that this will impact you just as much as everyone else within these walls." Caius sneered from his place on his personal throne but held his tongue. When Aro was certain he would not be interrupted, he faced Marcus again and continued, "Among the many titillating facts I learned about our dear Annabel today, the most pressing of all at this time is that she intends to flee Volterra as soon as, pardon the pun, humanly possible. She is most likely attempting her escape as we speak."

Caius remained outwardly unmoved by the statement, but Marcus was immediately devastated, and his face showed his emotional state plainly. He had watched the strands of their bond almost solidify, certain that all was going well between them, before hers snapped back and away from him. It was so sudden and final despite there being no obvious cause for it, which only served to make it even more troubling and hurtful for him to witness.

Now, because he possibly pushed her too far, she was leaving them. Not just leaving, but fleeing. His eternity had been nothing but suffering without his wife, Didyme. That suffering would be naught but a mild ache compared to eternity without their true mate.

When Marcus said nothing, too embroiled in his own thoughts to communicate them, Aro continued, "I would like to see what you have seen, brother. You were the last one with her and there may be some clue in your bond as to what we can do to convince her to stay."

At that, Marcus sighed in defeat. "Just before we were disturbed, there was a moment between us. Everything was going well, it all felt so right... but then, it was as if her end of the bond had been burned, it retracted so quickly away from me. What was once shimmering and warm that we had been building the entire time became blackened and frayed in an instant. She lost all trust and affection for me, and I truly cannot fathom why."

Aro reached his hand out to Marcus, who approached and took it without hesitation. After a moment, Aro murmured thoughtfully, "Yes, I see exactly what you mean by that. From this and all that I gathered from her memories, Annabel is extremely distrustful. Our flower has been made delicate through heartbreak and betrayal, and even one wrong move or word easily offends her. The fact that your bond was that strong at all, no less in such a short amount of time, is practically a miracle where she is concerned. For that reason, I am leaving her safe return to you, brother. She trusted you today when she has not trusted anyone new entering her life in quite some time. You are the only one who will be able to earn that trust back before it is too late to recover her."

"Yes, Marcus, go to the pathetic little human straight away. Make all haste and bring our finest guards with you to seal the exits. Terrify her right onto the plane so I need not be bothered with this tripe again," snarked Caius with a cruel smirk twisting his lips.