Three As | Caius Volturi

Chapter Six

 It was the dead of night. The roads are silent, and there are no sounds.

 Inside the house, a lamp is turned on, and a woman sits at the table, reading what looks like medical journals, apparently intent on studying something.

 There is a knocking at the front door. "Amalia! Amalia, please, let us in!"

 Amalia looks up from her books, apparently startled at the sound of the voice. She hurries to the door and opens it. Amara steps into the house with Athenodora in tow.

 "Amara. I must say, I certainly wasn't expecting to see you, especially at this time of night." Amalia looks at Athenodora. "Hello. You are a friend of Amara's, I presume?"

 Athenodora nods. "Yes," she says in a soft voice, almost in a whisper.

 "Well, I am glad to meet you, then. I am Amalia, Amara's sister. Now, tell me, sister, why are you here at this time? You have not spoken to me in years."

 "I know, I know." Amara holds up her hands. "I am sorry, Amalia. You see, I've been away, doing things. I joined the Volturi."

 "The Volturi?" Amalia repeats. "The same Volturi who murdered Octavius?"

 "Yes, the same."

 Amalia turns to Athenodora. "My dear, would you mind going upstairs? You must need rest. My sister and I need to have a serious discussion. I promise, I will return her to you soon."

 Amalia's warm smile seems to put Athenodora more at ease, and proceeds to go up the stairs.

 "Now, what did you go and join the Volturi for?" Amalia asks. "You adored Octavius."

 "He was our father, Amalia. You may not have seen it, but he was. And yes, I adored him. My originals plan was find a way to destroy the Volturi, get revenge for the thing they have done to the world. But things changed, you see. I...fell in love."

 "With Athenodora?"

 Amara nodded. "Yes. We are on the run, Amalia."

 "From the Volturi?"

 "From one in particular. Caius. Amalia, Athenodora...she's Caius' wife."

 Amalia looksg enuinely astonished. "Amara. You ran away with one of their leaders' wives!?"

 "I know, I know. Amalia, please-" Amara begins to say.

 "How could you, Amara?" Amalia shakes her head. "I thought you were smart. How could you do stupid things like this? If you get caught, you are both going to die! And if I am found with you, so will I!"

 "Of course I know that!" Amara shouts. "You don't understand, sister. I have spent years, decades studying the Volturi, watching them. I found my chance with the case of Renesmee Cullen. No, of course you wouldn't have heard of it. It showed weakness, and it was the perfect chance for me to find a way to bring them down. But then I met Athenodora, and I fell in love. She fell in love with me, too. You didn't see what her life there was like."

 "Was she abused, neglected?"

 "No. She was loved, certainly loved. But she was a prisoner. One wife gets murdered, the other two get locked up. She wanted to see the world, and I wanted to give her that. You have no idea how many times I've had to reassure her that everything will be fine. Please, Amalia," Amara reached for her sister's hands, "I know I have no right to ask you this."

 "But?"

 "But can we stay here? Please? Just for a little while. We have been on the road for days. I don't know if they are on our trail or not, but we have nowhere to go. You are the only place I have to go."

 Amalia looks at her sister with emotionless eyes.

 "Fine," she sas. "You can stay for the time being."

 Amara sighs with relief. "Thank you. Thank you, sister."

 "Don't be thanking me just yet," Amalia says. "Things may not seem so bad right now, but they could get worse. I fear for you now, Amara. I certainly hope you know what you're doing. Now, why don't you go reassure your lover again, just so she knows you can stay here?"

 After Amara goes up the stairs, Amalia sits down at the table again, but now she can't concentrate. How can she, knowing there are two fugitives upstairs?

~~~~~~

 Amalia took her hands away, and Caius opened his eyes.

 "You were reluctant," he said.

 "Of course I was," she replied. "That isn't all, you know. I have more things tucked away, if you're interested."

 Caius nodded. "I should kill you where you stand, but I will let you live, at least until I know the entire story. But I will be watching closely, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you will die. I would think you can understand that."

 "Perfectly. Good day to you, Caius." Amalia stood straight and walked out of the room, leaving Caius to process this new information.