Penance ↠ Volturi Kings {2} ✓

021

The stillness that succeeded my actions lasted only as long as it took those present to get over their shock; that is, the stillness ended almost as quickly as it began. It was replaced by total chaos.

I really don't know what I expected.

Aro and Caius were shouting - at me or the guard, perhaps both - as was Caesar, though it was clear his shouting was aimed directly at me.

"What the hell were you thinking, Rowan? For someone who's not a half-bad strategist, I truly question your decision-making. How are we supposed to get out of here?"

"Oh, come on!" I said, grabbing both Hugo's and Caesar's arms and tugging them towards the main doors, which Caius had ordered were to remain closed. Praying it would work, I dragged them both straight into the door, and we passed right through to the other side.

"That is so cool!" Hugo enthused. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"Kind of a new thing," I said. "Sorry about this, Caesar, but I had to talk to Demetri. Aro calling for him wasn't part of the plan."

"No shit!" Caesar snapped. "We need out of here."

"Follow me," I ordered. Caesar hefted Hugo onto his back, seeing as Hugo was the slowest of the three of us, and I led us through the halls towards the front exit. We passed through the wall like it was nothing and I could feel my shadows immediately starting to dissipate as the sun hit.

"Over here!" I said, dragging Caesar under the first shaded spot I could find. "This is bad."

"Oh, you think?" Caesar asked sarcastically, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The second you drop these shadows, the tracker knows where we are. You drop the shadows out here and the secret is blown."

"Just let me think," I said, tugging him farther back into the shade of the building, where Hugo dropped off his back. It was mid-morning, and Volterra was buzzing with tourists.

Caesar glanced back towards where we had come. "It won't be long until they realize we're not in the throne room anymore."

"Why are we running?" Hugo asked.

"Because if the kings see me, they won't let me leave. They want me safe," I explained.

"Oh," he said, kicking at the cobblestone road. "Because you're their mate?"

"Right." I looked around, thinking quickly. "I have a bad idea."

Caesar raised an eyebrow. "Is that not what all of your ideas have been up until this point?"

"Shut up. We're going to use the tourists' shadows to get out of here," I said.

"That is so much worse than what I was expecting," Caesar muttered. "We should just wait until nightfall."

"That will be plan B," I said. "Let's go."

We darted through the streets, and I relied on Caesar to ensure Hugo was keeping up, my entire focus on keeping enough shadow around us to be concealed. The shadows cast by pedestrians and the buildings was just enough that the sun wasn't able to burn through what surrounded the three of us.

"Stop, stop," I said, skidding to a halt as we reached the exit of the city, the three of us huddled under the shade of the wall.

"Shit," Caesar said. Between us and the shade of the forest was two miles of open valley.

"We can't stay in the city," I said. "It's too risky. Once we reach the trees, we can hide there until nightfall."

"We run the risk of being seen if we go now," Caesar said, frowning.