✓ | 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒, Volturi Kings

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ⁴³

ꜱɪx ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ. ɪ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰᴀʀ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀ ʙɪɢ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴡ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ'ꜱ?

The date December 14th did not mean anything to anyone in the Volturi. No birthdays, no major events. No, this would be a day like any other if not for the growing child on our minds and in our hearts.

A date that did matter for the Volturi would be that of December 30th, the day that would mark Helios' sixth month being in our lives. During these past five months we had been cut off, distancing ourselves from all other vampire covens. Most of the vampires that would bring news of rulebreakers understood this as a sign that we were still recovering from battle, as that would often have more of a mental toll on the guards involved. Our allies gave us space while our secrets brewed. The halls of Volterra were now littered with mysteries not yet able to be released to the public.

Today, a frantic young woman had come to us with information. This time Maeve had not told me about her. A visitor was something that the Volturi had to approach with caution. Having our secret exposed would be detrimental to our strategy.

Our throne room had been quite empty, filled with the remains of the lower guards' meal. Instead of fridays, they would eat on thursdays, as we couldn't deal with so many drained bodies at once. It made me thirsty to see all of the blood on the marble floor. How people kept the floors pristine was beyond me.

Sitting in our thrones, we had to watch as the young woman was brought in by Demetri and Felix, who looked quite unamused by her presence. Golden eyes, she was an animal eater. From the descriptions given by Carlisle, I could assume that she was from the Denali Coven in Alaska. They didn't like us much, so having one of them here to report a crime was substantial.

"This is Irina of the Denali Coven," Demetri rolls his eyes and moves back to the door. "Here to report a crime on behalf of the remains of the Olympic Coven, now led by Edward Masen and his wife, Isabella Masen."

Irina looked shocked at the use of Edward's maiden name, as if she didn't know that Carlisle had disowned him and joined back with the Volturi, his former coven. Her face, although it did reveal her initial shock, was impeccably beautiful, just as all vampires were. The perfect versions of themselves, Irina had the most gorgeous silver white hair. It matched well with her golden eyes. She had a resemblance to Rosalie, although my sister was undeniably more attractive.

"What is the crime that you must report?" I ask, standing up. Caius frowned as I left his lap, choosing to walk over to the golden-eyed vampire woman. "What crime do you believe his coven has committed? What is so grave that you come to us, Irina?"

"Edward and Bella. I know what they did. I don't know which one of them turned her, but they did it. They created an immortal child," I remained composed. She saw the child. She saw their daughter. Ah, how this is going to be a shock for you, my dear.

"A grave accusation, Irina," Marcus comments, "Do you have proof of such claims? Informed or first hand?"

"First hand," she answers quickly. "The king, he can read my thoughts and memories. Please, I have seen it, the child, with my own eyes."

I truly did feel bad for the woman. She was gravely misinformed, but I knew that she had a history with immortal children and did wish that they be killed. Her mother made an immortal child. You know that. She hates them, as they destroy so much and have taken away so much from her. As you know, soul family bonds are eternal. She does not like the Volturi, but she knows that they did what they had to do. The child had to be destroyed or it would slaughter thousands more. Village after village.