verdict

As we passed through the door, I unconsciously felt myself relax a little. We were in a bright, fairly unremarkable hallway, the walls an even off-white, and the floor covered in industrial gray carpeting. The rectangular florescent light bulbs above us could have come out of any business office in the world. It was even warmer in here, and I let out the barest breath of relief.

However, I noticed that Edythe didn't relax beside me, her entire body tense as she stared coldly down the hallway at the slight figure of Jonathan, who was standing by the elevator.

The door shut behind us with an ominous grinding of stone, and I heard the thud of a bolt being slid into place.

Jonathan stood motionless, waiting for us, one hand stretched out to hold open the door. He watched us without the slightest flicker of emotion.

Once we were inside the elevator, the three Volturi seemed more relaxed—relatively speaking. Cato and Tacita both pulled back their hoods, so their features were more clearly visible. They both had the same slightly olive complexion beneath the chalky pallor of their skin, and dark hair, Cato's neatly combed back, and Tacita's cut at a severe angle. Their eyes were a matching color of faded, dull crimson, like brick, with pupils deep and black as a starless night sky.

As the elevator dropped, I did my best to keep as close to Edythe and as far away from them as possible. Edythe's gaze never moved from Jonathan, who looked bored.

In a moment the elevator came to a sop, and we stepped out into yet another strangely modern room, a bright reception area. The walls were paneled wood, the floors carpeted in a deep green. Paintings of the Tuscan countryside decorated every wall, perhaps meant as a distraction from the fact there were no windows, and pale leather couches were spread out in cozy clusters. Cheerful, brightly colored flowers sat in crystal vases on every surface.

In the center of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter. As my eyes swept over the guy behind the counter, I did a double-take. He had a handsome dark face with dark hair, and his features were distinctly Arabian. But what drew my attention was the fact that he was clearly human as I was.

As we approached, the man smiled and dipped his head politely. "Good afternoon, Mr. Jonathan," he said. I had been right, his accent was Middle Eastern, though his English was flawless, as though he'd spent a few years at Oxford.

He showed no signs of surprise or curiosity at the new guests, Edythe in her sleeveless white shirt or me, trousers still damp to the knees and my hair disheveled.

Jonathan nodded once. "Ali." He walked straight past him to a set of double doors at the back of the room, and we followed.

On the other side waiting to receive us was another vampire. Dressed in a silk, slate gray dress, this one, like Jonathan, looked younger than almost any vampire I had ever seen. She could have been Jonathan's twin, with short hair only a little darker than his, and a face just as startlingly beautiful—in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were related. However, in one thing, she was different from any of the Volturi I had seen so far.

As soon as she saw us, her eyes brightened, and her mouth turned up in the smallest of smiles. She looked bright and cheerful, in sharp contrast to Tacita and Cato who, at the moment, were both solemn as Roman sentries.

"Alexa," said Jonathan, and his deadpan expression eased for the first time, very slightly. The two embraced, kissing one another on the cheek, before they both turned to look at us.

"This should be fun," Alexa said lightly, still smiling. "Welcome back, Edythe. We should thank you, for breaking the monotony. We haven't had so much excitement in a while..." She added as an afterthought, "It's good to see you in a better mood."

Edythe stared back at her, her onyx eyes flat.

Alexa laughed softly, a light, tinkling sound, then turned her eyes to me. She eyed my ragged, unkempt appearance. "So, this has been the source of your distress?" Her smile turned a little perplexed. "How peculiar."

Edythe didn't answer.

Alexa reached out and took Jonathan's hand, and they led the way down yet another wide, ornate hall, Tacita and Cato following silently behind us. Jonathan and Alexa ignored the gold-leafed doors at the far end, and instead came to a stop partway down, sliding aside a piece of paneling to reveal a hidden door. It wasn't locked, and Alexa cheerfully skipped ahead to hold it open for us.

As I passed through, I couldn't stop myself from grimacing slightly. We were back to the ancient stone, like the alley and sewers, and the temperature instantly dropped again.

We passed through the stone antechamber, and soon found ourselves in a brighter, cavernous room. The room was perfectly circular, like the turret of a castle, and I had a feeling that was exactly where we were. Two stories above our heads, long window slits cast rectangles of bright sunlight onto the floor below. The room was empty, but for a raised dais on the far side, with three wooden chairs, like thrones, set evenly spaced against the wall. At the center of the room was a slight depression that led to another drain. Perhaps the drain was used as an exit, as in the alleyway.

Apparently our arrival was anticipated. Vampires stood in precise military rows, forming a path across the room back to the dais, as though preparing for inspection by a commanding officer. Every one was in a long dark cloak, just likes the ones Tacita and Cato were wearing. They stood absolutely, unnaturally still, and their eyes stared straight ahead, and did not so much as glance at us as we passed between them. The room was silent.

We came to a stop just before the dais and the tall-backed thrones. Two of the chairs were empty, but on one was seated a single figure. Like the guards, she wore a long cloak, of a deep midnight black. She sat with her back perfectly straight, her hands lightly sitting on either armrest.

I couldn't help but stare.

Out of all the vampires I had ever seen, I did not think I'd ever seen a face so beautiful—except Edythe of course—or so sad. Her long hair fell in dark curling ribbons of glimmering satin around her face. Her skin was unlike that of any vampire I'd ever seen. It had a translucent, fragile quality, like finely blown glass. Her dark eyes, though covered in a faint misty white, were deep and wise, gentle with benign understanding.

However, beneath the mist, they glowed with a faint crimson.

"Ah, Jonathan," she sighed, in a voice as gentle and soothing as her face, and though she spoke barely above a murmur, her voice easily carried through the silent room. "You have returned." She did not look at Jonathan as she spoke.

"Yes, my lady," Jonathan replied quietly, his voice a careful monotone. I noticed Alexa was still holding his hand, and she rubbed it with her thumb affectionately.

The woman's eyes scanned over all of us, taking us in.

"This seems to be an agreeable turn of events," she said softly. "Very good work, Jonathan, you have brought them all. Young Archie...and dear Beau Swan, as well."

The way she said my name made me blink in surprise. She spoke knowingly, with a kind of familiar affection, as she might a favored nephew or the son of a close friend.

"Tacita," she said, her misty eyes not moving from my face. "Would you please go and retrieve Marcus and Athenodora?"

Beside me, I felt Edythe tense.

"Yes, Mistress," she replied, and her low voice was fervent, almost reverential. She was gone before I'd even seen her move.

Sulpicia turned her great deep eyes to Edythe.

"Now, my child," she said softly. "Didn't I warn you? How hasty passions can lead to unpleasant consequences? You must be glad now that one of us maintained some clarity of thought, and I did not grant you what you requested."

"Yes, Sulpicia," Edythe answered in a low, careful voice. "I am." Her entire body was still rigid with tension.

"There was some mistake, I suppose," Sulpicia mused. "Some...misunderstanding. I suppose your brother Archie, even with his tremendous powers, can be wrong on occasion."

Archie was frowning slightly, and he looked to Edythe questioningly. Like me, he must also be wondering about the familiarity of Sulpicia's tone when she referred to him.

As though Sulpicia had read his mind, her lips flickered in the barest hint of a smile. "But, I see I am being unpardonably rude. I think proper introductions are in order. Sometimes I forget...You see, your sister introduced me to you already yesterday, in a way I am sure you won't find too peculiar, given your sister's power."

We didn't move, just watched her carefully.

Sulpicia continued, "Sadly, I am limited in a way that she is not. I do not hear the thoughts of anyone standing here, as she does. I must have physical contact for my power to work."

"But you certainly get quite a bit more for your trouble," Edythe said dryly, still standing just a little in front of me. "I just hear whatever happens to be passing through a mind at the time. You hear every thought a person has ever had."

Sulpicia smiled slightly. "Yes, and that is useful. But there are many situations where your power would certainly be much more convenient." Her eyes flickered up, above our heads to the entrance. "Ah," she said softly. "There you are."

I turned a second after the others to see two figures in the doorway. I immediately recognized them from Carine's painting—one man with dark hair, and a woman with long hair of a silk blond. They both had the same milky eyes and paper-delicate skin as Sulpicia.

Both approached the dais, going up to their chairs on either side of Sulpicia. The man looked completely bored, as though he had seen one millennium too many. The woman eyed us with faint curiosity, though her eyelids sunk in such a way that I was sure she, too, must find this entire affair tedious.

Before taking up his place at Sulpicia's side, the man paused beside her, reaching out a finger to touch her palm. At first I thought it was an affectionate gesture, but then Sulpicia smiled and said, "Yes, you are right, Marcus. That is very interesting." And I realized that Marcus had been giving her his thoughts. The woman went to take her place without looking at Sulpicia.

Archie was looking almost as annoyed as I was starting to feel at being left out of the loop. Edythe muttered for his benefit in a low voice, "Marcus sees relationships. According to him, ours is a little...intense. Unusually so."

Sulpicia's eyes returned to us, still smiling. "Convenient," she murmured again. However, as she gazed at Edythe, her wise face turned slightly troubled.

"Il Suo cantante," she murmured softly, almost to herself. "I admit, I am amazed and perplexed...in your thoughts, I experienced for myself the effects. The strength of the call of his blood for you...I have never considered myself lacking in self control, but I admit, even I, in your place, I think I should not be able to..."

Her dark red eyes flickered to me, and Edythe went rigid.

Sulpicia smiled. "Do not fear, my self control is not inconsiderable. He is in no danger from me—not in that way. In no more danger than he would be with Carine, whose self-control I have never seen its equal."

"No..." she murmured, and though she was still speaking to Edythe, her eyes were still on me. "No, if I were in his place, it is you I would fear."

The room was quiet. Edythe's gaze was fixed on Sulpicia, and never wavered.

Sulpicia shook her head, slowly. Everything she did seemed to have an unusual slowness about it—a deliberate restraint.

"And yet you exert this tremendous effort," she said softly, "maintain such a tight control over yourself. I know what Marcus sees is accurate—Your passion must be of truly extraordinary proportions." Sulpicia's face was mingled admiration, and, I thought, just a touch of disapproval.

"Love is a powerful thing," she murmured. "It is a valuable thing, beneficial. Where there is no true affection, there can be no peace. I know that it is love that has allowed Carine to maintain her chosen way of life, and bring others into that life as well. I am...gratified by her success. I admit, I did not expect it to last. I believed those she brought to her peculiar way of life would eventually give in, and be the worse for their period of self-imposed deprivation. But, I am happy to have underestimated her. I believe it to be a worthy endeavor." She paused. "However..."

Sulpicia's faraway gaze focused on Edythe again and, for the first time, beneath the mist her gentle eyes hardened.

"Love is beneficial," she repeated. "But as you must see, it can just as easily become a force of destruction. Love engenders powerful emotions—hatred, envy, desperation, fear—and so can be the source of great injustice, of violence. A ship which will remain stable on calm waters can easily be capsized in a raging storm."

Edythe did not reply, but every part of her was still stiff with tension, and she moved infinitesimally sideways, putting herself a little more between me and the ancient vampires sitting on the raised stone platform.

Sulpicia continued, "I do not revile your chosen way of life. As I said, I admire it. Your discipline, as well your beautiful sense of right and wrong, of justice."

She sighed deeply. "But after these events, it's clear to me that something has gone terribly wrong. Your sense of right and wrong, your commitment to do what is most just—it seems that, most unfortunately, you have become..." Sulpicia's eyes drifted to me, and again I saw the hardness beneath the vague mist. "...distracted."

Edythe's teeth were gritted, and she took a sharp step sideways, her stance defensive in front of me, no longer bothering to be subtle.

No one reacted, except that Sulpicia's expression became, if possible, even more troubled.

Her voice was soft as she said, "Fortunately, it seems everything has turned out for the best. The line between a happy ending and tragedy is often a thin one, and I am glad the balanced tipped toward the happy, this time. I will not interfere further, except to say that I do hope you will think on this, and consider the great danger your unchecked passions nearly thoughtlessly placed our kind."

Edythe still did not answer, but there was rigid hostility in every line of her frame. The guards Tacita and Cato were both tense, watching her closely.

"But," Sulpicia said. "That is done now, and let us speak no more of it. I did not ask Tacita and Cato to bring you here for that. No...I'm afraid there is another point of contention that must be addressed."

Sulpicia's almost gentle, pleading features turned suddenly hard as granite, and the crimson of her nearly black eyes seemed to deepen through the misty film. Her sharp gaze was fixed on me.

Edythe gripped my wrist.

Sulpicia's great gaze returned to Edythe. "He must be changed," she said abruptly. "When I first learned of your telling a human our secret, and it seemed probably that he was no longer of this world, I thought I would simply let the violation of our laws slide this time. But as he still lives, something must be done. The law must be upheld."

Edythe hesitated. She seemed to be considering her words carefully.

"You keep humans here," she said slowly. "Humans who are aware."

To my surprise, it wasn't Sulpicia, but the ancient with light silk hair—Athenodora—who spoke.

"Yes," she said, and she had a soft, thin voice, like the rustle of old paper. "But we keep them close. We can make certain they are no danger."

Edythe's eyes went briefly to Athenodora, then back to Sulpicia, as though not sure who to address. "Beau will keep the secret," Edythe said. "He's proved himself more than trustworthy." He eyes were fixed on Sulpicia. "You know that as well as I do."

"For now," Sulpicia said, and her voice was as cold as her face. "Humans may begin with good intentions, but their emotions are subject to constant change, and they often have little true understanding of a world that is not their own. As Athenodora has said, our humans are kept close, constantly screened for signs of weakness, but the same could not be done for yours. I know your mind, Edythe, that you are intelligent and in no short supply of sound judgment—but clearly, as I said, your mind has become clouded. You are incapable of clear and rational thought. He must be changed, or I will have no choice but to execute you both. And, if the rest of your coven support your rebellion, they as well."

I wanted to say something. I wanted to say yes, yes, I wanted to change. But Edythe's face was constricted with pain, eyes wide with horror.

"I'll do it."

Archie took a casual step forward. Sulpicia's eyes flickered, as did Edythe's and the two guards, to look at him.

"I'll do it," he said again. "Here, I'll show you." Archie sprang lightly onto the dais. Both Tacita and Cato, along with the guards who had entered with Athenodora and Marcus, all tensed, but Sulpicia put up a hand to signal them to stay where they were. Archie stepped forward, extending a hand, palm up.

Sulpicia took his hand between her own, and her eyes slid closed.

Seconds passed, and everything was perfectly still. I could barely breathe—what was she seeing? As the seconds turned to a full minute, I gripped my hand around Edythe's. Was something wrong?

Then, abruptly, Sulpicia's eyes opened, and she was smiling.

"Ah," she said. "It is so good to see that one of you is still in possession of some common sense."

Archie returned back to where Edythe and I stood, hands in his pockets, as Sulpicia said with air of wonder, "Such an extraordinary gift. Such premonitions would be very useful. Imagine, if we could dispatch criminals before they committed their crimes. The great good that could be achieved."

"You already know it's not infallible," Archie pointed out. He gestured at me. "Here's some living proof of that. Sometimes the visions are just plain wrong, and people can always change their minds."

"Yes, I am aware of that," said Sulpicia, smiling. "But still, such a useful power, with such far-reaching implications. I think you don't give yourself enough credit. If you ever wanted a place among my guards...well, you should consider the position is open."

Archie shrugged and ducked his head.

Sulpicia's eyes turned to me. "Very well," she said. "It seems then that is settled. I do take into account the concerns Archie has—of the potential for suspicion in your community if you are changed immediately—and I think there is likely to be little danger over such a short period of time. But once you have completed your human schooling, then you must join us. Until then, you are sworn to secrecy."

I blinked as I realized that she was talking to me, and expecting an answer. I nodded dumbly.

Sulpicia glanced once at Edythe, then returned to me, and her eyes brightened a little. "And, speaking of great talents...I admit, I see potential. If you are able to block Edythe's power, I wonder if you are perhaps immune to other talents. May I...?"

She stretched out a slender hand invitingly. Even though the last thing I wanted was to have her poking around and seeing everything that had ever been in my head, I knew I didn't have much of a choice.

Edythe kept in front of me like a bodyguard as I approached the dais, and only stepped aside as I stepped clumsily up onto it. I could feel the eyes of the guards, and the other vampires standing in military rows off to the side on me, and I felt myself going red. It was a bad time for my blood to act up, and I really hoped I didn't trip or clip my finger on a bit of stone. If Jessamine, who had been abstaining from human blood for years, suddenly went berserk when I got a papercut, I hated to think what this room full of human-eating vampires would do if I spilled even a drop of blood here, no matter what Sulpicia said about her self control.

Sulpicia extended her hand to me, palm up. I tentatively reached forward and, as Marcus had done, touched her with a single finger.

Nothing happened. We stayed like that for a long moment, Sulpicia's eyes closed. Her face was initially relaxed, but then her brow furrowed, until the skin between her brows buckled with intense concentration.

Then her eyes abruptly opened again, and she was smiling, her serene features almost excited.

"Nothing," she pronounced. "Not a single thought. You will be a prodigious talent, I think, once you are turned. Such potential. I wonder what else you may be able to block..." Her dull crimson eyes flickered to Jonathan.

"No!" Edythe snarled.

"Just a little test," said Sulpicia softly. "It will take but a moment to see..."

Jonathan turned his cold red eyes on me, and I saw the corners of his lips turn up in the faintest of smiles.

"Don't, Edy!" Archie yelled, but Edythe was already moving in a blur of motion, straight toward the kid, her teeth bared, ready to strike.

She didn't make it. Jonathan's eyes, no longer bored, now bright with excitement, had suddenly shifted to Edythe, and Edythe instantly dropped like a stone.

As far as I could tell, no on had touched her—and yet I watched with horror as she convulsed and writhed, her teeth gritted as though to stifle a scream.

I suddenly realized why Edythe had given up the moment she had seen Jonathan, and why the others seemed to keep a bit of a distance from him. He had a talent Sulpicia considered useful, too.

I took a staggering step off the dais, arms outstretched toward where Edythe lay, staring at her familiar features distorted with agony. I couldn't seem to breathe. "Stop," I gasped, my entire body shaking. "Please—"

Jonathan was gazing down at Edythe, and a light seemed to be glowing in his crimson eyes. He was smiling.

"That's enough," snapped Sulpicia, and Jonathan glanced up, blinking, as though startled from a trance. Sulpicia did not look at Jonathan as she said, in a lighter voice, "I'm sure that will more than suffice as a lesson for future reference. As you can surely see, Edythe, these irrational acts of defiance out of your passion do no one any good. Least of all this boy." She added kindly, "He will suffer no permanent harm. Only a second, I promise you."

My hands were still shaking as I approached Edythe, but she was already on her feet again in a blur of motion. Her eyes were wide, a terrified, trapped look in them. At first I thought she was still suffering the aftershock of the attack, but her gaze was on me, her face stricken with sick fear.

I turned to look at Jonathan, my eyes wide, as I waited for his power to hit me.

I felt Edythe relax beside me, and I heard her low laugh of relief.

I noticed Jonathan was glaring at me, his innocent, kid's face tense with frustration.

"Extraordinary," Sulpicia murmured. "Truly extraordinary. If this power has manifested itself to this degree while he is still human, imagine when he is turned."

Her crimson eyes studied me speculatively for a long moment, then she said, "Beau...Once you are changed, if you are interested, you may consider coming to see me again. If you do not find my dear friend Carine's way of life to your liking, I may be able to find a place for you among my guards. You could do great good for us. Such a power would be quite useful." Her gaze flitted momentarily to Jonathan, and in turn to Alexa, and she repeated in a murmur, almost to herself, "Yes, very useful..."

She drifted off into a kind of reverie, and the room was silent.

At last, Edythe said in a low voice, "And is that all?"

Sulpicia blinked, coming back to the present. She smiled. "Yes, I see no reason to detain you further. However, I must ask that you remain within the compound until after nightfall. After all, with what almost happened today, I'm sure you can understand our wanting to be a bit on the cautious side."

Edythe's jaw was rigid, but she nodded once.

"I think it will be best if you wait below. We are expecting a—ah—shipment in at any moment, and if he is too close...well, I can't be responsible for what might happen then."

Edythe nodded again, very curtly, then quickly spun, taking me by the wrist.

"One last thing," Sulpicia said. "It is a little cold out for the humans today, so take this. It may make you a little less conspicuous." She eyed the thin, sleeveless shirt and Edythe's bare arms, then nodded at Tacita, who reached up and undid the clasp of her cloak.

Edythe reluctantly took the offered cloak from Tacita, then fastened it around her shoulders.

Sulpicia smiled as she admired it. "You, too, would make an excellent guard," she said softly. "Beyond your extraordinary power, you have a satisfyingly strong sense of justice. If you were able to overcome these inconvenient passions that have recently possessed you, I would also offer you a place on my guard."

I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Jonathan was eying Edythe with cold dislike, as was Tacita, though Tacita's gaze also flickered briefly to Jonathan.

For the first time, Edythe almost smiled. "That could be a long time."

Sulpicia sighed. She murmured, "Oh, I am fully aware of that."

Edythe suddenly stiffened, and Sulpicia straightened a little. "You had best be going now," she said. "Cato, please escort them below."

Edythe didn't need to be told twice, and she suddenly had an arm clamped around my waist and was hauling me forward, pulling me after Cato through the door. Archie was right on our heels.

"Not gonna make it," Archie muttered under his breath, and Edythe gritted her teeth.

"What?" I whispered hoarsely. "What's happening?"

Just then I heard the tramp of feet up ahead, coming from the more ornate hallway beyond. Cato spread out an arm, silently gesturing for us to get back against the wall. We had only just done so as a crowd of people emerged through the door, walking single file, heading straight through the small antechamber and into the turret room beyond.

I did a slight double-take, as I realized that every single one of them was a human. I saw a beefy guy covered head to foot in tattoos, and another with a long gray beard. There was a thin guy who couldn't have been much older than me with ratty hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a woman with dyed hair and a ring through her nose. Most of them looked a little unkempt, with disheveled clothes and hair that looked as though they hadn't been washed in a while. No one spoke—they just marched forward in an uneven line, eyes glazed. They didn't seem to notice us.

The group—perhaps thirty or forty I thought altogether—passed by us, going on in to the larger room beyond, where Sulpicia and the rest of the guard waited. There was a small break in the crowd, and Edythe grabbed me and began to drag me toward the door. However, I turned my eyes back a moment, and I could just see the front of the crowd as they came to a stop in a rough, disorganized cluster at the center of the chamber. Standing, I thought, right over where I'd seen the massive drain.

I felt something icy drop my stomach as I realized what was about to happen. What Sulpicia had meant by shipment.

The crowd was no longer completely quiet now. I began to hear dull murmurs, of fear and confusion, like people being brought out of a trance. Sulpicia's gentle voice drifted back to us.

"Welcome to Volterra," she said. "There is no need for alarm. You have all been specially selected...Your entire lives, every choice you have ever made, has been leading up to this moment..."

Edythe had me through the door, Archie right behind us. We found the ornate, golden hallway was quiet, empty but for one man standing at the center. He was as beautiful as any of his companions, with flawless alabaster skin and cropped dark hair. However, his face was fixed in a grave, official expression.

"Welcome back, Jovian," said Cato. "A successful trip?"

Jovian nodded, his expression unchanged. "About the usual."

"Any with clean blood this time?" Cato asked conversationally.

Jovian wrinkled his nose slightly. "A few. But that makes them more troublesome. The power doesn't work quite so well on those with clear minds...I was forced to render the two serial rapists unconscious several times. Very irritating."

"Jonathan will be happy," said Cato encouragingly. "He prefers clean blood." He added, "Don't bother about which ones you save for me. I'm not particular. I think cocaine in the blood gives it a bit of flavor."

Jovian wrinkled his nose again, as though he thought Cato might be slightly mad, but otherwise didn't comment. He didn't even look at me as he passed through the doors into the room.

We hurried down the hall, Edythe practically dragging me along. However, we didn't quite make it to the door at the opposite end of the hallway before any impression of order was dispelled as the first screams cut through the quiet.