The Volturi stood in the throne room, lined up before their three leaders. They had failed to wipe out the Cullen coven, as was Caius' morbid wish. The guards stood rigid with their feet together and their arms by their sides; a few strands of sunlight seeping in through cracks in the upper windows causing their skin to sparkle like gemstones. The leaders took to their seats, neatly folding their hands in their laps. Caius was the first to speak.
"We are humiliated," He began, his voice was like steel, "disgustingly so. We journeyed to their continent to establish justice." His voice suddenly turned shrill, like the steel in his voice was screeching. "I saw their existence hanging by a thread, yet we left as failures! We are not victorious. You are all disappointments! We have lasted throughout the ages because we are the most powerful immortals in existence, and yet you disgrace us, so! How is it that such a young vampire can thwart you, Jane? Even as a human, she rendered you powerless! Everyone, pathetic!"
While accustomed to Cauis' verbal abuse, be it directed at them or another party, the Volturi were not accustomed to losing. They were the leaders of the vampire world. They were the enforcers. Jane pressed her lips together into a firm line, her gaze fixated on her furious master.
"Now, now," Aro said soothingly, his feathery voice bouncing off the walls and giving a slight echo effect. "We had no way of anticipating what was waiting for us today. Nor were we prepared. I feel as though this was a positive learning experience for us." The entire guard and Caius stared at Aro, completely dumbfounded. While the guard didn't dare whisper, a few glances were exchanged among them. Aro clapped his hands and cackled, "You all seem shocked. We have been so arrogant in our activities; believing that there were not others who could rival us." Like Caius before him, Aro's voice took a harsh turn. "We will do well to avoid making such mortifying errors in the future. It has been made abundantly clear that others possess gifts that may counter ours. Others possess gifts more powerful than ours; and if this is the case, those who lack the power the Volturi desires will be promptly disposed of. There will be no repeat of this. Am I clear?"
The guard all nodded, afraid to speak a word. An eerie silence hung in the room, not a soul dared to step out of place. A few minor guards were shrinking back, trying to seem as small and undetectable as possible; for they had seen how brutally vampires had been disposed of under the watchful orders of the masters. But the most terrified in the room had to be their most recent human secretary who stood nervously by the large oak doors. Biting her lip, she pressed herself against the doorframe, her heart pounding fast and loud. Everybody in the room could hear it. It was becoming annoying.
"What?!" Caius barked at the young woman, who gave a frightened whimper in return. Droplets of nervous sweat made her forehead glisten. Her ginger curls cascaded over her shoulders and down to her waist, half of her hair neatly pulled back and tied with a white ribbon. Her low-cut silver dress and matching stilettos glimmered in the soft candlelight, and some of the male guards snickered at how much skin she was revealing. In her hands she held a silver platter with a Herald Sun newspaper and a sealed envelope resting on top of it. She glanced down at it, and then risked a look back at Caius as if to tell him that she only meant to deliver their mail. Caius bared his teeth. "Give it here." He screeched.
The girl near-sprinted to the stairs in front of the leaders, averting her gaze from Caius in particular. Shrinking beneath their predatory glares she extended her arms, allowing Aro to take the newspaper and letter. Aro offered her an unsettling grin as he retrieved the items from the platter in her trembling hands. "Many thanks, Rita," he stared at her quivering red lips, "I fear, however, that we must let you go."
Fear dashed across her features. Her lined eyes widened like saucers and she fought back a scream. She didn't dare make a sound, she couldn't even if she wanted to. It was like a thousand cries had built up in her throat and she couldn't get any of them out. Her heart raced faster. She could hear her blood rushing through her ears. She couldn't breathe. Her airways felt tight. Her vision was beginning to blur. She had stumbled upon the vampire world by accident and thought she might someday be able to join the Volturi. Had they only been stringing her along in a sick game? She knew it was all over. Rita turned to face the room full of growling vampires, their faces feral and their teeth almost glistening under the firelight. It felt claustrophobic. She collapsed to the ground, she couldn't breathe. She gasped and gasped for air. It felt like she was drowning, sinking to the bottom of the ocean with her ankles chained to blocks of concrete. And then she felt it. Two strong surges of pain on either side of her neck, and slowly she began to relax. The pain disappeared quickly, it almost felt like anaesthesia. She could feel herself being pulled away from reality, she could feel two pairs of cool lips draining her throat.
Sulpicia and Athenodora wiped the blood from their mouths with their handkerchiefs. During the ordeal, Aro had already read the newspaper's headline and ripped open the envelope. Unfolding the letter, he read it to himself silently. Caius glared at him from his own throne. Aro finally looked up and said to nobody in particular, "It seems we are not wholly disgraced. Our assistance is still sought after."
"What is it, brother?" Marcus' voice sounded dry and cracked.
"It seems there is a newborn army in the South. Deborah from the Australian Coven has informed us of the attention their attacks are slowly drawing from the public." Aro almost whispered. His eyes lit up with childlike excitement.
Marcus frowned, not speaking a word but clearly deep in thought. Caius' lips twitched as he failed to cloak a smirk. The three watched as Rita's remains were disposed of, and the lower guards began to file out of the room – sensing that this matter needed to be properly discussed by the higher ranks. Demetri, Felix, Chelsea, Jane, Alec, and the leaders were all who remained.
"Shall we intervene, or shall we observe?" Alec asked. Jane looked at her brother and slowly turned her head to the masters. Chelsea stood, emotionless, while Felix and Demetri had subtle smirks dancing upon their pale lips.
"Of course there must be an intervention-" Caius' voice grew louder with each word, only to be interrupted by his core co-leader.
"Felix and Demetri," Aro called on them, as if he were almost excited to play this new game, "You will make a personal visit to Deborah and her coven. You will tell them that we will handle the issue and you will ask them for any additional information that has not already been disclosed. Then, you will attempt to locate the newborns and observe them from a distance. You will remain there for a month. No personal interventions will take place, and a progress letter will be penned and sent to me every second day of your stay. Should we need either of you, we shall rotate other guards in your place."
Demetri fought the urge to laugh at the sour expression lacing Jane's face at not being involved in this mission. Looking like she was about to throw a tantrum, Jane fixed her gaze upon the steps and nothing else.
Unsympathetic, Aro mused, "Heidi should return soon, I do miss Italian..."
A/N: Hey, thanks for reading! Just letting you know that this will be a full-length Demetri/OC story. I won't be including any Author's Notes unless it's important so if I do write them, please read!