On the premise of reporting to Aro their findings, Alec arrived back at Volterra early.
Nobody believed his premise, except maybe Demitri. (Felix would have believed it if he had not been . . . involved, but Alec refused to think of that.) But for once, flight was the better option. If he spent too much more time with Jane, she would figure it all out. He could not predict what her reaction would be when she found out, but suffice to say, she would overreact.
Alec could not deal with overreacting; he needed underreacting, something he would not find anywhere among the Volturi except in his own solitude.
Gianna was not at her desk. Alec was pleased; no one would announce his arrival. He need not pay audience with Aro, Caius and Marcus. He need not testify to Aro about the recent events through his touch. Though why he feared Aro's knowledge of what he did with Felix was laughable, as Aro already knew things about him that were much worse -things that he never wanted anyone to know, even Jane. Felix's kiss hardly rated among them.
Alec just needed one day to figure things out for himself. It was difficult to think now, when everything was in a jumble, when Jane's reaction (and consequently Felix's well -being) depended much on how he addressed it.
Felix may be a crude bastard but he hardly deserved the wrath Jane could deliver upon him.
Just one day and he would know what to do.
A few hours later and he made no progress. He sat at the two-seated table in muted disgust and watched out the window at the cold gray sky. The sky was similar to the one that roofed Sabina's valley in Switzerland. Looking at the same sky, Alec thought Switzerland not far enough away for comfort.
He heard his door scrape open.
He propped himself to a stand. He had not expected anyone to learn of his presence here before he was ready to emerge, but doubtless they had. Secrets had a short life expectancy in this place. He prayed it was not Aro.
Gianna shuffled in, walking as if lopsided. She was a sickly pale, the dimness of the room providing a greenish tint to her parched complexion.
"I need you to change me," Gianna pleaded.
"You know I can't do that," Alec replied, apologetic. Aro had a certain order to the humans that would change into vampires, and no one was to interfere with it. To do so would be as grave as to tell a human about the existence of vampires. Aro had to ensure that his human charges were committed to the Volturi before he changed them. Since the wars of the American South, he took care not to acquire any rebellious newborns.
Alec iterated, "The rules . . ."
"Fuck the rules," Gianna screeched. "You promised. I need to change now."
She grabbed a small knife from his table and dragged the blade across her purple veined wrist.
Alec flared in annoyance at Gianna's treating him like a common newborn (did she really think he had so little control that he would pounce at the first bleeding wound?), but that instantly faded as a foul odor seeped out with her blood. Not even the most impulsive newborn could be induced to drink this blood. Something was wrong with her.
"Gianna . . ."
She stared back at him. A strange, yellow glint ringed her eyes.
Alec strode over to his wardrobe and yanked out a shirt. He tore it and wrapped one of the makeshift rags over her wrist to slow the bleeding.
"We need to see Aro," he told her.
Gianna followed him willingly, possibly thinking he was going to ask Aro permission to change her sooner. Alec felt bad about the subterfuge, but if he explained his real reason, she might put up a fuss.
He entered Aro's chamber. He, Caius, and Marcus were at their thrones, engaging in some light talk. Alec did not know how to broach this issue of Gianna's illness, but he had no need to wonder. Their talk stopped once they saw Gianna in this condition.
"Father," Alec bowed, but Aro sped over, thrusting up a hand to signal his brothers not to approach them. He placed his hand on Gianna's unbloody wrist and turned it over. A web of purple veins spread across this wrist, too. They appeared like a rash.
"I see you encountered no one on the way here," Aro acknowledged, almost as if in praise of Alec's good sense. "Have the others returned with you?"
Alec realized Aro was talking about Jane, Demitri and Felix. The events that he had dreaded sharing seemed so long ago that he wondered why he ever worried about them.
"No, Father."
"I'm sick," Gianna pleaded. "I need to change now."
It relieved Alec that Gianna was sound enough to know she was sick, but Aro and his brothers were not mollified.
"Unfortunately, my dear, you will not change after all," Aro gently.
Gianna trembled. "You promised," she repeated. "You promised you would. You promised."
"It's out of our control," Aro kept his gentle tone. Alec's dread returned. Aro explained softly, just to his hearing, "This is one condition that vampirism cannot cure."
Tears that smelled just as foul as her blood ran down Gianna's face.
"What's wrong with me?" When Aro did not answer, she looked at Alec. Her eyes shone pleadingly.
Alec knew what Aro would do next. He told Gianna, "You won't feel it." It was all he could promise her. When Aro cupped his hands around her neck, Alec sent a numbing spell over her. She fell limp just before Aro twisted her neck.
Aro turned to Alec, full of instructions. "I'll dispose of the body. Return to your room and stay there until someone summons you. Take the underground passage so you do not encounter anyone. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father." Questions piled into Alec's head, but Aro would not permit them to be voiced.
"We will send a message that Jane and the others will not return to Volterra until the danger is passed," Aro ordered to his brothers.
As Alec hurried to the passage, he heard Aro mutter, "It's good that he found her first."
He had gotten the solitude he wanted, but it was of no use. All he could think about was Gianna's tear filled eyes, pleading for him to save her.
Nevertheless, he waited, as Aro had instructed.