Chapter Twenty Six

Aro

We should have realised there was something wrong when Marcus took Bella Swan under his wing but it was my fault for trying to hide her from him. Somehow he had broken free of Chelsea's influence and not only that but he had formed a coalition of rebels and invited them into the citadel to destroy us. How he did it was something I intended to find out but not until we were safely away from Volterra. Marcus knew of this escape tunnel therefore we had to assume he told the others so they would be waiting for us at the exits. There was one however that I had guarded closely, just in case of an uprising by one of my brothers, the exit only I knew of, the one that came out at the bottom of the hill close to the road into Pisa and that was the one we would take tonight. Caius was upset about leaving Athena behind but it would have been death to return to the tower for her, besides why had she left the reception? Did she know something? Perhaps she was one of those allied to Marcus. She had often complained at his treatment although we had ignored her. Where were Felix and Jane? Had they realised what was happening and tried to stop Marcus? The last time I saw them they were headed towards Marcus and Anastasia so perhaps they had managed to kill one or the other before being overcome or perhaps with Jane's help Felix had saved the guard and taken the rebels into detention, I doubted it but it was a faint possibility. Once we were safely away I would try to contact them and find out what happened but carefully just in case they too had joined the rebellion.

Caius was very quiet, a mixture of shock at the attack and fear for his mate but I promised him we would be back to save her once we had regrouped. Sulpicia however was loud in her condemnation of Marcus and Anastasia, so loud in fact that I was forced to tell her to shut up which only made her angry with me too but she fumed quietly which was what I had intended. At the base of the hill we came out cautiously Renata still at my shoulder to find we were alone.

"Right, through the trees to your right. There's a cave with a false wall inside that hides a car."

Caius led the way with Sulpicia close behind and they found the cave and slid the false wall aside to reveal a black car with tinted windows.

"You drive Caius while I make arrangements for a flight out of Italy,"

"Don't you think they will be watching the airport Aro?"

"I certainly hope so Sulpicia my dear but we are going south to a small airstrip just outside Rimini where I keep a small plane ready just in case. It pays to be prepared after all."

"And where will we go? There are just the five of us. We can't fight the rebels and we have nowhere to hide"

I smiled condescendingly at my wife,

"Do you really think the idea of a coup never crossed my mind through all these centuries my dear? That I would as they say, put all my eggs in one basket? I have prepared for this eventuality and that is what will bring us out on top once more. This is just a minor set back my dear. We will fly to Trikala, to a small villa where I have a surprise for you my dear, you too Caius."

"We're going home after all this time?"

"Yes my dear, I kept the family villa on over the centuries for just such an eventuality, you see it pays to be prepared now if you would give me a few minutes I need to make a few calls."

I contacted my pilot first so the plane would be ready to take off on our arrival and the caretaker of the villa who would ensure we were met at the airstrip when we landed. Then I sat back and smiled, we were under a certain amount of strain but we would be back better than ever and then my dear brother and his ward would feel the wrath of Aro Volturi and our world would be mine once more.

The plane was ready as I had instructed and we took off within minutes of our arrival after checking that the false flight plan had been filed to put off any would be pursuers. I hadn't lived this long to start making mistakes now. As we flew I considered the ramifications of what had happened, Marcus was a free agent once more so Anastasia must be able to cover others with her shield which would make things more difficult but not insurmountable. The citadel was now peopled by the rebels and our guard either killed or persuaded to accept new masters but Felix and Jane were still there so we had two friends in the enemy camp, two useful ones. We still had Alec who I had pulled along with us although his gift had proved ineffective for the very first time, so could Anastasia send her shield to cover many people? That was a gift that would prove awkward to overcome unless we could find a weakness and that would be our first job, finding such a weakness, We knew that Felix would contact us as soon as it was safe to do so but that might be several days even weeks. Still in the mean time we would plan and I would introduce Caius to our reserves. My dear brother would be eager to return to Volterra with his wife still there and possibly a prisoner of the rebels unless she had barricaded herself in the tower rooms. That would keep her safe in the short term but eventually thirst would force her out.

Sulpicia said little on the flight or the car journey after, not even showing any interest in the driver although she had no idea who he was. Caius tried to engage him in conversation and he looked at me for guidance.

"Caius is one of us Anton you may talk to him"

The man turned back to look at his interrogator,

"I have been at the villa many years now, Martha my mate and I run the place along with the others."

"Others? Who else is there? Are there many of you?"

Anton hesitated then continued,

"There are six of us at present, the other three are on a scouting mission, I sent them as per instructions when I heard from the master."

My brother looked at me questioningly,

"More of your contingency plans Aro?"

"But of course dear brother, it pays to be prepared for any eventuality as you can see."

"This coven you established, does it contain any gifted vampires brother?"

He sounded annoyed that he hadn't known about this coven but I thought it best if no one did, it was safer that way.

"Do you really think I would keep a coven here if they weren't useful Caius? Without gifts we would never strand a chance of recovering what is ours, leadership of our world. You'll see soon enough now please, allow me some peace to think."

When we reached the villa Sulpicia was very quiet, she had loved this place when I brought her here centuries ago and not much had changed, it was still as she remembered it and she went off to explore the grounds, checking that the arbour close to the well was still standing, her favourite place to sit and read. Alec had some duties to perform and went inside taking out his phone and a list and Caius followed me into a small office with whitewashed walls and old dark wooden furniture.

"Well what now Aro?"

I smiled and waggled a finger at him,

"Patience dear brother, patience."