I literally just finished writing this chapter now, this week was rough, but this chapter warmed my heart. As someone who suffers from constant anxiety, I wanted a friend like Seth to keep me company, anyway, enjoy!

[English isn't my first language, so please be kind!]

[All characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer!]

10

The Quest

- Master Marcus? - Renata called - Are you down here?

Seth had been following her for an hour, or at least he thought an hour had passed. It was very difficult to have sure of anything underground and he didn't have a watch, to make things worse, he also had forgotten his cell phone in his room.

Renata was very determined, Seth realized. She didn't stop looking for that guy, Marcus, even when they were walking in circles for a few minutes. She didn't lose control, and she also held Seth by the arm, so he wouldn't get lost on the corridors. Seth was grateful, he couldn't make it back alone.

- So - Seth started to talk, but hesitant - who is this Marcus?

Renata looked at him, not believing what she had heard. It was dark, but she lit every torch they could find on the walls, so he caught a glimpse of her shocked face.

- Don't you remember him? - Renata asked.

Seth shook his head.

- You must have saw him on the US, one of the three guys at the frontline.

- Oh - Seth scratched the back of his head - yes, I remember now.

Of course he didn't remember, but he didn't want Renata to think he was an idiot, so he tried to pretend.

Renata rolled her eyes before starting to search again.

- Aro, Caius and Marcus are the masters - Renata started to explain. Seth realized that he needed to learn how to lie - Aro is the one who talks too much, Caius likes to flog people, and Marcus ...

Seth waited, but Renata changed the subject.

- Anyway, I was responsible for Aro's security, but now, at the hotel, I take care of Marcus too, when Demetri and Santiago are busy.

Renata looked at her smart watch, Seth was a little relieved to see some technology.

- It doesn't work right down here.

Seth sighed, the little hope he had left it quickly.

- You saw that Santiago is busy and Demetri... - she thought for a second - I have no idea where he is, so if Master Marcus gets hurt, everyone will blame me.

- Get hurt? - Seth asked - I didn't think you were hurt so easily, and who could hurt him here?

- Master Marcus is a special case - Renata sighed - if he finds a damn window I'll have my head ripped off, or worse, I will be fired!

- What? No! I won't let this happen!

And why do you talk like having your head ripped off is better than getting fired?

- You don't know my family - Renata squeezed Seth's arm tighter - everyone is successful, everyone, even my human cousins... And I can end them with a finger, what an irony!

"Human cousins", Seth thought, "awesome".

- You're so interesting…

The words slipped out of his mouth unintentionally, but made Renata release his arm and look at him again, visibly embarrassed.

- Can you stop doing that?

- Doing what?

- Praising me - said Renata - you are a wolf, wolves are not cool.

- I can't speak for everyone, Paul is very annoying and my sister has bad days, but I'm cool - Seth pointed to himself.

- But I need you to stop - Renata reaffirmed, she seemed to be serious.

Seth realized something.

- Oh, I didn't know you had a boyfriend, I'm sorry.

Renata blinked twice, what had she just heard?

- What?

- That guy in the garage, Santiago, right? You two make a lovely couple.

Renata clenched her fists... She had no boyfriend, her last relationship had been so long ago that she had already forgotten the guy's name.

- Santiago is my friend - she btook a deep breath, a human tactic to calm down, but that still worked for her, even if she had to smell Seth, whose scent seemed more pleasant every minute - everyone here is my friend.

She turned her back on him and started walking again, but without holding his arm this time. Seth quickened his steps, trying to follow Renata, the corridor was getting darker.

- We need to find another torch - said Renata, touching the wall.

She didn't need light to move around the castle, but she didn't like being in the dark.

That was another thing she missed about Volterra, the castle was old, but with much more light. Gianna always left the hall lights on for her.

It was a pity that the human had died.

- Searching for Marcus is always a quest - Renata realized that Seth was going to say something, then she hurried so that he remained silent - he took the opportunity to disappear when we moved in, it took us five days to find him close to the old dungeons, which is where we are now.

They finally found another torch attached to the wall, and Renata used a lighter to bring the light. Everything seemed fine, until she saw a hooded figure at the end of the hall, scratching the glass of a small window.

Renata intended to approach the vampire calmly, but Seth screamed in fear, stumbling on the floor, also scaring Marcus. Luckily he moved away from the window and hit the opposite wall.

- Quiet! - Renata said to Seth - It's just Marcus!

- Really? - Seth asked, getting up while dusting his clothes - I thought it was a ghost or something.

- My God - Renata sighed - you wouldn't survive a day at my uncle's house…

She ran to Marcus before he took the chance to escape.

- Master! - Renata knelt beside him - Are you okay?

She helped him out of his hood, revealing a pale, young face, sculpted from marble, with red, frightened eyes.

- He's so young! - Seth said, looking enchanted.

- I know, I'm a year older than him at human age, can you believe it? - Renata cleared her throat, she used a different tone to speak to the vampire on the floor - Master, you can't be here alone, remember?

- I just wanted to walk a little - Marcus replied. His hair was black, of medium length and a little wavy.

He barely talked, but Seth realized how sad he was, he looked at Renata, but at the same time he didn't seem to be paying attention to anything.

Although young, Marcus seemed to be twice the size of Renata, who had a fragile appearance, so Seth stepped forward and held out his hand.

- Let me help you - said the wolf - sir.

Renata wanted to push Seth away, this was not the way how to deal with Marcus, but to her surprise, the vampire looked at the wolf, he really looked at him, and took his hand.

- You must have gotten lost - Seth said with a smile - I got lost three times only today.

Renata was ready to say something, but she stopped when she saw that Marcus smiled. It wasn't a fake or a polite smile, but a real smile. When was the last time she saw him do that?

- This castle is very confusing - Marcus replied - but Aro likes it.

- I think everyone should have a chance to vote for the best place to live - Seth continued - as a family.

- You're right - said Marcus - Aro is my family, but he rarely lets me vote.

- Ok - Renata placed herself between them - why don't we come back now? All right, master?

- May I ask who are you? - Marcus asked, completely ignoring Renata.

- I'm Seth Clearwater - he smiled - I'm here with the Cullens.

- Oh, I totally forgot about them - Marcus said.

- Then why don't we come back? - Seth said, looking at Renata - Renata has things to do and it's difficult to breathe down here.

Marcus nodded and Renata started to feel bad, she never asked if Seth was feeling good while following her, while he seemed friendly to everyone he met.

- Thank you - Renata said when they returned to the main hall - usually is more difficult to deal with Marcus.

- You're welcome - said Seth - now we could...

He was interrupted by the dozens of messages Renata received.

- I'm sorry - she sighed - Heidi gave me many tasks.

- I'll be here for a while - Seth looked a bit sad, something that Renata didn't know it was possible - can we see each other again?

- I won't disappear, Seth - Renata looked to the side - can you stay with Marcus until I return?

- Sure!

Renata smiled, but turned away from Seth when Santiago passed by the group. She ran to meet him in the elevator.

- They aren't together - Seth sighed - do I have a chance?

- I think you have - Marcus said.

Seth jumped in fright, for a second he had forgotten that Marcus was there, and his pale appearance didn't help at all.

- I'm sorry! - Seth apologized - but please don't be silent for too long again.

- Ok – said Marcus.

He gave a little smile, but Seth could still see all the melancholy in his eyes. What had happened to make him that way?

- So - Seth said - what do you want to do now, sir?

The wolf couldn't help but smile. Marcus looked confused.

- Sorry - Seth said again - it's very weird to call you sir, you look very young.

- Thank you - said Marcus - I guess.

- Why don't we sit down? - Seth indicated the sofa in the lobby.

Marcus followed him, despite the black cloak he wore a burgundy suit underneath, which matched the color of his eyes.

- It's the first time I have entered a place as fancy as this - Seth looked at the dome on the ceiling, something designed by Aro, a perfect replica of his old home in Volterra.

- Why? - Marcus asked, he didn't know much about life in the United States.

- Well ... Life is difficult, we have no money, and also because I don't think people would look at us with respect in places like that.

- So there are bad people everywhere - Marcus sighed, his expression looked even sadder - it's a shame.

- But you don't have to be sad because of me! - Seth hurried to say.

- No - Marcus sighed - I'm always sad, I think, I've felt this way for so long that I'm not even sure anymore.

- But your family makes you feel good, doesn't it?

- My family seems more distant each year, Aro now has his own family now, while I languish alone...

Seth crossed his arms, he didn't know what to say to someone so sad.

- You must have lost someone - said Seth - I know how it is, when I lost my father, I thought my world was over.

- And what kept you going?

- My mother, my sister, my friends, I think you need friends Marcus, real friends.

Marcus considered what the boy had said, he saw logic in his words.

- And what friends do these days? - Marcus asked. With Aro he created a group that dominated the world of vampires, nothing more.

- I like sports - said Seth - playing video games, listening to music ... What kind of music do you like?

- I'm going through a Broadway musical phase.

- Cool - said Seth, looking genuinely interested - tell me more! I've never seen a musical...

Marcus smiled again that day. He didn't feel any better, the pain in his chest was still colossal, but its effect, for some time, had been neutralized.