FELIX'S POV

Demetri took my place at the head of the jet as I went to inform the ladies of our arrival. The landing was the only thing he could manage when it came to piloting a plane, and I was happy to let him have his moment.

After I informed Bella, Rosalie and Alice of our imminent landing, I went back to the cockpit. "I'll do a quick call and see if the limo is already waiting for us" I told my companion.

"Alright, my brother" he replied.

I composed Santiago's number and waited. After two rings he answered, "Good to hear from you, Felix. What is it?" he asked.

"Same, dude. You already at the airport?"

"Yeah. I am waiting in the hangar. What about little Swan?" he inquired, using the name us guards used to refer to Bella.

"She's here, with Alice—the seer—and another female, Rosalie. She's the one mated to the big guy, Emmett" I explained.

"Good. I'll run back to the palace and inform Aro. I'll leave the keys on the driver's seat. See you, bro."

"Okay, thanks. See you later" I said, and hung up.

"Landing in thirty seconds" Dem announced.

I sat in the co-pilot's seat and waited. Soon enough, the jet landed, and Demetri skilfully parked it in the hangar, far from sunlight.

"Should we call the ladies?" Dem asked, but I shook my head. "I already did. Told 'em we would have waited for them in the limo. Help me with the luggage and let's hope they are not slow as the animals they drink" I smirked.

"Bella doesn't drink animals."

"I know, moron. I was teasing, geez" I rolled my eyes.

We quickly transferred the luggage from the plane to the limo and went to sat in the front places in the vehicle as the girls appeared.

I managed to see only a pair of black stilettos before I lost sight of them. "They changed" I told my brother, and he snorted "Again?"

"What can I tell you? Must be a thing of theirs" I replied shrugging.

"Maybe they dress to impress" he smirked, elbowing me while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Surely not to impress you, you idiot" I teased. He glared and growled at me.

"Maybe I'll try the human. To discover if her body is as heavenly as her smell" he mused, with an evil grin.

It was my turn to glare and growl. "Abso-fucking-lutely not. She's off limits dude. Do not play with fire" I threatened him, before returning to my senses.

What the hell? What has gotten into me?

I shook my head, and Dem laughed. "Dude I was kidding, I know she's off limits. We need the clear out from Aro, first."

That wasn't what I was thinking but I nodded nonetheless. I actually had no idea what I was thinking, but okay.

I heard the door of the limo open and then close after a few seconds. One of the ladies knocked on the divider and Dem knocked back before starting the engine. We wordlessly started the drive to Volterra. The silence was heavy but not uncomfortable.

After what felt like mere minutes—but in reality were a few hours—we spotted the castle and the city looming ahead of us. Demetri drove over the small street that conduced to our home. He drove slower than usual to let our guests admire the view. Not only the city was beautiful, but the landscape also. The hills and sky were equally breath-taking.

We crossed the Etruscan walls that still encircled the city and dived in the heart of our home. Building flitted out the windows and the sun was high in the sky as we reached our destination. We parked the limo in a secondary street. One of the lower guards would have retrieved it and moved it in the Volturi's underground garage.

I knocked again on the divider and it lowered half an inch. Bella's scent immediately invaded the air. I swallowed the venom that had pooled in my mouth and I spoke in my guard voice, cold and detached. "You are to come at Piazza dei Priori and go inside the Palazzo dei Priori. It's a walk of few minutes from here. Miss Swan knows where. There, a secretary named Gianna will guide you to us. We need to leave and report now, but I hope my indications will suffice."

"They will" the seer replied in a voice similar my own.

"Good. Be careful of the sun" I admonished them before covering my head with the hood of my cloak and slitting out the limo. We walked at human pace until we reached a secluded, dark alley, then we ran to the palace at top speed, unseen and unheard by any human.

We reached the castle in seconds and were immediately received by our Masters. Aro and Caius looked excited and annoyed, respectively, while Marcus looked bored as always until we stepped inside the throne room. Immediately he perked up and studied us with a gaze so piercing I was intimidated. Why was Marcus looking at me that way? And, more importantly, why was Master Marcus showing any emotion?

I had no time to muse over this, because Aro immediately flitted to us and took our hands. After a second or so, he sighed.

"Che creatura meravigliosa" he murmured, almost to himself. 'What a beautiful creature' in Italian. I assumed he must me talking about Miss Swan.

Aro, who still held my hand, chuckled lightly at my assumption. "Indeed I am talking about her, dear one" he answered my inner musing. I could do nothing but nod.

He released our hands and stepped back to sit on his throne. "It seems our sweet Isabella is very beautiful, and possesses the spirit of a warrior inside her tiny body. I am delighted she accepted our invite."

As if she had any choice.

"How is she?" Marcus asked, and we all stared at him, bewildered.

If I recalled correctly, he had not spoken in the presence of another individual since WWII. And here he was, asking me and Dem a question.

I scrambled to get out a convincing response. But before either I or Demetri could utter a word, heeled steps resonated outside the throne room's doors.

Caius smirked. "I suppose we are about to find out" he said, seating himself more firmly on his throne.

HOLY SHIT! DID MARCUS JUST SMILE?!

Knock, knock.

"Please, Gianna, let our esteemed guests enter" Aro told our human secretary jovially.

The doors opened, and immediately I could feel every male—and even some female—vampires drool at the sight of the three women that entered the throne room, especially the human. And not drooling because of the delicious scent that invaded the room. Goddamnit.

Only two words could have described them—her.

Smokin'. Hot.