Dear Reader:

I know I came back a day earlier, are you going to complain?

I'd like to thank you all for the really strong support I've received after updating yesterday for the first time in more than a month. So many of you, my regular reviewers came and gave me so much support, I felt so happy reading those comments, I was just tearing up.

I think I'm pouring so much of my therapy into this and this is starting to show.

I hope you enjoy this new chapter,

Enjoy

XXX

Chapter 14: The Report

Seeing her up close was even worse than he had imagined.

x

12 hours ago

x

"I'll leave" Marcus said when Demetri entered Caius' study.

"No, Brother." Caius stopped him "I have the feeling I'll be needing your presence for this."

Marcus raised an eyebrow at that statement, as his proud brother rarely acknowledged his own vulnerability. These past two decades had affected him in unsuspected ways. Though he wasn't happy to know his brother was suffering, he couldn't help but be a little glad to have someone to empathize with. Someone who was going through something real, unaffected by Chelsea's fake bounds and Corin's fake happiness. These past twenty years, ever since Athenodora took that child, Caius world had lost its sheen of pretense. Slowly, the amber around his existence had cracked, and the dragonfly trapped in it was starting to move again. Vampire rarely encounter change, Volturi even less. But this little child, Isabella, had caused more change in Caius' life that it was difficult to look at his brother and see the ruthless ruler he was before. Little by little, with each change, the transformation has made him into someone...someone who asks for help. Someone who is not ashamed to say he needs a brother present in the room when Demetri comes bearing news.

Of course, he had his own reason for wanting to stay, and this was exactly why he should have insisted to leave. He really shouldn't be there.

"Speak Demetri," Caius said, trying to lay back in his seat as Marcus leaned on the mahogany desk.

"Yes Master. A year ago, Young Lady Isabella moved to Forks after her mother remarried to a kind of nomad living off sporting events. A few days later a police and hospital report indicate that she was involved in an accident in which she hit her head. The scan only showed minor injuries," Demetri quickly précised as both brothers flinched and he passed a copy of the medical report for them to check "but as you can see here, there was also a history of tiny fracture during childhood. The report indicated that Edward Cullen of the Olympic coven had allegedly been standing next to her when it happened, and prevented her from getting more hurt."

They exchanged looks. If Edward demonstrated his powers in order to save Isabella's life, he was legally bound to either turn or kill her. Failing to that should mean consequences for the entire coven, but Caius hoped exceptions could be made. Protecting his princess was technically a service to the Crown.

"The trail ended there and came back much later, in late spring," Demetri continued, and his eyes looked positively scared when he braced himself and said "when she was transported to the hospital of Phoenix with major injuries that necessitated a blood transfusion"

There was a loud clunk! and a roaring sound, and Caius realized he had jumped out of his chair and that Marcus was the one preventing him from lashing at Demetri's throat.

"Brother," Marcus said, his own voice shaking "you know she's alive, this was months ago. Let him speak."

Someone had hurt his Child. He knew it. He'd felt it. Something bad happened. He couldn't talk. He couldn't think.

"Demetri," Marcus said in his usual soft, but assertive tone, "Continue"

The tracker slid a nervous hand in his black shoulder length hair, and obeyed

"Carlisle Cullen signed the admission papers. Official statement says that she fell down a flight of stair and through a window, and there was indeed physical evidence of damaged properties that supported that" He handed Caius another file, but he was still frozen in his state of shock, so Marcus took the papers and browsed through them instead. "The suspicious thing is that that very same day a building that used to be significant to Isabella, a dance studio, also suffered damaged...which included arson. Police report also noted several stolen cars, one later found on the arson site."

"Stolen cars in a big city, arson is a destroyed building" Marcus said pensively, his eyes still on the files, "this looks like a vampire fight. Have you looked into any coven that suffered any loss?"

"No master. Should I…?"

"Yes." Caius said, still breathless "This will be your next assignment. After we assess Isabella's condition, your next task will be to check on any coven in the American continent for any change in their numbers."

"Yes master."

Caius tapped Marcus on the shoulder, and straightened himself, running a hand though his disheveled blond curls. He nodded "Go on."

"Master, I suggest you sit down and brace yourself, If I may…" Demetri said "It's about to get worse"

"Worse" Marcus mouthed voicelessly as he turned to his brother. Caius shoulders were shaking as he stared at his tracker and after a minute, he slowly - carefully - sat back on his chair and waited, his eyes wide. Marcus noticed his brother wasn't breathing. Marcus closed his eyes, and nodded.

"On September 16th a police report indicate that Bella was presumed missing and a search party was sent for her. She was found in the middle of the forest, in a state of semi-conscious shock and hypothermia, severely dehydrated and in need of immediate medical care. She had remained catatonic for the next seven days and her medical file suggest the option of having her institutionalized was clearly on the table."

Marcus shut down his own emotions, as shaking as his determination was, and looked down at his brother to gauge his reaction. Caius hands were covering his face, and he was perfectly still. Just like he was, Caius was going into vampire lockdown, the statue-like state that keeps you from exploding. He himself had barely enough power to keep nodding at Demetri, and simply blinked in his direction.

"That same day, the Olympic coven relocated without a trace, using the excuse of a professional change in their leader, Carlisle. I have tracked their location, they are currently in Ithaca, New York. All of them except Edward, the mind-reader. His trail is the most absurd. He keeps moving around. He is currently in Brazil, but if I were to guess, I would say he behaves like a tracker."

"He's probably tracking the coven that was implicated in whatever happened in Phoenix in spring." Caius said, finally loosening his grip on himself, but his teeth were still showing when he spoke. "This isn't over. You will use that to find out about this coven"

"Yes master." Demetri said solemnly, accepting his new mission.

"What about Isabella?"

Caius shot his head to his brother, and Marcus realized he had spoken with an earnestness that might have seemed...out of character. He toned down his voice as he went on "How did the young Lady fare these past few months?"

"Her high school report indicated she'd been excelling in her academic study, but her professors did add comments about a "more than reserved" disposition, which seemed to be even more pronounced than in the past semesters. Concerned have been filed to the school infirmary about an "asocial behavior" and "severe weigh loss". She seemed to be showing all the symptoms of severe clinical depression."

Depression…

X

Seeing her up close was even worse than he had imagined.

Heidi had clothed her in the most gorgeous of royal and night blue dress, with embroidered silver stars climbing from the hem to the knees, and her hair were arranged in natural waves, but no amount of hairspray and cosmetics could hide the months of misery that had eaten at her flesh, hollowing her cheeks, tarnishing her hair, stealing the light from her skin, and even - if such a feat was possible - weakening the appeal of her blood. She was the listless shadow of the human she could be.

As she surrendered her palm to his grasp, a flicker of warmth lightening her hollow eyes, and his guard bent the knee to their Lady, Caius knew, in that very moment, that a line had been crossed.

He was going to annihilate that coven

XXX

So, what did you think? I know you probably wished the action would have continued from there, but I just had to include Demetri's report, and I didn't see a better moment, to put that in perspective of Caius point of view as he sees her stepping out of the plane. Now, as you noticed something is going on with Marcus, our national favorite Timothée Chalamet, yes there is a reason and it will be explained.

I'd say the fiction is probably going to have a total of….50 chapters? For the story I want to tell, so around 125-150k words, I think. Which mean we're here until June at the very least. Hopefully this will be done by summer break so you all can re read the entire thing on vacation.

Brace yourself.

Oh, and yes it will be spicy. Did you think the M was for Meek?

I have planned the next 10 already and chapter 15 is already written, I'm now working on chapter 16 now. Come back tomorrow, and then we'll see on Monday what pace I decide on. For now, I'm making up for my long absence by showering you with updates, yay!