"Master, I was summoned?" Demetri asked, arriving in the throne room with Afton shortly behind him.

"Demetri," Caius said slowly, his voice strangely empty, "I need you to give me the location of the former queens."

"Sulpicia and Athenodora? Certainly," Demetri said, though he was clearly puzzled. There was a stretch of silence before Demetri breathed, "Oh, no."

"We are fools!" Caius roared, his voice echoing around the throne room.

"Maxim," I said, addressing the guard that was still standing at the edge of the room, "could you please go fetch Aro for us? He's in the library."

"Yes, my queen," Maxim said, bowing before he disappeared.

Caius was raging behind me, ranting at Demetri in a language I had never heard. Demetri was wise enough to keep his eyes on the floor and not risk angering Caius further by speaking.

"Caius," I said with no more than normal volume. I was strangely calm. All the anxiety I had been harboring over the past weeks since Demetri and Felix's report seemed to have ebbed away. Because now everything had been brought to light. The truth at last.

Caius snapped at me in the same language he had been snarling at Demetri in. "Enough!" I said sharply in retort. "Nothing will come by yelling or berating the guard. No one expected this."

He hissed lowly but relented. "Apologies, amore. You are right, as always."

Maxim returned with Aro shortly behind him. "What's happened?" Aro asked, reading Caius' furious expression and my troubled one. Aro himself looked slightly displeased. "I was only told that I was needed in the throne room."

I couldn't be certain, but I thought that Maxim appeared a little smug before he left the throne room. Caius gestured for me to explain, likely too angry to speak in any language that I would be able to understand. "I was reading Macbeth in the library when I figured out what started everything. When you sent the former queens from Volterra, you infuriated them. So they sought out the Romanians, who would be more than willing to give them the revenge they want. The queens have been whispering in the ears of the Romanians probably since the beginning. Just like Lady Macbeth and Macbeth."

"I was able to confirm it. They're with the Romanians. The former queens know everything there is to know about our coven: how it runs, our strengths, our weaknesses. They know about Rowan, even if they don't know her name. I should have…" Demetri ran a hand through his hair, guilt lining his face, and trailed off.

"This is a devastating blow," Aro murmured.

"A devastating blow?" Caius sputtered, still spitting with rage, "A devastating blow? You're no fool, brother! They have an advantage over us that we have no chance of holding over them! Sulpicia and Athenodora know our inner workings, things that even the most elite guard may be unaware of. There is no coming back from this! None! This war may as well have been lost before we even step foot on the battlefield!"

Aro shook his head. "Nonsense! The war is not over until we fall. And we will not go down without a fight. We have beaten the Romanians before. We will simply have to be smarter this time. The former queens know how we work, but they are no seers; they will not be able to anticipate our every move."

"We found out something else from Vincent's memories," I said, deciding it was best to share all the bad news at once.

"Get on with it," Caius muttered.

"It seems they've found someone with a gift similar to Uncle Eleazar," I said. "Someone with the ability to-"

"Yes, I know what Eleazar's gift is," Caius snapped tersely. I shot him a look but didn't hold it against him; he, out of all of us, was under the most stress.

"Whoever this sensor is, he's out in the world searching for humans with abilities to use for their army," Aro said. "If we can find the sensor, we can perhaps slow them down."

"I can help," Demetri interjected, looking desperate to prove himself reliable again after his oversight of the former queens.

"Yes, I believe it's wise to task you with this immediately. There's another tracker in the lower guard, take her with you," Caius ordered. "Dismissed, Demetri."

"Masters," Demetri bowed. "My queen."

"Good luck, Demetri," I called.

"Thank you, my queen." He shot me a small smile and left the room.

"You need to allow me to resume my duties, brother. This is much worse than we could have imagined," Aro said.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Marcus will simply have to understand. Amore, if you could visit him after you leave, tell him what happened, perhaps this will be enough to snap him out of it. Now, more than ever, we need him," Caius said, looking tired.

"Yes, of course I will," I promised.

Caius nodded. "Good. Aro, I'll have what should be your workload transferred to your study shortly. I'll continue to shoulder Marcus' duties. Perhaps that will soften the blow that you have resumed your position once he returns to himself."

"I'll go to him now. That way you two can get straight to work. We'll figure this out," I said, though I felt less confident than before. Caius nodded, his stony mask flickering as I pressed a kiss to his cheek. I kissed Aro's cheek as well before departing.

Afton waited outside the throne room. "I take back all my complaints about your request to clear the throne room. Your reasoning was entirely justified. This is bad."

"No shit," I said, walking briskly towards Marcus' quarters. "At least Aro is back in action despite Caius' better judgement. Still, I don't see how that will make up for all the information the former queens have been able to pass to the Romanians. I have no doubt they're much more prepared for this war than we are."

"We just need to keep preparing and hope it's enough," Afton said heavily.

I slowed. "What if it's not? What if, no matter what we do here, it's not enough? They have a huge advantage. The only way we could ever make up for that is if…"

"The masters have already thought of a spy, I'm sure. But it's too risky, and any of the higher, trusted guard are going to be easily recognized by the former queens. The kings won't risk sending a lower, unproven guard on such an important task. Stealth missions like the one Vince and I went on are our best option."

"Yes," I murmured, mind whirling. "You're right."

We stopped outside Marcus' door. "Shall I wait here then?" Afton asked.

"Unless nothing short of a miracle happens, I won't be long," I said, opening the door and entering Marcus' quarters. I sat down on the bed, Indian style, and gave Marcus the abbreviated version of what had happened. I was not surprised when he didn't react.

"You have to come back, Marcus," I said quietly, my hand on the door handle. "We need you." I left the room.

"Where now?" Afton asked.

"My quarters," I said, very reckless, very dangerous ideas swimming through my head.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Fine," I said. We halted when we reached my door. "Afton, you said that we should be prepared to do whatever it takes to win this war."

"Yes," he said, looking uneasy.

"We're being faced with hard choices, Afton. Really hard ones. I guess you were right," I said. "Stay out here, would you? I need some time."

"Certainly," he said, eying me with concern. I slipped into my quarters before he had time to examine me further. Otherwise, I felt as if he may see the plan that I was devising in my eyes.

I paced my living room. No matter how hard we tried, we would not have the information needed in order to win this war, not like the Romanians possessed. Whatever it takes to win this war. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes.

I made my decision.

The phone rang.

Alice. Of course.

"Hello?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Alice demanded.

I entered my study and shut the door behind me with a quiet click. "It's the only way."

"You will die!"

"No, I won't! They don't know my name, they don't know my face. The kings can't send any of the higher guard because they'll be recognized. They can't send any of the lower guard because they're not trusted enough. This is the only way."

"If they kill you, it's over. There are other ways to win this war, Rowan! You are not a pawn in this chess game, you are the queen! The best protection you can offer the kings is by not sacrificing yourself in a foolish move."

"I'm not sacrificing myself, Alice. I'm saving us all. So you can either help me or you can butt out. It's your choice."

"You go there, it's a death sentence."

"Have you seen it?"

There was a pause. "No. I won't see whether they decide to let you stay, not until you arrive there and present yourself to them."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take, Alice. We're backed into a corner. The former queens have been the Romanians' informants this whole time. I'm just leveling the playing field. I wouldn't do this if I wasn't willing to face the consequences. If I go at night, I can escape if things go sour."

"You don't know that for certain."

"Will you help me or not?" I snapped.

"I could tell them," Alice said quietly.

"But you won't. Choose, Alice."

The seconds ticked by. "If you can get out of the city, I can have transportation for you."

"Thank you, Alice," I said. My stomach writhed. "We can't waste any time. Can you have something ready before daybreak here tomorrow?"

"Yes. I don't like this, Rowan."

"Neither do I. But I have no other choice. If I must go into the lion's den, then so be it. There's no other way to get the information we need. None."

"There has to be another way."

"My mind is made up, Alice. I'll need a burner phone, food, water, and a change of clothes waiting for me on that plane. The ones I have all smell of vampire already," I said.

"You've thought this through."

"Probably not enough," I muttered. "Call me when you have everything ready."

"Okay. How will you get out?"

"I have some ideas," I said. "Talk to you soon, Alice."

I hung up. For three seconds, I let myself feel the horror and fear surrounding my decision. Three. Two. One. I steeled myself, retrieved several pieces of paper from my desk, and began to write.

In the end, there were three letters: one for Caius, one for Aro, and one for Marcus. Hopefully, their contents would prevent their intended recipients from killing anyone unnecessarily. Hopefully.

Though I highly doubted it.

The smaller number of available guard members meant it would be much easier to slip away. But if I was to have any chance of slipping out of the castle, not to mention the city, without being noticed, I needed to rid myself of guards completely.

I had Afton bring my dinner to my room and ate there as I waited for Alice to call back. An hour passed before the phone rang and I retreated within the soundproofed walls of my study.

"Well?"

Alice's voice was shriller than usual. "It's done. You won't have to go far out of Volterra. There's a private airstrip shortly outside of the city, you saw it when we visited Volterra the first time."

I thought back. "I remember. I can get there."

"When you get there, ask for the pilot Matteo. He'll have everything you asked for on the plane and will fly you directly to Romania. He'll land you at another private airstrip that is located about thirty miles away from the Romanians' castle. They'll be a car waiting there to get you most of the way, but you'll have to walk the last five miles. Did I forget anything?"

"I think you've got it covered, Alice. What time do I need to be there?"

"He's expecting you at two A.M. Don't be late."

"I'll do my best."

"Please tell me you have a plan to get out of the city, Rowan."

"I have… something. I'll get out, one way or another."

"Let me know when you get to the air strip, alright?" She asked anxiously.

"I will. Thank you, Alice. I couldn't do this without you."

"I know," Alice said sourly.

"I'll call you when I get there," I promised.

"Thank you. Good luck, Rowan."

"Thanks, Ali. Love you."

"Love you, too."

She hung up first this time. I checked the time: eight P.M. Time to begin putting the plan into action. I rummaged through my purse, finding a few rumpled European notes in my wallet. I shoved them in my pocket. I grabbed my phone and my charger; I would need it to contact Alice and program phone numbers into the burner. I debated for a moment before setting the letters on my desk in clear view. If all went well, I would be long gone by the time they were discovered.

I turned off all the lights before I left. As I expected, Afton was standing outside the door. "I thought you were in for the night?"

"I'm scared that everything that's happened today may give me nightmares. So I'll spend the night in Marcus' room," I said. Marcus wouldn't notice my coming or going, so long as he stayed a statue for at least a few hours longer.

Afton nodded. "Alright."

We walked in silence. I regretted that he would take the fall for this, but I explicitly wrote in all three letters that he was not to be punished. "Since I'll be spending the night, you don't have to stand around outside the door the whole time. Marcus is in there. I'm sure he'll snap out of it if anything happens, and I'm sure you have other duties that you need to tend to."

Afton looked uncertain. "I don't know, Rowan, if something happens-"

"Nothing will happen," I interrupted, my tone firm. "Really, Afton, it'll be fine. Like I said, I'll be with Marcus."

"I suppose you're right," he relented. "But if you need anything-"

"I won't hesitate to poke my head out and yell, don't worry," I said, shooting him a grin.

He grinned back. "Good. Someone will come running at that, even if it isn't me."

"See? It'll be fine. Have a good night, Afton," I said as we stopped outside of Marcus' door.

"You as well," he said, and disappeared as I entered the room.

"Hey, Marcus," I said absentmindedly, knowing he wouldn't respond. I grabbed a change of clothes that I had in his room and took a long shower. Then I set the alarm clock for one in the morning, turned off the lights, and crawled under the covers. I didn't expect to get much sleep, but I had to try. Something told me that it would be the last night's sleep I would ever get.

I tossed and turned until probably eleven, when I finally slipped off until an uneasy sleep and didn't stir until my alarm jolted me awake at one in the morning. I was groggy until I remembered what I had resolved to do. I made the bed, straightened my clothes, and put up my hair. It was like I was running on autopilot.

Finally, I found a sticky note and wrote a short message. I glanced at the clock. 1:14. I had forty-six minutes to get to the airport. I stuck the note to the door.

Sorry. It read. There's no other way.

I shut off the lights once more and pulled the shadows around me. They welcomed me as if I was an old friend. I opened the door a crack, peering outside. The corridor was dimly lit and empty. Good. Easy to hide that way.

"Sorry," I whispered to Marcus, even though he couldn't hear me from within the shadows. A part of me wished that he would reach out and stop me. But he didn't, and I left the room, the shadows clinging to my skin.

I knew, despite the empty corridor, that the castle was more active at night. I also knew that Volterra would have more patrols; it was easier to stay hidden when they didn't have to worry about the sun. I made my way down the hall swiftly and silently, the shadows deadening my steps.

I reached a familiar stretch of wall and stopped. Pulling aside the tapestry, I opened the door behind it. The hidden passageways, meant for use by the human staff, was the perfect escape route. No humans were here this time of night and no vampires used these passages.

I made my way by memory, having used these passages before. It was completely dark, darker than I had ever experienced. My eyes cut through the darkness, seeing what no normal human could, and my gift flourished.

I took a left, the new direction leading to a side exit of the castle, just outside the garden. Demetri had shown it to me. My heart pounded. So close.

I stopped. Someone stood up ahead, arms crossed, facing me. Shit.

"I know you're there," Maxim stated calmly. He did not seem surprised. I remained still, shadows swirling around me. "You're not supposed to leave the castle."

"Let me pass, Maxim," I said, allowing the shadows to recede, where they billowed around my feet.

"What are you doing?"

"What I have to."

"So you've decided to be a martyr," he said, a slight sneer in his voice. It was gone when he next spoke. "If you die, we all do. You know that, right?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "But there's no one else."

"I know."

"How did you know I was there?"

"I told you before, back when we first met. Your gift and mine are similar in some aspects. I could sense you. You love your shadows, yet you fear them."

"I'm not scared of my gift," I said.

His lip twitched upwards. "Aren't you? Always scared that something will reach out and grab you in the dark. Don't try to lie to me. I know."

"You can't stop me, Maxim," I said.

"I can," he said, "but I'm not going to."

"What?"

"Don't act so surprised. I'm no fool; the only way we can win against the Romanians is if we know our enemy. That's why I'm letting you go. Don't make me regret my decision." He stepped aside, letting me pass.

"Thank you, Maxim."

"Don't thank me. When you get there, and you face them, you'll wish I'd have stopped you," he said. "Go. And good luck."

I nodded at him, the shadows wrapping back around me as I passed him. Towards the exit of the castle. Towards danger. Towards the only way to save them all.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ V ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Okay, don't lie. NONE of you saw that coming. Everything before this was kind of a red herring to keep you from truly figuring out where I was going with this. Some of you came awfully close, though, so kudos to you. You know who you are. However, Rowan hasn't escaped the city yet - you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out if she manages to dodge all the Volturi guard that keep watch over the city. If she does manage, though, then escaping will be the easiest part of her quest. What do you think the future holds for Rowan? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks to all those who reviewed on the last chapter! All this building up and we've finally hit something big. Is it a stupid decision? Probably? Does Rowan see that the Volturi are backed into a corner? Yeah. She's just doing what she thinks is best. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Here are a couple responses to reviews from last chapter:

wolfgirl880: It would be much easier if the wives weren't awful, wouldn't it? But having no villains tends to make a boring story. So here we are. I hope you enjoyed this wild ride!

Megan: I'm glad you liked the twist from the past chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this one even more! It's definitely something out of left field that no one was expecting. But I hope you're not too blindsided by it.

fan-girl-1602: Thank you! I'm so glad you're loving it and I hope you're excited for what is in store!

That's all the responses I have for right now - remember that I try to respond to several different reviews from the chapter before, so if you want me to hear (and respond to) your thoughts, make sure to drop me a review! They truly mean the world! I'm really excited for what is to come in Penance, so I'm going to go get back to writing. Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and I'll catch you in the next chapter!