CHAPTER 15
The darkness of the night didn't provide enough coverage for scouting in the sky when we arrived in the small town of Volterra in Italy.
It was a huge disadvantage to us because we were unfamiliar with the city—it didn't matter we'd studied maps and blueprints for months—and an aerial view of it all would have given us the chance to spot hidden passages and entrances to the castle.
Edward had offered to pretend he was there to visit Aro on Carlisle's behalf, but Father had quickly explained why that wasn't a good idea.
"If he so much as nudges your skin, all of us will be in danger. Not just Marya and I, but Regina and Anthony. Jessica. Her family. Your family. It's too risky. We need to go with Plan B."
Father looked at me with slight reluctance, and Edward sighed in protest and frustration. He'd hated Plan B from the start, but now, it was our best shot.
None of the brothers knew who I was.
Their first mistake when they burned down our home was to kill Father from a distance and lose the chance of reading his thoughts. If they'd done that, they would have known everything about me, but now, I could move around the town quite anonymously.
I focused for a second to morph my eyes into the ice-blue color of the modern breed, and as far as they knew, I was now a peaceful, curious vampire who wanted to inquire about a position at their court.
My blocking ability would prevent Aro from reading my thoughts and Chelsea from tying me to them. I'd gain access to their dwellings, and we'd be able to ambush the brothers from the inside.
Edward pulled me close and captured my mouth with his. "Be careful," he urged gently, not even attempting to talk me out of it.
"I promise," I said, kissing him one more time, then giving Father a hug, before walking toward the gate.
It was going to work as a ruse because we knew the human guards worked like an alarm system for the brothers. They would immediately be contacted before I was allowed entrance since I was an unknown vampire, and while that commotion occurred, Edward and Father would scale the wall as far away from the castle and gate as possible. Any humans who noticed them could easily be hypnotized to forget.
I would have to work some of my hypnosis as well. Whichever vampire came to collect me for the brothers would be placed under an interrogation they'd forget the second the hypnosis wore off.
When one of the human guards looked at me, his expression immediately changed. He narrowed his eyes as he took in my features, but I gave him the most innocent look I could manage.
"Who do I speak to about a position with the guard in the city?" I asked in perfect Italian.
The guard's heartbeat accelerated, and his eyes widened as he immediately put his phone to his ear. "Alert the Masters. An unknown is on the premises," he said, but I kept calm and held up my hands to show him I wasn't there to cause harm. At least, not to him.
Not even a minute had passed before a vampire boy came out from the shadows. His aura was calm and held some authority even though he couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen when he was changed.
"Gentlemen," he told the guards. "I'll take over from here." He locked eyes with me, and then gestured for me to follow him.
"Are you going to take me to the brothers?" I switched to British English to give him a hint of "where I was from".
"Everything in its own time," he replied. "First, I'd prefer knowing who you are."
"My name is Mary Hughes," I said, opting out of using the cover name I'd given the Cullens, just in case Carlisle had been in contact with Aro since Edward and I left. "I'm from Sussex in England. My creator recently moved to South America, but I asked to stay in Europe. I was hoping to inquire from the brothers about a position in their guard."
"Do you have a gift?"
"I-I think so," I said and sounded as uncertain as I could. "Several vampires I've come across say my presence is like a void, almost as if I'm not there. I've never developed anything or truly looked into it, so I don't know what exactly that means."
"Stand in front of me for a second," the vampire boy instructed. I'd already figured out who he was. Alec. Jane's twin brother, and one we'd nicknamed "Fog" because his gift blinded you like a very dense fog.
He was going to test his gift on me, but before he got the chance, I locked eyes with him and made him believe he'd already done it and found I wasn't affected. But I didn't stop there. While I had him under my control, I whispered questions under my breath in case curious ears were listening.
"Who are you loyal to?"
"The brothers."
"And without Chelsea?"
"No one."
"Not even your sister?"
"She's too unpredictable."
"Do you agree with your Masters' rule?"
"No."
"Would you serve another if given the choice?"
"Yes."
"Would others in the guard follow your example?"
"Yes."
"Who wouldn't?"
"Chelsea, Afton, Jane, Renata, Corin."
"Not the wives?"
"They're imprisoned. Restless."
"Thank you, Alec. You will forget this conversation in two seconds."
Alec blinked and appeared a little bit confused for a short moment. "You must have a gift," he said. "I'll take you to Aro right away."
As he led me into the castle, I planned in my head in which order I'd have to kill the guards who couldn't be converted. Chelsea had to be killed first because she ensured the entire guard would fight on Aro's side, but I wasn't certain how much Afton would protect her. After that, Corin had to go. Her gift was too widespread, and even if Chelsea was dead, she could fool the guard to believe they were satisfied in serving Aro. Then, Jane, and lastly Renata since she was the last obvious obstacle between Aro and his head being severed from his shoulders.
I couldn't wait too long either. Everything had to happen tonight.
A familiar scent reached my nose just before Alec and I went inside, and while I rejoiced that they'd succeeded in entering the city without so much as alerting a pigeon, I quickly gave Edward the rundown in my thoughts. "Chelsea and Corin first. Corin will be in the tower with the wives. The wives are not loyal to their husbands."
Father would take out Corin because he could fly up to the tower, Edward would go after Chelsea, and I would focus on keeping the brothers in the throne room.
Jane and Renata would try to take me out, but I was quite positive after hearing what Alec said that the guard would gladly assist me once Chelsea's hold on them vanished.
I wasn't really worried about Afton. From my understanding, he wasn't very dangerous, and his gift of invisibility barely aided him.
We used an elevator to ride down deep underground, and I meekly followed Alec without making a fuss.
Eventually, after going through several halls and reception areas, we arrived in front of two large oak doors, which Alec pushed open.
I had to suppress my smile at the sight of the brothers' arrogance as they sat on their thrones like the fraudulent Kings they were. Renata was standing in Aro's shadow, and Jane was sitting crossed-legged on the floor by their feet, looking every bit the child she'd been as a human, but I knew what sadistic power she was hiding behind those cold blue eyes.
"Mary Hughes, Masters," Alec introduced me in Greek, most likely believing it would keep me ignorant. "She has a defensive gift she's unaware of. Thwarted my attempts without realizing it."
"Thank you, Alec," Aro said, and I held in my shudder at his disgustingly sweet voice. "Fetch Chelsea for us, will you? Hopefully, her gift can't be shut out."
Aro stood and spread his arms as if he wanted to hug me from a distance as Alec left through a side door.
"Mary! What a lovely name for a lovely young woman," he said in English and smiled.
"Thank you," I said even though I really didn't want to.
"What can we do for you?"
"I wish to become one of your guard."
Aro's smile widened. "My dear, we cannot take in every vampire walking in from the street. What makes you so special?"
"I know things," I said cryptically, and I was very satisfied at seeing confusion mar his face.
"Oh? Alec said your gift was defensive, not precognitive."
"It's not, but I can still tell the future. In a way." I was only stalling at that point. About fifteen minutes had passed since I went inside, and that was more than enough for Father and Edward to find and kill Chelsea and Corin. If everything went according to the plan, they would join me in the throne room momentarily.
Aro looked intrigued. The other two looked like they couldn't even be bothered. "How so?"
I held out my hand for him as if I was going to let him read my mind. I knew Aro's greed would prevent him from rejecting the offer. "Let me show you."
Just before Aro touched my hand, I heard what I'd been waiting for just before the oak doors creaked open. Faster than Aro could react, I pulled my hand away from him and grabbed his long black hair instead, forcing him to his knees before I cradled his head in my hands, forcing him to see who was walking through the doors.
Caius and Marcus stood up but didn't otherwise move, Renata was staring at me in disbelief, not understanding how I was defying her gift, and Jane's eyes were on fire with rage.
They couldn't do anything though. One step and Aro was dead.
With the deepest satisfaction, I watched as Aro processed the sight of Father walking through the large double doors, looking like the epitome of elegance and grace.
"Aro Doukas," Father said, using Aro's human last name. "I believe you have a few crimes to answer for."
Aro's eyes jumped between the two females holding onto Father's arms, to the detached heads gripped in Edward's hands.
"Your brides and guard, I'm afraid, have changed allegiance," Father announced with an almost benevolent smile. "Now, it's your choice to either surrender or force my hand."