The two healers had worked on Alec nonstop the past two days, and Jane hadn't left the doorway to the sickroom her brother had been trapped in. More than once, the healers had thrown her looks that clearly indicated she should go, but they'd never uttered the order out loud. Not if they wanted to continue to live.

Though if they didn't fix Alec, there was no guarantee the healers would make it to the end of the week.

Finally, come morning on the third day, the healers pulled away from Alec. Jane refused to see their unhealthy pallor or the shake in their hands as the pair approached her. Though they towered over her, the healers' withered, tired stance made them appear like children compared to Jane.

Despite her position and the cool, untouchable demeanor expected of her, Jane forgot it all in her enthusiasm for the healers' reports. "Yes?"

The healers wasted time bowing and offering the proper respect to their superior. Jane held back her scathing words and had to remind herself the healers couldn't give their report if she ripped their heads from their necks. She had to exercise a virtue Alec always got on her about cultivating: patience. Jane knew if the healers didn't follow proper protocol, they'd have to face Aro; a fate worse than any Jane could award them.

"We've stabilized him," the healer on Jane's right said.

"But is he better?"

"For now, the goddess' spell has ceased spreading throughout his body," answered the second healer.

"Can you rid him of it?"

The healers exchanged a quick glance, then the first shrugged. "We can't say for sure," he said. "We believe we can, but we've never seen a god attack to this extent."

The news soured Jane's stomach, but, surprisingly, she didn't want to harm the healers for their lack of information. No, all her thoughts could focus on was that she might lose Alec. After all their centuries together, after all the missions and battles they'd fought, this could be the time that did her brother in. Jane had never been without Alec, not even back when they'd been human.

Only one constant kept Jane rooted, and that was her brother.

"Could he expel the magic on his own?"

The second healer nodded. "Possibly. He has been fighting it quite well. We hope that with the combination of our medicines and his will, Ale will pull through."

Jane's spine straightened, and she pointed at her brother. "Then get back to work."

The healers blanched.

"We need rest," the first protested.

"Also, we haven't fed since your brother was brought in," added the second.

Jane thrust her face into each healer's face and bared her fangs. She'd had them cosmetically alerted so they were jagged to ensure her prey felt the most pain (an action neither Alec or Aro had approved of, but Jane wouldn't admit she'd done it to make her tiny stature more intimidating). They both were wise to not cower, but each healer did swallow hard and glance around for the quickest route of escape.

Unluckily for them, the windows were too high for them to reach with ease and Jane blocked the only door.

"You will work on Alec until he's either healed or you drop dead," Jane ordered.

Terror shined in the healers' red eyes, but they didn't dare contradict her. "Yes," they both murmured, then bowed.

Jane turned on her heel and entered the hallway behind her, unworried that the healers wouldn't follow her command. Her word held less power only compared to Aro, and Jane couldn't see him telling the healers otherwise. Aro loved her brother like Alec was the son he'd wished he'd had.

Rage coursed through Jane, and her hands clenched into tight fists.

Well, at least she'd believed Aro cared about Alec up until a few days ago. If Aro did, he wouldn't have sent Alec against an Olympian on his own. He wouldn't have hidden the truth from Jane until after Alec had to be retrieved from Italy.

Why Aro would want Alec to die, Jane didn't know. But she was on-route to find out.

Jane could wander most of the castle Aro had built near the Vatican half a century ago (spells protected it from the curious attention of mortals and gods alike, though Aro often joked about revealing it just to upset the Catholic Church). Only two places existed that Jane had to be invited to visit, Aro's bedchambers and the conference room. Jane did her best to observe Aro's wishes, but not today. Not after what Aro had done to Alec.

Within minutes, Jane stood outside the conference room. Marcus and Caius, the two vampires Aro had promoted to lords that resided over large covens of vampires all over the world, stood outside the shut conference doors. Neither looked pleased that they had to act as guards, but Aro forced it upon them every so often to humble them.

At any other time, Jane would have teased and humiliated the lords. Though Aro would get after her if he caught her, he never truly minded. He'd often told her, her actions made their job that much harder, which made the lords that much stronger.

As one, Marcus and Caius stepped in front of the doors.

"Aro's in a meeting," Marcus said.

Jane smirked. "That's even better." She gestured to the lords. "Move aside."

Caius' chest puffed out. "No one is to disturb Aro and his guest."

Jane hadn't fed since she'd heard about Alec's run-in with Demeter. While that made her weaker than both lords, who'd clearly just fed in recent hours, the burn of thirst helped fuel her anger, which made her a formidable foe. If she had to fight Marcus and Caius, Jane couldn't be sure she'd win, but she knew they wouldn't walk away, either.

Marcus studied Jane, then nodded; his shoulder-length black hair bobbed.

Caius' eyes widened. "No, she can't."

Marcus ignored him. His attention hadn't left Jane. "If Aro retaliates, you take the punishment."

Jane sighed. "Fine. Just let me in."

Marcus stepped aside. Caius waited a long moment before rubbing his temples and taking his original position.

Jane walked past them and threw open the conference doors.

Inside, Aro had contorted his lean body into one of the ten chairs that sat around the long, polished walnut table placed in the center of the room. A large goblet of blood hovered just within finger-reach, much to Aro's guest's displeasure. The hulking, red-faced god looked absurd in the tiny chair Aro had forced him into, but Jane knew no complaint had come out of the usually brash, obnoxious Olympian.

Both vampire and god glanced at Jane when she entered. Aro's thin mouth turned down in a faint frown, while Ares blood-colored eyes widened with relief. If she'd come under different circumstances, was in a better mood, Jane would have thrilled in terrorizing the god. Even if Aro allowed Ares to seek revenge, he couldn't. Though the god was five times Jane's size, her power outshined his by a million count. Jane loved reminding gods, especially Olympians, just how far their retched kind had fallen.

Aro cleared his throat. "I'm busy."

Jane continued toward her master regardless of his disapproving tone. "Alec may not live!"

Aro leaned forward and rolled his eyes at Ares. "Children. So impatient."

Ares nodded, though he would have agreed if Aro had called him a butterfly.

Aro focused on Jane, who'd stopped mere feet from him. "He knew the risks when he agreed to the mission."

"How could you encourage him to partake in something so suicidal?"

Aro sipped his goblet and pointed at Ares. "I believe this is going to take some time."

"Are we done? Can I go?" Ares didn't bother hiding his great joy at the prospect.

"Yes, just remember the order I want them released in."

"But...Prometheus is closer."

Aro slapped his free hand against the table. "The order is important!"

Ares' skin turned as translucent as Aro's. "Yes, yes. Okay."

Aro waved him away. "Be gone. I've had more than my fair share of your stupidity."

Ares didn't need to be told twice and moved almost as fast as a vampire as he fled the conference room. Marcus and Caius shut the doors once the god had disappeared.

Now alone, Jane pounced on her master again. "I thought you cared about Alec."

"I do, but I couldn't deny him the opportunity to test his might."

"Then the both of you are mindless."

Aro pushed aside his goblet and held out his hands. Jane wrapped her arms around her chest, and Aro dropped his hands to his lap. "He did understand the consequences."

Jane shook her head. "No, he didn't, or he wouldn't have gone."

"Him being this injured is a good sign."

"H-how is him lingering between life and death good?"

"Alec being in his current state means that Demeter is just as worse off."

"So? Both she and Bella still got away."

Aro smiled. "Oh, they did?"

Confusion worked its way through the tight knots of Jane's fury and hurt, loosened them so her mind could think more clearly. How could Aro have orchestrated what had occurred in Italy? What was the point of it?

"I...I—What are you up to?"

Aro's grin widened and brightened his almost-gaunt face. "I'm finally going to finish what my father started."

A thread of excitement mingled with the rest of Jane's emotions. "How soon?"

"Just two-and-a-half more months."