DISCLAIMER: SM owns all Twilight characters and settings. No copyright infringement intended.

WARNING: Contains scenes of violence against humans and vampires that might be disturbing.

I don't want to destroy this gift. There must be a way he can be controlled, but how to convince Caius of that? Aro.

My unappeasable brother will risk us all with this need for gifted vampires. We can barely control the ones we have. This young one is too dangerous. He must be destroyed. Caius

Didyme would be very fond of the weather we're having. Perhaps I will go out to the courtyard and enjoy it for her. Marcus

I was attuned to the inner thoughts of the brothers much as I'd been attuned to that of Carlisle and the rest of my former family. By focusing on specific voices, it enabled me to pick them out in a crowd, or more specifically, Carlisle in a large hospital, my siblings in school and the brothers in a castle full of vampires. There was value in it, but I didn't see how it would help me now.

They were coming for me, the brothers. It had been some hours since I'd inadvertently entered Marcus' private chamber, uninvited and unannounced. My shock matched his and I'd stumbled back out the door of his room as fast as I'd entered it, fleeing down the stairs and through the great hall and back to my room mere seconds after my grave lapse of decorum.

I was as horrified by my actions as I was by the unbearable thirst that burned my throat distracting me from the punishment that awaited me once the bloodlust of the others was spent. For the briefest of seconds, I had felt a need to challenge Marcus for the human. It was just a flicker, just an instinctual response to the siren call of human blood that I'd long denied myself, but it was there and it had almost taken hold of me before my more controlled persona beat the monster back.

I stood in the center of the room, unmoving I could hear them now, the brothers with their guard; Jane's giggle, a mumbling conversation between Felix and Santiago. But I only listed to the brother's thoughts, as theirs were the only ones that mattered.

The door swung hope and Felix was there smirking at me. When he stepped aside, I met the deep crimson eyes of Aro, the recent feeding giving his pale translucent skin an almost healthy glow. Behind him was Caius, the scowl on his face revealing what his mind did not, his hostility and contempt for me.

Marcus was not with them. He was with his memories of Didyme still contemplating whether he would venture outside.

"Your hand, Edward."

Obediently I walked toward Aro with my hand outstretched. When I got within range of Renata's shield I felt the push of it, steering me clear of him, but he walked through it and gripped me firmly. In the second he reviewed my memories, he released it and nodded.

"It was a mistake Caius, the boy was simply running away from the humans." Aro's eyes never left mine and I felt the mesmerizing pull of his hypnotic gaze, a skill the ancient vampire had cultivated over the centuries. "Rather amazing. He was following Carlisle's memories."

"You are letting his gift blind you, brother. He should receive the same punishment for this latest transgression that any of the others would. Mistake or no, he disobeyed you and put one of us in jeopardy." Caius stood directly behind Aro, his lips hardly moving. "You are pandering to a gift that you already possess. Let's be done with him. This nonsense must stop."

"Not yet…not yet. You heard Marcus. He doesn't want him destroyed either."

"Marcus doesn't know of what he speaks. He may welcome the release this one could offer." Caius spat, shaking his head in disgust. "At the very least, he shouldn't be in this part of the castle. He can't control himself. If you want him to live then you need to restrain him. Put him in with the general guard. Between them they can keep an eye on him."

Caius did not hide his thoughts. He would bide his time. Eventually I would make a mistake that couldn't be rectified through Aro's intervention.

For Aro, Caius' concession to spare my life was all that he needed. His face took on a more pensive look and again I suspect for those around him, he appeared to be deciding my fate. But I could already see that he had no intention of moving me down with the rest of the guard.

"Edward. Do you know why Carlisle's memories brought you to Marcus' chambers?"

I shook my head. "I didn't know that was where the stairs led." Aro would know this but I said it for Caius' benefit.

"Carlisle spent many hours with Marcus, enjoying the books from his private collection. They also had many heated discussions over the morality of feeding from humans. Marcus is a student of human religious studies and enjoyed challenging Carlisle on his arguments." Aro said with a chuckle.

I couldn't imagine Marcus challenging anyone on anything but I wasn't in the position to argue.

"Marcus wishes for you to visit him again. He will send someone to get you when he is ready for your audience."

This apparently was news to Caius who growled from somewhere down the great hall that he'd retreated to with his bodyguards. Only Aro, Jane and Reneta remained at my door.

I nodded my head obediently not able to fathom what the third uninvolved brother could possible want with me.

"Edward?"

I was caught off guard by the questioning tone in Aro's voice and realized I'd broken his intense gaze and was staring at the skylights above me. The weather did indeed look pleasant. I refocused on him.

"You must be careful, Edward. I can only keep Caius under control as long as you behave yourself around Marcus. Is there any reason to think you won't be able to?"

"I should stay here." I mumbled. I did not want to be forced to interact with any of them.

"Yes I'm sure you would be happier but indulge him, please." Aro wasn't making a request. He was hiding something, keeping it buried just beyond my ability to see it; the powers of his mind enabled him to block me without reciting text or thinking of specific subjects. He could almost put up a wall to his thoughts that kept me from viewing them. Or perhaps this was just another example of the weakness of my mind. I could no longer focus on the thoughts of those around me, at least not when I wanted too.

A flutter of anxiety rippled through my abdomen and it occurred to me that Marcus and I shared a kinship of sorts. "He won't ask me about Bella will he?"

"Hmmm. Interesting. I hadn't thought of that, but no, I don't think he will ask you about Bella." Aro nodded his understanding and turned to leave. "Stay in your room until you are summoned."

I sighed. How was it that despite all my good intentions I could not keep from drawing attention to myself? What could Marcus want with me? It would make sense that Carlisle might seek him out. Marcus' disposition fit Carlisle's demeanor, but I couldn't recall a single conversation he'd had with the ancient one and this put me on edge. I was not Carlisle and no amount of pretending for Marcus' amusement would change that.

Marcus' thoughts revealed my summons before I was directly retrieved. He had gone out in the courtyard and enjoyed the day for his Didyme and was now back in his room staring at her portrait barely making an effort to send one of his guards to retrieve me.

My feet felt heavy as I climbed the stairs following the unfamiliar vampire who'd introduced himself as Corin to Marcus chambers. This time I waited as the vampire entered, putting himself between Marcus and me. There was no other guard in the room and this surprised me. Would one vampire be enough to stop me if I were as out of control and dangerous as Caius insinuated?

"Corin has a gift." Marcus' eyes were on me and he spoke as if reading my mind. "Would you like to experience it?"

I shook my head violently and Marcus chuckled. I'd had enough with Jane's gift and my share of new experiences. Ignorance suddenly sounded like a very appealing existence. But I saw in the young vampire's thoughts his abilities as Marcus mentioned them and understood the general concept of it. He had a gift similar to Kate's. A touch was necessary but rather than a shock the recipient would be overcome with a great numbness of body, a weakness that would incapacitate him allowing for the intervention from others. It didn't look painful, but when Marcus caught my facial expression and understood that I'd seen it through his thoughts he smiled and I again shook my head as his eyes seemed to be encouraging me to experience it firsthand.

"You may sit; he motioned to a chair in front of him. He was seated in highback arm chair and had a slight smile on his face which I found disarming. My only experience with Marcus had been with Bella. He'd appeared sympathetic to our plight and I felt some need to repay the consideration, but I remained suspicious of his motives. He like Aro revealed nothing in his thoughts as he studied me thoughtfully. I sat as instructed with Corin between him and I.

After several seconds of silence, I spoke.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't know this was your room. I was only following Carlisle's memories."

He nodded, his red eyes flickering over me reminding me of the scene I'd walked in on. My throat burned. He appeared thoughtful as if he were considering something yet his marble features revealing nothing.

"I didn't know you and Carlisle had a relationship. I don't remember it from his thoughts."

"You would remember." He said solemnly, reminding me that the sane members of our species did not forget anything.

More silence. The tremors never left me, but the intensity of them varied. I could feel with my anxiety the shaking increase. "Why am I here?"

"Carlisle was a good friend to me. I enjoyed his company very much." Marcus spoke slowly, the cadence of his words that of a man that didn't speak much. "He would sit for many hours in this room reading. Perhaps that is why you do not recall it in his thoughts. He would not think of it specifically."

I watched his face closely. It was the closest I'd been to him and his ancient features fascinated me. I expected with all the grief he'd experienced through centuries of living without his mate that the evidence of that grief would be on his face in the lines around his mouth and creases in his forehead. But his skin was stretched taut across his skull and other than its paleness and luminescent quality, the misery of his life was not revealed in it.

"I could use another Carlisle in my life. It's been many years since I've experienced enjoyment from the presence of another vampire." He glanced at Corin. "I find most rather predictable and dull. Their thoughts and ideas do not range much further than their last feeding and the taste of blood." Corin shifted uncomfortably feeling his thirst and through him, I felt mine. I swallowed the venom in my mouth.

"You have Carlisle's control, his indulgence towards the arts and sciences, his passion for reading, his views on religion…"

"No." I said more sharply then I intended.

"No?" Marcus looked at me curiously.

"No. Carlisle and I have very differing views on religion. Most notably, he believes we have a soul and I do not."

"Interesting…interesting. You see, you already are a curiosity to me." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So does my proposal interest you? Would you like to be my companion? I assure you, it's not difficult." More chuckles.

"I would…I would rather not." I sputtered. I did not understand what I was being asked to do, but it would involve interacting with another and I only wanted to escape back to my Carlisle memories. Marcus appeared surprised by my refusal.

"Edward, it is not possible for you to remain with us and not add value. Caius will see you down in the guard's quarters, assuming he doesn't have you destroyed. There will be little Aro can do to stop him as the situation stands now. I know you have suffered a great loss" He paused, staring lovingly at the portrait of his mate again. "I understand the depth of your grief and I can offer a reprieve from it. At my insistence you will be able to remain in Carlisle's old room, but in return you must serve me."

"I don't know what that means. What do I have to do?"

"It could be as simple as reading a favored book out loud, playing chess, engaging me in conversation. Nothing too strenuous. But there is one thing I desire above all else." His gaze became earnest.

So now the other shoe would drop.

"I want you to document my history. I will recite it to you via my memories and I'd like you to journal it for me."

"Whaa..t?" I gasped, looking sharply at him, but he was still staring lovingly at the portrait.

"I know of no other vampire older than myself that still roams this earth, except perhaps those Romanians." Marcus' lip curled in distaste.

"There may be a day when I will no longer be able to remember my past or I may, at the bare minimum, lose some of it. I want it documented as I remember it now." His cloudy eyes drifted to me as a gaped at him. "You, Edward, with your gift, can do this for me. It will be the perfect relationship. I will be able to live my memories and you will be able to record them for me."

I was speechless. I knew the memories he was referring to were of his mate. She was all he thought about. He had no interest in the Volturi's day to day operations, no desire to participate in strengthening the guard with gifted vampires or chasing down law breakers. His thoughts were only on his mate and now he wanted it documented? By me?

"I assume by your lack of response that your answer is yes?"

I knew I was being manipulated into it but was it really so bad? Would it be so difficult for me to sit here with Marcus as he reminisced about his mate? Could I do it?

I nodded my head. If this would keep me in Carlisle's room and away from the rest of the guard, away from Caius and Aro, it would be worth it.

Marcus nodded his head with me. He looked as pleased as I remember ever seeing him.

"We will start tomorrow at this time. I will tell Aro. You may leave now."

And with that I was assigned my first duty as part of the Volturi guard.

Every day after the quiet hours of morning and early afternoon had passed, I made my way to Marcus' chambers to transcribe his memories. This was not a spontaneous request or one that was generated for my benefit alone as I initially suspected. On the first day, Marcus produced a beautiful leather book with dazzling jewels embedded in the binding. Confused, I'd thought it was an ancient volume of exquisitely written words from an author long since passed, but when I opened it up, I found all the aged yellow pages were blank. The book was big, not the traditional size of a journal like the one I'd discovered of Carlisle's. Whatever it's original purpose; it would now be used to record the memories of Marcus' life, most notably those with his mate, Didyme.

He took no notice of me as I occupied the space across from him, the book across my lap, pen in hand putting the words down as I saw the memories in his thoughts. Translating images to words left me great reign for artistic freedom and though I never fashioned myself a writer, I found the images of his mind spoke to me in a way I hadn't fathomed and my literary endowment was unleashed through his mind. The memories flowed in a chronicle logical order, and I wrote with the understanding that I was writing Marcus' journal as if he'd penned it as it happened.

Didyme was beautiful by any standard, but for her day her beauty was above reproach. She had stunning black hair that reached well below her waist and was seldom pulled back. Instead it billowed out around her, a thick mane of midnight locks and she would stand before her mate a smile on her face, her body scantily clad in colorful tunics, eyes though red from with human blood were bright with life, teasing and playful and she was always laughing. She was tall for the women of her time and her slender body was fit and agile as she ran with her mate through the unpopulated region that was Eastern Europe.

I wrote as fast as his memories flowed, my handwriting neat and clear. I made no mistakes in the beautifully bound book and as each day began anew, I would catch Marcus' scent on the book and I understood that he was reading what I wrote after I left him for the night. He offered no commentary on my interpretation of his memories which led me to believe they were acceptable to him and over time any trepidation I had with my elucidation of his thoughts gradually subsided.

The most surprising result of my dictation was that my tremors were not present as I wrote. The moment I put pen to paper the twitching stopped and for a few hours each day I was relieved of the irritation of convulsing muscles.

Caius was furious when he found that I not only would be allowed to stay on in Carlisle's room, but I was given unprecedented access to Marcus with only Corin as his guard. His rants both verbal and through his thoughts were rebuffed no longer by just Aro, but Marcus as well and eventually he gave up But I understood that his silence on the matter did not mean he accepted it and any misstep on my part would be swiftly punished by Caius' hand.

For my part, I endured Marcus's happy memories with his mate that were reminiscent of my own with Bella, the magnitude of a love found than lost always damping an otherwise joyful recollection. At the end of these sessions when I scribbled out the last of Marcus' words, I was left empty and hollow, devoid of any feeling and barely had the energy to leave my seat and proceed back to my room.

Carlisle's memories were much neglected as I found my thoughts focusing more on Bella during this time, imagining myself as Marcus did with his mate, holding Bella in my arms as she slept each night, sitting next to me in that miserable biology class each day, her painfully sweet scent filling my car as I drove her home or back to my house and our endless hours spent cuddling in my room. I found I could do little else but bask in those memories spending hours locked in my room ignoring the books and hidden treasures that Carlisle's memories had opened up for me; many still waiting to be found and explored.

My downward emotional spiral was not lost on Aro and after requesting my hand, he observed my obsession with my memories, the same obsession that consumed Marcus and he fretted over it, leaving his thoughts open to me for the briefest of moments.

Again he asked me to join them to feed and if the burn in my throat had a voice it would be screaming YES…YES…YES. But the voice of my thirst remained mute and I slid out from under Aro's hand, denying again my natural food source in favor of the disgusting blood of the goats that I was beginning to think Aro deliberately provided for me, always leaving me hungry for something more.

If I thought the first human feeding was bad, it was nothing compared to the second, thirty-two days after arriving in Volterra. I got a taste for what was coming from Corin as he sat in his usual spot well away from Marcus and I, now that I'd proven I was in control, reading a book that he didn't understand on astronomy. His desire to permeate intelligence in front of his master wasn't lost on me and I wondered if it would be prudent for me to inform him that Marcus barely gave him a thought outside of issuing an order.

On this day, Corin's thoughts were not on his master or the book in front of him. Instead he was envisioning snatching a human from the grouping herded together like cattle in the turret room. He was remembering his last feeding, waiting patiently, his control as with the others, impeccable as the masters and their wives choose their prey first, then the elite guard, with the rest following in order of their rank. Corin was somewhere in the middle and he grabbed a middle age women who'd been struck silent with the horror unfolding in front of her. She did not react to him as he yanked her head back and bit….hungrily nursing the delectable blood as it pumped from her.

He groaned with the memory of it, but upon opening his eyes he was greeted with my look of horror and Marcus' amused understanding, the reaction of both of us forcing him to look away in embarrassment. It was too late for me; my hand holding the pen trembled violent over an unblemished page as I prepared to transcribe Marcus' last memories. My other hand reached for my throat in a futile attempt to stop the burn.

"Put the pen down Edward. We will stop for the day." Marcus said politely noting my distress. "My thoughts are on other things in any case."

And they were. Unsympathetic to my plight he too was imagining the feeding that was to come hours from now. His lips curling back in a hideous sneer as he recounted countless standout kills from his recent past. He lingered on one that had him taking a mother and daughter, the daughter still a young teen the sweetness of her blood particularly unforgettable. He'd held the girl by the throat as he drank from her mother savoring what he viewed as his dessert taking her limp unconscious body back to his chamber, this chamber, to feed in private. This, I found through his thoughts was not uncommon for him and I shuddered despite the burning need to drink from the humans in his thoughts, myself. The last human he'd fed on, the one I walked in on was his only human of that day. He'd snatched her as she walked into the turret room and carried her struggling body back to his chamber to enjoy the solitude of the only pleasure he still had in this life.

It wasn't until I was whimpering and panting that he shook his head of the memories of his feedings, erasing the images and dismissing me back to my room. As the humans approached I was bombarded by their thoughts, slamming at me from all sides, most were fascinated by the interior layout of the rooms they were guided through on the pretense of a tour, but some understood they were surrounded by evil and still others tried to turn back, gently dissuaded by the vampires herding them, reassuring them that the way out was just up ahead.

Where I lay on the floor in front of that familiar ancient fireplace, I could not smell the humans, the blood or the vampires about to enjoy the feast, but the sounds, and more importantly the thoughts were inescapable and for the next several minutes I was pummeled with both human and vampire thoughts on opposite ends of the spectrum.

The all consuming terror of the humans accompanied by the delightful depraved thrill of the vampires as they snatched their prey, held the bodies possessively to them, crushing bones and eliciting screams of pain that intermingled with the shrieks of terror and finally the soft grunts of pleasure as the vampires bit into their hapless victims, growling when another vampire got to close but otherwise enjoying the delicious fluid that pumped from the exposed artery as the victim slowly gagged and gurgled out their life blood, sustaining the predator that sucked at their neck.

I wasn't sure how long I laid in a fetal position on the floor of that room waiting for the thoughts and sounds to dissipate, but eventually I was aware of Aro's presence, accompanied only by Jane, both their eyes pulsating red with human blood and Aro's, looking surprisingly clear of the film that usually clouded them.

"Edward…Edward….why do you torture yourself. If you would only give yourself over to your natural instincts you would see that you are fulfilling nature's call." He said wiping from his lips the residue of his feeding. To my horror, the thought of that life giving blood so tantalizing close to me created a new kind of tremor, one of desire, a desire to feed.

"I have only the upmost respect for Carlisle, understand that Edward, but this ridiculous notion that you must feed from animals is…well for lack of a better word…inhumane.

I snorted but Aro remained undeterred.

"He has tortured you with his insistence that you feed from the disgusting blood of animals and for one that holds such a strong view on living a compassionate existence, it's completely hypocritical. Did he ever tell you that I've tried the blood of animals, myself?"

This surprised me and I rolled on my back to look at him.

"No I suspected as much. I very much wanted to embrace Carlisle's philosophy on feeding from animals. Not for myself, but as another alternative that would give those of us with bouts of guilt another choice. I was not impressed and found it as inconceivable as most humans would if they were asked to feed off the flesh of their own species."

He squatted next to me and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Carlisle is a unique individual. I will give you that. But for him to force his beliefs on others of his creation is misguided."

"It's not!" I spat out shaking off his hand. "We all do it. We all resist. It's not impossible, we aren't animals, we can control ourselves." This argument had come from Carlisle's lip many times and it was second nature for me to recite it.

Aro had heard the argument too and he chuckled, infuriating me, though I knew where his humor derived from. He understood that I was imitating Carlisle's belief, one that I didn't necessarily hold myself.

"I have to say that I'm very surprised by his coven's restraint. Particularly Rosalie is it? She's never tasted human blood yet she has the temperament for a warrior." He laughed again. He'd pulled from my memories the details of my family and I felt an inking of fear flush through my body. It wasn't a feeling I'd had for several weeks, not since leaving Mexico. The understanding that Aro had intimate knowledge of my family…my former family, terrified me.

"And sweet Alice. She denies herself because she fashions herself human and she almost is, isn't she? And Esme, she is able to resist because Carlisle would not be mated to one that fed off of humans. Isn't that true? And the other two males. Well they are barely hanging on aren't they? They struggle with it and only the love for their mates keep them in line. And what of you Edward, what is your motivation?"

I opened my mouth to speak. Nothing I could say that would be truthful would be something he didn't already know, but he looked curious, like he truly didn't understand. I thought about it again and felt the argument form in my mind.

"It's wrong. We aren't monsters. We can control ourselves." To my horror I realized I was reciting the same mantra again.

"You refrain because it is Carlisle's will, isn't that right Edward?" Aro's eyes were probing, intense. "But he is not here. You don't have to deny yourself for a belief that is flawed from conception. It would not displease me or Marcus or even Caius who you seem to aggravate by your very presence, if you fed from humans. Why can't you see that denying your basic instinct weakens you? The call of the blood is a call of life. It's natural for you to drink human blood. Why do you deny your natural food source? It's no wonder you are suffering from so many ailments.

"Stop," I whispered.

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to weaken my loyalty to Carlisle and his ideals and it was working. Little by little I felt my resolve soften. His arguments sounded reasonable and I struggled to remember Carlisle's assertions that it was wrong.

"I'm not trying to torture you, young one. I'm trying to help you. Do not let the visions and ideals of one man lead you on a path you were never meant to follow. It is admirable that you try, but in the end that is Carlisle's journey, not yours. You do not owe him your loyalty any longer."

I sprung to my feet without thinking about the consequences, hissing and spatting at the vampire in front of me and just as quickly, I was back on the ground pinned under Jane's torturous gift, my screams barely contained and then it was gone.

I'm sorry.

Was Aro apologizing to me? He was no longer squatting next to me but stood across the room eyeing me warily.

"I mean no disrespect to Carlisle, believe me. He is one of the few vampires that I've truly admired and I am overjoyed that his chosen path in life has brought with it many of the joys that I feared he would never find. But that is Carlisle's life, his choice; it doesn't have to be yours."

With that he left me, but I read the pity in his thoughts and I felt a new emotion, anger. Anger at Aro for torturing me with this life, anger at Carlisle for changing me in the first place and anger at myself for all the failures strewn across the expanses of my long life and my inability to extract myself from it.

With the passing of the bi-monthly feeding, the memories of bloodlust subsided and I was offered a brief respite from the torture. I tried not to think about the next feeding and the next, wondering how I would be able to withstand the assault again and again and why I continued to try. It wasn't like I had any hope of returning to Carlisle. I'd little doubt that he and the rest of my family knew where I was. Alice would have seen it.

Other than Carlisle's memories of his time in Volturi, I avoided any specific thoughts of those I left behind back in Forks. It was just too painful. I betrayed them with my deception and flight to Mexico after agreeing to go to Denali. How would Carlisle feel about that? If I answered honestly, I understood that like so many of my transgressions from the past, he would forgive me and welcome me home. But did they understand my journey here to Volturi? Had Alice been able to piece together what happened and what was her interpretation of the visions she saw? They couldn't know that I'd been forced here. It would be reasonable to assume I came here of my own volition. Perhaps to be destroyed as before. But Alice would have seen that too and would understand that I was still alive and now serving the Volturi. She never understood from her visions the whys; it was only a vision of the incident that she saw, not the reasons behind it. Her interpretation would be that I was with the Volturi by choice and if my eyes glowed red in one of Alice's visions, then that would be by choice as well.

My transcriptions of Marcus' memories were often interrupted by other activities as he became more comfortable in my presence. It began with his invitation to play chess which I readily indulged him. He was a masterful player and his abilities to hide his thoughts from me even as he calculated out his strategy left me on the losing end more often than not. He seemed amused when I attempted to pull from him his next move and often used it to his advantage, thinking of moving one piece but then abruptly moving another.

Other times he had me read to him from his vast private library. I did not understand this myself, his thoughts revealing his brilliant memory as he recited word for word the text as I read it regardless of which book I choose to read him, raising an eyebrow in my direction when I skipped over sections that I found painful or too intimate to recite out loud in his presence.

Corin was no longer present during our time together. I'd proven myself trustworthy in Marcus' estimation and through Aro's touch. There were no hidden thoughts of betrayal and I held no ill feelings towards the ancient one who distracted me in the simplest of methods. I didn't always interact with Marcus when I came to his room. Often he would wave me away and I would spend the hours reading silently or pulling a memory of Carlisle as he sat in Marcus' room reading books that were no longer part of the library or staring thoughtfully at the ornate paneling that hadn't changed from his time.

I did not understand this lack of interaction between myself and Marcus. It made no sense that I came to his room and did nothing more than curl into myself, into memories, images of Bella, Marcus' memories of his Didyme, books that I could have just as easily read in my own room or the random thoughts of the guard that would catch my attention from time to time. The times when I asked him if I should leave were met with a shake of his head and thoughts of stay and keep me company. Perhaps he was insinuating to the brothers that he needed me more than he did so that I could remain in my quarters in Carlisle's room. His company wasn't difficult to keep and my all consuming need to remain sequestered from the others made his simple requests easy to fulfill.

I tried to ignore the apprehension I felt when I was asked by Corin not to report to Marcus' chambers one afternoon, but a quick check of the vampire's thoughts revealed the arrival of unexpected guests that required Marcus' presence. I suppressed a feeling of resentment that I was not asked to accompany him and the others to the receiving area in the lower levels of the castle; my disappointment surprising me given my abhorrence to having anything to do with the guard and the inner workings of the castle. My gift allowed me to be there through the eyes of the others and I was pacified that I could at least observe what was happening as the brothers took their place on their thrones with the guard arranged in what I'd come to understand a type of formation; every vampire positioned in a manner that would best serve and protect the brothers.

The vampires assembled before them were unfamiliar to me, but at least one of them, the one that interacted directly with Aro, was an acquaintance, perhaps even a friend. Though Renata and Jane remained tightly bound to their master, he appeared unconcerned as he reached for the vampire's hand and his thoughts revealed nothing that suggested suspicion or alarm. Judging from their appearance they were not nomads. Their clothing was neat and modern and they lacked the unkempt look generally associated with the free roaming ones with no permanent residence. As the conversation between the Aro and the newcomer, Cedric moved to reminisces of past shared experiences, I drifted to the minds of the others that accompanied him.

There were four, including Cedric. The two other males and a female stood slightly behind Cedric deferring, I expected to his position as leader of the group. They remained mute during the conversations and only nodded politely at questions from Aro or Caius directed specifically at them. Initially I observed them through the eyes of Demetri who always offered a good perspective, seldom distracted by the other guard or specific movements by one of the brothers. Demetri was not aligned with any one brother, available to offer assistance to any of them in times of trouble. Felix too appeared to act as a bodyguard for all of them, but he was not particularly observant and was easily distracted by the coy comments from a female or the disparaging remarks from a rival.

It was through Demetri's view that I observed one of the visiting males slowly separate himself from the others. His movements were so inconspicuous, so inconceivable slow that if one hadn't been watching for it, it would have gone undetected. I marked his movement against the stone wall behind him as Demetri surveyed all of them equally and his eyes would often drift away. When his gaze shifted back, the vampire had moved again and again I would mark his progress. Initially his mind revealed nothing other than an obsessive interest in the number of buttons that decorated the outer coat worn by Caius' mate, Athenodora.

As was the case with Quentin when I first tried to read him in Mexico, vampires associated with the Volturi or in the presence of the Volturi had a profound need to protect their thoughts. I wasn't sure if this was so because Aro's gift suggested the ability to read minds was possible even in others or if it was a defense mechanism brought on by suspicion and fear. By counting and recounting such a mundane thing as the buttons of a coat, it propelled me to believe that this vampire was hiding something and that drew my suspicious as much as his subtle movement along the wall had.

I jumped from Demetri's mind to the vampire's thoughts trying to read beyond the shield he'd erected. I was fortunate enough to be in his mind when the slip happened and what it revealed inspired a prolonged gasp that exploded from my lips as I bolted upright from the leather chair. In seconds I was moving down the great hall toward the door that held the spiral staircase. I'd never proceeded down the stairs, understanding that it would bring me directly to the turret room, preferring to meander along the winding tunnels if Carlisle's memories brought me near the guard's quarters. But I had no time to meander and judged that what I saw in that vampire's thoughts was just minutes from happening, perhaps less.

At the foot of the stairs I turned away from the room that held the lingering smell of human blood and swallowing away the venom that pooled in my mouth, I followed the passageway around the turret that led me to the arched door now secured by two members of the guard. They eyed me suspiciously, startled by my sudden appearance. Their duty no doubt was just this, to allow no further vampires to enter and perhaps to keep any from escaping the room. I had little time to explain my actions and little hope that they would believe my explanation in any case, so the shortest course of resistance was to lie.

"Aro has requested my presence." I whispered as softly as I dared without raising suspicion. The vampires on the other side of the door would be able to hear me if they chose too.

They looked at each other unsure, skeptical in light that it was highly unusual that a vampire summoned to serve the brothers would be late and not properly clothed in the gray cloak of the attending guard.

"He asked for me in his thoughts." I tried again, addressing at least their first concern. "Please, it's very important."

Again, they were reluctant to oblige but in light of my mind reading abilities that even without direct introduction they were aware of, it sounded reasonable.

"I will announce you," one of them said slowly, reluctantly, uncomfortable interrupting the proceedings beyond the door.

I refrained from saying anything further. I was back in the mind of the suspicious vampire. He'd moved several inches since I viewed him last and his thoughts were more agitated, more intense…it would be soon.

With a groan the old door creaked open and every head in the room snapped around to gawk at me as I burst past the astonished guards into the crowded chamber. Stunned silence greeted my appearance and I realized I'd violated the protocol that dictated the behavior among this court.

The resounding sounds of the thoughts of those in the room were not quiet and as had been my struggle in the past, I refrained from covering my ears.

Enough of this disobedience. I will destroy him myself, if Aro won't indulge me. Caius thoughts blasted me above all the others.

Marcus was startled out of a memory and hadn't absorbed my presence. There were snickers from some of the guard; Jane's face sported a grin that was anything but friendly. Alec, who took his duties seriously, was insulted by my abrupt presence and lack of proper attire. Aro's mate, Sulpicia was sympathetic and Athenodora appeared embarrassed for me

Aro had turned and was looking at me oddly, nothing was in his thoughts and I felt myself tense wondering if I'd committed such a faux pas that I would be destroyed on the spot without being given an opportunity to speak.

Instead he held out his hand to me and in his lilting voice that rang out with delight he startled me with his pronouncement.

"Ahhh look who finally joined us, my friends. Here is the newest member of our guard, come…come…Edward greet our guests." And with that, his hand was around mine pulling me to him pushing Renata away so that I might enter his space. And though his face had lost none of its friendly overtures as he turned back to the visiting vampires, he let me see his thoughts and they were a reflection of mine.

He knew.

Author Notes:

I took some liberties with Marcus' age. I suspect the Romanians might be older, but I could find nothing documenting their exact age. The assumption is that Aro is the oldest of the Volturi, but again, I don't recall specifics of that. If anyone has additional information for me, please let me know. I try to keep things as canon as possible. Well except for a dead Bella and this bizarre journey of Edwards. ;o)

Another note. The vampire Corin was mentioned in the index of Breaking Dawn, but I don't recall him specifically in the books. He is suppose to have a gift which was never revealed so I made one up for him.

Finally, with regard to Marcus and Edward's relationship. If you've read Submit (my other story), this plotline was aching for some of that dominant/submissive action and if this chapter were in that story...well...the word companion would have had an entirely different meaning. lol As it is, there is still something going on behind the scenes and there is a reason that Marcus is showing an interest in Edward (and no it's not that).

One more chapter in Volturi from Edward's perspective then it's back to Carlisle's POV.