Dean wasn't the same when she returned home. She was quieter and spent most of her free time in her room. The children missed her, but nobody, not even Ally, could get her to come play with them. Her world was shaken. The gravity that had held her down to this world had lifted, and she felt as if she were simply floating through a smog of uneasiness and fear. She refused to go into their own basement for fear of finding some ancient vampire imprisoned there, however unlikely it was.

Father Karras had visited her three times in the month she'd been back. He'd explained things to her better. There were vampires, and werewolves, and shape shifters, and a whole number of supernatural beings in the world, and he was among the few who were charged with protecting the humans from them. Now that she knew about it, she had a responsibility to the church to uphold those laws of secrecy, even if she didn't go out hunting them like he did. She'd nodded along, agreeing to whatever he had to say, but had no intention of ever stepping foot outside the convent again to hunt such creatures down.

However, the one that they'd fought was still out there. Cassiel had hoped they would have been able to dispose of it, but it had escaped. He'd gone back to the abandoned convent to try and find it and finish it off himself, but it'd fled and left no trail. Dean didn't quite understand what sense it was for him to go off on his own, but he seemed confident that he could have handled it. So, why then, had he enlisted her help in the first place?

There was a knock on her door right before supper time. She sighed, heaving herself out of her knelt position by her bed and pushed open the door, frowning at Mary Constance's form as she folded her hands in front of her. "May I come in, Sister?" Asked the older woman.

Dean wanted to say no, but nodded her head anyway, stepping aside. Mary Constance swept into the room with what grace remained in her aged body, and surprised Dean by immediately pulling her into a bone crushing hug. Dean stood rigid with shock, having never seen or felt a hug from her before. She was always cold, somewhat mean, and always by the book. She loved order, discipline, and hated PDA so much so that she even criticized and censored the less modest parts of the bible...which...let's be honest, was most of the Old Testament.

Mary Constance brought one of her hands up, cradling the girls head soothingly. Dean couldn't help but close her eyes, taking comfort once her initial shock wore off.

"I know whatever it is that you've been through was an ordeal, young one. I'm sorry for my part in it," she says with a rough voice. Dean pulled back, her eyebrows rising up to her hair line.

"What do you mean? You were just the escort."

"I... may have been the one to recommend you for the job," she admits slowly. "I had no idea what it was, only that Father Karras was very good at his job but needed help. So...I wanted to come and apologize."

"It's not your fault," Dean whispers. A part of her wanted to blame the woman, but it was unreasonable, and Dean wasn't someone to place blame where it didn't belong. Up until a month ago, she wasn't even sure there was a God, or demons...let alone vampires, and she'd been here since she was a small child, learning about such things. People go their entire lives never witnessing divine intervention, or the horrors the likes Dean had just been subjected to. How could she find fault in the woman before her if she had been none the wiser?

Faith was funny that way. You never really know what's out there, but you believe in it anyway. Ask it for protection, for blessings, and to listen to your every grievance. Dean was nowhere near pleading to God to save her soul, but now she didn't have any doubts about something being out there.

She went to say something else to ease the worried wrinkles upon her guardians aged face, but another knock interrupted her before she could.

"I should be on my way anyway," Mary Constance says, standing up straight and putting on her hard mask once again. "I expect you to be at dinner tonight, Sister."

Dean bowed her head respectfully as she opened the door for the woman, and Mary Constance left, giving a suspicious glare to the man on the other side.

Gabriel's form stood expectantly with his arms crossed over his chest. His dark eyes were looking at Dean with a fierceness that showed her that he would not be turned away this time. In one of his hands, he held a manilla folder.

"Well, hello sleepy head," Gabriel teased with the corner of his lips turned up. He knew very well that she hadn't been sleeping, but it was the excuse she always gives when she was found hiding away in her room. "What'd the old bat want this time?"

"Just to make sure I came to dinner," she bluffed. Somehow, she didn't believe Mary Constance would be very agreeable to her blabbing that her icy exterior was really just a facade. Dean leaned against the doorframe, knowing better than to allow him into her room with her. "What do you want?"

"Oooh, testy are we? I just came to drop this off." He unfolded his arms and presented her with the manilla envelope. As she took it, her cold fingers brushed against his warm ones, and his easy smile dropped. His brows pulled together, hanging low over his eyes.

"What is it?" She asked, pulling the folder towards herself only for his hand to turn and catch her wrist before she could pull all the way away.

"Don't go."

"What?"

"Just...whatever is in that folder, it's from Father Karras. The last time you went away with him, you didn't come back the same." His eyes were full of worry, trying to convey something to her that she just couldn't quite grasp.

"Did you look? What is it?"

"I can't get involved," he said regretfully. "I mean, I don't know much, but you're my best friend. I don't want you to get hurt." He spoke fast, like he was trying to cover up a mistake. Dean furrowed her own brows and looked down at the folder, flipping it open. Gabriel sucked in a breath upon seeing the letter with the printed picture of Castle Volterra. It was in the center of Italy, about a day's drive from the convent.

Sister,

I am deeply sorry for putting this on you so suddenly. Believe that I have tried my very best to keep from involving you any further, but it seems it's God's will that you remain in the thick of it. The vampire we failed to eliminate is a century old villain, who had been trapped in the Romanian Convent for over two hundred years. The matter of who released him is the least of our worries, but I fear it will take some outside help to put it to rest, along with tracking down this dangerous creature and putting it out of our misery.

There are what the vampires called newborns being created to bring back the 'old ways' and I do believe that the coven which our dangerous...friend...has come from is very much still in operation. You will find the help we seek within the castle.

I can leave you with one last piece of advice: Do not be afraid of the Three Kings. They will not harm you. But do be careful, as they are hauntingly beautiful and growing to care for them will only end in your own ruination.

Sincerely,

Cassiel Karras

The following documents were profiles on the newborns he had been talking about, naming their locations and any important details. There was also a few documents detailing the coven he'd been talking about. An old coven called Daicans who were among the eldest covens in Romania. There are ten of them now, where once there had been over fifty.

"This seems like it could be a mistake not to go to them," Dean nearly mumbles. Her face has gone pale, her hands beginning to tremble. If Cassiel couldn't handle it on his own, that meant that humans were in a lot of trouble. She didn't want to be involved, but could she turn her back on Father Karras? On the human race? What if she said no and everybody died?

It was an extreme way of thinking, but she didn't like to think of herself as a coward.

"Dean, you have no idea what you're walking into," Gabriel said just as softly. He pleaded with her, hoping she would see reason. Just trying to convince her not to go was making his skin burn, as he was going against his direct orders. He was interfering more than he was allowed to. He was supposed to watch it all play out, protect her until her destiny was fulfilled in this lifetime. He couldn't bear to watch her die again.

Athenadora prides herself in being one of the most beautiful immortal beings on the planet. She hardly covered her body if she didn't have to. Even her sister Sulpicia had gotten used to her walking around naked around Aro, her husband. It was a common occurrence, and though she knew neither Marcus nor Aro lusted after her, she appreciated the feel of their eyes raking down her body. She was slim, like all female vampires, with a body that was all curves in all the right places. Her long blonde hair was often loose, cascading around her hips like a golden waterfall.

Caius loved to draw her in the nude. It only fed her ego, and she spent much of their alone time in his bedchambers, lying naked on his bed. He'd sit and draw her on her back, on her side, sometimes touching herself while he watched. He loved the way she looked freshly fucked, and he'd draw her like that as often as he could. Caius really was a magnificent artist, and her vanity was a little chipped when he refused to allow anyone to see his portraits of her in such a way. She liked them much better than her clothed portraits, but he'd scowl at her if she tried to show her nudes off.

And then she'd have nobody to take her to the sack. So, she left well enough alone and admired them by herself in his chambers, and his art studio that nobody but she and him were allowed into. It was early in the morning, and he'd just finished adding a gloss to his wife's ruby red lips, swollen from the act she'd been preforming on him not an hour ago. He dismissed her when it was finished, sending her back to her tower after putting the painting to dry. She'd admired it, gushing about how talented he was and how beautiful she was, and then kissed him on the mouth where he could still taste himself off of.

His lips turned down as the door clicked behind her. Something was wrong. Well, not necessarily wrong, but something was happening. He hadn't felt it in a very long time, nearly a hundred years, and it was foreign enough to him that he was complacent towards the feeling. He pushed it aside as he readied himself for the day.

Edward Cullen coming to them was a surprise. He was always under the impression that Carlisle kept a reign in on his family; kept them happy, and vegetarian. Caius snarled at the thought, finding it utterly ridiculous. Edwards dark golden eyes looked over at the blonde, catching his thoughts no doubt, but did not say anything. The boy looked pathetic, like he'd lost the love of his life to anything other than his own stupidity. He was all for ripping the teens head from his shoulders and burning the pieces if that was what he wanted.

Part of him was still bitter that Carlisle had left the Volturi to pursue a life amongst the humans. What was so fascinating about that prospect? What good did it do, to constantly put yourself in the situation that could very well become lethal? He was surely learning a hard lesson now that his son had fallen in love with a human and was about to die because of it.

He'd been disappointed when he was outvoted by Marcus and Aro, allowing the boy to live. But, ever the one for violence and getting his way with it, Caius smirked at the depressed Cullen. "No crime may have been committed yet, boy, but remember...if you break our laws, we will be given no choice."

He and Edward stared each other down, the boy understanding what he meant not just from his words but from peering into the blonde king's mind. Expose yourself, and you will get your wish.

What a turn of luck it was that Bella was alive, after all. Caius had to sit there, stewing on his throne while Aro played cat and mouse with the pair. Making googly eyes at Alice Cullen as if she were the best thing since sliced cheese. He grew increasingly uneasy the later it got, but he put it off as to being hungry. Heidi was coming in with a meal after this last trial, and he couldn't wait.

"We do not give second chances," he hissed before the doors closed tight behind Edward, Bella, and Alice, deeply dissatisfied that nobody had died today. Aro chuckled from where he had retaken his seat in the middle throne, his head tilted casually towards Caius with a knowing, smug smile.

"Oh, stop pouting, Caius. Your face will get stuck that way."

Caius scowled harder at his brother, turning away as the doors opened once again to let in the group of unsuspecting humans.