p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bbfd6d811067e15ad043b55d606f15bf"The emotions shredding through Dean's nervous system ranged somewhere between shock, anger, fear, and confusion. While Caius' face seemed to be predominantly carved from ice, the first minute or so of him being in the same area of her hadn't been so threatening. But then, he went and got all bi-polar on her; shutting her out and snapping at her. She had no desire to be his friend and even less of a want to anger him, but that didn't mean she wanted to be treated like that, either. Sighing, her eyes scanned the atrium, eyeing the exit at the other end of the large room. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c530f758351efd89335b7dbd019f595a"Climbing out from the tower hadn't led to her freedom. She'd have to find another way. Though she couldn't see Felix and Demetri, she could feel their eyes on her back. Her shoulders were tense, and it took a lot for her not to glance behind her every few seconds. It hadn't taken a genius to figure out they'd made themselves scarce as soon as Caius had shown his RBF, perhaps she could work with that somehow. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c5b8bf4cdf00aa3157cccf129224bafd""Shall we continue our walk, my lady?" Felix asked as he stepped back into view. His sudden appearance startled Dean, and caused her to stumble back a step, holding her arm up in a futile form of protection. Felix smirked at the gesture, but did not bring any more attention to it. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="68f1a41015ab4dd54c8ca34abc6a7152"Dean nodded, hoping to commit each turn to memory. "Just...stay like five paces away from me," she bargained. Felix fought hard not to roll his eyes, but Demetri (who had also appeared on her other side and caused her to jump a second time) did not refrain. The lighter haired of the two clasped his hands behind his back and bowed sarcastically, but good naturedly, to her. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="29383d08f6a8352cc480d8b20b683ae7""Anything for you, Dean," he said airily. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3d3ba9ee521c0095cdc18ead1def3d39"It did the trick, and Dean allowed her shoulders to untense, just a little. They left the large room together, with Dean quietly mumbling the directions under her breath. "Right, left, right, right, left." Her eyes scanned for windows, but there were very few. She was sure the vampires in her vicinity had heard her observations and were messing with her, which only made her purse her lips in irritation and continue to count paces in her head. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="35252c8286e45a368b4d950357bc32f5"Demetri would randomly start talking about each room. Describing what they were used for, and giving her advice when the best time to avoid going there would be. At some point, he lead her towards a mostly empty wing. It wasn't dirty, per se', but it still had a fairly abandoned feel about it. One of the walls was taken up by large double wooden doors. Instead of a regular stone wall overhead the doors, was a long triangular stained glass window. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="03fbeb7a621cb0f278220bd589ba9607"A skylight allowed sunlight to pour in, making the window look like it were sparking. The light reflected off of the reds, greens, yellows, and blues of the stained glass and painted colorful shapes on the floor before the door. The image in the glass was the torso and head of Jesus Christ, wearing his signature white robes with the long sleeves. His arms were spread out as if to give an embrace, and a dove was flying away from each of his palms. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0cdbbe570d2c5f086b6ac38a6b28c9fd"There was a halo of yellow light around his head, they sky a bright blue behind him, and a sea of blood around him. It had to have been a custom piece, as she'd never seen an image of it's equal. She wondered what it symbolized. The doves could be freedom, perhaps? How ironic that would be. The entire piece seemed so out of place among the creatures of the risen dead. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a2fa906a221b36600aacc891035baf75"Dean pushed open one of the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside the chapel. It was quiet, and Dean immediately felt more at home here. The room was a decent size, accommodating four rows of long wooden pews on each the left and right side. There was a narrow walkway down the middle that was carpeted with an even narrower burgundy colored carpet. At the front of the room was a single step upwards where a wooden podium with a small microphone attached to it sat overlooking the would-be flock. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="85cc62d023bc3e597ebdc384da4ca33a"There were more stained glass in here beyond the podium. Three large floor to nearly the ceiling panels, each displaying something she hadn't ever seen before-more custom work. One panel had an obvious depiction of three wise men from the tale of the birth of Jesus. The middle panel showed that same baby Jesus in his manger. The third, and last panel, showed a fourth man, but he was different than the others. His skin was a paler shade of glass, his robes and hood a little darker. He had no face, either, but where his eyes should be were two red glass rounds. He stared down at the baby, the red of his eyes glinting secretively. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="68e6fa36e773997abee60238e3adc340"There was a stone inscription in the wall above the windows. The words were written in perfect Italian calligraphy, but Deans eyes were able to dance across the verse quite easily. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f618d16098e71056d88be1925af41adf""span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"1 Chronicles 11:19/span em style="box-sizing: border-box;"And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest."/em /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d2cc5448593c41346d1919e914fcac57"Dean felt a sadness creep over her heart as she stared around herself and she wondered how many of the Volturi's vampires come in here to morn their human lives. Did they hate what they had become? Had some of them been turned unwillingly? Did they come in here to loathe themselves? She couldn't imagine Athenodora, or even Sulpicia coming in here at all. She wondered if Caius ever had. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7da97a25a22657b9f84944188bfe0fbf"With a scowl she turned away from the plaque. He shouldn't be occupying her thoughts the way he was. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fae2f48f51b59da44d377f05baf73726"The bells began to chime somewhere above her head as the unseen clock tower announced high noon. Demetri and Felix were standing silently by the entrance and were eyeing her interestedly as she swept her own eyes over them. An idea began to form. Still in it's baby stages, but she'd work things out one detail at a time until a full fledged plot hatched from her brain. She walked towards them, pulling her shoulders down and into herself, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth and staring up at them as if she were nervous. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f75f76f791579ff89c3fc7f83aaf1ed0"To be fair, she was nervous. They had every reason to tell her no, and none at all to let her have her way. They could just as easily decide that their orders were worth breaking, and kill her. How would any of them know what had happened? They were the only three in the wing, after all. "Um, do you think I could...be alone in here?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ddbb5340335e4f662cc0fbb6e4c620fb"Felix just stared at her blankly, while Demetri gave her an amused look that said 'are you serious?' with his eyebrows raised. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93eba8d7717ab291717a906320a592ab""It's just," she continued, darting her eyes to look anywhere but at them. "I'm a nun. I'd like to have my privacy in church to say my prayers and read my scriptures." Her bag containing her bible was back in her room, but she should be able to go back and get it if she needed. Or maybe there'd be a bible here for her to 'use' and they wouldn't bother or question her about it. Her room was a fair distance away, and she wondered how long it would take them to retrieve her belongings. "Could you go get my bag for me?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8352d0999c8391647406c8c793cfd74f""Of course," said Demetri with a short bow. And then he was gone. Dean was sad but not surprised that Felix had remained behind. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3722e165ccfbed6dce19a1d485f93c9d"The girl turned in place, eyeing the vampire with curiosity. In her brain, she knew she should be more afraid than she was. Her pulse was still quick, and she would not relinquish the need to escape, but something deep down inside her told her that she really was going to be okay in Felix's presence. Hell, she could feel all the danger around her, and she worried incessantly about her life, but she got the weird feeling that the suffering within these walls were far greater than her own. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="221b93d4ec24d7449cf910e910b97f56"Felix was looking at her now in an unreadable expression, bordering on wistfulness. Dean wasn't sure how to address it, or if she even should, but it could only help her cause to be friendly with the vampire. The more he liked her, the more they all liked her, the better the odds that she would be allowed to be left alone in here. So, she decided to ask something sensitive enough that people could be passionately involved in, but still not too personal. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7ba07e27343a01ed3ec2c89a93bca611""Does...your kind...have your own religion?" She asked, motioning towards the stained glass windows. Felix's lips turned up on one side as he gently shook his head. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="41c3de3d1f930eae681b67cad31012bf""Some of us hold onto our beliefs from our mortal lives; if we can remember them. Though, there have been suspicions that the three wise men, Gasper, Melchior, and Balthasar, were the original immortals. It is partly why we have three kings now." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bae25ea8a74dfae5c10544c48b36a1e0""But there's four of them. And why only the one with red eyes?" Dean wondered in earnest. The smile on Felix's face twitched. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="dbf35484ddd137c91b41da6074db311b""That would be the fourth wise man, Artaban. It is said he died before he was able to meet the newborn baby Jesus. And among us, we know him as THE original vampire. He turned his friends into monsters like him out of selfish desire." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fec027c0555123f2c04c94fe42627d0b"Dean looked up at the windows, thoughtfully. In all her readings, she couldn't recall ever reading about Artaban. It had always been the three wise men. Perhaps she hadn't been paying close enough attention, or maybe they just glazed over the story for Christmas time. Her thoughts were interrupted as Demetri came back, her tan bag dangling expectantly from his fingers. It had taken him precisely one minute to get there and back. That was sixty seconds at least that she would have alone, provided she found a reason for Felix to leave her alone. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a6e8d2c3334e6441b00e748005f763a6"She decided that she'd done enough recon today, and rather than push her luck two days in a row, she sat down in a pew and dug through her bag to go through her scriptures. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative;" data-p-id="8936e375d691410250f225bdcad44788" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="13ed6cb5d1ab6341043921c0be2612cf"Caius was scowling at the same book he'd read dozens of times before. He had no new information, and it was aggravating him more now than ever. His anger toiled away in him, so obviously wrapped up in it that everyone (human and vampire alike) stayed well out of his reach. When he was in a mood like this, everyone was fair game to his sadism. As big as this library was, it held nothing of value to him in this moment, so he chucked the book into the fire in a fit of rage and watched it burn with his jaw locked tight. It had been a priceless tome, one of a kind, even; but he could not bring himself to care. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7c6c4fd09b6478ca74b25f7b776bcf4e"Marcus sat in a high backed plush chair, his long fingers resting calmly against his chin as he watched his brother unravel before him. He was used to the sight, and the familiar circumstances that had brought on this attitude from his youngest brother. Somewhere deep beneath his own depression, he wished he could act out this way over Didyme. Sometimes being left to suffer silently was worse than the petulant behavior Caius was exhibiting now. He would be lying if he said that he didn't wish for this round of romance roulette to be over. He'd meant what he'd said: if they got it over with and killed the girl, Caius could go back to being his regular miserable self the next day. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d833b6beca80a619eeb88f4f5eda0076"Clearly the book hadn't been enough to burn away his temper, and Caius went over to a desk full of glass Knick knacks that belonged to one of the human librarians. He picked up a glass elephant and chucked it into the fire. The shattering sound pricked at their ears pleasantly and prompted him to throw a lion in, followed by a monkey, and the rest of the small menagerie. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ae0b1d6c5a54016a4d6712ef1c5b2992"Aro came waltzing in then, stopping just inside and steepling his hands underneath his chin as he watched Caius' destructive path. "Brother," he said gently, quite possibly stopping him from chucking the entire desk into the nearly over loaded fireplace. Caius halted his arm mid throw, about to release another priceless history book to the flame. "I do believe there are more productive ways to research what ales you, than to set fire to our collection." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="01e13ccf89b226843bd1e26b8e531c38"Caius directed the book at him, instead, aiming for Aro's head. Aro plucked it out of the air with little effort, raising an unimpressed brow at the blonde. "Really now?" Asked the brunette. "What's got you so worked up so early in the process?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c6d4209f1900a5742e02e6cfec8206b4"Caius' shoulders tensed, clearly not wanting to answer that. The look his brother sent him was not one to disappoint, though, and he found himself returning to the chair he had occupied minutes before. Aro came further into the room, replacing the book onto the top of the desk as he came to stand in front of the other two. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="eb7852a17e8eb46ac694a40031c05cc0""I was nearly nice to her today. I swore I wouldn't. That I'd stay away from her." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f0a786f0f48c2de44f0ec9c7486af1be""It is inevitable that your paths will cross, Caius. You've veto'd her staying up in the tower under guard." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3d9cd4e0596c0106a179e8dd48f10812""Yes, well, she has Sulpicia's whining to thank for that," Caius snapped back. Aro refrained from rolling his eyes, but only just. "Clearly she has a death wish. Why else would she pull a stunt like she did?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b50698b740bda701acfc06d7f5536fd8""She's a caged animal, of course she's tried to escape. Give her time. Get to know her again. Get this over with." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="18a5e00633d2a70e76bc8b72d985f8ff""No," Caius snarled harshly. If his blood could heat, he was sure he would be on fire. "No, there's got to be a way to break this wretched curse. There's something different about her this time," he says the last part more to himself than to the others. "I'll find out what to do," he swears. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="62641245ddcf11922d36a1b7faa8ee92"Marcus stands, giving him a forlorned look and placing a comforting hand on the blondes shoulder. Aro and him share a look over Caius' distracted head, and then the two leave him alone with his thoughts. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="751aa7909ccb0444408c13bd67d59ea8""I have to," he says quietly. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Because this is it/em, he thinks. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I can't do this again./em /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c530f758351efd89335b7dbd019f595a"Climbing out from the tower hadn't led to her freedom. She'd have to find another way. Though she couldn't see Felix and Demetri, she could feel their eyes on her back. Her shoulders were tense, and it took a lot for her not to glance behind her every few seconds. It hadn't taken a genius to figure out they'd made themselves scarce as soon as Caius had shown his RBF, perhaps she could work with that somehow. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c5b8bf4cdf00aa3157cccf129224bafd""Shall we continue our walk, my lady?" Felix asked as he stepped back into view. His sudden appearance startled Dean, and caused her to stumble back a step, holding her arm up in a futile form of protection. Felix smirked at the gesture, but did not bring any more attention to it. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="68f1a41015ab4dd54c8ca34abc6a7152"Dean nodded, hoping to commit each turn to memory. "Just...stay like five paces away from me," she bargained. Felix fought hard not to roll his eyes, but Demetri (who had also appeared on her other side and caused her to jump a second time) did not refrain. The lighter haired of the two clasped his hands behind his back and bowed sarcastically, but good naturedly, to her. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="29383d08f6a8352cc480d8b20b683ae7""Anything for you, Dean," he said airily. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3d3ba9ee521c0095cdc18ead1def3d39"It did the trick, and Dean allowed her shoulders to untense, just a little. They left the large room together, with Dean quietly mumbling the directions under her breath. "Right, left, right, right, left." Her eyes scanned for windows, but there were very few. She was sure the vampires in her vicinity had heard her observations and were messing with her, which only made her purse her lips in irritation and continue to count paces in her head. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="35252c8286e45a368b4d950357bc32f5"Demetri would randomly start talking about each room. Describing what they were used for, and giving her advice when the best time to avoid going there would be. At some point, he lead her towards a mostly empty wing. It wasn't dirty, per se', but it still had a fairly abandoned feel about it. One of the walls was taken up by large double wooden doors. Instead of a regular stone wall overhead the doors, was a long triangular stained glass window. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="03fbeb7a621cb0f278220bd589ba9607"A skylight allowed sunlight to pour in, making the window look like it were sparking. The light reflected off of the reds, greens, yellows, and blues of the stained glass and painted colorful shapes on the floor before the door. The image in the glass was the torso and head of Jesus Christ, wearing his signature white robes with the long sleeves. His arms were spread out as if to give an embrace, and a dove was flying away from each of his palms. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0cdbbe570d2c5f086b6ac38a6b28c9fd"There was a halo of yellow light around his head, they sky a bright blue behind him, and a sea of blood around him. It had to have been a custom piece, as she'd never seen an image of it's equal. She wondered what it symbolized. The doves could be freedom, perhaps? How ironic that would be. The entire piece seemed so out of place among the creatures of the risen dead. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a2fa906a221b36600aacc891035baf75"Dean pushed open one of the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside the chapel. It was quiet, and Dean immediately felt more at home here. The room was a decent size, accommodating four rows of long wooden pews on each the left and right side. There was a narrow walkway down the middle that was carpeted with an even narrower burgundy colored carpet. At the front of the room was a single step upwards where a wooden podium with a small microphone attached to it sat overlooking the would-be flock. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="85cc62d023bc3e597ebdc384da4ca33a"There were more stained glass in here beyond the podium. Three large floor to nearly the ceiling panels, each displaying something she hadn't ever seen before-more custom work. One panel had an obvious depiction of three wise men from the tale of the birth of Jesus. The middle panel showed that same baby Jesus in his manger. The third, and last panel, showed a fourth man, but he was different than the others. His skin was a paler shade of glass, his robes and hood a little darker. He had no face, either, but where his eyes should be were two red glass rounds. He stared down at the baby, the red of his eyes glinting secretively. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="68e6fa36e773997abee60238e3adc340"There was a stone inscription in the wall above the windows. The words were written in perfect Italian calligraphy, but Deans eyes were able to dance across the verse quite easily. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f618d16098e71056d88be1925af41adf""span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"1 Chronicles 11:19/span em style="box-sizing: border-box;"And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest."/em /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d2cc5448593c41346d1919e914fcac57"Dean felt a sadness creep over her heart as she stared around herself and she wondered how many of the Volturi's vampires come in here to morn their human lives. Did they hate what they had become? Had some of them been turned unwillingly? Did they come in here to loathe themselves? She couldn't imagine Athenodora, or even Sulpicia coming in here at all. She wondered if Caius ever had. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7da97a25a22657b9f84944188bfe0fbf"With a scowl she turned away from the plaque. He shouldn't be occupying her thoughts the way he was. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fae2f48f51b59da44d377f05baf73726"The bells began to chime somewhere above her head as the unseen clock tower announced high noon. Demetri and Felix were standing silently by the entrance and were eyeing her interestedly as she swept her own eyes over them. An idea began to form. Still in it's baby stages, but she'd work things out one detail at a time until a full fledged plot hatched from her brain. She walked towards them, pulling her shoulders down and into herself, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth and staring up at them as if she were nervous. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f75f76f791579ff89c3fc7f83aaf1ed0"To be fair, she was nervous. They had every reason to tell her no, and none at all to let her have her way. They could just as easily decide that their orders were worth breaking, and kill her. How would any of them know what had happened? They were the only three in the wing, after all. "Um, do you think I could...be alone in here?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ddbb5340335e4f662cc0fbb6e4c620fb"Felix just stared at her blankly, while Demetri gave her an amused look that said 'are you serious?' with his eyebrows raised. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93eba8d7717ab291717a906320a592ab""It's just," she continued, darting her eyes to look anywhere but at them. "I'm a nun. I'd like to have my privacy in church to say my prayers and read my scriptures." Her bag containing her bible was back in her room, but she should be able to go back and get it if she needed. Or maybe there'd be a bible here for her to 'use' and they wouldn't bother or question her about it. Her room was a fair distance away, and she wondered how long it would take them to retrieve her belongings. "Could you go get my bag for me?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8352d0999c8391647406c8c793cfd74f""Of course," said Demetri with a short bow. And then he was gone. Dean was sad but not surprised that Felix had remained behind. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3722e165ccfbed6dce19a1d485f93c9d"The girl turned in place, eyeing the vampire with curiosity. In her brain, she knew she should be more afraid than she was. Her pulse was still quick, and she would not relinquish the need to escape, but something deep down inside her told her that she really was going to be okay in Felix's presence. Hell, she could feel all the danger around her, and she worried incessantly about her life, but she got the weird feeling that the suffering within these walls were far greater than her own. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="221b93d4ec24d7449cf910e910b97f56"Felix was looking at her now in an unreadable expression, bordering on wistfulness. Dean wasn't sure how to address it, or if she even should, but it could only help her cause to be friendly with the vampire. The more he liked her, the more they all liked her, the better the odds that she would be allowed to be left alone in here. So, she decided to ask something sensitive enough that people could be passionately involved in, but still not too personal. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7ba07e27343a01ed3ec2c89a93bca611""Does...your kind...have your own religion?" She asked, motioning towards the stained glass windows. Felix's lips turned up on one side as he gently shook his head. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="41c3de3d1f930eae681b67cad31012bf""Some of us hold onto our beliefs from our mortal lives; if we can remember them. Though, there have been suspicions that the three wise men, Gasper, Melchior, and Balthasar, were the original immortals. It is partly why we have three kings now." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bae25ea8a74dfae5c10544c48b36a1e0""But there's four of them. And why only the one with red eyes?" Dean wondered in earnest. The smile on Felix's face twitched. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="dbf35484ddd137c91b41da6074db311b""That would be the fourth wise man, Artaban. It is said he died before he was able to meet the newborn baby Jesus. And among us, we know him as THE original vampire. He turned his friends into monsters like him out of selfish desire." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fec027c0555123f2c04c94fe42627d0b"Dean looked up at the windows, thoughtfully. In all her readings, she couldn't recall ever reading about Artaban. It had always been the three wise men. Perhaps she hadn't been paying close enough attention, or maybe they just glazed over the story for Christmas time. Her thoughts were interrupted as Demetri came back, her tan bag dangling expectantly from his fingers. It had taken him precisely one minute to get there and back. That was sixty seconds at least that she would have alone, provided she found a reason for Felix to leave her alone. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a6e8d2c3334e6441b00e748005f763a6"She decided that she'd done enough recon today, and rather than push her luck two days in a row, she sat down in a pew and dug through her bag to go through her scriptures. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative;" data-p-id="8936e375d691410250f225bdcad44788" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="13ed6cb5d1ab6341043921c0be2612cf"Caius was scowling at the same book he'd read dozens of times before. He had no new information, and it was aggravating him more now than ever. His anger toiled away in him, so obviously wrapped up in it that everyone (human and vampire alike) stayed well out of his reach. When he was in a mood like this, everyone was fair game to his sadism. As big as this library was, it held nothing of value to him in this moment, so he chucked the book into the fire in a fit of rage and watched it burn with his jaw locked tight. It had been a priceless tome, one of a kind, even; but he could not bring himself to care. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7c6c4fd09b6478ca74b25f7b776bcf4e"Marcus sat in a high backed plush chair, his long fingers resting calmly against his chin as he watched his brother unravel before him. He was used to the sight, and the familiar circumstances that had brought on this attitude from his youngest brother. Somewhere deep beneath his own depression, he wished he could act out this way over Didyme. Sometimes being left to suffer silently was worse than the petulant behavior Caius was exhibiting now. He would be lying if he said that he didn't wish for this round of romance roulette to be over. He'd meant what he'd said: if they got it over with and killed the girl, Caius could go back to being his regular miserable self the next day. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d833b6beca80a619eeb88f4f5eda0076"Clearly the book hadn't been enough to burn away his temper, and Caius went over to a desk full of glass Knick knacks that belonged to one of the human librarians. He picked up a glass elephant and chucked it into the fire. The shattering sound pricked at their ears pleasantly and prompted him to throw a lion in, followed by a monkey, and the rest of the small menagerie. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ae0b1d6c5a54016a4d6712ef1c5b2992"Aro came waltzing in then, stopping just inside and steepling his hands underneath his chin as he watched Caius' destructive path. "Brother," he said gently, quite possibly stopping him from chucking the entire desk into the nearly over loaded fireplace. Caius halted his arm mid throw, about to release another priceless history book to the flame. "I do believe there are more productive ways to research what ales you, than to set fire to our collection." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="01e13ccf89b226843bd1e26b8e531c38"Caius directed the book at him, instead, aiming for Aro's head. Aro plucked it out of the air with little effort, raising an unimpressed brow at the blonde. "Really now?" Asked the brunette. "What's got you so worked up so early in the process?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c6d4209f1900a5742e02e6cfec8206b4"Caius' shoulders tensed, clearly not wanting to answer that. The look his brother sent him was not one to disappoint, though, and he found himself returning to the chair he had occupied minutes before. Aro came further into the room, replacing the book onto the top of the desk as he came to stand in front of the other two. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="eb7852a17e8eb46ac694a40031c05cc0""I was nearly nice to her today. I swore I wouldn't. That I'd stay away from her." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f0a786f0f48c2de44f0ec9c7486af1be""It is inevitable that your paths will cross, Caius. You've veto'd her staying up in the tower under guard." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3d9cd4e0596c0106a179e8dd48f10812""Yes, well, she has Sulpicia's whining to thank for that," Caius snapped back. Aro refrained from rolling his eyes, but only just. "Clearly she has a death wish. Why else would she pull a stunt like she did?" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b50698b740bda701acfc06d7f5536fd8""She's a caged animal, of course she's tried to escape. Give her time. Get to know her again. Get this over with." /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="18a5e00633d2a70e76bc8b72d985f8ff""No," Caius snarled harshly. If his blood could heat, he was sure he would be on fire. "No, there's got to be a way to break this wretched curse. There's something different about her this time," he says the last part more to himself than to the others. "I'll find out what to do," he swears. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="62641245ddcf11922d36a1b7faa8ee92"Marcus stands, giving him a forlorned look and placing a comforting hand on the blondes shoulder. Aro and him share a look over Caius' distracted head, and then the two leave him alone with his thoughts. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="751aa7909ccb0444408c13bd67d59ea8""I have to," he says quietly. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Because this is it/em, he thinks. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I can't do this again./em /p
