The room was a sanctuary of sorts, filled with canvases and sculptures that spoke of centuries of passion and turmoil. Caius paced the floor, his mind racing. He picked up a brush, staring at the blank canvas in front of him. Art had always been his escape, his way of processing the chaos within.

As he began to paint, his strokes were frantic, mirroring his inner turmoil. Images of Dean and Athenodora swirled together, blending into a chaotic masterpiece. He poured his heart into canvas, hoping to find clarity in the colors and forms. Hours passed, and the painting began to take shape. It was a haunting depiction of love and loss, of choices and consequences. Caius stepped back, studying his work.

Setting his paintbrush down, he took in an unneeded deep breath. The thought of losing Dean was unbearable, but so was the idea of betraying Athenodora, who had stood by him for so long. Caius closed his eyes, trying to silence the conflicting voices in his head. Neither belonged to him, and he felt much like a coward. How he wished he could sleep.

~~/~~

Dean slept for what felt like days. Her entire being was exhausted. The adrenaline had worn off long ago, and she'd soaked in a foaming, pleasant smelling bath, and had promptly fell asleep in her bed. When she awoke, she still couldn't believe how much more comfortable her bed here was than in the convent. She knew that the nuns preferred a minimalist lifestyle, but if she convinced the Volturi to donate some mattresses, would they be turned away?

Her musings were interrupted by her own dark cloud. How much longer could she put off the inevitable? Caius was never far from her mind, and yet she was still no closer to what she wanted. What was it she wanted? She didn't know. Her body craved him in a way she'd never felt before, but she resisted. It wasn't right. Most girls might dream of being made for someone...some talked about soulmates like it was a good thing. But Dean valued her free will...she always had.

That's why she was never good at keeping a routine. Why she was constantly in trouble. She didn't like being forced into a box and told what her place was in the world. She was her own person. Or, at least, she thought she was. Now, she felt like a toy. And object for beings higher than herself to toss around like it shouldn't bother her. Like she should be happy she'd been created at all.

A knock at her door caught her attention, and moments later, Aro Volturi stuck his head in, followed by the rest of his body. The door gently closed behind him, and he consciously took his time in approaching her. She wanted to be uncomfortable; a strange sentiment, but true nonetheless. She found, however, that his presence brought a feeling of familiarity and ease instead.

"Dean," Aro's voice was gentle, filled with concern. "I could sense your distress from across the castle."

Dean turned to face the auburn haired king, surprised to feel her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I feel like I'm caught in the middle of a storm."

Aro hummed, motioning to the foot of her bed, to which she found herself nodding her consent. He sat, patting her feet as if they'd been best friends for a long time. It occurred to her that they probably had been. He certainly seemed like the kind of person she'd naturally gravitate to. The mischief behind his ruby eyes told stories of all kinds of trouble he might condone, so long as it was amusing. "Quite the storm," he agreed with her.

Dean nodded, her fingers lacing together nervously. "You think I should just give in to him, don't you?"

Aro smiled widely, keeping his secrets locked away. "It would be rather nice to not have to put up with Caius' temper quite so severely. However, you are your own person, Dean. You must make the choices that are right for you, in this life."

She looked up at him in shock. If he had contact with her skin, she'd be sure he'd read her mind just then. But their bodies were very separated, so he must have been speaking from his own opinions. "But I don't know what the right choices are. It's like I'm two different people who want two different things. Do you know what that's like?"

"I do, actually," Aro says, once again surprising her. "Long ago, I was once human, you know. When you're a newborn, sometimes you forget your old life. I remember bits and pieces, though it's mostly all gone now. I remember how I clung to my humanity, my sense of right and wrong. Eventually, I accepted that I was no longer a part of that world. I'd stepped into a new, and arguably better one. I adapted, and learned who I was the older I became."

Dean bit her lip, letting his words sink in. Is that what she should do? Just accept that she belonged to someone else? Accept this world she'd been thrown into? Would things be easier for her if she did? Would they be better? She'd always been told the grass was greener where you watered it...would that stand true in a world where mortals proverbs meant nothing?

"And what about you and Sulpicia? Were you forced together?"

"The mating bond," Aro pauses, looking at her for some sort of reaction. "Is a blessing among our kind. Many of us never find our other half...the one who makes us whole. When I met Sulpicia, there was never any question as to what I wanted. Caius is much the same. It's such a powerful thing. He's loved you through lifetimes, Dean. Even in this reincarnation, his feelings for you have never wavered. It's remarkable, really."

Dean sighs, her mind drifting back to the memories of her past lives. "I sometimes wonder why things have to be so complicated. It's so confusing."

"But think of the bonds you can form. Even now, you can feel how our relationship has been rooted deep within you. Through all these lifetimes, you've become part of the family. And Caius, through his fierce exterior, has a heart that beats only for you."

Dean scoffs, not believing it for a moment. "And what about Athenodora?"

"She's been his closest friend for centuries. She's been your friend, too. You don't need to worry about her."

She wasn't sure if he was lying to protect his wife's sister, but his words blanketed her with a sense of comfort. If he was right...did that make her desire for Caius wrong, still? Many humans believed that marriage was just a piece of paper. Did they even have papers? Did that matter? Still, his words rang in her ears, urging her to give in.

Aro smiled knowingly at her, standing once again. "Do not worry, la mia bella Dejanna. We shall navigate this storm together."

As he exited her room, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. She didn't feel quite so alone in this, as she feared. She stood up, glancing out the window. The evening sky was painted with hues of orange and pink; a reminder of the endless possibilities and the beauty that still existed in the world, despite the challenges. She needed food, and then she would visit Caius. That would give her enough times to figure out what she wanted to say to him.

She trekked down to the kitchens, feeling eyes on her the entire time. How she was tired of eyes following her. How she wanted to run back to her room...the only place she was free from vampires (well, most of them). There was no one in the kitchens, which surprised her, so she dug around to find herself stuff to make her a PB&J, then sat down at the island to pick at it slowly.

She turned when a small blonde vampire entered. Jane's presence was always intense, carrying with her a sense of danger than no child who appeared to be thirteen should have. The way her eyes fell on Dean made her feel as small and as helpless as a mouse. She shifted on her stool, feeling uncomfortable as Jane made her way over and sat beside her.

"It was very clever of you, giving us all the slip," says Jane tersely. Dean wasn't sure if Jane always sounded like this, or if she was genuinely displeased with her. Probably a mix of both, she decided. She couldn't imagine a smile on the girls otherworldly face. It simply wasn't fair how achingly beautiful and how hauntingly dreadful the small vampire was, and Dean avoided looking directly at her.

"I'm sorry," Dean said, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I hope you didn't get in too much trouble."

"Aro favors me," Jane says simply. "Though the others were not so lucky. You should be apologizing to Demetri and Felix."

Dean was stunned. She wasn't sure she expected that response, but she felt shamed by her behavior. She nodded sullenly. "I will. When I see them again."

Jane was quiet a moment, the silence almost comfortable before she broke it. "I've been hearing about your...abilities." Her voice was calm and inquisitive. Was it no accident Jane had found her here? Had one of the kings sent her to pry upon her progress already? "How are you managing with them?"

Dean pressed her lips together, pushing the simmering anger down. She had no proof that Jane was here to interrogate her. It'd be unfair to accuse her, and risk upsetting the very dangerous creature. She didn't want to know what Jane's gift was, if she had one. Something told her it wouldn't be one she'd want to be on the other end of. Dean's stomach felt like it turned to lead as she set the last couple bites of her sandwich down.

"Like a lead balloon," she replies miserably. "Either I'm really bad at it, or Hecate is avoiding me. It's strange, trying to navigate between dreams and reality."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "It's a rare gift. You should be careful how you use it. Sometimes, the line between dreams and reality can blur too much."

If she didn't know better, she'd think Jane sounded concerned for her. Before she could respond, however, Jane suddenly turned to leave. "I must report to masters Marcus, Aro, and Caius. Don't go jumping through any more windows." A small smile teased at Jane's lips, leaving Dean gaping as the blonde disappeared back down a hallway.

She set her saw again, Jane's words spinning in her head as she conjured an idea. She's meant to be practicing and honing her abilities. Could she do it while awake? Could she blur the lines of dreams and reality on purpose? Is that how she'd been going so wrong? By trying to do it while asleep?

She closed her eyes, focusing intensely. Daydreams could count, couldn't they? She had never tried to dream walk while awake, but she wanted to hear whatever it was that Jane was reporting. The urgency in her posture, and the suddenness of her departure tickled away at her curiosity. If she was found out, she could simply say that she'd been practicing her own powers and had just stumbled upon them. They couldn't be mad at her for doing what she was supposed to be doing, could they?

She tried to clear her mind. The voices of everyone who'd ever given her advice echoed and clanged around in her head like a mad cow bell. It was frustrating, but she imagined a vacuum, it's hose extending out and sucking up each thought and storing it safely within it's belly. Relax, she told herself. Find peace.

She imagined a beach. Warm, white sand beneath her toes. Clean and soft. Ocean water that was just cool enough to be soothing crashing against the shore in a high tide that was both menacing and reassuring somehow. A sky, clear and bluer than any sky she'd ever seen. Nothing here could hurt her. Nothing here was forcing her to make decisions she wasn't ready to make. She was in a daydream.

Sighing contentedly, she looked down at the sand, shaking off the fuzzy warm feeling of being where she wanted to be, and redirected her focus to where she was. Slowly, the sand returned to wood, and ocean was replaced with stone. The sky was now the ceiling she was slowly getting used to. She could see herself sitting on a bar stool, eyes closed and face lax. It was almost surreal seeing this. She didn't waste time pondering her looks, though, but turned around and ran to the throne room.

She giggled when she realized she could pass through doors without opening them. It was an out of body experience she'd never though she'd have. She passed by several vampires that she didn't know, and it made her vaguely concerned for leaving her own body so defenseless, but as she neared the throne room, those thoughts slipped away.

The three kings were sitting dutifully upon their thrones. Marcus on the far left, Aro in the middle, and Caius on the far right. Jane was standing directly in front of Aro, looking tiny, but fierce. She did not quake under the scrutiny of such powerful men. She was comfortable.

Aro leaned forward, his expression was serious. "We must handle this delicately. The Volturi cannot afford to appear weak. However, I am so very curious as to what the Olympic coven will do about it."

Caius sneered. "We need to send a clear message. This chaos cannot continue."

Dean listened intently, her heart racing at the sight of the man who loved her. Not a trace of that tenderness she'd witness before was present now. Here, he was doing his job. Here, he was being a ruthless ruler...blood thirsty and impatient. Her limbs began to feel heavy, fatigue already urging her to return back to her body.

Marcus sat up a little straighter, his eyes narrowed in her direction. Could he see her? That seemed impossible. None of the other vampires she had passed by had noticed her. She fidgeted, waiting to find out if he would call her out. Marcus turned his attention back to Jane. "We will send a team to Seattle. Jane, you will lead them. Make sure the situation is resolved swiftly."

Aro held his hand up in a placating gesture. "I agree with your plan, Marcus. However, I should still like to take our time. We cannot make decisions lightly with Alice watching my every decision. We should wait and observe the Cullens. If they break a law, perhaps we can...kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. It would save us the trouble and maintain our position."

Jane looked surprised but nodded. "Very well. We will wait and observe."

With that, Dean felt herself being pulled back into reality. She opened her eyes, head spinning and curiosity burning within her. None of that had anything to do with her, but the coldness on Caius had caused her to shiver. What if he one day was that way with her? What was she walking into if she accepted whatever this was between them?

She looked down at the remainder of her sandwich in distaste, binning it, and then deciding to forgo meeting with Caius and go back to her room, running away like a scared rabbit.