SIX
After a day of recovery, I returned to our hotel, bouquet in hand, only to find Cayla sitting up in bed, looking miles better. The color was back in her cheeks, and she didn't look half as wiped out as before.
"Those are gorgeous!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she saw the flowers. "Who's the mystery admirer?"
I gave a little shrug, feigning indifference. "Oh, just some random guy trying to make amends."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't press. Thankfully. After some casual chat, Cayla decided we needed to make the most of our trip, a spark of determination in her eyes. "We're not sitting here wallowing. We need to get out, do something fun."
I hesitated, recalling the previous night and the unsettling run-ins with Demetri, but Cayla was right. I couldn't let some brooding stranger ruin our time. So, I agreed, adding with a grin, "Let's go out and celebrate the fact we survived Italy."
That evening, I put on the beige off-the-shoulder dress I'd packed, the one that hugged my figure in all the right ways. I wanted to feel like me again. Cayla whistled when she saw me, and I grinned, feeling a bit more like my usual self.
Dinner was a relief—lighthearted and easy, filled with laughter as Cayla and I rehashed the events of our trip. But then I spotted him: Demetri, standing just outside the restaurant in the shadows, watching. I didn't feel fear this time, just the urge to get answers.
"Be right back," I told Cayla, excusing myself with a smile. She raised an eyebrow, clearly curious, but let me go without a word.
I stepped into the alley where I'd seen him vanish and found him there, still as stone, his cloak blending into the darkness. "Demetri," I called out, hands on my hips, "are you stalking me?"
He emerged, gaze drifting over my dress. "You look sensational this evening," he murmured, his tone soft, almost reverent. "But no, I'm not stalking you. Just ensuring you remain… safe."
I let out an exasperated sigh, rolling my eyes. "You have a bizarre way of showing it."
Without thinking, I closed the distance between us, pushing him back against the wall with a defiant shove. He didn't resist, just looked amused. "Listen, if you so much as think of touching Cayla again," I warned, voice low, "I'll cut your dick off and feed it to a cannibal vampire!
A wicked grin tugged at his lips. "I like your fire."
I smirked, refusing to step back. "Good. Because if you lay a finger on her, you're done."
He held my gaze, a glint of dark humor in his eyes. "What if I decide to bite you instead?" he murmured, voice dropping low, a hint of something predatory. "I'd wager your blood tastes like heaven."
I gave him a mock-shove. "Joke's on you—I had garlic bread with dinner."
He laughed, a soft, throaty sound. "That's not how it works," he replied, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Maybe not," I retorted, sticking out my tongue in defiance. "But that's how it works in the movies."
Before I could turn, he was in front of me, as if he'd materialized from thin air. I backed up until my shoulders met the cold wall, my breath catching. "There's something about you," he said, voice low, intense. "I can't stop being intrigued."
"Maybe you should get out more," I shot back, trying to mask my own racing pulse with sass.
He chuckled, but his gaze stayed fixed, a dark curiosity in his eyes. "You mentioned courtship," he said softly. "I want to try this… modern method."
I felt my face flush, stumbling for a response. "You're saying you want a date?"
He nodded, that familiar smile curling his lips. "Why not?"
"My father would kill me," I muttered, unable to hide the absurdity.
"Who said he'd have to know?" Demetri replied smoothly.
I stared at him, exasperated. "Let's see—my brother can read my mind, and my sister can see the future. They're going to know."
Demetri raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "I'm sure I can outsmart them."
His confidence almost made me laugh. "Actually, you probably can. Thing is, they don't really understand why, but their powers don't fully work on me."
"Interesting," he mused, almost to himself. "My abilities feel… muted around you. I'm not used to that." He tilted his head, a strange glint in his eyes. "But I think I like it."
His words threw me, and I looked away, trying to keep my composure. "Fine," I sighed, pretending I wasn't crazy for even considering this. "When?"
"How about now?" he asked, voice smooth.
I raised an eyebrow. "My friend is still inside," I pointed out.
Demetri's smirk widened. "Then get rid of her."
My mind raced, wondering how on earth I could pull this off, but I found myself nodding anyway. "Five minutes," I muttered, shaking my head at myself as I turned to go.
"Oh, and lose the cloak," I called over my shoulder. "I don't need to be dating vampire Batman."
Back inside, Cayla looked up, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Who was that?"
"Just a guy from the market," I replied nonchalantly. "Wants to take me on a night tour of Rome."
Cayla's face lit up. "What are you waiting for? Go!"
I grinned, nerves and excitement blending. "Thanks, Cayla. I owe you."
When I returned to the alley, Demetri had done as I asked, the cloak replaced with a tailored jacket that made him look even more maddeningly mysterious.
I took his offered hand, feeling the cool strength in his grip. Before I knew what was happening, he swung me over his back, moving so fast the world blurred. My heart jumped as we reached the top of a building, and I let out a laugh, exhilarated.
"You're insane," I gasped, catching my breath.
Demetri only smiled, the city lights reflecting in his dark, unreadable eyes. "Welcome to the world beyond your streets."
Demetri carried me effortlessly over the rooftops, moving with a speed and grace that left me breathless. We finally stopped atop one of the taller buildings in Rome—a grand structure that seemed to pierce the night sky. He set me down gently on the roof's edge, where the city stretched out below us in a sea of glowing lights and ancient beauty.
He perched on the very edge, balancing with an ease that made it look like second nature. I hesitated for just a moment before sitting beside him, letting my legs dangle freely over the side. The drop was dizzying, but I felt oddly at peace up here, as if the height was a small price to pay for the breathtaking view.
Demetri watched me carefully, his eyes scanning my face for any hint of fear. When I didn't flinch, he seemed genuinely surprised. "You're not scared," he murmured, almost as if it were an expectation.
I shrugged, focusing on the view below rather than the empty air beneath my feet. "Honestly, I'm more scared of my family finding out I did this," I admitted with a dry chuckle.
Dimitri's eyebrows lifted slightly, intrigued. "And why is that?"
"Because they're protective," I replied, not meeting his gaze. "They'd freak out if they knew I was hanging out with a Volturi member who… jumps across rooftops for fun."
A small smile played on his lips. "That's a fair point."
I leaned back slightly, resting my palms against the cool surface of the rooftop, feeling the rush of adrenaline gradually fading. "Heights? Not so much," I continued, looking at the skyline. "But being caught? Yeah, that terrifies me."
Dimitri's expression softened, the usual intensity in his gaze replaced by something more contemplative. "Your family must care about you deeply," he said, almost thoughtfully.
"They do," I replied, the words coming out more quietly than I intended. "And I care about them, too. That's why they can't ever know about this."
He didn't press the matter any further, just nodded as if he understood the unspoken complexities of loyalty and secrets. For a moment, we just sat there, legs swinging over the edge of the world.
As we sat there, I couldn't help but let my curiosity get the better of me. I turned my head slightly to look at Dimitri, the city lights casting faint shadows across his face. "What about you?" I asked quietly. "What was your life like… before?"
Dimitri was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. When he finally spoke, there was a guardedness in his tone. "I was born in Greece," he began, his voice soft but clear. "Many centuries ago. My family held some status, not of great renown, but we were respected within our community. Life was simple—structured, even. Until I encountered Amun, the leader of an Egyptian coven."
He paused, as if weighing how much to share. "Amun saw something in me—potential, I suppose. He was fascinated by my abilities as a human, my sense of intuition, and he believed I could be something more. When he changed me, it was… excruciating. And when I awoke, the world I knew had changed forever."
I listened quietly, feeling a mix of fascination and unease. Dimitri's voice remained steady, but there was a trace of bitterness beneath his words.
"We were close," Dimitri continued, his eyes darkening slightly. "He helped me refine my gift—the ability to track others, to sense their presence and follow them wherever they went. Amun and I worked together to strengthen it, and for a time, it was just the two of us."
"And then?" I prompted softly.
"Then the Volturi came," Dimitri said, his voice colder now. "Aro was intrigued by my gift. He offered me a place among his guard—a life of power and influence, or swift death if I refused. Chelsea's power made it easier to accept, strengthening the emotional ties to their coven. I didn't have much choice in the matter."
He turned his gaze back to the skyline, the bitterness more pronounced now. "They already had a tracker in their ranks, but once Aro realised my abilities surpassed his, I replaced him. Ever since then, I've been the Volturi's primary tracker. It's a role that suits me… most of the time."
I swallowed, trying to absorb everything he'd just shared. "So you're… their sole tracker?"
"Essentially," Dimitri replied. "It is my task to find those who attempt to flee the Volturi's grasp or to locate any potential threats to our rule. My power allows me to follow anyone, anywhere, as long as I've encountered them or they've come into contact with someone I know."
There was a long silence, and then I couldn't help but ask, "Do you ever miss your old life?"
Dimitri's expression softened slightly, the coldness in his eyes fading for a moment. "Sometimes," he admitted quietly. "But those memories have long since dulled. After so many years, you come to accept that the past is just a distant echo."
I nodded, unsure of what else to say. We both turned back to the city, lost in our own thoughts as the night stretched on. There was a strange sense of understanding between us now—two people from vastly different worlds, connected by the shared weight of choices made for them.
I turned my head to look at Dimitri, and the question slipped out before I could stop it. "If you could leave, would you?"
He seemed taken aback by the question, his expression thoughtful as he considered it. After a moment, he sighed softly. "Honestly?" he murmured. "If I left, I would have nowhere to go."
I studied his face, feeling something pass between us—an unspoken understanding, maybe, or just the weight of all the choices that had led us to this point. In an effort to break the tension, I tried to lighten the mood. "Well, you could always binge-watch The Vampire Diaries," I said with a grin.
Dimitri raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Binge-watch?"
"Yeah, you know… watching episode after episode without stopping," I explained, pulling out my phone. "On Netflix. Look."
He leaned in, intrigued as I scrolled through the Netflix app and pointed to the show. He looked at the screen with intense curiosity, as if trying to decipher some ancient text. "Technology has certainly evolved," he remarked, almost to himself.
I locked my phone and slipped it back into my pocket, feeling the weight of my thoughts settling over me again. The conversation was hanging in an odd space, and before I could stop myself, the next words tumbled out.
"You know… killed my aunts' sister."
Dimitri's expression darkened, and for a moment, he looked genuinely confused. "Who?" he asked cautiously.
"Kate and Tanya," I said, my voice quieter than before. "They're not related to my parents, but I've always called them Aunt Kate and Aunt Tanya. I even visited them as a kid. We'd have slumber parties at their house."
Dimitri's eyes narrowed slightly, and he shook his head. "It wasn't me," he said, correcting me gently. "Caius killed her. He was the one who ordered it."
There was a part of me that wanted to hold onto my anger, but hearing him admit it wasn't his doing left me feeling conflicted. I took a deep breath, trying to push past the old resentment. "What was it like?" I asked quietly. "To be there, in the field, with my family?"
Dimitri's expression remained impassive, but I could see the flicker of something behind his eyes—memories of a past he rarely allowed himself to revisit. "It was tense," he replied, his voice low and careful. "There was so much uncertainty, and the potential for conflict hung heavy in the air. But… your family stood together. They didn't waver, not even in the face of death."
I nodded, remembering the stories I'd heard so many times from my parents, from my aunts. The way they described that day always sounded surreal to me, like some epic showdown from a fantasy novel. But hearing it from Dimitri, who had been on the other side, made it feel more real—more tragic, somehow.
"They've told me about it a lot," I said softly. "It sounds terrifying."
"It was," Dimitri admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But it was also… extraordinary, in a way. To see such loyalty, such resolve."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I just let the silence settle between us, the weight of the conversation lingering like a shadow.
