Bella rested her eyes for only a few seconds before a cold hand cupped her face and yanked her head, forcefully pulling her from sleep. Demetri waited until she steadied herself before releasing her, his touch so brief that she didn't have time to blush under his icy skin. She rubbed her eyes, slowly realising he had just prevented her from smashing her face against the window.

"Thanks. " She tried in vain to identify the scenery outside. "Did I sleep for too long?"

"About an hour."

"You're kidding, right?"

He didn't answer. His austere expression alarmed her and she couldn't imagine what upset him. Fighting the drowsiness, Bella felt her curiosity subduing her caution.

"What's wrong?"

He winced, gripping the wheel a little harder. It made her truly apprehensive when he reacted like that. She once thought he was unreadable and untouchable, but that idea crumbled much quicker than she thought possible. He reacted to the smallest gesture, the most insignificant word from her.

Maybe she annoyed him. She could understand that, if he sometimes got annoyed by how much of a nuisance she was. He was too polite to say anything, too polite to even let it show, but she knew she was imposing on him. She watched as he recomposed himself and prepared for whatever hurtful thing he was about to admit.

"You talk in your sleep." There was a cutting edge to his tone.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

He relaxed, then frowned, as if confused by her reaction.

"It doesn't bother me."

"Then…?"

He inhaled sharply, relaxing his shoulders and hands, but kept his silence. Bella didn't want to press him too much, but the curiosity was eating her alive.

"Alec said you're mad at Gianna," she asked instead. "Can I ask why?"

She thought she heard him growling.

"Alec said a lot of things, I'm sure."

"Not enough, actually."

His features softened and he suppressed a smile, resting his hand on his leg again.

"I think I should be the one asking questions. You ask all the wrong ones."

She crossed her arms defiantly. Was it a vampire trait to keep things from her? She hadn't expected any vampire in Volterra to be just as secretive as the Cullens. They didn't care enough to spare her feelings or prevent her anxiety. She didn't think she ever asked any intrusive questions either, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe she was intruding and they would eventually stop talking to her about anything altogether. She eyed Demetri suspiciously, afraid of what he could possibly want to know from her.

"You have night terrors as well," he said and she almost grunted.

"Not lately." She fidgeted with her seat belt, unsure about mentioning Gianna again. "I… someone helped me with that. I haven't been dreaming at all."

"Someone," he echoed and his tone gave her goosebumps.

"What about my night terrors?"

His eyes were fixed on her, and she opened the glove compartment to escape his heavy gaze. There was not much in there to occupy her, and after taking a closer look at every pen and business card inside, she still felt his sombre eyes on her. She took notice of the gloves he had worn earlier, wondering how she didn't wake up when he stored them there.

"Tell me about your nightmares," he demanded.

She shut the small door close. "They're ridiculous. And boring."

They were entering another town now, brick-clad houses appearing on either side of the meandering streets, and she hoped she could stall answering him until they arrived. To her dismay, he parked in front of a restaurant right before they reached an intersection and smiled mischievously.

"Take your time." He turned the engine off and lounged sideways on the seat, one slender hand under his cheek. "We will wait for the girl to come out and it can take a while."

She did grunt this time, passing her fingers through her hair to dissipate some nervousness.

"Fine. You'll be disappointed, though."

He intertwined his fingers, clasping his hands together, and waited patiently. His smile was still in place and his eyes shone with mirth. The warm streetlights reflecting on the leather of his jacket conferred him a mysteriously appealing aura and Bella felt a knot in her throat that only fueled her desire to wipe the smirk off of his face.

"I have a recurring dream about… the e-mails." She knew how absurd it would sound before she spoke, but saying it out loud felt truly pathetic. "It used to happen all the time, so I guess it's more of a flashback. They just don't go through. All failed deliveries."

She was satisfied to see his amused expression melting away, but the incredulity that replaced it did nothing to soothe her self-conscious restlessness.

"I said it was ridiculous."

"It's not. Dreams have a significance beyond the simple scenes they present us."

She watched the people inside the restaurant through one of the front-facing windows to escape his scrutiny. Where were they? She was sure Demetri would give her the name of the town if she asked but couldn't push herself to speak again.

He decided to reward her with the answer to her own question.

"Gianna has been sabotaging you."

Bella's head whipped in his direction, a sharp pain shooting through her neck.

"She has always been awfully self-centred and individualistic," he calmly went on, "but I never took her for stupid. No matter how little we told her about your situation, I still expected her to see that it was vastly different from hers. It seems that she is not that smart, after all."

She frowned, trying to make sense of that. He was mad at Gianna because of her?

"That's why you want her dead?"

She remembered Alec's outburst and it clicked. If Gianna was going out of her way to sabotage her, it would only complicate her situation, especially with her assessment so close.

"That is why I want to kill her myself," he corrected her and she was confused once again.

He looked at the restaurant behind her. "Time to go. She is leaving."

Bella followed his eyes and easily identified the girl. She was the only person leaving the establishment, inspecting her surroundings to make sure she was alone before crossing the threshold. She ran her hands along her green sleeveless dress, adjusted her backpack and tightened her ponytail before resuming her walk. The front door was heavily lit compared to the rest of the street, giving her light brown hair a glossy glow.

"Her name is Melissa," Demetri informed Bella "She's Australian, so language won't be a problem. If you do convince her to come back, you will have to drive her. My presence might frighten her. The GPS is set to take you back to Volterra, follow it closely and you should have no problems."

Bella began to fret over this new piece of information. She still felt dizzy from sleep and wasn't sure if she was in a good state to drive, but he anticipated her objection.

"I will follow you on foot. If necessary, I'll step in."

She bit her lip, still reluctant, but reached for the door handle. A new fear gripped her heart, and she lingered with her hand on the door, gathering the courage to voice it.

"And what does that mean?" She moistened her lips, finding them bone-dry. "And what if I can't convince her to come back at all?"

He seemed to consider the question though he certainly already knew its answer. Bella braced herself, her heart pounding painfully in her chest, because she knew it too. His eyes bore into hers with uncomfortable intensity.

"She won't return home either way."

The handle slipped away from her palm when she tried to open the car door. She was panting, her breath loud and uneven, her throat aching with every painful intake of air. Her hands were covered in cold sweat. She dried them on her jacket and tried again, stumbling out of the car and following the girl inconspicuously — or so she hoped.

As she made her way to her target, an intrusive thought wormed its way into her brain. She pictured herself warning the girl to run as fast as she could, to any unthinkable place as far as she could imagine, and disappearing into the world as well. She started to list all the recluse locations she could think of, any place where she could bury herself so deeply that anyone would think she vanished from the face of the Earth. Catching herself, she dismissed the senseless idea. It was useless; a skilled vampire tracker was waiting for them and if he was part of the Volturi Guard for his tracking abilities he had to be the best there is.

He would find her. He would find us both and kill me too.

Her treacherous mind pictured him hunting her down around the world, vicious and relentless like James but a thousand times more effective and deadly. She was sure he would find her much faster than James ever could, even if she had never fallen into his trap. If she angered him, would Demetri torture her as James did? Would he take as much pleasure in it?

For some reason, she didn't think so.

She was catching up to the girl, who looked over her shoulder to see who was approaching.

"Hey, Melissa," she called out.

Melissa stopped, eyeing Bella warily.

"Hello."

"I'm Bella."

"Hi, Bella." Melissa crossed her arms. "Do we know each other?"

Bella smiled, looking at the black car she just left, but it was empty. Demetri was no longer behind the wheel.

"Uhm, not quite." She didn't have a plan, nor was given a script, and could only hope she would say the ring thing to give the girl in front of her any chance of survival. "I work at the place you just visited and wanted to ask you about the tour if that's ok."

Melissa paled, her entire body tensing up. She took half a step back.

"What about it?"

Bella considered closing the distance between them, afraid she would bolt. Deciding against it, she smiled again.

"Would you mind coming back with me? It would be easier. You could also finish the tour if you changed your mind."

Melissa backed away again.

"What do you want to know? I didn't finish the tour, I'm sure someone who did could talk about it much better than I can."

What would happen if Melissa tried to run away? Bella was ready to run after her, but to do what? Demetri would catch her in a second, and then Bella would have followed to watch the execution. Her hands shook when she imagined him capturing the girl and finishing her right there as she watched, so she shoved them into her pockets.

"That's actually the point. We never had anyone not finishing it, you're the very first one. We could use some feedback."

Melissa chewed the inside of her cheek, considering the request.

"Is it just you?" She looked at the car behind Bella and then around them one more time. Bella nodded.

"Yeah, just me. I'll take you back if you want to come."

The girl sighed, staring at her feet. Her white sandals were dark with dirt.

"Right. It's just… it's a bit far from here. Could we maybe talk on the way to the airport? The tour guide got me a flight but the guys that were supposed to take me to the airport got lost." Her voice betrayed her distrust. Bella couldn't blame her; she would also find that suspicious.

"I have a form in my office," Bella lied. "I would really appreciate it if you could fill it. I'll take you to the airport after."

She began to walk back to the car and Melissa followed. The relief almost overtook her and she tried to disguise it from the girl by her side. When she reached for the door on the driver's side, she noticed Melissa made no move to open the opposite door.

"Can I just ask you something before we go?"

"Uhm, sure."

A soft breeze moved Bella's hair and she tucked it behind her ears. Melissa's dress danced around her legs and she held one side of its skirt in place so it wouldn't be lifted. Bella could hear the rustling sound of fabric against skin. A few droplets of sweat sprung from her forehead and she balled her hands into fists inside her pockets to fight the urge to wipe them off when they dripped down, disappearing into her eyebrows.

"You seem normal. I mean, normal enough, but the tour guide…" Melissa nearly whispered, looking around once again in a paranoid manner.

Bella moistened her lips. "Yes?"

Was Demetri nearby, listening to their conversation? He had to be, and so he would hear any dangerous words Melissa was about to say. If at least they were inside a moving car Bella could convince herself that he might not be able to hear everything.

"I heard her talking to a man during the tour." Melissa lowered her voice even more, and Bella struggled to understand her. "He passed by as we were going to what the woman said was the final stop of the tour. I don't know what language they spoke, and I have no idea what they were talking about, but I felt very sick when I heard them. That's why I wanted to go back."

Where is she going with this?

Melissa cleared her throat. "They didn't… they just didn't seem normal."

Bella's heart was about to burst out of her chest.

Just get in the car!

She opened the door, hoping Melissa would unconsciously follow again, but she didn't move.

"I don't know about the guy you saw, but Heidi, our tour guide, is not from here. He probably isn't either."

"That's not it."

Bella couldn't think of anything to say. As she rummaged her mind for words, Melissa's body tensed up and Bella just knew she was about to turn and run.

Bella's mind worked fast, fueled by despair.

"Look, I'm just an exchange student trying to pay the bills," the lie slipped so smoothly through her lips that she thought for a moment someone else had said it for her. "I don't get paid enough to go through all this effort but I'm on my trial period and won't secure the job if I don't put my best foot forward." She sighed dramatically. "If you make a point of not going back, I'll just take you to the airport and you can talk about the tour on the way there. I'll just try to remember your answers and write them down later."

Melissa considered her words, still biting her cheek.

"Okay," she finally conceded, opening the door and shoving her backpack inside, "but do take me to the airport, please. I'm very tired. I just want to go home."

Bella felt a pang in her heart. Smiling amicably, she entered the car.

"Thanks." She adjusted the seat and the mirrors, then turned on the headlights. "So," Melissa started as they put on their seat belts, "what exactly is that place?"

Bella turned the engine on and checked the GPS on the panel. She locked the doors as soon as possible, afraid her companion would change her mind and run like she intended to just moments ago.

"The city council."

"Oh, right. The tour guide - Heidi - did say that." She shuddered. "You're like a secretary?"

"More of an assistant to the actual secretary."

"I think I saw her. A tall woman at the reception. Green eyes, brown hair."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, that's Gianna."

Melissa made a sound of acknowledgement, eyes lost in the distance. After a few moments of consideration, she crossed her arms and snuggled up against the locked door. She must have decided to trust Bella because soon enough her eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep, to Bella's relief.

She could finally breathe. Trying to keep quiet, she took deep calming breaths, glancing consistently at the GPS, terrified of getting lost. The road wasn't busy, but driving in the dark in an unfamiliar place relying entirely on the device kept Bella in a state of alert that made it impossible for her to drift back into sleep. She felt incredibly awake now, all the traces of her torpor completely dispelled.

There was still an uneasiness within her, squirming in her belly. Demetri had said they took over an hour to get there; that was too much time. Enough time for Melissa to wake up and realise they were not on their way to the airport at all. Then what? Bella had no idea of what she would tell her, or what the girl would do. Would she roll down the window and throw herself out? Demetri would get her instantly and Bella wasn't sure if he would have any qualms about tearing the girl open in front of her.

Something flashed in the dark, right by her side, on the road shoulder, gleaming silver and moving alongside the car. Her chest tightened, a coldness taking over as if her lungs were frozen. She tried to breathe through her nose, counting in her head to keep a certain rhythm. It was him, surely, running outside.

It's fine. He won't have to intervene.

With the wanderer secured by her side, snoring softly, Bella allowed herself a sliver of pride. So far, she did it. She succeeded in the task they had given her, and with the relief that came with the knowledge of what it meant to Melissa she should have the right to feel some level of accomplishment too. She knew she couldn't celebrate yet but couldn't help the sense of safety that slowly enveloped her. After half an hour of driving undisturbedly, she was hopeful, and the moving figure outside started to feel more comforting than intimidating.

It all disappeared as they approached Volterra.

Bella looked at the sleeping girl by her side, in awe of her ability to sleep so deeply and for so long in a car with a stranger. She almost envied her. She couldn't remember the last time she properly slept without the aid of medication, without nightmares, as ridiculous as they could be, shaking her awake. When she reached the exact point marked on the map, she pulled over. The stillness awoke Melissa, who yawned and looked around.

"Shit, are we there? I was so tired I didn't even answer any of your questions."

"That's fine." Bella unbuckled her seat belt and eyed Melissa. "We're not at the airport."

Melissa froze.

"Why not?"

Bella sighed, unsure. What now? She lied to her, and they still had to get to the castle. None of the resident vampires bothered with a parking permit, so they would have to walk.

Melissa didn't seem like she would willingly walk anywhere except straight home.

"I can't take you there. I really need this job, and I was told very clearly to bring you back."

"So you lied?"

Bella anticipated her move and locked the doors again, trapping her inside. Melissa pulled and pushed her door to no avail.

"Ok, calm down. I'm not kidnapping you." Bella paused, scrunching her face with distaste. "Well, I guess I did, but it's not that serious."

"Fuck, why do you need me there so badly?"

"I don't know," Bella lied. "They just said to bring you back."

Melissa stopped and grimaced.

"Is this human trafficking?"

Bella almost laughed. A bitter, foul-tasting laugh died in her throat. The girl was worried about the wrong things; she had very mundane, very mortal suspicions.

It was much easier to work with that.

"Sorry. I'm being super weird about this, I guess. I'm very new at this job." She fished her fake driver's license from her pocket and handed it to Melissa. "It's nothing like that. There, some ID. If it helps."

Melissa turned the document in her hands, analysing it attentively. Her eyes travelled from the card to Bella's face a few times before she handed it back.

"This is all so weird."

Bella took the card back. "Sorry, it's me. I'm weird. Or so I've been told."

She unlocked the doors and waited for Melissa to exit the car first, hoping it would put her at ease. When she did step outside, Bella waited a second before following her. It seemed to work. Melissa threw her backpack over her shoulder and waited for Bella to lock the doors.

"Are we taking the tunnel again?"

The question made Bella recognise the place. Somewhere around, hidden in the foliage, there was a garage. Demetri would probably take the car inside while she walked with Melissa and would still arrive before them.

"Yes. If you don't mind."

And if you mind too because I don't know any other way.

"I hope you get the job," Melissa muttered, tripping on the poorly lit cobblestones. "You're putting both feet forward."

They walked in silence until the church. With slightly better lighting, Melissa didn't have to pay so much attention to the floor and started talking again.

"Where are you from anyway?"

Bella talked about Phoenix and Forks at length, reminding herself that it didn't matter how much she shared because neither was leaving that place. She told Melissa about her friends and family and watched the girl let her guard down. Before they arrived Melissa had told her about most of her life in Adelaide.

"We should keep in touch," she suggested. "I wanna know if you get the job."

Bella's stomach churned.

"Sure."

When the green carpeted floors made their appearance, Bella almost felt happy. She shouldn't, but she was almost taking for granted that Melissa would be spared. Like her. She had to believe that, had to tell herself that she just saved the girl's life because the alternative was simply nefarious. Jane's voice echoed in her head, much like Edward's, though not nearly as placating.

"Better her than you, don't you think?"

She still couldn't admit that she did think so.

"Ah, there you are."

Gianna's high heels hit the floor rapidly as she jogged over to them, reminding Bella of the pitter-patter of her long fingernails hitting her keyboard. Her face was so weary not even her impeccable make-up disguised the inner turmoil reflected on the surface. Melissa sighed and Bella imagined she was happy not to see Heidi again.

"Can we get it done quickly? I know my flight is only tomorrow but I'm terrified of missing it."

Bella felt utterly uncomfortable with her choice of words. No, she wasn't terrified, but she was about to be. Her eyes met Gianna's in silent understanding.

Her part was over.

"Of course." Gianna motioned for her to follow as she entered another corridor.

Melissa looked over her shoulder and waved at Bella before leaving her alone with her thoughts at the reception. She didn't know how to feel, had felt too much already, and now that the adrenaline had worn off, was tired enough to sleep for days. She longed for her bed, for the pills that blocked her nightmares, and headed to her room dragging her feet. It didn't take long for her to trip on the carpet, and a familiar hand wrapped itself around her forearm to prevent her fall.

It didn't startle her this time.

"Thanks," she looked up and met Demetri's ruby eyes.

He didn't release her, merely changing the position of his hand to grasp her wrist as he walked by her side.

"You did well."

She looked down.

"Will she live?"

He rested a thumb on the inside of her wrist, feeling how she pulsed with life, and pressed small circles in what would be a soothing caress if not for the context. Bella felt it then, the jolt of electricity that coursed through her with his touch. She tried not to pull away, afraid of upsetting him and uncertain if he would let go.

"It is unlikely," he admitted.

"Why bring her all the way here just to kill her?"

"Master Aro wants to know."

Of course.

Aro wants to know everything.

Bella fought a smile as she thought he couldn't know everything thanks to her.

She could see the door to her room, glorious in all its simplicity. She just wanted to throw herself on her bed and sleep, leave everything else for tomorrow, and just as she touched the doorknob she realised she had not checked her e-mails.

"Oh. Oh, no."

Demetri quirked an eyebrow. Bella pressed her hands to her face, relieved by how easily Demetri released her from his grasp.

"I forgot to check my messages."

He rolled his eyes. The gesture seemed so alien to him that she thought she was hallucinating from sleep deprivation.

"They'll still be there in the morning." He opened the door and gently pushed her inside. "Go to bed."

Too tired to argue, she let her body fall on her bed, not bothering to change her clothes. She could change the bed sheets in the morning, after a night of sleep and a shower. She eagerly extended a hand to her bedside table, searching for the pills, but found nothing. Confused, she sat up and looked at it, noticing that Demetri hadn't left. He stood by the table, staring at the label on the bottle she was looking for.

"You shouldn't self-medicate."

Bella jumped to her feet, trying to get the medication from his hands, but he held onto it. They both gripped the bottle, the force Bella applied to it completely insignificant against him.

"I really need it tonight," she pled but he didn't budge. "I can't sleep without them. I need to sleep, please."

Demetri pulled the bottle from her. "You need to sleep at night, not all day long. It's affecting your productivity."

She knew that. Even so, she also knew she couldn't quit so suddenly and that she wouldn't sleep that night if she didn't take it.

"I… not tonight. I can quit some other day." She extended her hand, silently asking him to give it back.

Eyes fixed on her face, he opened the bottle and placed a single pill in her open hand. She sighed, frustrated, but it was better than nothing.

"Thanks."

She went to the bathroom to get a glass of water and was shocked to find him sitting on the edge of her bed when she returned. His hands were empty; he must have pocketed the pills. She hesitated before sitting on the bed as well, on the opposite side to him to keep some distance. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was strange for him to sit on her bed at all. It made her uncomfortable in a way Gianna didn't when she sat in the same spot.

"I understand that you fear for the girl's life and it can't be helped," he said as she swallowed the white pill, "but I advise you to focus on more important aspects of this event."

She frowned. "Such as?"

"We have someone coming in. A former member of our coven. He can identify special abilities in other individuals."

"He is coming to see if Melissa is gifted?"

Demetri ran a hand along her pillow, smoothing it out pensively. He didn't look at her when he spoke.

"You both. Master Caius believes it is a good moment to call him in, as we have two humans with potential gifts in the castle."

"So, I'm also being assessed."

Suddenly, he closed the distance between them and buried a hand in her hair, the other one still on her pillow, propping him up as he leaned forward. Bella yelped, staring at him with wide eyes, unable to move.

"Jane is right," he whispered, his cool breath wafting over her flushed face. "It is unnerving."

He lingered, trying to find her, hoping the physical proximity and his touch would help him. When he was done, he disentangled his fingers from her hair and stood up, leaving her disoriented on the bed, her heart beating furiously.

"Good night, Bella."

He left, sparing her a last enigmatic glance before turning off her lights and shutting the door. Bella kicked her shoes off her feet and took off her jacket, burying herself under the covers, desperate for some sleep but too anxious to find it immediately. She tossed and turned for a while, angry with herself for the situation she was in. When she thought of Melissa, she found that she couldn't feel guilty. Had she not returned to the castle, her death was certain. This way, at least she stood a chance. When the medicine kicked in, Bella was still agitated and felt herself being pushed into a heavy drug-induced sleep rather than falling into it. Demetri's saccharine scent was nearly overwhelming, emanating from the fabric underneath her, and she lost consciousness as she overanalysed the way he grabbed her so uncharacteristically. Jane's voice echoed in her head one last time.

"Better her than you, don't you think?"