Twilight: Darling of Volturi (YURI/GL)

Although the tires had been specially modified, Sophie still eased off the accelerator, doing her best to reduce the strain on them. The moment they approached the edge of the territory, an overwhelming scent of unfamiliar vampires washed over them, instantly putting Jane on high alert.

Acting on instinct, Sophie felt every hair on her body stand on end, and without realizing it, she leaned slightly toward the passenger seat where Jane sat.

The ground grew softer and wetter with every passing yard.

"There's a marsh ahead," Jane said, stopping Sophie before she drove any farther. "Don't go any closer. Stay here and wait for them to come to us."

Vampires were notoriously hostile toward intruders within their territory. Under Jane's direction, Sophie maneuvered the car into an open area with a clear line of sight, minimizing the chance of being ambushed by the Irish Coven. Jane was completely confident that, between the two of them, they could handle whatever confrontation followed.

The Volturi had crossed paths with the leader of this small coven before, a tall, strikingly beautiful woman who possessed no supernatural gift despite her impressive strength. During her travels across Europe, she had met Aro and several members of the Guard, and, unsurprisingly, Aro had successfully convinced her that the Volturi were noble, glorious rulers worthy of admiration.

The rustle of leaves through the surrounding trees served as an unmistakable warning. Had they been ordinary travelers who had wandered here by accident, this was the moment they would have turned around and left.

Sophie lowered both the convertible roof and the windows before climbing out of the car and moving around to Jane's side. If the coven realized they had entered the territory deliberately, any attempt at driving them away would undoubtedly escalate.

Moments later, the unmistakable aura of vampires surged through the marsh. Across the wetlands stood the coven's leader, accompanied by two others, all maintaining cautious defensive stances as they watched the newcomers from a distance.

"What business brings the two of you here?"

The tall, beautiful woman stood at the front of the group, raising her voice across the marsh. Beside her stood a male vampire whose reserved demeanor suggested a gentle personality, yet he remained steadfastly at his mate's side. Behind the pair was a delicate young girl with striking features, staring at Jane and Sophie without blinking, her large eyes filled with quiet curiosity.

"If it's convenient," the man added politely, "please step out of the car so we can talk."

Their appearance was remarkably plain, yet the warmth and closeness between them made them seem less like a vampire coven and more like an ordinary family of three.

Jane quietly tucked away every trace of warmth and softness she had shown during the journey, slipping her cold, aristocratic mask back into place. Resting one hand lazily atop the car door, she regarded the challenge with visible displeasure, as though simply being interrupted offended her. Even sitting still, she naturally radiated the quiet nobility of someone who had stood at the pinnacle of power for centuries.

The woman's expression shifted ever so slightly.

There was something strangely familiar about that commanding presence.

Yet she was certain she had never before met this breathtaking blonde girl.

Jane turned her head, preparing to reveal their identity.

"We're from Vol—"

"Siobhan! I'm Garrett's friend!"

The instant Jane uttered the first syllable, Sophie knew exactly what she intended to say. Jane was about to invoke the name of the Volturi. Whether she spoke of their disciplined Guard, the glory of the royal family, or their thousand-year reign, any one of those names would be enough to make the Irish Coven treat them with immediate respect.

But that would also elevate the situation into something far more serious.

This journey had been Sophie' own reckless decision. She had acted first and intended to explain later, keeping both Aro and Caius completely in the dark.

Marcus, who had remained behind to oversee the palace, had simply turned a blind eye, too indifferent to concern himself with Sophie' little adventure.

Jane lowered her voice until only Sophie could hear.

"Can I leave this to you?"

Interrupted halfway through introducing herself, Jane remained perfectly calm. She was more than willing to surrender the initiative to Sophie.

"I'll give it a try," Sophie whispered back just as quietly, the two of them sounding like conspirators exchanging secrets.

See? Getting her out of the palace was absolutely the right decision.

Sophie couldn't suppress a quiet smile.

Throughout this journey, Jane had displayed an astonishing amount of patience toward her, cooperating in ways that would have been unimaginable back at Volterra.

"When Garrett traveled through London, we met in the abandoned village where werewolves once lived," Sophie explained. "He told me it was your coven that recommended he visit that place."

The locations of vampire covens were only shared with people they personally trusted. If they believed that information had spread too widely or endangered their safety, they would often abandon their homes entirely and relocate elsewhere.

"Margaret," the tall woman said as she glanced over her shoulder toward the young girl behind her. "Is she telling the truth?"

The girl nodded without hesitation.

The tension among the three vampires visibly eased.

Still, as the coven's leader, Siobhan refused to lower her guard completely.

"What exactly did you say to Garrett," she asked carefully, "that convinced him to reveal the location of our home?"

"Strictly speaking..." Sophie reached into her pocket and withdrew a small hairpin. "I'm a friend of yours as well. My name is Sophie. Sophie Luca. A few years ago, your family contacted me through the Internet."

Across the marsh, the three vampires simultaneously caught sight of the unmistakable family crest engraved upon the tiny hairpin.

All three reacted with visible surprise.

Sophie had originally intended to wear the hairpin as a gesture of goodwill. Remembering Jane's dramatic reaction earlier, however, she wisely settled for simply holding it up and waving it gently instead.

"Siobhan," Sophie said with a smile, "this little hairpin traveled all the way from North America to Europe."

As soon as the words left her mouth, another thought quietly surfaced.

Then again... that description fits me too.