Twilight: Darling of Volturi (YURI/GL)

"Sorry... Felix was the one who recommended that move."

Sophie sprang backward as if she'd been shocked. It was the first time she truly realized just how frightening Alec's ability to twist the facts could be. The black mist seeping from his palm slowly retreated into his body.

Tilting his head slightly, he asked, "How long were you waiting here? Did Demetri tell you where to find me?" Sophie fell silent for a moment before shamelessly shifting the blame onto Demetri.

If Alec gets annoyed, then having someone else share the blame can't hurt.

She deliberately concealed the fact that she'd managed to learn the bare basics of Demetri's tracking technique.

The two instinctively put a little distance between themselves, settling into an unspoken truce. Standing close enough to see clearly despite the dim corridor, Alec's gaze dropped to the choker around Sophie's neck. A faint smile touched his lips. "Nice necklace."

"Thank you." Sophie lowered her eyes to the black opal resting against her throat. "Jane gave it to me. She ordered me to wear it all the time. I'm not even allowed to take it off when I bathe."

As Jane's twin brother, Alec naturally knew who the necklace had originally belonged to. "The main body of that choker was designed and handcrafted by Jane back in 1843," he explained patiently. "The lace was added much later. The original sketches are stored in the library. If we have the chance someday, I'd be happy to show them to you."

Strictly speaking, none of that explanation was necessary. He wasn't trying to prove that he understood Jane better than anyone else. Rather, Sophie had been entrusted with something deeply personal without understanding its significance. Jane had simply issued instructions and neglected to explain them, but Alec knew the entire story. In his opinion, Sophie ought to know it as well.

Sophie nodded absentmindedly, barely listening. What truly occupied her thoughts was something else. "Jane hasn't come back to the underground palace for several days. I can't find her at the training grounds either." She hesitated before asking quietly, "Has... Aro assigned her some special mission recently?"

As a newborn, Sophie's movements were heavily restricted. Most days she wandered between the training grounds, her room, and the endless maze-like tunnels beneath the palace. Catching Alec alone had taken hours of waiting.

Lowering her voice further, she admitted, "Or... maybe she's just tired of me. Maybe she doesn't want to see me anymore." That possibility frightened her more than anything. The blood bags still arrived every day without fail. Her wardrobe remained filled with clothes Jane had carefully chosen, enough that she still hadn't worn every outfit. Yet without seeing Jane herself, Sophie couldn't shake the unease growing inside her.

Alec chuckled softly.

"Relax, Sophie." His tone was gentle rather than teasing. After considering his words for a moment, he said, "You seem to have developed a bit of... imprinting."

Most vampires directed that instinct toward the one who transformed them. They called it the First Bite. More often than not, it resembled the bond between parent and child.

Sophie, however, had lost any chance to build such a relationship with her creator. Worse still, they were enemies. Since becoming a vampire, Jane had been the one feeding her, training her, protecting her, and teaching her how to survive. Under those circumstances, dependence was almost inevitable.

Sophie nodded obediently.

"Okay," she murmured. "I'll get used to being alone as quickly as I can."

Her answer sounded utterly perfunctory.

The anxiety hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Alec looked at her with open skepticism. He seriously doubted what "as quickly as I can" actually meant.

In truth, vampires were supposed to enjoy solitude. Jane and Alec were already considered unusually inseparable because they spent so much time together. Rumor had it that some covens outside the Volturi even treated one another as true families, calling each other brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers, rarely spending time apart. The Volturi Guard, however, wasn't a family. Guards were expected to remain far more independent.

Even Aro had quietly reminded Jane that reducing the amount of time she spent with the newborn would encourage Sophie's growth.

Alec's gaze swept over Sophie again. She was nearly the same height as his sister, dressed in clothes Jane had personally selected, wearing jewelry Jane herself had designed. Standing there, she almost resembled one of Jane's treasured possessions. The thought unexpectedly filled him with warmth.

"Not even Heidi has ever received a necklace personally designed by Jane," Alec said. He paused, then smiled reassuringly. "I promise you this, Sophie. You're Jane's favorite girl."

That statement proved far more convincing than everything else he'd said.

Hope instantly returned to Sophie's face, along with an awkward, almost embarrassed happiness.

"So..." she asked expectantly, "when can I see her again?"

"When she's finished carrying out Aro's assignment." Alec decided there was no reason to keep the mission secret. "A coven from Finland has brought a new member to Volterra. She possesses a dark gift that allows her to control plants. Jane and Chelsea accompanied her outside the city. Once tomorrow night's banquet is over, Jane should finally have a chance to relax for a while."

Sophie immediately began counting on her fingers.

"The banquet starts at nine o'clock on the evening of May fifteenth..." She calculated aloud before her eyes brightened. "That means Jane's mission should be over sometime after midnight on the sixteenth!"

"Exactly." Alec nodded confidently. "Every guest has to leave Volterra on the sixteenth. You'll definitely see her then."

Those words finally eased the knot of anxiety that had lingered in Sophie's heart.

As it turned out...

She saw Jane a full day earlier than expected.

On the evening of May fifteenth, someone knocked on Sophie's door. She wasn't particularly surprised. Every vampire in the palace was busy preparing for the upcoming banquet. At this hour, she assumed it was probably Demetri delivering her daily supply of blood.

The great brass doors had no locks. Their handles served only to open them.

Still...

The Volturi Guards valued courtesy.

As usual, Sophie calmly opened the door.

Then her eyes widened.

"Jane!"

Without thinking, she threw herself forward just as she had on the day she'd received the room, wrapping her powerful newborn arms around Jane's neck.

"You're back!"

Only then did Sophie truly appreciate how different Jane and Alec were.

They shared the exact same face.

Yet they felt nothing alike.

Jane simply allowed herself to be embraced. Her terrifying gift, which could reduce anyone to screaming agony, showed no sign of activating whatsoever. Unlike her brother, who had instinctively unleashed his numbing mist the instant Sophie grabbed him, Jane merely stood there.

"Let go already." Jane's voice carried its usual hint of disdain. "You're messing up my hair."

Sophie obediently released her and stepped back, awkwardly lowering both hands to her sides. She cautiously looked up.

Jane's exquisitely made-up face still carried the faintest trace of a smile.

Somehow...

They had already reconciled.

No explanations had been exchanged.

No apologies had been offered.

The awkwardness caused by the argument over the tablet computer several days earlier had simply... vanished.

Sophie found herself staring blankly at Jane's appearance, clearly prepared for tonight's banquet.

Her golden hair had been intricately gathered into an elegant updo, secured by emerald hairpins shaped like olive leaves that circled her head with understated natural beauty. The design reminded Sophie of the olive wreath motif used during the Athens Olympics the previous year, although there was no way the organizers could have afforded genuine emeralds. The craftsmanship alone spoke of staggering expense.

Resting atop Jane's head was an exquisitely crafted diamond tiara.

Because Jane's face was so delicately proportioned, none of the diamonds exceeded five carats. Larger stones would have overwhelmed her features. Every gem had been carefully chosen to remain perfectly balanced. Even without knowing their quality, the sheer number of diamonds made it obvious the crown was worth an unimaginable fortune.

"Does my hair look nice?" Jane asked casually, sounding almost indifferent to her own beauty. She reached out and took Sophie's hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Alec's very good at styling hair. Come on. Before the banquet begins, I'll take you to the waterfall."

Jane naturally held her hand.

In truth, during the days Jane had been away, Sophie had trained diligently with Felix every single day. Navigating the maze-like underground tunnels alone had long since stopped being difficult. Still, she raised no objection. After hearing Alec's explanation, she'd accepted that perhaps she really did have a touch of imprinting. She simply needed time to outgrow it.

Following Jane's gentle pull, Sophie couldn't help asking, "Jane... how do you have time to come see me already? Alec said your mission wouldn't end until the sixteenth."

Sophie's bold stunt of ambushing Alec in the tunnels had become common knowledge throughout the Volturi. Felix, who'd been teaching her hand-to-hand combat, had even helped devise the surprise tackle specifically for her.

Only Jane and Alec, however, knew why she'd done it.

Jane answered as lightly as though it were nothing.

"I finished changing early." She glanced sideways at Sophie. "There was still some time before the banquet... so I came to see you."

Earlier, Alec had fussed endlessly while arranging her hair.

"Sister, are you sure you don't want something more elaborate?" he'd asked again and again. "A banquet this grand hardly ever happens."

To Sophie, Jane's appearance was breathtaking.

To Alec, however, it was surprisingly plain.

Plain enough to be suspicious.

The twins understood each other far too well. Alec quickly guessed Jane's real intentions. After a long sigh, he finally gave up trying to persuade her.

"Fine," he'd conceded. "You're beautiful like this too."

Even so...

Jane still hadn't had much free time.

Gradually, the sound of rushing water grew louder.

Waiting beside the familiar waterfall pool were six blood bags that had already been brought up from the palace's refrigerated storage.

"The palace will be hosting the banquet tonight," Jane explained. "The elevators are guarded, but there's always a chance someone wandering around where they shouldn't could slip through."

She looked directly into Sophie's eyes.

"Stay here. Don't wander off. I'll definitely come back before sunrise."

Compared to Sophie's room, Jane's territory around the waterfall was far safer. She had deliberately carved time out of her schedule just to make these arrangements.

Sophie understood.

The entire Volturi had spent days preparing for tonight's banquet.

On the final day, she absolutely couldn't become the source of any trouble.

"Okay." She smiled.

"I'll wait for you."

Jane gave a satisfied nod. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she reached into her cloak and handed Sophie a small box no bigger than the palm of her hand.

"If anyone breaks in..." Jane's expression cooled as she continued, "Anyone at all. No matter who it is."

Sophie opened the box.

Inside is a box of matches.

Jane's red eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Twist off their head with everything you've got." After a brief pause, she added coldly,

"Then burn the body. This time you’re not allowed to go easy on them."

…