Chapter 124: The Wedding Invitation

Sophie saw right through Jane's little trap. Jane had tossed out irresistible bait, pretended to leave, and waited for Sophie to chase after her of her own accord.

Jane had used the same trick several times before, and it had worked every single time. This was one of the rare occasions when Sophie caught on. Closing her notebook and putting away her pen, she hurried after Jane with a triumphant grin, stopping directly in front of her. "Looks like you really want me to come, don't you?"

Jane remained stubborn. "Reindeer are around all year."

When Aro presented his travel arrangements, Caius mocked them mercilessly. "We're mobilizing nearly the entire family, crossing several countries just to reach Finland. It sounds less like we're attending a wedding and more like we're marching in to judge the Finnish Coven."

As always, Marcus stared blankly at the empty space between his two brothers and offered his reliable response. "I have no objections."

Rarely, Aro admitted that perhaps he had been a little too enthusiastic. Even with the newly joined member, the Finnish Coven consisted of only four vampires. If the Volturi arrived with too many people, their overwhelming numbers would inevitably become intimidating.

"Then the two of you can stay behind and watch the palace," Aro said, generously sparing his brothers before considering someone else instead. "Come to think of it, Sulpicia and I haven't traveled together in quite some time."

In the end, Aro decided to bring only his wife, Sulpicia, as his companion. Jane and Alec would accompany them as personal guards.

Caius laughed openly at the arrangement. "Brother, sometimes I honestly wonder whether Jane and Alec are the twins you and Sulpicia somehow managed to have."

Aro made no effort whatsoever to hide his affection for his treasured pair. Without missing a beat, he fired back, "The love between Sulpicia and me is already perfect. Children are forbidden, have you forgotten that?"

Even so, when Aro discovered that Jane had quietly brought along one extra companion, he found himself unable to judge her actions with complete impartiality. After weighing the matter for a moment, he ultimately chose to tacitly accept Sophie' presence.

Since this was a private visit rather than an official one, they all removed the black cloaks symbolizing the Volturi and changed into ordinary clothing.

The two girls, nearly the same height and dressed in similar outfits, stood close together. At first glance they ought to have resembled sisters, but the contrast in their temperaments was far too striking. Jane possessed an exquisitely refined, almost intimidating elegance, while Sophie carried herself with relaxed confidence and lively charm. No one would mistake them for daughters raised in the same household.

Standing quietly nearby, Alec wore clothing in matching colors. The resemblance between him and Jane, however, immediately revealed their familial bond.

Aro noticed the changes at once.

During his absence, and throughout Jane's recovery, his decision to leave matters alone had allowed events to develop beyond his expectations. Worse still, they were beginning to drift in a direction he had never wanted to see.

Ignoring it was not an option.

For now, however, his foremost priority remained the Finnish Coven and winning Aurora over to the Volturi. Sulpicia had never truly involved herself in political affairs, and Aro intended to keep matters concerning the Guard far removed from his wife's peaceful life.

Once they reached Finland, he planned to find an appropriate opportunity to test Jane's attitude and give her the chance to explain everything herself.

Taking his wife's hand affectionately, Aro smiled. "Sulpicia, don't we look like the perfect family by human standards? And yet I swear, no husband has ever loved his wife as deeply as I love you."

The Finnish Coven lived in the far north, close to the Russian border.

Had they arrived a few months later, during the snowy season, they truly might have had the chance to witness the northern lights.

At first, Sophie was terrified that Aro would question why she had come. She instinctively stayed glued to Jane's side.

Fortunately, Jane had judged Aro's attitude correctly.

The refined, handsome man swept a serpentine gaze across the two of them but said nothing about Jane bringing an extra companion without permission.

Still, Sophie couldn't shake the feeling that Aro simply didn't wish to confront the matter in public. He'll wait until we're somewhere quieter... somewhere private... then question me alone.

So under no circumstances can I end up by myself.

As long as I'm beside either Alec or Jane, I'll be safe.

One after another, the invited guests of the Finnish Coven arrived to celebrate the leader's adopted daughter finding her eternal mate. For creatures whose endless lives often resembled stagnant water, love was the only force capable of breaking the monotony. To vampires, few occasions were more joyous than the formation of a mated pair.

Sophie quietly observed the guests.

Whether they were nomads or members of established covens, most had arrived in pairs. A few wandering vampires had come alone.

The Volturi, however, had arrived with five people, making them by far the largest delegation present. Even the originally planned group of four would still have outnumbered everyone else.

In its own way, that alone demonstrated the family's overwhelming power.

Perhaps it also reflected Aro's deliberate efforts to keep other covens from growing too large.

The wedding was being held inside a church, one completely unlike the abandoned chapel behind Volterra. Looking up toward the vaulted ceiling, Sophie could still admire biblical murals painstakingly painted by craftsmen centuries ago.

After stepping inside, she belatedly noticed something odd.

Lowering her voice, she asked Jane, "Why aren't there any priests or nuns here?"

"Priests and nuns taste no different from anyone else," Jane replied calmly. "Besides, bloodshed is considered unlucky at a wedding."

Everything she said made one thing abundantly clear. To vampires, humans existed only as food.

According to legend, churches were places vampires could never enter. Reality, however, was much simpler. The church had been rented for a day through perfectly legitimate human means to host a wedding exclusively for vampires.

A wedding held inside a house of God. For guests who believed in no god at all.