When he spoke he sounded as indifferent as ever. “Yes.” He knew that Aro would require a more in depth answer than that, but he wasn’t sure exactly what his brother was after. Was he beginning to think more along the lines that Caius was, that Alice, Edward, and Bella should be brought into the fold of the Volturi Guard or punished?

Aro waited for him to say more, but he said nothing. It became a silent battle of wills: Aro’s desire to know and Marcus’ detachment from the whole matter all together. In the end Aro’s curiosity got the better of him, it always did.

Aro’s voice held a slight hint of annoyance as he continued. “How strong is it? Are you sure he will turn her?”

Marcus stood there in silence as his gaze went back to the portrait behind Aro that displayed all the members of the Volturi Coven and once again his mind drifted back to that first night with Didyme. Yes, the bond between Edward and Bella was that strong and yes, in the end, he would change her…even if he did not realize it yet.

He remembered how she had called him her “little death,” and instead of thinking like a vampire should, he had thought like a warm-blooded, lustful, human male. At the time he had not thought of the blood coursing through her veins, of the fact that he could bring her true death in one swift instant, instead he had only thought of wanting her in a much different way.

He had not been able to keep his hands off of her then and as her sweet breath mingled with his, he was the one that closed the distance between them, and leaning forward his had just barely brushed his thin, cold lips against her soft, full, warm ones.

The first touch of their lips had been like an electric shock and his superior senses had registered several things at once. She was delicate and fragile, so he had to be careful. She had stopped breathing for a just a moment, and as her heart began to race, blood rushed to just beneath her face, causing her to blush. He could feel the heat against his own face as their lips continued to move against each other’s.

But, the senses that were really overwhelmed were his sense of smell and taste! She smelled like sunshine and cinnamon and she tasted like heaven.

He had stopped believing in heaven a long time ago, but the kiss made him believe its existence once again in the span of seconds. Heaven was here and another name for heaven was Didyme.

Didyme.

His memories of that first kiss had only lasted the span of a few seconds when they were interrupted by Aro’s impatience.

Standing up his brother frowned, “Marcus!”

Aro did not understand Marcus’ disinterest in advancing the strength and power of the Coven. He didn’t understand his brother’s disinterest in everything, even though he had read his thoughts. Then again, Aro still had his mate. When he read people’s thoughts it was like reading a novel. He could read about their emotions, but he didn’t feel them himself and though he knew and had seen how his brother had suffered at the loss of his wife, he could not completely understand it.

Marcus looked at his brother and answered his questions. “Their bond is strong. He will change her.”

He saw the look of frustration that crossed Aro’s face, but he was not forthcoming with more information and he simply added, “Will that be all, Aro?”

Aro seemed to be warring with himself as to whether or not to push this matter further or simply letting Marcus retreat into his chambers again. In the end he sat down again with a sigh and nodded.

Turning to go, Marcus simply said, “Do not disturb me again for the rest of the evening,” and with that he walked back towards his chambers, back to where he could be alone with his thoughts and his memories without having to deal with such trivialities as Aro and his curiosity.

He wanted to get lost in his thoughts of her.

Didyme.