Marcus disappeared to God knows where and he did give me permission to go into his room but I didn't want a repeat of the other day so I was ushered into the eerie library.

It was cold. I was contemplating searching for Demetri but he again popped out of nowhere with his black and grey hoody he had once lent me.

"Demetri, you are my hero! I was freezing in here."
I bundled myself in it. He smiled
"You were too afraid to go back, huh?"

I nodded.

"I was so surprised he allowed you in so quickly. You must have said something that finally got to him. It's good you're around. He's finally doing something other than holing up in his room."

I smiled.

"If I do come back I'll happily do more than that."
"Don't get so attached, regardless you may be shocked by the turn of events."

I huffed.
"What is it with you and Renata claiming I like him?"

Demetri scoffed.
"You don't?"

"Even if I did I don't think it makes sense going after him if I'm not sure I'm coming back."

"Are you returning to Italy?"
I shrugged.

"If my applications are accepted and there's enough funds there's a good chance, but it's not so great."
"I see."

I don't know what we were still doing there, staring at untouched books, dusty books."
I decided to pick one, Heidi.

I wanted to read it to numb the boredom but Demetri told me a far better read was Beowulf. I opened it to get him to shut up but the English was stern and unapproachable.

How could I begin to enjoy this dribble if I could not understand it. I put both of them down.

"You have some taste," I said sarcastically.
Demetri suddenly stiffened.

"Makayla, get behind me."
I looked at him.

"Please, I'll explain later."
I rolled my eyes and did as he said. We could hear footsteps approaching us.

"Who is in our personal library?"

I balked. I did not recognise the voice. It was feathery and oddly authoritative behind the lightness.

"Master, it is I." Demetri said.

The voice taunted: "You know you cannot be in this part of the castle unless asked."

Demetri although he could not see the owner of the voice was stooped forward and his head bowed.

"Yes," he whispered.

I was feeling a bit frightened. That must be the other brother and if he was doing this he must be horrifying. I shook a bit.

The door was opening and I yelped trying to hide. Then....

"Brother, I have bidden for his presence. I have a special guest you have not had the chance to meet.

Marcus...

"Guest?" he said enthusiastically.
"Let me see this guest of yours," he said to Marcus.

I looked at Demetri who relaxed, he showed me to an ink sofa next to the fireplace. He lit the fireplace and moved the two-seater much further from me.

Marcus slowly walked in dressed in his black attire once more, his hair pulled back now by a scrunchy. He sat down opposite to me and gave me a small smile.

"Makayla, I want to introduce you to my brother, Aro."
I stiffened remembering my encounter with his other brother Caius.

"Do not fret. He is much more friendly than Caius. I shall introduce you to him officially much later."

He nodded towards the door. Demetri stood beside me.

I was stunned as a shorter man than any of the ones I met glided in. He strutted like a supermodel, with a quiet smile.

He had a mulberry shirt sticking out form his dark grey suit and coconut oxfords that were soundless as he walked.

He peered at Marcus curiously. He gave me a glance before peering away. He spoke in hushed tones in Italian.

"Non è la ragazza che la guardia ha assunto che tu abbia acquisito?"

(Is she not the girlfriend the guard have assumed you have acquired?)

"No. Può essere." Marcus said. "Lei è qualcos'altro. Guardala e vedrai."

(No. Maybe. She is something else. Look at her and you will understand)

Aro scoffed his equally long hair swaying.

"Ho visto abbastanza per sapere che è una responsabilità. Non so come sia fuggita, ma la ucciderò anch'io se non lo farai. (I have seen enough to know she is a liability. I don't know how she escaped but I will kill her myself if you will not.)"

"Non sarai in grado di farlo. E guardarla attraverso gli altri non significa che la conosci affatto."(You won't be able to. And looking at her through others doesn't mean you know her at all.) Marcus whispered.

This back and forth between Aro and Marcus continued. And I couldn't understand a lick of it.

"Forse, ma posso solo avere un tocco e vedrò cosa Caius ha cercato di dirti. Deve sapere di noi e vuole essere noi. (Maybe, but I can just have a touch and I will see what Caius has been trying to tell you. She must know about us and want to be us.)"

Aro when he said that he held up his hand, palm up.
Marcus glowered at Aro.

"Lei non lo sa! (She doesn't know!)" he shouted.
I think everyone else flinched. Aro, his surprise forgotten, leaned forward.

"Poi darle il dono che non teniamo qui gli umani. (Then give her the gift; we don't keep humans here.)"

Marcus also leaned forward. Demetri and I looked at one another. I mouthed: What are they doing?"

He also mouthed something to me along the lines of I don't know.

"No, non è quello che devo fare io. Aro, ho visto quello che è per te e hai scelto di ignorarlo. (No, that is not for me to do. Aro, I have seen what she is to you and you have chosen to ignore it.)"

"Sono felicemente sposato. Ho già un copagno. Non ho bisogno di un sostituto di livello inferiore. (I am happily married. I already have a mate. I don't need a lower-grade substitute.)

Marcus' entire face was twisted grotesquely in anger and he looked like a Doberman by bearing his teeth. I froze in the chair.

"Bene, quindi uccidila se lo desideri, ma sarà colpa tua cosa succederà in seguito. (Fine, then kill her if you wish but it will be your own fault what happens thereafter.)"

He hissed before striding with deer legs out the open door.

I was shocked into action.
"MARCUS! Where are you going?"

What just happened?
Demetri was torn between following and staying. His mouth was open and eyes like big, white eggs.

I looked at Aro and his gaze burnt me to my core. His eyes lecherously trialled up my body. From my beaten-up kicks to the tight denim hugging my thighs, to my chubby tummy, then he paid special attention to my sizeable breasts.

He paused there a long time. He hummed in contemplation. I wanted to vomit. My skin crawled.

Then his eyes snapped to mine, an odd periwinkle shade framed by obsidian curls. He looked as flawless as the others I met in the castle but he became gruesomely ugly to me.

His eyes looked through me and teased me. I could see in his square face he thought I was a nonentity.

His legs were crossed, one above the other showing me his expensive shoes. Then he gasped and his lips went white like he was having a heart attack.

"So, it's you...?" he said in clear disgust.

It's me who? He never finished. Me, his brother's supposed girlfriend? You, our beloved, guest?

I stepped up so I was in his line of fire, away from his expensive furniture.

"It was enchanting meeting you, Aro...but I must go check on my friend, you said something that upset him."

I held my chin out and walked with the most confidence I had ever held. A few white people weren't going to make me feel inferior. I was used to this.

I rushed out the library and searched both sides. Where was his room, again? I turned left. I was barely halfway when Demetri caught up with me.

"Are you ok?"
"Not really, Marcus was just covering for him but he's probably worse than Caius."

Demetri was quiet. He helped me get to Marcus' room, which I had forgotten my way to.