The Palazzo dei Priori, as the stronghold of the vampire royalty, has existed for thousands of years. Its age might be as long as the Volturi has possessed it. It's hard to find any place where it is lacking or has flaws.
From the front desk with large painted murals, crystal vases filled with fresh flowers, normal water and electricity supply, and a very humane decoration, to the deepest, darkest room underground in the Palazzo dei Priori, which is specifically used to imprison newborns during transformation or punished guards.
From the living room to the library and then to the garden, everything is available.
Caius dragged Katherine through the intricate corridors one after another. The vampires they encountered on the way made way consciously. Katherine looked back and each time could see vampires secretly turning their heads to look at her.
This feeling of being surrounded and watched like an exhibit is really...
Turning a corner, Katherine suddenly felt something was wrong. Why were there fewer and fewer vampires on the road? Where was this guy taking her?!
"Where are you taking me?" Katherine instinctively wanted to break free from Caius's hand, but unexpectedly, because of her great strength, she pulled him right in front of her.
She was startled and quickly backed away, bumping into a stone pillar. Caius didn't adjust his center of gravity. Instead, he propped himself up with one hand beside Katherine's head and looked down at her.
The V - shaped necklace with a cold metallic luster jumped out of his red scarf with Caius's movement, swaying in front of Katherine. The intense frost and shadow came overwhelmingly.
She quickly held her breath. The dense sense of shrinking back spread throughout her body from the top of her head where the other's breath sprayed. Katherine almost wanted to hit the wall. Was she that strong?! Clearly, she was almost choked to death by this guy yesterday. Where had his strength to choke gone?!
Katherine wanted to push the person in front of her away, but her logical nerves, which were abnormally developed due to fear, tightly clamped her hands, forcing her to be frozen motionless in Caius's shadow.
Admittedly, she could push him away forcefully, but the consequences of doing so were unimaginable. Her neck still seemed to ache faintly.
She tried her best not to look at Caius, pretending not to see the silver - white long hair that slipped from his shoulders one by one because he bent over close to her and swayed in front of her eyes, and pretending not to hear the other's faint but slightly heavier breathing because of the closeness.
Facts have proved that the consequence of staying still obediently may not be the other's restraint, but rather more intensified and overbearing behavior.
What was he doing?!
Feeling the cold breath spraying and moving a bit rapidly on the top of her head and all the way down, the alarm in Katherine's mind screamed to the point of collapse, and her whole body was tensed to the limit.
This feeling was terrible. She didn't know what Caius wanted. She didn't think the methods of these ancient vampires would be gentler than those of the psychopathic killers in movies at all.
Caius saw Katherine's defense and fear clearly. He suddenly thought of Landon and remembered that Marcus said the emotional bond between him and Katherine was very strong, and he was extremely restless.
Marcus even agreed to let Landon live in the Palazzo dei Priori. The reason was that this would soothe Katherine's emotions to the greatest extent and help her learn to control her instincts faster.
The violent rage that rose in Caius's heart at that moment almost made him lose control and directly beat Marcus down. His eyes were terrifyingly gloomy, and he warned Marcus word by word, with an irresistible oppression: "Whoever dares to let him in, just see if I can break his neck! No one is qualified to interfere in Katherine's affairs. She's mine!"
Aro couldn't stop laughing. Landon looked at him in disbelief, followed by anger. It seemed that if it weren't for being stopped by Jane's burning spell, he would have rushed up to fight Caius to the death immediately.
Ridiculous! He didn't have that qualification at all!
A lowly human and a hybrid bastard, stepping into the Palazzo dei Priori was a desecration of this place, and he even dared to ask to take Katherine away from him?!
Caius sneered. He'd better not let him catch Landon making a mistake. As long as he did something illegal, he would personally execute him by fire and watch him turn to ashes in the flames with great satisfaction!
Katherine was even more horrified by his sudden, meaning - unknown sneer, and her voice trembled obviously when she spoke: "You... where on earth are you taking me?"
"Your eternal time and body that never gets tired are not for fear and timidity. You need to learn to disguise, as well as control and use your power!" Caius's voice was cold and hard because of the extremely fast speaking speed, sounding completely emotionless.
He really didn't like Katherine's look of being on high alert when seeing everyone, as alert as a cat encountering a lion pride, as if staying in the Volturi was a great torture.
Katherine didn't expect this guy to treat her with the attitude a normal being should have, so naturally, she wouldn't be unhappy or sad about his attitude, as long as he didn't try to get closer to her.
Her attention was all on what Caius had just said. Controlling and using power sounded very helpful for escaping!!
Katherine stood up straight: "What should I do?"
What else could it be? Of course, it's training!
Katherine was dragged by Caius to the place where the Volturi trained newborns. It was a vast and empty place, hidden in the canyon behind the Palazzo dei Priori.
This place still belonged to the Volturi's territory, but it was completely different from that gloomy and terrifying ancient castle. It was the outdoors with sunlight, fresh air, forests, and animals. This made Katherine feel much more relaxed. Without so many vampires surrounding her, she felt that she could breathe more smoothly - although vampires didn't really need to breathe.
Italy's geographical location determined that it had a typical Mediterranean climate. In September, when it hadn't completely cooled down yet, the sunlight was still fierce. The leaves of the sclerophyllous forest reflected the sunlight, like gems hanging on the trees.
Katherine kept looking around as she walked. A vampire's excellent vision allowed her to see the most hidden corners of this forest clearly:
Bright light spots were projected on the wings of butterflies, shining brightly, as if carrying a rainbow on their backs. They fluttered in the light and shadow of the forest, and the light circles on the ground broke and recovered. Crickets quietly perched on the dark - green tips of liriope leaves, and with a leap of their hind legs, they shot themselves into the shade like sharp arrows.
Silver - throated bushtits hid in the shade of leaves, looking at the two people curiously. Wood warblers flapped their wings and sang sweetly. A butterfly bumped into a spider's web and struggled with all its might, but only summoned its executioner faster. The spider web trembled violently but didn't break, and the sunlight that fell on it was in seven colors.
Ants and caterpillars searched for their food among the rotten or fresh dead leaves. The strong smell of humus and the fragrance of blood filled the air.
There was also a very distinct sound, like the sound of some water rushing with the force of a thunderbolt and then falling into a valley.
"Is there a waterfall here?" Katherine asked in surprise.
"Yes." Caius replied. "Training here won't arouse suspicion."
Sensing that the other's mood didn't seem so bad, Katherine asked tentatively again: "Why do you say that?"
"The sound of the waterfall can cover the training. It can completely drown out the sound of training."
Katherine froze all of a sudden. Training sounds that could only be covered by the sound of a waterfall... What kind of training was this?! Some images uncontrollably began to appear in her mind - limbs flying everywhere, and the ground covered with debris.
Just thinking about it, Katherine felt that the land covered by the humus layer under her feet was about to turn into a swamp, grabbing her legs and preventing her from moving forward smoothly.
Caius stopped and said, "We're here."
Obviously, because there were still many vampires fighting with each other here. Among them, there was a handsome brown - haired man with agile movements. He was almost toying with his colleague in front of him. His movements were fast. Although his strength was not as powerful as his opponent's, he didn't fall behind either. There was a bit of pride on his face.
The reason why Katherine noticed him was simple. Because he was one of the people who captured her and brought her back to the Volturi with Caius, and she was deeply impressed.
"Who is he?" Katherine asked softly. Caius glanced at her. "Demetri. His ability is tracking. There's no one he can't find. He was trained by me. As long as I want, he can find you even if you escape to the deep sea. Understand?"
Katherine bit her lip: "I understand." Caius's words translated to - I can find you wherever you run, so don't bother, idiot!
Sensing someone's approach, all the vampires stopped training and turned to Caius and Katherine in unison, greeting them politely.
"Is Katherine going to join us?" Demetri looked at her, a little surprised that Caius would bring her here. Alec and Jane looked at each other and huddled closely together, expressionless. Chelsea, on the other hand, looked very nervous.
"I'm in charge of her training." Caius said.
Although she had guessed this result long ago, Katherine still shuddered deeply when Demetri and Felix cast sympathetic looks at her, and when Alec and Chelsea visibly relaxed.
A strong sense of unease. This feeling came again, with a stomachache so severe that it seemed to reach the kidneys...
Caius let go of her and made Katherine stand opposite him. The sunlight fell on him, making him resplendent beyond compare. Some people, just by standing there, can exert endless pressure, like Caius.
Katherine stood there, at a loss, thinking about what she should do if Caius attacked her in a while.
It's said that the power of a newborn vampire is at its strongest, and she was considering whether she could escape to the edge of a cliff in time. It would be best if there was the outer city of Volterra below, waiting to embrace her with motherly arms.
She would be so moved that she would cry bitterly.
"The power of a newborn vampire is overwhelmingly dominant, but it's also the most prone to losing control." Caius looked at Katherine, easily catching a glint in her eyes, and his tone was icy. "And if a vampire who has lost control can't be controlled and runs out to cause trouble, we'll get rid of him."
Snake! The snake is hissing!
Katherine nodded with a stiff neck, indicating that she had remembered.
Unlike other Volturi vampires, Katherine only came to learn how to walk like a human, control her power to reduce speed, and be graceful and proper in her manners.
Demetri couldn't believe that Caius would handle this kind of thing in person. In the past, these things were left to them. If there was a loss of control, there were still Jane and Alec. Who would dare to resist?
The guards looked at each other, with strange and restrained expressions. Because compared with Caius's flawless demonstration, Katherine's movements were as stupid and funny as a pheasant imitating a peacock, and even Jane couldn't help but slightly purse her lips.
Seeing the smiles of those guys, Katherine's newborn restlessness syndrome was on the verge of breaking out, and she almost wanted to gouge out their eyes.
Vampires don't get tired at all, so Caius didn't call a halt. Katherine had a stiff smile on her face, but in her heart, she wondered if she had ever had a white coat. It would be a great match with a brooch made of Caius's crimson eyes!
Finally, the appetite awakened by the bad mood made Katherine unable to bear it anymore. The venom in her mouth was almost uncontrollable. She said to Caius: "I'm thirsty."
Caius raised his chin towards Chelsea, signaling her to get fresh blood. Katherine stopped her, her eyes fixed tightly on a grey wolf in the jungle: "Don't bother."
After saying that, she rushed out all at once, tightly wrapped her arm around the grey wolf's neck and broke it backward, then bit into its artery. The warm blood gave her the greatest comfort, and she enjoyed it immensely.
Caius arrived in front of her with a slight gust of wind, his face terribly gloomy: "You can actually drink the blood of such a lowly creature."
"Why not?" The blood had taken all of her attention, and Katherine didn't have the mind to pay attention to her way of speaking. "I'm not a noble person anyway."
This sentence seemed to enrage Caius. He grabbed Katherine all at once, staring at her tightly: "You now belong to the Volturi, to me. You should draw a clear line from your previous humble life!"
Whether it's the lifestyle or the people in life, a clear line should be drawn, especially that damn Leonardo Landon!
Katherine tried her best to hold back the rebuttal that was on the tip of her tongue. This guy was used to being superior. Vampires' contempt for humans could be seen from their diet. It's normal.
At this time, Sulpicia also arrived here. It seemed that she had something to talk to Caius about. Katherine stepped aside, not interested in their conversation at all.
She went back to the clearing gloomily, bypassed Demetri, and sat on a huge rock. The moss on it was wrinkled and shrunken due to the temperature and sunlight, and it wasn't damp at all to sit on.
"It's okay. It's the same for all of us on the first day." Demetri smiled so much that his eyes became crescent - shaped, squatting at a proper distance from Katherine, with an elegant posture.
"Were you trained by him?" Katherine turned to look at him and asked. Sulpicia and Caius's conversation in the woods continued.
Demetri nodded: "In fact, not only me. All the Volturi members' combat skills are trained by Caius."
That also meant that Caius was older than everyone here, and his combat effectiveness was terrifyingly powerful.
"Has he been in the Volturi for a long time?" Katherine asked again. This time, Demetri couldn't help but laugh out loud, and there were smiles in the eyes of the others.
Katherine bit her lip, knowing that she must have asked a very silly question.
"The 'he' in your mouth is the founder of the Volturi, Katherine." Alec replied. "There are also Aro and Marcus. The three of them established the vampire royalty."
Katherine's eyes twitched. No wonder this guy's attitude was so arrogantly punch - worthy and his temper was infuriatingly bad.
After understanding this, Katherine felt that her future couldn't be described as just miserable. Originally, she had hoped that there was someone Caius would be afraid of, but unfortunately, it was completely not the case.