𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑, sam uley

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

┏━━━━.˚✧˚₊ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.━━━━┓

AN INVITATION

TALULLAH FOUND THAT IT WAS HARDER RETURNING BACK TO VOLTERRA THIS TIME, for her quarters did little to replicate the sense of homeliness that she felt while within her small, human bedroom.

Everything seemed colder, in a metaphorical sense, and despite evidently not having the best poker face out of everyone in her coven, she thought she was doing a great job at keeping her new memory-retrieval hobby under wraps.

Thus, she continued on with her normal routine in Volterra and ignored the constant thrum of yearning that seemed to be stuck in her chest whenever she was away from Washington. The brunette followed Marcus around, talking his ear off about her travels to Tulum that Aro had sent her on the week prior, and engaged in sparring with a few members of the Guard.

Marcus, as always, was indifferent to her stories, only nodding when he needed to and quietly humming when she posed rhetorical questions. A vampire of few words, he was, but Talullah had grown used to it. She'd also grown used to him getting tired of her ramblings before sending her away, to which she was always compelled to listen.

That afternoon was a rather unusual one, as Marcus seemed to let her in his presence for more than a measly three hours, and showed her a few ancient tombs that he and Caius had collected over the years. He wordlessly handed them to her, one by one, and watched as she read through their kind's history — something that he inwardly thought Aro should've taught her a long time ago.

In the midst of what Talullah came to realize was a history lesson, Aro had waltzed through the doors with Demetri in tow and a crisp yet obviously opened envelope in his grasp. A giddy grin was plastered on his face, raising his hand that held the envelope as he addressed Marcus. "It appears we have received mail."

Talullah scrunched her nose up, abandoning the opened book in her hands as she looked to Demetri. Sensing her gaze on his, he shrugged with his lips downturned, a clear sign that he didn't know what this mail entailed nor why he was here. The brunette found it odd that he was with Aro, the older vampire usually never far from Felix or other Guard members.

Marcus seemed uninterested, making no move to take the letter from his brother's outstretched hand. Instead, Aro pulled his hand back and began discussing the contents within. "An invitation, to the wedding of Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan," he said, giggles escaping him as he told Marcus before turning to the youngest vampire among them, "how exciting, no?"

Talullah knew the Volturi would not be in attendance as they did not show themselves to humans, so this meant that the Cullen clan wanted them to know of Edward's union with Bella — meant that Bella would be a vampire in due time if she wasn't already.

"Perhaps we send a gift," Demetri suggested, hands clasped behind his back as he smiled and tried to offer any ideas to their leader.

Aro laughed loudly, pointing in Demetri's direction with a snap of his finger. "Excellent idea," he responded, crimson eyes flickering to meet Talullah's in an instant, "and perhaps dear Talullah can deliver it. As a sign of good faith."

The girl in question blanched, book nearly falling from her grasp as Aro stared at her with his infamously wide smile. She knew better than to question her masters, but she couldn't stop the loop of wondering why she was being sent to deliver a wedding present to the Cullens when they hated the Cullens. They had lower members of their clan who would do tasks like this, so why was she being sent in 'good faith'?