Solstice (A Jasper Hale/ Twilight novel)

Chapter Eleven: Jun the Messenger

Voltera, Italy:

Hidden within the folds of his coat, Jun carries a small sheet of folded paper, a very dangerous one. It takes much of his concentration just to act normally; his strides are smooth, even, and his dark red eyes look about lazily as he walks.

Never in his three hundred years on this earth has he been more afraid to move through the halls of this castle. If he is caught, the consequences will be worse than can be imagined.

Jun has been looping through the halls for some time now looking for Jane, the recipient of the letter. Already he is running five minutes late and no doubt the violent girl will be angry for the delay. After all, how could one become one of the heads of the Volturi guard if not vicious and cruel.

As Jun takes another turn in a winding corridor, he sees the blond haired girl perched up on a marble pedestal that until very recently held a statue. Jun makes no comment on her strange choice of seating, though. Better not to speak to her unless completely necessary.

Jane pushes off from her seat, moving towards Jun to meet him in the middle of the corridor. Her walk is more of a predatory prowl, more animal than human, and it makes Jun consider turning to run. He dismisses the foolish idea the second it comes to mind though; she is far older and therefore faster. He would not be fast enough to even make it back around the corner.

"How did it go?"

The small blond girl's tone is flippant, uncaring. Jun realizes that she is scared too, and that this is very dangerous ground for him to be treading on. He should not have agreed to this, despite not having another choice.

"S-smoothly." Jun stutters as he eyes Jane cautiously. Only now is he beginning to realize how secluded this part of the castle is.

"Good." she says simply, her expression blank.

Jun has no idea what to make of this, and stands there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot as if he were still human.

"You will," Jun stops halfway through his sentence because his voice is shaking terribly, "You will uphold your end of the bargain, then?"

Jane huffs in annoyance. "Of course I will; I do not go back on my word. You have successfully delivered the message, so I will not kill you."

Jun's face broadens with a grin, relief written all over it. Pathetic, really.

"Thank you, thank you." he mutters over and over again like a prayer.

Jane resists the urge to roll her eyes at this ridiculous display.

"Thank you for your services." she says dryly, and Jun's heart seizes again in fear. He realizes that Jane has lied, that she must know he had planned on alerting Aro of this betrayal.

Jane was planning something, something that would not end well for him at all. He knows that he needs to leave now, and leave quickly.

He is unable to even move before the blond girl's brother arrives though, and then Jun knows that he is about to die.

"I'm sorry this had to happen." the girl says, and Jun cannot tell if she truly means it.

It matters little though, because Jun's head then becomes suddenly detached from his body.

Jane's Point of View:

"Ember will not be pleased that we killed him." I whisper to Alec, feeling no remorse over killing the vampire, but worried about how my only friend would take it.

"It had to be done, and Ember will know that. She will understand. If Aro were to see what we had done through Jun's mind, all would be lost." Alec replies.

"I suppose you're right." I nod, though not entirely convinced.

I pick up the lifeless body easily, carrying it farther down the hall and into a room with a lit fireplace. I had been in here earlier stoking it so the evidence could be burned promptly. Alec had followed after me, but the both of us remained silent for a time.

I am the one to break the silence first.

"She'll never come back here now, will she. Now that she's with the Cullens." She was never like us, anyways. She was so much.. kinder.

Alec takes a very long time to respond.

"No, I don't think she will."

I just nod, already having known the answer.

***

I'm back! What do you think of the new chapter? I'm trying to build a bit of humanity for Jane and Alec.

Also, I totally love all of the ship name ideas you gave in the A.N. last chapter!