Chapter 101: The Wanderer Garrett

As one of the busiest transportation hubs between England and France, the port teemed with an overwhelming tide of travelers.

Heidi guided the yacht into a private dock, where Aro had already ordered the area cleared of all unnecessary personnel long before their arrival. Once the vessel was securely moored, she stepped out of the cockpit and joined Caius and Sophie as they disembarked.

The voyage had given them a rare opportunity to catch their breath. Sophie had finally managed to wash away the grime of days spent digging through graves, while Caius had taken the opportunity to change into fresh clothes as well.

Both of them had discarded the robes and cloaks they usually wore within the Volterra palace, opting instead to blend in with the local fashion. Caius wore a tailored trench coat over a crisp dress shirt, the quintessential image of refined British elegance, while Sophie had been dressed in a fitted jacket paired with a knee-length skirt.

Thanks to the immense wealth of the Volturi, Heidi had spent years moving effortlessly among the upper class, cultivating an impeccable sense of style. Every piece of clothing she selected fit them perfectly, accentuating their individual temperaments so naturally that each outfit might as well have been custom-made.

"Hello, Sophie."

Heidi extended her hand with a warm smile.

Another person who already knew her.

This time, however, Sophie remained remarkably calm. She accepted the handshake without hesitation.

"Hello, Heidi."

Caius had mentioned during the voyage that the yacht's pilot was named Heidi.

"I'm glad you've adapted so well to your current identity." Heidi's eyes gleamed with amusement as her gaze lowered toward the Volturi crest hanging from Sophie' neck. An identical pendant rested against Heidi's own chest.

"It seems you've made up with Jane."

Although every Volturi crest bore the same design, each developed unique marks and wear from years of use. Heidi was absolutely certain that the necklace currently hanging around Sophie' neck originally belonged to Jane.

Fortunately, Heidi understood the art of conversation. She allowed just enough curiosity to show before gracefully stopping herself short of prying into another person's secrets.

Sophie had no idea what she was referring to. Assuming it was something that had happened during the period she had lost her memories, she simply followed Heidi's lead.

"That's right. We've made up."

After leaving the dock, the three of them made their way onto the rooftop of a neighboring building connected to the private harbor. There, in the center of a spacious temporary helipad, sat a helicopter painted light blue with bright yellow stripes running across its fuselage.

Heidi climbed into the cockpit first. Flying helicopters was merely one of the many vehicles she had mastered.

Caius and Sophie followed shortly afterward, entering the passenger cabin and taking their seats. Sophie hesitated for a moment.

Should I fasten the seatbelt?

Then she glanced at Caius. He sprawled lazily across his seat as though relaxing on a living room sofa.

After watching him for another second, Sophie quietly decided to imitate his example instead of asking.

As one of the Volturi leaders, Caius recognized the aircraft immediately. It belonged to Aro's personal collection.

"Has Aro suddenly become generous?" Caius leaned toward the cockpit as he called out to Heidi. "This is the newest toy he acquired from the Moscow Aviation Exhibition earlier this year. I can't believe he's actually willing to let the three of us use it."

When it came to his prized possessions, Aro was notoriously stingy. He always insisted on admiring his newest acquisitions to his heart's content before reluctantly lending them to the Guard while pretending to be magnanimous.

Heidi flashed one of her dazzling smiles.

"You happened to arrive at the perfect time. Or perhaps..." she mused playfully, "you should thank Jane instead."

Sophie' ears subtly perked up. Her vampire hearing missed almost nothing now.

"Jane?" Caius immediately pieced things together. "The guards finished their mission in Morocco before us. Did they discover something important? Important enough to transport it all the way to the research institute in London by helicopter?"

Several biomedical research institutes in London had long received generous funding from the Volturi.

"They raided the blood hunter's headquarters in Morocco under Jane's command," Heidi shared what little she knew. "They found an enormous warehouse packed with weapons specifically designed to kill vampires."

Unable to stop herself, Sophie interrupted.

"A helicopter couldn't possibly carry that much."

Heidi expertly maneuvered the aircraft while continuing the conversation without missing a beat.

"Correct. Those are actually two separate matters. The weapons were transported to London aboard a cargo ship."

"Then what is the helicopter for?"

"To transport the wounded."

Heidi's expression turned noticeably more serious.

"Jane was injured."

Both passengers froze. The cabin seemed to lose all sound.

Speaking rapidly, Heidi continued before either of them could ask another question.

"A wound that even vampire venom can't heal. Jane must have encountered the same weapon that killed both the Moroccan coven and William. Alec carried her onto this helicopter himself, and I flew them to London for treatment. Aro was absolutely furious, but for Jane's sake, he was willing to lend out his most advanced aircraft."

By the time their yacht had reached the private harbor, dusk had already settled over Britain. Twilight faded with astonishing speed, and the light along the horizon visibly darkened with every passing moment.

Heidi guided the helicopter over the intricate maze of roads and railway lines below, heading directly toward the destination Caius had designated. Behind the drifting clouds, the evening sky deepened into a rich sapphire blue, and the first faint stars had already begun to appear.

The sense of relief that had accompanied the nearing completion of their mission vanished instantly after hearing that Jane had been wounded. Almost unconsciously, Sophie reached up and touched the Volturi crest hanging around her neck.

Unlike Caius, she couldn't judge the purity of gold by touch alone, but she could appreciate how exquisitely crafted the pendant was. Before they had parted, Jane had specifically told her to use that necklace to intimidate anyone foolish enough to cause trouble.

Yet in the end...

The one who had been injured was Jane herself.

Could this necklace actually protect its wearer from misfortune? Did Jane only get hurt because she gave it to me?

The idea was utterly irrational.

Then again...

She was already a vampire. Believing in one more supernatural possibility hardly seemed unreasonable anymore.

Whether the thought made sense or not, Sophie had already made up her mind. The next time she saw Jane, she would return the necklace immediately.

She refused to accept safety bought at the cost of someone else's suffering.

Unless...

The injured person happened to be Caius.

He deserves to suffer a little more.

"Heidi. Hover above that river."

Caius suddenly broke the oppressive silence.

Ever since hearing about Jane's injury, the atmosphere surrounding him had grown suffocatingly heavy. His face radiated restrained fury, as though he desperately wanted to vent his anger but was forcing himself to remain focused until the mission was complete.

Sophie felt an unexpected twinge of guilt. Perhaps secretly wishing for Caius to get hurt because of their personal grudges was... a little excessive.

"A river isn't exactly an ideal landing spot, Caius," Heidi complained teasingly.

Even so, her hands never hesitated. The helicopter smoothly slowed before coming to a perfect hover above the rushing water below.

The river beneath them surged with a powerful current.

"You don't need to land," Caius said, remaining perfectly calm. "Just maintain altitude. Once I'm finished here, take me directly to Jane. I want to examine her injuries myself."

The moment he finished speaking, Caius rose from his seat and violently pulled open the cabin door. A roaring blast of wind exploded into the helicopter.

Sophie' hair whipped wildly across her face, completely obscuring her vision. Before she could react, an enormous force seized her arm and dragged her toward the open doorway.

Instinctively, she struggled with all her strength. To his surprise, Caius couldn't immediately pull her free.

"What are you doing?!" Sophie screamed over the deafening wind.

Caius answered with characteristic tyranny.

"Jump. Use the method I taught you and thoroughly search this werewolf territory."

Curling herself into a tight ball, Sophie desperately wrapped both arms around her seat.

"I... I'm worried about Jane too!" she shouted back. "How about... how about we go see her together first?"

"Let go."

Whatever patience Caius still possessed finally evaporated.

"Vampires don't die from falling."

Maybe not... but jumping out of a helicopter is still terrifying!

Even if it wouldn't kill her, shattering every bone in her body would still leave her lying there while she painstakingly reassembled herself afterward.

Maintaining the helicopter's steady hover, Heidi quietly observed the confrontation from the cockpit. Reading the atmosphere perfectly, she wisely chose not to interfere.

Seeing Sophie cling to her seat with unwavering determination, Caius suddenly sneered.

To Sophie' surprise...

He let go.

Did he finally grow a conscience?

A tiny spark of hope bloomed inside her as she quietly sighed in relief.

Then...

Something felt wrong.

The helicopter had just lurched.

Still tightly hugging the chair, Sophie had unknowingly made herself easier to move. Without the slightest hesitation, Caius grabbed hold of the welded metal frame beneath the seat.

With one violent yank...

He tore the entire chair free from the cabin floor.

Sophie and the seat left the helicopter together.

"Caius...!"

SPLASH!

The river erupted in a towering spray of water. Sophie' shrill scream echoed across the valley before being swallowed by the sound of the crashing current.

The vegetation flourishing along the riverbanks testified to the abundance of water in the area. In an exceedingly rare display of consideration, Caius had deliberately chosen a section deep enough to cushion Sophie' fall.

At least this way...

She wouldn't have to spend hours putting herself back together.

After calmly closing the cabin door, Caius looked toward the cockpit.

"Heidi." His tone was completely matter-of-fact. "Let's go."