Chapter 120: A Wish for the Future

Siobhan gave her husband a firm punch on the shoulder. "Have you really been going around telling Garrett, Carlisle, and everyone else that I'm some witch who can make wishes come true? If we'd lived in the Middle Ages, the villagers would have burned me at the stake!"

The moment the words burned at the stake left Siobhan's lips, Jane's expression visibly darkened. The phrase struck directly at an old wound she never spoke of. Sophie caught the subtle change immediately. Fearing that simply holding Jane's hand would not be enough to calm her, she quietly shifted from Maggie's bench to Jane's side, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and gently held her close without drawing attention. Only then did the tension gradually leave Jane's face.

Misreading Jane's reaction entirely, Siobhan assumed she had become upset because all hope of recovering from her injury had been shattered. Guilt flickered across her features.

"But... what if?" Sophie persisted. "You encouraged Garrett to travel to London, and he really went. The postcard you sent me said you hoped we'd meet someday... and here we are. So please, Siobhan. Just imagine a future where Jane's injuries are completely healed and she's healthy again."

Maggie's gaze drifted thoughtfully between Sophie and Jane. Judging by the look on Siobhan's face, they had arrived at exactly the same conclusion. This time, instead of rejecting the request outright, Siobhan smiled knowingly and asked, "Then tell me... what exactly is the relationship between you two?"

"We're friends," Sophie answered without a second's hesitation.

"Friends," Jane echoed, glancing sideways at Sophie.

Maggie showed no reaction whatsoever to Sophie' answer.

Instead, she stared directly at Jane before announcing her verdict with astonishing speed.

"That's a lie."

Sophie froze.

Almost instinctively, she withdrew the arm wrapped around Jane's shoulders. 

So... Jane still doesn't consider me a friend? 

The disappointment was impossible for her to hide. Sophie had never been someone capable of concealing her emotions. Every feeling she experienced appeared plainly on her face, from the way she tightened her lips to the subtle retreat of her touch.

Jane's heart softened the moment she noticed.

She immediately corrected herself.

"We're closer than friends."

That was the truth.

An intentionally ambiguous truth.

It could mean inseparable companions whose bond surpassed ordinary friendship.

Or it could imply something that reached beyond friendship altogether.

The stiffness slowly left Sophie' shoulders. Embarrassed, she didn't dare wrap her arm around Jane again. Instead, she simply leaned closer until their sleeves brushed gently against one another.

Siobhan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had heard countless stories about the Volturi Guard. They were disciplined, powerful, ruthless, and served as both guardians and enforcers of vampire law. Even though Jane had come here in a personal capacity, Siobhan knew her family still owed the girl an appropriate measure of respect.

"Very well, Sophie," Siobhan said at last, relenting. "Tell me exactly how you'd like events to unfold. The more specific your description, the better. I'll picture everything exactly as you've imagined it."

"I hope Caius successfully harvests the healing herb on the upcoming full moon..." Sophie began, carefully describing every step she could think of in vivid detail.

She envisioned Caius discovering the blooming Moonheart Grass after patiently waiting for it, the guards delivering the herb to the London research institute, the antidote being successfully created, the wolf venom finally removed from Jane's wound, and, once the poison was gone, the natural healing properties of vampire venom restoring her injured leg until it was as flawless and healthy as before.

"This..." She smiled softly. "...is the ending I want."

When Sophie finished speaking, she noticed Jane watching her with an unreadable smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Under normal circumstances, Jane would already have mocked her for indulging in impossible fantasies. This time, however, she remained silent.

Siobhan listened with complete sincerity, forcing herself to imagine only the future Sophie had described. After hearing the entire plan, she realized that, considering the Volturi's strength and influence, everything Sophie envisioned was actually within the realm of possibility. The burden on her shoulders suddenly felt much lighter.

She even encouraged Sophie with a smile.

"Once Jane has recovered, have you thought about what comes next? Since we're already making wishes, you might as well wish for your own future too."

Jane answered before Sophie could.

"Sophie will return to the Volturi with me and continue living in her favorite room at the Palazzo dei Priori."

"That's right," Sophie agreed with a nod. "I'll finish my Italian courses and earn my degree." She knew she was still in her newborn period, and during that time, remaining under the Volturi's protection was unquestionably the safest choice.

"After my newborn period ends..." Sophie continued thoughtfully, "...I'd like to find a remote job using my Italian degree, something I can do from home. And if possible..." Her eyes brightened as she imagined the future. "I'd love to let my family, my friends, and even the readers who followed my website know that I'm safe. I'd tell them I've settled down in Italy, and maybe during the holidays we could still exchange postcards."

Jane mercilessly poured cold water over the dream.

"I'd rather you obey the law and stay away from the human world."

Then she glanced meaningfully at Siobhan, the very person who had once sent her family emblem to the human Sophie.

"And remember not to expose any information about us online."

Sophie looked unconvinced. She often felt Jane held her to an entirely different standard than everyone else.

"The human world is literally right above the Palazzo dei Priori," she protested. "Do I have to move to Siberia and spend my days digging potatoes before you'll consider me far enough away from humans?"

With the wishing finished, Sophie' curiosity shifted elsewhere. She became fascinated by the marshland surrounding the territory and the elevated treehouses scattered throughout it.

Maggie had been transformed before reaching the age of twenty, making her close enough in age that the two young women naturally got along. With Siobhan's permission, Maggie volunteered to guide Sophie around the territory.

Jane declined the invitation to accompany them and remained seated alone beneath the wooden house.

As gracious hosts, Siobhan and Liam stayed behind to keep her company.

After Maggie and Sophie disappeared into the distance, an awkward silence inevitably settled over the remaining three vampires.

Jane watched the two girls until they vanished completely from sight.

Finally, lowering her voice and making a visible effort to sound less commanding than usual, she quietly said, "Don't listen to anything she says about moving to Siberia."

Outwardly, Jane had always dismissed Sophie' ridiculous belief that Siobhan possessed some miraculous wish-fulfilling gift. Yet now, despite herself, a tiny seed of doubt had taken root.

What if... it really were true?

Siobhan looked conflicted.

"Jane... I don't think I can imagine someone not going somewhere."

"She has no future anywhere except the Volturi."

That only made Siobhan feel even more helpless.

"Aro's standards for selecting guards are incredibly strict," she said carefully. "After all, he's building an elite force capable of crushing even an army of newborn vampires. Does Sophie truly meet those standards?"

"She does." Jane answered without the slightest hesitation.

"I'll convince Aro to keep her."