Prolog
** Edward POV **

Its the same yet again as it has been for the last 100 years of my life. My head is full of other people's thoughts, but today something is different. Alice has had a vision that keeps my family on their toes - Aro is coming and along with him the rest of the Volturi as well. We have no clue as to what he wants and Esme is very nervous. She dares to think what the rest of us doesn't: Is this the end for us? Will there be a Cullen-clan after tonight?

We won't give up, and we won't go down without a fight, we all agree on that. We haven't said it out loud, but we know. Alice and Rosalie are of other thoughts though. Alice doesn't think they have come to do us any harm, and Rosalie thinks they have come to talk to Carlisle

Jasper and Emmett are already ready to fight for their lives while I don't know how I feel in all of this. For 125 years I've been alone and without the love I've always craved. I've thought about joining the Volturies more than once.. It's just .. Something seems to keep me from doing it. Mostly my family's love for me keeps me from doing it, that's for sure- especially Carlisle's. I know he wouldn't say it, but I would know that it would sadden him a lot and disappoint him the least.

The Volturi is approaching us fast, and we're running to the Baseball-field as fast as possible. It's mixed feelings amongst us all, but we're doing this. We have to. The Volturies thoughts are already starting to become visible for me. I can already hear Caius disgust towards me and my family. I can also hear Marcus' indifference towards everything.

When we arrive to the field we all share worried glances, but we know that we together as a family can accomplish what must be accomplished.

I don't think it's going to end badly, Edward – Aro hasn't made up his mind about presenting his idea, whatever it might be, to us but I know he has something up his sleeve and not necessarily something bad, Alice thinks. In her mind thousands of different scenarios goes through her mind, not one of them lets us know what is going on, yet none of them hurts us either.
Alice's gentle thoughts and calmness calms both Jasper and I, and we both ease up.

Before Alice gets to inform our family The Volturi stands before us.

"Well, hallo there old friend," Aro says in a gentle voice, while his thoughts are calm and collected and doesn't give away anything. I suspect that's because of me.

"Welcome to Washington, Aro. What might bring you here?" Carlisle said without a trace of emotion in his voice.

"I'll jump right to it, dear Carlisle. We might have discovered a cure against immortality and we need young Edward's help to get it."

Everyone turned towards me with confused expressions, and every thought were directed towards me. They all looked upon me as if I already knew what was going on. Yet none of the Volturies thoughts gave anything away.

"I'm just as confused as you guys," I said directed towards no one specifically.

Aro let his guard down, and thoughts flashed through his mind. Pictures of tombs, dead bodies, blood and a bottle with the darkest blood I'd ever seen crossed my mind as they formed in his – these thoughts were just some of the thoughts that flashed through him. He looked me straight in the eyes while he said: "You have to join us in the hunt after the cure, and we will give it to you and your family as a reward, if you deny, the cure will forever be denied your family."

I knew why he would give the cure to us. He saw us as a liability – we were a big coven and he feared we would one day outgrow the Volturi; as mortals again we would no longer be seen as a threat towards him and the Volturi.

I felt torn. From what I could gather in Aro's thought he meant no ill towards us. He needed me because I had the ability to read other peoples thought. I was the greatest hope he had of getting what he wanted.

Before I had the chance to answer Rosalie said: "He'll do it"

And before I knew it I was with Aro, Caius and Marcus on a hunt after the cure against immortality.

The hunt for immortality gave me hope. Maybe mortality could give me what I hoped for most: Love, freedom and hope for happiness.