Untouchable

Prologue

A Savior or Death

Bella POV

It started when I was a young human child. It seems so long ago to me the memories blurry and distant but I'll never forget how it felt when I killed the first person I ever loved. My father, Charlie Swan was the chief of police in a small town in America called Forks. I don't remember anything really about this place other than the mass amount of trees that surrounded everything and the near constant rain fall. My mother, Renee Dwyer, formally Swan, left my father and me when I was only a baby. My father told me that my mother had wanted to take her with me but sadly it was nearly impossible to travel the world, sleep with random men, and enjoy as much pleasure as humans possible with a baby strapped to her chest. I never resented her for that. I was happy that she didn't take me with her, if she had I would have been nothing more than a hassle, a weight dragging her away from what she really wanted. So my father raised me on my own. He wasn't very good and despite his very best efforts he wasn't a tender person and I lived my human life without much affection from him. For the most part that was alright. I didn't miss something I'd never had.

When I got older however I'd contracted a bad virus or at least that's what we thought it was at the time. Everything hurt and my skin burned with the fever. Finally when it had passed it was though I had died and I no longer felt anything at all I couldn't feel the texture of my bed sheets or the temperature the air outside. I felt nothing and I was absolutely terrified. I'd run to my father as an awkward 16 year old he was my closest friend and though our relationship was sometimes strained I knew he'd help me.

I'd told him that I couldn't feel anything that it felt as though I was naked I couldn't feel the clothes on my skin or my hair brushing against my face. He'd kneeled down in front where I was sitting curled up on the couch and taken my hand in his and that was the moment that my father essentially died. He'd shuddered and it sounded like he was choking on his own breath he ripped his hand from mind and grabbed his heart falling to the ground. I screamed and reached for him but he'd jerked away from me unwillingly or not the memory of that action would always sting. I stood and ran past him carefully stepping over his body to race to the kitchen for the phone. I dialed 911 and waited with my father until they arrived. By the time they got there he wasn't breathing and his heart and stopped. They managed to bring him back long enough to get him into the hospital but he slipped into a coma. They called what had happened a heart attack. But I knew better. I knew what I did.

As I lay here strapped down to a table nearly naked with fluorescent lights shining down on me, no longer the human I once was, I wish desperately for a savior or death knowing that neither will come.

Carlisle POV

The years that I'd spent with the Volturi in what I suppose could be called my younger years were filled with knowledge and I was able to look back on the memories there fondly despite some of the horrors I'd witnessed. I'd never wanted to return here again however and especially not because I'd been summoned here. I knew from experience that most vampires that were summoned never left as they were either forced into becoming a member of the guard or death and since I would never be considered for a place among the guard surely I was being brought here for some punishment I wasn't aware I'd committed. My family had wanted to come with me but I'd refused not willing to put them in danger. However my closest companion, my son, Edward had decided to join me despite my protests. Alice had assured us that there would be no danger and that though she could not see exactly what the Volturi wanted she did see us returning unharmed. Not to say that I didn't have faith in Alice, because I did, but he visions could change within an instant and I fearful that things would change so quickly that there would be no way for me to save myself or more importantly Edward. I wished that I could convince him to return home but I knew that trying would be pointless.

"Sorry Carlisle," Edward said patting me on the shoulder and we headed towards the entrance of the castle. "I'm not going anywhere."

I rolled my eyes at his innate stubbornness and headed for the reception desk while Edward wondered around glancing at the paintings hung on the wall that he'd only seen in my memories. The very human receptionist rattled off in Italian and I informed her of your appointment with the kings but the conversation ended abruptly when Felix and Demetri appeared in the lobby dropping the hoods of their black cloaks back and smirking at me.

"Welcome Carlisle," Demetri began. "We apologize for the wait Gianna was supposed to have sent you straight back." He said turning his intense gaze on poor Gianna who was stuttering and shifting around nervously.

I'm so sorry Master Demetri, Master Felix, I didn't know this was the Carlisle Cullen you were expecting."

"Yes I assure you that she had no idea who I was." I agreed knowing that she would be severely punished or killed for her mistake.

"I suppose you can't expect perfection from such imperfect creatures," Felix sighed.

"It is so difficult to find good help isn't it boys?" Edward asked sauntering up beside me laughing before winking in Gianna's direction causing her to blush and look away.

Felix laughed and introduced himself to Edward before instructing us to follow him down the corridor behind him and we did so silently. Felix and Demetri opened the large double doors that lead into the beautifully designed open space with the three kings sitting in their thrones parts of their guard spread around the room.

"Carlisle!" Aro crowed happily standing to meet me in the center of the room. "My old friend how wonderful it is to see you once again after all these years!"

"It's nice to see you too Aro I—"

"You know Carlisle it hurts me so that you never come to visit! You don't even communicate through all this new technology." He said with distaste.

"I apologize Aro I—"

"It's forgotten Carlisle we might as well move onto why we called you here, yes?"

I nodded knowing there was no pint in talking since Aro would inevitably cut me off anyways.

"We recently acquired a new member of our guard." He explained returning to his seat and leaning heavily against the back as though he was exhausted. "Isabella Swan is her name. She has quite the impressive ability but I do believe I have bitten off more than I can chew my friend."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Isabella she's got… spirit I suppose you could say and that mixed with her overwhelming talent is more than I can handle at the moment and I think you could help with that."

"How could I help?" I asked.

"Isabella needs help controlling her gift and despite what we've attempted to do for her I am not sure we can help you however my friend are a doctor."

"Well yes but for humans."

"Details, details I know you've helped more than your fair share of vampires as well. I think what Isabella needs is a bit of guidance. In the safety of a home with a family."

"You want me to take her back with me?" I asked incredulously Aro did not support our way of life I couldn't imagine him wanting me to take one of his own and teach them my ways.

"Yes treat her as your own family and let her feed on animal blood as well. Help her with her gift. All of that you know. And she will be difficult she's not keen on this new life but what choice did I have? You know me Carlisle I see a prize and I must have it. And I intend to have her so after four months with you we will come and collect her I'm expecting that you'll have fixed her up a bit by then."

"Aro these things take time and I wouldn't even know where to begin—"

"Carlisle, Carlisle, Carlisle, my friend, I don't ask much of you. It's been decades since I last saw you and I ask you for one small favor that in no way compares to what I have done for you and you refuse me! Oh Carlisle, perhaps you are not the man I thought you were. I thought you would be jumping to help the poor young girl that cannot control her gift!" He sighed and shook his head sadly. "But I suppose I was wrong."

I shook my head. "No of course I am willing to help her I'm just not sure if I can do it within your time limit."

"You know how bad I am with time if you believe you need more time with her then I'm sure that can be arranged."

"Well I suppose that's alright then perhaps—"

"Wonderful," Aro interrupted. "Felix, Demetri, go fetch Isabella would you? Get her dressed pack up her things as well if you would make sure she's quiet and subdued as well."

They both nodded and exited the room. While we waited Aro rambled on about what he'd been doing since I'd left while Marcus and Caius sat bored and brooding. Eventually Felix and Demetri returned almost dragging the girl with them. I couldn't see much of her for her head was slumped forward and her long dark hair covered her face but she looked very young she was short and thin wearing a tightly fitted pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt and leather gloves. Demetri and Felix dragged her towards Edward, who had been surprisingly quiet, and released her. She immediately started to fall to the ground, automatically Edward caught her causing her shirt to lift slightly.

"Oh do be careful with her," Aro warned, "you don't want to touch her bare skin."

"Why not?" I asked wondering what they could have done to this obviously immortal girl to make her behave this way.

"She's poisonous I suppose you could say. Anything she touches and in turn anything that she touches is killed."

"Even vampires?" I asked both curious and slightly fearful of bringing this girl home with me.

"Everything, animals, humans," he rattled off. "Even plants! This is why she needs help we can't very well have her unable to control her gift and use it on one of us by mistake. And I know that you will be able to help her she's a very troubled girl." He sighed looking down on her pitifully.

"What did you do to her?" I asked setting aside my concerns for the safety of my family and focusing on the girl that obviously needed help and wasn't getting it here.

"Well we break her skin with a moonwalker's tooth then push it into her flesh and wait for the poison to affect her the single tooth alone weakens her, makes her docile."

"I would say this is bit more than docile, Aro."

"Well you do have to get her all the way to America and you don't want her waking up before you get there."

I opened my mouth to argue about how inhumane and unnecessary that was but Aro cut me off waving his hand at me. "Carlisle trust me this is best. She's still fairly younger and I know you wouldn't want to turn to violence in order to control her." Aro sighed. "Trust me brother this is best it will allow her to settle in better."

"Wait, wait, wait," Edward stepped in still holding Isabella gingerly still seeming worried about touching her skin. "You're giving us a newborn with skin poison or whatever that could kill us at any time."

"No, no, dear boy you misunderstand, she can't kill you at any time that's exactly the problem it turns on and off which is why she needs your help.

"And what makes you think we can help her? Why don't you do it yourself, you're supposed to be this all powerful alliance ruling the vampire world but you can't take care of a little newborn that doesn't know how to use her powers?"

There was a very heavy silence in the room and every vampire turned to look at Edward who had unknowingly committed a terrible faux pas. He shifted on his feet awkwardly then glanced at me. "Sorry," he muttered it sounding more like a question.

Aro sighed and then laughed. "Oh that's quite alright my boy, I don't think I've ever been spoken to in that way before and not killed the person two seconds later what a rush! It gives me the tingles." He laughed again.

"Now Carlisle I think it would be wise to go now before I lose my patience take the girl with you I'll be in contact soon we have a private plane set up for you." He waved his hand again in a dismissing fashion this time and Edward scooped the girl up awkwardly throwing her over his shoulder so her behind was near his face.

We followed Felix and Demetri out the doors we'd come in and Felix took Isabella from Edward and leaned her into her side slipping sunglasses onto her face and pulling her along as though she was walking herself.

"Oh my God," Edward muttered. "This is Weekend at Bernie's."

If I hadn't been convinced before I now knew absolutely without a doubt that I was in way over my head.