Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Song by Lenka.
Author's Note: Just so there isn't any confusion, a number of the Volturi members, as read about in Breaking Dawn, have ceased to exist. As of the moment, Caius, Jane, Alec, Chelsea, and Demetri are still living.
Trouble is a friend
But trouble is a foe, oh oh
And no matter what I feed him
He always seems to grow, oh oh
He sees what see and knows what I know, oh oh
So don't forget as you ease on down the road
And so it was, the little group, along with Seth Clearwater and Embry Call, traveled to the city of Volterra to answer Aro's urgent correspondence in person, to observe the truth of his disturbing statements. Not every one of the Cullen family or the La Push wolf pack could be involved in case any of them needed back up. A precarious predicament was on their hands and must be dealt with in a calm, orderly fashion. But then again, Aro was the one that left too much room for unanswered questions for them.
Renesmee—somewhere near, and a monster that could kill her.
The worst could in fact happen—would happen—and they were far from being on guard.
They arrived in the grand corridor of the Volturi residence, glancing around the black-and-white checkered tile to the dark gray surrounding walls, shaped somewhat like a birdcage—a place unlike anything in the world, especially for Jacob Black. It was like venturing through the third act of Interview with a Vampire. The potent scent of sickeningly sweet bloodsuckers filled the air, nauseating him to no end.
Two strigoi, a male and female, dramatically strode up to the group, their footsteps light, graceful, and arrogant.
Suspicious.
Jane, the female, looked upon them as if they were nothing but rodents scrambling around her feet. Deviltry dripped from her smirk. "Well, well, well. Look who it is."
"It is our dearest friends, the Cullens. Haven't you checked our wonderful home enough times already?" Alec inquired, his disposition condescending.
"We don't have her, whom of which you seek. Your daughter has evaporated into thin air." Jane emitted a malicious chortle. "Leave us be."
"For the last time, leave this place or you will be forced to face the consequences," Alec told them, glowering viciously. "Never come back."
Bella pulled out the letter from her bluejean's pocket, unfolding the square until it was a full rectangle again, and handed it over to the fraternal twins. "Aro sent for us."
"He had the strong belief you were under the attack of some monster," Edward added.
Shredding the note into thin dust, Jane sneered ferociously—a funny sight to behold. She was characteristically withdrawn from her surroundings, following Aro's orders like a loyal daughter. What changed? "Aro was a fool, trapped and murdered by his own greed."
"Listen here, bloodsucker, we already know you have Nessie. Tell us right now or I'll rip you in half," Jacob snapped, a growl vibrating low from his chest.
"Do not threaten me, mongrel, or I swear you will regret your irrational behavior before you can bark at the moon," Jane said through gritted teeth.
"I dare-"
"Jacob!" Bella chided before all hell could break loose. "Please. . ."
Another disgusting vampire appeared, his flaxen-hair slicked back over his scalp in a prestigious way, similar to a judge in front of his court—a wicked and handsome being. His hands clasped together in a jovial nonchalance. "Oh, happy day! The Cullens and their trusted pets! How long has it been? Two years now? That is far too long, especially at this time."
"What's going on, Caius? Where is Aro?" Edward questioned.
"Gone away from this cruel world, I'm afraid. A few months ago, he was overthrown from power," Caius explained, his tone spoken in high delight rather than in mourning.
Edward was appalled. "You killed your own brother?"
Caius gasped, but let out a sharp laugh. "Heavens above, no! It seems it was years ago when our sweetest jewel was found wandering through the woods—an out of control spitfire—instead of mere months. Such potential, such power, such beauty."
I am grateful to be engaged to her.
"You're marrying her?" Edward queried, his burning, topaz eyes glaring at the Cullen's newest arch nemesis.
"Ah, yes. This dear woman is too inspiring and gorgeous not to wed." Caius exhaled in a breathless wonder.
A trophy wife.
"Who is she?" Bella asked, curious and dubious.
"Oh!" Caius chuckled humorously. "So, it is that you desire to meet my bride-to-be? I suppose that I cannot blame you. She is a rare treasure."
"Introduce them to one another, Caius," Alec suggested lightheartedly. "It is always a delectation for Pheera when she encounters new people." His liquid crimson irises observed Bella and Edward cautiously, grinning like the Cheshire Cat as if they were the Volturi's next meal.
"Who is Pheera?" Seth queried, finally speaking up.
A force, as strong as an iron chord, tugged and stretched at his heart in the backward direction. Then, a merciless, violent tremor coursed through his spine, upsetting the breathing motion of his body—a sharp pang of threatening anticipation jabbed at his stomach. He longed to fall away into the black, vast universe if it would numb this sudden painful sensation, that pain squeezing and clenching at Seth's stomach. What was it—fear, anger, hatred? It didn't matter.
This was no time to choke.
"The most delicious, beautiful, young woman you will ever lay your eyes upon," Caius retorted proudly.
"I highly doubt that," the Quileute Alpha remarked with a complimentary snort.
"Bring her here, Caius. Show them. She's ever-the lovely, little hostess to our guests," Jane said, giggling nefariously.
"Yes, I'll be right back. Pheera is in the garden," Caius replied; and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared to go fetch this Pheera stranger.
"I don't have a good feeling about this," Embry muttered to Seth.
"No kidding," Seth whispered back, barely maintaining his upright position. "A new leader of the Volturi."
"Aro was never meant to be our true leader, just a simple pawn in his own damn game," Jane snarled, rolling her eyes and wrinkled her nose, probably repulsed by the wolves' sour, wet dog smell.
Jacob felt quite the same about her.
"Who invited you into the conversation, bloodsucker?" Embry barked, stepping dangerously close to possibly cracking her stinky neck.
"Be mindful, mongrel,"Alec warned in sarcasm.
Embry's dark eyebrows knitted together, narrowing his ebony eyes in a fresh ire. "I'm not afraid of you."
Both brother and sister leech partook in devious chortle, the sounds reminding Jacob of nails on a chalkboard—skereeeeech!—but Alec spoke next, "It's not us that you should be frightened of, you meddlesome mutt."
"Embry, be quiet!" Edward shouted, going a shade crazy from all the nonsensical chit-chat.
Damnation, he had a daughter to save!
Renesmee. . . Where was Renesmee?
She had to be around this God forsaken place somewhere, unless the former, deceased leader of the Volturi sent the Cullens on a wild goose chase. Aro's letter served as the only trail they had of ever finding Renesmee, but these stereotypical bloodsuckers refused to behave cooperatively. The Volturi could have her locked in a cold tower somewhere, trapped in a prison cell, or she could be lost in Italy.
Just not dead. Please, not dead!
That was a perk of of Jacob's imprinting, Edward mused silently to himself, that the million steel cables hadn't been clipped away. He still felt the bond—alive and thriving. And up until today, it had been slowly weakening, but it was growing and tightening as he stood in the evil vampires' abode. That must have meant Nessie was close, breathing.
But where?
A hazy stratus cloud descended over Edward's brain, turning of the noises of everyone's thoughts. It was as if he was traveling in the dark night, as opposed to the serene peace of his dear wife's shield, and an isolated ringing echoed in his eardrums—it hurt. And although the pain was relatively dull in contrast to Jane's obnoxious ability, it stung more than anything else. He wanted to collapse to the ground, but it was an obligation to maintain his collective stance.
Failure was not an option. Not for Renesmee's sake.
"What is it?" Carlisle queried.
"I don't know," Edward answered, his neck strained as the green veins threatened to bulge right out of his marble skin. He both was trying to neglect the pain and figure out what was happening to him. "Bella," he said, just in case her own powers were growing under the pressure, "please put down your shield."
Bella shrugged, concerned for her husband's well-being, but like everyone else, she was trying not to lose it. "It's not me."
"Uh-oh. I don't like the sound of that," Jacob remarked.
"Something doesn't feel right," Bella stated, pointing out the obvious. "If Aro is dead, then that letter was telling the truth, or at least a fraction of it. Our daughter can't be very far."
She enclosed herself in Edward's arms, attempting to seek comfort as she buried her face deep in his hard chest. The anticipation was slowly nipping away at her, pushing her over the high precipice of insanity—waiting and not knowing for answers on the whereabouts of their daughter. Had Bella been human, she would have been drowning softly in a warm pool of her tears.
"Sh, sh, sh, love," Edward murmured gently into her mahogany locks. "It's okay. We'll stop at nothing to until Renesmee is safe with us, I promise."
"I don't see any monsters," Carlisle commented, wearing a solicitous expression.
"I do. . ." Jacob mumbled in annoyance, crossing his strong arms over his chest, and looked over at Jane and Alex.
"Or at least not any monsters with scales and fangs," Edward said, half-ignoring Jacob and half-agreeing with him.
"Then the monster must be Pheera," Bella suggested, concluding that since she had been the person to kill Aro, he was referring to Pheera in his letter.
"She killed Aro. She's their leader now," Edward sighed, pinching the bride of his nose. Their situation was becoming more and more daunting.
"Is she worse or better?" Seth inquired, not really to anybody.
"Better," Alec retorted, his red eyes adorning a lovesick smile.
However, for the Cullens and the pack, better actually meant worse.
"Oh, boy," Seth mumbled.
"That's not good," Embry agreed.
"We have to get through this," Jacob told them, exhaling a flat sigh. Honestly, they didn't have to help them with anything and they were free to go anytime, but he really needed his best friends more than ever.
"Hey. We're with you all the way, buddy," Seth exclaimed in a wholehearted joy, inwardly celebrating the fact that his stomach pains had finally subsided, and slapped his Alpha on the back.
"Yeah."
"Thanks guys," Jacob's mouth twitched into a half-smile.
Some sort of critter started crawling underneath the copper flesh of Embry's arm, running its tiny legs over his pulsing veins, giving him the urge to dig his thin nails and scratch. When it finally broke free, burning its way through the shape-shifter's palm like a thin cigarette hole. Red, pink, and white fluid oozed and streamed down his wrist. The yellow worm slithered out of his hand, followed by another one and then another one, all but flooding out of his body.
"What the hell!" he shouted, trying to slap the bugs away.
"What the hell what?" Seth questioned, raising a brow to at his pack brother in worry.
"I don't know, man," Embry responded, his voice going dry, and began trembling in mortification. "M-my hand! Something is moving around in it!"
Carlisle took a hold of his hand, examining it closely. "There's nothing there, Embry."
"Like shit there isn't!" Embry roared at Doctor Cullen when the worms began pouring out of his other hand, compressing through his pores.
Jacob gripped his friend around his shoulders, shaking him a rough motion. "Hey, hey. Snap out of it, man. It's gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay. Just calm down. You're just freaking out a little bit."
Then, it stopped.
A dark, husky chuckled sounded through the hall as Caius appeared, but this time with a young woman at his side. "I shall apologize for the actions of my lovely fiancee, dog. Her mind must be playing tricks on you."
They all turned around, now conceiving the inconceivable, facing a nightmare realized. A creature-woman, wearing a deep red cocktail dress and black heels, had her arm linked around Caius', and adorned a malevolent smirk upon her strawberry lips. She was so young, so beautiful, so grown up. Her only flaw is that she was also too familiar.
"No. . ."
"It can't be."
This can't be real. It must be a nightmare. Not Renesmee. She couldn't be the center of all this chaos. Not their innocent and sweet daughter.
"You fucking snakes!" Jacob snarled, grabbing Caius by the collar of black dress shirt, and readied himself to tear the bloodsucker's head off. "What have you done to her?"
The girl tilted her head, utilizing her powers to force this filthy wolf to his knees—strangling him, but Jacob tried to fight it; he couldn't. He wasn't sure what Renesmee was doing to him, but she was strong. Stronger than him. Probably stronger than any of them.
"Watch yourself, fool. You are treading dangerous waters and I will drown you," she growled, her crystal-sapphire orbs hardening in a feral glare.
"No! It's us!" Bella yelled, grabbing her daughter around the shoulders, effectively distracting her abilities away from Jacob, and made Renesmee stare back into her golden eyes. Her cold hands reached to frame Renesmee's beautiful, sweet face. The mother's dead heart ached with sorrow—to see her daughter under an evil's control—and happiness—at last, her daughter was found. "It's us. . ."
He's there in the dark
He's there in my heart
He waits in the wings
He's gotta play a part
Trouble is a friend
Yeah, trouble is a friend of mine