Chapter 2

I arrived in Italy mid-afternoon the next day. Although I couldn't feel it, it was warm judging by all the short t-shirts and disturbingly short shorts on some of the top heavy women much like Barbie dolls – stick legs, thick torso. It was the peak of the tourist season as well – great. All the tourists sticking out from the crowd like a saw thumb; all from various different countries most likely there to see the coliseums and historical buildings. I didn't take much notice of them, as this place made me want to throw up as I remembered the first time I'd been here watching the Volturri murder and eat their catch in front of me and the Cullen's who were with me at the time. As I walked through the plaza in my hoody, track-suit bottoms and trainers, someone near me muttered something in French to their husband or boyfriend. Heck, it could've even been her best friend's hubby. They looked at me as they quietly conversed.

'Elle est trés ètrange. Elle est trés pâlir avec beaucoup de vêtements dans ce temps chaud. Trés ètrange.' She is very strange. She is very pale with lots of clothes on in this hot weather. Very strange. They shook their heads at me as they walked past. I called to them,

'Je peux parler le français, vous connez!' I can speak French, you know! Just let them critisise me. See how I cared. I had more important things to think about, like the Volturri who were threatening my family for example.

As I walked away from the plaza, I found the small alleyway where we had met with some Volturri previously. It still gave me the creeps that I could remember most of the bad things like that that had happened in my human life. I hated that the most – of all the memories that had begun to fade, that wasn't one of them. But then again, it was a time when Edward was suffering, so I guess that's why I couldn't ever forget it, because he was suffering back then because of me, just like he was after I just left.

The guilt grew ever stronger as I thought about some of the stuff I had said to him. It was like that time where I had to leave Charlie to run away from James and I told him what my mum had told him when she walked out. My cold heart yearned to be back in Edward's arms again right that minute,

'But I can't,' I kept telling myself.

'It's either me leaving Edward or the Cullen's suffer right before my eyes.' Neither one sounded like a solution in any way, but the way I had chosen was the way out of this problem.

-For now anyway.

Again, I thought through all of this more for self-assurance.

I reached a reasonably quiet area with no other people in sight.

-Good, no one will have to get involved.

I called out quietly.

'Aro!' I waited and called again, louder this time.

'Aro!' I waited in complete silence, then voices in a hushed tone echoed confusingly around the small area. I span around slowly, looking.

'Bella…'

'Bella Cullen…' Once I'd done a full turn, I stopped as I took in the fact that all three of the leaders were there.

'Aro…Marcus…Caius.' They each nodded in turn, then Aro stepped forward.

'Bella Swan, or Cullen should I say; what brings you here to my domain?' Marcus cut in.

'Could it be you have considered our offer?' I grimaced and they understood what my answer was.

'That was a good choice, Bella. You will be a wise asset to our…society.' Aro put his hand on my cheek and smiled. I pushed his hand away.

'I'm only doing this to protect my family, otherwise I wouldn't be here.'

While I had only said that small sentence, Caius had already assessed what kind of situation I could've been in to get here. He steeped lightly forward, his dark coat barely moving through his fast motion.

'They don't know, do they? You left pretending it was another reason, am I right?' He knew he was right, and my fists clenching around the handle of my duffel and my other, smaller bag didn't do me any favors in denying it.

'Ah, so I am right,' his voice had an annoying ring to it that made me just want to attack him, but I knew that if I were to do that, not only would it end my forever, but also the Cullens'. That's how the Volturri were. Vampires who thought they were contributing to the greater good, not caring if they hurt innocents along the way.

'Yes, that's right. So what! But as I am accepting this offer to join your petty group or society or whatever you like to call it, I have my own terms as well.' They all stepped back into a line and smiled.

'Of course. What is it you condition?' I took a needless breath and stared them straight in the face.

'No one else is to know that I'm here and you must never ever lay even one strand of hair on the Cullens. Is that clear?' I sounded like Charlie when he told me to keep out of the woods a while back. The attitude came through with the words, I couldn't help it.

'Of course, if that is what you wish, my little swan.'

'And don't call me that either! My name is just Bella, got that?' They laughed at me in casual syncronisation.

'Alright then, Bella, come and put your stuff inside and we have a mission for you.'

-Already?

I though to myself. Wasn't that too soon? I'd only just got there. Surely an organisation like that would have its rules too, I mean, there were so many of them and as uncivilised as some were, there must have been some ground rules.

The building was not far and as we entered the reception, I noticed the woman at the desk was just staring into space.

'Yes, Bella, she is dead,' I cringed. That was just gross. She wasn't even a vampire; just a dead body at a polished oak desk.

'Just leave your bags here, Bella. Someone will put them in your quarters.' I dropped my bags where they said and stood straight again.

'Now, before we give you your first mission, there is one ground rule,'

-Ah, thought so.

'That is…to never ever betray us, Bella. You know what will happen if you do. If you wish to leave, you can simply just ask, and we'll let you go. Now, your first mission is…' A chill heaved itself down my spine. I turned. I knew this feeling well. It was,

'Ah, Jane, you're here. Are you here to welcome the newcomer?' She was elegantly dangerous as usual, wearing a deep crimson dress to contrast with her pale white skin and rouge lips. She was wearing far too much eye make-up.

'No, Aro. I'm here to give her her mission.' Her eyes were black when she looked at me. Definitely still remembered what I did to her back a year or so ago.

'Your mission, Mrs Cullen, 'her voice was full of venom towards me and it made me feel strange inside. Was that anxiety? Guilt? Fear? Fear of what the mission may be? If it was fear of the mission, I was right to fear it.

'Your mission, is to kill the Cullens.' There was a deathly silence and my mind blanked of anything I had been thinking seconds before. The words echoed under my breath,

'Kill…the…Cullens?'