Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight any anything to do with sparkly Vampires.
"No!" I snarled the word. Alice grabbed my arm with a restraining hand, but I shook her off.
Jane was delighted that she would get to use her talent. "Yes, Master?" she asked, smiling happily up at Aro.
I was snarling louder, the sound ripping out of me as I looked at Aro with malevolent eyes.
Everyone in the room was thinking of me and the monstrosity I was inciting. Felix grinned hopefully, but Aro glared at him, and his expression turned sulking.
Aro continued, not paying the slightest attention to me. "I was wondering, my dear one, if Bella is immune to you."
My furious growls got louder and I moved in front of Bella to protect her from Jane's vindictive gaze.
Caius moved closer. He couldn't resist watching pain and suffering.
Jane turned to face us with her angelic features.
Alice was yelling at me in her thoughts, but she voiced her warning just as I leapt at Jane. "Don't!" she cried, but it was already too late.
Unbelievable pain filled me, making me writhe and squirm on the stone floor. I just kept from crying out loud, because I knew that would hurt Bella even more.
"Stop!" Bella's voice rang out as the pain, the second worst pain I had ever felt ripped through. It was not the worst, and for that I was glad. The worst had been when I thought Bella was dead.
"Jane." Aro called in a tranquil voice. The pain stopped, and I was frozen in surprise for a few seconds.
I heard Alice's terse voice. "He's fine." She said to Bella.
I got quickly to my feet and looked at Bella, because Jane had now turned her torture on to her.
I looked at her horror-struck, but she was fine. My gaze flickered to Jane and back again, and I relaxed in relief. Bella was fine.
I saw Bella look over at Jane, and saw her shrink back into Alice who was holding her tight.
I moved quickly back to Bella's side, touching Alice's arm so she surrendered her to me.
In front of us, Aro started laughing.
"Ha, ha, ha." He chuckled. "This is wonderful!"
Jane hissed in frustration, sinking forward into a hunting crouch, her thoughts malignant.
"Don't be but out, dear one."Aro said in a comforting tone, placing a powder-light hand on her shoulder. "She confounds us all."
Jane's upper lip curled back over her teeth as she continued to glare at Bella.
"Ha, ha, ha." Aro chortled again. "You're very brave, Edward, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once—just out of curiosity." He shook his head in admiration.
I just glared at him, disgusted.
"So what do we do with you now?" Aro sighed.
Alice and I stiffened. This was the part where everything could go wrong. Bella started trembling.
"I don't suppose there's any chance that you've changed your mind?" Aro asked hopefully. "Your talent would be an excellent addition to our little company."
I hesitated. Alice's vision had been a little cloudy here. I still hadn't decided what to say.
"I'd...rather...not." I thought each word through before I spoke it.
"Alice?" Aro asked, still hopeful.
Alice didn't hesitate. "No, thank you."
"And you Bella?" Aro continued.
I hissed, low but loud. How could he even ask her this?
Bella seemed a little shocked, but Caius broke the slight pause.
"What?" he demanded of Aro, his voice flat.
"Caius, surely you can see the potential." Aro chided him affectionately. "I haven't seen a prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities if she is one of us?"
Caius looked away, indignant.
I was fuming. How could he ask this of her? How dare he?
"No, thank you." Bella spoke, barely more than a whisper, her voice breaking in her terror.
Aro sighed. "That's unfortunate. Such a waste."
This was it, my most important line. I hissed. "Join or die, is that it? I suspected as much when we were brought into this room. So much for your laws." I tried to sound irate, but my words had the ring of a well rehearsed actor.
"Of course not." Aro blinked, astonished. "We were already convened here, Edward, awaiting Heidi's return. Not for you." Aro was genially surprised, but Caius was the one the lines were meant for.
"Aro," Caius hissed. "The law claims them."
I glared at Caius.
"How so?" I demanded. I knew what he was thinking, but he needed to say it out loud.
He pointed at Bella. "She knows too much. You have exposed our secrets."
"There are a few humans in on your charade here, as well." I pointed out.
Caius's face twisted up into a smile. "Yes," he agreed. "But when they are no longer useful to us, they will serve to sustain us. That is not your plan for this one. If she betrays our secrets, are you prepared to destroy her? I think not." Caius scoffed.
"I wouldn't—" Bella began in a whisper but Caius silenced her with an icy look.
"Nor do you intend to make her one of us," Caius continued. "Therefore, she is a vulnerability. Though it is true, for this, only her life is forfeit. You may leave if you wish."
I bared my teeth. He knew very well I would never leave Bella again.
"That's what I thought." Caius voiced his thoughts.
Behind me Felix leaned forward, eager.
"Unless..." Aro interrupted. He looked unhappy at the way the conversation had gone. His thoughts were different.
"Unless you do intend to give her immortality?" Aro finished.
He knew I didn't but I tried to bluff. "And if I do?"
Aro smiled, happy again. "Why, then you would be free to go home and give my regards to my friend Carlisle." His expression turned more hesitant as he set the trap. "But I'm afraid you would have to mean it." Aro raised his hand up in front of him.
Caius, who was getting very frustrated, smiled hugely when Aro tacked on his little condition.
I knew this was coming, but I couldn't mean it. I stared down at Bella, her soft, beautiful face staring up at me. "Mean it," she whispered, agony written all over her heart-shaped face. "Please."
I felt my expression twist at the tone of her voice. She still wanted it so badly, but I couldn't give it to her. This good, pure, kind-hearted person deserved an eternity in heaven, and I couldn't risk it for her. I wouldn't destroy a chance at her never ending happiness.
But before I could even say anything, Alice stepped forward, her hand upraised like Aro.
I knew what she was going to do. She was going to show him the rock solid future of Bella, pale white with blood red eyes.
Aro looked at her with an acquisitive glint, his thoughts possessive.
He bent his head over their joined hands, his eyes closing as he concentrated. Alice was motionless, her face blank. I listened to the thoughts running through Aro's head. My teeth snapped together in anger. Alice had meant him to see only the one vision, but his curiosity was insatiable. He was seeing everything, her whole life. The time passed slowly and I felt Bella grow tenser with every second that went by.
Finally, after looking at all of Alice's future visions, including the one of Bella cold, white and red eyed, Aro's soft laughter broke the silence.
"Ha, ha, ha." He laughed, his head still bent forward. He looked up slowly, his eyes bright with excitement.
"That was fascinating!" Aro continued.
Alice wasn't happy. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." She said dryly.
Aro seemed oblivious to Alice's discomfort. "To see the things you've seen—especially the ones that haven't happened yet!" he shook his head in wonder. The feeling of possessiveness filled Aro's head.
"But that will." Alice reminded him quietly and calmly.
"Yes, yes, it's quite determined. Certainly there is no problem."
Caius's thoughts were chagrined and a look of bitter disappointment crossed his features. Felix and Jane seemed to feel the same way.
"Aro." Caius complained, sounding like a pouting child.
"Dear Caius," Aro smiled, humouring him. "Do not fret. Think of the possibilities! They do not join us today, but we can always hope for the future. Imagine the joy young Alice alone would bring to our little household... Besides, I'm so terribly curious to see how Bella turns out!" Aro was soothing Caius, but there was a very subtle threat concealed in his words that I didn't miss.
"Then we are free to go now?" my voice was even, but I wanted to answer in scathing tone, let Caius know my true feelings.
But I couldn't. Not if I wanted to leave with Bella by my side.
Caius was having difficulty talking, his anger overwhelming, so Aro answered.
"Yes, yes." Aro replied pleasantly, dismissing Caius. "But please visit again. It's been absolutely enthralling!"
Caius recovered himself enough to leave us with a threat. "And we will visit you as well." Caius promised, eyes half closed, looking more dangerous like this than any other expression. "To be sure that you follow through on your side. Were I you, I would not delay too long. We do not offer second chances."
How could he? Subtle threats were one thing, but to state one so openly? My jaw clenched together tightly, but I nodded.
Caius smirked and drifted back to where Marcus still sat, unmoving and uninterested.
Felix groaned behind us, alerting me to his hunger.
"Ah, Felix." Aro smiled, amused. "Heidi will be here at any moment. Patience."
Images filled Aro's head, images of what was coming. Bella couldn't see that.
"Hmm." The edge in my voice was clearly discernible. "In that case, perhaps we'd better leave sooner rather than later."
"Yes." Aro agreed for an entirely different reason. "That's a good idea. Accidents do happen. Please wait below until after dark, though, if you don't mind."
"Of course." I agreed quickly. Best not to push my luck. Bella cringed against me, clearly not wanting to spend any more time here than necessary. Wise of her.
"And here." Aro added, motioning to Felix with one finger. Felix came forward at once, and Aro unfastened the grey cloak he wore. He tossed it to me. I didn't want to put it on. I knew what Aro would think.
I put it on anyway, leaving the hood down.
Aro sighed, and I almost winced. "It suits you."
Suddenly the strange longing Aro felt became impossibly humours. I chuckled, but stopped suddenly. Heidi's thoughts had interrupted me, surrounded by the thoughts of numerous other people.
"Thank you, Aro. We'll wait below." We needed to move quickly, Bella would surely realise what the people were for.
"Goodbye, young friends." Aro stared in Heidi's direction, his eyes bright with anticipation.
"Let's go." I whispered urgently to Bella. Demetri gestured that we should follow, setting off the way we came in.
I pulled Bella along by my side, wishing I could pick her up and carry her so we could move faster. I almost did when Alice, standing on Bella's other side muttered "Not fast enough."
The babble of voices was loud to me, but by the scared look Bella gave Alice, she couldn't hear them yet.
"Well this is unusual." A man's voice came from just outside the antechamber. Bella's eyes flickered towards the sound, so I knew she could hear him.
A shrill female voice answered. "So Medieval." Bella shrunk back against me as we pressed against the wall to let them all through. She was still shaking slightly, but when I quickly glanced down at her, confusion was written in her eyes, and a tiny crease wrinkled her forehead between her eyebrows. She still didn't realise what was happening.
"Welcome, guests! Welcome to Volterra!" Aro's melodious voice called.
I pulled Bella's face against my chest in an effort to stop her seeing what was in front of us, but I was a second too late. Her breaths came shallow and quick, and moisture swelled up in the corner of her eyes.
Agony filled me. I didn't want Bella to feel this.
The smallest gap appeared in the crowd, and I pulled Bella forward, Alice quickly following.
A strikingly beautiful woman stood in the now empty hallway. Heidi.
"Welcome home, Heidi." Demetri greeted her from behind us.
Heidi smiled absently, staring at our small group, her eyes focusing on my arm wrapped around Bella. I barely glanced at Heidi. My eyes were fixed on Bella's now pale face.
"Demetri." She responded in a velvet voice, her eyes now flickering between Bella and the cloak I wore. Her thoughts were like Rosalie's. Loud, haughty and self absorbed.
Hmm, I wonder I he made a deal with Aro? She thought, not really caring. She had caught a glimpse of herself in the glass of a picture frame behind us, and was uninterested in everything else.
"Nice fishing." Demetri complemented her, trying to grab the beautiful woman's attention.
"Thanks." She responded, flashing a stunning smile. "Aren't you coming?"
"In a minute. Save a few for me." So Felix doesn't get them all, Demetri tacked on.
Heidi nodded and ducked through the door with one last curious look at Bella.
I pulled Bella along fast, so she was running to keep up, but we still didn't get far enough away before the screams started.
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