A/N: Erica is back in AZ, and we are celebrating by posting another chapter. :)
Also, on a side note, we did take some creative liberty on the vampiric gifts, particularly Alec's, and you will likely see more in the future. But we tried to keep it as canon as possible wherever we could.
Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 4 ~ The Volturi Guard
Bella
Tension thickened the air as everyone sat in the living room; Alice having called us to join her there only a few minutes earlier. Her latest vision gave us a to-the-minute time for the arrival of the guard.
"Has anything changed?" I dared to ask, since Edward gave no clear indication of what he had or hadn't seen, his features soft and somewhat placating. I knew he did it for my benefit, but my heart was already racing.
"Nothing has changed. The moment she figures out you're human, she'll state that we've broken the law."
I nodded and sat down. "A part of me wishes I never brought this upon you."
Surprisingly, Rosalie offered me some comfort. "Then we would've never witnessed Edward falling in love." She shrugged. "Even if it was with a human." Emmett snickered and rolled his eyes, some of the tension dissipating from his shoulders. As if he noticed, he went back to a protective stance, standing as close to Rosalie as possible.
"I have to admit, Rosalie is right." Jasper held a smile for a brief moment, looking at Edward. "It was nice to feel something other than loneliness from him."
Edward turned a bit shy instead of defensive, sitting down beside me and pulling me onto his lap. I blushed from the sudden movement, surprised and somewhat embarrassed by his display.
The others snickered.
"It has been a pleasure to see," Esme said wistfully, her hand on Edward's shoulder. "I always worried about you."
"I know," Edward whispered, his chin resting gently on the top of my head. "I truly understand why it's so hard for you all to be away from your mate."
I sighed and settled my cheek on his shoulder, my lips skimming his neck. If he didn't mind a little PDA, then I could handle it, too. Though it would take some getting used to, being that I blush in the blink of an eye.
Except you're never going to get a chance to get used to it. Ever.
A quiet conversation, too fast for my mind to capture, took place, but I didn't let it bother me. I already knew the strategy they had in mind. Stay close to Edward but behind him. Emmett would stand by Edward and myself, while Rosalie flanked his side. Jasper would be to Carlisle's left, Alice behind him, and Esme beside her. It would be a formidable wall of safety, if we weren't about to stand in front a group of vampires capable of destroying them all in seconds.
If that.
I shuddered, unable to prevent a myriad of disturbing images from forming in my mind. Before Edward could ask what was wrong, Alice gestured for us to go outside. It wouldn't be long now.
Edward stood with me in his arms, setting me down after holding me closer for a few precious moments. "I love you." His cold lips touched my temple, his fingers circling mine. "Remember stay close, don't draw attention to yourself unless directly asked a question by one of the guard. Answer as honestly as possible, but with as little information as you can manage."
"Yeah, we both know I'm a horrible liar."
Edward looked serious. "Jane would know you're lying in less than a heartbeat and that would be enough for her to punish you."
I exhaled sharply and nodded. "Answer honestly, but stick to that and only that. Got it."
"And do not expose your neck." He removed the loose ponytail from my hair and moved it all to the front on each side and zipped my jacket completely.
"There's no use in hiding her scent," Emmett reasoned. "I could smell her from the end of the driveway."
"I know," Edward said through tight lips.
"It's too bad we didn't ask the wolves to roll around in the snow outside, it could've bought us some time." Jasper held Alice's hand and shrugged. "Their stench would've hidden her scent for a minute. I thought about it, but they were aggravated enough."
Carlisle led the way into the backyard that brought us through Esme's pristine gardens and the wilderness behind their beautiful home. Every step I took to join everyone outside felt like lead weights were attached to the soles of my shoes. My anxiety about the safety of this beautiful family and myself increased as everyone had gone silent; all too consumed yet had accepted what was to come.
My dream, or nightmare, depending on the perspective, showed me a casual conversation with a red-eyed girl. She appeared to be no more than fifteen or sixteen, but the look in her eyes said otherwise. I hadn't mentioned it to Edward, but the dream had disturbed me.
I'd been alone.
I held onto the back of Edward's sweater and peeked around him for a glimpse across the small clearing and toward the tree line. "How long?"
I felt his muscles go rigid under my touch as Alice informed us that they were less than five minutes out, at most, and he nodded. "I can hear them."
From past conversations, I knew that meant that they were within two or three miles, if Edward was picking up their thoughts. I'd tried not to show my fear all morning, but at that moment, I couldn't hold it in. My arm slid around Edward's waist as I pressed my lips just below his shoulder blade and rested my forehead against his back. "I love you, Edward."
His hand covered mine, holding it against his stomach as he whispered the sentiment back to me again, and I hugged around him fully. I wanted nothing more than to hold onto him and repeat those words over and over, but I felt everything stop with two words, vibrating through his chest. "They're here."
My hand returned to his as I stepped back slightly, watching the same spot as before, and tried to calm my racing heart as the four cloaked figures suddenly emerged from the shadows of the trees. They almost appeared to have walked straight out of my nightmares.
Carlisle nodded his head in greeting as they came to a stop about twenty feet away, though still close enough for me to spot four pairs of the blazing red eyes, as well as the face in the leading role. "Jane. What a pleasant surprise."
A perfectly-shaped eyebrow rose on the girl's face, as her gaze traveled along the line of us. "Is it, now? For such a surprise, your greeting appears to be remarkably prepared."
"I assumed that Aro would be curious about our latest addition, so we knew we should be prepared for a visit of some kind," Carlisle answered, and I couldn't help but be amazed by how calm he was remaining, despite the escalating tension.
"And I would presume this is her," Jane said in a calm, chilling voice as her gaze landed directly on me, and it took everything within me not to shrink back. "It seems that you failed to mention that she is human. Now why would you have left that little detail out?"
Edward shifted sideways to block me even more from her, but I brought my hand to his arm to stop him. He made no effort to hide his frustration, but in the end, allowed me to keep a view of what was going on in front of us before speaking. "It was never my intent to become involved with anyone, let alone a human. I tried to stay away, but I couldn't. I assure you that Bella will be changed, the plans are already in motion."
I noticed the shift in Edward immediately as she responded. "The fact remains that you have broken the law. She is human."
All at once things happened so quickly, my mind had trouble making sense of any of it; too much to comprehend all at once.
Edward stood in front of me in a protective stance similar to Emmett with Rosalie earlier. The others closed in around me, Emmett pulling me further back.
With a shift of Jane's eyes to one of the others in the guard, he stepped forward, a slight tilt to the shape of his full lips. Then her attention returned to us once again.
Edward fell to his knees, Jane's blood red gaze zeroed in on him. Jasper's description of her powers came to my mind in that excruciating second as I tried to escape Emmett's hold on my arm.
An impossible task.
"Jane can incapacitate you with pain by simply looking at you."
The sound of Edward's strained groans from the immense pain seemed to echo in the expanse between us and them. Jasper and Alice immediately started toward Jane, Carlisle and Esme not far behind; the instinct to protect someone they loved driving them forward.
"Alec," Jane said, a sinister smile on her lips, her eyes remaining on Edward. He cried out even louder, his golden irises transforming to black as he stared up to a darkening sky.
All six of the remaining Cullens then abruptly stopped as if someone captured them with an invisible hold. Emmett's grip fell from my arm and I didn't bother to look at him as I scrambled to crouch in front of Edward, uncaring of what Jane did to me, as long as she stopped hurting him.
Edward twitched at my touch, trying to look at me, and slowly became more alert by the time he met my eyes as we started to stand up. A little huff of irritation came from one of the members of the guard, and whatever was the reason for it seemed to make Edward's eyes widen in horror.
"Interesting," a strong, deep male voice emitted from within the group.
Before I could ascertain where it came from, another growl of irritation sounded, forcing me to look toward the guard. Edward's hand gripped mine tightly, but he never uttered another word, his lips snapped shut and his body became unyielding within my hold.
I looked at the others, my gaze falling to each member of the family and finding them in the same state. Alec had the power to immobilize them by taking all their senses, that much I was told. Yet, it was clear that Edward and his family were aware from the look of fear in their eyes. They hadn't mentioned Alec could take certain senses and allow others to remain. Could that be it?
If it was true, Alec was a cruel weapon for torture.
The look in Jane's eyes told me everything I needed to know; they could see and hear everything but were powerless to help.
I was alone; the question was, why? Were they doing this on purpose? To make an already defenseless human even more so?
"Alec," Jane hissed, but her brother shook his head, keeping his hands up.
"Very interesting," the voice from before sounded again, and that time, I looked to see the largest of them, Edward had said his name was Felix, observing me in obvious fascination. "Aro would want to hear about this."
Jane's dark gaze snapped to me, a sneer on her lips. She stepped forward, but not enough to close the gap. "Pain."
I stood in front of Edward, my hand around his and I raised my chin, ready for whatever punishment she gave me. It killed me to know that Edward and the others would have to watch and be able to do nothing. I couldn't imagine feeling that helpless when they each had strength capable of such destruction.
She stepped closer, her gaze narrowing and the sneer turning to fury. "Try again, Alec."
"I am, sister."
"You must call Aro," Felix insisted, his tone saying it all. Firm and deep, but with respect to her power.
"He would be most displeased if you did not," the last remaining member of the group spoke, the process of elimination leaving him to be Demetri.
I kept my face as immobile as the others, though inside, my mind turned chaotic. Edward had indicated early on in our relationship that he couldn't hear me for some reason. From the anger transforming Jane's cherubic face to one of pure malice, it seemed safe to assume that her and her brother's powers also didn't work on me.
Jane walked toward me, the others following close behind her. I refused to cower, though every nerve in my body told me to run. She pulled out a small cell phone from within her billowing black cloak the moment she was less than five feet in front of me.
Edward remained immobile, but I could imagine the horror he felt at their close proximity to me. As if those within the guard realized the same thing, they smiled at me, two of them with keen interest; Alec and Jane, however, appeared malevolent.
"Master," Jane greeted Aro, I assumed. "She's human." A moment of silence lasted only a second, before she answered again. "No, Alec has them under control for the moment."
I couldn't hear Aro's response, only hers. However, I knew Edward and his family could hear Jane's master through the phone line.
"They stated that a plan for her change was in motion." She looked away and closed her eyes. "I had Alec put them under his control while I meted Edward's punishment, with the intention to have him watch as Felix killed her, that is, until she stepped in front of him."
Her malicious gaze landed on me again, the will to destroy me evident in her crimson eyes. She wanted to, merely due to the fact that I'd somehow bested her. Me—a fragile little human.
"She's immune to my power." It seemed to take considerable control for her not to strike me down as she spoke those words. "And Alec's."
The other vampire, much smaller but just as deadly as the enormous Felix, looked straight at me as he spoke up. "Nor mine, Master."
I had no doubt Aro could hear him.
A lengthy silence once again stretched between our groups. The only sound was the breakneck speed of my beating heart and breathing.
I couldn't remember Demetri's power as my mind whirled with possible ways to talk myself out of the situation; it hardly mattered when Jane's next words were delivered sharply.
"Alec, take all their senses, Master wants to talk to her."
