Alice POV

I left Edward alone with Bella in the bed chamber. He change would be over soon, another six hours to go. Bella's change has been the only one that have ever witnessed and I am glad that I can't remember my own. I walked up the stairs and into the main tower room.

"Ah," breathed Aro. "Alice my dear, what may I do for you?"

I smiled at his kindness. Although I knew that the leader of the Volturi could be ruthless and terrible at times I also found out that he could be very sweet and kind.

"I have a favour to ask of you." I started, knowing that he would grant me most of the things that I wished for.

"Ask away," he replied with a kingly wave of his hand.

"I am not sure if you are aware of the fact that I have a husband, who I have not spoken to for nearly a week now. This is the longest time that we have been parted."

Aro's face now showed an expression of sadness and sympathy. "What is your love's name, my sweet?"

"Jasper, sir. It pains me to be away from him."

"Yes, I do understand. It distresses me to be away from my lovely Sulpicia even for an hour. I pray you are not asking to leave us, so soon after your joining?" His mouth was turned down in sadness, but his eyes flashed with menace and anger.

I paused. I had considered it and seen that it would be the death of my beloved Jasper and me. "Certainly not! I am interested in your diet. I may try it myself, since the wildlife around Volterra is rather sparse. All I was asking is if it would be possible to phone Jasper?"

Aro laughed. "Why Alice, you didn't need to ask. The nearest phone is in the reception area. Gianna will be happy to assist."

"Thank you, Aro. Thank you very much."

I was so desperate to speak to Jasper that I ran to the reception.

Gianna was at the reception desk. Booking visits for unsuspecting humans. The humans that would become the Volturi's dinner. My dinner.

"Oh, hello there Miss Alice," Gianna said, smiling up at me. "How may I help you?"

The look on her face squeezed my heart with pity. In five weeks time, Alec would slip up and drain her of all the blood in her body. He wouldn't even feel guilty about it. She deserved better, with her being such a good assistant and keeping their secret. Aro should choose to save her. Maybe I will speak with him about it.

"Hi there Gianna, I was wondering if it would be possible to use the telephone."

"Dial away, Miss Alice," she said with a professional tone and carried on with some work on her computer.

"Alone, if I may Gianna."

"Sorry Miss Alice. Mister Felix says that I am to stay at the reception desks during my working hours. You may use my mobile if you like. There is plenty of credit."

Again my heart clenched with the kindness of this human who wasn't going to ever become one of us.

"Thanks, Gianna," I said.

"Anytime, Miss Alice."

I walked into the bathroom, which was used as a distraction for humans and dialled Jasper's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello," he said.

"Jasper," I said and I knew that if I could cry I would.

"Alice," he whispered. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Where are you?"

"Volterra."

"Volterra!" He shouted. "Are they keeping you there? Are they? Are they?"

"No Jazz. You need to listen to me and don't interrupt. I've joined the Volturi. So have Edward and Bella. At the moment, Bella is nearing the end of her change. Edward is with her. Edward has been reading Aro's mind. He plans to keep us. I can see that too. Carlisle is on the plane here right now and will arrive in three and a half hours."

"Alice why?" He said in a voice that broke my heart.

"I have not forsaken the Cullen coven, not yet. Neither has Edward and although Bella doesn't know it yet, neither has she. Edward found out about Bella jumping off the cliff from Rosalie who claimed she was dead because of my messed up vision. I then went to Forks to check if Bella was really alive. Whilst there, I found she had been associating with the wolves, that's what blocked my visions, the wolves. I had a vision of Edward travelling to the Volturi asking to die. They declined so he went to rash measures, nearly getting himself killed. While this was happening, Bella and I were making a mad rush to Italy as you know. The Volturi caught the three of us and took us to the castle. Aro proposed that Edward joins and he accepted, reading my mind that if he didn't, the three of us would die. I was then asked to join and had no option but to accept too. This left Bella who knew that she wasn't getting out of Volterra alive."

"I will come and save you Alice."

"No Jazz, please. I will find my own way out."

He groaned with frustration. "Alice, I can't take another day without you. If you come, both of us and both Edward and Bella will be killed. Tell the same to Emmett. Once you fill him in on the story he'll want to do the same."

"If the whole Cullen coven comes, as well as some old Allies, we can take down Volterra and save you!"

"No! That would be the death of all of us. Think of our friends, do they really deserve to get tangled up in all this mess? And think of Esme. Half of her family is lost. Does she really deserve to lose the other half? I still love you Jazz, more than anything in the world. As a favour for me would you tell exactly what I've said to Rose, Em, Esme and Carlisle? Especially Carlisle. I'm going to use some hateful words to make him think that we don't want to know him and he'll leave, unharmed. He'll return to you upset but not angry. Tell him how much we love him. That he's a great father. Tell him everything I told him was a lie. No power in Volterra will detect that everything I say is false. We shall find a way to get out. It may be years from now until Aro lets us go, but it will be someday. I love you Jasper."

"Love you Alice. Can I ring you back?"

"No Jazz, it's someone's mobile. If I need to contact you I will. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Alice."

I hung up, deleted Jasper's number out of the dialled calls and walked out the bathroom.

Gianna looked up and smiled at me. "All done Miss Alice?"

"Yes. Thanks again for the mobile Gianna. I can image I've used up a lot of your credit."

"Never mind Miss Alice. How is Miss Bella?"

"She's nearing the end of the change, Gianna."

"That's good. Even I, a human, could hear her screams."

A door opened. Felix strode in.

"Gianna. How are you?" He asked in a cocky manner.

Her heart rate excelled. "Well thank you Mister Felix."

"Aro says you're to have the night off. He also sends some money. He's says you're to go and buy yourself dinner for all your professionalism over the past few days."

Her face lit up. "Please thank him, Mister Felix."

"See you later, Gianna," he winked at her, and she blushed. "Alice." He nodded to me and then went back the way he came.

Gianna was gathering her coat and bag. "See you tomorrow, Miss Alice."

"Bye Gianna," I said. "Have a nice meal."

Once Gianna had left I felt lonely. I had no other ways of occupying my time. Edward was still with Bella and I didn't want to go back into the bed chamber where Bella was suffering. Still, I decided to go and look in castle's vast library of books. Some of them were hundreds of years old and that intrigued me greatly.

As I was walking to the library I met Jane. She smiled a genuine smile at me. Perhaps she wasn't as evil as I thought she was.

"Alice, Aro has sent me to find you. He wants to see you in the main chamber."

"What about?" I asked.

"He didn't give me details. You're to come with me."

I followed the smaller vampire through the corridors. As we walked, I spotted some of the paintings. There were some masters, if I was not mistaken. I would have to come and have a look at them later.

We had reached the chamber. All the usual people were in there; Aro, Marcus, Caius, Demitiri, Felix, Jane and Alec, but there was also one more in there.

Carlisle was here.