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Chapter Seven
My mind whirled. The Volturi were coming. Sure, I was a vampire now, which is what they would be checking up on, but even just the thought of their presence gave life to an unimaginable fear, which, judging for Edward and Alice's faces, they too shared.
I remembered their bright red eyes and the malevolence that seemed to linger around them, and the screams of their prey in the deep halls of Volterra.
I looked up at Edward, to use his face as a talisman for my despair. His face was a hard mask of anxiety and fear, and only served to make me feel worse. This was Edward we were talking about, and I knew it was only ever me he truly feared for and therefore I must be in danger. He'd clearly heard more of Alice's vision in her mind, so I used my gift to block his, and force his attention away from the terrible vision of the future.
Edward turned to me, dragging a smile onto his beautiful face in an attempt to reassure me. I glared up wearily, unfooled.
"There may be a few complications."I sucked a breath in as he continued. "They'll be here in about three days. Aro, Demetri and Jane. I can't tell how they will react to your present state but . . . they may take it as a way to reduce the size of the Cullen family and put Alice and I at his side."
I flinched at this casual reference to my worst fear – Edward and Alice drifting along beside Aro, with bright red eyes and black dusty robes. And I could hardly worry about myself at the thought that the Volturi might use my weakness as a weapon against my family.
By this time, alerted by our intense fear and worry, Jasper had entered the room, and had his arms wrapped tenderly around Alice. A warm blanket of reassurance stifled my fear and I settled back down onto the coach.
It came suddenly, unexpectedly. A wave of exhaustion that stopped me from pulling in a breath. It wasn't like I needed them anymore, but not being able to? How much weaker was I going to get? How much more would I be able to take?
Jasper and Edward peered at me, Jasper sensing my sudden return of fear, and Edward reading it both from Jasper's mind and my face.
"It's getting worse."I said in a dull whisper, all that I could manage. I could see that it was tearing Edward up, seeing me like this and being unable to do anything about it. In a flash I was in his arms, and he pulled me tightly towards himself, and then spoke in a strong, intense voice into my ear: "I'll never give up on you Bella; I'll never let you go. Never."
I hung limply in his arms, but I still had the strength to tilt my head up, eyes searching. He understood at once, and brought his lips to mine, kissing me passionately. I felt the familiar edge to his mouth, the way it felt when he thought it might be our last kiss. I summoned my energy and put some force into the kiss, Edward responding just as intensely, his cool lips doing most of the work.
After a time, he pulled away, and my lips trembled with exertion. He looked alarmed at how weak I'd become. Instead of taking me downstairs again, he called his family up to our room, his soft voice loud enough for their supersensitive ears.
Though my eyes were closed, and I was wrapped in the soft folds of the bed, I heard the tiny pitter-patter as the rest the family entered the room. I heard muffled gasps as Alice filled them in on her vision.
"There isn't much we can do," said Carlisle in calm tones. "We can't leave Bella alone, and anyone with her will easily be found by Demetri. We should at least remain here."
There was a murmur of assent.
Edward began rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand, and just this small gesture was enough to make my mind wander. I thought about the last time I'd been like this, helpless and weak. When I'd been a human. Perhaps I was turning back into a human? My vampire senses had dulled, until my hearing and vision was more that of my previous life. But no, that wasn't possible. The change I'd made, in order to stay with Edward for eternity was permanent, there was no going back.
I sighed, thinking of the problems I'd had to deal with before meeting Edward. There had been no near death experiences, no fraternising with supernatural creatures, no being supernatural creatures, and yet it'd hadn't been such a life, before Edward. I'd categorised my life into three main sections. P.E. which was Pre-Edward, a dull period, mainly characterised by loneliness and an inability to fit in. Then there was A.E., After-Edward, when I'd finally found that essential part of me, that missing piece. And of course, A.C., After-Change, still whole, I'd discovered my place in the world, where I fit in. Would it, could it all be taken away from me?
Our three days were up. The Cullen's were slouched around the living room, adopting poses that would have seemed natural had the tension not been written in every muscle of the bodies. A was near the back of the room, propped up in Edward's arms on a sofa. The rest of my family formed a screen of protection in front of me. Protecting the weakness link. Me. Again.
I blinked, trying to shift the tears that were obscuring my vision. They didn't shift, and it took me a moment to realise that I physically couldn't be crying. My sight was leaving me. Oh my God, I couldn't see. A dull white had clouded over my eyes, and then even that had turned to darkness.
"Edward" I moaned. "I. . . can't. . .see. Edward!?"
