I had only the English final, but that was far from my worries. My teacher could be living one of her last days if we failed. I may not be as vested as Rosalie, but Edward's right, she was family.
As I finished my last essay, I looked up and made eye contact with Melinda. She nodded—not breaking her poker face. I submitted my essays, grabbed my stuff, and exited the classroom. Edward and Alice weren't far behind.
Eleven thirty arrived, and Melinda hooked up with Rosalie as she exited through the faculty doors. We met up as the parking lot disappeared and the forest engulfed us. Demetrius and another Volturi stood stoically waiting for us to arrive. We hadn't figured in back-up, and as Carlisle joined us, he too appeared nervous.
"Carlisle."
"Demetrius, Caleb." I didn't know if Carlisle's knowledge of Demetrius' henchman was a benefit or a warning, but he stood as strong as I've never seen before.
"I see you have brought the witch." Demetrius directed his question to her. "You have the journal?"
Rosalie spoke for her, "We do."
"Relinquish it, now."
Carlisle now positioned himself, so Rosalie and Melinda were out of Demetrius' sight. "We seek an audience with Aro, since you cannot negotiate. I know you wanted to the threat, because Caleb is one of the most lethal hunters the Volturi have." Demetrius said nothing. "We intend to defend the human and us, if you choose to attack us." It was obvious Carlisle knew the Volturi protocol.
"You realize the risk of coming to Italy. You will be outnumbered, and if Aro, Caius, and Marcus feel that it was a waste of his time, you as well as the rest will be executed."
"We know the risk, but I believe Italy is the only way of keeping the human alive."
"As you wish. Caleb, arrange transportation." Caleb left, leaving Demetrius alone. "I know you could kill me being alone, but you won't."
"We know the guard would kill not just us, but my whole family."
"Ah, Carlisle, it is so nice to have a conversation with a fellow Volturi." Carlisle nodded; it wasn't the time for semantics.
In a matter of moments, Caleb returned, and we followed him to two black tinted Mercedes SUVs. Both drivers were Volturi too; Demetrius had brought an entourage. Carlisle and Edward travelled with Caleb and Demetrius, while Rosalie, Alice, Melinda, and I followed in the SUV behind them. Edward and Alice had to be in direct communication if the Volturi changed the plan.
We arrived to a private airstrip and airplane. Red eyes met us in the plane—the pilot, the assistants. Definitely, we were in the minority. With modern technology, the flight to Italy only took an hour, but for us, it would be the longest hour we had spent in a long time.
"Aro had anticipated your decision. He is awaiting your arrival." Demetrius and Caleb entered a separate compartment as we drove down the strip, getting ready for takeoff. We were isolated in our luxurious surroundings, and the six of us clumped together.
"At first, I want to say that I love each and every one of you, and the sacrifice you could possibly be making is a true display of your bravery and courage. We will fight to the very end."
"The Blood Book will be enough?" Rosalie asked.
Carlisle first said nothing and then, "I'm not sure. Rachel is now in the picture, and with Aro's shield, it is unpredictable."
This was a name I hadn't heard of. "Rachel?"
"Aro's acquired a clairvoyant in the past twenty years. She's not as strong as Alice, but she can give the Volturi a heads-up of our strategy. Bella, your shield." I stretched my shield around the six of us. "We will present the journal first and Aro will be thankful, but not thrilled. Then, we entice them with the Blood Book."
I wanted the next part of the plan. "And if it doesn't work?"
"We will have to raise the stakes."
"With what?"
"We'll have to go all in."
