Chapter Ten

Edward's Bella

I awoke to the sound of music. There was a sense of liveliness had returned to Volterra. I smiled stretching and found a beautiful old fashioned gown on the chair. I put it on and thrust my feet into shoes. I then stepped outside. In the time I had been asleep the whole hall had been painted in bright cheerful colors. I could not help but wonder how long I had been out.

I fallowed my ears to the music. There stood my Edward with his family looking like some long ago forgotten prince. Sitting at the high table with the volturi coven. He looked miserable, I smiled and stepped from the doorway slowly making my way to Edward as to not trip upon my dress. He looked up and his miserable expression melted away that look contained the love he felt for me and I could not help but give him an answering smile. He caught me up in his arms smiling.

"I love you, Bella my darling. Look at the happiness you have brought to this coven." He said smiling turning me around so that I could see Marcus and Clarisse together sitting side by side feeding each other laughing and talking about things as if Clarisse had never left. She smiled at me. I nodded back. This was right this was what it should be like. They would be together forever.

"I love you too Edward," I said and kissed him. I didn't care that everyone could see us I just knew that I loved him. We held the kiss for minutes or hours, who knew for we did not have to draw breath both our eyes were closed and when I opened mine I saw his finely made features. We came away when the humans were let in like lambs to a slaughter I knew it was part of our nature but why were they parading them in fount of me a newborn vampire? Everyone wore some vacant expression they seemed beyond caring and already dead. I could see their families as I gazed into each face, friends loved ones. These people had lives that they should live. Then I saw him. He was standing slightly away from the others and his blood literally sang to my ears and nose changing slightly in oder. I was a predator before I knew it I tried to stop myself hold back everyone could see the struggle that was going on behind my eyes take these people away! take them away I don't want to be a monster I don't. I was standing upon the table my eyes turned inward struggling to get control of my emotions while the beast raged within me.

I broad casted my emotions trying to get help, I couldn't speak I could only think one little bite what would it hurt? He is doomed to die anyway. I clamped down on those feelings as the people around me gasped.

"Bella, we won't blame you if you can't control yourself." Carlisle said.

"Not even your blood was that strong for me." Edward said gently. "It is alright Bells. If you can't control it you can't." I felt tears run down my face but held my self in place I can do this I thought over and over. It turned out that I couldn't with a predatory yowl I was upon him. Drinking his life fluid rushing down his throat. Forget Veggies I want meat I thought. He was like sunshine like the moon on a starry night he was passion and love darkness and light he was everything and nothing. Smiling as I drank him nearly dry. When there were only a few drops left I came back to myself and closed the wounds, with one flick of my tongue. I licked at the blood mortified at my weakness. It tasted so good though, so very delicious and it coursed through my veins making me stronger. The young man moaned on the ground. No lover to help him through the change, he had no clue what was happening to him and what awaited him on the other side. I sent him to sleep and he relaxed his body was still shaking with tremors though.

"Don't kill him, please." I asked knowing that this person would be very powerful but having no clue how I knew.

"Very well we won't kill him." Aro said. "How did he taste?"

"Like the sun moon and stars like darkness and light like everything and nothing." I said dreamily wiping at my face and licking my hands. I knew I must look ridiculous but I did not care. "It was amazing. I suppose I fell off the veggie wagon and it only took three days." My eyes were no doubt blood red. They had almost gotten their yellow color. I didn't care, I had loved that taste. Then Aro made a gesture and everyone else fell upon the humans. To my shock as they drank I saw the moment in which they joined our number the pain wasn't for the change per say it was for the talent. One girl had she not just been about to lose her life would have been able to answer any question. Another man would have had something like Jasper's talent. A mind touched mine "Goodbye." It said as it moved beyond me and disappeared into a void of pain. Tears were pouring down my face it was all too much but still the talents came. They filled me to bursting. A man that would have been able to control water, a woman that would have been able to give a actual child to two people and they would be able to see it grow within them. A man that would have been able to paint wonderful pictures. A teenager that would have been able to make people fall in love with complete strangers. Another that could mend broken hearts. More had small talents with beauty or brilliance involved. I could not control myself and tears rolled down my face. So many possibilities so many lives so much good that could be done in the world and they were gone. Only their talents remained within me. I realized then I had more than just the talents of vampires I also had the talents of their victims. I wanted to lash out at something but I knew that they were just giving into their nature. So instead I walked up to the wall and began punching into it. Over two hundred vampires stopped feeding to stare at me. THUMP THUMP THUD THUD. It felt good and then she realized that her banging had stopped them from taking the last sip all around me people were in agony. I made them all sleep bodies quivering on the ground. Does the change from moth to butterfly hurt I wondered.

"Why are you pounding at our walls?" Aro asked.

"If you could see what I just did you would too." I told him and ran around checking on each of the bodies, each would be turned. I gasped in relief. "If I had not you would have missed a chance to get more powerful vampires. A quarter of these people have strong talents. Wonderful talents." I said. "I felt them as they were being fed upon. One actually spoke mind to mind, he said goodbye." I began to cry sobs racking me. Edward put his arms around me and gently rocked back and forth whispering my lullaby in my ear but adding words that I had never heard before.

"Sleep now my love my only love.

Safe in my arms my love my only love.

So weak and so strong,

without your will I don't know how I will carry on.

Stay with me forever my lovely one,

Be my anything, to me you mean everything.

Sleep now my love my only love." Edward said but his words were becoming distant fading slowly until only the tune remained and then that too was gone and I surrendered to slumber.