Chapter Eleven

Alec

I stared at the empty cell unable to believe that the Major had managed somehow to escape. The only scents I could detect were his and Malcolm's so he had to have done it alone, but how? It was my own fault, of course. I'd become complacent after three years. My gift never lasted more than a month at the very outside, it never had, yet I'd allowed myself to be lulled into a false sense of security by that bastard. He must have been faking for months, pretending he was still under when in fact he was gathering intel to enable him to work out his escape. Malcolm must be dead or he would have called before now to warn me.

I was on very thin ice as it was, away from Volterra without a mission or permission and just when everything had finally come together. I was about to be given a seat on the ruling council, I was that close to it and now? I wish I'd sent Jane to find out why Malcolm hadn't contacted me as he should have done. I should never have listened to Edward. What was I going to do? I only had a few hours before Aro would notice my absence unless Jane could stall him, but I guess that should be the least of my worries.

Then it hit me. So long as I got back in time the Major wouldn't be my problem any longer. Once on the ruling council, I would be safe. Even he wouldn't start a war with the Volturi and I would be safe in Volterra. Sure I couldn't leave unless I had plenty of back up but that wouldn't be a problem either. I rarely traveled without guards and could order extra once I had that coveted seat. Let the Major hunt down Edward while I remained safe.

I made my way back quickly but cautiously, I had only assumed my prisoner had left the area. If it were me I'd want to get as far from here as possible but the Major wasn't me and I couldn't know how he would act. Only once I was safely back in Volterra did I risk placing a call to Edward and, miracle of miracles, he actually answered this time although he sounded annoyed at being interrupted in whatever he was doing.

"Alec? I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me unless it was important yet you keep leaving messages. he's your responsibility now. Just keep him under, that's all you have to do and in a few years, I'll come back to visit. Then we can kill him and be done with all this. You owe me remember?"

"Yeah, I remember and this is important, to you anyhow. He's free and it's my guess he'll be coming for you first Edward. This is just a courtesy call."

There was a stunned silence and then Edward spoke again but this time I detected panic and fear in his voice.

"What? How? When? What went wrong Alec?"

"I don't know. I turned up on schedule to put him under again and found he had escaped. I have no idea how long he's been on the loose but as I'm safe in Volterra I can only assume it's you he'll be looking for. You'd better find a really deep hole to hide in and quickly."

He began to shout at me for my incompetence but I cut him off, as far as I was concerned this was over. The Major was now his problem and I was home free.

Aro

I was still sure that there was something going on here in Volterra or at least concerning a member of the Volturi but it was taking longer than I had anticipated to find out who and what. Felix was still looking and listening but he had found nothing and Sulpicia was beginning to think I was imagining things!

With Alec now only a day away from being formally accepted as a member of the ruling council I had anticipated problems with his sister. She was equally as ambitious yet she had said nothing to me or anyone else about the unfairness of choosing him over her. In fact, she seemed more than usually attentive to him, watching his back so to speak and I wondered why. Did she believe that someone else might act against him, try to stop his membership? I couldn't imagine who but then I was not always aware of the pettiest squabbles within the Volturi.

I wondered where Alec was, I had expected him an hour ago although only because he had made it a habit to join me at midday for a walk in the courtyard. We discussed the past mainly, it was good to feel that the centuries of friendship between us had not been forgotten. He and his sister had been two of our earliest acquisitions and they felt like family. I knew Sulpicia regarded them as her children, replacements for the ones she had been forced to leave behind in the human world. Strange that I found the twins not long after she had lost hers. She was so happy that Alec was being rewarded for his loyalty, at last, the proud mother figure.

My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Felix looking unusually troubled.

"Can I speak to you in private, Aro?"

I nodded and we walked into my private study the walls of which were soundproofed for just such occasions.

"What is it, Felix? I take it you have news for me?"

"Yes and I'm afraid it is not good news. I think I have found the source of your unease."

"Good. Well, go on. The bad news is best not delayed."

"I overheard a telephone conversation a little while ago between Alec and Edward Cullen."

I frowned.

"I knew the two were friends so what was it that concerned you?"

"No names were mentioned but it appears that the two of them had a prisoner until a short while ago. This prisoner escaped and Alec seemed to think he would be hunting for Edward as Alec himself was safe in Volterra. Did you sanction any such action? If so I was unaware."

I shook my head slowly, my concern mounting.

"No. I knew nothing of this. You said the prisoner was not mentioned by name?"

"That's right they weren't but Edward sounded very anxious and Alec was certainly relieved to be inside the citadel."

I nodded, thinking hard and then certain facts came together in my mind.

"I'm sure he is if their prisoner is who I suspect it to be. Find Alec and ask him to join me, please. I think it's time we got to the bottom of this little mystery. I fear it may cause problems for me, Felix, and I do not like being put into a position where it appears I may have lied to a very dear friend."

Felix left without questioning me, it was one of the reasons I valued him so much. He never asked for more information than I was willing to give him freely and he would always do exactly as I bid him.

This was going to be an interesting interview but my main concern was my friend and the… misinformation I had given him in all innocence some years before. Someone would have to pay for my loss of face, I wondered if Alec had given that any thought? There was, of course, the question of the vacant council seat, Jane would be happy to accept even if deeply upset about her brother's disgrace. Unless of course she already knew what he had done and that's why she was so attentive. Was dear Jane watching out for her brother and if so should she too be punished? Perhaps not, after all, she was just displaying family loyalty and one could hardly punish that, could one?

While I waited for Alec to arrive I tried to decide what I would tell Carlisle, after all, it was Edward who was ultimately to blame. This would be a golden opportunity to lay my hands on Edward of course. He had corrupted a member of the Volturi, brought shame upon us, upon me, and was now in serious danger of losing his life. I could only imagine what the Major would do to him if he were to catch up with Edward. I might be his only hope of survival but I didn't want Carlisle to think I had prior knowledge and had allowed this to happen hoping to engineer just such an outcome. So, what should I do? Whatever I decided it had to be done quickly. I doubted the Major would waste much time in hunting down his tormentors no matter what his physical condition might be. If I had been the one keeping such a dangerous man prisoner I would have ensured he could not escape to wreak vengeance by taking some limbs but Edward and Alec had thought smaller and knowing this perhaps it was better that Alec not join the council. I was actually quite disappointed in him. Surely I had taught him better over the centuries? He obviously had not been paying attention.

As soon as I set eyes on Alec I knew he was aware that his secret was out, he looked both frightened and ashamed which was only fitting. I motioned for Felix to stay, I was going to need him shortly and he might as well hear it all.

I didn't even have to say anything, Alec began speaking immediately, coming up with all the excuses he could and blaming it all on Edward. If only he had realized that I would have respected him more for admitting his guilt and asking for my forgiveness and mercy. As it was I only became more disillusioned with every word he uttered and I could see contempt curl Felix' lip mirroring my own feelings.

As he finished I saw Jane slip in and wondered if she was here to beg for leniency for her brother. He stood with his eyes down waiting for me to speak, but I made him wait as I scribbled a message down on a memo pad and handed it to Felix.

"Please, see to this."

Felix glanced down at the words then nodded and left without a word and Alec seemed to relax a little. Had he really thought I was going to have Felix execute him in the middle of my private study?

"So, Alec, what am I to do with you? Do you have any idea of what your actions mean for me? For the Volturi?"

He looked up frowning.

"I did this without your knowledge or support Aro, even though I knew it was wrong. As I already explained, Edward Cullen put pressure…"

I held up a hand to stop him.

"Stop, no more excuses, you are not a child. You take responsibility for your own actions. No one can force you to do anything and your allegiance should have been to me, to the Volturi. I have been forced into a lie. I assured my friend Carlisle that neither Edward nor the Major's disappearance had anything to do with us. That I knew nothing and now I have to call him and admit I was wrong. That a member of the Volturi was involved along with Edward. And that is not the worst of it. You have brought great danger to us. The Volturi does not imprison or torture innocent people, nor do we pull the tail of a sleeping tiger. What do you think the Major is going to think and do? Is he likely to think that you acted alone? That the Volturi, that I, did not sanction your actions? You have betrayed everyone here and me most of all. So, what do I do with you? There will be a disciplinary hearing and I suggest you try thinking of a very good excuse for your actions because I doubt Caius or Marcus will be interested or impressed by the things I have just heard. Go, you are confined to your quarters until I send for you and be warned if you try to leave Volterra you will be deemed a traitor and executed. Do you understand?"

He nodded looking terrified now just as I had intended then left, brushing past his sister without a word. She remained knowing that I had questions for her too. Within minutes I had established that she had only discovered what Alec was involved in a matter of weeks ago.

"I told him he was crazy to do it and that he needed to find a way out. He was scared, of you and of the Major and he tried to get Edward to take over but he wouldn't answer Alec's calls or texts."

"You had nothing to do with the plan?"

"No, I would have told him to forget it. I know he felt obligated to Edward but this... It was asking too much."

"And what do you suggest I do with your brother under the circumstances?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know, but I beg you, please don't kill him. He's my brother and I love him. For my sake, Aro, spare his life."

I studied her for a long time, she was everything her brother was not, fiercely loyal yet compassionate with those she loved and she thought about things. She knew I could not forgive Alec and didn't ask me to. All she asked was for his life and I was sure I could grant her that much. It would put her under obligation to me as well which was never a bad thing.

I sat down and collected my thoughts before calling my brothers to organize a private meeting regarding all I had discovered for later that day and then, then I braced myself and called Carlisle.

As I had expected he was shocked to hear that Edward was involved in the abduction and imprisonment of the Major but contrary to my expectations he had not tried to make excuses for Edward's actions. Instead, he was angry and asked if I had any idea where Edward was and if the Major was unharmed.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, I have no information regarding the Major, only that he is free and I would assume hunting those responsible. As for Edward, I have every intention of finding him and when I do, there will be difficult questions to be answered."

"Do you intend to hold him in Volterra along with Alec? I assume there will be some sanctions imposed?"

"Most definitely, although at this point in time I cannot say what they will be. I must consult the council first. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

He paused then answered in a weary voice as if hearing of Edward's actions had sucked all the energy from him. It must have been a terrific blow to him.

"I leave it in your capable hands, Aro."

"You do realize that if the council decides to imprison him here in Volterra we would be doing him a great favor. I do not rate his chances if the Major finds him, which he will."

"Of that I have no doubt, and I suspect any entreaties to him for leniency would fall on deaf ears. Please keep me informed Aro. I would appreciate hearing that Edward is safe from his retribution for now although I know that is cowardly."

"As I warned you many years ago, creating a family of vampires is extremely perilous because you become too attached and in the end vampire nature will trump family loyalty every time. I am truly sorry for your pain Carlisle and I will keep in touch."

I finished the call relieved that my friend had believed my assurances that this was all new to me and that I intended to see justice served whatever the outcome. There would certainly be consequences. For too long Edward had thought himself above the Volturi law and now he would discover just how wrong he had been in that assumption.