I knew how much Aro enjoyed his power and just how much he wanted Alice. This was it. We were at the crossroads and no matter which road we chose, we would lose. I would never give up my daughter, not for anything in the world, but Alice wasn't just anything.
"Please Aro. Explain how this all started. How Awan is tied to this." Carlisle pleaded in defeat.
"My dear Carlisle. It is always so wonderful to see you. I am so sorry that the past two times we have met it has been under such dire circumstances."
"Please." Carlisle said again.
Aro lowered his head in loss. Caius then jumped up from his throne.
"Aro is too solemn to admit this, but I shall. You betrayed us in that field 3 years ago. You stole our authority in front of many witnesses. We needed….well I demanded vengeance. We believe a fair trade for such indiscretions is a new token for our guard….Alice! We knew she would never come nor you would never release her without a costly trade. We had Awan follow you for months. And once he found out of her trip to Alaska, it was then we found our golden opportunity. He followed her there with the aide of Alec, Jane and Phillipe. It was then we had them wait until she was alone. What a surprise to have her go into the town. Philippe met up with them soon after. Who knew she would become ravenous upon the smell of a human…well a shape shifting human."
"Awan" Edward whispered.
"Come Awan, come!" Caius spat in his direction.
Awan came forward shakily.
"Tell them your story." Aro said.
Awan couldn't look us in the eyes. He seemed so ashamed.
"Aro came to me a year ago. He told me about the Cullen clan and how they were friends with their sworn enemies…the Quileutes. The wolves have long had feuds with our tribe, until the mighty mountains forced their way between our homes. Our tribes have not spoken since; remained at peace. But I as a beta in my tribe became angry at the thought of such demons cooperating with fellow tribal packs, even if we were enemies. Aro then required I follow your family in secret and report to him. That was when I ran into Leah. I first saw her in my lion form. She smelled something odd about me. After gaining her trust, we revealed ourselves to one another. But I fell in love with her."
He turned to look at her still unconscious on the ground. Longing to go to her.
"Jane began to threaten Leah if I did not keep a watchful eye on Renesmee. When I found out about her trip to Alaska through Leah, I told Jane. Jane and Alec then followed her just before her trip. When they found out she was going into town, they sent me to distract her. I had no idea she would react to my blood the way she did. I just brushed by her outside the theater. She lunged at me. Then, Jane and Alec were there. They knocked her out and ran away with her. Suddenly, another demon came to me. He turned to the crowd. The screaming and crying crowd. He raised his hands and they all went silent. He turned to me and snapped his fingers. And now I am here."
Leah began to stir and Jacob seemed to become fully alert; his eyes fixated on Nessie.
"Bella?" He said from across the room.
"Hush, dog!" Caius shouted.
"Bella, how is she? Please tell me!" He begged.
"Dog! I'm warning you. Shut it." Caius
"She's alive." I said.
Jacob began to get up and was seized by a fierce pain. Jane began walking closer and closer to him. The red aura had returned as my shield was pushed from my mind and enclosed Jacob. He relaxed and fell limp. Leah picked him up and drug him closer to our circle. I then began to shield my entire family. Pulling my shield in as tight as I could as Jane became angrier; as if forcing the pain to continue, but he did not respond to it.
What could we do? Where could we go? Demetri would track everyone but me. Felix could break our necks in the slightest second. Jane and Alec could do far worse, but at least my shield has become easier and easier to push. I decided to plead with Aro.
"Aro? Please, there must be something else we could do or give you. You are threatening to kill my daughter or take away my sister." I said.
"My dear, sweet Bella. The Cullens have seemed to slip past the laws and think they may make their own. It is time the Cullens have lost something, don't you agree Jane?"
Jane slithered her way into her rightful place beside him with a huge smile stretched across her evil face.
"Of course, Aro. The Cullens have abused their rights. They might as well be humans themselves. They've managed to destroy everything we built to acquire." She said spitefully.
The anger built within side of me. An anger I hadn't felt since our last day of doom. I could feel the elasticity my protection provided. It was just as strong as the last day I had used it 3 years ago. I had never needed to use it before, mainly because I had never been as angry or scared as I was in this moment. To see my daughter beaten and tortured was enough to send me over the edge.
"Alec, shall we remind the Cullens just how strong we are?" Caius suggested.
Alec's mouth twisted up into a smug smile. His eyes gazed over my family, several times lay on me as if wishing I wasn't immune to him. His eyes ran carefully over my whole family. One last quick second, I checked to make sure my shield was secure around all of us. Nothing should penetrate it. Suddenly, I heard Alice gasp. Her eyes glazed over as I realized she had walked straight out from my shield. I pushed it forward and she became focused again. But she kept walking towards Aro.
"Alice! Stop! I can't help you!" I shouted.
Emmett and Jasper raced to grab her and pulled her back. Luckily, Emmett was so much stronger than most of us. It was no trouble to keep her from pushing forward again. They were then back within my shield.
"Aro, I can't get through to them. All of them are protected!" Alec said.
Aro's expression did not change. He stared at me, intently.
"I knew someday you would possess brilliant powers. I nearly forgot just how cunning you are, Isabella."
"Please Aro. I am simply protecting my family the same way you are trying to protect your world. Please tell me why you are so against our family."
Caius intervened, "You humiliated us in front of quite a few witnesses. Your family has told people of our existence."
"We have not told a soul, Caius." Jasper spitted out angrily.
"Ah, but my dear friends, how can you explain the members of the La Push tribes? Leah was very willing to reveal Nessie's plans for vacation so that we could find her." Aro said.
Edward answered. "They themselves have a secret to keep. They are…."
"Shape shifters?" Marcus spoke suddenly for the first time.
"Yes, they are shape shifters. But nonetheless they have a secret they wish to keep from the public as well. They have a way of life too Aro." Edward was surprisingly calm. I could see out of the corner of my eye that his jaw was clenched.
The silence became too loud to control. I watched everyone intently; Jacob had crawled over and was holding Nessie close, Jasper grasping tightly to Alice's hand, feeling Edward's arm tighten around my waist, even Leah staring intently at her love, or who she thought he was.
Marcus and Caius sitting cautiously on their thrones with Aro standing triumphantly on the platform. Felix, Jane, and Alec standing nearby waiting for a riot to ensue, waiting for the command from Aro to attack.
Awan broke the silence. "Leah, I didn't know what I was doing. When we met in the woods, it was genuine. Those two ghouls," he said pointing to Alec and Jane, "threatened my pack….threatened you."
"Ah, there you see! This is where Alec and Jane come into play. A little threat from my dear ones is enough to make anyone change their minds. I needed to get to the Cullens again and drive a wedge between the werewol—I mean shape shifters. This was the best way to get into your minds from afar." Aro said.
"Seems to me, Aro that you have all the talents and gifts you could ever want. Why have us here?" Edward was very careful in asking, even though he already knew.
"I have my lines of defense set, Edward. I am well protected for the uncertainty, but with Alice," he glanced her way and smiled, "I will never be uncertain again."
Nessie whimpered in Jacob's arms. I put my hand on her face, she was cold as ice. Edward growled impatiently.
"Enough games, Aro! My daughter is ill. She needs to come home with us. We are entirely grateful for you intervening on our behalf. We thank you for saving her from the utter mayhem that would have followed if the police had captured her, but why must this turn into an ultimatum?"
"Edward, according to our law, we most certainly could have destroyed you and your family the last time we met." Caius appeared evil, an angry evil as if offended that we had the gall to ask for our lives once again.
"Caius, Aro, please understand." Jasper was pleading. "You are asking us to choose between," he looked longingly at Alice, "my Alice and our Nessie. One life for another."
"Jasper, I know you love her, but she will live a grand life here with us. She will never be harmed." Aro said.
Alice clutched tightly to Jasper. She turned to whisper to him, but I couldn't even focus enough to pay attention. I was stunned by Jacob. I would have assumed he would have lunged for Aro, but he stayed on the ground, cradling Nessie in his arms. I stepped up toward Edward who kissed my hair.
I thought maybe I might get the story straight.
"Aro let me see if this is what you are saying. Since you saved our daughter from human punishment, you believe we should give you Alice in return. If we do not give you Alice, you see it fair to destroy our daughter?"
"My sweet Bella, you have become quite the beautiful vampire. Say I give you another option. Either Alice stays with us" he turned to face his guard. "or Nessie stays with us."