Chapter 11- Unexpected turn of events
As the sun began to brighten the sky, Alice had a vision of the Volturi coming slightly sooner than we had assumed. Her vision also turned out favorably until she blocked the last portion of it from me. I growled at her, not enjoying being left in the dark. Alice gave me a slight look, laughed and wordlessly ran from the room to find Jasper. I quickly tried to focus on anyone else, wanting to block their current activities from my mind. Sometimes I wished I had some kind of mind bleach to erase all of the images my family's active love lives had forced into my brain. The only mental images I wanted were the ones of Bella. The memories were all I had to hold onto now.
"Son, I need to speak with you about what is going to happen this morning," Carlisle said, interrupting my thoughts of Bella.
I nodded, not wanting to take the extra effort to speak.
Carlisle plunged ahead, "Son, I need your head with us for this to work. The hooded girl, the shield may let it down to give us the advantage if things don't go well today. You must be focused to use that tactical advantage, if she gives it to us."
I knew Carlisle was correct. They needed me to save their lives. I had a responsibility to my family. I nodded again.
"They are almost here. We need to get outside and be ready for them. The faster this is done, the better. The wolves are already in place and ready to go," Alice said, moving towards the door.
The rest of my family went to their significant others and took a moment together. I could hardly handle the love that was coming from their minds and so I moved to the door, opening it swiftly and walking to my place.
The guard was already there, moving into place with seamless action, never breaking rank, stopping as their cloaked leader did. I was very curious about this girl, more curious than I had been about anyone besides Bella. Again, I couldn't hear their thoughts, she was blocking me. Then her scent hit me and it took everything I had not to stagger backwards. My mind went blank and I forced myself to focus on my family and the guard. My family needed me to keep them alive. Even though they had not left the cover of the forest, I could see the anonymous girl focused on me again. They stopped just inside the tree line to solidify their formation, if that were even possible before stepping into the clearing.
They all stared at us as they moved into their places. The moment they stopped, all but the leader flicked back their hoods with a quick wave of their hand. The something I couldn't quite catch happened and they all shifted to face different members of the family. I ended up with Jane in front of me, the last vampire I wanted anywhere near me. I could read the shock in the minds of my family as they watched the Volturi move together seamlessly. I knew there had to be a trick to it, but couldn't care to figure it out. For a moment, the Volturi stared at us as my family began to figure out how to combat the individual in front of us as well as the next two closest members of the guard. Alice seemed off but I couldn't place it. Then I felt something strange. I could hear the thoughts of most of the guard. They were blocking me somewhat ineffectively, probably to protect Volturi secrets. The hooded woman nodded silently for towards Jane.
Jane nodded back and said, "Carlisle, you and your family have been accused of crimes against the vampire world. We are here to read these charges and to dole out your sentence. You will be given a chance to defend yourself once the accusations have been read."
Carlisle nodded gravely at Jane, trying to keep his wits about him, knowing that one wrong move could turn into disaster for all of us. Carlisle knew the protocol well and had instructed all of us so that the guard would have no excuse to act prematurely. Alec removed a scroll from the folds of his ankle length cloak and began to read. The accusations were colorful and complete fiction. They were obvious pretense. Aro truly was here to acquire. He had finally made a mistake. He placed too much trust in his guard and now it was going to backfire.
I heard them before I could smell them. Then the acrid scent assaulted my nose, which wrinkled in disgust even though I fought the reaction. The wolves were not happy to be a part of this little adventure and most of them hoped that the plan would not work and they would get to kill some vampires. For the most part, they attempted to keep their wishes in control, but Leah was unable to reign herself in. I could understand why. She blamed us for what had happened between her and Sam. In a way, I could see her point. We were the reason that the wolves had started to phase again. Imprinting was a result of our proximity.
The three lead members of the Volturi were unresponsive at the sight of the wolves standing like nothing had happened. The rest of the guard grew uncomfortable and began to try to figure out what to do about the unforeseen foes. Then the wolves began to move into place in a military type fashion, much like the Volturi had upon their arrival. This created chaos and confusion in the minds of the royal guard. We had the opening necessary for our plan to be effective.
Alec finally finished reading, no one really paying attention to him and then Jane said, "Carlisle do you have any response to the accusations?"
Carlisle thought through his response quickly, nodded at Jane and calmly said, "My family and I are not guilty of the accusations brought against us. These are not children of the moon. For one thing, it is daylight. Children of the moon are stuck to nights with a full moon. Another thing is that unlike true werewolves, these creatures can control themselves and their transformations. Jacob?"
The long list had mentioned our treaty with werewolves, citing that we were siding with our natural enemies. Jacob Black chose that moment to begin to move to the space between the two groups. He was trying to maintain his composure but had no desire to show his true face to these vampires. He knew he was creating a greater risk for himself, which was why he had volunteered, not wanting to force the responsibility on their alpha, Sam or force anyone lower down in the hierarchy to take responsibility. Jacob found a bush that was just the right height and shifted. The whole guard turned to look at the evidence. The hooded figure seemed to take in his form in an appreciative way, which bothered me for some reason, that I could not place my finger on. Then Jacob phased back all their eyes were back on us, the hooded figure again focused in my direction.
Carlisle was about to continue his defense when Jane held up her hand and turned slightly to the central figure. If I had not expected it, I would not have seen it. The woman took a deep breath and then began to walk towards me. Her scent filled the air and it took every piece of strength I had not to run over and drink her scent in. She got so close that I was beginning to see the general outline of her face. She stopped between Carlisle and myself, studying us for a moment. Then she whipped around abruptly to face the guard.
A rough, masked voice said, "Now, you have seen that the accusations against this family are false. However, I can tell you that these accusations were only an excuse. If we were to contact the council now, they would find another reason for this attack. I intercepted a letter from Aro to Jane. He wants three of this clan for their unique abilities. The council now sees it fit to attack other covens and just take what they want for themselves. I will stand by silent no longer while they destroy other's lives. Most of you know the condition of my placement on the guard. This is to be my last mission. According to the council, I am to be released of my service; however, that is also not their intent. They intend to take my daughter from me and force me into continued service. I will not stand by and idly take this. My daughter will remain here, out of their grasp, and I will return to face their corruption of power. You have a choice to make. Do you fight with me against the council, or do you take the lives of innocents and give the Volturi free reign to take whatever they want, no matter the cost?"
The moment she finished speaking, a new shield went up to cover the rest of the guard. They all stood motionless, staring at her in shock, disbelief and I thought I detected signs of horror on a handful of faces. Almost robotically, Felix reached into the front pocket of his black pants and removed his cell phone. He worked the display for a moment, and then held the phone up in the air.
The moment someone picked up Felix said, "Aro, things are very different here than you assumed. The Quileutes are not traditional werewolves. They are merely shape shifters who maintain human-like control while shifted."
Then he touched another button just in time for a tiny voice to coldly said, "Take them out anyway. The Cullens are too powerful to be allowed. I don't care if they are real wolves or not. I want Alice, Jasper and Edward for the guard. Do it. Now!"
The faces of the guard morphed into shock, anger and disbelief. The hooded girl continued to block me from their thoughts.
Felix shook in rage, but his voice came out in a detached calm tone as he said, "As you wish. Your orders regarding the girl still stand?"
Aro's voice was guarded and wary as he said, "Of course. If this is a problem, I can send Chelsea to assist you."
Felix gravely said, "Her presence will not be necessary, Aro. We will take care of it."
Felix clicked another button and then put the phone away. He took a deep breath and said, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I have never been away from Chelsea as much as I have been lately. I am finding her influence is greatly diminished. I find that I do not hold the council in the same regard as I had previously. I believe they are wrong."
The Felix took a step towards the mystery woman and Demetri followed a split second later. The shield protecting the rest of the guard suddenly fell. The rest of the guard was shaken to the core. They knew what this action would mean. They all innately understood this meant a fight in Italy if they refused it here. However, most of the guard also knew that the moment they arrived back in the castle, they would never have this much freedom of thought again. A girl named Felicia shook herself, took a firm stance and then joined Felix and Demetri. Then Heidi realized something that should have been painfully obvious. The reason that the guard was able to throw off Chelsea's influence was simple. Something had interrupted it. She gazed at the girl and thought that it was – and then she walked into the shield's circle and I was cut off. She had been a word away from revealing the cloaked girl's identity and chance had taken it away from me. Slowly the group under the shield grew until Jane and Alec were the only ones left outside. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they had already planned to side with Nessie's mother.
They looked for a moment longer and then twin smiles spread across their angelic faces. They moved swiftly towards the hooded girl and threw their arms around her simultaneously. The force of their impacts threw the woman's hood back to reveal long brown locks with a slight wave and ting of red. The girl gasped and recovered her hood. In that brief glimpse, my brain started making obvious connections. Her hair, her scent, she had a daughter – my heart didn't dare to hope but my head was forcing the conclusion on me in larger and larger waves.
I took a step forward and then one piece clicked – Alice. If she was my love, Alice would have seen it, would have said something to me. The hope was instantly dashed and I began to sob, collapsing on the ground. The hole in my silent heart was consuming me. I no longer had the strength to fight the pain. It overwhelmed me completely. Rose and Alice's arms were almost instantly around me, trying to comfort me. Alice was moving her mouth for some reason but I couldn't bring myself to care. The haunting girl backed away from me into the midst of the guard. Then they began to move away, towards the tree line, leaving at last. Alice bent down and softly whispered, "Edward, ask her!"
I looked up at my sister in confusion for a split second and then was on my feet, wondering why Alice had been so insistent. I moved towards her, I was going to ask her, and pull back her hood to see her face. I needed to be certain. Just as I reached her, Jane and Alec threw themselves between us, keeping her just out of reach. I knew that they could put me on the ground almost instantly and I would never get any kind of an answer.
Therefore, I straightened and forced out, "What is your name?"
There was no finesse, just raw need in my tone and I knew it had affected her because she began to shake.
She seemed to stand there, torn, for an eternity before she whispered, "Marie."
Then she walked out of sight gracefully with the rest of the guard following behind. I stared after her, wishing with all my might, that another name had left her lips.
I began to move towards the house, intent on changing and then going to the meadow again when Alice held a hand up, wordlessly asking me to stop and directed her thoughts towards me.
Edward, we will leave in exactly two days. You need to pack your room. You don't have time to go back there. I'm sorry.
I nodded reluctantly, her thoughts echoed in Carlisle's mind. I knew I had work to do. It would keep me from focusing on the strange girl. A moment later, the door cracked open and Nessie peaked out at us. She looked at all of us, her expression unreadable, her thoughts effectively contained. Someone had trained her well. Looking at this little slip of a girl, a representative of what I could have had, what my foolish choice had taken away from me, the hole threatened to overwhelm me.
I rudely turned away from the girl and bitingly said, "Alice, keep her away from me. I can't take it."
Nessie's face fell, tears glistening unshed in her eyes. A small part of me felt horrible for hurting her, but I knew it was the only way to keep my sanity. I focused on Alice who nodded and thought about how much she wished things were different and that I needed to tell the poor girl that it had nothing to do with her.
I nodded once at Alice, turned to Nessie and said, "I can't be around you. It has nothing to do with you, dear one. It's just too painful for me. I'll explain someday, if I can. I'm sorry – please don't take it personally and please respect my needs."
The girl looked at me crestfallen and nodded, biting her lip in a gesture that mockingly reminded me of my Bella. There was just too much humanity in this little one and I couldn't stand it. I swept past her, into my room and attempted to block the thoughts of my family by blasting some ridiculous rap CD that I couldn't stand.
I packed my room, the task helping me shut off my mind. I tried not to think, I tried to stay numb, knowing that being around this girl was going to be even more painful than I originally realized. More than anything, I wanted what I had lost all those years ago. I wanted my Bella and my child. Nessie was fates' cruel reminder of exactly what I had lost.
The next morning my family went to meet with the guard again, wanting to offer their assistance in Italy, seeing it as the least we could do for them considering the fact that they had spared our lives. Alice begged me to go with them but I refused, relieved at the idea of an hour or two on my own. Nessie went with them, intent on spending whatever time she could with her mother. I was thrilled at the idea that I would have a little while without her around. I knew I was going to have to figure out how to be strong enough to be around her eventually, but it was going to take some time to get there.
They returned without Nessie exactly three hours later. Their response was exactly what Alice had expected. Our job in their eyes was to protect Nessie, as if she was a part of our family.
Nessie returned in the early evening, in tears, missing her mother deeply. She had no idea when or if she would see her again. I felt bad for the girl. She was going through a lot. Alice tried to encourage me to talk to her, to help her deal with it but it was more than I could handle. I snapped at Alice and forced her from my room. Jasper was not happy with me but reluctantly understood, feeling the emotions coming from me. He gently told Alice that she was going to have to back off. Alice immediately declared a desire to go hunting and Jasper cheerfully left with her. It was an obvious cover to get some time away from the house and me but I couldn't bring myself to care.
The next day, Marie came to the house very briefly just to say goodbye to her daughter. She never said a word in range of the house or took her hood off. I heard Emmett ask Nessie, "What's with your mom and the hood, kiddo?"
Nessie's heart sped up and her breathing hitched before she blatantly lied, "Emmett, she is a very private person. She's been hurt – severely. She doesn't trust many people to even know what she looks like. It's not personal."
Instantly, I knew the girl was lying. She began to guard her thoughts even more closely. I knew it was a lie and yet I couldn't care. She had her reasons, her mother had her reasons – it was none of our business.
An hour later, Jacob Black's thoughts became loud and clear. He had been sent to discuss treaty information because we were leaving the area. It was a formality, but the treaty forced us to meet every time we came back and left. Sam had sent Jacob, not willing to be bothered with it, having a wedding to plan and a fiancée to please. Nessie answered the door and for Jacob everything stopped. I felt the moment everything else in his world ceased to matter and she became the center of his universe. Nessie remained oblivious and an unfamiliar sound escaped my lips. Esme ducked her head in and I realized that for the first time in forever, I had laughed. Esme questioned me in her thoughts and I shook my head, knowing Jacob was not quite ready to tell this girl what had just happened.
I walked down the stairs slowly, smirking at Jacob smugly as I looked at him. He had been in love with Bella. She had never given him the time of day of course, but now his whole life had shifted and this little hybrid girl had become the center of his universe. I looked at Jacob and said, "You're going to have to tell her sooner or later. Might as well get it over with mutt."
Jacob's eyes narrowed and he glared at me before turning to Nessie and saying, "I think we need to talk. It's important."
Nessie looked at me with confusion and at Jacob with distrust. She had grown up with a healthy fear of werewolves instilled by her 'uncle' Caius. I looked back at her and said, "Nessie, he won't hurt you. Trust me on this one."
I was the only one who had caught the exchange and went to find Carlisle. We had just adopted a puppy. A big overgrown love-sick puppy. At least Jacob was good for a momentary distraction. I could already see Rosalie buying him food bowls. This was going to get very interesting. I needed interesting. Anything to keep me from thinking about Bella and what might have been.
