When we got off the plane, we stopped in a gift shop, buying long coats, gloves, hats, and such to cover ourselves from the sun. When we reach the parking lot, Alice steals a sleek yellow car that looks very fast. A Porsche 911 turbo, she calls it. We speed through the winding roads, and for once, I don't mind. My new eyes, though covered by sunglasses, like the sight of the trees whizzing by.
When we get to the gates at 11:43 a.m., there is a long line of tour buses and many parked cars. Alice uses her vampire beauty and money to persuade the poor man working the gates to let us pass. When we finally park, it's 11:53.
"Run, Bella, but at a human pace. You breaking into vampire speed in front of everyone would do us no good. Just head for the big clock tower, I'll be there soon." She says. I jump out, making sure none of my skin is exposed, and race through the crowds of people. I'm not going too fast, just track star fast. I shove through clusters of people, my eyes on the big clock the whole time. It's ticks of the seconds seem to boom in my ears.
At 11:59, I can see a small break between the clock building and the building next to it. That's where my Edward must be, hiding in the shadows until the clock chimes noon. There must be some kind of parade going on, I realize, because the crowds of people are too thick for a normal day. I begin to scream Edward's name, calling it again and again, but the people's voices drown mine out, and soon the chiming of the clock joins in. I have five seconds before the worst of Alice's visions becomes true. There is a break in the masses of people, and I see Edward for the first time in months. I stop for a fraction of a second, dazed by his beauty and the sculpted muscles of his bare white chest, when I see him take a preparatory breath.
I run, a little too fast across a fountain, and then throw my self at him, causing us both to collide back with a loud thud, ad some people to glance at us, but most keep their eyes on the parade. He stares at me for a second before saying, "Oh God, please don't tell me hell is where my worst nightmares come true." with agonized eyes.
I imagine my eyes would resemble that, the glasses thrown off from the impact. Me being an eternal annoyance is one of his worst nightmares?
"Edward," I say, his name stinging my already dry throat, "you're not in hell. You're going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble if you don't get as far from the sun as possible, though." He makes no notice of my last words, just strokes my hair and says, "Bella?" It makes it easy to pretend he loves me, and my love for him has, impossibly, intensified, by seeing him with new eyes, and hearing him with new ears.
"Come on." I say, shoving him backwards with no effort at all. His hands made slight indentations when he braced himself from hitting his head on the cobblestone, not that it would hurt.
He heard the light footsteps of a vampire before I did. He grabbed me, shoving me against the brick walls and crouching in front of me defensively. I like that he cares enough about me to protect me from these unknown immortals even though he no longer has the guilt of my supposed death on his shoulders, but I still feel I can protect myself now that I'm a vampire, newborn or not. I didn't shove in front of him, just stood next to him and whispered, "I'm not so fragile as I was before, I can protect myself." That same agony filled his midnight eyes, and he tried to push me behind him again. I surprised myself by being stronger than him. He gave up as two cloaked figures came into view. Even with my eyes, I can barely make out their pale faces. They mostly just seem like crimson irises from inside darkness. It scared me. I know my eyes must be almost identical to theirs, other than the few topaz specks that are probably not noticeable now when they're onyx, but it's still frightening. Edward tried harder to push me, but I only moved half a centimeter from where I was originally standing.
"Ah, Edward, good to know you are still here." One said in a deep throaty voice, flinging the cloak from his head to reveal long, wavy blonde hair and a face with the beauty of all vampires and a slightly olive complexion. Edward gritted his teeth.
"Hello, Demetri. I am just waiting on the sun." Edward lied smoothly, gesturing to the busy city with his hand, the barest hint of anger and tension in his voice.
"Aro wishes to see you." The other said bluntly, flinging his cloak back also. He has an almost identical olive complexion as Demetri, though his hair is black and cropped short. Edward growled in response to something he was thinking.
"I don't think that is necessary, I have done nothing wrong." He said politely.
"You are not being punished, Aro just wants further chatting time." Demetri said. Edward hissed.
"Fine, I will talk with Aro, but Bella stays here." He said. The black haired one laughed.
"Oh, no ,no, Aro would certainly love to meet your little companion." Another growl rumbled from Edward's chest.
"No." He said in a deadly voice. Demetri laid a hand on his partner's shoulder in an almost restraining way.
"Don't push him, Felix, we wouldn't want to upset a guest." He whispered. There was a slight pause as another set of light footsteps rushed to meet us. Edward and I melted our rigid stances at exactly the same time when Alice's tiny figure danced into view and her citrus scent hit us. I saw both Felix and Demetri's eyes harden. They are outnumbered, though I don't pose much of a threat. Alice took her place next to us and casually asked, "What did I miss?" with the most innocent expression.
"Nothing really, our master would just like a short conversation with our good friend Edward and his little mate. He's being rather subborn, though." Demetri said. I winced at him calling me Edward's mate, and shivered when I thought of this person they call master.
"I don't think Bella's presence is necessary." Alice said, turning serious and business like.
"On the contrary, it is. Aro-"
"Loves to welcome all newborns into the immortal world." Demetri interrupted Felix's comment, giving him a sharp elbow in the side. Edward snarled again. I didn't like the mischievous grin on Felix's face.
Another scent hit me, like sour candy that makes your face pucker and your eyes water, yet it is so good you just have to go back for more. Felix's smile went from mischievous to triumphant and a bit taunting. A boy, even smaller than Alice, came into view. He has chin-length black hair, but his cloak conceals the rest of him. It startled me when newest member of our confrontation flung back his cloak and I realized he is actually a she. Her red eyes, which are even more sinister than any others I have ever seen, seem out of place on her angelic face.
"Is there a problem, boys?" She asks in a sickly sweet voice, going to stand by the other members of the Volturi.
"Greetings, Jane. Yes, there is a slight problem, Edward is a bit reluctant to bring his mate along to have a short visit with Aro." Demetri said, and shares a long meaningful glance with the girl, causing Edward to stiffen in response.
"No. Don't. We will go, but you will not hurt Bella in any way." Edward says grudgingly. Jane smiled.
"I thought that was what you would say. Well, hurry along now, the people here are becoming wary." She says, shooting a glare a group of overly curious couples. They all immediately scurry away from her intense focus.
"Stay close." Edward murmurs in my ear, and I shiver in pleasure at the feeling of his cool breath against my new and more sensitive skin. I thought I could detect a hint of a smile playing on his lips, but I couldn't quite tell. Jane led us forward and Demetri and Felix followed from behind.
We go at vampire speed through many dark chambers until we reach an off-white lobby like area. I smell the human before I see her. I am very thirsty, and I hadn't been paying attention to the humans, which is why I hadn't tried to kill them. But this beating heart is only fifty yards away and I could drink from her in the blink of an eye. Edward notices my stare and can probably smell the venom pooling in my mouth, so he wraps his arms around me. I wouldn't have minded, if his arms would have been loving or comforting instead of restraining.
"Hello, Gianna." Felix purrs, winking at her. She giggles and blushes slightly, and my body tenses for the kill.
"Alice." Edward grunts. I hadn't realized I am actually trying to get away from him. How silly of me, to try to get away from this extraordinary creature. My body relaxes and slumps, but Alice grabs one arm just in case, and Edward grabs the other.
They continue to lead us down a few more dark chambers and into a huge bright and amazing room. There is three golden thrones in the back, the middle one occupied by a man with long flowing black hair, papery white skin, deep burgundy eyes, and a pitch black cloak.
"Edward! Oh there you are! And look! Alice and Bella!" He crows in a cheerful voice.
"And what is this? You're little human has been given the kiss of immortality? Oh how exciting!" He says, and Edward and I both flinch.
"Ah, I love a happy ending..." He sighed.
"Marcus, Caius, come look!" He called, and two more black cloaked figures floated in, taking there places on the two side thrones.
"Bella, dear, I would like to introduce myself, I am Aro, leader of the Volturi and these are my brothers, Marcus," He pointed to a dark haired one who looked utterly bored, "And Caius," He nodded towards the other one who has snow white hair and sinister eyes.
"Um, nice to meet you," I mumbled, looking down. Aro let out a laugh that filled up the whole chamber and bounced off the walls, and then ghosted towards us.
"Edward here as told us of your unique mind shield. My power is to read every though a person has ever had just by a touch. And I was wondering...." He said, extending his arm towards me. I looked up at Edward, panic in my eyes. What if it doesn't work and he sees E.J? Edward nodded towards him, encouraging me. I brushed my hand against Aro's. Nothing happened.
"Hmm...interesting...I wonder if-"
"No. Not that. I am very sorry, Aro, truly, but we must go."
"Oh dear, I am so sorry, Edward, please forgive my rudeness. If you must go, I understand, but don't go on behalf of my thoughtlessness." He said sincerely.
"It's quite alright, but Carlisle and Esme must be so worried," Edward said, inching towards the doors.
"Oh yes, I had forgotten all about my dear friend. I suppose we must depart," He said with a sigh.
"Well maybe another time. Alec please escort them back to the city, but wait till the sun has gone. We shouldn't arouse suspicions now should we?" He said with an eerie smile and a wave of his odd, think white hand with onion peel like flesh.
A young boy wearing a completely black cloak led us back to the bright room with the human. I didn't even notice her, though, I was too busy taking Edward in, knowing I only have a limited time with him and wanting to be able to describe him in detail to our son one day.
His glossy bronze hair was in that same perfect dissary, and I could now see all the individual shades of gold, red, and brown of each strand that turned it that stunning color. His skin was still creamy white, and his eyes were as dark as Alec's cloak with purpleish marks underneath them that were honestly a bit frightening. His lips were pursed, and my lips longed to press against them once again. I could faintly see the traces of a scar that is shaped somewhat like Africa that his hair almost completely covered that must of been so bad that vampirism couldn't totally heal it, and it added a touch of manliness to his appearance. Overall, he was utterly gorgeous and I wanted to start weeping at the thought of losing him again.
When Alec left us, Edward swiftly grabbed me and pulled me onto his chest, rocking us back and forth and whispering, "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry, my Bella, not you, this shouldn't have happened to you."
"What are you talking about?" I said in a shushed voice, not really wanting the secretary to hear us.
"Why, how, what happened?" He asked, gesturing to my eyes. I knew instantly what he meant. Why am I a vampire.
"I don't want to tell you," I said, suddenly afraid of his rejection of E.J. How badly that would hurt...
"Please, Bella, please tell me," He begged, his onyx eyes pleading.
"You don't want to know,"
"Of course I don't. Why would I want to know what happened that caused your soul to become damned. But I need to know."
"I well, I..." I tried to shove the words past my lips, but it just wasn't going to happen.
"Edward, seriously, get off her case! She will tell you when she wants!" Alice always had my back, and I loved her so much for it.
Edward glared at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
After a few minutes, Edward randomly yelled, "ALICE!! Why do you keep singing "Barbie Girl" in your head, an octave too high I might add." I knew why. Alice was trying to keep Edward from knowing about E.J.
"Oh, no reason." She said with a shrug.
"You know how she got changed don't you?" He asked, eyes narrowing.
"Maybe." She said with that devilish smile, and I felt complete and whole for the first time in a long time. I felt at home with them even though we were in the middle of hell and all my joyous thoughts were tinged with dispair as the lurking doom of Edward's departure fought to gain my attention.