Chapter 20- Volterra
"What are we doing?" Maggie asked grabbing Liam and Zafrina's hand.
"Instead of telling us what she learned in Volterra she is giving us a firsthand look ourselves." Edward answered her.
"It's going to feel real, but whatever you do, don't pull away." Bella warned.
I mouthed 'thank you' to Bella and smiled, she winked me a 'you're welcome' before I continued. "It helps if you close your eyes, you will be able to see only what I am showing you." I watched everyone close their eyes and dropped my head.
I started to pull them into my memories of Italy…
Marcus, Aro, and Caius are in their normal seats watching as a dark haired man and another black haired man of Hispanic origin entered the room in all black cloaks.
'Ah, Corin, Santiago, how are the new additions coming?' Aro smiling a brittle smile that was meant to be endearing.
'Very well master,' Santiago walked forward slowly extending his hand while kneeling at Aro's feet. Aro standing and taking his hand…
"I told you she was one of them!" Alistair said pulling his hands back and breaking the connection. "How was she there to see this?" he accused.
"She is remembering what she saw in the mind of another, Alistair." Edward answered impatiently.
"I didn't go into the walls of the city. I only got close enough to get into Demetri's mind and I jumped to different minds from there." I was feeling myself about to zap him again. "Maggie please confirm that I am not lying. I can feel Alistair isn't the only one that's uneasy."
Maggie sighed, we don't have time for this "She isn't lying, now can we get back to what she was showing us? I would like to know what is coming."
The Cullen family, Jacob, Seth and Maggie never dropped their hands. The rest of then hesitated before grabbing and reforming the circle. The thoughts were still uneasy, I couldn't concentrate. "Look, if you don't trust what you are seeing feel free to step out of the circle." No one's curiosity would the them step out from the circle.
"Please keep going Asima." Esme encouraged. I dropped my head and continued.
'Very well master,' Santiago walked forward slowly extending his hand while kneeling at Aro's feet. Aro standing and taking his hand…
'Very well indeed, I can see Carlos is developing quickly.'
'He is still very young master.' Santiago acknowledged. 'But he is far enough along that if there is attack he will do.'
' I don't think that it will be necessary to rush him. Demetri where are the Cullen's?' Marcus asked
We could see Demetri's mind pull out, 'The are still in New Hampshire, they haven't left.'
Thank goodness… I could hear my inner voice.
'You see Caius, there is no need to worry. They aren't planning an attack.' Aro was amused.
'Then why did Margaux see them attacking?' Caius questioned angrily.
'Margaux is still young, we can't understand how she see's yet. Pity Alice couldn't…' his thoughts trailed off. 'Never the less, we will have more than enough to be ready if they decide to.'
'Santiago…Corin, thank you.' Marcus dismissed tiredly.
I opened my eyes and looked up, no one dropped my their hands. "Now I am going to show you a conversation I was able to hear a little later through Corin. There was a reason why Corin never offered his hand to Aro. Let's continue." Everyone closed their eyes again.
'Did you have any luck with the Egyptians?' Caius asked in private quarters. The room was smaller than the main hall that they were in at first. There was a single chair in this room. The floors were no longer marble but covered in a large red area rug. The fire place was one large enough to stand in and remained unlit. There Caius sat.
'Me and a team were able to exterminate Amun and his mate, we also got Tia, but Benjamin escaped. The girl helped him.' Corin wasn't thrilled with having to deliver the news.
'Who is this girl? The same one that saved the two Irish?' he was outraged.
'Yes the same…' I don't know if I should add the rest he seems already too upset.
'What more is there?' Caius could tell he was hesitant.
'We went looking for the amazons, they are gone. I went to where Margaux sent us but there was no scent of them.'
'Probably the girl no doubt. Any luck on trying to find her?'
'No, it's hard to track her, her scent is unfamiliar and mixed with human. Maybe Demetri ¾'
'No, not Demetri, then Aro and Marcus will know. They are still certain of the Cullen's innocence. I must take care of this separately. Just get to as many as possible, but avoid the werewolves and the Denali coven. I'm sure that the psychic can see that.'
'Yes master.'…
I opened my eyes, Edward was about to ask a question. "Please Edward, can we hold the questions until the end I have more to show you?" He nodded and closed his eyes. "I was able to get into the head of one of the new additions. His name is Carlos, he is one of the many talented that Aro recruited."
I am hungry, maybe I can just go above ground and pull someone down. 'I am hungry, why won't they let us hunt in the city?'
'Because vampires aren't supposed to exist dumb ass' a male vampire with deep crimson eyes and blonde hair answered, he couldn't have turned any older than sixteen.
'Shut up Orin' a pale faced female with long black hair ordered in a thick French accent. Her bang cut straight across barely above her eyes. It made her a lot more frightening than the average vampire. He complied right away.
'You know that Santiago doesn't like you to use your powers on us Eskarne.' Another girl with long curly hair reminded her. She seemed to have an innocence to her when she spoke.
'Don't bother talking to her Mora. She thinks that she has special shoes because Aro took a liking to her.' we could hear Carlos's voice teasing. Eskarne just glared into his eyes. He laughed, 'That doesn't work on me remember?' Who does she think she is? 'Since you can't control using your powers I will.'
'Give me my powers back.' Eskarne growled.
'Shh, the half-breeds are coming.' Mora whispered.
Three beautiful brown-skinned women walked in. They all had the same shade of brown eyes. They wore grey cloaks that differed from the black ones the rest of them wore. They walked past the table where the other vampires were sitting, their nose up in the air. None of the girls even glanced in the direction of the table let alone at any of them. They continued straight to the other doorway and walked through. When they were out of earshot they started talking again.
'Why weren't they killed with their father?' A girl blonde with a short boyish hair cut asked.
'Aro is fascinated with them Ulya.' Carlos answered laughing again. 'Just like the rest of us, we're special, no one in the guard is like us.' Carlos boasted.
'Yes but Caius and Corin have a separate use for us than what was told. I can feel it. They are planning something, and the rest of the brothers are oblivious.' A red haired boy with a sharp features warned with dark eyes.
'Oh please Palin. You and your conspiracy theories.' Eskarne laughed.
'I think he is right. Corin is gone more than the rest of them.' Mora defended.
'Well he wouldn't go against Aro and Marcus.' Eskarne rebutted.
'He will if he has reason.' a short vampire with dark red eyes spoke for the first time. Though her skin was pale a hint of her old tan peaked beneath the surface. She was curvier than the rest of the sharp, angular featured vampires. 'I have seen others attacking before you all came.' Her voice had a strong Spanish accent.
'Well now that we are here, I don't expect them to have a chance.' Carlos's voice remained superior.
'Don't get cocky, you are only a month old newborn. The only reason the rest of you aren't killing each other is because Santiago told Eskarne to make sure you don't.' Margaux snapped at him.
'You aren't too far from new yourself.' Orin pointed out.
'I am old enough to not kill you even though you are pushing it.' Margaux shot him a warning glare.
Orin looked at Margaux and her fierce expression faded, she started to slightly tremble. Her eyes darted around swiftly. Orin intensified his gaze and she sank in her chair letting out a slight whimper.
'Enough Orin!' Eskarne snapped at him. He straightened in his chair but didn't respond.
Margaux straightened up glaring at him. Carlos laughed, 'Not so tough now huh Margaux.'
'Be quiet Carlos.' Eskarne said standing from her seat. 'Come, Santiago will be expecting us to join the others for training.'
'We don't need training,' Carlos mumbled to himself as he followed swiftly behind the other nine vampires….
"Okay that was what I was able to gather from Volterra." I said dropping my hand so that they knew I was finished this time.
"How much did their guard grow?" Jasper asked breaking the silence. I sighed, I didn't want to answer. "Asima please." He urged
"The original thirty-two have grown. Eight vampires with talents, three half- vampires like Nessie, and an extra ten fighters. So fifty-three in all." Jasper didn't like the numbers.
"Fifty-three vampires to twenty-one?" Zafrina gasped at the thought.
"The packs will help." Jacob added offended that they weren't counted.
"Jacob how many wolves are there?" I asked him hopefully.
"Mine has five, Sam's pack has twelve." Jacob answered.
"Okay that's seventeen more," Esme added cheerfully.
"What about Kate and the rest. They will help, their lives are in danger too." Alice reminded.
"That's another five." Rosalie added hopefully.
Jasper still looked uneasy at the numbers. I spoke to put out the mental picture. " That is fifty-three to forty-three, that isn't as bad Jasper. Plus I know the eight extra talents. We can easily avoid them if we are prepared. I help anyone that wants to learn how to grow their gifts. That will make us stronger."
"I suppose it can work. But we have to strategize immediately. It will take time to prepare."
"But Aro and Marcus don't want to fight with us." Charlotte said remembering my vision.
"No they don't right now. But Aro will side with Caius when he finds out what Caius has been doing. He will see it as an opportunity to acquire Bella and Alice."
"But they already have the Margaux girl, she has the gift of sight too." Carlisle pondered in the air.
"No, it's not the same. Margaux is limited in her sight. She is no where near as strong as Alice is now, let alone how she will be once I am done working with her. Margaux sees random glimpses. She herself doesn't even know why she see's them nor does she see the choices that influence them. Caius is creating the same inevitability that he is trying to avoid by wiping out our allies."
"There is no way to avoid a fight this time is there?" Edward asked me. Even though I knew the thought was Carlisle's .
"No, it's as inevitable as the sun setting and rising. The only thing that we can do is survive the best way we can."
"Looks like our time has come," Stefan told Vladimir excited.
"Then we will do what we need too." Carlisle sighed. "Anyone who wants to leave, now is the time." He offered.
No one budged. "My coven is staying, it's either stand together and have a chance or leave and be hunted down." Zafrina said.
"We're staying." Maggie said committing her and Liam.
"Us too," Peter added for him and Charlotte.
"They killed my coven, I'm staying." Benjamin nodded. "Asima when can I start?"
"We have to find a place for us to work but that shouldn't take more than a¾" I was so use to tuning out the thoughts that annoyed me that, it surprised me when I heard Alice snarl.
"Stop him Asima!" I saw in Alice's mind Alistair's face but not enough to know what was happening.
I threw my shield around him trapping him at the door. "I was preoccupied Alice sorry, what did you see?" I asked her focusing on the shield.
"He is planning on going to the Volturi. Telling him what he knows, in exchange for amnesty." Edward growled from deep within his chest. Everyone else started hissing and snarling at the shield.
I let out a small laugh. I had foreseen this as a possibility when we were in Madrid. "Silly fool. They aren't going to grant you amnesty, they will take your information and kill you after." I tightened the shield so that he couldn't move at all.
I walked up slowly to the shield and he snarled. "Get away from me!"
"Be careful Asima," Esme warned.
Jacob grabbed my arm trying to tell me not to continue forward. I shook it off easily. I opened a small hole in the shield where his hand was stuck to his side. I put my finger through touching his cold hand, and he stiffened as I showed him dying by the hands of Felix and Demetri.
"See," I smiled as I watched his face absorb my warning.
I will be watching to see if you decided to try to warn them. I won't let you get that far. The moment that you decide to leave you will be no different from the dozens of other vampires I have killed. I will kill you before you can make it out of state, whether you're Carlisle's friend or not. Nod if you plan to be good, when I speak.
"See, what I mean? There is no good from trying to save yourself. You will end up just dying anyway." I smiled smugly.
He nodded, "I see."
I released my shield and turned back to the rest of the group. Edward raised an eyebrow, I knew that he could hear my orders through Alistair's mind but remained mentally silent. Don't look at me like that. It's either I kill him or your family gets killed. They are going to kill him anyway. I would just kill him sooner.
You have a point. He admitted.
I will keep an eye on him Asima, I heard Alice's high mental voice promise me. I gave her a slight nod to let her know I heard her.
"How long do we have?" Carlisle asked looking at Alistair. His thought's weren't as forgiving this time.
I closed my eyes trying to scan. "We have seven months before they know that I am with you. And three months after that before they attack."
Jasper was happy with that news, "That was better than we've had before.
"What about the traitor?" Vladimir asked speaking for the first time since the visions. "If he is planning on going to the Volturi we should kill him now." I could tell that a lot of people were agreeing with that idea.
"He will behave," Edward said looking at him with a smirk on his face. "Alice and Asima will make sure of that."
Alice cut him a look. "He won't leave."
"I will work Peter, Charlotte, Alastair and Benjamin into the hunting schedule" Esme offered.
"Good idea Esme, can you make theirs soon? If you can't I will take them out myself. They had a little on the plane but it wasn't enough to make them last very long." I suggested.
Everyone gave me a bewildered look. "You let them feed on the plane?" Jasper asked in disbelief. Emmett didn't seem to care much.
Peter, Charlotte, and Benjamin laughed, "Charlotte and Peter hadn't hunted in weeks. No one would have survived the flight if I didn't do something." I defended myself letting them assume the worse.
"You killed a human?" Ness gasped upset.
"No Renesmee, no one died. She stole some blood from a hospital before we left." Benjamin laughed. That was the first time I had seen him smile since we found him.
"Wow, I thought you guys knew me." I laughed rolling my eyes. "Can you work them in tonight Esme?"
"We can form two groups for the sake of tonight and I can work them in later."
"Jasper and Edward, are you both hunting tonight?" I asked them hoping that schedule didn't include them.
"No we go next week." Edward answered.
"Good I need you two. And Carlisle if you are available. We need to talk strategy. We need to find a way to organize the ones with talents and the ones without."
"Rosalie, can you explain everything to your extended family and tell them to come. I would rather not get attacked."
"I can do that." Rosalie pulled out her cell phone and started dialing. She spoke in the phone silently and quickly as the thirsty guests headed out to hunt.
"Okay guys, let's get started." I said pulling my long-sleeved shirt over my head and off and throwing it in my large purse.
"Ok, let's go upstairs, I have a board up there we can work on. It'll help us visualize better." Jasper suggested.
"Good idea." I said running upstairs as the rest of the Cullen's followed with Jacob and Seth.