Chapter Twenty Five

Emmett

Everyone was pleased that Bella was coming over as Jasper's guest, even and probably most surprising of all Rosalie. She loved Jasper as if he really were her twin brother and I know how much she had worried about him since he lost Alice. Bella might not be her ideal choice for Jazz but even she could see the difference meeting her had made to him. Suddenly he seemed to come alive again and this time, it was genuine not faked to help Esme feel better. For the first time, the house felt like a home again and the Christmas spirit flickered more brightly. Things would never be the same again, how could they? But life went on and we had to make the most of things.

I watched as Bella appeared looking a little intimidated on Jasper's arm and smiled trying to put her at her ease but, of course, it was Esme who came to the rescue as always with a bright smile and a hug. Once seated and with a mug of coffee, the rest of us ignoring our own but accepting the drinks from Esme for local color Bella seemed to relax a little. Carlisle and Rosalie had been playing backgammon and when they found out Bella knew how to play a mini championship was set up. Of course, no one ever beat Carlisle usually but I think maybe he cheated a bit because Bella seemed to be holding her own when I got a call from Darius and excused myself.

"Right, are you alone only I've got a shit heap of things to tell you and some are gonna be a huge shock."

"Yeah, I'm in the garage, why? Is it her? Was I right?"

"I'm not sure I should even be telling you all this Em, I should be talking to Carlisle by rights."

"Carlisle? Why? I never really spoke about my theory to him, only Jazz. Come on man, is Star Bella's sister?"

"Emmett, I heard the story about Edward and the human girl he found. I know they were a thing and I know the stupid ass-headed fool refused to turn her then when she told him to fuck off decided to fall on his sword."

"So? That's old news Darius, don't start dragging it all up again, it'll kill Esme and Carlisle and they're only just getting themselves straight again. Just answer the damn question...please."

There was a short silence and then he began to speak rapidly, almost too fast for my vampire hearing, but by the time he had finished I was speechless.

"Are you sure? Absolutely sure?"

"Yes."

"Wow! What the hell do we do now?"

"Nothing, there's nothing anyone can do, nothing that will change things anyway. It's best to let sleeping dogs lie I think Emmett. Besides, what difference will knowing the truth make?"

"I don't know I can do that Darius. They have a right to know the truth, all of them."

"Even if it causes a rift? What happens if Carlisle calls Aro a liar? How do you think he would react to that? You could get the whole family killed, but it's down to you now if you tell them I'll back you up, if you don't I'll forget what I know."

I put my phone back in my pocket slowly stunned, my mind whirling with the ramifications of Darius words. All this time Aro had lied, he had let us think Edward and Alice dead and Star a prisoner of the Volturi when in fact they were all alive and living in Italy although not all against their will. I could see why Aro wanted Star, she had a shield and Carlisle had pointed out how valuable that made her to the Volturi. I could even see that in a pinch he would pick her over Edward whose talent was very much like his own but Alice? How could she possibly go along with all this? Put the family through it all knowing how much it would hurt us all, not to mention Jazz although I guess she thought she had done the right thing by leaving him that letter. I guess we should have understood that the relationship between Edward and Star had been something unusual, not mates as we had all thought. No, it was something else entirely, all this time she had been his singer, luring him in with the scent of her blood which he fought to hide from not only us but himself too.

So, Edward had found his mate but not Star, another in Volterra and Alice was held as a companion for Star who was now a vampire but a highly unstable one. Darius thought that was what had saved Alice's life. The only other person Star would recognize as a friend was Alice. Anyone else approaching her would find themselves dead or as good as. Aro couldn't control Star without Alice and she wouldn't let him use Star as a weapon so there was a stalemate. Star's shield was too powerful to be overcome even by Alec so in effect he held a live grenade in one greasy hand, pin out, that would blow up in his face if he so much as relaxed a muscle. It was almost funny, if not so tragic for the other players. He couldn't let her go, she could be lethal to the Volturi but he had no idea what to do with her.

Poor Alice and Star, but as for Edward, now there was a twenty carat gold bastard. He could have come back or let us know he was alive and safe, happy even but he had chosen to stay put in Volterra with Jane and make a nice little life for himself as one of Aro's pets. The ironic thing was that his only value had been as a control on Star and he failed even in that. If he hadn't been recognized by Jane as her mate he would have been deemed redundant and killed. Now he was swanning around the citadel like a fucking vampire Prince bathing in the reflected glory of his mate. How Aro and the brothers had kept this a secret for so long I couldn't imagine but then no one had thought to question Aro's words, Carlisle accepted that his friend had told him the truth about Edward and Alice, after all, what reason did he have to lie? A very good one or so it turned out but now I knew the truth and had to decide what to do about it knowing Darius thought the best course was to hold my tongue, no one would know if I did...no one that is except me and I couldn't live with the lie, I never could abide all the secrecy, it was bad enough living a lie among humans without keeping secrets from my own family. Besides it would only be a while before I opened my big mouth and put my foot in it and then I would be in even more trouble for withholding the truth. Well, this was going to make for an interesting extra Christmas present for the family, Bella too if Jazz thought she should know, and if he and she were indeed mates then she would have to know everything in any case.

Deciding there was no point putting off the evil hour I went back inside to find the rest playing Trivial Pursuit and myself roped in on Carlisle's team along with Rose. They could tell there was something on my mind but I certainly wasn't going to go into details with Bella sitting there all innocent and unaware so I just shook my head briefly in warning when Rose asked what was the matter. I found myself getting into the game despite the thoughts whirling around my head and when Bella said she had better be getting back I offered to drive, my truck was the best with all this snow around and I wanted a chance to speak to Jazz alone and in private and driving home from Forks would allow that. In the event, Rose came for the ride too and once we dropped Bella off and Jazz had said a long goodbye on the porch I drove back slowly explaining everything that Darius had told me.