Chapter 24 - Destined
Nicole
I stood staring into an empty fireplace. Lane had left not but a minute ago to help Afton finish the final preparations on our transportation. It was getting harder and harder to have him away from me, but it couldn't be helped. I was uncomfortable with this whole situation. I felt cold despite the warm organic theme of crimson and brown in the room.
Being left to my own thoughts always proved detrimental to my health. Everything seemed much worse when you faced it by yourself. How could one person hope to overcome anything? Especially something unknown.
Forks, Washington. The one place in the world I had no desire to see. Ever. And it was the one spot in the whole blasted world that seemed to draw all the most powerful beings in existence to it like a moth to a flame.
What was about the name Forks that made the place so ironic in my opinion? It was the ultimate crossroad. The vampires there had become some kind of guardians of destiny. It started with a vampire falling for a mortal, the scandalous romance that followed, and their decisions shaping the world. Yet, fate seemed determined to test their resolve together, always pushing the hardest buttons and polishing them from sparkling bits of sand into perfect white pearls.
Lane and I had been in the Volturi for only a few days now. Our ears were constantly alert to the gossip floating on the still breeze in the Volturi tower. It also helped when your boyfriend was a literal psychic and could discern information out of nowhere. I'd only wished he'd had that gift when we were human so we could have won the lottery.
I'd been just as surprised as everyone else when David came dashing through the hallway, banging on every door as he flashed by. But no sooner had he said the magic word "party" than all of us were down in the ballroom helping and waiting.
The party had been a big hit too. We all danced late into the night, or was it early in the morning? Anyway, we partied on until Aro swept into the room with his entourage. The master told us we were leaving and that was the official end to the party. It was like the cops had shown up at a college party.
Master. Even when I only said it in my mind the word made me want to scream. The word went beyond the implied power of Judge, President, King, Minister, or even Emperor. Master was so final in its description. It implied that one served the other unconditionally. Maybe that was the appeal of such a word. Who wanted halfhearted servants anyway? I certainly would want people who had my back all the way.
It wasn't that Aro didn't matter to me though. It was a confusing feeling really. At times I felt so connected to Aro it was like he was my father. But at other times I saw him as a tyrannical monster intent on world domination. The Master of the Immortal World.
Lane had discovered the remaining talents of the mysterious guard protecting the ancient vampire we served. A voluptuous brunette named Brandie was the fastest vampire on Earth, her gift giving her mach five capabilities. A male vampire, with olive toned skin and a rich Greek accent, named Muse was a powerful shield. Somehow, he could transfer pain back onto the attacker. It made other vampires very hesitant to attack him.
All the vampires in the guard had some purpose. Demetri was the tracker while Alec and Jane were the main offensive weapons. Muse and Renata were the strong defenses if the offensive proved incapable. Mixed with vampires like Corin and Afton to cover up our tracks and Chelsea and Gloria to bring us closer together and keep us from killing each other, the guard was an assassins' dream job.
Even vampires like the seductress Heidi, that should have known to keep her hands off Lane, had their uses. Her gift was one of pure seduction, which she used effectively when brining humans in for our sustenance. Man or woman, old or young, it didn't matter. When she turned on the charm she was a siren that would not be denied.
Unless of course you have more strength than she does and a really nasty streak in you. She just didn't stand a chance.
The remainder of the guard comprised of well seasoned fighters. They ranged from all over the world, each of them a lethal weapon. These guys were practically bred for this kind of a job, many of them having been mercenaries, soldiers, and assassins in their past lives. The wives' bodyguards, Joseph and Xander, were massive guys that made Lane and David look like toddlers standing next to them.
It was odd not seeing David and Lane deep in the planning of our assault on the Forks coven. Their assistance in mapping out everything with Logan and Jeremy back in Phoenix had become so common place, that when they didn't do that it felt wrong. I suppose it shouldn't have surprised me at all since master Aro could simply absorb all their thoughts and knowledge with the brush of his finger.
I guess I was just being anxious again.
From what Lane and I had gleaned among our fellow vampires, these were no ordinary immortals we dealt with. The gifts of knowing others thoughts from a distance and seeing the future were not ones I wanted to face on the battlefield. The reputation of two of their male fighters also gave me much to worry about. Lane was strong, but experienced was not something in his repertoire.
But what had me most curious was the final female. She was the key to this whole debacle somehow. Her love for an immortal began the domino chain, drastically changing every single immortal, now and yet to become. This beautiful swan that emerged from her grey duckling feathers was graceful and powerful, repelling all mental gifts of our kind. How strange that one who was immune to many a vampire's power could experience so much of what our kind were.
Somewhere in the deep conversations of the fates it seemed they created the perfect vampire to change the world. Our savior vampire had been human, the very prey of our kind. Her scent and power had dazzled all of the vampires around her, both majestic and vagabond. Yet somehow it seemed the will of these clever fates to teach her our darkest secrets, before changing her into the living statue of our pagan culture. She was a star cast into the pitch black night to illuminate the world with a philosophical and moral light to guide us back to humanity.
I guess it was not just to blame the beauty and not the beast though. It does take two to tango, and tango they had. Their union had wrought the most startling change amongst our kind, the chance to procreate. Though it was denied to us as immortal women, it seemed that the men never lost their ability to have children.
The fact that my period had passed by had been no real surprise to me really. It didn't matter what kind of mythology you prescribed to when it came to female vampires, none of them included periods. It is rather difficult to squeeze blood from a stone, no matter how much pressure. And if we could bleed, our blood could only be given willingly; I can think of no woman who would willingly choose to bleed like that without the perfect guarantee of a child.
The hardest part though was the insecurity it pressed upon me. I loved Lane with every fiber of my body, but doubt still lived on with me. He had always wanted a family of his own, and he still had the opportunity to do that with a human girl. I couldn't say that I'd blame him if he took the chance and settled on a mortal girl, though it would never be easy for him. The lustful call of blood never left us, and being in constant proximity of it would drive me nuts for sure. The human would be dead in a day if it was my relationship.
Which brought me back to the vampire who fell for the human. So much like the lion laying down with the lamb. Standing within a few feet of the human acolyte Amber nearly pushed me over the limit, and she was covered with the scent of Demetri and Xander. The human scent was so alluring to me. The perfect perfume to captivate the senses into a wild euphoria. Even the warmth of her body was seductively enticing, though not in a sexual way somehow.
There was no other way to describe these feelings other than a bloodlust.
It startled and surprised me to say the least then, that a vampire could abstain from such a potent urge as a bloodlust. I'd known only one vampire who did it, and we had thought it was a miracle in itself. Delilah's blood rage, after she attacked Lane and I of course, had dissipated somehow into the guilty conscience that saved all of the original vampires.
Her aversion to hunting had taken an interesting turn a few weeks before we left for Forks the first time as well. In cooperation with a few of the others, Delilah had stolen blood from a hospital. Lane had been my only clue to this though. There was no other way to tell, since our eyes and bodies were always stronger after a hearty feeding.
Lane told me that it did little to quiet the feelings of guilt they had over taking human blood. I was impassive to the argument. I knew that one way or another we were taking human blood from a human. Plain and simple there was no way to sugarcoat our predicament. We had to have blood to survive. Just like the mythology that I had so many times ignored as fables.
Mythology. I shuddered as I turned to face the clear window from my bedroom in the Volturi castle. Mythology had become poison to me. Everything in my life was tainted by this word. Nothing that I was or did could be classified as otherwise. Any normal person who heard about my story would doubt the truth of it, shrugging it off as brilliant storytelling instead of the actual plight of another being in pain.
The full moon cast eerie shadows into the slate city, reminding me of the other reason I didn't want to go to Forks, Washington. Werewolves. The place was swarming with werewolves.
My first encounter with a werewolf had not been too pleasant. At times I would swear I could still feel his scorching hands on my skin, a hellfire alight in his eyes. The terrible realization of what had come close to happening still weighed down my heart. It was the first time I had ever been truly afraid of anything.
Unprepared had been the perfect sense of myself on that night. Erica and I had planned everything for us to have a beautiful night with our boys, and one small loose thread had unraveled everything. A werewolf with an overactive libido crashed my wonderful evening with his mere presence. I had never imagined that werewolves were just as real as vampires, and that also proved disastrous. His strength, speed, and vitality had completely overwhelmed my numbed defenses.
The presence of werewolves in Forks scared me, not because of their strength but rather their organization. The werewolf I'd met in Phoenix was alone and completely undisciplined. Lane had stupidly opened his mouth and given me enough information to have nightmares over (I didn't really blame him though since I asked the dumb question); if I could sleep that is. The Forks werewolves were regimented. And it wasn't one punk on his own. There had been over a dozen, horse sized, furry monsters standing alongside the traitorous vampires.
It didn't sit well with me.
A pact with a werewolf seemed like making a deal with the devil. I never wanted to be anywhere near another werewolf for as long as I had any spark of life left in my body. Spurned as I was from my first encounter with their kind I would take death by fire over a Samaritan werewolf's help were I dying.
I knew what I was saying was a blasphemous kind of discrimination, but how could I help my feelings? I couldn't just wipe them away like the rain cleanses the earth after an accident on the road, washing the poisons into the ground. Or perhaps it had. The hate I felt for that first werewolf had festered below my skin, growing into a massive skeleton for my feelings to build around. The framework had long been set, and now it grew muscle to add to the teeth.
Nobody escaped prejudice anyway. Somehow or another, all beings are conditioned to be illogically repulsed by a sect of people. My college professor had been right when he drilled it into my head. It took me a long while to accept the truth of the statement, but all the same it was true. People were prejudiced one way or another. There were few people who could treat all people fairly and justly, regardless of their ethnicity, creed, gender, social standing, sexual orientation, fashion sense, political affiliation or upbringing, work ethic, geographical location, or any other kind of grouping mechanism used by society.
I was not one of these saintly people.
As a working adult I despised people who said they could not work. Picking up a phone and answering it was a form of work. Sitting behind a desk and sorting papers was a form of work. Picking up garbage was a kind of work. Cleaning restrooms was a job, albeit not a very glamorous or desirable one. All of the people who complained they couldn't get a job and then didn't have the financial security they wanted irritated me to no end.
Since becoming a vampire though, none of the trivial matters of humans affected me anymore. If I saw a starving homeless person on the streets I would treat them just the same as the President of the United States. They were both prey to me now anyhow. It didn't matter how many different colors the plume of a peacock had or how plain the white feathers of a chicken were, they were only a meal for me. It had served very well for me to remove the social stigmatisms and level the playing field for all mortals.
I always loved the bumper sticker that I found in a parking lot one day, "War does not decide who is right, only who is left." A catchy play on words indeed, but I couldn't help but marvel at the truth. Who isn't warring against something in this world? The trick for me was wondering where justice and mercy really fell into this chaotic world.
Justice is blind, or so the story tell us. Judging the world with a blindfold over her eyes, Lady Justice holds a sword in one hand and a pair of scales in her other. Swift and terrible is her vengeance, ever careful to consider the fact, and only the facts. No other course will sway her fair judgment than truth.
Mercy on the other hand is more of a compassionate being. If the Christians have it right, which I am not entirely sure about, then there was an actual avatar for mercy, though regardless, I agree with their personification of mercy. A man, perfect in everyway, laying down his own life in proxy for those who had broken the law could only serve as a perfect example of mercy. The willing forgiveness against trespass, though not always in a succinct trial. Sometimes, mercy and leniency had to be earned. It all made logical sense.
I understood the two halves to the yang and yin system of the world, yet I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the vast conundrum they presented. Justice had to prevail, for mercy could not rob justice. However, justice without a chance for mercy is a lie, for if there is no opportunity for redemption then all would perish by the law. It baffled me on both a philosophical and ecclesiastical level that I often avoided the argument altogether.
But the Volturi didn't share my views of justice and mercy. Justice was their will, and mercy only another extension by way of coercion and trickery. Their smoke and mirrors version of this system proved to only satisfy their own agendas, which would not seem irrational or corrupt at all.
Though Aro, Caius, and Marcus made up the ancient trinity, only two of them really seemed active in making decisions. Half the time I wondered if Alec kept a constant haze around Marcus to keep him in a controllable state. Yet within the ancients the two foremen existed as both justice and mercy.
Caius was the justice, swift to make judgment and ruthlessly execute his verdict. But Aro scared me more with his application of mercy. It was the perfect way to be empowered by justice. His mercy was a perfect manipulation of emotions and circumstances. Choose him or death. It was little choice at all. But the greatest evil always leaves you with as little choice they can, manipulating it so you think you have no choice left at all. Such a powerful interpretation of the law.
It was a government void of check or balance. The power untested by rival or peer.
Power without restraint was the most dangerous kind. And the power behind the Volturi was unrivaled now. Even with the smaller coven's ability to read minds and foresee the future, it would do them little good. Amanda's ability for physical paralysis, little Jane's gift for inflicting pain, Natasha's vertigo spell, and Alec's narcotic mist were all potent enough to lay armies of vampires flat. Coupled with Bekka's telekinesis, Jeremy's influence over the weather, and then David's copycat talents nothing stood a chance against us.
From what I had discerned between David and Lane's strategy sessions over a chess board, the Forks coven had pulled together thirty-six fighters last time, both vampire and werewolf. I did the math quickly in my head. Before we had arrived that easily placed them above the numbers of the Volturi and their guard. But now since we had been assimilated into this vast collective, the Volturi guard alone swelled to over forty-six. Unless the coven pulled together another twenty or so gifted vampires to aid them in their cause, their plight was hopeless.
Lane came into the room, his warm smell calming my troubled mind. Stretching his arms around me, he hugged me to his chest. The touch of his hands released waves of tension from my body. It was truly impossible for me to be upset about everything I had worried about now. Lane was with me; my guardian angel returned to be with me.
It was an early fantasy that blossomed as I grew older. Many young girls dreamt of having knights in shining armor or princes awake them with a magical kiss of true love. Being the oddball I was, I wanted an angel. It felt blasphemous at times that I only wanted to fall in love with an angel, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
Lane perfectly embodied my guardian angel as well. He was gentle and kind, reassuring me with every trial I had to face. Yet, he also had the strength and passion to protect me from all harm. I could easily picture him dressed in white, a pair of shimmering wings extended from his back, wielding a might sword to vanquish my enemies. If I believed in heaven like some of my companions I would swear that Lane had been an archangel sent to earth.
"How are you doing?" my angel whispered into my ear, his warm breath tickling my ear.
I smiled content. "Better now," I replied softly. I turned slowly in his embrace, bringing myself to face him. "You?"
"Worried to tell you the truth," he said with a huff.
My eyebrows furrowed together as I waited for him to explain. I was worried too, but what point was there in it? We were trapped by our own selfish desire to stay alive.
Lane stared above my head at some distant object, silence isolating him from me. "Lane?" I asked gently. "What's wrong?" I squeezed him a little to remind him I was there.
"I have been worried about a lot lately," he whispered, though it felt more like a monologue than a conversation with me. "I don't know what to do anymore. It seems I'm always having to fight someone to be with you. When we first started dating, I had to fight your parents' expectations to be with you. Then, I ended up fighting you to be with you. It was an insane first few months of being with you.
"After we moved in we settled down a bit, but I was always fighting something. College tuition, grocery bills, car payments, rent and utility services to pay for, so many things pulled me away from being with you. There never seemed to be enough time to just be alone with you, alone with you in the intimate moments relationships like ours flourish on."
I waited quietly, absorbing everything he said like a sponge. His voice turned dark as he continued. "Then everything changed again. Delilah's attack transformed us and our problems into a simpler version, yet I still had to fight. My fight became a more literal sense now though. I've had to fight with Logan, random vampires, the Volturi, and now against the other set of gods on this planet; it just seems like I'm not supposed to be with you at all."
I stiffened aggressively against his body. What was he saying? I pushed away from him, staring at his face. "What?" I choked. "What are you saying?"
Lane's eyes flashed to mine, intensely scared. He studied me for only a fraction of a second, before he relaxed a hair. "Wait before you say anything Nicole," he said as he laid his hands on my face. "Please let me finish."
I felt dead right there. I just knew Lane was breaking up with me. How could he do this to me now? What had I done wrong? Where did we go wrong?
"So this is the end," I muttered, looking at the floor.
"Damn it Nicole!" Lane barked. "I told you to listen before you said anything."
I looked up, meeting his fiery gaze. All the muscles in my face felt like I would sprout tears at any given moment. I mouthed I'm sorry, biting my lip as I waited.
Lane blinked once, breathing slowly as fraction by fraction his anger ebbed away. "I love you Nicole," he said slowly. "I have loved you since the first moment I met you. Beautiful, sassy, and witty you keep my life meaningful. But I have been selfish with you, denying you gifts that I should have showered on you."
I began to interrupt again, reaffirming my will that he needn't give me piles of gifts. Presents were all well and good, but if all he was capable of were the tactile forms of affection then they meant little.
He sealed my lips with a finger, a stern look pressed upon his face. "I don't mean a nice house, jewelry every chance I can afford it, or more money than we ever know what to do with. I have wanted to give you the things that every woman wants. A loving family and a vow of unending love."
Lane released me, slowly lowering himself to a kneeling position. Holding my hands in his, Lane's eyes bored into mine with a fiery passion I had never seen before. I froze as I realized what he was doing.
"Nicole," he whispered fervently. "I love you now and forever. I promise to stand by you through thick and thin, through darkness and light, beyond the end of time. Will you marry me?"
My body stood locked in place. Lane was finally proposing to me! I felt a wild joy fill me until it felt like it would explode out of me in a shower of sparks and bangs equal to a fireworks show.
Suddenly, everything made sense again. The flow of our conversation, why he asked me to shut up and listen to him before I drew conclusions. I hadn't really done well on that part, but I was glad that I had trusted him. While I waited for him to come to this point my instincts warred against each other. A need to preserve my emotional state and the trust rapport I'd built with Lane. Luckily, I loved Lane enough to fight my own instincts.
I knelt down in front of him, my eyes locked with his the whole descent. Nestled on the floor I knew my answer. How could I not choose this angel of light for my husband? I had loved him for so long it felt as though we were soul mates. Destined to be together from the birth of the cosmos.
"Yes," I replied breathless. "I will marry you."
Lane crushed his lips against mine as soon as the words rolled off my tongue. We were so happy and content in that moment I felt I could burst. Our euphoria was beyond words or description. The only way to describe it was complete heavenly bliss.
Still breathing heavily, Lane retreated for a moment. Reaching inside the pocket of his jeans he withdrew a small black box. Pinching the lid gently, he opened it slowly.
I gasped at the beautiful ring inside. The metal was a pure silver color, fitting perfectly on the third finger of my left hand. A perfect circle lay on top, inlaid with diamonds and sapphires in a brilliant swirling pattern of silver veins. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"How did you afford this?" I whispered entranced with the small piece of metal on my finger.
"I didn't," Lane replied.
I turned to face him then. "You didn't steal it did you?" I accused him. It just seemed to tarnish the value if it was stolen. I'd never understood the appeal of stolen jewelry.
Lane shook his head. "Absolutely not," he answered calmly. "As soon as I learned about the stash of jewels and treasures hidden in this tower I went looking for them. Once I found them I discovered just how rich the Volturi actually were. Several pieces of their wealth were merely poor attempts at fashioning jewelry. I asked permission from Master Aro to take some of these pieces and fashion a ring worthy for you.
"He agreed, giving me his blessing. I asked Sherilyn to design it for me, which she quickly helped me with. Bekka and David used telekinesis to mold the ring to the necessary specifications, forging the ring and gems perfectly. I added the inscription inside."
I tore my gaze away from Lane's proud face and grudgingly slid the ring off my finger. Scrawled neatly inside were three words that put me over the edge. Forever my love.
Placing the ring back on my hand where it felt absolutely perfect, I returned my gaze back to Lane. "Thank you," I whispered unable to say anything else. "I love it almost as much as I love you."
"I don't mind being second to a piece of jewelry," he teased me with a twinkle in his eye.
I laughed once with him. "I thought you weren't worried about giving me jewelry anyway," I replied in kind.
Lane laughed heartily. "True enough," he said with a smirk. "I did say that, but it didn't mean I don't want to spoil you with the worlds' treasures."
"The only treasure I want is your love." Even as I said the words I couldn't help but feel I was in some old romance movie. These were things that nobody said anymore. It was always simple love, never about how far or how great love was to our generation.
It seemed to be something only those of an older or different generation did anymore. Swear their love by the stars and conquering the dragon before they kissed the princess. How odd that a world as old as ours was bent on instant gratification now. Time was only something we created to have some semblance of control in this chaotic world. Yet it seemed that the more you released the flow of time the more you could manipulate it.
This was the hidden art of vampires. We did not worry about time anymore. We were unhinged by the passage of time. What we wanted we did when we wanted without fear of consequence. When eternity stretched ahead of you, time became irrelevant.
"Well," Lane said pulling us to our feet. "We'd better go or we'll be late for our own wedding."
"Wedding?" I asked, my voice ripping through a higher octave.
"Of course," Lane replied with a cool smile. "Come in girls."
At his call, Delilah, Sherilyn, and Teresa swept into the room. Sherilyn and Delilah immediately attacked me while Teresa shuffled Lane from the room. He winked at me as the door closed on his face.
The next half hour was a blur. Between one vampire pulling my hair into some French braid and the other two pulling me as forceful and gently as they could, which was a strange sensation in itself, into a white gossamer gown. The train extended for a good three feet behind. The main bust was decorated with satin flowers in shimmering silver. A veil softer than down flew over my head, though it did nothing to hamper my perfect vision.
A gigantic mirror was placed in front of me, and at request of the three Fates in the room with me I spun slowly to make sure everything was perfect. I was so amazed at how beautiful the dress was I didn't even notice the looks of sheer joy on the women's faces. I looked like a princess. I felt complete now to face the altar.
The altar. Somehow the word sounded ominous now. I didn't have any doubts about marrying Lane, but it was going to be official now. No one else for the rest of eternity. Quite literally.
I guess it was a nervous apprehension really. There were no fears or doubts now. I was just so excited I couldn't contain myself anymore.
A soft knock on the door snapped me from my musings. Erica stood in the hallway, a bird's eye blue dress covering her radiant glow. "Well?" she asked quietly. "How about me for your bridesmaid?"
I pulled her inside, hugging her fiercely against me, though I was careful to avoid tearing either of our precious dresses. "I would be honored," I smiled at her, pulling away to see her mirrored expression.
"Then its time," Erica choked.
The other three swept out of the room, a soft breeze fluttering past us in their wake. "I don't know what to do about any of this," I admitted, following Erica's steady pace. "I have no idea what's going on. I didn't help with any planning or make a single decision other than 'Yes'. I'm totally blind with this."
Erica snickered, earning a halfhearted glower from me. "It'll be fine," she reassured me in a subdued tone. "If you blunder it, we'll all blame it on Lane for the surprise wedding."
I laughed nervously with her. It felt good to get some of my apprehensions out, at least in some small fashion. I followed Erica down the extent of the hall, pausing to let Amber open the doors to the main entryway.
Before she had moved the doors a fraction of an inch a new thought occurred to me, "Stop!" bursting from my lips. I had already accepted Erica as my bridesmaid, and assumed that Jeremy would stand in as Lane's best man, but that left a very important position unattended. I knew Lane would see to finding a minister that could marry us, but who would give me away? It wouldn't seem complete without that important tradition.
Erica turned to face me, the question burning away in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked concerned. "You aren't getting cold feet are you?"
"Who will give me away?" I whispered scared.
Erica nodded her head. "I should have thought of that," she chastised herself fiercely. She disappeared inside quick as a wink.
I rubbed my arm distractedly. Who would she ask? Certainly not Aro. Erica knew me better than that. But who could fill the role as my caretaker other than Lane? I wasn't close enough to anybody else.
I had never been a superstitious girl growing up, but that was before I knew that vampires were real. Now I was terrified of tempting the Fates. They'd already played several cruel tricks on me in my life, I wasn't about to ask for more.
Erica reappeared in front of me, David beside her in a deep black suit. "What's wrong Nicole?" David asked quietly. "Erica said it was urgent, that you needed to talk to me."
Hesitating, I glanced at Erica for reassurance. Nodding her head, I studied David for an infinitesimal second. I didn't know that much about David really. I knew he had worked with all the other original eight of our coven, and was very eclectic with his tastes of art, but that was it. Did I feel comfortable enough with him to ask him for this monumental request?
As I watched David it happened. I had the epiphany I was waiting for. David was as close to any family I had left. We had become so nit together now I didn't feel lonely for my old family. My new family accepted everything about me without even a flinch. Nothing stood between me and them. Their love encompassed every minute facet of my very soul. Asking David would be like having my older brother give me away at my wedding because we'd lost our father.
Luckily, my epiphany had been quick or David would have worried about what I was thinking. It had happened all in a split second, though I doubt it would have been that fast in my past life. My new brain just went so much faster and had so much control to focus on several thought trains simultaneously.
"I have a favor to ask of you David," I said, choosing my words as best to encourage him.
"What young one?" he asked with his familiar pet name for all of us. His eyes were intensely curious and confused as he waited for my response.
"Would you give me away David?" I asked, studying the floor for the courage I lacked to look him square in the eyes.
Silence answered me. I looked up, crushed. I had been so sure he would accept. And I had been right. David's face was lit with an intense joy. His eyes shone like lighthouse beacons in a storm. "I would be honored Nicole," he whispered reverently.
He hugged me warmly, offering me his arm. I slid my arm through his, feeling complete now. I was ready to face the minister.
Erica smiled, taking her place in front of us. Amber knocked twice on the door, her hand sounding hollowly against the aged wood. Pachelbel's Canon, performed by a string quartet, began playing slow and steady. The familiar melody playing, Amber opened the doors.
I gasped at the sight inside. The normally macabre chamber where we had our meals and trials was lit with over three hundred white candles. A cheery red carpet extended between two groups of immortals dressed immaculately in the floor. Orange blossoms, honeysuckle, and pink lotus flowers were scattered in ornate arrangements, as well as tucked inside every vest pocket, giving the room a warm garden scent.
Erica began the timed march down the aisle. David and I followed in a synchronized grace that made me feel like I was floating in a cloud. Compliments drifted to my ears as whispers in the night. Since we had no need to sit, the vampires bowed slightly as we passed them in the aisle.
Many of the guard members stood in the farther back of the crowd. Our coven interlopers held the places of our family members in the front. Amanda, Sherilyn and Felix, Bekka and Beau, and Lucy and Corin made up Lane's small guest list, while Teresa and Santiago, Delilah and Jackson, and Laci and Alec made up my family. Natasha stood on my side, though she seemed slightly detached from the whole proceeding.
I looked up to see Lane, (my first search through the crowd taking only two seconds to complete) beaming at me even brighter than everybody else. Standing underneath a canopy of white and burgundy red streamers and live doves, he looked more like an angel than I'd ever seen him before. His tuxedo resembled mine, the exact shade of white fabric combined with the trim along his trousers and coat.
Beside him, Jeremy stood in a black suit like David's, the same blue as Erica's dress decorating his neck in a bow. Standing at the apex of the canopy, Nina was dressed in a billowy gold robe. I resisted the urge to laugh at Lane's chosen minister, settling for a broad smile instead.
As I neared the altar I noticed that three vampires actually were seated during my march. Aro, Marcus, and Caius sat to my right from the altar. Marcus actually looked interested for once. It was as if all the love in the room had darkened some deep corner of his forsaken heart. Aro had a giddy smile on his face, while Caius had the decency to keep his malicious grin off his face.
Aro inclined his head at me as I drew level with his chair in the horizontal row set aside for the ancient immortals. David nodded his head crisply, though offered no other response, emotional or otherwise. I got the distinct impression though that David was greatly displeased with their dishonor of the bride by remaining seated. I smiled at the protectiveness of my bearer.
We stopped at the altar, parallel to Lane's position on the wooden pavilion, though David was a step behind us. Turning to me, David lifted the veil from my face and kissed his blessing on my forehead. Reaching down, David lifted my left hand, placing it into the open palm of Lane's right, sealing both of our hands between his own. Nodding to Nina, David stepped away to join my family.
I stared into Lane's eyes, hopelessly lost. For any number of hours I could have stood there and been content with the world. Fear and doubt could find no purchase on my mind or my heart; they were a million miles away from my patch of heaven.
Nina cleared her throat once, claiming all our attention. I glanced curiously at Lane, expressing a question with my face as best I could. Lane only smiled as he turned to face Nina. Reluctantly, and with no small amount of trepidation, I fixed my gaze on Nina.
"Dearly beloved," she began theatrically, sounding like a minister at a revival, "we have gathered here to celebrate. We celebrate that Lane has finally gotten the courage to marry the woman of his dreams."
A hearty laugh escaped a few lips from the crowd, but most of the immortals remained transfixed on Nina's face. Only my family knew Nina well enough to not be offended or shocked by her behavior. I fought hard to hide my massive smile. Lane's smile had more sheepish chagrin than humor though.
"Marriage is what brings us together today," Nina pressed on undeterred. "Marriage is not for the weak. You'll have your share of trials and stresses, you'll make sacrifices and some tough calls, and undoubtedly, you'll make mistakes. In times of trouble, man up and stay strong!!! Both of you must have faith in each other to supply the patience, forgiveness, tolerance, respect, and understanding necessary to overcome these hard times. You two are entering this together, and it will take you two working together to make it.
"Now, the key to a truly happy marriage is love, sweet love. Wo-oh-oah! What's love got to do with it? Well love makes the world go round! I believe in a thing called love! And now that you're on this love rollercoaster you'll find, love hurts. Love is a battlefield. That's the way love goes. And just when you may feel, 'I'm all outta love', you gotta stop in the name of love! Because love will keep us together. Love will keep us alive, and love is all you need!"
Many of the vampires were smiling at Nina's creative rewriting of the marriage vows. I knew many of the song titles she had thrown into the mix, and was glad for Lane's choice of her as minister. It definitely added a memorable touch to the ceremony.
"Now this is the part where I dare anyone to raise their hand and object to this," Nina said, her voice taking on a dark undertone that actually scared me. I had seen Nina in battle, and ninja assassins looked like Barbie compared to her. "So," she said exaggerating the word for effect "do any of you foo's object to this marriage?"
She gave the crowd a critical gaze, waiting patiently like a hunter stalking prey. No one flinched, a perfect picture of statues to the gods of beauty, grace, and war. Nina smiled and relaxed her penetrating stare.
"I understand that the two of you have your own vows to give," Nina said cheerfully. If I still had a heart it would have stopped. I had nothing prepared! What was Lane thinking?
I bit my lip, waiting furiously, as Lane turned to me, sighing contentedly. "Nicole," he said softly, though his voice carried in the pin drop silence of the room. I dropped my guard at the tone in his voice. It had a reverent intonation, enchanting me into his words. "Let's talk about love. Before your love, I was without love. I would sit and wait thinking, what about love? I want to know what love is. Because when you love a woman, you testify to love.
"Crazy little thing called love. Since I met you Nicole, I have been on the wings of love. I love it. I would wake up thinking, I was made to love her. When you say you love me, I can't help but give you the best of my love. And I promise you, I will always love you. Love, me."
With that, Lane kissed the ring on my hand. I was so touched by his words I was distracted from my dilemma momentarily. All of his sentences were structured like Nina's, with songs saying love in them. Nervousness shot through me. I could think on my feet, but I wasn't that good! How was I supposed to do this?
A small piece of paper appeared in my right hand. Crinkling softly, I lifted the paper to find vows on the page, written in Erica's beautiful script. The best part was how perfect they sounded for me. I made a mental note to thank her enormously for this gift.
"Can you feel the love tonight Lane?" I read enamored. "Love alive. Love is on the way, and love heals. I knew that when I fall in love, somebody to love to love you more made seasons of love. When you love someone like that its your love potion 9. I thought though, I can't make you love me. I feared that a little bit of love might make me a prisoner of love. I feared you give love a bad name. But love heals your heart.
"Where is the love? Love is in the heart. You are loved, Lane. This is my declaration of love, because there is no greater love I can offer. Your love is extravagant, because you loved me all I want to do is make love to you. I promise you, I will always love you. Love, me."
A quick blur of movement and I felt something else in my hand. I looked down to find a golden ring in my hand. It was beautifully ornate, square amethysts patterned into the gold. Cupping Lane's hand in mine, I slid the ring on his finger, moving it into a snug position. Lane looked at the ring and then smirked, glancing sidelong at David. I followed suit and resisted the urge to laugh at David's unabashed smile.
"With this exchange of vows and rings, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Nina smiled wickedly. "You may kiss the bride now!"
Lane closed the distance between us in a flash. I barely had time to register the radiant glory beaming from his eyes before his lips were on mine. I was on fire. Nothing before now, not a single passionate touch of our skin compared to this feeling. Lane was mine, now and forever. The last great barrier between us had fallen. Berlin and China's walls seemed like a child's Lego set compared to the massive difference it made for me.
We were quickly enveloped in a sea of hugs, kisses, and handshakes. The wedding bled right into the reception. Very quickly though I was surprised to find myself holding an envelope. Lane was holding a small box, wrapped with a silver bow.
"What are these Delilah?" Lane asked quietly, though still harsher than I thought he should. "I said no gifts."
"They're not from us," David said, since Delilah looked flustered and offended. "At least not entirely. Open them."
Lane slid the ribbon off his box, opening up the inside to reveal a single brass key, again with a silver ribbon on it. "A key?" he asked skeptically.
David smiled and nodded to me. "Open it."
I slid my finger along the seal, slitting the paper with a sharp crackle. Removing the few contents, I shuffled through the collection. A picture of a beautiful seaside cottage, a folded note stating "Enjoy your honeymoon", and a credit card with our names on it. "What is all this?" I asked confused, showing Lane what I held.
David gestured to Delilah who sighed. "Its a honeymoon of course," she said.
Suddenly all the items made sense. The key went to the actual building in this picture. The credit card was to get us there and let us have any kind of fun we wanted. I was deeply touched, sliding into a hug with Lane and beaming a grin at Delilah.
Jackson hugging her from behind, his arms wrapped around her middle, Delilah returned my smile. Thus satisfied, Delilah explained further. "It was the one thing we all agreed on that would be neither gift nor breaking of tradition. It was Master Aro's doing."
I tried to ignore the look of unease on Delilah's face as Aro swept over to us. "They were all most insipient that I grant their request," he said cheerfully. "I have consented to one month of leave for the two of you to enjoy your time with our blessing. Unfortunately, I must postpone this until after our return from America."
Reality came crushing back on me in that very second. Until Aro had mentioned America again, I was happier than I'd ever known was possible. Lane was my husband. My family had given us a beautiful house to use for our honeymoon, and basically a blank check for expenses. It had been the perfect gift for the perfect wedding.
Now, I knew why everything was happening so fast. Lane was worried about losing me in this confrontation. He wanted to make my last days as happy as he could if that was going to be the case. It was why the rush wedding. I didn't get angry at him though. It was oddly comforting to know why the wedding had been such a surprise. I couldn't bring myself to be upset or angry over it, and it didn't taint the beauty of the ceremony at all. It endeared it to me in fact.
I sighed, seeing my own mood reflected in the eyes of my compatriots. Whatever forces lived in the universe had to have hated me. I never was allowed to have my happiness without a dark storm billowing on the outskirts of my future. When I'd met Lane and chosen him to be with, my family had practically denounced and banished me. Then when we were just getting settled into a life together, Delilah is sent to change our world all around. Lane finally marries me and the honeymoon may never even happen.
What leprechaun did I piss off? Why were the fates so bent on bringing my life through the deepest quagmires these lives possessed? How many lives must I live through hell before I earn my reward? Karma was supposed to be an unbiased and just system. What had I done to have all my dreams dashed upon the shore before they even left the harbor of my mind? If their was a God, he must truly enjoy tormenting me. I was a walking pin cushion for bad luck it seemed.
Aro clapped his hands once to claim our attention. "Its time to leave dear ones," he replied, an odd tone to his voice. It was between excitement and depression. Such a curious emotion for Aro. I usually only ever saw him as a child on a sugar rush, his reckless enthusiasm annoying many of us.
Lane and I dashed off to get changed into our travel clothes, along with everyone else. I dressed in morbid silence, every second ticking away felt like a pendulum inching ever closer to my thread of life. Or Lane's. I shuddered from the thoughts and joined Lane with the other vampires in the hanger.
The Volturi jet was absolutely beautiful. The Didyme, named after Marcus' late wife, was sleek, polished a gleaming silver, spanning the usual measure for private jets. Inside, the upholstery was a rich crimson burgundy. At the fore of the plane, six seats were set aside for the Volturi and their wives, Gloria seated next to Marcus. A walking aisle stretched from the cockpit, separated only by a curtain, alongside either end of the reserved seats. The remaining seats were broken into eight rows of six, leaving only a few empty seats at the back of the plane.
Laci and Alec sat in the first row, Alec's black cloak touching his twin Jane. On her right sat Demetri, then Felix with Sherilyn on his right. David sat in the middle of the next row, Renata on his right with Erica and Jeremy and Lucy with Corin on his left. Behind them, starting from the left side of the plane, sat Teresa, Santiago, Bekka, Beau, Nina, and Natasha. I took my place in the middle of the next row with Lane, Jackson and Delilah on his left, and Amanda and the bodyguard Xander on my right. I didn't see how the remaining vampires were assigned their seats by Master Aro.
The plane operated on a revolutionary engine built by Afton that ran on solar energy without the need for any kind of combustion. It was practically cold fusion. Afton and Chelsea were our very able bodied pilots, the gentle hum of the engine audible only to those with hypersensitive hearing.
Communicating with Amber, Afton set off down an invisible tunnel underneath the city. The slow acceleration made me a little giddy. We exploded into the open air of early evening. The sun cast rays through the windows, our exposed skin glittering from the radiance. It made me think of gleaming armor of the ancient knights when they left hearth and home to slay the dragon.
I sighed, trying to calm my nerves. Within a few hours we would be landing. I gripped Lane's hand tight in mine, worried I might never have the chance to enjoy our marriage as I wanted to. My fate was tied with his, no matter the outcome; though the truth did little to calm my nerves.
I waited in the tense silence of the plane to reach our destination: Forks, Washington, USA.
"They'll be here tomorrow," Alice said quietly, her mood somber.
The room of vampires grew deathly silent. Bella, Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle, and all the other coven vampires with them turned to look at her.
"Very well," Carlisle replied. Turning to the assemblage before him, he spread his arms in a defeated gesture, returning them to his sides with an audible smack. "This is it my friends. Even with Siobhan's gift I fear we shall lose this confrontation."
Bella knew what he was trying to do. Carlisle was trying to scare them into leaving, though he knew they would not rise to the bait. Nothing short of death would part any of them now. It was the biggest family imaginable now. They were not separate covens joined by a cause anymore. They were cousins, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts bound by a deep abiding love to protect each other.
It was a small comfort to Bella. Tomorrow would decide the rest of eternity, for real this time. All of the Cullens had known that the Volturi were far from mollified by their last encounter. This time there was going to be a fight.
Bella had prepared much as she had last time. Increasing her training sessions with the vampires present, she felt confident in her abilities. She had paid another visit to J as well, using new photos for the documents. Jacob knew, but kept his thoughts to himself to avoid letting Edward know. Edward had already suspected what she was up to, Bella knew, but the specifics had never been divulged to him. Somehow she'd known that Edward could never know so long as a vampire like Aro existed.
Aro. He was the bane of her existence now. He represented everything about mythological vampires she detested. The unbridled passions and bloodlust, along with the political greed and craving for power were so common it was depressing.
Bella wasn't worried so much about being assimilated or killed now. Her own life was inconsequential. Renesmee was the only one that mattered now. With the money she had given Jacob, Bella knew they could hide for a long while. Even if it meant having to personally kill Demetri to ensure it would happen, Bella was prepared to go to the extreme lengths to protect her precious daughter. The living diamond. The pure white dove of the Cullen family.
The Romanian vampires moved to the forefront of the group. "Do not misunderstand us in this our friends," Vladimir said quietly. His voice was so still and calm that he drew everyone's attention into his every flicker. "You all finally see what we have known from the beginning. The Volturi have hidden behind their guise of perfect unbiased judgment, but their flaws have become public. But we must ask you this, who will rule if you dispose the Volturi? Will you Carlisle?"
"I have no desire to act as god for our immortal race," Carlisle replied with an intense anger. "You've known this for a long time."
Stefan held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Peace Carlisle," he replied. "We merely meant to illustrate that the world needs a power to keep our secrets. Unless you wish to expose our existence."
"None of us have that wish Stefan," Esme said gently, placing her hand reassuringly on Carlisle's. "This secret protects us from persecution and hate, and the threat of extermination. But neither do we wish to stand as judicator for the world."
"If you are unwilling to support us, then who will you support?"
Edward laughed. "You are building a deadly trap with your words Stefan," he said wickedly. "You are asking us to name you as replacements for the Volturi family. They dethroned you, making a personal vendetta for vengeance. What makes you better qualified than they to rule? Why should we trust your rule?"
Stefan and Vladimir looked at each other, uncertain how to respond. Turning back Stefan answered Edward's question. "You can't."
Vladimir continued. "We will not promise that power will not go to our heads as it did in the past. We both know first hand how addictive power becomes, but we have also been tempered with its loss. We offer this as our testimony to rule. We can be truly just, since we have been both king and pauper, noble and nomad."
Then together, in a haunting tone that echoed in the silence of the room they asked again. "Will you accept us in the Volturi's stead?"