22. INTRODUCED

There was so much to think about; I thought my head was going to explode. How would I find the time to escape to Seattle without anyone knowing what I was doing? And it killed me not knowing exactly what I would be doing there. Did I need to take Luca with me, or go alone?

What were we going to say to all the people who would be coming here in just a few short hours? Ask them to stand with us and die when the time came? Anyone else associated with us would be murdered as well. Would they even try to fight the Volturi back? Would we fight back?

I didn't even know what to do in a fight. The only physical confrontation I'd been in was with Riley, and she'd been just as new at it as I was. Was there even a chance at all, with what little time I had, to learn to be a fighter? One who would possibly be a threat to any of the Volturi? There were so many answers I wanted that couldn't be given.

"Edythe, what are we supposed to do when it comes down to it? We can't just stand there helplessly while they burn us," I finally said when the tension boiled over within me.

"We'd be helpless no matter what we did, Beau, if it came down to it," she sighed.

"But Eleanor said if we put up enough of a fight, they'd have to listen to us for just a few seconds," I insisted.

"It never comes to a fight. No one ever gets the chance. Remember what I said about them being a collection of the best talents in the world?"

I nodded.

"The cornerstone of the Volturi offense are their two youngest members, Jasen and Alexandra," Edythe told me. "Alexandra has the ability to completely incapacitate someone from a great distance. All of your senses are cut off entirely. You probably don't even feel anything when they rip you apart."

I shivered. Yeah, that would definitely explain the lack of trial and debate. So was that the best we could hope for? Some sort of supernatural anesthetic?

I sighed. "Huh… It actually surprises me that they'd show any sort of mercy like that."

"It's really more for the sake of avoiding conflict. They can inflict all the torture in the world if they so wish. The girl's twin brother, Jasen, does the opposite. He can incapacitate you with the worst pain you've ever experienced. It's said to be worse than the pain of the venom. He just has to look at you, and you feel like you're on fire. They were both there the other day in the clearing. In fact, most of the rest of the guard sits there bored while the twins do their work."

Great. Supernatural anesthesia and psychic flamethrower. That's what we were up against.

A curious idea popped into my head then. "But do you think Alexandra and Jasen are very good fighters? Like, since they can put a man on the ground without touching him, would they even know what to do in a fight without their powers?"

"I'm not sure. Why would they need to? The Volturi has plenty of fighters."

"I hate to brag on myself, but I'm doubting that stuff would work on me. Would it? Because it's all in your head, right? They've probably never even tried fighting someone the way the rest of us do…"

"That's… an intriguing thought. But you definitely don't want to test that theory out. Besides that, if Sulpicia sees you do something like that, there will be no way she won't steal you from us right then and there. Remember what Elena said. Your gift would be the ultimate prize to someone like her."

I jumped to my feet as the ideas came at me. "What if it distracts her? What if I could offer myself as some sort of trade? I could save all of us…" I let the thought trail off.

"Beau, please." She put her hand to my lips to stop me. "Don't make me think of you as some possession to barter with. Let's not go there, please…"

I nodded. I would have to keep my crazy ideas to myself then. What a difference I could make if this really were true. Maybe there was a chance after all… Of course, I would never want to join them, but the worst thing that could ever happen to me would be to lose Edythe. Lose them all. If we got separated… well, that was at least better than the alternative.

The bond that had been forged between Edythe and me was not one that could be broken by absence, distance, or time. No matter how much more special or beautiful or brilliant or perfect she was compared to me, she was as irrevocably altered as I was. And no matter where we were, no matter how far apart, no matter how long, I would always belong to her, and so would she always be mine.

Then I thought about Archie's private note. He'd mentioned that I would be the only one their "tracker" wouldn't be able to find.

"So how do they find the people they seek to punish?" I asked. "You guys have made it obvious that we can't avoid them, no matter where we go."

"Delphia," she answered. "The next best thing they have. She's their tracker. But not just any tracker. Joss's chases would be child's play to her. No one hides from Delphia. I'm not sure exactly how her gift works, but she can find anyone on the face of the planet from any distance. I know that she's not tracking them physically, though. It works by some psychic means."

The pieces were all coming together for me now. For one, the Volturi were unyielding, merciless, and unstoppable… You couldn't hide, and you sure as hell couldn't fight them off.

But two, I was probably the only one in the world immune to those weapons that made them so unconquerable. I was willing to bet Delphia could never find me.

I kept the idea to myself, though. This was the hope that Archie was hinging on… why he'd wanted me to be the one to escape with Luca.

Which meant… Luca wouldn't be found either. How would Archie know that?

He did know that.

Because Luca was one of the only things he himself had never been able to see. Luca trumped both of us. Archie was blinded by his presence, and he did his mental projection straight through my shield. He'd be immune just as well. He was so unique that I wagered nobody would be able to touch his mind.

This was Archie's plan.

And the other hope was here in what was brewing at home. It was becoming more and more clear that our world didn't hold such a positive view of our leaders. Ati's coven had been driven to near extinction thousands of years ago. Then there was also the leader of the Denali coven. Taran's father had been ripped from their lives so abruptly it left them cowering in fragile pieces. And there had to be so many others with similar stories.

Any of Carine's friends would know the stories… they'd see the evidence in Sulpicia's collection she had amassed over the years. It was so obvious. They'd silently grown more and more powerful since their beginning, and now they were unstoppable. She could have anything she wanted at this point.

This wasn't just a fight to prove innocence. It was a fight for what we believe in, and the way we want to live.

As it grew lighter, I watched Edythe lean against the glass of the back wall, anticipating Taran's arrival.

I pulled Luca, still sleeping, up into my arms and held him protectively in anticipation. Who knew how they'd react? Would they be hostile when they saw what to them could only be an immortal child?

I wished we could get the information we needed about the Volturi from Elena before we introduced Luca. She'd been one of them years ago, and she hadn't been entirely happy with them. She used to give Sulpicia advice on what any given vampire was capable of, and they would decide who would be useful to them. So she knew my theory better than anyone.

"Taran shouldn't be much longer," Edythe said. "Be ready."

But how, though? Keep Luca hidden or in view? I decided to move around the corner from the front door in the dining room. I never let go of Luca.

I listened to all of the cars zooming by on the highway. Luca started to shift around, nestling his head into my chest.

When I heard the car slow, and pull into the driveway, I decided to wake him.

He looked up at me curiously. "Someone is here to meet you," I said.

"What if they don't like me?" he whispered.

"They'll like you once they get to know you. They just don't understand you, because you are the only one in the world like you. Getting them to understand might take a while."

He sighed.

"You're special. It's not a bad thing."

I heard Edythe shift as she went to stand at the door. Luca hid his face in my shirt. I listened intently to the tires coming as they moved from pavement to soft ground. I stared at my reflection in the glass of the windows, seeing the look of desperation on my face. I tried to shake myself out of it.

The car stopped at the front porch, and four doors opened and closed quickly. They didn't utter a word as they approached.

Edythe opened the door before they reached it.

"Edythe!" Taran enthused.

"Hello, Taran."

"Carine said she needed to speak with us right away," Taran said. "What's happening? What's the problem?"

"Where is Carine?" Elena asked.

"Carine had to leave."

Silence.

"Why? Tell us, Edythe," Taran demanded.

"Okay, first, if you could give me the benefit of the doubt while I explain the whole thing to you. This is going to be very difficult for me to make you understand, so please hear me out."

"Is Carine all right?" Elena asked anxiously. "She said there was danger. Is it those werewolves?"

"Our peace with the wolves is stronger than ever," Edythe answered. "But none of us are all right. Carine is fine, physically…"

"Physically?" Taran asked. "What do you mean?"

"Taran, I will explain. But I am begging that you hold your reactions until you hear all of the story."

Everyone was silent again.

"Well? We're listening," Taran finally said. "I promise we will hear what you have to say before we judge."

"Thank you, Taran. We wouldn't involve you in this if we had any other choice."

"Where is Beau? Did he…? Oh, I can smell him now. Tell us about the danger. I never could make sense of anything Carine was—" Taran broke off suddenly as I heard him enter the house.

"What is that noise?" he asked suddenly. "Is that a… Did you get a bird?"

Luca's heart was picking up pace beneath me, beating extremely quickly like a hummingbird.

"No, but remember what you hear." Edythe's voice lightened with relief. "This is what I wanted to show you. Next, what do you smell?"

"Is there… a human here?" Elena asked tentatively.

"Yes and no," Edythe said.

Another beat of silence.

"That's not a human," Taran argued. "But there is a human smell. Has someone fed recently? Do you have a guest?"

"I've never smelled anything like that before," Kirill added.

"Exactly," Edythe said. "You've never smelled anything like that before because you've never seen anything like it before. That being said, please remember that what you are about to see is entirely new to you."

"Enough of the teasing!" Taran insisted.

"All right, then. Beau?"

I felt like I was frozen in place. I forced my legs to move forward, only until I was just one step in view of Taran's family. Luca turned and peeked out from my shirt, and his shoulders were tight, expecting the reactions.

I thought I'd prepared myself for this… But I was wrong.

Taran gasped loudly and leaped back several feet, guarding those nearest him. It was like a human seeing a rattlesnake on a walking trail. Kirill darted all the way to the front door and braced himself against it. A sharp hiss slipped from between his teeth. Calvin grabbed Elena and started pulling her out of the room. They all looked absolutely devastated at what they assumed one of us had done. More than that, they looked utterly betrayed.

Oh, good lord…

Edythe ran over to stand next to me. "Stop! Don't go anywhere! You promised you would listen."

"This is something that I cannot bear to hear, Edythe!" Taran shouted. "How could you?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Kirill grabbed Taran by the shoulder. "Come on! We need to get out of here, now!"

"Edythe…" Elena breathed. Her face was stunned.

"Hold on!" Edythe demanded. "Remember? The sound? The smell? He isn't what you think he is!"

"I don't care what you think he is, Edythe!" Taran snapped back. "There are no exceptions to the rule, and you know it!"

"Just shut up! Everyone, listen!" Edythe shouted. "He has a heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means! What immortal has ever had a beating heart?"

"Heartbeat?" Calvin asked incredulously.

"He is not a vampire," Edythe pleaded. "He is more human than anything else. Just listen to the blood that pulses in his veins. He's biologically half human."

The entire family went silent and stared at her like she was speaking in tongues.

"You have to believe me," Edythe begged. "Luca was fathered by a vampire, but his mother was human. She gave birth to him!"

"Edythe, you can't expect us to believe that," Elena said.

"Tell me another explanation, Elena. You feel the warmth? Smell the blood? Hear his heart?"

"How?" Kirill breathed in disbelief.

"He is biologically half human, half vampire," Edythe told him. "No one has bitten him."

"That couldn't be possible," Elena said. Her shoulders were still stiff in defense.

"I witnessed the pregnancy myself, Elena. I pulled him from her womb. It's one-hundred percent the truth. Relationships between us and humans are not common. Survivors of such interactions are not common either. I think you should know that."

Kirill and Taran scowled at her.

It was Calvin who seemed to believe it first. He slowly stepped away from Elena and walked carefully to stand directly in front of me. He leaned down slightly to look Luca in the face.

"He does have human eyes," he admitted calmly, "but the face of an immortal." And then of course, like he couldn't help it, he smiled wide at Luca.

Luca smiled back at him. He touched my face without looking away. He was imagining touching Calvin's face.

"Er, do you mind if Luca tells you about himself?" I asked Calvin. "He has a… way of showing you things."

Calvin smiled. "Do you speak, little one?"

"Yes," Luca answered without hesitation. Kirill and Taran flinched at the sound of his trilling high voice. "But I can show you more about me than I can tell you."

He placed his hand on Calvin's cheek.

Calvin jumped straight up as if Kirill had used his electric shock on him. Elena was at his side immediately, trying to yank him away.

"Wait," Calvin protested. His eyes blinked spastically.

Luca continued to show Calvin his explanation for a long time. Edythe's face started to relax a little.

"It's all true," Calvin decided suddenly. "Such a vivid gift! It makes me wonder what the father was like…"

Calvin tilted his head, urging Elena forward. Then he looked back down at Luca. "Show him, mi querido…"

Luca grinned, pleased by Calvin's interest, then he touched Elena's face before she could back away.

"Ay caray!" Elena shouted, jumping back away from him.

"What did he do to you?" Taran demanded.

"He's trying to show you his story," Calvin reassured her. He nodded encouragingly.

Elena eyed me suspiciously before glancing back down at Luca. She took a deep breath, then leaned back into his touch.

She flinched again when the images hit, closing her eyes in concentration.

"Amazing," she sighed. Her eyes came back open. "I do see…"

"Elena!" Taran said disapprovingly.

"It is all true, Taran," she said. "This is no immortal child. You can even witness the birth yourself…"

Silently, Taran reluctantly stood in front of me. He showed the same shock when the images first hit him. But then he was won over immediately when it was done.

Kirill and Ivan and Lauren followed as well. The only one who didn't react with surprise was Lauren. She was the outsider. She'd probably never seen an actual immortal child.

"Thank you for listening… or watching, rather," Edythe said quietly.

"But where is the danger Carine warned us of?" Taran asked. "This child is clearly not dangerous."

"That's exactly what we need you to testify!" Edythe exclaimed excitedly when Taran made the point immediately.

Taran paused. "The Volturi." It wasn't a question.

"How did they find out about him?" Elena asked.

I wasn't surprised at their sudden understanding. Anyone else who had seen Luca would have run straight to the Volturi.

Edythe looked at Lauren. "Victor came back."

Lauren gasped.

Edythe explained the whole story. The newborns, Victor running away, and Archie's vision.

"The entire guard?" Elena gasped.

"Oh, not just the guard," Edythe shook her head. "Even Sulpicia herself."

Shock glazed over all their faces.

"Impossible!" Elena said.

"I would have said the same."

"But that doesn't make any sense… Why would Sulpicia, Athenodora, and Marcus put themselves in danger?" Elena scowled.

"Because this is no punishment expedition, Elena," Edythe explained. "Sulpicia had long decided something like this against us. She was merely waiting for the excuse."

"More than punishment? But what…" Elena trailed off, pacing the floor. "You don't think…"

"Where is everyone?" Taran asked anxiously.

"Looking for other friends who can help us," Edythe answered.

Elena put her hands on her hips. "Edythe, surely you must know no matter how many friends you gather, it isn't going to help you. You'd be asking us to die with you."

"I'm not asking you to fight," Edythe said, shaking her head. "You know Carine would never request that."

"Then just what do you plan to do?"

"We only want witnesses. We want as many as possible to testify in our defense, if you will, the very same things you've observed about Luca. He is the farthest thing from an immortal child. If we can just make them pause for one moment… We could explain." Edythe grabbed Luca's hand, placing it to her cheek. "It's hard to deny the story when you see it for yourself."

"But will they care?" Taran asked. "What if they still view him as a risk?"

"We will have to prove that Luca is not like those children who could not be tamed. The purpose of the restriction was to prevent exposure."

"I'm not dangerous at all," Luca jumped in. "I've never hurt anyone."

"If Victor had not come so soon…" Edythe mused. "Luca grows so quickly, I doubt he would have looked so much like a child in a year's time. Then we wouldn't be facing this. In fact, by the time they come, he'll look another year older."

"Well, that is certainly something we can also witness," Calvin said. "A child, he is… but not for long, it seems. Sulpicia will see all the evidence herself. How could she ignore such proof?"

Elena mumbled to herself. "How, indeed…" She continued pacing the floor, deep in thought.

"Yes. We will be witnesses for you," Taran declared. "And we will consider what more we can do if it comes to that."

"No," Edythe protested. "I won't have any of you putting yourselves at risk. If the Volturi ask that you leave in peace…"

"If the Volturi refuse to hear the truth, then they don't deserve to be in charge," Taran insisted. "We would not simply stand by while an innocent family is murdered."

"It's a suicide mission," Elena muttered.

"I'm in," Kirill said.

"I, too, will protect this child," Calvin agreed.

This might actually work out better than I thought it would. Luca was irresistible. Everyone who ever met him was drawn in… They were willing to even pledge their lives to protect him.

"I hate thinking of them that way!" Elena burst out suddenly. "Edythe, if you are right…"

Edythe cut her off. "You were the one who gave me the idea, after all."

"If I am right," she continued. "I can't even come to terms with what that would mean. I would have to question the world they've created. I would have to question what I was once a part of. What have I done? All the lives…"

Taran put his hand on Elena's shoulder. "What did we miss, sister? I want to know so that I can debate as well. Please, explain."

Edythe answered. "We're trying to understand why so many of the Volturi are coming to punish us. This isn't how they do things. We're the biggest coven they've ever dealt with, certainly. But covens have joined forces to protect themselves in the past, and they never presented much of a challenge. We're more closely united, but that's not much of a factor."

"A pattern occurred to me…" Elena said. "In the past, when a coven was guilty of one thing or another, Sulpicia was particularly interested in attending the punishing expedition when I informed her of a vampire with a powerful gift. And sure enough, that person she would claim had repentant thoughts, and she would offer him or her a place in the guard in exchange for surrender. There were even times when I would stumble across a particular gift, and Sulpicia would soon find that coven was guilty of some unpardonable crime. It happened time and time again, and I always blew it off as coincidence."

"Must be a heady thing being chosen," Kirill mumbled.

I had to interrupt. "I don't understand. Why do all of these people even agree to serve the Volturi like that? What's in it for them?"

Edythe gave a one-shoulder shrug. "For one, it's a very prestigious position. The Volturi are essentially seen as royalty. But they do have Chariton…"

"Ah, I can see now why Chariton was so important to Sulpicia," Elena went on. "He has influence over the emotional connections people feel for each other. He can break people apart or bring them together. I'd always thought he'd been used mainly to distance members of a coven so that the innocent would not try to protect the guilty. Chariton would break their bindings, and we could defeat them more easily. But now I think he may have been doing much more than that. Because he can make someone feel pleased with life among the guard and make them want to please Sulpicia."

This clarified a lot of things for me, except for the fact that Elena was here now, and not with the Volturi. She'd somehow escaped this Chariton's effects.

"How strong is his gift, though?" I asked.

Elena shrugged. "I was able to leave when I found Calvin. Anything weaker than the bonds of partners, though, is in danger. Most covens aren't so civilized. They don't have nearly the allegiance to each other."

"I think the real reason Sulpicia is coming herself and bringing so many with her, is because this is about acquisition, not punishment," Taran said. "It's obvious, isn't it? She needs to be here to control the situation but needs all the protection because your coven is so large. She must want you guys' gifts very badly."

"I've seen her mind. I don't doubt it," Edythe agreed. "She's never wanted anything more than Archie, though. And she certainly doesn't know about Beau. She can't know."

Then the thought occurred to me. What if that's why Archie left? What if it was capture he feared, rather than death? I was picturing it again now: Archie and Edythe standing alongside Sulpicia in black cloaks with eyes the color of blood. Would I be important enough for her to steal away as well? Had Archie seen this? Had he seen Chariton trying to strip away our love for each other to bind us to Sulpicia?

"Is that why Archie left?" I asked.

I heard Taran inhale sharply. "You mean Archie's not with the others? When did this happen?"

Edythe ignored the question. "It has to be. To keep Sulpicia from gaining such a power. He's keeping the future out of her hands."

Elena muttered in a disturbed voice. "Just wait until she sees Beau… She'll want him more than any of you, that's for sure. Sulpicia would be invincible… A physical shield and a psychological shield at her sides."

Edythe changed the subject. "I think she was waiting for this accusation. She couldn't know that the excuse would ever manifest, but the plan was already in place before it came. That's the reason Archie saw all of this in great detail before Victor had even triggered it."

"I can't believe the Volturi are abusing the trust all of our kind have put in them…" Calvin said.

"I suppose it doesn't matter," Edythe said. "Who would believe it? And who would ever stand against them if they really thought the Volturi were exploiting their power?"

Many pairs of golden eyes darted around the room accusingly at us.

"Apparently, some of us are insane enough to try," Kirill muttered.

"Please remember you are only here to witness," Edythe reminded them.

Elena continued. "Whatever Sulpicia's intentions, I don't think she is ready to tarnish the Volturi's reputation. Our lives are riding on the hope that we can take her argument away from her… She would have to leave in peace."

When the idea settled into the room, no one said anything more. Was death really becoming a lesser concern? Was it involuntary servitude we should really be fearing? The whirlwind of thoughts spun around in my head. I suppose I could live with being enslaved to the Volturi, as long as Edythe's life would be spared for it. And I also I knew that I could be happy anywhere so long as she was with me.