Chapter Twenty Five
Edward
I thought about my position and my choices for a few hours then went to see Aro, he was after all the most important of the brothers and as such going to him with the news would be a better move for me. He was alone in his study reading a parchment scroll when I entered at his invitation. He looked up and smiled when he saw me,
"Edward what a pleasant surprise, please take a seat. What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping I could persuade you to allow me to leave Volterra for a short while."
"Really? Have you found the killer then?"
"No, I haven't but I don't think I ever would have in any case."
"Oh why?"
"Bella isn't dead."
There was a long silence as Aro thought about my words then he leaned forward placing both hands on his desk as he looked into my eyes.
"And how do you know this Edward?"
I was afraid he would ask me that, I wanted to keep Carlisle out of trouble if I could but I didn't see any way of protecting him so I answered truthfully.
"I found out from Carlisle. He had a message from Emmett saying Bella's scent was in Darius apartment. She had been there recently."
Aro's face went blank but I could see his eyes were blazing with anger.
"How long have you been in possession of this information Edward?"
"A few hours no more. I want your permission to leave Volterra and find her. I will of course bring her back to you for your justice but I beg you not to harm Carlisle, he was so torn between his loyalty to you and his love for the girl. She bewitched us all I'm afraid and it was my fault for bringing her to the family."
Aro
Edward was quite obviously telling the truth or at least a part of it, the human girl was still alive and in the company of The Majors friends. That might draw him out if nothing else did. I now had a dilemma, did I allow Edward to go and find her or did I wait to hear from Felix? She could already be dead or captured.
"How do you intend to find her Edward?"
"I've been doing some research on Darius and I think I know where he may have taken her. I found land deeds and a property in Darius name, careless of him but it had been in a friends name for a long time with his name as the recipient of the property on the owners death. It was well hidden but with a little help from Heidi I found it."
I could see he had hated using the beautiful Heidi but Edward was ready to use anyone to get what he wanted, he was rather like me in that respect, one reason I wanted him here.
"Have you told my brothers all this?"
"No I brought it straight to you."
"And have you told Carlisle or anyone else that you were coming to me with the information?"
"No, I thought it better they didn't know for now."
"Very good. Well as it is our secret I believe you could be given dispensation to leave Volterra but Edward..."
"Yes Aro?"
"If you don't return with, or without, the girl I will be very upset and you know what the consequences of that could be"
He nodded, he understood the threat to his family and himself only too well.
"Then go now but do not talk to anyone on your way out. You can have the use of the jet, I will ring and make the arrangements."
"Thank you Aro."
He hesitated,
"Was there anything else Edward?2
He sat back down and leaned forward,
"I wondered if perhaps we could come to some arrangement when I bring her back."
"Oh really? Go on."
Edward
I had to be careful now, Aro was a wily negotiator.
"I am convinced that Bella has a gift, it may be only a very weak one but I thought you should know that I am unable to read her mind."
His eyes lit up at this,
"The human could be a shield you mean?"
"I don't know for sure but I thought if I delivered her to you that you might see your way to allowing me to leave or keep her as my mate if I change her and agree to stay."
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as if deep in thought.
"I see, so you kept this from me until now?"
"I only just realised it might be important."
He rubbed his face then put his hands together and smiled,
"You want a deal? Very well Edward I'll give you a deal. You go and find this human and bring her back here to me and in return I will, if she is gifted, reward you with your freedom. If however you don't come back, with or without the human, I will send out the guard to find and destroy not only you but the girl too then I will kill the Cullen family en masse. Is that a good enough deal for you?"
It wasn't what I had hoped for but it was all I was going to get so I nodded.
"How many of the guard do I take with me?"
He just stared blankly as Caius and Marcus came through the door and I could see from their expressions that they had heard the conversation.
"You didn't really expect me to speak to you alone did you? I couldn't keep this kind of information from my brothers, that would be...unwise."
"You're sending me alone?"
Caius laughed,
"Well you weren't thinking we would risk more guard do you? What's the matter Edward are you scared to leave alone? Worried that you might run into The Major on your way? Not quite so courageous now are you?"
"You have one week starting now and before you leave tell Carlisle we want to see him urgently, his experiments will have to do without him for a while. Oh and ask him to bring Rosalie with him will you and not a word about what happened here."
He nodded and left reluctantly
"Do you really think he'll go looking for the girl Aro?"
"I don't know Marcus, I think so but I don't think he dare come back without her or try to run."
"Do you think she is really his mate?"
"She's not. He wouldn't have left her if she had been. The fool is deluded, all that animal blood has addled his brains."
I looked at Marcus, if he said she wasn't then I believed him. Even without seeing them together he was rarely wrong about such things.
Caius laughed but I was busy thinking of her possible value to us if she was a shield and possibly a better and stronger one than Renata.
Edward
I walked to Carlisle's apartment with my head spinning, how had things changed so quickly? How would I find Bella and get her away from Darius and whoever else was there, hopefully not my dear brother. Perhaps I could use Carlisle to help me, without of course telling him exactly what I was doing. Esme sat reading with Rose in the sunny window seat and both looked up at me then Rose looked down again dismissing my presence as unimportant.
"Is Carlisle still in his laboratory?"
"Yes why Edward?"
"Aro wants to see him urgently."
"Why?"
She sounded worried so she knew about Bella too!
"I don't know, I just ran into him, he wants to see Rose too, maybe he has news about Emmett."
That made my dear sister look up again and I smiled inwardly at her hopeful expression.
"I'll tell Carlisle then I have to go. I have a job to do for Aro."
"I never took you for a lap dog Edward."
I ignored Rose and went along to Carlisle's laboratory knocking on the door then walking in before he had time to answer.
Carlisle
I could tell Edward had something on his mind before he spoke,
"Rose is very worried about Emmett, don't you have any news from him?"
"No, not since he told us about Bella. Was there something you wanted Edward?"
"Yes I just spoke to Aro. He wants to see you and Rose, I thought maybe he had news for her."
"Really? Have you told anyone about Bella?"
"Of course not Carlisle, I'm not stupid. Anyway I have a task for Aro so I have to go but he did say he needed to see you urgently so I wouldn't keep him waiting."
"Where are you going Edward?"
"Just out into the town, that's all."
I left the room unsure if I would ever see Carlisle again but eager to leave Volterra before the brothers changed their minds.