We lingered in Volterra Castle for a week. I hoped the Volturi would become complacent, believe we had capitulated. We had an escape route; Carlisle had located the room. He had simply walked around, making comments to his guard that the room was in obvious need of repair. He also made sure to examine three more unoccupied rooms in the same manner. The hole and crack ran low enough that he thought we could climb down a good way before jumping, possibly right to the ground. I was embarrassed that the idea of climbing down hadn't occurred to me. Bella would be safe, assuming we could get her down without anyone noticing. Hence, the week of waiting.

I hated doing it to them. Alice continued to play the good guard member, meeting with her old friends, being in the throne room. Every time she came back without the smile I'd grown accustomed to; she was filled with regret, fear and defeat. So far, she had been able to avoid giving Aro her hand - no visions that interested him enough for detail - but feared it was only a matter of time. She saw him taking her hand several times and manipulated the situation to avoid it. Her friends were also pressuring her to stay, reminiscing with her. Those meetings stung less, but they still stung. She would tell me about them while Bella slept.

While Alice approached the Volturi, they came to Bella. Athenadora, Caius' mate, came with Suplicia to try to convince her to join the guard. They were very friendly and unassuming, but Bella remembered that Suplicia would be the one changing her if Carlisle didn't. She couldn't relax the entire time they were in the suite, and I didn't try to help her. The ladies didn't linger when it became obvious that their presence was having the opposite effect to their goal. They each wished Bella a goodnight. She grabbed me as soon as they were gone, shaking like a leaf.

"It's all right, Bell. They weren't going to hurt you. Alice would have seen and come back. Shhh." I used my gift to calm her and she yawned. I tried not to calm her often, sleepiness was a common side effect in humans. I picked her up and carried her to the bed.

"Don't go," she asked. "Please."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll hold you while you sleep, all right? Alice will be with us again soon, too." And she was, although Bella was asleep by then.

"Athenadora?" she whispered. "She's a very calming presence. I often wonder how Caius can be so uptight with her around him. But Bella was still on edge. That will be all Suplicia, of course. She's actually a very nice person, but who can be comfortable with their executioner? They really didn't think that one through, did they?"

"No," I whispered in reply. "I'm glad they didn't. They were quite convincing."

Alice smiled. "There are benefits to being one of the Volturi. There are also costs." She sighed quietly, stroking Bella's hair where it fell on her chest. "I can't pay this price."

I kissed the top of Bella's head and then lifted mine enough for Alice to peck my lips. "Neither can I."

The next visitors were less frightening, but also less influential. Chelsea and Afton, also mates, came to talk with Bella and I. They spoke of the freedom within the guard, the prestige and privilege. They talked of how they were able to be together almost constantly, how easy it was to stay together in the guard. Bella smiled and nodded, but rarely spoke. I could feel her unease, though little showed on her face. I listened patiently. There was no lie in what they said, I could feel myself wanting to be part of a larger group, but I knew I could never leave Carlisle or Bella. I could never go back to a life of feeding on humans. I wondered if they had a way of making me want to be one of them. Eventually Carlisle convinced them to go and I showed them to the door. As soon as the wood barrier was in place, Bella was clinging to Carlisle.

"You won't do it, will you? Not here? Not now?" She was crying. She was distressed, distraught. What had they said to scare her so badly?

"No, Bella, not now." He stroked her hair. "Not until you ask me."

She sniffled. "They... they want what I will be. You want what I am," she murmured between gasps.

Carlisle looked to me, and I nodded. Once more, I used my gift to quiet her. She slipped quickly unconscious this time. Carlisle carried her to the bed, crooning to her. I sat on the couch with my fingers steepled under my chin. How much longer could I ask her to wait? Not long, certainly. She would be traumatized.

Blessedly, it was only a few days later that Felix delivered Bella's breakfast. It was early and she was still in bed with Alice and I, asleep. Carlisle let him in. We hadn't seen him since the day the ultimatum had been made, the day he had offered to help us.

"I've brought the human breakfast. I hope I won't be waiting on her much longer." Was that a hint? I slipped from the bed and out the door. Alice was one step ahead of me. Bella didn't rouse.

"No, it won't be much longer," Carlisle said coldly, but I could tell he didn't feel the ice behind them.

I stepped close to Felix, whispering, "When?"

"Two hours," he breathed. "That's good. I look forward to bringing her a much more luscious meal than this. One more vibrant and nubile."

"I'm not sure she'll appreciate that."

"I think she'll enjoy it," he said with a toothy grin. He winked to take the sting out, turning to leave.

I was already on my way to the bedroom to wake Bella.

"And Carlisle, hurry. With a scent like hers, someone could make a mistake soon."

I growled and heard two others with me. Felix merely nodded. He wasn't referring to himself. Alice growled louder; she knew who. "Now," she said before sprinting for the room. "Bella, sweetie, it's time. We're going."

"Hmmm?" she mumbled. She sat up. "What? Going? When?" Her voice was sharp, and I winced.

"Two hours," Alice whispered. Bella covered her mouth. "Don't worry, no one heard, yet. Go, shower and eat."

Bella nodded and jumped off the bed, nearly running for the bathroom. Alice began filling a bag with some of her purchases for Bella.

"I hate how much I have to leave behind. Well, easy enough to replace. More shopping!" she said brightly. There were only two bags that we would be taking with us, leaving our rooms more or less in tact.

When Bella emerged from the bathroom, clean and damp, she sat to the food. "They have a good cook," she mused, shoveling eggs into her mouth.

"You don't need to rush that much, Bella," I warned. "Don't choke."

She smiled and slowed down. We were still ready to go an hour later. Felix was still outside our room, but only Felix was. "There's a meeting in the throne room," he whispered. "As soon as you're on your way, I'm going there. Which way?"

I led him to the room Carlisle had located. It was the same. Cloths lay undisturbed on old furniture and a little light filtered through the clouds and crack in the ceiling. Pigeons were startled by our appearance and fled through the gap. Alice went up first; Carlisle stood beneath the gap, helping Bella through the hole. I waitied with Felix at the door. "Go on," he whispered. "I'm off."

Alice was suddenly between us throwing her arms around Felix's neck. "Thank you so much."

He squeezed her back. "That bad, eh?"

She bit her lip as she jumped down and back. Sadness washed with the gratitude pouring from her; she nodded.

"She's worth it." He turned down a different corridor and Alice's lips turned up. She grabbed my hand and pulled me. "He's going to be fine. He's leaving."

From the broken section, I looked and saw Carlisle halfway down the wall, Bella clinging to his back, her head tucked tight to his shoulder. She was a ball of fear. "Can we jump?" I asked Alice.

"Only if you want a crowd," she replied snidely and started climbing down. I scrabbled beside her. We sparkled for a split-second when we passed through a bar of sunlight.

We passed Carlisle and Bella; he was going slowly for her sake, but we still reached the bottom in seconds.

Bella slid from Carlisle's shoulders and put her hands to her knees. "I was sure..."

"Bella. He wouldn't have dropped you. I'd have known if he was going to fall." Alice rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry your visions don't completely counteract my fear of heights," she answered snidely.

Alice laughed. "Do you trust me to carry you? It will be the best way."

She stuck her tongue out at Alice before jumping into her arms, wrapping her legs around Alice's waist. She snuggled into Alice's neck and ear. I felt both of them become distracted. "Ladies? We need to be away?" I reminded them. They both glared at me. Rather than retort, I ran, Carlisle at my side.

We kept to trees and other covered paths as much as possible. Alice was able to see when it was safe to sprint fields and roads. Bella quickly learned that running made her dizzy and nauseous, so she now had her head tucked into Alice's neck for another reason.

We had made Pisa and were walking through the airport security when Alice froze. We all watched her face. She laughed. "They aren't happy at all. Demitri was told to find Felix, but they've been friends too long. He's going to let him escape. And we... well we might not have the help we were hoping for when the time comes." Now I understood the wistfulness I had felt as she laughed. We were on our own versus Victoria and Maria. That was good in one way, we wouldn't be brought back here, but terrifying in another. We were only three.

"Tanya will help us," Carlisle said matter-of-factly. Alice nodded as he said it. I sighed.

"Unfortunately, I can't see the fight. It's very blurry and in some places... black." I felt the fear thrown off from her. She didn't like not being able to see things. More than frustrated, it scared her. I would have to ask her why.

"We'll find a way," I assured her, kissing her forehead. Her fear fled without any more help than that.

"We're boarding," Bella murmured, pulling Alice with her. I couldn't blame her for her eagerness to be away from Italy.