Chapter 36 - Edward's POV
I sprung off of Jane as Alice pulled the phone from my ear and clicked it shut. Jane was on her feet instantly a deep growl resonated from her and then I felt the pain. Mind numbing pain and my body went limp I lay thrashing on the ground as I heard the muffled screams of Alice directed at Jane to stop. I knew this was coming even before I had jumped Jane. Her retribution, and I once again wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of crying out. She would have to kill me for that. A few minutes or hours had passed I couldn't tell but when the pain ceased I looked up to find a very angry Jane being restrained by Alec of all people.
"Jane, that's enough, you heard what they did to Felix. Don't push it, you know Aro will see it if you continue." Jane was livid, I expected as much she couldn't stand me and tolerated our presence in her world even less. I pealed myself from the ground and dusted myself off before giving Alice a slight grin. She had felt my pain i'm sure of it weather in a vision or just in itself. She was my sister and truest friend. She looked as if she could cry looking into my eyes "You okay?"
"It's alright Alice..... I deserved that….. Jane I apologise" said turning to the twins. Jane stopped struggling against her brother and stood her mouth agape her arms hanging loosely to her sides.
"What?" Jane's thoughts streamed out of control she didn't know what to make of me.
"I'm sorry for attacking you like that, there is no excuse for my actions. I was shocked by the vision Alice had and I lashed out at you." Jane continued to stand there staring at me as if I had grown horns from the top of my head. Alice's voice entered my mind "Are you serious she's an evil little troll with no self control and anger management issues. Are you trying to get us thrown off the plane at thirty thousand feet because I don't fly." Alice glared at me the look of disbelief on her face took me by surprise as she turned to look off to the valley below.
Alec finally chimed in "We need to get going, the plane is going to leave without us." He took a still dumbfounded Jane's arm and started marching down the winding path. Alice and I followed without another word. "You're a brave one Cullen, pissing her off like that and then apologizing she's absolutely flabbergasted. I don't think anyone has apologised to her in over a thousand years. You might have actually made it on her good side, but don't let your guard down." Alec's thoughts have me the hope that along with the protection the council had granted us we may be able to make it out of voltera alive.
A few moments later Jane must have come out of the shock of the situation because she began to run, Alec by her side. Alice and I kept a few paces behind them. Alice was once again trying to lighten my mood by whistling the theme song for Mr. Roger's Neighbourhood Alice definitely needed a hobby.
As we neared the airfield the plane came into view several vampires along with the two prisoners were standing around outside the plane. "Caius and Athenadora have not yet returned." Demetri addressed Jane and Alec of the situation. "I expect they went hunting, Athenadora was not fed during her captivity." I said to the awaiting vampires.
Jane's eyes met mine then "Good to know…. Get those on board and store the gear." The contingent of awaiting vampires sprang into action. Following Jane's ordered all the vampires and their belongings disappeared into the plane. Jane's eyes continues to look at me then I heard her thoughts. "I want to speak to Edward alone, how will I get Alec to leave me alone?" I didn't feel threatened by her thought more intrigued she seemed genuine in wanting to speak to me.
"May I suggest that we split up to the opposite ends of the field to keep watch for Caius and Athenadora so that we can alert them to start the engines." I looked to Alec "Good idea, Jane?" "Yes, of course, you take the runt… Edward and I will handle this end." Jane's voice had the necessary bit of authority in it so Alec would not question it. Alice's voice was like alarm bells in my head "Edward, I saw this she…. Well she…. She's gonna kiss you. She has a thing for you she's been hiding it since she first saw you. You being nice to her just sealed the deal in her eyes. I don't like the idea of you going off with her." "It's fine Alice, I'll see you in a few."
Almost ninety years ago I had accompanied Carlisle to visit his friend Aro. That had been the first time I had encountered Jane and Alec. At the time I had dismissed Jane's interest in me as a passing fascination. She had made some subtle advances toward me but had left the ball in my court if you will. After seeing her sheer enjoyment in the torture of other sentient beings Carlisle and I had cut our visit short and returned home. Since then in the few encounters I had had with her she had never expresses interest in me again, merely distain for me in general. Until now. Alice's warning and Jane's want to speak with me indicated that she still had amorous feelings towards me. Now my only problem is, how do you consciously let down one of the most powerful vampires of the last millennia and remain alive.
Jane and I had walked several hundred meters away from the plane to an outcropping of rock looking over the valley below. We were definitely out of earshot of the vampires on the plane. "Alright mind reader, what are you trying to pull?" her voice was curt and emotionless. "I'm not sure what you…" "Don't give me that crap, you truly believe that apologizing to me after all this time is going to make things better? That all will be forgiven, your delusional." she was pacing back and forth along the cliff. She looked distracted and not at all herself. "Jane, I'm not certain I know what all this is about?"
She took a deep breath and continued "Of course you would forget…. You left, without so much as a goodbye. Did you never question why I was angry at you?" I thought back to the circumstances surrounding my visit to voltera all those years ago. "Carlisle and I needed to return home, you were out with the guard." She walked straight up to me and looked up into my eyes. "Of course, you couldn't wait to say goodbye, do you not remember I was going to show you around the city that night, we had plans, you weren't supposed to leave for weeks. What happened Edward?"
The day came rushing back to me and I remembered it all. I think I had tried to block it out. "Jane, I want to be honest with you, but you might hate me for it. You deserve the truth, will you listen to me?" I could tell she was still upset but she leaned against a tree crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Alright, the truth is I was disappointed, even somewhat angry." Her eyes shot open "Not at you, no…. just listen. That day one of the guard detachments came back with some prisoners. I don't know what their crimes were but you were sent to interrogate them. I was looking for you and I found you using your power on a young girl. I could hear her and her friends screaming in my head every thought every want and even in the end their screaming for death to find them. You have no idea how that effected me."
I took a few breaths and continued. "Aro was there in the room, he took the girls thoughts and knew she had told you everything but he lied to you Jane. He told you she was holding back. You used your power on her again and again. She died because Aro wanted to make you just as crass and unfeeling as he was and he succeeded that day. Carlisle found me a few hours later I was burnt out, it took me weeks to recover from their thoughts. Carlisle made our apologies and we left Italy that night."
Jane was still leaning against the tree her red eyes gleaming in the late day sun. She unclenched arms and walked toward me looking at the ground. When she got to me she looked up to my face. She reached her arms up and clasped them around my neck. "Everyone lies to me Edward, Everyone…. Aro, Caius, Marcus even my dear sweet brother. Hell even my lovers lie to me, to avoid my wrath I like to think. But you…. You've always told me the truth, why is that? You lie to the one you love but not to me. You thought I didn't notice. You told me all those years ago that you didn't have feelings for me, I didn't believe you and I've resented you ever since……."
"But that was the truth….." She looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Thank you for telling me the truth, it might not be what I wanted to hear but I know it's true." She pushed herself up on her toes and kissed me gingerly on the lips.
"Jane I…" "Don't get all defensive, I know your eyes are only for her." She practically spit the words. "Jane, please tell me you won't try anything with Bella" she pursed her lips and looked thoughtful for a few moments her eyes met my gaze….
"Fine…..as long as she stays out of my way, but if she crosses me I won't be responsible."
I was shocked, I didn't think this would be so easy "Thank yo…"
"Oh don't thank me yet Edward, I have another condition." Her hands were on her hips as she paced back toward me. "Once you've changed her if she ever returns to Voltera, ever even considers joining the guard while I am still sucking in air I will kill her."
"JANE, EDWARD TIME TO GO!" Alec's voice echoed from across the field.
Jane turned and grinned at me before she took off in a dead sprint toward the plane.