Chapter Thirty Six
Renee
When Bella came downstairs she wasn't alone, by her side was a guy, another vampire but this one screamed danger. He was tall and muscular, very good-looking with tousled dusty blond hair but the most outstanding thing about him was his scars. There were scars on his neck and I could see they ran down inside his collar. He was dangerous and he was hand in hand with my daughter. Had I saved her only to lose her to this monster? He seemed to understand my feelings because his red eyes met mine and a message flashed between us. He was reassuring me that his intentions towards Bella came from the love he felt for her. How I understood that I didn't know but then as I looked around the room I realised now I was no longer so scared by everything, that I could read most of the attitudes there. Most were also reassuring but the young man Alec was hiding something and I decided to watch him more closely. Caius had eyes only for my daughter and her companion, he rose from his seat and walked to meet them at the bottom of the stairs,
"Isabella Swan, it's so good to finally meet you, and with your mate. I suppose I couldn't have chosen better myself. I see you are taking your responsibilities seriously Major."
"Yes, never more seriously. Is it going to come to a fight?"
"Possibly, who knows? But at least my great grand-daughter will be in safe hands."
Bella's eyes narrowed at his words and I didn't blame her for being unhappy to hear that, it had come as a shock to me too. We were descendants of the man who stood before her, his venom ran in our veins whether we liked the idea or not.
"I think I'd better speak to my brother and arrange a meeting as soon as possible."
While Caius moved away from the stairs I approached my daughter looking warily at her companion,
"Mum, this is Jasper."
He held out his free hand and I shook it feeling the sincerity of his feelings as I did so which almost freaked me out but I guess I was beyond that by now.
"I'm pleased to meet you Jasper, don't let me down"
"I won't Renee"
We sat together with Charlie who explained how he had been told about the Cullens secret,
"You shot Jasper? Charlie what the hell were you thinking of? Don't you know you need a wooden stake to kill a vampire?"
"Funnily enough Renee I didn't know he was a vampire at the time, besides which the police force doesn't issue us with wooden stakes and hammers!"
I had to smile at his words and remembered just how much I loved this man. How it had hurt leaving him with Bella as a baby, all the pain I had caused him. I took his hand in mine,
"Charlie I'm so sorry for all the hurt I've caused, I didn't want to leave I just didn't know how else to keep Bella safe"
"You could have told me. I'd have left with you or found a way to keep you both safe"
I nodded, he was right of course,
"I know that now but at the time I was so confused by grief and fear I didn't know which way to turn. I hope you can forgive me"
He nodded but he didn't say anything and I wasn't sure he could ever forgive me for taking his daughter away from him.
Caius
Bella reminded me of her great-grandmother, they had the same way of looking deep inside you, the same shaped face, and pale complexion. Suddenly I missed the woman who had stolen my heart, the woman I had wanted to spend eternity with but I knew it wasn't possible. If the locket were to fulfil its mission then I had to leave my beautiful Elizabeth but I watched over her, saw the daughter she bore, my daughter, but not the girl the locket would call to and I wondered just how long I would have to wait? Well this was it, the end of the wait and if anyone was suited to be her companion in the endeavour it was The Major. For now though, I needed to keep my mind on the game while I spoke to Aro.
"Brother, how nice of you to call back. Have you come to a decision?"
"Yes, I have the girl, you have the locket, why don't we meet? Perhaps we can all get what we want."
"Really? Somehow I doubt that. I want to know exactly what you were told about the locket, the letter doesn't tell me anything."
"Did you expect it to? Wouldn't that have been a little too easy for you? What do you already know Aro? You wouldn't be so eager to get Bella if you didn't know at least something."
"Lets just say I had a rather short and heated meeting with your sire. His memories and thoughts weren't terribly clear but then as you are being fed into a fire I don't suppose they would be. I got enough to know that there is only one person who can open the locket and it leads to great power. Power that belongs to me Caius. The Volturi is mine and no one will take it from me. I kept you close so I would know when the locket and its destined owner finally appeared and now I want the power that's locked up within it."
"Then you have no choice but to meet with me Aro, or you'll never get to see what the locket contains. I suggest you come to the Cullen house, after all they can't threaten you and I'm sure you have enough of the guard with you to ensure your safety."
"Of course Caius but you have Alec, do you intend using him to get the locket from me?"
"If I did would I admit to it? I'm not stupid Aro, I'm aware you have Renata with you and therefore anything I try is doomed to failure. No one can touch you now can they?"
"As long as you remember that Caius, I'd hate you to start a war when I hold the crown."
"Its yours, I don't want the power, look what its done to you dear brother."
Aro laughed and cut the connection. All we could do now was wait for him to decide.
I looked over to see Bella and Jasper had moved away from her parents who were deep in discussion about the past. I could see they loved each other very much and again it reminded me of Elizabeth. I had met Athenadora centuries before and changed her to be my mate. I loved her and was almost ready to give her the locket despite my sires words when I set eyes on Elizabeth. The human girl was visiting her brother in Rhodes and I happened to be on a mission to collect a gift for the Volturi. Once I saw her that was it, I knew what I had to do and I'd never forgotten her, she was always there, a quiet presence in the back of my mind as I thought about Aro's actions. He had destroyed everything around him, his followers that weren't as loyal as he wanted, Marcus life when he killed his own sister to keep his friend in Volterra, even his own relationship with his mate as he sent her to the tower along with Athenadora for "their own protection". I found he had used Corin to keep her happy but warned him if he tried it with my mate I would kill him myself. He trusted Renata completely and relied on her but I still made him uneasy and he held back from provoking me too much. Now we would see who was truly the stronger of the two.