Chapter Thirty Six
Peter
I set up a pretty convincing ambush about two miles back before rejoining the others. The wire was almost invisible among the trees where it stretched across the road and of it made them slow even slightly we'd be all over them like a rash. If not then our car was going to need a fair bit of bodywork! The Major and I sat beside the road out of view waiting patiently,
"You think they'll all come together or split up?"
"Together with luck. If not we may only get the first car, in which case I hope Grace is in that one. If they get past us then we go up to Volterra, to the Volturi stronghold if necessary. You don't have to go so far Peter. it's not your fight after all"
"Hey Major you ever know me to sit out a fight? And just for your information Grace is like our kid too."
"OK Peter, thanks"
"Anyway I want the chance to kick Carlisle's smug face around the Italian countryside"
"You never met him, what is your beef with the guy?"
"He's an arrogant ass hole, thinking he's better than the rest of us after brown-nosing the Volturi for so long. You told me yourself that he thinks he's superior to the human hunters"
"He just thinks his way is better"
"Yeah? Like kidnapping and murder?"
"Point taken Peter. Now we wait."
Jasper
It was some hours later we heard engines approaching.
"Fuck, two cars. So I guess we hope Grace is in the lead one."
The cars paused momentarily at the makeshift roadblock before coming once more at speed. The first car hit the wire which took the roof off like a cheese cutter. Inside I saw Carlisle and Esme but no one else. As their car slewed round losing traction the other car came round the bend at high-speed and pushed Carlisle's out of the way to blast off towards Volterra, in the back sitting with Rose was Grace, white-faced and crying.
Peter was at Carlisle's door in a second and hauled him out, punching him hard in the face as Bella scrambled from cover.
"Peter don't kill him he's our ticket in to see Aro"
He looked at her holding Carlisle by the throat while I helped a shocked and confused Esme from the passenger seat.
"Jasper? What's going on?"
"You should be asking your husband that. The little girl you were taking to Volterra is my daughter."
Esme looked at me stunned,
"Your daughter? Carlisle told me she was an orphan and we were taking her to Aro to prove she wasn't an immortal child so we could keep her"
Peter laughed savagely as he shook Carlisle the way a terrier shakes a rabbit.
"So Cullen you lying to your wife now."
Esme watched as Bella walked to Carlisle, her face red with anger,
"You bastard, you stole my daughter to give to Aro. I should kill you now but you might come in useful. Peter take him with us, but stay outside the city. We'll use him as a bargaining chip. Esme you weren't involved in this so you're free to go with us or stay with Peter and Charlotte. Your decision"
Esme looked from Peter to Bella.
"I want to know what's going on so I'll come with you. If I find out Carlisle that you stole the child you'll have me to deal with. No one has the right to steal a child from its parents"
Carlisle would have spoken but Peter had him gripped too tightly by the throat.
"You go. The good Dr and I will gave a nice little chat and if Grace is harmed in any way I'll take him apart an inch at a fucking time."
Bella
Jasper, Esme, and I got back into our car and followed the others up into the town pulling up in the shadow of the clock tower. As we walked into the reception area there was a strange rumbling noise and the tower shook slightly.
"Was that an earthquake?"
The others shrugged
"No idea, come on."
The receptionist tried to stop us but she was no match for Jasper who shook his head and motioned for her to sit back down. She did so cowed by his expression and he led us through dark cold corridors to a pair of heavy looking oak doors and banged on them before pushing them open.
The sight that met us was confusing, Rose and Emmett stood looking at a huge lump of stone which had crashed down between them and the tiny figure facing three black cloaked figures.
"That's the Volturi, Aro in the centre and Caius to his left, Marcus to his right."
Jasper explained but I had eyes only for our daughter,
"Grace"
She turned, hearing my voice and smiled,
"Mummy, daddy, I knew you'd come. I don't like her, she's horrible"
She pointed at a shell-shocked Rosalie. Emmett was shaking his head and the questions came from him and the Volturi,
"Bella she's your child?"
"This is The Majors daughter?"
"What's going on?"
Grace walked around the huge chunk of stone and ran to us, hanging on to my hand and hugging Jaspers leg with her other arm.
"What happened Princess?"
"Those men were telling the lady that they wanted me to stay here, to be tested. I don't want to be tested and I don't want to stay here. That man," She pointed to Aro "told me I had to do as they said so I called the stones to help me"
"Called the stones?"
"Well I thought if I made the big stones fall they'd stop the horrible man getting me"
"You can move stones?"
"Yes if I'm scared or angry I can, I didn't know until today because I've never been frightened like this before."
From the corner of my eye I saw Aro motion to a grey cloaked figure to one side and I threw my shield up between us and him watching as his expression changed from smug to confused then annoyed. I nudged Jasper who looked over then back to Aro.
"Call your dogs off Aro before we take your tower apart. This is our daughter, not an immortal child and she comes back with us. Rosalie stole her and killed Bella's father to do so. I claim her as mine by right."
Aro looked at our little party in silence then lifted a hand to the grey cloaked figure who subsided back into the shadows.
"I think we should talk, let's go into my chamber which is a little less...messy."
He looked at the huge rock as he said that and I had to smile then he turned and walked through a door at the back of this chamber and we followed.