Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chpt 37 Little Humans and Other Things to Fear in the Night
BPOV
It is like the world has come to a stop, literally.
All is temporarily silent, at least to me, as our eyes lock.
His are red. Oh Edward . . . .
But he doesn't rush to me and I don't rush to him.
And then there's a long plaintive scream somewhere deeper inside the building and the spell is broken, and I'm in his arms. My rifle and my flak jacket serving to keep space between us.
"We have to go bro." Em growls and I fight my way out of Edward's embrace, casting him an apologetic look as I hurry after the others. I promised myself, I have a job to do here before anything else.
We turn a corner at the end of the corridor and I recognise the heavy double doors ahead, except they're broken now and hanging from their hinges . . . .
And inside everything has changed too. There are holes in the once pristine ornate ceiling. There are body parts scattered on the floor. Instead of vampires lining the walls there are animals. And in the center, scattering the vampires gathered there in random directions, is a blurred fight that plummets my stomach to my feet . . . .
I wouldn't know Caius from Adam, but I can't see Arthur here anywhere, in any form.
Instead the only thing I can focus on is Aro, smiling, like it's us that have fallen into his trap. There's a woman in a black cloak standing beside him, her hand on his elbow, she must be Renata, the shield. Arthur says her gift can repel any attack on Aro, bending it away onto something else.
I raise my rifle and level it at her.
The flash is less blinding than through a night scope but the resultant explosion far more impressive.
The whole milieu freezes, at least to me.
And then Arthur wraps his hand around Caius's neck, slamming him to the floor and tearing part of his throat out with a metallic shriek. I didn't know he could do that in human form. Not that is stops Caius, who shakes Arthur's grip off and surges to his feet, sending Arthur flying into a group of vampires who grip him tightly, eliciting a scream of pain as they almost rip him limb from limb.
"Stop! Brothers." Aro commands as I level my rifle at him. "There is much we need to understand here."
"Let him go." I growl.
"That would be a foolish command for me to give." Aro observes.
"Let him go or you're next."
Our eyes lock.
Old, dead and red to bland brown.
Bodies, vampire and animal, close ranks around me and I shift my aim, picking out the diminutive Alec easily from descriptions and from his Jane matching sadistic grin. He explodes as I squeeze the trigger.
"Let him go." I repeat when the barrel of my gun has swung back to Aro. "Or you will be next."
We stare at each other for what feels like an age and then he capitulates.
"Let the shape-shifter go."
Arthur falls to the floor, pitching forward onto his knees.
"Aro!" Caius objects with difficulty through his ruined throat.
"There is a time for diplomacy brother. Have patience and let us exercise it."
I must concentrate, if I can keep Aro's right eye in my sights . . . .
"So." Aro begins with his amusement back in place. "Here we are. Caius's puppet. Myriad shape-shifters. Edward's little human. What an odd mix we make."
In my peripheral vision Arthur rolls to his feet.
Jasper, Philip and Bashir, they all taught me to focus on the target. But Arthur taught me to see the bigger picture. And so I swivel my rifle to a random vampire, squeezing off a shot that deliberately drills a hole between the eyes of the stone cherub centimetres behind his ear.
"No!" A woman screams, abandoning her post to rush to his side. "Afron . . . ."
Chelsea. I've got your number I think to myself even as I scroll my rifle back to Aro's right eye.
I watch that eye dart around the chamber. That's right dickhead, I'm not the only one here holding a gun now. And none of us are going to miss much at this range, that's why you're all in the middle . . . .
Arthur coughs up some blood and then unfolds himself to his full height, wincing and swaying.
Focus Bellski. Focus. I don't care what they've all said about the power vacuum, you hurt anyone else I love and you are shrapnel Aro Volturi. I fucking hate you for all the pain you've caused.
You could cut the tension with a knife as Arthur advances, visibly growing stronger, and Caius, visibly growing cowardlier, retreats to join his kin.
"Are you done with the insults Aro?" Arthur asks. "Because I am sure 'Edward's little human' has a few more bullets in her clip."
"What do you want?" Aro asks sensibly, placing his hand on Caius's arm as he growls.
The other brother, Marcus, the one who doesn't speak, reaches out slowly to take Aro's hand. He sees relationships and ties Arthur told me. God knows what he's going make of this mess . . . .
"I want only the right of my kind to exist in peace Aro." Arthur states. "I have no interest in your destruction. However, if you are not already aware, please know that the Guard you sent to Nepal will not be re-joining you."
"I would like to see that in someone's mind." Aro observes. "But sadly it does not seem that is about to happen. However if you speak the truth I will mourn my sweet darling Jane."
"No free picture shows here Aro." Arthur snorts. "Though you may wish to try for one."
"Not at this moment Arthur de Montfort." Aro concedes, his right eye roving again.
"We will leave you, with most of what you have now, in exchange for a treaty between us."
"Vampires can be made quickly, there are only so many of you, and you breed so slowly."
"Oh Aro, this." Arthur drawls, sweeping his arm around the walls. "Is only the tip of the iceberg. We are done hiding from you but we do share you desire to hide from the humans."
"You are more vulnerable to them than we." Aro points out confidently.
"Not anymore." Suki growls, waggling his rifle. "These are not the only forms of weapon we have against you. If you force our hand we will share. And there are so many more of them than there are of us."
"We want our freedom Aro." Arthur states. "And we have already weighed the risks and consequences. We haven't undertaken this action lightly. Your continued dominion over vampires serves both our purposes well."
"You will allow me to rule?" Aro snorts in disbelief.
"Yes, we will 'allow' it. If our conditions are met."
"And they would be?"
"You never expand the Guard over the number you have remaining to you now.
You cease all attempts to attract or extort gifted vampires into your service.
You will move your base from Volterra to somewhere more conducive to our mutual requirements. The desert in Libya is nice and I am sure you will love it.
You will work with us in the proper governance of vampires.
And Caius, Corin and Chelsea are forfeit."
"You ask too much!" Aro exclaims as his brother growls and cries from some of the other vampires ring out.
"He's not asking." Jasper chuckles from somewhere behind me.
I watch Aro's right eye dart over my shoulder. Do their eyeballs just move slower than everything else, or am I missing something? Either way I fancy I can see his brain working. And if your name begins with C I'm betting it's not a pretty thought process. There are survivors and then there are survivors, he's always going to be plotting and planning, but I suppose its better the devil you know.
"I cannot agree to those terms." Aro states finally, quietly.
"We both know you will." Arthur drawls. "This is just a question of how long it is going to take you to admit to it."
"Aro!" Caius objects hoarsely.
"Quiet my brother, I must think. We cannot win here as things stand."
His roving right eye comes to rest on me, speculatively, and my desire to shoot him escalates tenfold. It would be quite useful if he could read my mind right now because if he says anything about what he's read in Edward's, hoping we'll turn on each other long enough to provide a distraction, I will shoot him. His eye moves to my finger tightening on the trigger and then reluctantly back to Arthur.
"Survive or die Aro." Arthur says quietly. "Those are the only choices you have."
The silence is very long but finally Aro dips his chin briefly and all hell breaks loose . . . .
A slender pair of vampire arms pluck me off my feet, whirling me away and against the wall for protection, and I don't even try to struggle as we're jostled and bumped by the vicious battle that's erupted behind us.
"Ouch." Alice mutters.
"Are you alright?" I shout above the cacophony.
"Of course." She giggles, the pressure of her body covering mine easing with the noise.
And finally she lets me turn . . . .
"Jesus." I groan, my poor human mind taking a moment or two to make sense of the devastation.
The only human figures left standing are the Cullens and I, everyone is else is down, either in or recently released from, the jaws of a wild animal. Caius's severed head is hanging by the hair from the hand of an enormous silverback gorilla that I can only assume is Arthur. Jasper has Chelsea's head and Rose the head of another woman who I'm hoping is Corin.
"I saw this." Alice chirps happily, bouncing beside me. "Well not you and not the shape-shifters. But I saw this battle and The Volturi being defeated. You can't imagine how frustrating it was to watch something so pivotal unfold and only see a handful of the people involved. But it gave me hope Bella, so much hope."
"Oh Alice." I sigh as we hug each other. "I'm so glad you're okay, I missed you so much."
"Likewise." She laughs, releasing me just short of cracking a rib.
The silverback hurls Caius's head across the chamber where it lodges itself firmly in the wall and then beats its chest, a sound almost as loud as the fight. The others respond with howls, roars and athletic back flips. And for now, at least, it seems to be over.
There are so many things that need to be said and done now but first there is one thing I need to do. I am the only one who knows what he's been through and how much he's suffered to get to this point, how much he's sacrificed. How much it must mean to him and so ignoring all the carnage and the eyes following me I make my way over to him.
"You did it." I say quietly, reaching up to stroke the soft fur on the side of his face. He leans into my hand, closing his dark brown eyes. "I'm so proud of you Arthur. Your father would be proud of you too."