Chapter Thirty Six

Aro

This wasn't going to be easy, Alice Cullen had told us that Major Whitlock and his mate were working to overthrow the Volturi but it was a very small army if that were indeed their intention. I knew all of those ranged against us except the young man standing beside Charlotte Whitlock, and Bella Swan who was now one of us so I hadn't the excuse of a human knowing our secret to kill her. She didn't look anything special but then neither did Alec or Jane and they were formidable indeed. Would this young woman be a match for my guard? She had an air of confidence, arrogance even.

"So what is your intention Aro?"

She broke into my reverie,

"Intention Bella?"

"Yes, I take it you aren't here in force just for an afternoon stroll"

I heard a snigger from Peter Whitlock, I would like to take him out myself, he was so arrogant and self confident that it was galling.

"We are here to make sure that none of our laws have been broken and no one is trying to raise an army against us."

"An army? I don't think nine vampires constitutes an army even in your fucked up brain"

I looked at him, very soon he was going to be begging for his life and that of his mate and I was looking forward to seeing that.

Bella

I could feel Aro on the edge and Peter's remarks were fast pushing him over which amused me. I wanted him to attack so I could show him that our little army was more than a match for his guard.

"So what is your intention Major?"

Aro was now ignoring me and concentrating on my mate, This gave me time to examine our opponents, it was fairly obvious that the weaker looking members of the Volturi were the talented ones, the ones we needed to watch out for. I focused in on Caius who was gesturing to the two youngest members of the party who stepped to one side concentrating on Jasper and Peter. After a few seconds they started to frown as nothing was happening. I could see my mates bubble flaring red but he was safe inside. Peter's was covered in a black fog but he too was safe inside his bubble. Caius was watching, anger flitting across his face as he realized their gifts were useless, powerless. He glanced at me and I smiled and shook a finger at him, no, no, Caius, you'll have to do better than that. Marcus had taken two steps back and had a strange look on his face as if he would rather be somewhere else. Speculatively I covered him too with a bubble watching for a reaction.

He shook his head as if dazed then looked at Caius before turning his attention to Aro. The hatred in his face twisted it into an ugly mask and he turned, walking away from the guard his footsteps unheard in the snow. That was an interesting development and I looked at the other guard members. Another young woman was looking at his back in consternation and when Caius saw the focus of her attention he glanced over to me. I smiled again and mouthed, "One down, two to go." He move forward and tapped Aro on the shoulder

"Brother I need to speak to you"

Aro shrugged him off bad tempered, and called out,

"Take care of business Felix"

The hugely muscled vampire waiting at the back came forward with several others all moving so rapidly they were a blur, making straight for Jasper and the others.

"I don't think so Aro. Not my mate, not my friends"

The huge guard were stopped in their tracks a few paces from their objectives, they had come up against the bubbles which held without my having to do anything. Jasper grasped my hand,

"Well done Bella, keep it up"

I looked at Caius and called,

"Cassian"

He looked at me and nodded before closing his eyes and lifting his face to the sky. There was a terrible crack and a thunderbolt landed in front of Caius forcing him to step back.

"Alec, Jane"

They stepped forward to try again but from the corner of my eye I saw one of the smaller vampires shimmer and disappear from view. By concentrating I could wrap the bubble round him too and Jasper looked at me confused until I called,

"Cassian to me"

He looked over as I gestured to the shimmer that was my bubble around the invisible vampire. Again came the crash but this time I pulled the bubble away timing it for the thunderbolt to have passage through. There was a flash and a cloud of purple smoke, another enemy disposed of. Seeing Alec and Jane were still trying to get around my shield I looked at Duncan and nodded, dropping his shield as I had Cassian's to allow him to act. There was a terrible scream and Jane fell to the floor writhing in agony while Alec's face had gone blank and he stood undefended, alone.

This time I didn't need to say anything just gesture and drop my shield momentarily for Cassian to act again and Aro's two gifted vampires simply ceased to exist. He held up his hand and Felix and his other guard stopped dead waiting.

"Bella, why are you attacking the Volturi? You know it is punishable by death"

"I didn't but I don't think you have anyone with which to threaten me Aro. Do you?"

He turned and suddenly realized that Marcus was missing, Caius glared and called to his brother,

"This is madness Aro. She's picking us off one at a time."

"Sorry about that. I didn't realize that you were in a hurry for this to be over."

"Zackery"

Following the sound of my voice Zackery lifted his hands, Charlotte whispering in his ear, and Caius shouted lifting his hands to his eyes.

"Peter would you and the others like a work out"

"About fucking time., I thought there wouldn't be any left for us."

I dropped their shields and he, Garrett, and the others closed in on Felix and the other huge guard members. I wasn't worried about their ability to win in a fair fight because Jasper didn't and I felt what he felt. He went for Caius and the blonde Volturi brother stood mesmerized by whatever Zackery was showing him unaware of the danger now before him.

"Zackery stop"

He dropped his hands and Caius who could see again realized who he was up against, it was a fight to the death and my money was on The Major.

Zackery came to stand at my side with Charlotte and I described the fight to him, watching for any of our side who needed help but they were doing just fine. Aro with Renata still at his back tried to move away but I saw the black cloaked figure who appeared behind him. Marcus it seemed had his own score to settle, he knocked Renata from her place protecting Aro and moved in for the kill, it seemed she wasn't a shield against physical attack only supernatural ones. As Marcus grasped Aro by the neck I heard his words,

"I've waited a long while for this Aro. You killed my wife and now you are going to die too. Didyme, this is for you"

He ripped Aro's head off and threw it on the fire that had sprung up where Cassian's thunderbolt had landed. There was a single scream then silence as more purple smoke rose into the air. Marcus looked at me and bowed low,

"Thank you Bella for giving me my freedom and the opportunity to avenge my wife"

He turned then and I watched astonished as he walked purposefully into the fire,

"Didyme I'm coming my love".