Chapter Fifty Five

Charlotte

We hadn't gone far when I saw a familiar figure in the distance and called out,

"Charlie, Charlie, quick, he's losing control, we have to get out of here now."

Charlie ran to my side, followed I was shocked to see by Aro Volturi who seemed unable to move, and threw his arms around Bella who was sobbing now,

"What happened to her?"

"She didn't hunt and now she's too weak to keep her shield up any longer and as a result we're losing The Major. He's already warned us to run but I was going to find her a human, if she drinks she can re-establish control and we might just stand a chance,"

Charlie knelt down and looked up into Bella's down turned face,

"Bella, listen to me. You don't have to worry, I have this under control. Do you hear me? Jasper is going to be OK, I found a way to stop this for good but I need you to calm down and do exactly as Charlotte tells you. OK?"

Bella nodded but we could both tell she didn't believe what he had just told her.

"Charlotte, get her away from here, go up to the wives tower and lock yourselves in with Athena and Sulpicia. You should be safe there for a while, neither of them is on his kill list. Stay there until I send for you, just in case this goes ass upwards."

He got up and shoved us towards the far end of the corridor, watched by Aro who scowled when he saw me looking at him.

"Go, straight to the end then up the stairs and across the courtyard and don't stop for anyone or anything, Go."

I picked up a protesting Bella and ran quite literally for our lives, if The Major had lost control he would be heading our way soon enough. I felt his last words to me were a pact, look after my mate and save her from me and I would do all I could to keep Bella alive and safe although if The Major did come looking for us I doubted there was any man alive who could stand in his way. Our only hope now was Charlie and whatever plan he had come up with. He loved his daughter so much he had died and become a vampire to stay in her life and protect her, I just hoped it wouldn't turn out to be an empty gesture because if he tried to stop The Major alone, he would die.

At the top of the tower, I banged loudly on the door amazed to find it unguarded and when it finally opened it was only a crack and all I could see was a single red eye,

"Who are you?"

"We've come from the fight, please let us in."

I heard two distinct women's voices and then the door was wrenched open and we almost fell into the sumptuous room that was revealed. As soon as we were inside the door was shut and locked and then the rooms occupants, two beautiful vampires, looked at us with inquiring glances.

"What's the matter with her?"

I helped Bella to a sofa and propped her up against some of the velvet cushions scattered about.

"She's thirsty, do you have any blood here?"

They looked at me as if I were insane for even suggesting such a thing.

"Why would we store blood here? Of course not, now what's going on? Marcus told us to lock ourselves in and wait until the fighting is over. Personally I hope my dear husband is ripped limb from limb and burned but that's probably wishful thinking on my part."

The other smiled coldly,

"I just hope Darius made it because being a widow would be the best outcome for me too. Did you see Caius?"

I shook my head,

"No, there was too much fighting, we didn't see either of the brothers."

"Oh, you wont see Aro, he's much too slippery, the bastard, he'll have made a run for it, leaving me here to my fate. Well, you might as well make yourselves comfortable."

"Actually I meant Caius and Marcus, we've seen Aro, he's still here."

Aro's wife looked shocked but she didn't remark on her husband's obviously shocking presence.

We all three sat down and I was about to ask why they weren't out there fighting with their mates despite what Marcus had said but from what they had said I already had my answer, Athena was hoping Darius would kill Caius and Sulpicia assumed her husband had run away leaving her here alone to face whatever might come and finding he hadn't she no longer knew what to think. Was this what happened after centuries of living with your mate? I couldn't imagine Peter ever ignoring me or leaving me in danger but then we hadn't been together centuries like these two women and their mates.

There was an awkward silence as the two women stared at Bella then Athena spoke,

"That's the girl who was keeping The Major from fulfilling his orders, isn't it? Does this mean he's back under control now? That would be a pity under the circumstances."

"Not necessarily Athena, don't forget they have Darius with them if anyone can work out how to stop him it will be him."

"If he's not too busy with Caius or dead already that is Sulpicia."

"We already have someone who knows how to stop him."

They both stared at me then Athena sighed,

"Really? Well, let's hope Darius gets time to kill my scum bag of a husband first."

Sulpicia looked more thoughtful,

"It will be interesting to see if its possible to stop the compulsion after all these centuries. Of course, the warrior goes from strength to strength with each reincarnation but I rather liked this last one, he seemed to be getting a life together and for the first time he recognised a mate."

Athena shook her head,

"Not the first time, there was a girl...let me see, maybe three centuries ago but Aro didn't like the idea that she might undermine our secret weapon and had her murdered, don't you remember?"

I was horrified if Bella survived and The Major finished his kill list or collapsed before he could complete it then would he no longer recognize her as his mate when he woke with a new identity? Surely each of us had only one true mate?

We heard footsteps, someone was running up the circular stairway to the door we had entered by and the wives froze then we heard a voice,

"Athena, Sulpicia, it's me, let me in. I have something here for the girl."

Athena opened the door cautiously and a young woman slipped through. I froze as I heard a heartbeat and smelled the scent of human blood.

"Marie? Who sent you here?"

"Aro, he looked a little strange and I think he was trying to get this to me without the other man seeing. I was fleeing from the tower when I saw him and he beckoned me over while his companion was busy with a stranger I didn't recognise."

So Aro had slipped a message to this girl behind Charlie's back.

"He said there was a girl up here who needed help and to give her this."

She held out a thick cream envelope which I took from her before either of the wives could and ripped open reading it swiftly.

"Bella, your presence is needed if you want The Major to survive. Please accept this gift and join us in the main chamber as soon as you can."

I handed the letter to Bella who read it slowly her brow creasing in puzzlement.

"Gift? What gift? Was there something else in the envelope Charlotte?"

I shook my head and looked meaningfully at the girl Marie and as comprehension dawned in Bella's eyes she looked conflicted, horrified at the idea but also thirsty and feeling the pull of human blood. Her thirst was overcoming her reservations about killing to feed and while I knew she would hate herself afterwards I couldn't bring myself to stop her. I had been looking for a human myself to feed her and now we had one standing before us and we needed Bella strong again. If Charlie was mistaken and Aro knew it maybe he wanted her to control The Major, after all he had not wanted him activated in the first place and had already tried to save the Cullens. We didn't have time to be choosy and we couldn't take time to leave the citadel to hunt down food of our own, this was Bella's only chance.

Bella got up slowly fighting her thirst with every step and she looked at me beseechingly, begging me to stop her but I shook my head,

"We need you, Bella, I'm sorry but this is the only way. Close your eyes and let instinct take over, it will be over very quickly I promise you and she'll feel little pain after the initial bite."

Bella was shaking violently trying to fight the hunger inside but it was stronger than she was and I saw as she surrendered closing her eyes as she pounced on Marie who had been backing towards the door white with fear. The girl only had time for a single scream as Bella's teeth ripped into the soft tissue of her throat and my friend began to drink.

Charlie

We found our way to the center of the fighting and at the doors, I found Peter, Garrett, and Demetri watching as The Major quite literally destroyed anyone who came close enough. There were body parts strewn all around the chamber and the floor was slick with venom spilled from the many broken bodies that piled up before him.

"Stay back Charlie, he's lost it and if you go in there he'll kill you too."

I nodded my thanks for Peter's warning but pushed through anyway looking around,

"Does anyone know where Darius is?"

Garrett smiled,

"Find Caius and you'll find our friend, I wouldn't worry about him Charlie but what's he doing here?"

I turned back to Aro, I'd almost forgotten him in my haste and he was waiting unhappily at the very corner of the corridor, as far as he could get from me without running into problems. I turned my back on him, he was no threat and listened as they filled me in on what had happened. I told them I had spoken to Charlotte and sent the girls to safety.

"It's down to us now I guess."

"Not unless you have a magic wand Charlie, The Major is back on track and when he finishes tearing his way through the Volturi he's going to be hunting Bella and if we stand in his way he'll go straight through us."

"I might just be able to stop him although I left my magic wand at home Peter."

Peter stared at me,

"You found a way to release him? But I thought he'd have to kill Marcus for that and we haven't even seen the fucking ass hole yet."

Aro laughed although it was a little too shrill to give the effect he wanted, of a man with few worries and answered Peter's question cryptically.

"Let's just say a bible gave us the answers."

I stepped inside the room dragging Aro with me and Jasper turned, discarding the last Volturi guard like an unwanted rag doll as he did so, then his eyes fixed on Aro.

"You!"

"I think he recognizes you, maybe he remembers all the times you activated him in the past."

"No, that's not possible, he has no recollection of his past incarnations."

"Well, he looks mighty pissed about something."

I stepped forward and he tensed,

"Jasper? Do you know me?"

He snarled so loudly it echoed around the chamber making my ears hurt.

"I'd take that for your answer Charlie, now come, let's get out of here before we both end up dead. This little plan of yours is madness, he's not going to listen to you and who knows if you can even speak the words correctly."

"I can't do that, Bella became a vampire to save his life Aro so I guess it's down to me now to finish the job."

For a second I saw Jasper looking from those dead black eyes as he whispered her name,

"Bella."

Then it was gone and he smiled a cold, cruel, smile that made me feel sick inside.

"And most importantly of all kill Isabella Swan."

He was repeating the last order he had received and I promised myself when this was over I would hunt down Marcus Volturi and kill him myself if he still lived.

"You can't kill her Jasper, she's your mate, you love her."

Without warning, he launched himself at me and if not for Aro being in the way I think he might have succeeded in getting his hands around my neck. Instead, he picked up Aro and threw him across the room to hit the opposite wall with a terrible crunch, Aro's body slid down and he shook his head deciding he was probably safer if he stayed where he was.

Again Jasper came forward and this time my gift thwarted him and he bellowed in rage slamming himself against it time and time again, he wasn't going to give up and I couldn't wait any longer.

"Jasper, listen to me."

He ignored this and I cursed my ignorance of Latin pronunciation. Turning my head to look at my friends I shouted,

"Hey anyone here speak Latin?"

They looked at me as if I had lost my mind and Aro laughed again, he thought I was stumped but then Darius appeared covered in what looked like venom although he didn't appear to be hurt.

"What do you need Charlie?"

"How do I say listen to me in Latin?"

"Ascoltami"

"Thanks."

I stared into Jasper's face

"Jasper Ascoltami"

"You mean Jasper mi ascolta, Charlie."

"Right."

I repeated the phrase and Jasper stopped, looking at me with his head tilted to one side as if he knew he should recognise the words but wasn't sure. I'd gotten through to him at last, now all I had to do was to get the rest right so I took a calming breath then spoke again,

"Deponere gladium fortis tuus denique opus Nunc libero."

I heard Peter's whispered question to Darius,

"What the hell did he just say?"

And Darius repeated my words in English

"Lay down your sword brave warrior, your work is done and now you are finally free. Although his pronunciation is terrible."

I waited praying it had worked while everyone else seemed to have frozen in place as they watched, the silence in the room broken only by the cries of the injured Volturi and scuffling as bodies tried to reach dismembered limbs in order to reattach them.

Thanks to Google Translate for the Latin translation.