The blaze spread like a serpent slithering along the walls of the evacuated school building, consuming and destroying in its path. Plumes of purple smoke rose, enveloping and suffocating the air. Unable to produce tears, my eyes began to burn. Jane and Alec stood before the fire like two instruments of hell. Victoria and Laurent's remains crackled, blistered, and popped, drowning out the sounds of Olly's screams.

Alice tugged on my shirtsleeve. We need to get out of here.

"Somewhere you need to be, dear Alice?" Jane hummed.

"My mate Jasper was injured by the newborns." Alice spoke politely though her thoughts were anything but polite.

"And you must be anxious to care for him. Of course. Please, go tend to your wounded."

"You are too kind," I replied.

"We will be in touch, to debrief," Alec reminded me, not bothering to disguise the threat in his words. "As is policy. The Volturi are thorough. Must cross our T's and dot our I's. You understand."

I watched hundreds of destroyed covens flash through his mind.

"Yes, and how grateful we are, for your services," I said through my teeth. "If you'll excuse us..."

Alice grabbed my hand and we began to retreat. Just as I reached the door, Jane's thoughts drifted toward me.

Let us rendezvous with Felix and Demetri. Aro will be interested to learn of the other human problem. Tsk. Such a mess.

The school would be ablaze in minutes, destroying the evidence of vampire activity. The townfolk would be led to believe the gunman started the fire. Some part of my mind wondered if Riley's remains would be salvageable. From the crowd, I heard the sounds of police radios calling for fire and rescue services. At least the distraction would provide us with enough cover to escape unnoticed. Thinking of the boy reminded me of a piece of information that I had plucked from the boy's mind. Following the thought, I made a brief detour during our exit. Alice did not stop to ask questions as I rummaged through the metal locker.

My sister was busy following the wisp of the new future, ten steps ahead, watching the aftermath of the decision Jane had just unconsciously made. The Volturi would visit us in days time; how many was yet to be determined. This horror show was far from over.

Away from the twins, I asked Alice the question that had begun burning on my tongue.

"Where?"

The Villa, she replied. We leapt from the roof of the building onto the blacktop below. We abandoned the car, running on foot.

We reached our destination within minutes. I found two Denali sisters standing in the foyer with Carlisle and Esme, talking quietly, surprised by our swift arrival. They had only arrived a minute before us. Tanya and Kate held hands, their thoughts centered on their missing sister. Their discontent with being in the presence of an immortal child was only overshadowed by the immense guilt they felt for their sister's cowardice. Irina had abandoned the Cullen family in our hour of need. This went against everything they believed, their family's creed, the true core of them.

I am so sorry Edward. We promised you no harm would come to Bella. Tanya's golden eyes bore into me, asking for forgiveness I could not give.

Instead, I nodded in acknowledgment of Tanya's thoughts. I was intrigued to find affection accompanying Bella's name.

Bella was here. The scent of her filled the room, a lilac mist that immediately soothed and aroused me all at once. I moved toward her scent, when Esme suddenly wrapped me in a hug before my feet hit the landing. She let go of me only to embrace Alice with equal affection. Her thoughts were tinged with relief as she found us whole.

I placated my worried mother, showing her that we were both relatively unharmed. Alice spoke only one word.

"Jasper."

Carlisle led Alice to the back room where Jasper lay supine, staring into nothingness. Carlisle held Alice's face in his hands for a moment, then left her alone with her husband. After a beat of silence, a single hiccuping sob escaped Alice. She covered Jasper's body with hers. Jasper's hand slowly moved until he caught her tiny hand in his. He used his thumb to draw small circles on her knuckles, telling her with his body what he could not with his words. Carlisle gently shut the door.

Upon returning, Carlisle noted the distress in my face.

What has happened Edward?

"Victoria is dead," I reported. He visibly relaxed. "But we have a bigger problem." My next words carried the weight of a death sentence.

"The Volturi have intervened. They knew about Victoria's attack. They let it happen. And, they know about Bella."

"Dear lord, " Esme pressed her hand to her chest. "We will need to contact them Carlisle. We can petition them, somehow. They know you well, and the ancient ones respect you. We should reach out immediately."

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "I will write to them at once. We may need an audience with them. We will set this right, son," he promised me. He grasped my forearm. We will make Bella safe.

Esme flitted up the stairs, ordering tickets to Italy and packing travel clothing. They had plans to leave in an hour. They would need to go hunting before the trip. We all needed to hunt. Alice and I in particular. Esme resolved to try and convince us to join her. I heard Alice agree to go hunting with Carlisle and Esme. They left moments later. Kate and Tanya agreed to wait and relieve Emmett and Rosalie when they finally arrived to allow them to hunt as well. There was something I desperately needed to do first.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a small movement from the dining area. Hearing my voice, Bella must have risen from the loveseat where Carlisle had instructed her to rest. Her doe-like eyes peeked at me from around the corner, her hand resting on the wall. She had a bandage on her cheek and abdomen. She quickly buttoned the remains of her bloodstained green shirt with shaking hands, her boundless brown eyes suddenly unsure. She looked away from me, turning her back.

I was not going to allow that. I would not allow another moment of distance between us. Not after everything we had just survived. Not after I almost watched her die again. I rushed to her side, shutting the door behind me with my foot and gathering her body in my arms. She froze. I held her tighter, burying my face in her neck.

Touching her was like coming up for air. Warmth radiated from her body and into mine. She gave me strength; I held her closer. I ran my fingers along the bandage of her cheek, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. All thoughts of her harsh words evaporated as her eyes fluttered underneath of my touch. She quivered as my hand moved south, lifting her chin to look at me. Her lips parted, like rose petals opening for rain. Her body curved into mine, a silent yes. Her words, conversely, exclaimed a visceral no.

"You keep hurting people." Bella mumbled. Then, louder, she rasped. "You... keep... hurting people."

She pushed a fist into my chest, shoving me with all of her remaining strength. I allowed a breath of space between us. "You. Keep. Hurting. People." She gasped for air, turning her face away from me, trying to escape me. I encircled my arms around her waist. She began to kick and punch me, slapping my face, digging her nails into my stony flesh. "You keep hurting people! You keep hurting people I care about!"

I did not release her, instead I absorbed every attack, taking everything she gave me. I slowly dropped to my knees in front of her, my hands grasping either side of her waist from behind.

"You keep hurting people!" She screamed now. I buried my face in her stomach.

"Isabella," I pressed a my lips into her abdomen, "My love."

"You keep hurting people!" She wailed. Her fists pounded against my shoulders. She would have bruises in the morning. But right now, this was what Bella needed.

"You hurt people... you hurt..."

"My love, my heart, my soul," I whispered.

Bella dropped to her knees now, going limp in my arms. I brushed the tears from her eyes with my lips.

"It's okay," I hushed her.

"No it isn't." Her voice had no more fight left in it. "I keep hurting people. Me. I keep hurting people I love, Edward."

"None of this was your fault, Bella." I brought her to a sitting position in my lap, cradling her head on my shoulder. I pressed a kiss to her temple. Her breathing began to slow, finally becoming shallow. We sat like this on the floor for an immeasurable about of time.

I rocked her gently, whispering all of my thoughts into her skin like a spell. Eventually, whatever war had been waging in Bella's heart settled like the river after a storm. She let out a shuddering breath, turning her body into me.

"No more blame game. We survived. That's what matters."

She looked up at me. I kissed her eyelids, and the space between her eyebrows.

"I love you," I reminded her.

She said nothing for a moment. I saw conflict in her eyes, and as she made to respond, I put my fingers on her lips. "Tell me when you want to, not because you feel like you have to."

A crease formed between her eyes.

"I have something for you," I said softly. I handed Bella the object I retrieved from Riley's locker. She touched the small wooden music box that I had left on her doorstep, what felt like ages ago.

"Riley took this from you. It was a birthday gift I made for you. You can open it later."

She traced the intricate carvings, and smiled sweetly. "It's beautiful. Thank you" she sighed.

Then, with a hint of wonder in her voice, she said, "You really did come back for me. Before Victoria came for me. Before all of it."

"I could never truly stay away from you." I brushed my fingers through her mahogany locks. "I won't ever try to stay away from you now. As long as you'll allow me to be at your side. I will be here."

Another minute of silence passed between us.

"Olly and Riley are dead," she said suddenly. It was a statement rather than a question. She wound her fingers into mine.

"Riley is dead." I replied. "Olly is...something else. You heard me talking about the Volturi?"

She nodded, brushing her nose against my shoulder.

"They came to the school. They changed Olly. They took her."

Bella straightened and asked her question directly; "Why?"

"The Volturi have agents all over the world, and part of their purpose is to screen humans that might prove useful to them."

"Screen them for what?"

"For potential powers that they might manifest when they become immortal. They track bloodlines of individuals with particularly useful gifts to add to their guard."

Bella sniffed. "And Olly was one of those people?"

I nodded, sparing a moment to grieve for the young woman who's fate was sealed long before her birth. I reorganized the story I had extracted from Jane's mind.

"Olly's great great grandfather was a talented immortal who served the Romanian vampires in Bulgaria. He could compel others to do anything he wanted, simply with the power of suggestion. It was so well known, it inspired the Dracula myths that you might have heard about. He could control people under his thrall. The Volturi tracked Olly's family, looking for signs of a similar power manifesting, and unfortunately, in her, it did. They wanted it for themselves."

"That's unbelievable."

"You once said it felt like Olly could convince you to do anything, right? You said she could get you to talk about anything, even things you didn't want to."

Bella nodded.

"It seems they had been watching her for some time. Her powers only recently became stronger. They had someone stationed to watch her, perhaps even begin to influence and train her. They were waiting for her to reach maturity. Victoria's presence and our involvement was an unfortunate coincidence."

"In other words, my being here signed her death warrant."

"No Bella. Someone was already here, watching her."

"She is my best friend. We have a test next Wednesday. Oh, god, her mom and dad...And now she's gone... oh, Matteo!" Bella clasped her hand over her mouth. "Our trainer. He said he was here on business - from Italy."

"I wasn't there the day you went to train. Alice was with you on the day of the hurricane. I could have heard his thoughts and had some warning of this." I brought Bella's hand to my lips. "I am so sorry. I've failed you."

She tucked herself under my chin, exhaling hard. I heard a hint of humor in her voice. "No more blame game, remember? You and I brood too much. It's probably bad for our health."

I chuckled. "I don't have to worry about my health. I'm dead." Bella snorted at that.

I lifted her from the ground and walked backwards until I found the loveseat. We fell into the seat, staring at one another. Nose to nose. I simply reveled in our reunion.

"You were remarkable Bella." I touched her bandaged cheek again. "You fought so bravely. I'm in awe of you."

"I was so afraid that I was going to watch you die," she whispered. "I wouldn't have had the chance to tell you-"

I brought my mouth down to onto hers. I devoured the sound of her moan. Bella brought her hands up around my neck and tangled her fingers in my hair, pulling me to her. I rearranged her until she straddled me in the seat, never breaking contact from her lips. Her movements were frantic, as if she expected me to break the kiss at any moment. As if she was afraid we would not have enough time. I brought my hands to her waist, lifting her shirt as I ran my fingers along her spine. Bella shivered. I groaned. Were I a human, I would have been panting to catch my breath. Her heart flew beneath my touch. My hands slid upward. Bella yelped, jumping out of my grasp.

I had accidentally touched her injured side. "God Bella, forgive me."

Bella winced, rubbing her side. "I'm okay, just a bit bruised. I'm just glad the insanity is over."

Bella watched my face fall. "Edward. What is it?"

I hesitated.

"Don't you dare keep me in the dark," she warned.

"You remember me telling you that the Volturi had only one rule?"

"To keep the existence of your kind a secret," Bella nodded.

"I read the minds of the guard members that took Olly. They know you know about us. There will be ... consequences. Carlisle and Esme have just left to hunt with Alice, they are planning on going to Italy tonight to petition the Volturi leader named Aro."

"Can they do that?"

"They will do everything they can. Aro primarily cares about the appearance of power. Perhaps Carlisle can convince the ancient ones that it would benefit them to have Carlisle owe them a favor."

A clattering sound cut off Bella's response. I sat up. The sounds of a struggle could be heard in the adjacent room. I caught the whisper of Emmett's mind. His thoughts were uncharacteristically afraid.

"Stay here," I ordered.

I ran into the living room to find Emmett, Rosalie, Kate, and Tanya staring blindly, their hands extended in front of them, like children in the darkness. Alec stood in the doorway, black smoke extending from his hands, creeping across the foyer. Bree stood in the middle of the room, her eyes wide. Flanking either side of her, two cloaked immortal men held her by the tops of her arms. The vampire on her right was hulking, towering over Emmett. He smiled widely as he saw me, hungry for a fight. The creature on her left was a slender man with pointed features. This was Felix and Demetri, the Volturi guard members that accompanied the twins.

Alice was gone. We had no warning of their arrival. I calculated our chances of survival quickly. We were outmanned. Diplomacy as our only option.

"Welcome," I said, gesturing to the two new arrivals. "Alec, I had not expected to see you for a few days."

"Yes, well, as we were leaving town, my sister and I had a quite interesting interaction with a vampire by the name of Irina. She felt it was imperative that the Volturi know of a unconscionable crime that had been committed by the members of this coven." He gestured to Bree, who whipped her head trying to locate the sound. "An immortal child created by members of the Cullen clan. How disgraceful."

"I can assure you, the claim was false." My eyes found Tanya and Kate, and I quickly amended my statement. "A misunderstanding, I mean. A claim made with false information. The immortal child was made by Victoria. The same creature who turned the army of newborns that we fought this afternoon."

Alec raised an eyebrow, and moved his right hand upward. The black smoke that had been silencing Emmett and Rosalie dissipated. My brother and sister inhaled, shocked to find their senses returned. As soon as they got their bearings, they immediately ran to Bree, crouching in a violent stance before Felix and Demetri.

"Get your hands off of her," Rosalie warned, baring her teeth.

Jane appeared from behind Alec, walking gracefully into view.

"If the child was indeed just another newborn, why does the blonde Cullen protect her as if she were her own? Surely you don't think us fools, Edward."

"Not in the least Jane." I stepped forward, begging Emmett and Rosalie to stand down with my expression. "My siblings have simply experienced a natural bond to the child. Immortal children have that effect, and you've seen for yourself I am sure."

I raised my palms in an offer, taking another step closer, recalculating our odds. Jane considered my statement, narrowing her eyes.

"We will do you the favor of destroying her then. Since it would be too difficult for you."

"No!" Rosalie shrieked. She began to charge. Emmett grabbed hold of her, holding her back from attacking Jane. Unable to break out of her husband's grasp, Rosalie cried. "Please. She's innocent. Bree has shown remarkable restraint as a newborn. She is nothing like the immortal children you have known. Please, please spare her!"

Jane walked forward, examining the child before her. She pushed Bree's braid over her shoulder, and took the child's face in her hands.

"Hmm, tell me child. Have you ever taken a human life?"

Bree did not immediately answer. Her eyes were fixed on her adopted parents. Her lip trembled. Displeased with being ignored, Jane unleashed the full force of her ability on the girl. Bree's back bent at an unnatural angle, her eyes rolled backwards, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Rosalie's gut wrenching scream filled the room. When Jane released her, Bree fell, limp in Felix's arms. Jane grabbed her cheeks in one hand and brought her face up again.

"Same question. One more time. Have you taken a human life?"

Bree nodded limply.

She killed the human boy to protect Bella, Rosalie silently cried at me. Please do something!

I couldn't. Harboring an immortal child was a crime punishable by death. We could only survive my claiming temporary insanity. I couldn't save the human girl in the room behind me if I died now, protecting an immortal child that should never had existed.

Just as Rosalie betrayed me, I would now betray her. I stared into my first sister's eyes, and told her exactly what she told me. "I'm sorry, Rosalie." I can't let Bella die.

Jane unleashed her power again and again, clearly enjoying herself. Emmett held onto his wife, his eyes shut tightly. He understood the situation as I did. Bree's days were numbered from the moment of her rebirth.

Finally, Demetri leaned over and snapped Bree's neck, silencing her screams. He had had enough of Jane's sadism. Rosalie sank to the floor. The room was silent.

"Please let my siblings leave to grieve," I said quietly. "They understand their mistake, and were acting out of irrationality. They had no ill intent."

Jane deliberated. The Volturi often made a spectacle of their executions, and usually followed with an act of mercy. Ultimately, Aro had no interest in Rosalie or Emmett. No, his sights were set on Alice, Jasper, and I. Rumors has spread of our abilities. Aro was interested in arranging a meeting. Letting my siblings go could temporarily delay the destruction of the Cullen coven, but it would also give Aro time to sway the more talented members toward a favorable view of the guard. A small smile formed on Jane's lips.

"Of course. You were not in your right minds. The Volturi have freed you from your delusions. Go in peace."

Rosalie could not speak. Her mouth was hanging open in a silent "O." Emmett gathered himself enough to speak. "Thank you," he replied to Jane. With one last desperate glance at me, he grabbed Rosalie and ran from the Villa. I did not know if I would ever see my favorite brother again.

Jane brushed dust off of her cloak and fixed a stray blonde lock that had escaped her tightly wound bun. She turned to me and grinned, moving on to the next order of business.

"Now. Let us meet your infamous Bella."

TO BE CONTINUED. . .

Note: only a few more chapters to go! Happy thanksgiving (to my US readers)!

All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, the Twilight Series.

No copyright infringement intended. Plot is mine :)

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Today's chapter was brought to you by Mad World by Gary Jules!

Here's the link to the soundtrack on Spotify! https/open./playlist/0kgyLShDmJwdza3uAqXi3q?si=YQuXxXruROSt35Pmwi28qQ