A/N: So, many people are ready for the Masquerade and even more so for Bella and Edward to be back together. Patience my child. We wouldn't want to rush the story would we? Rushing is crappy… trust me I know.

Decode- Paramore

The truth is hiding in your eyes
And it's hanging on your tongue.
Just boiling in my blood.
But you think that I can't see
What kind of man that you are,
If you're a man at all.
Well, I will figure this one out
On my own.
(I'm screaming, "I love you so.")
On my own.
(My thoughts you can't decode.)

Chapter 31

I stepped out of the limo with Alice following closely behind me. She had insisted on renting a limo for the night saying she had a bad feeling about letting the chauffer take her car. I had to hand it to Alice though. I glanced at myself in the reflection of the glass and I could help but smile at how dateable I appeared to be. I looked around at the huge building in front of me and couldn't believe my eyes. The house was huge. The entrance was probably as large as my whole house.

"Stunning isn't it?" Alice asked as she watched my eyes.

I nodded. "I've never seen a building so beautiful."

Alice took lead and I followed her to the entrance where two door greeters stood wide-eyed taking us in. My silver dressed swirled around me and I loved how the silky material felt against my skin. The spa had done wonders and I was sure everything was as smooth as a baby's bottom. I made sure my silver and black mask was securely on my face as we approached our destination.

We walked through the glass doors of the ballroom lobby. A gorgeous strawberry blonde woman stood as if she were waiting for us. Her dark green dress poofed out like mine and it had intricate black lace woven along the square neckline and around the sleeves. She wore a simple black mask but you could distinctively see her golden eyes. She greeted Alice with a kiss on both cheeks. "So glad you could make it Alice." The woman beamed.

Alice smiled. "I wouldn't have missed it if I wanted to."

I stood there completely uncertain as to what to do with myself. The woman's gaze floated to me and she smiled a sickening sweet smile. "Why you must be Isabella."

I nodded and she smirked. "What a surprise Edward will be in." She sniffed the air around me. "Wow, you do smell nice. Oh, sorry I'm Tanya." She corrected herself.

I was about to ask where he was when Alice grabbed my arm. "We'll be going now, Bella and I took dance lessons and we're eager to try them out!"

When we reached two big wooden doors Alice let go of my arm. "Let me talk to him first." She whispered. "Stay away from any pale people and especially those dressed in cloaks." She warned.

I nodded. "Fine, I just want to talk to Edward."

Two men seemed to come from absolutely nowhere with black cloaks on. They opened the door for us and with a nervous glace toward Alice I stepped through the entrance. Alice followed me and I took in the sight before me. I was on the second level of the ballroom and a grand staircase was laid out before me. Butterflies were fluttering in my stomach as I figured out my task. I had to descend the stairs and appear to be graceful. I had to make a good impression and hopefully find Edward before he ran away.

With a tiny nudge from Alice I walked to the top of the staircase and took my first step. I let my right hand hold the rail while my left hand held up my sliver dress. I concentrated on my feet and not tripping. When I had figured out the rhythm to my steppes I took a brave move and lifted my head to looked up.

It was then that I noticed that the music had stopped and all eyes were on me. I was suddenly glad for the mask hiding my blushing cheeks. I looked around and searched the crowds for any sign of a bronze haired angel. Luck was with me because standing in the middle of the room I could just make out the familiar hair that I had missed so much.

As if he could read my mind the bronze haired man looked up from his conversation with a brunette obviously to question why everyone had stopped dancing. Our eyes met and my breathing hitched. I saw that his eyes were now a deep golden color. A simple white mask covered his face and he was clad in a maroon outfit that reminded me of something Raoul in "Phantom of the Opera" would wear.

I swept my eyes over the floor to see dark cloaked figures scattered over the eloquent dance floor. I remembered to heed Alice's warnings and when I reached the floor without tripping I headed toward the middle of the dance floor to find my bronze haired angel. After shuffling through the crowd I was about five people away from him when a cloaked figure stood in my way.

"Excuse me." I tried to shuffle around him. Edward was so close.

"Please come with me miss Swan." A man's voice came from under the cloak.

"Leaver her alone Demetri." Alice growled from behind me.

"Bite me short stuff." The man growled back at Alice.

I tried to discretely back out of my predicament when I felt a large cold hand on my shoulder. I gasped and turned around to face yet another cloaked figure. This time though his hood was off and terror streaked through my body when I met a pair of dark maroon eyes.

"Come with me Miss Swan." The voice growled. The dirty blonde haired man grabbed my wrist and started pulling me through the crowd.

"Leave me alone." I screeched.

I turned back around to see Alice putting up a similar fight to mine. I pulled at the man's iron grip and the struggling was just tiring me out. I pulled once again and took a backward glance back out onto the floor.

I notice a lot of people were looking our way and they were confused. We were pulled through doors similar to the ones we had entered on arriving. As Alice was being drug out behind me I caught one quick glance at Edward. His eyes flashed with anger as he was engulfed back into the crowd.

EPOV

I saw Bella coming down the stairs and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was here. I couldn't quite make out her throat burning scent from where I was but it was obvious that the Volturi did because cloaked figures started to swarm in the room. I couldn't believe Alice had brought her here.

I crossed my fingers hoping that she would fall as her eyes locked on mine. I wanted so bad to pull her into my arms and just forget the past. I would give anything to turn back time and fix the mistake of ever leaving her. Her eyes locked with mine, and my breathing hitched. I wanted so bad to run to her, but I knew that it was impossible. I was a newborn and I had already put her life in far more danger than planned.

Tanya had warned be that the Volturi was here and that it was dangerous for her human clients to be here. This of course meant that it was double dangerous for Bella. I knew that Bella's scent wasn't just tempting to me. She was like a rarity and any one of us could tell that she was different.

I looked up and Bella was walking toward me. Our eyes locked once again and no one could deny the passion that burned behind her deep brown eyes. She pushed her way toward me and if my heart could beat, it would be pounding. I still couldn't believe after all this time that someone as beautiful as her would want someone like me.

Suddenly her advance on me was stopped. I would have thought this was a good thing but then I saw what stopped her. A cloaked figure, something that I had been told to stay away from.

Her spoke to her and she tried to maneuver around him. Alice came up behind her with anger in her eyes as he tried to take Bella away. Once again Bella tried to get out of the situation but a dirty blonde haired man grabbed her wrist and started pulling her through the crowd. The first cloaked figure did the same to Alice as they both struggled against their captors.

I pushed through the crowd to them. I knew that Bella's fate could be fatal. I kept pushing through the crowd and people were shouting profanities at me. Real professional. I thought.

I was too late when I reached the end of their path. Bella gave me one last scared look before the door closed. I was enraged and my only thought was to get to Bella. I couldn't be the cause of her death, not again.

I grabbed the handle of the door to find that it was surprisingly open. I stepped into the darkened hallway and noticed that I was in the west wing. It was the Volturi wing. I took a deep breath through my nostrils and Bella's scent burned my throat and the venom pooled in my mouth.

I started to follow her scent when a nimble hand was placed on my shoulder. I whirled around and bared my teeth.

"Calm down Edward, I simply came to help you." Tanya spoke softly. "I thought it would be easier then you following your nose around. There's no telling what kind of consequences that could have.

I growled at her. "This is no time to joke, Bella's in trouble."

"Calm your horses, let's not waste time then." Tanya chuckled and started her way down the end of the hallway.

I continued to ignore her bantering, for her sake, until she randomly stopped in the middle of the hallway. She turned to face the wall and before I could ask what she was doing she raised her right hand and knocked three times on the upper right hand side of the door. With a quick pop, a compartment in the wall opened and she reached her hand in and slid a door sized portion of the wall to the side.

I stood there with my mouth open. "Jeez, I thought things like that only happened in movies."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on lover boy."

We entered the cold basement like hall and she stopped. "This is as far as I can go. If I have a room full of guests up stairs and to help you anymore would lead to the deaths of them. Goodbye Edward, and good luck." She looked at me and fear was evident in her eyes.

She was gone as lithely as she came and I turned to face my destination. I took in a deep breath and Bella's scent once again hit me like a freight train. I took an unsteady step ahead and I found it rather easy to see through the darkened hallway.

Suddenly I heard a shrill scream, no doubt it was Bella's. "Leave me alone!"

I picked up my speed and ignored the fire that was engulfing my throat. My only thought was of her. I had to ask the heavens for help, if I loved her enough then I would fight for her. I knew my chances of surviving were limited being a newborn. Okay, so I would probably die.

I came to the end of the hallway and I stepped into a lighted room. The first thing I saw was Bella. She was on the ground with her head in her hands and her dress was gathered around her. Alice was glaring at the person standing in the middle of the room. The scent of Bella brought an unbearable pain but I knew that pain or not, she was my life.

The man Alice was glaring at crossed the room and pick up Bella. "Why aren't you in pain?"

Bella lifted her head and spat in the man's face. "I don't know why. Get your hands off of me." She glared at him.

He dropped her and I crossed the room to her pulling her into my arms. "So nice of you to join us." Aro's sarcasm got the best of him.

"Wish I could say the same to you." I growled at him as my eyes darkened.

Bella's scared body clung to me and she was whispering my name over and over. "Please come home, I miss you. Please Edward." She was begging me.

Aro started laughing. "She doesn't know does she?"

I glared at him and let Bella go as I approached him in a defensive crouch. "Leave her alone, it's me you want." A snarl ripped from my throat.

"Jane." Aro smiled.

"My pleasure." A small figure emerged behind him and an immense pain engulfed my whole body.

A/N: So, how much do you hate me for leaving you there. I couldn't quite get this chapter like I wanted it. It just sounds do choppy… I don't know.

Tell me what you think!

Kayla