A/N- And here we go! This chapter should answer whatever remaining questions you all have. If there is something specific you would like to see happen in the final battle, now is the chance to put in your request. I can't promise that I can incorporate it but I will definitely take it into consideration! As always, thank you for your support and reviews!
Being tongue tied was not a feeling that I was accustomed to. When I had moved to Volterra I had learned Italian as it was my family's native tongue and it had been part of my education overseen by Marcus. After being turned, I had learned a handful of other languages such as German, French, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish and even Chinese. It had been important that I learned languages of the regions that I would go on missions to so that I could fit in and be more successful. Given that I did not need to sleep, I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with so I put it to good use and in due time I found that I could speak, read and write any of these languages to absolute perfection. Even my use of the English language had been enhanced. But unfathomably, all of that training and education that I had obtained throughout my lifetime had all but failed me in this very moment.
I felt the cool and smooth metal as it slid against my skin and even though it weighed less than an ounce, I felt the weight of it and the decision that I needed to make as if it weighed a ton. I knew what I desired to say more than anything else. During my time in the trials, I had received a taste of what my future would be if I pursued my relationship with Jasper. I had seen myself in a wedding dress and surrounded by the Cullens as they welcomed his and my unification, resulting in me feeling happier than I had ever felt. Even though it was not real, I knew that it was still very much a distinct possibility. Something that I had even gone so far to promise to myself that I would make a reality if the opportunity ever presented itself, and here it was.
I took in a steadying and unneeded breath as I looked up from my finger to meet his patient and waiting gaze. I looked deep past his dark crimson orbs that were currently sparkling with a sense of excitement, looking straight into the soul that I knew he still possessed. I knew why he was choosing now of all times to propose. It was no different than the same mindset that Seth had been in when he told Alice the truth of him imprinting on her. Despite the countless reasons I had not to fail with this battle, he was wanting to present just one more reason why I needed to give it everything I had to secure victory. The motivation was the promise of a forever future with him, something that could not be if I failed.
It was true that marriage had always been something that I had thought was revolting. I never thought I was going to go through an ordeal like that. I had seen what failed marriages did. They turned two people who had been deeply in love into beings who despised and hated one another, turning them into nothing but casualties of a broken heart.
Throughout the years as a human, a lot of people asked me what my biggest fear was, or what scared me the most. I suppose it was a good icebreaker for a conversation when trying to get to know someone. And I know that they always expected an answer like heights, or closed spaces, or creepy crawlies like spiders or snakes. But that wasn't it. My biggest fear, and something that likely still existed to a certain extent, was the very thought that after finding love and establishing a bond with them, after even going so far as to offer up my entire heart and soul to them, I would become ugly to them as they fell out of love with the very same things that they had initially fallen in love with. That the very person who once thought they had found all the stars of the galaxy in my eyes, only saw me as a blackhole in their life, extinguishing whatever light surrounded them.
I thought back to my time spent in the temple and that one specific trial with Alice and Jasper. I saw what their ordeal had done to them and the pain that had been caused. It was positively unheard of for two mates to grow apart from one another, but that had been exactly what had occurred. The question was if that was a possibility for him and I as well. As a human, I had viewed their love as the strongest bond I had ever witnessed. Knowing that she had saved him from the dark path he was on and loved him through every obstacle, every slip up during his diet change, through it all, was absolutely beautiful to me. I had never known such a bond that they had shared. They never gave up on one another, and still honestly hadn't, even if they were no longer mates.
My experience and examples provided regarding love and marriage were vastly different. The only thing I had learned from love was how to shoot someone before they could outdraw you. I learned from experience with my parents that most people fell out of love for the same reasons why they fell into it to begin with, which was the reason why I had the fears that I did. People found in time that their lover's once endearing stubbornness became simply a refusal to compromise and their one track mind became nothing but an immature mindset. That their passions that had once been adored and supported were eventually seen as nothing but bad habits and money down the drain. Their attractive spontaneity turned into reckless and irresponsible behavior and their comforting hold turned into a noose around the heart.
That was the main reason why I never had thought about marriage as a human. People were far too fickle to trust with your heart for an entire lifetime. They could simply wake up one day and decide that they did not love you anymore and there wasn't anyone to particularly blame for it. People were constantly changing and adapting over time. It was illogical to think that two people could go through life together without eventually growing apart.
However, as a vampire, I knew that the mating bond went so much deeper than that of a human. Once established, it was not something that could easily be altered as we ourselves were frozen in time and generally incapable of change. I knew that it was more or less permanent and once a vampire fell in love, they were not really capable of falling out of it, unless extreme situations occurred like what had happened with Alice and Jasper. Still, somehow I knew, at least in the back of my mind, that after everything that had taken place between Jasper and I, nothing could come between us now. We had both gone through our own individual hells and had come out of the fire stronger than before, and only became more desperate to be together.
He had seen my flames as they burnt around me, creating a safety net of walls that no one could even begin to think about tearing down but did not falter. He had seen me stumbling through a mess of dances of my life, how I squandered my second chances, and wrecking every opportunity that had been presented to me, making nothing but a mess of good intentions. But still, he did not run. He had trusted me when I wasn't worth it and have forgiven me when I didn't deserve the mercy that he was offering. He had been the very first person to look into my eyes and saw the soul inside that was crying, begging for love, and had provided it without question or hesitation.
But there was one thing still that needed to be addressed. He had made it all to obvious that he had trusted me above anything and anyone, even logic itself. I had earned that trust, though I failed to see how since I had done nothing but keep things from him and kept him in the dark about not just my feelings but about things happening during the mission as well. Before I could give him my answer, he deserved to know the truth of who I was likely going to face.
"Jazz, you have no idea how much of an honor this is. I never once thought that I would be in a position such as this, standing with the love of my life, sharing a moment like this. I have an answer for you, I promise. There is something that you need to know though first. If you are going to trust me with your heart from now until the ends of time, then I need to show you that I am worthy of such trust and the only way I can do that is by sharing a piece of information with you on who I strongly believe the leader of the newborns are." I replied eventually and watched the way his eyebrows furrowed as he took my hands into his own.
"This can't be good or it wouldn't be so hard for you to say." He breathed as he raised my hands to his lips, placing gentle kisses on each knuckle.
"Nero wouldn't tell me for sure. I'm not sure the reason why. However, he did say that the leader was a female, one who was very charismatic and could easily make those around her fall under her spell." I sighed as I felt his lips dance gently across my skin before he looked at me with thoughtful eyes, begging me to continue.
"This being would also have to have had experience with newborns and training them to fight to the caliber of an army. We both know how challenging of a task controlling newborns can be. The fact she was able to keep them all from killing each other and was able to reach the sheer numbers that she has, makes me believe it could only be one person." I swallowed harshly as his eyes slightly hardened. It was clear that he was beginning to put the pieces together slowly, piece by piece.
"I think I know what you are laying down, Bella." He breathed out and I nodded.
"I hope I am wrong, Jazz. I really do but I don't think I am, not when I think about the motivation and the connection of everything. Nero was my own past demon, something that existed from my own past failures. There is a possibility that there are shifters that are also part of this army, a result of loose ends created between a discord between Jake and Sam. The battle itself is taking place in Forks, and Maria knows that you are here. You are the one who got away, one that she likely wants back more than words could ever express. More than that, we both know that the wars in the South still rage on and the only reason why the Volturi have not gotten involved is because they all have gotten good at keeping the action hidden from the attention of the humans in the area but she needs people like you to help achieve her goals." I replied and he nodded curtly.
"She always wanted to broaden her horizons but why would she leave her territory undefended? What reason would she have to go out with this insanity?" He growled out and I sighed.
"Think about it, Jazz. If the Volturi are out of her way and are no longer capable to stop her from acting free from restrain, then she can do exactly what she's always desired. Nero and her had a common enemy, the Volturi, and myself as an extension. That is likely why they paired up. And if it is Sam and the others as part of the army, then they are doing so to settle the score with Jake, which came about because of competing views of how they should handle me coming back to Forks as a vampire. Don't you see? They are all connected, the common ground being me. That is why I believe that the leader is Maria. No one else would make sense." I urged him to think about my words, causing him to let go of my hands and crossed them tightly against his chest, his jawline hardening as it clenched down.
"And why did this need to be shared before you would give me your answer on my proposal? What is your thought process? Surely after everything, you don't think that I still have feelings for her." He asked after a few moments after he clearly had reigned in some of his turbulent emotions.
"I don't worry about you pining after her. It's nothing like that. But you left her seeking refuge with a new life. You did not want to kill her, even though that was logically the best option. I need you to know this because there is a chance that I will not be able to grant that same type of mercy. I guess that I need to know that you are truly okay with me putting the final nail into the coffin of your past." I finally sighed and watched the way his eyes flickered back to my own.
"Bella, let me make this as clear as I can. Being with you has made me take a few steps back so I can finally see the full picture. It's so easy now to see how the pain I endured and my past demons were beating me into pure submission. I hadn't even realized that it had caused me to give up the fight. And then, you came into my life again. And suddenly, I felt alive, more than I had in over a hundred years. You helped me to rediscover myself, successfully resurrecting a man who had died in more ways than one. Because of that, I will vanquish any foe that poses a threat to you, to me, and to our future." He said with such serenity that I felt myself falter for just a moment as I tried to find the right words to respond.
" I just needed to make sure that my actions would not cause you harm. I didn't want to be counterproductive to whatever goal you were trying to achieve by letting her live all those years ago." I finally responded and he shook his head.
"You have my full blessing to do whatever you feel is best at the time you have to make the decision. I know you. You will do what you think is best and your moral compass is more on point than anyone's I've ever known. I know that if it comes down to you having to kill my sire, I know you will have done all you could to prevent it. Though, you will have a thousand apologies if it is indeed her. I should have done things differently but did not have the strength to do what I knew must be done. You may think that fleeing the way I did was done so out of compassion but if I were to be honest, it was done out of cowardice and in all likeness, selfishness as well. I wasn't strong enough to do what I knew needed to be done and was too desperate to find some sort of reprieve from the life I had been leading. And if anything happens to you because of it, I will never forgive myself." He sighed and I shook my head, taking his hands back into my own.
"Jasper, before fate caused me to come back into your life, I had become comfortably numb. I thought I was happy and fulfilled. I had everything I could ever want in life and probably more. But I was always missing something. And then I found you and you opened up my eyes to a world when everything's right. You found me when I didn't even realize I was missing and needed to be found. You broke through every wall, every fog of confusion and for the first time in nearly a century, I now know what it feels like to be complete. I know I have done things that have put a strain on us and maybe I am being selfish. I know I'm not exactly the easiest person to understand or be around at times but I want you to know that while I don't love like the average person does, everything that I have done is only to try and prove just how much you mean to me." I said softly, causing him to grin further.
"It may be true that you don't love like everyone else does but that also means that you don't have the capability to hate like everyone else does either. You may have slain more vampires than any other, but you do not get any type of fulfillment from it. That's rare to find in a vampire. It's in our nature to become entranced with the prospect of a kill and yet, you've been able to keep that at bay and allow a shred of humanity to remain. I admire you for it." He smiled and if I could blush, I would have been beet red. I was never one to accept compliments well, and that was not something that had changed.
"Thank you." I replied automatically, not sure what else I could say.
"I also know that nothing about loving you is exactly easy but anything worth having won't come without effort. You are an enigma for sure but you're a puzzle that I want to figure out because I know that some of your miscellaneous and warped pieces that no longer fit into your puzzle, fit into some of my own spaces that my own pieces can't fit into, and likewise. In short, I know we need each other to be whole." He replied smoothly and my eyes began to blink rapidly to keep my overflow of venom at bay.
"What I am trying to say is that I don't want to go through one more second without you as my own. It took me being separated from you more than once to get it through my thick skull that I am nothing without you and I desire more than anything to be connected with you in every way possible. " I said softly and watched the way his eyes lit up further.
"Is this your incredibly longwinded way of saying yes?" He asked with a smirk and I peered into his eyes with as much love as I could summon.
"Yes, Jasper. Nothing would give me greater happiness than to become your wife." I finally confirmed and instantly, his hands were cupping the side of my face as he claimed my lips with his own.
I allowed myself to drown in the kiss for a few moments, breathing and tasting as much of his essence as possible. I felt venom fill my eyes behind my closed eyelids as I clenched my fingers tightly around the fabric of his slate gray sweater, not wanting to let go. The love between him and I just continued to get better and better. He was taking me to new heights, ones that I never thought I would be able to achieve. I wanted this moment to last forever but I knew that I had to allow it to come to a close. If I wanted this promise of a better future to come to fruition, there were things that had to still take place, and more than ever, I was ready to finish this so that my life could truly begin.
I finally broke the kiss with great reluctance, my eyes rapidly blinking as I tried to focus back on matters at hand. He only smiled as his fingertips traced the side of my face, his eyes taking in every detail almost as if he was trying to burn the memory of me forever in his mind.
"I better get going. If we keep going at this pace, we'll miss the whole battle." I grinned and he nodded.
"Be safe love, please." He breathed out and I nodded as I turned my back and began walking towards where I needed to go.
"Always am." I smiled over my shoulder before I broke into a dead sprint, my mind becoming focused once more on the task at hand.
I leaned against a nearby tree, my arms crossed loosely against my chest as I took in the landscape, my ears focused on the distant sound of footsteps traveling quickly in my direction. I played with the ring on my finger absentmindedly for a few moments before moving my eyes back up as I sensed them to be close.
I didn't have to wait long and suddenly they all came to a sudden and abrupt halt, twigs and dirt flying up from their feet at the sudden halting of their movements. I watched as they all lowered themselves close to the ground and let out a chorus of warning hisses, their pitch black eyes sizing me up and watching my movements closely. I sighed as I shook my head in disapproval. They were all young, all between the ages of what appeared to be ten to fifteen. They had no business being turned this young. Their minds were not emotionally mature enough to handle it. This was likely why they were able to be so easily persuaded. I knew based on my time spent with Jane and Alec just how hard it must have been on these children to be turned. To know that they were only being used as weapons of war made my teeth ache slightly as I desired to sink them into the neck of who was responsible.
My eyes moved over them and counted out fifteen, which meant that half or so were missing. I cursed internally. Where were the others? Had they split off from the group and were coming in from a different angle? Were they not here at all and were headed to Volterra? And if that was the case, which group was the leader currently with?
My internal musings were silenced as my eyes fell on a young girl, likely aged about fifteen who was not acting like the others. My head tilted as I took in her appearance. She had a strong defensive stance but her eyes made it clear that she was unsure and not quite blinded by battle lust like the others. Her eyes, while black, did not possess the same wildness of a newborn. She clearly was almost out of her newborn stage, which meant that she likely was in line to be disposed of. This battle was perhaps her only saving grace. The leader clearly needed every member of the army possible to fight, even those that were almost out of their prime.
She locked eyes with me, her eyebrows furrowing as she took in my appearance and I raised an eyebrow at her speculatively. I could feel the weight of her unspoken questions that lingered between her and I. I watched the way her stance relaxed slightly and her eyes screamed for help. I felt a slight rumble fill my chest as I realized the significance of the action. She was here to destroy me and yet, it appeared as if she was seeking refuge with the very person who was supposed to be her enemy. This could only mean that the life she was forced to live with this coven was worse than what I could offer her. Perhaps, just maybe, I could indeed reach some of these newborns. Maybe, it wasn't a lost cause after all.
"Oh, well. Look at what we have here. The Impavidia Inquisitore has decided to spare us the difficulty of finding her and has come on her own accord." A female voice spoke and I tore my eyes from the young girl and to the crimson eyes of the leader herself, Maria.
My eyes squinted slightly as I took in her appearance. She was dressed in a pair of loose burgundy gaucho style capris, black ankle boots, and an off the shoulder creamy white three-quarter sleeve length top, with a mustard yellow poncho. She was indeed small in stature, only standing an inch or so above five foot, and her long and wavy ebony locks were pulled back into a side bun, a few wispy ends still framing her slightly olive colored complexion.
She was riding on the back of a massive dark silver gray furred wolf, and I knew then that it was Paul. I cursed my luck, knowing there was a probability that their close proximity to myself would interfere with Alice's visions, I just didn't know how much of one. I had not expected the shifters to actually be present when I encountered the newborn army and expected them to show up on their own accord, separately. I heard the distant howls echoing off of the trees and mountains nearby, sending a chill down my spine as my natural instincts threatened to emerge at the call of my natural enemy. My eyes flickered to the side as two smaller wolves, one with dark ashy colored fur and one with gray fur and brown spots came walking to the immediate left flank of the newborns, their lips moving upwards in almost identical snarls as they revealed their lethal teeth. These were clearly Brady and Collin. My eyes then moved to the right as I took in the large pitch black wolf with dark blue eyes who put his ears back and growled deep in his throat at my appearance.
"How nice to see you again, Sam." I spoke and watched the way his sharp talon like claws dug into the ground in an attempt to stop himself from moving forward to attack against command, his fur raising up on the back of his neck.
"I have a feeling that the sentiments are not mutual." Maria spoke and I moved my eyes from Sam's to meet her own as she slid off of the back of Paul, adjusting her outfit before she moved to stand in front of the army with a smug look on her face.
"I had a gut feeling that it was you who was behind this all. Tell me, where is the rest of your army?" I asked and she only grinned.
"Oh, so Nero must have given up more information than I expected him to if you know of our numbers. Given that he is not here, I suppose it is safe to say that you disposed of him?" I bit back a growl and only nodded my head in confirmation.
"That is correct. There was no other way around it. He could not reach reason and he moved to attack Alice. He would have been relentless, coming back for us all unless I took care of him. Now, answer my question." I replied and she sighed dramatically.
"Such a shame. I had thought for sure that he would have been able to withstand you once he got into your mind. He had so much potential. I warned him that he was being far too ambitious by trying to recruit you but he would not listen to reason. Oh well." She paused as she looked deep into my eyes, " The other half of my army is heading straight to your precious coven. I believe that they should be able to give your family quite the run for their money. I expect that they should be able to take them down." She grinned and I felt my jaw clench tightly.
I had never felt so torn in my entire life. Part of me wanted to leave and run straight home so that I could protect my family. I loved them all to pieces and knowing that half of this army was heading their way and I was powerless to stop it made my skin crawl. It didn't particularly matter to me how strong or nearly indestructible they were. They were still my family, and the very idea of a single one of them getting so much as a crack or a bite from a newborn was more than I could stomach. However, I knew that I was needed here. With the gifts and abilities of my family, I knew that they should be alright, despite Maria's previous sentiments. I could not abandon the Cullens or Forks, not now, not with so much on the line.
I breathed in a few deep steadying breaths as I watched her with a wary eye. I had thought about what I would say to get through to the leader when the time came but knowing that it was indeed Maria presented a unique challenge. She was fierce and hardened to the point where I wasn't sure I would be able to sway or influence her thoughts. Ever since she lost her coven and territory to the hands of Benito in the early 1830's, she had been hellbent on revenge. I recalled the information that Marcus had shared on when the Volturi had to intervene to stop the first war. It was horrific to say the least. Executing Benito had brought about peace for about a decade before Maria tried her hand at mirroring his actions. She had been smarter though, and had conducted the wars without bringing too much attention to her actions. Other covens did not follow suit, resulting in my family returning in the 1840's to put an end to those covens specifically but did not intervene with Maria as she had not technically broken any laws to the point of needing our involvement. Oh, how I wished she had slipped.
"Why are you doing this, Maria?" I asked. I had to understand her motives if I was going to have even a hope of formulating a plan on how to talk her out of her demented motives.
"It's simple really. I have grown tired of having to act in certain ways, always minimizing myself and limiting my army's abilities to ensure that the Volturi doesn't have to step in. I have the ability to be more widespread but cannot carry out what I desire until you all are gone. After that has been done, I can create a world in which we can act without restraint. We won't have to live in fear." She replied and I thought on her words for a moment or two.
"I know that the Volturi have done acts in the past that have caused discord but is living within a set number of guidelines truly that bad of a thing? Surely this is something that can be discussed in a civil fashion. There must be some sort of compromise that we can reach without having to resort to violence." I replied, automatically going into diplomat mode. Perhaps I had more training with a politician tongue than I had originally thought.
"I have tried these so-called negotiations in the past. The Volturi however do not offer anything without somehow giving them the better part of the deal. I have reached the point where I no longer desire to compromise. I desire everything and I don't see why I shouldn't have it all. Didn't you hear what I said? Some of my stronger newborns gifted with abilities that will render Alec and Jane's gifts useless are on their way to your home. It's all over for you and your family's reign." She replied with a sharp tone and I sighed inwardly.
Even if Alec and Jane's abilities were rendered useless, I knew my family had trained for this type of event and should still be able to handle whatever was coming their way. They had proven the strength of their ability to fight as one unit on more than occasion after all. Still, knowing that there was likely some sort of shield with the newborns headed to Volterra made me wonder if any of the ones I was currently facing had gifts of their own, and if so, what were they? Time would certainly tell either way, but I wished that Nero had given me more information to work with. Finding out in the middle of the battle was not exactly desired, but there was no way around it at this point and dwelling on such things only created a distraction that I did not need be focusing on.
"I beg you to reconsider. There does not need to be any further deaths. Both of our histories are plagued with such acts. We have the ability to turn the tide and not continue down this downward spiral of hate and misunderstanding. I know you have tried in the past to parley with the Volturi but you have to believe when I say things are different now and I believe that we can offer you quite a favorable alternative if you would agree to stand down and come to reason." I tried once more but her gaze only hardened.
"I never thought I would see the day that the infamous Impavidia Inquisitore was not jumping at the bit for a fight." She mused and I ground my teeth together for a moment or two. Her words were testing my patience greatly.
"I will fight if I must but I think that these children have gone through enough. They do not need to be tortured any more than they already have. What you are using them for is beyond wrong." I argued back, watching the way her eyes hardened.
"I don't think you as the Impavidia Inquisitore have any right to be judging my morals on these matters. You, who have killed more vampires than any other in history." She snapped and I crossed my arms against my chest.
"The vampires who have fallen at my hands fell because they would not come to reason or had done terrible acts against humans, and were incapable of rehabilitation. I wish more than anything I wouldn't have had to do all that I have done but I had to do such things in order to protect those who couldn't protect themselves and that is not something that I can regret." I replied, carefully gauging her reactions.
"I do not have the time or energy needed to deal with your regrets. Those are your own to shoulder. The only thing I can do at this point is to make sure that I don't live with any myself and the only way that I can do that is by following this path that I am on. I cannot and will not allow myself to stray from course based on your pretty little lies of false hope and amity. You are wasting your time, so you shouldn't even try to sway me any further." She replied as I closed my eyes.
There was no reaching her. She was just as lost as Nero had been. She was going to see this through no matter the cost. She was willing to kill and die for her beliefs, the very same that I was. Her aspiration of living in a world free from the Volturi was blinding her from seeing reason. There was nothing at all that I could offer that would appease her goal. There could not be any compromise. The only thing I could do now was try and get more knowledge and understanding of the situation and see if I could at least sway some of the newborns.
"Why are Sam, Paul, Brady and Collin with you? I thought it went against their very nature for them all to work with a vampire?" I finally asked as I stole a knowing glance at Sam who rolled his eyes.
This was truly something that I could not understand. My interactions with the pack had been interesting to say the least. When Edward had left me alone and shattered in the woods, it had been Sam who had come to my rescue and brought me back to my father, even though I was practically comatose at that point. My knowledge of the existence of the shifters came about a few months later, after I had slapped Paul across the face, triggering him to phase, resulting in the truth being revealed to me in Emily's hut.
It had been a good thing too, thinking back. The pack had been mine and Charlie's only saving grace while Victoria was aiming to come back for me, seeking retribution for the Cullens killing her mate, James, in Phoenix. If it had not been for them, she would have likely got me. I know that it had appeared to everyone including Jake that I had turned my back on them the day that I met Aro and Chelsea in the woods and decided to go with them. It took awhile for Jake to come to reason, understanding that if I had not done what I had, I would have been killed.
Even though I had become a cold one as he liked to refer to us as when he didn't resort to bloodsucker or leech, he realized that he was just thankful to still have me as part of his life, even if I had changed. But that's not how everyone else in the pack felt. They saw me as a threat and did not believe that I was not drinking directly from humans. In their mind, I could not be trusted, which was the reason for the divide of the pack.
"These lovely beasts decided to join my ranks for a relatively simple reason. They want Forks back to how it was, free of the Cullens and also of you. Sam knew that he could not take down Jacob, I believe his name is, nor you, without assistance. His desire to restore Forks to its past glory is what forged this unlikely pact." She replied and my eyes moved back to Sam.
"It didn't have to come to this, Sam. I only was coming back to Forks to make sure that Charlie was okay. I watched over him until he passed. I had no reason to come back except to visit Jake. I never saw you as my enemy and still don't. You don't have to do this. There is no reason to fight against your own kind. Surely you can see Jake's thought of reasoning now that you yourself have sought out your own alliance with a vampire. It's not too late to fix everything." I said softly, causing his ears to flatten against his head and for him to bear his fangs at me.
"I don't believe he shares those same views." Maria grinned and I shook my head. Things were definitely not looking like they would be changing in my favor.
"But Nero said that Forks was the intended area for your new coven, for reasons that I still don't understand. Sam, if you let her win, you will lose Forks completely and all that you love. What she is planning is going to lead to a mass genocide of anyone who doesn't share her viewpoints. Countless will fall and those that survive are going to be under her rule. At least with the Volturi and I, we allow you to live out your life the way you see fit. Please consider that even if that means that there are those around you who have competing views, at least there is the option to have free thought." I tried once more, catching just a glimmer of realization flicker across his orbs before they became apathetic to my words once more.
"Ah, yes. Forks will indeed make the perfect area to establish the new coven. The land itself is filled with so many wonderful riches. It is also located close to the sea, meaning that trade will be easy enough to manage. However, the reasoning is much simpler than that. I desire this area for pure symbolic reasons. How fitting for the area to become my new territory knowing that it had once been yours. It will always serve as reminder for anyone who tries to stand against me that this land was claimed from the Impavidia Inquisitore herself, the very area that she cherished more than even her homeland in Volterra." She grinned maliciously and I felt my anger beginning to boil in my veins.
"The Volturi should have intervened many moons ago so that you never would have been able to steal away these children's lives." I replied smoothly causing her to throw her head back as she laughed.
"None of these children had much of a life to begin with. All were orphans or were growing up in an abusive home. I simply removed them from their toxic environments and made them into something so much more than they ever could have been otherwise. I saved them, which is more than I could say for you." She replied and I felt my muscles tighten as they automatically responded to her clear as day challenge.
"What do you mean? I haven't done anything to harm these children. In fact, this is the first that I am ever seeing any of them." I questioned and she shrugged her dainty shoulders.
"You know just as much as I do that there is an alarming number of orphans and abused children in this world. You may not have done anything directly to harm them but have you done anything to help? I would argue that as you knew the truth of everything, you had a higher obligation to do something to help solve these issues but you chose to pass by with a blind eye, focused on other matters entirely, like disposing of vampires who threatened your rule and your empire, the very thing that you desire to do with them all now, isn't that right?" She asked and I watched the ways the newborns fought their instincts not to lunge for me at her words.
She was playing on their very innate feelings and fears. She had them under such a tight grip and had warped their minds to make me out to be the villain and their enemy. They were ready to attack me because she had been able to convince them that I had known of their individual struggles and had not done anything to help. To make matters worse, she then had also clearly made it known that they had to come for me because if they did not, in time, I would come for them instead.
Truthfully, she was likely not wrong. One of the most sacred laws of the Volturi was regarding the laws that came from the threat of exposure. This was nothing new and every vampire knew of these laws. This particular law I thought was a good one to have when I thought about my own past as a human. While it was true that everything had indeed worked out for me, I was a rare case.
Most humans exposed to the vampire world did not find their niche and flourish from the knowledge. Most went clinically insane or died of a heart attack as their body could not handle the stress that came with such life altering news. Those rare few who did manage to find out the truth and did not die from shock, either were turned or killed. The truth of the matter is, that the majority of the newborns in the world unless under the direct care of a coven did indeed meet their end at the hands of the Volturi. Newborns were instable, powerful, and chaotic at best. They could not conform to the rules that we laid out to help protect our secret and the humans around us. Knowing that to be the truth, I knew that there was a strong likeliness that I would have eventually been dispatched to attend to these newborns. It wouldn't have been something that I particularly enjoyed but it would be necessary to keep peace in the human world.
"It is true that I know of how many children grow up in less than favorable conditions across the world but I cannot right every wrong. I have to pick and choose the battles that I take on and only get involved when it becomes necessary. The reason why I do not get involved with such things is because I learned a long time ago that I could not act in ways to drastically change the outcomes of those around me. Sometimes, as painful as it was, I had to sit back and allow certain events to unfold because eventually, these painful and horrific events would provide the very lessons learned needed to shape people into who they truly could and were destined to be." I replied and one of the newborns near the front growled, clearly unable to restrain himself.
"Are you seriously going to stand there and justify what happened to me, to any of us?" He growled as his fists clenched so tightly together, I was sure that small fissures were being created against his palm.
"What is your name?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as my eyes moved to hold his gaze.
"Talon Rhett Biers." He replied without skipping a beat.
"Well then, Talon. No. I would never dream of trying to do such a thing." I replied simply, causing confusion to dance across his features as he looked at me.
"Then explain yourself!" He demanded and I groaned internally. Talking with him was just like how it was during a conversation with Jane. It always was quite the task to be able to speak in a manner to which I could make her see reason without causing an immature breakdown or fit of rage to occur.
"I grew up in a loveless home myself, so I think I can sort of relate to how some of you may feel." I began and my eyes moved to their own as they all looked at each other before meeting my gaze once more, "My parents married relatively young and it fell apart rather quickly. I was only three months old when my mother left my father, taking me with her, although I'll never understand why she did. My mother was not suited for the role of loving me the way a parent should. She was flighty and incredibly irresponsible. By the age of seven, I had taken on the task of overseeing our finances because if I didn't, we would have become homeless. I was responsible for making sure bills were paid, that grocery shopping was done, and that we actually ate balanced meals. I wanted to make her proud but never could reach it. My mother never quite understood me and always wanted me to be more like her, something that I simply did not have the luxury of. It took me leaving her, moving back to Forks to be with my father that I learned what it was like to have a parent who actually cared about me. He and I were not close but he did all he could to make sure that I was looked after and that my needs were met. It took me being separated from what had become my routine life to finally realize how much mental and emotional abuse I had endured. While not the same as being orphaned or being physically hurt, I can say that the mental damage done from living that type of life scarred my heart in ways that I am still learning about and how to cope. However, I wouldn't change a thing about what happened with my past." I explained, baring my soul raw to them as they seemed enthralled by my words.
"Why not?" A particularly young male newborn asked, likely around the age of ten.
"Because those experiences, as painful as they were, allowed me to understand things that others could not. It allowed me to grow and provided the wisdom needed to perhaps stand before you all now, being able to find some sort of common ground. It's hard to understand at the time the reason for things happening the way that they do but if things had gone differently, I wouldn't be the person I am today. While there is a great deal of bad there is good too. And in my opinion, it would not have been worth risking losing all the good that has come from everything to change the bad." I replied and he nodded after a few moments.
"I'm sorry to hear that you had to endure that. I came from a long line of dysfunctional families, starting back with my great grandmother. I lived for the majority of my life believing that my father had left my abusive mother when I was about six but in truth, my mother murdered my father. She disposed of the body in the nearby wetlands, then packed up and moved us to Montana. Without my father to take her anger out on, I became the focus of her abuse, which came on every level including physical. Because of it, I became incredibly withdrawn. I was ashamed and didn't want anyone to know, and no one ever guessed, despite the occasional physical evidence. I guess it's true that it is hard to see the pain behind a mask." She sighed and I felt my insides twist uncomfortably. How could someone even think about laying one finger on this absolute sweetheart?
"How did you get involved in this?" I asked as I motioned my hands to the newborns and to Maria, who was busy stroking Paul's fur with a rather bored expression.
"After a particularly bad beating, I could no longer stand her abuse and ran away from home a few weeks before my fifteenth birthday. While my mother laid passed out on the couch after consuming a fifth of whiskey, I stole the money in her purse, which was enough money for a bus ride to Olympia in Washington, but nothing more than that. I had no one to turn to and nowhere to go but sleeping in parks was certainly better than the life I had led so far. I did my best to keep a low profile so that the police would not find me and send me back to my mother, who I know would have killed me if she ever got her hands on me again. One night I was walking around the park, munching on an apple when a figure blew past me and sunk their teeth into the palm of my hand. I screamed in pain and writhed on the pavement, feeling like I was burning from the inside out. When I woke, I found myself in a large cabin on what appeared to be a remote artic island. I was told of what I had become and that my choices were either to learn to fight and contain the bloodlust or be killed. So, I decided to stay. I mean, what other options were there truly?" she shrugged and I shook my head and huffed out in annoyance.
"And what is your name?" I asked and watched the way her eyes flickered over to Maria who only nodded, giving her the silent permission to respond.
"My name is Violet Evelyn Tanner." She responded and I nodded my head.
"Did all of you experience a similar experience to Violet here, in regards to how you were changed?" I asked as my eyes finally moved from her own to address them all and they all nodded except for Talon and I watched the way his eyes hardened further from behind the curtain of dirty blonde hair that hung loosely above his forehead.
"What do you care? We are here because you were going to kill us. We are just here to beat you to the punch." He snapped and I shook my head.
"It is true that I would likely have been eventually ordered to kill you. I see no point in trying to hide or deny that fact from any of you. In fact, my orders and directives from the leader of the Volturi, Aro, was to end the threat of the newborn army, while also providing aid and training to the Olympic Coven, a coven that resided in the area and who had become an apparent target." I replied, deciding that it would be better to be straightforward and truthful with the newborns. Eloquent speech would be lost on them and it would only likely irritate them further.
"There you have it. I told you that she was your enemy. By allowing her to live, you would only be putting off the inevitable. You may spare a fight today but you will have to live out your existence in fear, always keeping an eye over your shoulder waiting for the day that she comes to exterminate you. No one, and I mean no one in the Volturi has a ledger filled with so many names of vampires who have fallen at their hands than she does." Maria said softly to the newborns who seemed conflicted.
"That would be true if you believe that killing and disposing is the only way in which the threat could be abated." I replied coolly as I shot a pointed glance at Maria who only sneered back at me.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Another newborn asked who was standing close to Brady.
"You all believe that I am here because I was sent to kill you, which is not a lie. I made an oath many years ago that I would protect humans from vampires, no matter the cost. I did not want anyone to endure what I had. I got lucky but I know that the majority of humans who run into a being like us will not be as fortunate. However, before I resort to that extreme, I am here to try and prevent things from going that far." I replied and watched as the newborns froze, clearly not able to comprehend my words.
"Why should we believe anything that you have to say?" Talon cut in and I shrugged, about to respond but was cut off by Violet.
"She could have easily instantly engaged with us in battle the moment that we appeared. She chose in fact to try and have a conversation with us, which I think speaks volumes of her intentions. I think that we should at least hear what she has to say, if at all possible and permissible of course." She spoke and I realized that if any of these newborns could be saved, she could. I then made up my mind that I would do anything and everything to protect her.
"Very well. I will allow it but keep in mind what I have told you. She is a craftsman of words. She is a particularly clever beast and it is typical of her kind with the Volturi to twist the truth, resulting in the clouding of the mind. I urge you to take caution." Maria warned and I bit back a snarl, knowing that any outward act of aggression would be all that was needed to initiate the battle.
The newborns nodded in her direction before giving me their full attention.
"Listen, I know how baffling this all is. You all were forced to grow up much sooner than you deserved to. Then, everything that you had known was ripped away from you and you were forced to live out a new type of existence, one that you only thought existed in your wildest of dreams. You were forced into a world that quite frankly you had no business in ever being a part of. I know how all disorientating this is. I know that you are bound to your sire, and feel a strong pull to align yourself to Maria because for all intents and purposes, she was the one who has guided you since you were changed. But I do not actively seek out to kill vampires. Truth be told, I don't get any satisfaction from it. I only go after vampires who break laws or those who put humans in direct danger. That being said, if you can grow to control your blood and lust for battle, you won't be seen as a threat and there would be no reason for me or any of the Volturi to interfere. We aren't the monsters of the vampire world. We simply act as a governing force to make sure laws are followed to ensure a peaceful cohesion between humans and vampires alike." I stated, allowing a few moments for my words to sink in.
"How can there be such unification when you feed on humans? How do you rationalize on those types of acts? Who gave you the authority to determine those who deserve to live and those who deserve to die?" Another newborn asked and I sighed.
What I knew I needed to share was one of the most coveted secrets of the Volturi because it would show just how much humanity we had obtained throughout the years, which could easily be misperceived as weakness. However, I wasn't sure what other course of action I could take. I would have to bring out the big guns if I had a chance to get through to them.
"I don't drink directly from humans. I drink from donated blood bags provided from hospitals all over the world who give it to us out of the name of research and science. And if that was something that I didn't want to do, I could drink from animals instead." I replied.
"You mean, there is an alternative to killing humans?" Violet asked and I nodded.
"Yes. The Olympic Coven traditionally follows what they call a vegetarian lifestyle by drinking from animals. A few of them have temporarily switched to match my own diet to raise their strength and the power of their abilities but they are drinking from blood bags as well. I have never killed a human and the only two I turned were two children I saved and adopted as my own. I raised them until they were grown and fully matured adults. They came to me when they were ready to be changed. It was their decision, fully." I replied, causing her eyes to widen in shock.
"So, what would we need to do to make sure that you didn't try to kill any of us?" She asked and I thought on her words for a moment or two before answering.
"If you were to come back with me to Volterra, I could train you how to live a life that would be in accordance with our laws. You would have no obligation to stay or join our ranks but if you chose to, you would be welcomed with open arms. I could teach you how to be controlled, how to fit in better with the world, how to make a positive impact." I replied and she nodded.
"But what if we couldn't reach your perceived level of control needed? Would you simply dispose of us then? And what if we don't want to be controlled? What if we desire to be what we truly were destined to be?" Talon all but growled out and I shrugged.
"If you were not able to live a life without bringing attention to what you were or sought to kill humans blindly, then you would force my hand and I would have to exterminate you. I cannot have you all running throughout the world, wreaking havoc. I know that it goes against your nature to try and reign it in but I assure you, if you can find a way to channel your abilities into a positive outlet, you can do a lot of good with your existence but what you ultimately choose to do with your abilities is your choice and yours alone." I answered.
"There you have it. You can choose to join her side and by doing so, you will have to conform to what she thinks is best for you. How can anyone know what is better for you than yourself? I offer you all a chance to live free from their authority, allowing you to be truly free. All we have to do is dispose of her and then the Volturi. We are so close to liberation; can't you taste it?" Maria spoke as she addressed the army and I shook my head.
"Please, don't fall for her lies. You all are just pawns in her game. She will use you to help further her own agenda but eventually, once your newborn strength and speed have diminished in time, she will dispose of you and create another to fill the spot. You all are dispensable to her." I argued causing some of the newborns to be conflicted once more.
"Don't listen to her. The only pawns that exist are those who follow the Volturi, herself included. She is too lost in the grasp of the Volturi to see just how strongly they have sunk their hooks into her. She will say and do anything to make you follow that same tragic fate as her. Killing her is the only way she will be able to be free from their control, death being the only form of liberation." She insisted and I felt her words strike against one of my nerves so strongly that I found that I was not able to refrain myself from commenting back.
"Don't you dare think for one moment that you can simply kill me. I am not a pawn, I am the queen, arguably the most important piece on the chessboard and I will do anything to protect the king, which in this case is the future generations of humans, from falling at your hands and being subjected to your twisted ideals." I snarled, causing her to grin as the newborns responded to my brief display of aggression.
"Wait, how do you know that she will eventually dispose of us?" Violet asked and I snuck the tip of my tongue out to moisten my lips.
"Because, my mate once served as her second in command. She turned him back when her sights were only set on reestablishing her prior coven and territory that was lost at the hand of a rival coven. He escaped her control and found a new life with the very coven that I am currently protecting under the order of the Volturi. He told me what his experience was like. You have to trust me on this, you don't want to stick around. It won't end well and none of you will ever get to see what this false sense of freedom actually looks like. You will die at her hand before you ever have a chance to. You'll answer to her, follow her commands. The only person who will be free will be her, at your very expense." I replied and watched the way Maria's eyes darkened as she finally locked her eyes onto the shimmering sapphire located on my ring finger.
"Jasper is mine, and mine alone. I brought him into this world and he is forever in my debt. I know him better than you can ever dream of. He will return to my side, no matter what claim you think you have on him. Don't you dare to think otherwise." She snarled and my eyes instantly darkened at the thought of my mate being taken from me.
"I will see you in hell before you ever have him under your sick and twisted control again." I replied, my eyes shifting to the side as the wolves began to advance.
I took a few steps backwards as my eyes watched their movements guardedly. I needed to buy just a few more seconds. I wanted more time to try and sway the newborns but that was no longer an option. She was done talking and I could not put up any further resistance.
As I put more defensive space between the wolves, the newborns, and Maria herself, I allowed my shield to drop just slightly as I made the decision that the fight was indeed necessary, knowing full well that Alice had time to see what was about to occur, or at least hoped. There was no way of telling if I was far enough from the shifters for her to receive a concrete vision but I hoped that there was enough distance from them for her to see at least pieces of it.
"If you are offering up your life then I will have to take it." Maria replied before shooting her hand out in my direction, "This is it. Now is the time to choose! Choose to fight and be free of the threat of control that comes with her very existence or die. Your fate and future are in your hands. Do not forget your training." She ordered and I took in one last breath before looking deep into her eyes, silently begging one last time for her to reconsider her next statement.
"Destroy her."