AN so here we are, the next chapter.

I have finished the story, so there will be four more chapters and an epilogue and then this story will be finished.
Thanks to everyone who has eben reading from teh start and has been patient with my erratic uploading schedule.

I also want to thank everyone for their kind words.

Over the next few weeks I'll be uploading the final chapters and the epilogue. i don't know when exactly they will all be up, but know I aim to have everything edited within two weeks. So keep your eye out for updates :)

Chapter 48 - How did I miss this?

EPOV

Aro's face fell as Bella held up the bodiless heads of both Jane and Alec. Goddamn I was proud of this woman. While I'd been fighting Aro, she'd managed to kill not only Jane but Alec too. The biggest power players of the Volturi were gone now. Their biggest trumps were useless. This was amazing.

Realisation was sinking into Aro as his face got darker and darker and a snarl of absolute fury overcame his face.

'You bitch! I should have killed you when I had the chance.' He hissed at Bella.

I stepped in front of her, blocking his path to her. 'You'll never lay a hand on her again.' I hissed at him.

A nasty smile spread along his features as he suddenly righted himself from his crouch. 'I know all your secrets, Young Edward. I know your fears. I know what haunts you.' he snarled.

I winced, but tried to keep him from noticing how his words impacted me. I was glad I was under Bella's shield, because I knew he was thinking of all the vile things he'd done to her, just to spite me.

'I will bring you down, mark my words.' Aro snarled. 'I will tear you down from the inside out!'

'We killed all your spies Aro!' I snarled back at him. 'They're long gone.'

He grinned again. 'Have you now?'

I looked quickly at Bella, hoping she'd have a clue as to where he was going with this, but she looked just as confused as I felt.

'Yes. Tanya, James, Victoria… they're all dead.' I said.

He shook his head. And the next words he spoke chilled me to the bone. 'You missed one.'

Bella's hand clutched my arm tightly. We had missed a spy? Who? Demetri? Could it be? Or was it someone else? Demetri had no sway in our coven, he was a newcomer.

'What are you talking about?' I hissed at him.

'You missed one.' He repeated in his sinister tone.

'No.' Bella whispered behind me. I frowned. Had she figured it out? But then I saw it.

Angela.

She was standing behind Aro, her eyes downcast and her clothes thoroughly rumpled and dirty.

'Meet my star player.' Aro huffed, circling around Angela and wrapping his arm around her. She cringed under his touch, but let him lead her forward. 'I placed her in your coven, fifty years ago.'

'No.' I said firmly. I refused to believe Angela had been spying on us all for all those years. We would have noticed it. She was kind. She was so nice. She'd gotten along with every single one of us.

'She's so kind and likebale no one ever suspects her. She's my best spy.' Aro bragged. But Angela looked absolutely uncomfortable.

'Tell me it isn't true, Angela.' Bella whispered.

'I'm sorry, Bella.' Angela reponded back. That earned her a quick yank on her arm from Aro. She winced again. But Angela didn't stop. 'I had no choice.'

'You betrayed us.' Bella muttered, then she stepped forward. 'You betrayed us for what?' she was incredulous now. 'for power? For position? Why would you do this Angela? Why?'

But Aro didn't let her respond. A firm look at Angela made her cower and keep her gaze firmly locked on the ground before her feet again.

'What did you do to her?' I demanded. The girl was absolutely frightened of Aro. He had to be holding something over her head. There was no other way.

'She has a handy little gift you know. She's a projector.'

My blood turned cold. What were her abilities? Was she sabotaging us? still I couldn't let Aro see he was shaking me.

'I don't care what she is, or what you've had her do. You're still losing Aro. Look around yourself. Your army is getting destroyed. Your precious guard is being slaughtered, or they are turning on you. It doesn't matter anymore. Release Angela and let us put an end to this once and for all.'

'Particularly handy, this one.' Aro continued on as if I hadn't spoken. 'She's not only able to project visions into the minds of others, but she can manifest them in reality as well.'

My blood ran cold. Bella sucked in a gasp behind me.

'And she managed to trick your little Alice pretty well, don't you think? Made her useless.'

'It doesn't matter, Aro. It's over. Look around you, your army is being decimated.'

'Is it though?' Aro asked, a devilish grin on his face. Then he nodded to Angela.

'I'm so sorry, Bella.' She whispered her voice ending in a sob, as she waved her hand and suddenly a sea of red hooded cloaks seemed to appear out of nowhere behind Aro. There were row upon row of vampires with snarls on their faces ready to attack.

I took a startled step back. No it wasn't possible. It couldn't be. There were hundreds of them, if not thousands.
Aro's laugh echoed around us, bringing the clearing to silence with it's eery sound.
I glanced back at Bella and saw her disbelief and horror set in.

Then I looked back at the battle field. The cloaks were lying on the ground, scattered among body parts. I was glad to see most of the bodies were Volturi members. My family seemed to have come out unscathed. But as I looked in their faces, I saw the exhaustion, the worry and the fear set in. We might have survived this first round, but we couldn't face thousands of well trained Volturi members… we simply did not have the numbers to win against them.

'See Angela here discovered back in Volterra that her external projection does work on Bella.'

'Impossible.' Bella hissed. 'I've been training'

'Yes, that was quite annoying, that you finally realized your full potential. I did know you had it in you though. I had hoped it would have stayed limited, that way Angela wouldn't have had to work so hard. But alas. As it is, she had to work quite hard to conceal our true army. Granted her gift wasn't strong enough to fool you completely and yes we have lost some of our guard. A pity, truly. But she was able to disguise the bulk of our army until you were all exhausted from your little displays of power.' He grinned nastily at us and then turned back to look at his hooded henchmen.

'Volturi members.' He orated. 'You have been wronged by this coven! You saw them kill your brothers, your sisters without mercy. Will you simply stand by and let them kill you? Let them kill us? Let them kill our ways and our pride?'

'Never!' the Volturi members shouted as one. Thousands of voices blending together. It was chilling.

'This can't be real.' I muttered. I shook my head desperately tring to make sense of what was happening. I still couldn't hear anything so Bella was still shielding us. But if she had been shielding this entire time how had angela managed to trick us?

'What did you do Angela?' I whispered. 'Why?'

'I'm sorry.' she whispered.

'Was everything you told us a lie?' I demanded, had I really let another spy into my coven without even second guessing her? Was I really this stupid? God, I deserved this. I deserved to be killed for my own stupidiy. I did not deserve to be coven master.

I glanced behind me.

But my coven did not deserve to die. I couldn't let them be killed because of my recklessness and stupidity. I looked to Bella. If I died, she would be able to run this coven. She was smart, cunning, brave… loyal. She was everything I aspired to be and she did it all so effortlessly. She was born to be a coven mistress. She would be able to protect everyone. Perhaps she could team up with Demetri and together they could run the coven and keep them safe from the Volturi. Perhaps if I gave my life Aro would give the rest of them a respite, so they could get away.

'Don't even think about it, Edward.' Bella hissed at me. I glanced at her confused. 'I know what you're thinking. Don't.'

I gave her a small smile. 'I have to try.'

'No!' she said more firmly.

But I already turned towards Aro. 'Take me instead.' I yelled. I heard Bella's teeth snap together audibly. Aro turned slowly to face me. 'Take me instead.' I repeated. 'Take my life and let the rest of my coven go.'

'If only it was that simple, young Edward.' Aro said shaking his head.

'It is that simple. You've wanted me gone for a long time now. Here's your chance. I only ask you leave my coven be in return.'

'But you've instigated them, Edward. You've poisoned their minds against me. I'm afraid there's no vampire among your coven who would willingly fall back in line. And we can't have that… No my dear boy. We can't have that.'

I grit my teeth. Even my life wasn't worth it anymore. I had doomed us all it seemed.

'It doesn't matter how many vampires you throw at us, Aro. Your powerfully gifted vampires are gone. You sent them in the first volley. You're weak. This is nothing but a desperate attempt to get Edward to do something foolish.' Bella sniped, throwing a well directed elbow into my side to punctuate her feelings about my actions.

Then she turned on me. 'We're a fucking team, Edward. Get it through that thick skull of yours. We're in this together. Don't be an idiot.'

'Yes, son. Don't be an idiot.' Carlisle's voice appeared behind me. I looked back and saw my family standing behind me. I was relieved to see them alive. Emmett seemed to be the worst off from all of them. Nursing a few wounds. They were exhausted but alive.

'We'll get through this together.' Esme said.

'How touching. The family is all together.' Aro sneered.

'Angela' Bella spoke as Aro was just about to go off on another rant. 'Whatever he's holding over you, whatever it is he's threatened you with.. we can protect you. You don't have to do this anymore.'

Angela let out a heartbreaking sob.

'Bella.' I whispered. 'Let me out.'

She glanced at me and then nodded. I braced myself for the barriage of thoughts that would flood my mind.

I closed my eyes, readying myself. But I was pleasantly surprised by the steady flow of only a couple of hundred of voices... not thousands. It still was disorienting for a moment, but I quickly got my bearings and then narrowed my eyes at Angela, focussing on her thoughts.

It's not real. His army is not real. He's making me do it. He has my boyfriend… my mate. Please Edward, please hear me. Please. I never wanted to spy for him. Never. I never used my gift on you. I promise. Please hear me Edward. Please! It's not real! The army is not real! He's making me do it! Please… I'm begging you! please! He has my mate! It's not real!

I blinked and then subtly nodded back to Bella to pull me back under her shield.

I couldn't give away that I knew. Aro was bluffing through his teeth. He was hoping the threat of the army would stop us from pulling Bella's shield back to use my gift, and by keeping everyone under her shield, we would nullify nearly all of our own mental gifts which would be able to sense if there was an army there or not. I was actually pretty impressed.

But now I had a new dilemma.

The army wasn't real, but the threat Aro was issuing was. He was looking for something, for us to give in. He couldn't let this get to a fight, because that would reveal his army to be fake. He was stalling, either to find an escape for himself, or for something worse… a stealth attack? Could it be that there was someone creeping up on us, being hidden by Angela? Ready to take us out?

I took a deep breath. There were many variables and the outcome was hard to predict. But I knew I oculdn't just leave Angela's mate at Aro's mercy.

'What do you want then Aro?' I asked harshly, trying to keep up appearances I was afraid of his army. 'If my life isn't good enough, what do you want?'

'What do I want? I want you to admit you lied! I want you to admit that you instigated this riot against me on unfair grounds!' he continued his tirade how we had been wronging him since I had taken over the coven, listing all the ways we had been untrue to the Volturi.

I tuned him out.

'Where's Demetri?' I asked Bella silently. Keeping my eyes locked on Aro to keep him from suspecting anything.

Bella glanced around and finally spotted Demetri. He wasn't that far from us. She waved him closer. He cautiously crept closer and closer until I was certain he would be able to hear me.

'Demetri. Do you know Angela's mate?' I whispered as quietly as I could. I nudged Bella at the same time and she pulled her shield back again.

I think I do. Ben I believe his name was.

'Can you find him?'
I can try… I won't have the best lock on him. so it won't be easy… Why?

'On my cue, get Angela and get to him.'

Demetri narrowed his eyes at me but nodded.

'Aro enough of this!' I interrupted his long rant.

He was still listing ways we had wronged him. It was astonishing really to see him this unhinged. Normally Aro's mind would have already picked up on our conspiring right under his nose. but he was tuly shaken. It seemed the beating from his brother also didn't really help things either. He was confused and his mind was muddled. As I focussed on his thoughts, there was only one mantra that kept reapeating and that was to kill us all. He just wasn't sure how to do it exactly.

He was buying time, that was for sure. He needed to stall… because… and there it was.

He had sent out a message to bring a small contingent of Volturi members this way. Including the wives. He wanted Sulpicia to sneak up on Bella and eliminate her quickly. That would leave the rest of us more vulnerable to Angela's deceptions. She would then be able to make us believe we were being overrun, while the remaining guard could pick us off easily. I struggled to hide my grin at his desperate attempt at a plan. It was honestly just pathetic. He was shaken and wild and desperate and I knew it was now or never.

'You don't order me around! I'm Aro Volturi! I control all of this.' He said, gesturing wildly behind himself to his supposed army of thousands. 'I'm the one that gives the orders! And I order you-'

He never got to finish that sentence. Without warning I sped off, closing the distance between us and rammed my shoulder into his stomach.

'Now Demetri!' I yelled as I went down with Aro.

Demetri sped past me and quickly scooped up Angela. Running as fast as he could away from the Volturi. The moment Angela was scooped up, the army of thousands disappeared. Everyone behind me breathed a sigh of relief.

I landed heavily on Aro, pinning him to the ground.

'I know the truth Aro. It was all a lie. You're just desperate. But it's over now.' I hissed at him as I pushed my elbow into his neck.

'Never.' He hissed, starting to turn slightly red in the face. He pushed up with his legs and before I knew it he had reversed our positions. I was now being held down. His arm across my neck and his face inches from mine.

'You forget, young Edward. I have more than a few millenia on you. You'll never be able to beat me on your own. And it seems your family is a little too busy to be helping you out, right now.' his grin was viscious as he looked behind him.

I followed his gaze and cursed. It seems his small cavalry had arrived. The wives and a few dozen other guards. They were fighting hard. The battle raged on it seemed. I wasn't sure who was winning now. These guard were old, experienced and not easily trapped. They were trained too. It was a hard fight by the looks of it. And I was in trouble.

No one was coming to help me. I was on my own.

'We'll beat you, Aro. Even your little cavalry won't save you.'

'Perhaps not. Perhaps this will be my final day on this earth. But I'll make damn sure it's your last day as well.'

He drew back and grabbed hold of my hair. He was going for the kill. I could see the craze in his eyes as he glared at me. Part of me wondered what he was thinking right now. It was still strange for me not to know. I wondered if he regretted coming here, or if he was somehow still convinced he could make it out of this alive. I wasn't sure.

The sharp pain in my scalp as he started pulling drew me back to the present. I couldn't worry about his thoughts. I had to worry about myself. I had to find a way to get our of here.

How? How could I save myself? I wasn't sure. But I was damn certain that if I did nothing, I was going to die.

I had nothing left to lose, so without putting too much thought into how bad this could turn out, I took a deep breath and ripped myself lose from his hold. A tearing pain in my hand ripped through me, but I ignored it best I could. I was dimly aware of his nails ripping along my neck and cheek, but still I persevered. I rolled, using my momentum and struck out with my good hand, catching him square in the jaw. He soared backwards, away from me and I quickly rolled to my feet, wobbeling slightly from pain and dizziness. But I wasn't about to give up. Before Aro could regroup I charged again. I caught him around the middle and landed a few punches into his kidnyes. He grunted in pain.

'I'm not leaving Bella ever again.' I swore as he drove his elbow into my shoulder, making me lose my grip around his middle. We separated and came at each other again. Dodging each other's blows, and definitely taking a few punches here and there. Aro was giving it his all, he was not going to give up easily.

Until a scream pierced the clearing. High and panicked and chilling.

'Stop!' came the command from the same voice. 'Please! Stop!'

Aro seemed to freeze in his tracks, his head snapped towards the right, where the voice was coming from. I followed his gaze to only be surprised yet again by Bella.
She was holding Sulpicia in an inescapable neckhold. Her hand on her chin ready to tear her head off at the slightest provocation.

The battle ground quieted down as everyone turned to see our coven mistresses locked together.

'Everyone cease your attacks.' Sulpicia repeated. Her voice strained and pained as Bella tightened her grip slightly.

I used Aro's distraction and everyone else's for my own gain. Without wasting another second I jumped and grabbed Aro in a chokehold, similar to that of Bella. A gasp travelled through the group. As now both of the Volturi leaders were at our mercy.