The nights of training were the most fun Jasper and I had had in a long time. Each night the fights got more intense as Jasper kept trying to stack the deck in his favor. Of course, it was all fun and games till we entered the clearing in the daylight knowing that this was where we were going to be confronting an army in a matter of minutes.
All the tension that had been assuaged during our training sessions returned tenfold as we waited. I could see its effect on Jasper in the set of his shoulders and the way he walked. Peter had once called it his soldier walk, since it was something the Confederacy would have instilled in Jasper while he was human and he unconsciously reverted back to it when he was stressed or uncomfortable. I never liked seeing him this way but there was nothing I could do except wait for the fight, once it was over the tension would be allowed to abate and Jasper would be able to relax once again.
The tension seemed to hit an all-time high as we could hear the hoard running toward us, but snapped as the first newborn broke through the trees. After that we were all too busy fighting to focus on our emotions. I relished the look on a newborn's face as I disappeared before his eyes, just before I ripped his head from his neck. Pieces of newborns flew through the air moments after the first newborn entered the clearing and soon after fires were started to throw the limbs and other pieces into before they could have the chance to try reattaching.
As Jasper had warned the newborns were disorganized and seemed to realize they had been sent into die soon after they reached the clearing. Several tried turning back, running back into the trees and forcing us to chase them down and haul the pieces back to the clearing. The battle was over quickly, taking less than a half hour before the only vampires still standing were the members of our family. I set to work picking up some of the discarded limbs but was distracted when Carlisle and Esme walked back into the clearing without any of the pieces from the newborn Carlisle had chased into the trees. I watched confused till Jasper also came out with a dark-haired girl walking behind him.
Jasper looked less than pleased as he led the girl to one of the fires and made her sit. It didn't take much to know that the girl was obviously one of the newborns, looking at the girl I couldn't see a reason for her not to already be in pieces. Jasper's eyes flickered to me as I moved closer, studying the girl that sat stiffly with her eyes closed.
"Why isn't she dead?"
"She surrendered to Carlisle." Jasper said shortly and I looked to him confusedly.
"What does he think we'll do with her?" I hissed and Jasper shook his head.
"He's chosen to let her live. I'm just making sure she doesn't get the chance to hurt anyone." I looked between Jasper and the girl.
"The Volturi are not going to look favorably at this. Please tell me he doesn't truly believe that they'll let her..." Jasper cut off my question with a shake of his head.
"I think he just can't stand to see anymore life go to waste by our hands today." Jasper said and I sighed in defeat. It didn't matter in the long run, whether we killed her or the Volturi did, this girl was not going to survive the day. I personally thought it would be more merciful to kill her now, the Volturi would want answers from her and that was likely to be… unpleasant.
We must have all been a little to involved in our given tasks because none of us noticed the hiding newborn till Emmett unintentionally roused the newborn from their hiding spot when he went back into the trees to gather more kindling. One of the wolves spotted the newborn first and attacked without thought, going for the most direct kill likely due to cockiness from the ease of the earlier battle. The newborn got the upper hand quickly and luckily for the wolf, it's pack mate ushed to its aid. Unfortunately for the second wolf when it saved the first, it put itself in the position for the newborn to get its arms around them. The cracking and grinding of bone accompanied by an agonized howl sent a shudder down my spine.
Several other wolves attacked, taking chunks out of the newborn till their pack mate was able to collapse on the ground, free of the newborn's grasp, but obviously hurt as the pain filled noises continued. I couldn't help but watch, horrified till Jasper's snarl brought my attention back to him and the newborn. I saw the red of her irises for a split second before she clenched her eyes shut again, cringing away from Jasper. The newborn seemed confused and curious about the noise coming from the wolf, at least till the wolf manage to turn back into the boy that was friends with Bella. The sound of his cries changed and the newborn's jaw clenched and my eye twitched at the sound of her teeth grinding together.
I didn't want to take my eyes away from the newborn again, but I couldn't help my eyes flickering to the writhing boy as Carlisle begged the other wolves to let him help. The wolves tried to pick up their pack mate only for the painful yowling to turn into a piercing scream. With it obvious that they wouldn't be able to move him till something was done about his injuries, the other wolves finally let Carlisle set to work on the boy.
The wind shifted as the wolves stepped away to make room around the boy for Carlisle to kneel down beside him and I stopped breathing. Despite the wolves being our allies in this situation it didn't make them smell any better. With the shift in wind the newborn seemed to realize that she could utilize her other senses and took a deep breath through her nose. Jasper moved quickly and I rushed to follow as he lunged at the newborn, clapping his hands over her ears while I dove for her arms. She was sure to fight whether she wanted to or not, it was an instinctual reaction to having a sense cut off without warning. The girl bucked against us, trying to stand and trying to swing her arms.
"Stop it!" Jasper snapped and forced her back down onto the ground.
"Close your eyes." Jasper said sternly as he glared at the newborn. Jasper didn't release his hold on the girl's head so I didn't let go of her arms. Jasper was too close now, it would be too easy for the newborn to lash out with his hands occupied and I wasn't going to chance anything, even with Jasper's experience.
Carlisle snapped some of the boy's bones back into place to make moving the boy feasible and with permission granted for Carlisle to enter the reservation later to finish the job, Carlisle informed the other wolves that it would be okay to take him away. They had to move quickly, the clock was running out and the Volturi were sure to be arriving soon. The last thing we needed was for the guards to see the wolves. Our family was already standing on thin ice and an alliance with wolves would be the last straw, they wouldn't think twice about eliminating us and the wolves.
I looked up at the sound of Edward's familiar footfalls coming into the clearing. He had Bella cradled to his chest and given the steady rise and fall of her chest it looked like she was asleep, an easy conclusion if I hadn't noticed the bandage on her arm. I watched curiously as Carlisle rushed to Edward and began evaluating Bella. Jasper looked to me, likely due to the pique in my curiosity and I nodded to the scene across the field. Jasper turned slightly, his own brows furrowing as we couldn't hear Edward and Carlisle's hushed words, at least not till Edward turned to Alice.
"Alice, how long do we have?" Edward demanded.
"Another five minutes." Alice said after a moment.
"And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt that she can hear us now." Alice informed and I looked over the newborn's head to Jasper once again.
"Jasper." I whispered and his eyes met mine.
"We're not going to be able to stay like this when the Volturi arrive. We're going to have to put space between us and her, just to be safe." I whispered and Jasper looked conflicted for a moment before nodding.
"It's best she reacts before the Volturi get here, too." Jasper said lowly and I nodded my agreement.
"Three minutes." Alice called. I didn't loosen my grip on the girl as Jasper let go of her head and took a couple steps back.
"You better open your eyes now." Jasper said and the newborn immediately started looking around herself, not able to quell the instinctual need to know the environment around her, especially after having her senses cut off. When her head stopped moving it wasn't hard to figure out what she was looking at. Edward and Carlisle were still kneeling over Bella, the only thing the newborn could see of Bella was her legs for the moment. I looked to Jasper and he gave a hesitant nod. I released the girl's arms and rushed to Jasper's side.
We watched carefully as the newborn was taking everything in, her eyes still studying the members of our family that were standing in a semi-circle near Bella. Edward had helped Bella to her feet and she was staring curiously at the newborn.
"She surrendered. That's one I've never seen before. Only Carlisle would think of offering. Jasper and Abilene don't approve." Edward informed her and I rolled my eyes. I'm sure we weren't the only members of our family to not agree with Carlisle's choice, but only Jasper and I had made our opinion on the matter known.
Jasper was almost unconsciously rubbing at the bite marks on his arm. Three in total and all completely avoidable if he hadn't been so worried about being everywhere during the fighting. Jasper was well aware that all of us could take care of ourselves but he had become over-protective of Alice and I as the confrontation had begun.
I could feel Jasper's emotions briefly as he looked toward Bella and back to the newborn on the ground. It seemed the newborn realized the emotions weren't her own too as she was looking curiously at Jasper and I before her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed back toward Bella. She jumped into a crouch and I moved to stop the newborn's attack, shoving her back onto the ground roughly. I braced for the girl's attack till she threw her head back and wailed, a high-pitched shriek as her fingers dug into the ground on either side of her. The sound made me cringe away but Jasper leaned forward with a loud growl that halted the awful noise. Jasper leaned back as the newborn seemed to gain a modicum of control over herself, at least enough to keep her planted where she sat instead of fighting to get to Bella. Jasper's hand moved to his arm to rub at the fresh bite that had been brushed by his clothing when he'd moved, a small wince coming to his features with the action.
"Is Jasper alright?" Bella asked as she caught Jasper's hand once again rubbing at his arm.
"He's fine. The venom stings." Edward said easily.
"He was bitten?" Bella gasped and I raised a brow at Jasper, he carefully kept his eyes on the newborn, avoiding looking at me though I could see his lip twitch.
"At least someone cares that I'm hurt." Jasper teased lowly and I scoffed.
"He was trying to be everywhere at once. Trying to make sure Alice and Abilene had nothing to do, actually. They don't need anyone's help." Edward informed though I would hear the mirth in his voice.
"Over protective fool." Alice muttered and I chuckled as Jasper glances at Alice before looking to me with an exasperated expression. The moment was over quickly as I saw the look in the newborn's eyes as she realized that Jasper wasn't watching her, I pushed her back once again as she started to rise, snarling as I lowered into a crouch. The girl looked between me and Bella desperately before letting out another awful scream. This time I didn't allow myself to retreat and started to lunge for the girl to stop the awful noise once and for all, only to have my arm caught.
I snarled at the hand before looking back to see Carlisle's stern eyes. I looked to Jasper and he nodded. I perched my lips before straightening enough to show that I wasn't going to attack the girl but stayed in a position that should she try anything she'd be dead before she got more than a foot from where she sat.
"Have you changed your mind, young one?" Carlisle asked.
"We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself." I could never understand how Carlisle could seem compassionate while giving an ultimatum.
"How can you stand it?" The girl cried.
"I want her." Her eyes moved from Carlisle's face to beyond him to look longingly at Bella.
"You must stand it. You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now." I had no doubt that Carlisle truly believed that, but I highly doubted that the Volturi were going to show two signs of mercy today. If Bella was going to remain human past today then this girl was going to die, a show of force to some degree was going to be impossible to avoid and if forced to choose between Bella and this newborn we all knew we'd sacrifice this girl for Bella. The girl looked distraught and finally looked into her lap as she grabbed at her hair.
"Shouldn't we move away from her?" Bella asked and the newborn's eyes snapped back up to her.
"We have to stay here. They are coming to the north end of the clearing now." Edward replied. The girl looked confused and then the wind blew again and she glared at Bella. Her lips curled away from her teeth and she was trembling from the effort it was requiring to keep herself seated. Jasper grabbed my arm and we backed away from the fire with Carlisle, distancing ourselves from the newborn and the incoming guard members. The newborn snapped around to look to the north when we heard movement in the trees.
"Hmm." A voice sighed as four figures broke through the trees, just barely identifiable through the thick smoke. The newborn seemed to know how much danger she was in as she tensed, her head wiped to the side only to realize that she was trapped.
"Welcome Jane." Edward greeted and I was fascinated to see the tiny girl that headed the small group. She wasn't like Alice, who was merely petite, no she was tiny due to being obviously very young when she was changed, bordering on being too young and could easily be considered an immortal child by Volturi law. Interesting to see how the Volturi were willing to play with the gray areas within their own rules, the law never gave an exact age, merely stating child and leaving it up to themselves to decide when young became too young.
Jane didn't reply as her eyes critically studied our group, she almost seemed disappointed to see that we had all made it through the battle. Then her eyes landed on the girl still sitting next to the fire, she had buried her head in her hands, almost like her hair would be enough to hide her. Jane's expression didn't change, just a small tilt of her head gave away her curiosity in seeing the girl alive.
"I don't understand." Jane said as she continued to study the newborn.
"She has surrendered." Edward stated and Jane's eyes snapped to his.
"Surrendered?" She repeated. The two hulking figures standing behind Jane shared glances but remained silent.
"Carlisle gave her the option." Edward continued, but stopped at the dark look in Jane's eyes.
"There are no options for those who break the rules." Jane said flatly, leaving no room for argument, her double meaning ringing clear as her eyes landed on Edward and Bella.
"That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught." Carlisle explained.
"That is irrelevant." Jane dismissed.
"As you wish." Carlisle said obediently though it was obvious that he wished it had been enough. Jane stared at Carlisle for a moment, almost curiously before she gave a small shake of her head.
"Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards." Carlisle nodded.
"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him." Carlisle replied and Jane gave a smile that on anyone else would have looked sweet, but on her looked almost sinister.
"It appears that you've done our work for us today… for the most part." At the end her eyes flickered to the newborn sitting next to the fire.
"Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle."
"Eighteen, including this one." Carlisle answered and Jane's eyes widened as she looked back at the fire. The two men standing behind Jane shared another look, seeming to be communicating something without words.
"Eighteen?" Jane repeated, almost incredulously.
"All brand-new. They were unskilled." Carlisle explained and Jane's eyes pinched slightly.
"All? Then who was their creator?" She asked sharply.
"Her name was Victoria." Edward stated and Jane's eyes moved back to Edward.
"Was?" Jane asked. Edward nodded his head toward the mountains toward where he and Bella had been camped and likely where another plume of smoke was hanging in the sky.
"This Victoria, she was in addition to the eighteen here?"
"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year." Edward stated.
"Twenty. Who dealt with the creator?" I couldn't help but feel that we had made a mistake. Jane and the other guards were incredulous of our ability and truly it would look very impressive if we had battled the army of twenty on our own without a single injury or casualty, but with the wolves aid it had all been over too quickly and too easily. If the wolves hadn't fought we'd probably still be picking off the stragglers and more than Jasper would be nursing a wound or too. We had made ourselves look far more capable then we actually were and given the negative mark already on our family I doubt it would look good to the Kings and other guard.
"I did." Edward's voice was too clipped. There was something in the guard's mind that he didn't like. Jane turned from Edward after a moment and looked back at the newborn.
"You there." Jane's voice took a harsh tone.
"Your name." It wasn't a question and the newborn seemed to ruffle at Jane's tone. She looked up and glared at Jane, a poor decision that the girl regretted almost immediately as Jane smiled at her. The girl's back arched and another screeching wail left her lips. Though I doubt the girl could have spoke through the pain it seemed Jane expected her to as after a moment the scream became even more pained before finally cutting off.
"Your name." Jane said again.
"Bree." The girl gasped. Jane smiled again and Bree began shrieking once again. I grit my teeth against the ear piercing noise.
"She'll tell you anything you want to know, you don't have to do that." Edward said stiffly once the girl stopped screaming.
"Oh, I know." Jane said with a grin.
"Bree, is his story true? Were there twenty of you?" Jane asked the girl. The girl was laying on the ground panting for breath she didn't need, the human instincts were still strong in this girl, she couldn't be more than a month or two into this life.
"Nineteen or twenty, maybe more, I don't know!" She cringed at the non-answer.
"Sara and the one whose name I don't know got in a fight on the way..." She rushed to explain and looked visibly relieved when the pain didn't return.
"And this Victoria, did she create you?" Jane asked.
"I don't know." Another flinch. "Riley never said her name. I didn't see that night… it was so dark, and it hurt..." The girl shuddered at the memory. "He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe." Bree's eye flickered to Edward. She was obviously bright if she'd already managed to figure out Edward was the mind reader.
"Tell me about Riley. Why did he bring you here?" Jane asked.
"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here. He said it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent." Bree pointed at Bella, making it clear though the clarification was not needed.
"He said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her." Bree gushed everything she knew, she spoke like she couldn't get it all out fast enough, I'd be surprised if Bella had understood all of it at the speed Bree was speaking.
"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part." Jane noted and Bree nodded as she slowly and carefully sat back up.
"I don't know what happened. We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was confusing, and everybody was in pieces." She shuddered again. "I was afraid, I wanted to run away. That one-" She pointed at Carlisle. "said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting." Bree said and Jane tsked with her tongue.
"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one." Jane's voice was almost comforting and it sent a chill down my spine.
"Broken rules demand a consequence." The newborn stared back at Jane uncomprehendingly, but Jane didn't explain further as she turned her eyes back to Carlisle.
"Are you sure you got all of them? The other half that split off?" She asked and Carlisle nodded.
"We split up, too." Jane half-smiled though I had a feeling it was more from doubt then from any other emotion.
"I can't deny that I'm impressed." Jane murmured before the giant behind her spoke.
"I've never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. Do you know what was behind it? It seems like extreme behavior, considering the way you live here. And why was the girl the key?" The deep voice questioned.
"Victoria held a grudge against Bella." Edward stated and Jane laughed.
"This one seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind." She stated.
"Would you please not do that?" Edward pleaded and I noticed that Jane's eyes were not on Edward like I had assumed, but on Bella. Jane laughed again.
"Just checking. No harm done, apparently." She dismissed before her eyes swept the clearing once again.
"Well, it appears that there's not much left for us to do. Odd. We're not used to being rendered unnecessary. It's too bad we missed the fight, It sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch." Jane gave an air of disappointment, but no one was fooled that it was the fight she was disappointed to have missed.
"Yes." Edward said sharply. "And you were so close. It's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here." I looked to Jasper's carefully composed expression and he too was looking toward Edward, likely questioning our brother's sanity.
"Yes. Quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?" Jane replied and Edward nodded.
"Felix?" Jane said as she turned her eyes back to the newborn.
'Wait." Edward interjected, Jane turned to him with a raised brow.
"We could explain the rules to the young one. She's doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing." Edward took the opportunity to plead the girl's case but we all knew it was for naught, her only chance of survival would have been if Carlisle had allowed her to escape.
"Of course." Carlisle quickly jumped in, catching on to what Edward was trying to do.
"We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree." Jane's expression became bemused as she studied our family like human's study their children when they do something particularly entertaining.
"We don't make exceptions, and we don't we don't give second chances. It's bad for our reputation. Which reminds me..." Jane looked pointedly at Bella.
"Caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human, Bella. Perhaps he'll decide to visit." Jane said and the veiled threat was very clear and very directly related to our perceived attempt to once again have sway over a Volturi decision.
"The date is set." Alice told Jane. "Perhaps we'll come visit you in a few months." Alice carefully offered. Jane shrugged indifferently, her eyes never leaving Bella till she decided to address Carlisle once again.
"It was nice to meet you Carlisle, I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again..." Carlisle nodded, but his expression was pained as his eyes flickered to the newborn.
"Take care of that Felix. I want to go home." Jane said, her tone, expression and posture all suggesting that she was bored but her eyes gave a gleam as the hulking figure moved past her toward the newborn.
"Don't watch." I heard Edward whisper to Bella and the newborn seemed to realize what was happening. She looked wildly between the hulking vampire coming toward her and our family, panic clear in her expression as she helplessly tried to crawl backward and away from Felix. She started to scream but Felix growled and lunged before it could reach ear piercing intensity as it had before. With a high pitched tearing sound, Felix tore the girl's head from her shoulders and tossed her in the fire with the others.
"Come." Jane said calmly and the four figures disappeared into the heavy smoke as quickly as they had arrived.
