It was day two with what I had gathered was the make shift coven that followed Vladimir and Stefan. There were nearly fifty of them that went in and out. Most of them were younger vampires, only a few hundred years. There were a few that were very very old and some as new as twenty.
We stayed in a cabin that must have been initially built as a remote vacation home. I had learned we were in Maine and that the darker haired male, Thomas, was responsible for having done most of the recruiting and decision making for Vladimir and Stefan. He was gifted, as were a good number of the vampires he had managed to get behind their cause. Stefan and Vladimir had requested it seeing as it was their undoing the previous time.
Thomas was like a reverse tracker. He could place when he, or those close to him, were being followed or hunted. It made him invaluable to the Romanians who knew from the very start they were up against a master tracker, who I had learned was Demetri.
The woman that had been with Thomas that day was Celine. She acted as a guard most of the time. Just as I had noticed on the first day, she was strong. Even for a vampire. Nobody messed with her, and she stayed quiet for the most part.
The other man, the thin one, his name was Gervase. His accent had given away that he at one point of his life lived in France. He was the one I felt the most comfortable around, mostly because he really didn't hide much. He was a straight shooter, for better or worse. He gave you the answer to your question whether it was what you wanted to hear or not. His talent was unique. He could see the probability of outcomes to various situations. Kind of like an actuary.
There were plenty others, some Russian, some Latin American, some from Japan. All who were rather set on seeing the end of Volturi reign. Especially Yoshio, a Japanese vampire who had been roughly a thousand years old. He too was gifted, able to tell when others were lying. He was not someone I talked to much as he was a very good strategist and was usually preoccupied speaking with Stefan and Vladimir.
I sat in my usual spot, on a cushion in front of the fire place, Gervase watching the fire sitting on the arm of the sofa, both of us listing to the men in the attached kitchen moving various pieces and planning. I smiled every time, Lucia, a Latin American vampire corrected them, pointing out that they were being too "boarish" and not clever enough.
"So," I said, looking to Gervase "what are the odds I die in this whole debacle?"
His eyes glasses over only for a millisecond before he answered.
"As of now, rough sixty-eight percent."
I nodded, trying to keep my face no reactionary, something I was never good at.
"Not too bad given the circumstances." He reasoned "that gives you a thirty two percent chance of survival which is much higher than a human with one vampire let alone hundreds."
I tried not to let the thought that Gervase must have decided this group had high chances of success for him to join get to me. Instead I focused in on the kitchen. From what I could hear, I wasn't to be left alone for any reason and I needed to be kept alive at all costs.
But not comfortable.
For the first time, I was finally heading what was in store for me. And I didn't like it. Vladimir's hatred for Aro and his brothers was one I was getting used to hearing, like a broken record that couldn't get past the most annoying part of a song. But I didn't realize how bad the rest of it was.
"With all due respect, Yoshio. Putting her out of sight isn't going to be enough for me." Vladimir said flatly.
"She was the bait, the point is to take the Volturi down so why need her in view?" The man countered.
"Because I don't just need Aro dead, I need him miserable." He explained before going further "While he can not manage get any closer, I need to make sure he sees that he can not control everything, including the fate of this girl."
"We need to get to his very core." Stefan added.
"Broken bones, wounds, every ounce of torment we can build for him. Only then will we be satisfied." Vladimir hissed causing me to stiffen.
Gervase was looking at me with concern but he kept his mouth shut. Things went on like this for nearly an hour more until Celine burst through the door.
"The Cullens are close. I smell them."
Thomas shot up from his seat across the room.
"That can't be true. I can't see them at all."
"They have a shield. She must be able to block you out." Vladimir growled under his breath.
"Odds that they are here alone are slim." Gervase added "How far off did you put the Volturi, Thomas?"
"Another day." He answered but Gervase shook his head.
"I'd put a hefty bet that they are here too, Celine just isn't familiar with their scent."
And with that, the cabin burst into a frenzy of activity. A good seventy vampires flashing outside to the front of the cabin, Stefan and Vladimir following at a normal pace.
"Let's go. It's showtime." Vladimir said mockingly, sweet, pulling me up by the back of my sweater.
We went out into the snow where lines of various vampires stood, all who had seen around the cabin. Some I hadn't. They parted as Stefan and Vladimir moved forward, dragging me between them and Yoshio and Lucia flanking behind them.
It was freezing out, my face stung as we walked against the wind and my hands were already starting to hurt. I took a few breaths through my nose, I knew this was the least of my problems.
Finally we reached the front of the group, Vladimir wrapping his right arm around my waist, locking me to his side, and stopping in his tracks.
Only fifteen feet from us stood the three men Stefan and Vladimir hated so completely, Carlisle, Bella and Edward standing only a few steps behind them.
The three men did not look like royalty the way they did in their large court room. Instead they looked deadly. Covered in black, only the occasional bit of red poking out from under their capes and the glowing red of their eyes differing. As I looked at Aro, I had never been more comforted and afraid all at once in my whole life.
He was like home to me somehow. His very presence making me feel silly for ever doubting him. I wanted to run to him and hide behind him and let him tear Vladimir to pieces. But at the same time I was absolutely petrified. He was absolutely terrifying. He was murderous, his face calm and deadly all at once. His eyes were on fire, and practically shot waves of poison at the man next to me. With such an evil stare I wondered if a plot like the one Vladimir had described was really out of the question. What if I was just an excuse to finally kill his enemies?
"Hello gentlemen, What an honor, you've brought nearly everyone with you." Stefan greeted.
"It seems we have been given no choice as you have created quite the situation here." Marcus spoke up unexpectedly.
Aro's glare however never left Vladimir.
"Oops." Vladimir said mockingly, pulling me closer to his side, my ribs sending a sharp pain up through my chest.
Aro's eyes darkened instantly.
"There need not be any violence here." He said pleasantly, even managing a cordial smile. "Release Annabelle to us, and there will be no recourse for your actions this day."
"He's lying." Yoshio said quietly.
"Oh, Aro. You know we are smarter than that." Stefan sighed.
"Let me be more transparent then. I fully intend on ending both of your lives. If you release Annabelle to us, it will be swift and it will spare this gathering of friends you have with you. If you do not, I can promise you will all die and Caius and I personally will make sure the two of you take particularly long." Aro said, sweetly. As if he were making a business trade.
"I've been waiting for this day for centuries." Vladimir said finally "Why would I release her to you?"
He laughed a bit before looking at me, a cruel glint in his eye.
"I mean, finders keeps, Aro. Isn't that how it worked?" And with that, in one swoop he grabbed both sides of my face and pulled me into a harsh and painful kiss.
Pulling back did nothing, my head was locked in place by hands that could easily crush my skull. Finally he let go, swinging me into his arms and took off running. We only went for a few moments before he stopped and threw me to the floor.
We were on the second floor of the cabin on the balcony of the master bedroom, Stefan appearing right next to us as I heard a sickening crack echo across the field.
