CPOV
Darkness.
Then, one single light.
David. Sitting across from me.
A gasp left my mouth, my body feeling much too heavy to move fast enough for me to reach him.
"David, I can't do this," I sobbed, trying to reach for him. "I'm sorry. I can't do this."
"Sure you can," he said simply, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
"I'm not strong enough," I called, ugly sobs falling from my mouth. "I can't do this without you. I killed you!"
"You did not kill me. You could never kill anyone," he said, simply rising from his chair, and approaching me. He knelt in front of me, his crimson eyes peaceful and untroubled. "I need you to do this for me. You can do it."
"How? How am I supposed to do this? I can't do anything. I can't escape. I need your help!"
"You don't need my help; you never needed my help, dudette. Everyone needs your help. Do it for me. Okay?"
"I don't know what to do," I whispered, reaching for him again, but my hand went right through him, like transparent glass.
"You know what to do. You're just afraid to do it," he replied, his hand ghosting across my jaw.
Why could I feel him, but he couldn't feel me?
"It's time you stopped underestimating yourself. You're the only one who doesn't believe in you, and everyone's waiting for you to realize it."
"Realize what?" I whispered, cold tears running down my cheeks.
"That if you don't believe it, you can't do it. Stop getting in your own way, dudette. Stop being scared. I know you're not. If you were scared, you would've given up on me. You never gave up on me, remember?"
His familiar, old smile both caused me pain and joy.
"You died because of me," I choked on my tears as I shook my head wildly. "This is all my fault. I should've listened to you!"
He leaned forward. "You are listening to me. You're looking for a way out, right? It's just a matter of if you'll get out of your own way, dudette. I know I'm gone, but I'll never be far. You've still got me in that little heart of yours."
"I am scared," I whispered, breathing heavily. "I can't do this alone. Not without you."
"What are you scared of?" David pried knowingly. I opened my mouth, knowing the exact answer.
"I'm scared of my gift," I said, my voice shaking. "I'm scared it'll make me a monster, and I'll hurt people. I lure in bad guys, and I just put myself in danger. I don't want danger. I want everything to be okay again. I just want to be normal again."
"You'll only stop being scared when you realize how much control you have over it. It's your gift, not Aro's. You and I, we've never been normal, dudette. I mean, look at me. I'm the biggest goof this world has ever seen." He grinned.
"What happened to you?" I whispered horrifically, reaching for his face again.
His expression changed suddenly, and I didn't recognize him anymore. Out of the depths of the darkness surrounding us, loomed a figure with glinting, ruby eyes and wavy, blonde hair. Her black cape billowed around her as she floated forward, giving me only a glimpse of her face.
I knew that face.
I woke with a start, my heart racing, and sweat drenching my clothes. My face felt wet and sticky, and my back ached from being on the cold, hard ground. I sat up, feeling stiff and unrested.
"Bad dream?" Carlisle asked gently, catching my attention.
"Chelsea," I croaked, wiping my eyes with my dirty sleeve. "What does Chelsea do?"
"She can influence emotional ties between individuals, make them loyal to the Volturi. It's why Marcus won't leave," Edward answered smoothly, sitting on the ground with Bella in his arms. "He wants to, but Chelsea's gift prevents him doing it."
"Did you dream about her?" Carlisle inquired.
"David," I answered flatly. "But, she was there, at the end."
"Aro must have had Chelsea use her gift on David to get you to stay," Carlisle concluded. "I wouldn't put it past him, considering he was doing everything he could to keep you here, and she can't use it on you."
The moment Carlisle said that, something clicked in my head. It all made sense: David's sudden turn to Aro's side, his strange growing loyalty, his aversion to my plans. I shut my eyes tightly, shaking my head to myself. David had suffered way more than I thought, and I felt even guiltier for taking Alec's side. I thought David had been saying it just to appease Aro, just to keep us from getting hurt, but that hadn't been it at all.
What also made sense was Alec's behavior. Chelsea must have influenced him to pretend to like me, so that I'd trust him, and Aro could easily trap me and kill David.
A sharp pain in my heart echoed; a dull, aching stab of betrayal and lies. Chelsea couldn't affect me, so she used Alec. The fact twisted my heart even more, and I shook my head even harder. For as observant as I was, I never once thought about Chelsea's hand in all this. It turned out that she was the current issue, but Aro was an even bigger one.
"What I'm wondering is why he hasn't killed me yet," I mumbled, gazing at the stairs. "I've been down here for how long now? He got what he wanted. He took David away. There's nothing left to do. I can't become a vampire."
"My guess is he plans to keep you here, somehow. Even if he can't use Chelsea," Carlisle said tightly. "She's his key to keeping the Volturi together."
That only made me eager to fight again. It stirred the anger inside me, fueling me to avenge David.
"It's time you stopped underestimating yourself."
"It's your gift, not Aro's."
"An eye for an eye," I mumbled, remembering Alec's words.
That's exactly what you'll get, Aro. An eye for an eye.
"Then we need to take out Chelsea first. If we get out of here," I muttered. "If she's dead, won't the entire Volturi de-band?"
I looked at each one of the Cullens, who were exchanging looks with one another.
"That's correct. They'll have no emotional ties holding them together," Carlisle said softly. "But, we still need to find a way out of here. As long as this cell contains vampire venom, we cannot escape."
I thought for a moment. "Weren't you doing that experiment with my blood and the venom?"
Carlisle shook his head, a frown marring his face. "I never got to conduct the experiment. It was too late, by the time everything happened. Your body refused to take the venom into your bloodstream."
"So, if the bars are sealed with vampire venom..." I said slowly. "What do you think would happen if they were to mix again?"
"Well, there's no way to find out, is there?" Rosalie sneered.
"I dunno. Why don't you use your shallow brain for once, and help us out?" I asked flatly. "It'll give you something to do besides complain about me."
"I'll do more than that when I get out of here!" she growled at me, her inhumanly pretty face scrunching up in anger. "How were you stupid enough to fall for a Volturi member? You should've known he was setting you up. He doesn't love anybody. He's selfish. All of them are."
"Oh, and you'd know all about being selfish, wouldn't you?" I countered, the mention of Alec sparking anger in me. "For as old as you are, I would've thought you'd have enough common sense to try and get to know someone before you judge them."
"It would be a waste of my time trying to get to know you. I think I've learned all I need to know," she said defiantly, tilting her chin up.
"Enough! Both of you!" Esme chided, looking between us. "All of this fighting isn't helping us. Rosalie."
"Rosalie," Carlisle said firmly. "That's enough. You know better than this."
"You can't keep being bitter toward every human you meet, Rosalie," Jasper drawled at her. "We already have Bella."
"Yes, and Rosalie learned to love me. Now, we're sisters and closer than ever," Bella offered. "I don't think the chances of history repeating itself are very high."
"We need to focus on the task at hand," Jasper interjected again. "Carlisle?"
"All we can do is try to form an escape plan," Carlisle replied. "But, Cheyenne is right. If we can take care of Chelsea first, we might have a better chance of survival. Do you still have your iPod?"
I put my hand in the front pouch of my hoodie. "Y-"
He put his finger to his lips, silencing me. He gestured for me to hand it over with his two fingers. I obeyed, crouching down and sliding it across the cave floor. It hit a bar on their cage, and he reached through, grabbing it before it could rebound too far away to catch. The screen light reflecting on his face made him seem even more pale than inhumanly possible. I watched his fingers move across the screen, and then he was sliding it back to me seconds later. I read the text on the screen, taking it gingerly in my hand.
I want you to keep arguing with Rosalie. Cause a disturbance. I have an idea. Alice will be able to see if anyone comes. When they do, I want you two to keep arguing. If you can distract one of the Volturi long enough, I may have a chance of getting us out.
Silent communication! Good idea.
I typed doubtfully, How are you gonna do that? You said the bars were sealed with vampire venom.
I slid it back to him, and when I got it back, he'd only typed two words in response: Trust me.
I looked up at him, and he only nodded at me. I stuffed the device back in my pocket, took a deep breath, and directed my attention to the blonde beauty.
"What's your problem with me, Rosalie?" I snapped. "Aren't you a little old to be this petty?"
She perched her eyebrow up at me. "My problem is that you were stupid enough to let your feelings get us trapped like this. Such is the human disposition, I suppose. You have about just as much appeal as Bella did." She cocked her head. "Maybe less."
"Oh, careful, Rosalie, your insecurities are shining through," I retorted back. "At least I have feelings! You think I wanted this to happen?"
"You clearly fell for false hope," she rolled her eyes at me. "What did you think would happen?"
"At least I'm not self-absorbed! I feel bad for Emmett!"
Rosalie growled at me, her eyes turning to slits as she grabbed the bars. She looked ready to pounce. "You take that back."
"Or what, you'll be willing to break a nail just to snap my neck? Wouldn't that just waste more of your precious time that you could spend on your hair?" I cocked my head back at her.
"You fell for one of the worst vampires in existence, and you're mentioning wasted time to me? You would have chosen to give up your humanity for that boy? What kind of ignorance is that?"
"I never said I would!" I yelled louder. "I'm sorry I didn't stupidly choose to give up my chances at having a family in exchange for eternal beauty and youth like you! How ignorant of me!"
Her eyes became emblazoned, a bright, fiery gold reflecting her anger.
"Enough," Alec's voice came from the left, and I pretended not to hear him. I glanced at Carlisle quickly, who looked to be pretending to be perturbed by our argument.
"Rosalie..." Carlisle warned.
"You better hope I don't get out of here anytime soon!" She screeched at me, her melodic, chime voice somehow still in tune with the pitch of her voice. She slammed her fist into the bars, the sound grating against my ear drums. "I'll show you what ugly is!"
"Oh, I'm waiting, Rosalie! Come on over, I dare you!" I screamed back. "Oh, wait. You're still under mommy and daddy's thumb, aren't you?"
I heard the echo of my cell door opening, and Alec sauntered right in, but I kept arguing with her. We continued to scream over each other.
"You have everything, you little brat!" Rosalie went on, baring her teeth. "You can bear children, and have as many little babies as you want!"
I didn't have the chance to question her response, as Alec grabbed me from behind. He lifted me off the ground, putting his gloved hand over my mouth to shut me up. I fought against him, my screams muffled underneath his hand.
"Let me go!" I struggled, trying to keep my eyes on Carlisle. I planted my feet on the bars, and tried to kick against Alec's weight, but I might as well have been trying to move the weight of a boulder. I tried to twist us around to face away from the Cullens, but Alec wasn't fazed by any of it. He carried me out of the cell, and I continued to try and fight. I was screaming at him and flailing about, until he suddenly stopped, frozen, and turned toward the Cullens. I heard him inhale, and felt his chest rumble underneath me.
Their hands were wrapped around the iron bars, and they stood motionless, as if they were waiting for something. No sooner than Alec hissed at them, a loud, successful clang came from their cell. I watched as the iron door fell off its hinges as Emmett barely pushed it. Alec held out his palm to them, releasing the dark mist. He pulled me against his chest, wrapping his hand around my neck. The mist floated toward them, but they didn't seem bothered by it as they scrambled out of the cage.
"Alec, let her go," Carlisle ordered him, holding up a halting palm.
A halting, bloody palm. Trails of red dripped down Carlisle's knuckles, and Edward merely wiped his hands on his pants, leaving dark hand prints.
Is that...? Where did he get...?
My eyes flashed to their cell again, catching sight of the broken vials on the ground. My blood.
"My, I never took you for a liar, Dr. Cullen," Alec said to him. "I suspected as much."
His hand pressed down on my throat, and I struggled against him, trying to pull his hand away. I coughed for air, and Emmett plowed forward.
"Ah, ah," Alec sang. "I would be wise with my actions. If you insist on making one more move, all I will have to do is close my fist."
The group froze, angrily obeying. Carlisle put his hand down, remaining calm.
"It seems all of you have sealed your fate," he continued. "You will follow me. Unless you want the human to pay the price for your choices."
Alec turned with me in his grip, not knowing where he was taking us. We walked in silence, and the moment Alec's grip loosened, I wrenched my head away and distanced myself from him.
"Get your hands off of me," I spat, rubbing my neck. "Don't touch me again."
Alec grabbed my face, and pressed his fingers into my cheeks, leaning in close. "I will do whatever I please. You will not defy my authority, human. I will make sure you watch each one of the Cullens die, before you suffer yourself. Is that clear?"
When I yanked my head away from him again, he didn't fight me. As painful as it was, I bit the inside of my cheek with my incisor, and spat the mix of blood and saliva in his face. He didn't blink, but he held me by the back of my neck for the rest of the way. He wasn't gentle, either. I forced myself to keep from crying out at the pain of it.
"Alec, don't hurt her," Carlisle pleaded.
"Alec!" Jasper called sharply.
"Quiet." was all Alec said.
Alec pushed the giant doors open with one hand, and I heard myself take in a breath. Nothing good lied before me.
Of course, Aro was standing in his usual spot, with no amount of grace or mercy in his expression. He held a look of cruelty and arrogance now, and there was something ruthless in his demeanor; like he'd been putting up the front for so long, that he felt free knowing he didn't have to use it anymore. Jane stood next to the thrones, closest to Caius, glaring daggers at me, somehow more harshly than ever before. Her eyes almost seemed to glow a bright red. I knew she was trying to use her gift on me, and she was even more upset that it wouldn't ever work. Demetri stood across from Jane, on the opposite end of the thrones. I didn't see Felix anywhere. There was one more person that I had only seen once, and but I recognized her right away from my dream.
Chelsea. Chelsea, who smiled wickedly at me. Another woman was standing beside her, one I'd never seen before. She wore a black cloak, and was barely taller than Alice. Her hair was long and dark, and her eyes matched everyone else's with a bright, beaming red. She watched me closely, her face contorted into an expression I could only describe as distressed or bothered.
My feet faltered when my eyes landed on the very spot where I knew they killed David: right in front of Aro. I tried to dig my heels into the ground, but it was impossible to do without any shoes on. Alec forced me forward, and the anger rose within me as I stood on the damned spot. I felt myself begin to tremble, but not out of fear.
"How lovely to see you," Aro greeted, looking none too pleased. "Carlisle! I thought I smelled something appetizing. I thought you would have eaten the human out of desperation, but it seems you've managed to escape from your cell." His eyes flitted down. "The question is, how? The only way you could have escaped is if the venom was removed from the..."
I could see the wheels turning in his mind, and he glared at me.
"Her blood isn't compatible with our venom, Aro," Carlisle said. "She won't be an immortal. It's time for you to let her go home. There's nothing we can do."
Aro narrowed his eyes. "And, how would you know that to be true? Have you bitten her yourself?"
"Her blood dissolved the venom inside the bars," Carlisle explained calmly.
"You knew of it," he accused, and then turned his attention to me.
"You cause me nothing but trouble, you insufferable human. Have you met my friend, Renata?"
He gestured to the woman standing beside Chelsea. "She has a very special gift, as my personal bodyguard. She is very gifted at repelling the gift of others."
Repelling? My heart beat faster. I knew Bella couldn't repel anyone's gift, but did Renata's work the same? Could she repel Bella, and render her useless? Could she repel me, even though I was unsure if my gift worked on females?
We were really in trouble. Renata made me uneasy, more uneasy than Chelsea did.
Aro shifted his eyes to Alec, and he motioned him forward with a slow hand. His hand left my neck, and I was shoved, falling to my knees. A sharp, stinging blow to my cheek made me cry out. I tasted blood in my mouth, and although it hurt, it didn't hurt as much when Alec had hit me.
"I have been very merciful with you," Aro seethed. "I think it is time you understood something. You may be powerful, dear one, but you are not invincible. You've made a fool out of me. You made a fool out of my dear Alec. Why, you planned to run away, didn't you?"
I held my cheek, squeezing my eyes shut so as to not let my tears escape. I felt a wave of vertigo from both the hit and the malnourishment, and I was both sure and unsure that I had a concussion. I was thankful that the whoosh of blood pumping through my ears allowed me to miss part of what he was saying, because I knew what he was trying to do.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" he taunted, and I pulled myself up slowly. "Trying to fool my son into leaving this place? This is where he belongs, wouldn't you agree? You are much too...distracting. You have kept him from his duties, and I'm afraid it has caused too much distance between us. Ah, but once upon a time, I believed it was a good idea to have you two together in harmony!" He wrapped his claw-like hand around my neck.
"And do you know what happens to people who take things from me?"
I gathered a good amount of saliva and blood in my mouth, turned my head, and spat right in his face. Aro's eyes closed slowly, and then opened again. His eyes visibly darkened before me, with streaks of clear, glistening red on his papery skin.
Three for three.
He bared his teeth, but with barely a push of his hand, I was shoved a few feet away, crashing to the ground. I felt the air leave my lungs when I landed on the hard tile, and I gasped for air. My back felt the force, and I didn't have the strength to catch myself the way Felix had been teaching me. Caius was suddenly next to Aro, hissing loudly in my face, and raised his hand above his head, ready to attack.
"Are you still willing to die for your...one true love?" Aro mocked me, coming down each step slowly. "Did you really believe that he could love you? Your fates are...much too incompatible, my dear. Look at you: incapable of immortality. Soft. Weak. Disobedient. Why, it would never work! I am quite the planner, you see. I was so confident that he would convince you to stay, and yet..." He gestured to me. "You are still just a child. How can you be so sure that you will escape with your life? You cannot even stand."
"Maybe I'm too smart for you," I found my voice, pushing myself up. "Maybe you're afraid of me."
"That's enough! It's time to give up, Aro! Let it go," Carlisle shouted, at my side now. He lifted me to my feet, and then put himself in front of me. "Cheyenne deserves her freedom. She's done nothing wrong. You know that!"
"You know the rule, fair Carlisle," Aro droned arrogantly, as Caius hissed at him. "A human must be given immortality for knowing our secret...or be executed. My principles do not change. After all, who has kept you safe from your deaths? Who willingly spared your half-human daughter, Isabella and Edward? Why, I overlooked such a crime! I was willing to overlook this one...but, you have brought such ridicule and disappointment. Such disrespect. I cannot forgive that."
"Let her stay with us," Carlisle argued. "Her family won't ever know she is alive. There's no reason for her to be here."
Aro just laughed childishly, pointing his finger at Carlisle. "You expect me to believe you speak the truth? I know of your plans to kill me, Carlisle. Do not think that you are deceiving me so easily."
"You manipulated David!" I added, the pain of it intensifying with every word. "You used Chelsea to make him loyal to you. That's why you have her and Renata, isn't it? Because you know that if she wasn't here, every one of your members would leave you, and you're too much of a coward to fight me yourself! And you wanted me on the front lines, so you could use me! I think it's time you learned something, Aro: you can't get everything you want! I'm getting out of here, whether I'm dead or alive!"
"Why do you insist on complicating things, Aro?" Edward spoke up, and Aro grinned at him.
"You can't kill an innocent human for something out of her control," Carlisle added.
"I can do whatever I please," he repeated to Carlisle, and peered down at me. "I should have allowed them to eat you that day."
His milky red irises wide, crazed, and manic. "You are nothing but a-"
"Weapon? I thought that's what you wanted, Aro," I taunted, as Carlisle pushed me further behind him. "Isn't that why you showed me off to all your little friends? I thought you wanted power. Are you embarrassed? Are you trying to whip me into shape, so that I won't expose your dirty secrets? Do you know what happens when you build a foundation on lies? When you choose to force people to serve you, instead of letting them choose?"
He narrowed his eyes dubiously at me. "And what would you know about power? I am seconds away from allowing you to join your friend in death."
"Loyalty," I uttered. "Do you know anything about loyalty, Aro? True loyalty? How do you know that none of the people in here won't turn their backs on you if you kill me? Or if you told Chelsea to stop using her gift?"
"And why would they do that, pray tell?" He asked, sounding extremely bored with me. "Because you shared intimacy with a member of my coven? Because you are his la tua cantante? Because you have such a gift that compels others to you? Because you truly believed he was your mate?"
"Because you're cheating," I answered hotly, fighting the urge to flinch at his words. "If you were confident in their loyalty, you wouldn't have Chelsea. If you were so sure that you could end me, you wouldn't have Renata. You already know you have nobody on your side, and you're alone. Are you gonna tell Marcus what you did to his mate?"
Aro froze, his expression stiff, like a statue. His delusional eyes turned hard as he scrutinized me.
"And what do you know about that?" he hissed lowly.
"That you killed her, because she wasn't useful to you," I said. "You trapped Marcus, instead of letting him have his freedom."
"And from whom did you hear this piece of information?"
I shook my head, refusing. "It doesn't matter. You committed the crime. You're no better than any of us in here, and I don't answer to you. None of these people in here do! They should all have the choice to walk out!"
"And what do we think of that, brothers?" Aro asked, looking at Marcus, and then Caius. "Do you think this human speaks the truth? Or, perhaps, is she simply heartbroken over her own fairytale fantasies?"
"I shouldn't even have to give you my answer," Caius snarled, rising from his throne. "Why do we keep sparing her? She should have been a meal weeks ago! She is a waste!"
"Marcus?" Aro inquired, keeping his eyes on me.
Marcus and I stared at each other, and due to his constant lack of expression, I couldn't read him. However, he was sitting up straighter than before.
"I, too, would like to know the source of this information," Marcus spoke to me gently, unlike Aro and Caius. His voice was dry, unused and old. His skin looked to be the most petrified out of the three, like powdery paper. I didn't know if he doubted me because of Chelsea's influence, but he seemed...curious.
Marcus never spoke more than a sentence in the amount of time that I'd been trapped, but he inadvertently made me feel more at ease. He didn't belong here. Deep down, Marcus had to be a good man if he had a woman such as Didyme in his life. He wouldn't have been forced into a life of destruction, evil, and unfair democracy if Aro wasn't such a psychopath. Aro didn't think twice about killing her; he never cared about her, and because of his actions, none of the other Volturi members could say anything about it for fear of their own death.
Would they have told Marcus, if they could have?
Why did Felix tell me, if he wasn't my friend?
"Do you believe it?" I asked Marcus instead. "Do you believe he killed her?"
He was silent, and I was struck with confusion when he asked, "What happened to your face?"
My hand reached up on its own to cradle my cheek. "What?"
Marcus barely lifted his arm, pointing to said cheek as he repeated, "The bruising under your skin. What happened to your face?"
What did that have to do with anything? Didn't he just see me get slapped?
"Irrelevant!" Caius growled impatiently at him. "Answer the question!"
I felt the stab in my chest, and that made it suddenly hard to breathe. I winced at the memory of Alec's hand landing on my cheek, and his words that shot ice into my veins.
"You will only wish you could cease to exist, the way that I do about you."
I kept my mouth shut, and I felt sick.
"Hahaha!" Aro's high pitched laugh rang out at my silence. "Loyal even to those who have hurt you! You are refusing to speak a word!"
My hand fell from my cheek, and curled into a fist at my side.
"I should be able to walk away!" I yelled at him. "You let Carlisle and Eleazar go! I'm no different, you-!"
"She's right," Carlisle cut me off. "She is no different! You should allow it to come to a vote, don't you think? Isn't that fair?"
"That will not stop you from trying to end me," Aro droned.
"I have something to say," Marcus said, his voice dry, old and wispy. He rose from his throne, surprisingly standing up straight when he did.
"Speak, if you must," Aro said between gritted teeth, refusing to turn away from Carlisle.
"Why are you refusing to tell me what happened to your face?" Marcus asked me again. "Do you fear for your life, child?"
I took a quiet, deep breath. "I thought it was obvious as to what happened."
"So, if you will not reveal the abuser, you will refuse to reveal who told you about my Didyme?" he asked, though he wasn't accusing.
"I don't want them to get hurt, too."
"So, someone did tell you something."
I nodded hesitantly, and Marcus turned to Aro.
"You have suspended this child to confinement for seven and a half days. That is enough. I want to know the truth. What happened to Didyme?"
"You wish to hear the false testament of this human, who wasn't a single thought when this occurred?" Aro asked manipulatively. "How could she possibly know?"
"I never heard a word spoken from you about her disappearance," Marcus accused him. "How do I know you have been speaking the truth?"
Marcus was pointing his white, bony finger accusingly at Aro.
"Are you going to kill me, brother?" Aro asked condescendingly, but Marcus didn't seem disturbed by it. "Would you have preferred for the Romanians to win and raid this castle? This world of immortals would be lost and unkempt without me! Millions of us, dead, at the hand of a human! My sister was abruptly killed in battle by another immortal. It was my mistake to allow her to join us in battle that day. Perhaps I kept it from you, because I felt such guilt over it. I would never hurt my own family."
"That is still a lie!" Marcus erupted in anger. "You have kept me in the dark!"
He turned to me, speaking softly. "Is this what you have heard, child?"
I shook my head. "No. I was told it was Aro that killed her, because you and Didyme wanted to leave here, and live on your own. Aro didn't want that."
Marcus's expression was more broken than how I currently felt. In some way, I felt his pain because of Alec's rejection. He looked at Aro, agonized and enraged.
"You have kept this human here too long for her to hear this from anyone, except another member of this coven. Somebody in here knows the truth. It appears that I am not the only one who has questionable loyalty."
"Do you believe he killed her?" I asked him again.
"Silence!" Caius snapped.
"You do not have proof," Aro hissed at me. "She is trying to seduce you into entrapment with her gift! Look at her, brother! She lured Alec, and the Cullens, too! Do you wish to see the entire vampire species become extinct?"
"I do not have to," Marcus replied calmly. "You have already lost your power. I would be more than happy to join my love in death. I have been waiting for it for years, and you are well aware of it. As long as I continue to stand here, I will speak with my voice, and tell you what I have seen."
He pointed at me. "That child holds the most inexplicable bond to every coven member in this room. She holds more power than any of us could ever have, and you know that very well. Her gift of humanity has made me question my loyalty to you, and does that not mean that Chelsea is useless? That this human speaks the truth when she says that Chelsea is the only reason I am still here?"
"That is why we must destroy the human, brother," Aro coaxed. "We will be overthrown if our coven members cannot serve their duty! The world will erupt in chaos!"
"Look around you, Aro! You have taken the lives and freedom of every one of us, and I will see that you pay for it! Even in my death. I refuse to see love die again, because of you. Carlisle and the Cullens have my vote to go free with the child. You stole from me the chance to live freely in love for the sake of your own empire!"
My head swirled with confusion, and I felt like I'd been sucker punched. What Marcus said was lost on me. Alec didn't love me, and he'd made it clear. Was Marcus not aware that Alec was pretending the entire time? Was this another sick joke on Aro's part? Was he trying to see if I'd believe Marcus, so that he could try and kill me more easily?
"Is that what you think?" Aro crooned slowly. "You place your trust in this human adolescent to save you all?"
"Her trust was earned," Marcus explained. "She earned the trust and friendship of each one of our members, and kept her loyalty, despite their betrayal! Look, how she refuses to tell me who struck her, and who told her of your evil secrets! You have only yourself to blame! I knew of your demise far before you did. The moment she walked into our castle, I felt it. I took an oath of silence, so that you could not stop it from coming to fruition. And now, your time has come. I have been waiting for this moment for centuries, for my chance to be free. You have been using Chelsea to conceal from me the truth. I would have never begun to ponder that it was you that took her from me. You were never a loyal brother!"
Carlisle turned quickly, darting away from them with me in his arms. Everything around me became blurred, and I was suddenly lurched sideways, thrown onto the floor. I heard an echoing crack, and looked up to see Carlisle's form slammed into the wall across the room. Before I could turn my head, somebody picked me up again, trapping me in their steel grip.
I could already smell who it was. Alec.
The Cullens charged toward us, but Alec smiled, and Renata stepped forward, lifting her chin at them.
"Carlisle!" I cried, as the Cullens attacks were repelled, and they were forced back. Alec dragged me back over to Aro, holding the back of my neck again.
"Alec," Marcus stared. "You let her go."
"I do not take orders from traitors," Alec replied in a dead voice, and I felt my body grow cold. The lack of emotion in his voice made me feel even more ill at just how convincing he was when he took care of me; how easy it was to believe that everything he said was true. He even put on a show for Camilla for the sake of it all. He played the part so well, that I had allowed him to lure me to death.
"I may not be an expressive man, but I do fear losing you, cara. I have never once feared anything in my immortal existence. I have a very convincing front, but do not be fooled. I do the things that I do for your safety..."
Lies. All lies. Sugar coated words. But, there was one truth to it all: he would always have a very convincing front. This was never about my safety. But, I guess I had Alec to thank for keeping me alive, either way. He saved me from Liam, from Jane...
But, none of that mattered now.
"Yes. And because of our two traitors," Aro began, striking a blow on Marcus. I watched as his body flew across the room, landing next to Chelsea and Renata. "They will both pay the price. Renata. Chelsea. Keep him contained. It is time to do what I should have done a long time ago."
He laughed, high and off-key, like a hyena as he looked back at me with his glinting, evil eyes. He reached into his lapel, pulling out something ancient, silver, and although short, sharp, with a pointed edge.
I recognized it at once. It was the dagger I strapped to my thigh the night we went to the club. I tried to back up and escape from Alec, wrenching myself around.
"No! No, you son of a...!"
Alec pressed his hand over my mouth, silencing me. I hated how his closeness still caused the blood in my veins to thrum, and I angrily jerked my head around, trying to free my mouth. It didn't take a lot of strength to get me to stop, and he moved his hand from my mouth to my neck, keeping me still.
"You better use your mouth to speak your last words," Aro answered simply, twisting the dagger around in his hands. "Don't you want to tell Alec how much you love him? Or..." He cocked his head. "How much you hate him for being so clever as to suggest your friend David be put to death? For betraying you?"
My heart dropped into my stomach, and I stopped breathing. I nearly fell to my knees. He ordered David to be killed?
It made sense now, why he left that morning. Why he told the Cullens that Aro wanted to talk to them. Why we were thrown into those cells. Alec had planned it.
Alec truly had turned on me. He went against my wishes, and had David executed. He was the reason I was about to be killed.
"Why, you look so terribly upset," Aro feigned perplexity, coating his words in filmy sarcasm. "Did you not know that Alec was the one who requested it? He was quite imperative about it."
Another stab. My chest hurt, and I couldn't breathe.
"Oh, look at you, using big words," I taunted. "Did you pull out the dictionary for that one?"
"Such a foolish child," he tittered. "You truly believed he loved you enough to escape. Such is the capacity of the human mind; fragile and weak. Are you aware of a vampire's mentality? Alec cannot love anyone. He cannot change. His loyalty lies with me. That is how it always will be. And you thought you had been successful in altering him. How gullible you are!"
My pulse hammered as I stared at the dagger in his hand. One would think that I feared death at this point, but that wasn't it at all. Ironically, I feared the pain. I looked over at Marcus, as if he could help me at all.
"No!" The Cullens shouted, rendered stagnant by Renata.
"Aro, don't you dare!" Carlisle roared. "Don't you touch her!"
He leaned forward, experimentally pressing the dagger to my neck, where I knew an artery lay. I turned my head away, not wanting to look into his sick eyes.
"See how she trembles," Aro examined. "Much like a frightened deer. I do wonder...what she might taste like. My curiosity has peaked ever since that day. That scent." He inhaled deeply, and I cringed.
"Master," Alec finally spoke, smooth and calm. He sounded just as cruel and demented as Aro was being. "May I do the honors?"
Aro's face seemed to fall, but then he was thoughtful. His adoring smile was meant for Alec, even though his eyes never left mine. Aro was smug and proud as he showed his teeth again.
"Why, yes," Aro agreed in his airy, sing-song voice. "She has caused you more trouble than I, has she not? It would only be fair to let you have the first kill."
"I would enjoy nothing more than to have the first kill, Master."
I felt weak and defeated as tears finally slid down my cheeks. I heard Jane giggle; high and soprano, almost child-like, but it was layered with malevolence.
Because of Alec.
I had failed.
Alec was going to kill me himself.
This all really was one big, tasteless joke to him.
I opened my eyes, looking at Aro one last time. I had only a few words for him.
"I hope you burn in hell," I ground out.
"It doesn't matter, my dear," he smiled sadistically. "You are about to meet your fate. If only you had listened to me, maybe I would have been so kind as to spare you."
My eyes widened, the chilling words haunting my ears. I knew those words, and I knew where I had heard them.
I realized that my dream from so long ago hadn't just been a fear.
I had dreamed about my future.
Alec came from beside me, sauntering slowly as if he was savoring this moment. I should have closed my eyes. I should have prevented myself from seeing the traitor's face one last time, because I wanted to forget it more than anything. I wanted to forget this part of my existence. I wanted to believe it was all just a horrible nightmare, and that Alec didn't really exist at all. Vampires didn't exist. The world was normal.
But, I was too smart for that. I was too old to make myself believe that this didn't exist, that I didn't fall in love with a vampire, that my best friend was dead, and that I was about to join him. I had been so close to freedom once again, and everyone was going down with me. Just like the pile of my loved ones that Aro laughed at. He'd won.
Why did I have to say 'yes' to a music agent? Why was I stupid enough to do that, and yet too smart to deny all of this? What had it been worth? It cost me my best friend's life. I had failed the moment I chose to believe Alec over him, and now I was about to be murdered by my ex-vampire boyfriend.
I wasn't a hero. I was just a nineteen year old girl who wasn't supposed to be involved with any of this. If things had gone to plan, we would've been back home playing music. Maybe David would have been a rock star by now. Maybe he would have said yes to Robert and gotten a solo contract. Ray wouldn't ever be able to get out, either. He would surely die, too, after I was gone.
But "maybe" wasn't a word that existed in my world anymore.
Aro forced me to my knees, and I didn't bother to catch myself. I saw the glint of the dagger as it was passed from Aro's hand to Alec's. I avoided Alec's eyes, and caught Marcus's. Rage pulsed through my veins, and I reached into the front pocket of the hoodie I was wearing, seeking the iPod. I threw it down hard on the tile, hearing the satisfying crack of the glass as it shattered at my feet, and little bits of glass went plink, plink, plink, around it.
"If I'm going, my memories are going with me," I muttered to myself, trying to solder the picture of David and me in my brain. I memorized his brown eyes, his floppy hair, and his smile. I replayed his jokes in my head, and tried to count how many bags of Doritos he'd eaten in his lifetime. These were the memories that Aro could never have of mine.
"Do what you wish, my son," Aro said, smiling warmly at Alec, and then he looked at Jane. "Take care of the Cullens."
"Just one more thing." I said to Aro, who perched his brow at me. "At least I can die knowing you'll never have the satisfaction of being able to see into my mind."
The smugness was wiped from his face, and he growled. "Take care of that, Alec. I do not want to see her face anymore."
"With pleasure, Master."
Alec twirled the dagger expertly in his hand, and pointed it right at my heart. I shut my eyes immediately, not wanting to see his face when the dagger pierced through me. I felt the sharp tip poking through the material of my clothes.
I love you, David. Travis. Cullens.
Alec.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
"Alec, no!" Carlisle shouted again.
"Alec!" Marcus cried out.
"No!" The rest of the Cullens collectively protested.
"Have you anything left to say for yourself?" Alec asked impatiently. I knew he didn't want to ask at all; it only sounded like he was asking out of force, because it was his job. He pressed the sharp tip into my neck. I didn't say a word, and I didn't want to look at him ever again. I wanted to forget everything as quick as possible, but I did it anyway, one more time, as tears streamed down my cheeks.
Oh, it's like doing drugs one last time before you go into rehab. You know you shouldn't do it, but you do anyway, because you want to hold onto the feeling. Who knew that looking at an angel would cause so much pain?
But, this wasn't about me anymore. I would cease to exist, and I only prayed that the boy in front of me would listen to me.
"When I die, the Cullens get to go free. You at least owe me that." I whispered, trying to remember what my heartbeat felt like. I wouldn't feel it ever again. Thump, thump, thump, thump.
It was the worst pain to see his void, frozen ruby eyes hold none of the laughter and softness I saw in them just last week. But, I accepted it. I accepted that he would never look at me that way again. His body was completely still, and only his lips moved.
"Oh, they will have their freedom. They will not be far behind you."
I flinched; I should have known that he wouldn't have agreed. Though I shouldn't have, I thought about everything Alec said to me a few days ago, when he'd opened up to me. Or, so I thought. I wondered if anything he said at all held any truth, even a little bit. It was pathetic and weak of me to hope so, just as Aro said.
"I believe it is equally so easy, yet so impossible to kill you at this point."
"Your eyes, cara. It is your eyes. They could stop any immortal in their tracks. I know for a fact that I cannot be the only one who has been exposed. Everything is conveyed with your eyes. I suppose that is what makes you such a compelling performer."
"I refused to kill you that night, because I looked into your eyes and saw all that I was. You exposed me; my very being, and I was not expecting that. I loathed it. I was able to see the monster that I am, the cruelty and coldness that I possessed. I looked at you, and saw your purity, your goodness, compassion...your humanity, and saw every single thing that I am not. Everything that you are, I am the opposite."
I wondered: did he mean any of that? Any single syllable at all? Was there any truth to it, or were his speeches so practiced, that anything could spill from his mouth and make sense? I was no better than Camilla; she'd fallen for his words, too.
"Aro!" A female voice cried, shrill and commanding as the doors to the throne room burst open. The sound of the doors hitting the wall was a loud, harsh echo, and all of my thoughts came to a halt. "Unhand that human! Now!"
Just as my eyes flew open, my body was pulled and flipped upside down by force, and I was somehow on my feet, facing the opposite direction. An arm slid from around me, and the sudden vertigo delayed my ability to see the Cullens clearly in front of me. I whirled around in confusion, seeing a curtain of long, black hair, and saw Alec's form fly into the nearest wall. The dagger clattered to the ground, but my eyes wouldn't move away from him.
I whipped back around, confusion crashing like a tidal wave over my brain and my body. My eyes fell on each of the Cullens, and their faces told me that they didn't recognize my anonymous savior. Except for Carlisle, whose eyes were open wide as he started running toward us.
Marcus's gasp, and Aro's voice told me that they knew this unknown person well.
"Casssandra," Aro breathed as he stepped close. The woman pushed me further behind her, and let out a growl.
"Cheyenne," the woman asked me, and I was feeling so delirious that it sounded like a choir of angels. "Are you okay?"
I didn't have time to answer.
Caius bellowed loudly, and I looked just in time to see him pouncing for me. I tripped backwards over the steps as I tried to get away, and something solid caught me underneath my arms, and held me upright. Another body collided with Caius' at the same time I was caught, and the blur of speed kept me from seeing who it was. The sound of screeching, ripping metal crashed in my ears, and then his head was rolling around on the floor. His head had broken off so easily, like the snapping of a piece of chalk. I gasped loudly, eyes wide, watching his body collapse and land waywardly on the stairs. Seeing his head was like staring at an emotionless statue. He looked like the most realistic movie prop.
"I've got you," Carlisle's voice came in my ear as he distanced me from them. I saw Alec brush the dust from his clothes and saunter back as if it never happened. He didn't look happy at all. Aro held a hand out to Alec just as he aimed his hands at the woman, Cassandra.
"Carlisle," I whispered, trying to breathe normally and simultaneously failing. "I want to go home. Please. Can't I just go home?"
"You okay, little woman?" Felix's familiar voice asked me first, and I looked to the right. It was he who'd killed Caius. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
I looked at Caius' body again, and then Felix in disbelief. He was the one who killed Caius. But why...? And where had Felix been all this time?
I looked over at Alec, choosing to ignore Felix. Then, I looked over at the woman again, still unable to see her face.
"Who are you?" I blurted in a weak voice, and the echo barely carried. I had to know who was here, stopping Aro, and for what reason if she didn't know me? The woman was poised to attack if needed, facing Aro and Alec. Aro's face was both astonished and furious, watching Caius' head lay on the ground.
"Felix..." Aro breathed again, moving his crazy eyes over him and then back to Cassandra. "I don't believe it."
The woman, Cassandra, looked at me over her shoulder. Her hair wasn't concealing her anymore, and my breath caught in my lungs as I caught sight of her face.
Cassandra. Cassie.
Cassie?
Cassie!
"Cassie?" I choked, my knees wobble. Carlisle held onto me as they gave way underneath me, and I couldn't rip my eyes away from her.
Cassie didn't look the way that I remembered her. She did not have brown eyes and mocha skin. She was just as pale as Alec, and her eyes glittered with the same butterscotch color as the Cullens'. Her beauty was breathtaking, just like Heidi's. The only feature that was the same about her was her long, wavy, dark hair that ran down her back, and the shape of her features. But, her beauty ten times that of her apparent human form.
She was a vampire. Cassie was a vampire. Was she always a vampire, or was she a newborn, just like David?
She was here. To save me?
"Cassie!" I cried in relief again, feeling my body collapse to the ground. Carlisle reached down and pressed his fingers to the inside of my wrist.
"I need to get you out of here," he whispered quietly to himself. "You're collapsing from exhaustion."
She studied me with her eyes. "That's why I'm here. I've been looking for you, Cheyenne. I should've known Aro would have done something like this." She looked at Aro again. "Holding a human against her will, and torturing her. You haven't changed one bit."
"Cassandra, you are just as lovely as ever. I never thought I would see the day where you set foot into my castle again," Aro said, ignoring her criticism.
"Under the circumstances, you have forced my hand. I had no choice!" she spewed sharply. "You've wrongfully used two humans so you could gain more power! She's just a girl, Aro! What were you thinking?"
They. She said "they". She doesn't know. I felt a sharp stab in my heart.
"Oh, does this human belong to you?" Aro asked innocently, glancing at me with a delirious smile. "She has caused quite the conundrum, don't you see? Turning my own coven against me? Why, we were just about to feast on her."
Cassie cocked her head. "Then, I guess she's doing a good thing, then, isn't she? Ending the entire Volturi by just existing? She has a family, you know. She has people back home who think she's dead. I almost believed it myself, but I saw Heidi the day she disappeared. And, you've kept Chelsea busy, I see."
She turned her head, and though I couldn't see her face because of it, I saw Chelsea's reaction. For the first time, Chelsea looked fearful. Her eyes grew big, and she avoided Cassie's gaze.
The question was, why?
"Have you been conspiring, Cassandra?" Aro squinted at her, and then hissed loudly. "Did you send this human here to end me, and her dunce of a comrade? You knew of her capabilities, and refused to give her immortality, as per our law?"
"Yes, I knew! I wouldn't ever send any human here! I was trying to get them out of here before they could even think about coming near here! But, you just happened to send Heidi out that same day. If her immortality is so important to you, why is she still human?"
"Cassie had her reasons for leaving!" Another female voice, velvet and charming, called from the entrance. I heard the clicking of her heels on the floor, and I knew who it was. "And, I should have understood it much sooner. She's right, Aro. You have no right to hold any of us here! I should have left when I had the chance."
It didn't click together for a handful of seconds. How did Heidi know Cassie? How did Cassie know The Volturi? And...
Oh. Oh!
"She wants nothing to do with the Volturi. And, if she did, I am sure she would not stay long. There is nothing here for her to revisit. She chose to leave, so I do not foresee her returning for any reason."
It dawned on me; Cassie had been the one Heidi was talking about. She was the one who left the Volturi, and never returned. Heidi's eyes met mine, and she gave me a relieved look, and then winked.
Cassie was her friend. The friend.
I tried to wrap my mind around that as Cassie and Aro continued to argue.
"You just missed the shocking discovery," Aro replied bitterly. "It would appear that your little talented human is incapable of becoming like us. She holds a special immunity that cannot be explained. The best solution is to rid ourselves of her. Her knowledge of our existence cannot be spread into the fragility of the human world. You know that, of course."
"And I guess that's why you have Carlisle here," she answered, matching his tone.
Cassie cast her eyes to me, and I blurted through my tears, "He killed David. He..."
Cassie shook her head in disbelief. "I don't understand how you could subject a young woman to such torment as this. Look at her, Aro! Look what you have done to her!"
"She deserved every such punishment," Aro replied haughtily, tilting his chin up proudly. "She deserved it for bludgeoning the loyalty of my members with trickery and lust."
"She revealed to us the truth!" Marcus corrected him.
"Well, you certainly don't make it easy for anyone to get in here. I am not leaving here, until it's with her! I refuse to let you go on with this any longer! I'm not letting all of the time I've spent trying to find her go to waste. This ends today, Aro, whether you like it or not."
"You have been plotting against me for this long?" Aro asked doubtfully, casting his eyes to Felix. "You concealed the truth for this one, insignificant little human?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why, you are the one who spoke to her about Didyme, aren't you?"
"I knew she'd get the truth out somehow," Felix replied, folding his huge arms. "It was just a matter of time. Cassie warned me about your plan, and I alerted her when you decided to trap Cheyenne in a cell. I wasn't going to allow you to kill both Alec and Cheyenne for being in love. She's just a little girl, Aro. She shouldn't be here. She deserves to be at home1 Safe! All of what you've done is wrong, and I'm willing to fight whomever and whatever it takes to get her out of here."
He was going to kill Alec, too?
I looked at Alec; he didn't seem to believe a word Felix was saying. He didn't react to the possibility of being killed, which only confirmed that he truly was pretending. And it hurt.
"You are going to fight your own brothers..." Aro began, enunciating slowly as if Felix didn't understand his own words. "For one, meaningless human life?"
I looked at Felix too, my foundation of doubt beginning to shake and crumble. More tears streamed down my face, wondering why Felix would choose to fight for me, and not Alec. Felix met my gaze, nodding at me.
"She's my friend. I've made her hide things from you for her own safety. I let Cassie inside the castle. Guess I'm guilty, too. If you're going to punish anyone, let it be me, and not her," Felix told him. "She didn't ask for this life, Aro. You've subjected her to a life of traumatizing events." Then, he paused, looking at me again, and said with certainty, "I'm on your side. If voting mattered at this point in time, I'd vote for you to go, too."
Aro flicked his bugging eyes to Cassie, and then back to Felix.
"I had to find a way to get inside somehow. Lurking around the premises seemed to be my only promising choice. Like I said, you don't make anything easy around here."
Aro pointed accusingly at her. "You are the immortal pest that has been lurking around my territory? The one we sent the human out for?"
"I had some help," Cassie answered fleetingly. "Don't you find it peculiar how everyone in here is choosing to liberate themselves from you, and yet, here Chelsea stands in this room? Cheyenne is not turning your coven against you, Aro. She's giving them what they deserved all along: the ability to choose."
"Yes," Aro said in an elongated hiss, looking to his left at Alec. "And look who still stands beside me. It seems Jane and Alec are the only two who were ever truly loyal." He put his snake-like eyes on me. "Does it hurt you, human? Does it hurt you to see yourself lose everything you ever loved? David. And now, your precious Alec?"
Cassie's arm shot out, and a loud, audible smack came from her hand as Aro's face whipped to the side. I had to admit, it made me feel good to see it, mainly because I didn't have the physical strength to do it.
"Does it hurt your members, knowing that you would kill them for wanting to leave, or do something that wasn't what you wanted?" I asked quietly, sounding just about as dead as Alec looked. "Kill them...for wanting freedom? You're the one who wanted this!" I reminded him, watching his eyes turn into slits. "And now, what? You changed your mind? Did you figure out that you were a little too stupid, thinking you knew what was best for us? I'm the one that caused this? You caused your own demise! If you hadn't kept me here, you'd still be living in your own little world! So, you have no one to blame but yourself! How is that right for anyone? Why do they deserve death for wanting something more, that would make them happy?"
Aro started to growl at me, and his body began to tremble in anger.
"Didyme...made me happy," Marcus croaked.
"Cassandra made me happy," Felix admitted, and everyone shot their eyes to him. "But, her life here didn't make her happy. I was unhappy when she left, but I was more happy that she'd found her freedom, even if I would have been bound here forever."
"Why did you stay?" I asked Felix, knowing the answer already. Felix looked at me, then at Aro, and then at Chelsea. He raised his hand, and pointed at her.
"I couldn't," he finished. "I knew what would happen to me if I tried, because of what happened to Didyme. And Marcus. I apologize, Marcus. I should have told you, many years ago."
"We were all fooled," Marcus replied softly, clearly forgiving him. Chelsea and Renata twisted both of his arms, and he grunted.
"Demetri!" Felix ordered. The two met eyes, nodded mutually, and then they were gone. Renata and Chelsea were gone, too, and all I heard were sounds of hard thumping, like rocks clashing against each other. Their blurred forms moved around the room. They were fighting.
Cassie gave Felix a fleeting glance before he disappeared, but I saw it. I saw the look in her eye. It was the same look I used to give Alec. I didn't need a mirror to know that was how I looked at him.
Felix loved Cassie.
Heidi was staring right at me with sympathetic eyes. I had to blink the tears away, and I shook my head minutely at her to tell her that Alec was a liar. Marcus fearlessly stepped toward Aro, now free of Renata and Chelsea, tearing my attention away.
"You have taken the chances of happiness of these people away!" Marcus barked at him. "I will not rest until I have avenged my one true love."
"It's eleven of us against you, Aro," Jasper said. "You don't stand a chance."
"This...is my battle," Marcus told Jasper, holding up a hand. "You must all leave while you still can. Cassandra. Please accept my deepest apologies. It was wonderful to see you once more. I encourage the justice you are bringing to the human world."
Cassie shook her head. "I can't leave without knowing Aro will be stopped completely."
"Jane?" Aro asked.
I eyed Jane, and she eyed me. Her glimmering eyes pierced mine, and she bared her teeth at me. At the same time that I saw Cassie move, Jane was gone, and Carlisle was grunting behind me, falling to his knees. I turned in horror, seeing his face twist in agony. He was trying to move, but his loud scream triggered fear in me.
"Carlisle!" I cried, reaching for him, but my arm was shoved behind me. I was pulled away from him, forced onto my knees, and the cold metal of the dagger was held against my throat. Hard.
"Carlisle!" Esme cried from behind us. "Bella!"
"Jane!" Alec said forcefully, an authoritative tone coloring his words. Cassie stopped before me, and Heidi was poised to attack.
"Ah, ah," Jane tutted. "Come any closer, and she will pay. All is fair in love and war, is it not, brother? I am giving you one last chance to redeem yourself. Look at yourself. This human has blinded you. Do you remember who I am to you at all, Alec?"
I saw Aro leap at Marcus out of the corner of my eye, and Cassie and Heidi shot their eyes to the pair. I couldn't see where the Cullens were, but there were blurs all around.
"Jane!" Felix roared, standing next to Cassie now. Renata and Chelsea were nowhere to be seen, but I wasn't looking for their bodies, either. I heard crashing, ripping, and battle cries all around me. "Don't."
"Of course I remember," he soothed, speaking to her softly, blatantly ignoring my presence. He didn't look at all concerned about her holding me hostage. It almost reminded me of how he'd talk to me, but this was different. It was the same way David or Travis talked to me; the way a brother would. "Why would you ask such a question?"
He still wants to kill me himself, I'm sure of it.
"Master gave us this life to live graciously, and we will not waste it on humans," she seethed. "I want my brother back. This mistake has taken you from me, and I will not stand by while my brother is swayed by some insolent girl whose existence matters more to you than mine! She has done nothing but ruined the order of things! Remember what is important, brother!"
"Jane," Alec spoke in the same placating tone. "I love you. You have always been the most important one in my life. But, you are acting out of line. I do not care whether the human lives or dies. Her existence does not interfere with your place in my life. Put the dagger down, and remember who you are to me. I only love you. You have been my longest companion. It was an act of entertainment, don't you remember?"
Felix grabbed Alec angrily by the neck and yanked him dangerously close, growling low at him. "I'm gonna fucking kill you for her."
"Felix, no!" I heard myself scream before I could stop my brain. It was a reflexive response, and Jane pushed the blade further into my neck.
"Speak again," she warned as I closed my eyes and struggled to breathe. "Felix, if you even think of it, I will end her. Choose, brother! Who is more important to you? Who is the one that has been there for you through everything? I have known you for my entire existence. We grew together in the womb. We suffered together. You are just going to throw away a millennium of time together for a few weeks with a human?"
A billowing, black cloud surrounded Felix and Alec, and I watched as Felix's body slumped, and he fell to his knees. He struggled to move at all, his muscles locked in place. He looked up at Alec, who smirked at him, and then looked at Jane.
"I think we are both about to get what we want," Alec assured her. "I will allow you to end him, if you will let me end her."
"No! Felix!" I cried, trying to reach for him aimlessly. "No, don't!"
A splash of red entered my vision as my outstretched arm suddenly held a long gash on the outer part of my forearm. I screamed, retracting it to my chest, and then holding it up again.
Jane had cut right through the fabric of the sleeve of my hoodie with the dagger, and cut my arm. The blood, red, glistening and warm, was dripping down my arm and soaking through my sleeve. I panicked, moving my eyes up to Alec, whose eyes were already visibly dark and ravenous. Felix closed his eyes, as if he was fighting the temptation. I caught Jasper's eyes across the room, who looked as heavily tempted as everyone else. I saw him crouch, and then he was pummeled by Emmett's giant form. I didn't have time to look for anyone else who might have been lured by the smell of my blood.
"Jane!" A voice roared from the entrance of the room. "Stop!"
I was jerked forward, breaking free from Jane's hold, and the cold metal of the dagger left my skin. I caught myself on my hands, and cried out when the pressure intensified the sharp, stinging pain in my arm. I clamped my hand down on it, resting on my knees as I met Alec's eyes again, before he looked at Jane's attacker. He hissed loudly, as he retracted his gift, and Felix suddenly flipped, taking Alec with him. I watched them fight before me in a disorganized blur, and watched the other vampires around me continue to fight. Jasper and Emmett were wrestling on the ground, and I saw Rosalie and Alice jump in to help him.
"No, Felix!" I begged, but they were too far gone. Too preoccupied.
"Carlisle!" Alice yelled, casting her anxious, golden eyes on me.
Once we locked eyes, everything seemed to happen way too fast in that moment. Too fast for any vampire to stop.
I tried to get up, but Aro was already standing beside me, picking the bloody dagger up in his hand. I looked around frantically, searching for Marcus as I tried to scramble away. His insane, bloodthirsty, eyes screamed with red, glowing and glaring at me, asking for my blood. He smiled, cold and vengeful, as he lifted me into the air by the neck.
It wasn't until then that I looked across the room and saw Marcus's dismembered body.
I opened my mouth to cry out in anger, but the stinging, sudden, sharp, wet sound of the blade piercing through my abdomen silenced me. I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. I cast my eyes down, seeing Aro's victorious expression.
He dropped me carelessly, and my body landed heavily on the ground like a wet towel.
I couldn't hear or feel anything except the sound of my strained gasps, the blood flowing out of my body, the pain, and Aro's seething words.
"The first kill...is mine."
I stared back at him without any strength to lift my body. It hurt too much. Everything hurt too much. It was cold, but warm at the same time. It was wet, light, cold, clammy, and dizzy. The last thing I saw was his pale tongue sweeping across the blade, watching me like a helpless mouse, and he was the snake.
And then David was next to him, slamming into his body.
David?
"What have you done?" I heard Alec roar, but it must have all been part of my depart to heaven.
Because, David was supposed to be dead.
And now, I was dying.
Oof. Yikes. She finna die.
Lol I've been watching too much CB3 on Instagram.
This chapter is named My Blood after the song by Ellie Goulding. If you read the lyrics, you'll understand, considering the end of the chapter.
Also, sorry I haven't updated. I've been trying to write this specific happenstance PERFECTLY for the last 7 years! I always knew something dramatic was gonna happen, but I couldn't ever find a way to orchestrate it in a way where it worked, and where I liked it. Don't worry, I'm writing the next chapter now. But, things aren't lookin' good over there. Yeesh. Jane really didn't hold back. What y'all think of this chapter? Lemme know! If you're wondering if the story is almost over, yes. Sadly, it is. But don't worry, I still got a few more chapters to go!
