Chapter 8
"Do you know when they are destined to arrive?"
"Demetri has been tracking them and according to his word they are not too far out from the Italian borders, so presumably tomorrow at dawn." Aro answered ingenuously.
As it were to turn out, another large coven seemed apparently hellbent on exposing their kind to the humans; the trio's apparent message leaving their last victims alive to tell the story apparently not effective enough for few.
A stupid and petty idea to chose to go against the Volturi, however this time they would not be kind enough to leave anyone alive to tell the story.
"Oh, I apologise." Carlisle entered the room with a trail of Rosalie, Jasper and Alice behind him, "We didn't realise you were occupied."
Bella physically recoiled, her body tensing; refusing to look at anyone as they strolled closer, instead she burned glares into the floor.
"Oh no, come in, join us." Aro waved their concerns away with his hand encouraging them forward, "We were just discussing battle strategy. For you see, a coven has decided that the law is above them, instead they chose to try and expose us once more to the humans. A clear issue I'm sure you understand."
Carlisle nodded stiffly, softly muttering a swift yes.
Perhaps it was a great accomplishments that Bella had never shared her past with any members of the Volturi.
"If there's a fight, we would love to help." Alice chirped. That sent Bella's head swiftly turning to face her. It was almost pathetic, she thought to herself, how they would do anything to get close enough to her to talk.
"That's really not necessary. The guard are perfectly trained, and with Jane, Alec and myself I'm sure the fight will be over in a matter of minutes." Bella found herself protesting, though surprisingly not in a tone harsh enough for Aro to sush her into obedience.
"But we would love to be of help, especially since you've been so welcoming since we've arrived." Alice tried again, "And I'm sure Emmett will appreciate it. He's been going a little stir crazy without anything to fight." She joked. It seemed as though the entire room was staring down at her waiting for Aro to give a response.
"Well if you insist I suppose why not." Aro smiled back, "Jane, Alec come with me. Bella why don't you entertain our guests."
Her mouth trembled wanting to actively protest yet thought better of it. With them gone she found herself alone with four of the people she was doing her best to avoid.
"I thought killing was above your moral high ground." She muttered slowly twisting on her feet to face them. Since that night at her ball when she had let her emotions get the better of her Bella had made a second promise to herself never to be that weak again, especially not in the company of the Cullens. So, instead of conquering her emotions she pushed them back down to the abyss where they belonged.
Sub coming to emotion was weak. She wasn't weak.
"Life is a precious thing, yes, but when lives are in danger we will provide whatever safety we can. Exposing us to the humans would just put them in more danger." Carlisle explained neutrally.
"And plus, we just want to help you stay safe Bella." Alice added.
Unable to contain it Bella let out a rather sinfully humourless chuckle, "I don't need your protection Alice, none of yours. I can take care of myself, I have done for years."
Alice's hopeful demeanour fell unlike the tension that built around them thick enough to cut with a knife. "Edward- Edward told us what happened…at the ball. And Bella-"
Bella stepped up before she could finish talking. Had blood still be coursing through her veins she likely would have blushed at thinking of others knowing of her in such a state, fortunately she kept her feelings barricaded behind locked doors. "Ah, so he must of told you of me telling you to leave. I'm not your pet project, I don't need saving." She glared towering forwards.
"Oh cut the crap Bella." Rosalie interrupted.
"Rosalie." Bella's glare evolved into a bare teethed smirk, her eyes glowering dark, "You never liked me, and I guess we're even because I don't particularly like you either, nothing personal, but I have to applaud your attitude. You never once pretended to something you weren't, I can admire that."
Rosalie looked taken back as if she wasn't expecting the response yet quickly rebounded her look of soft shock. Alice however refused to give up, Bella couldn't help but compare her to a pestering fly. "Edward was lying about not loving you. Of course he loved you, he's spent the past twenty years being miserable without you."
"And you think that makes this any better? That it erases how I've felt for two decades? It doesn't. I was willing to do anything for Edward, for any of you, and that's how he showed his adoration in return? By not respecting me enough to trust that I could make my own choices over how I live my life. I never really had anyone close as a kid, but for a short moment I really did consider you my closest friend Alice, and you betrayed me. If you really cared for me as much as you insisted you do then you wouldn't have abandoned me. Not ever." Feeling her mask slipping she quickly pushed it back into place, her demeanour once more becoming invariably flat though not before Jasper was able to feel the damaging conflict within her.
All for Cullens looked a varying range of Sullen though Alice took the impact he worst looking torn. "Feel free to leave after the battle. And for your sake try not to get yourselves killed."
Her heels were the last thing they heard echoing through the room before the door slammed shut.
The day passed in act of putting strategy into motion. As dawn approached, a concrete of information to know when their guests were to arrive in thanks to Alice, they awaited amongst the cliffs watching the sun rise over the edged valleys of the hills, the sky turning golden. Deserted and alone with only each other they could fully let their vampire nature express without the worry or risk of further exposure.
Dressed back in her tactical outfit she used to train in Bella observed Aro and his two brothers who remained leading the guard; of course none of them were here to fight unless it became a last resort, something which was likely not to happen, however as the head of the Volturi they always wanted to be seen first in order to make their point in the most dramatic spectacle.
Behind her Bella could practically feel Edward staring at the neck. Unfortunately she hadn't been unable to avoid them as she had wished given the need to communicate battle strategy, in public she was chivalrous enough with Edward not to raise questions though behind her sealed doors her emotions were wavering. She was furious with herself, ashamed even, at the notion of allowing her emotions to run freely. On the surface she looked reserved however deeper within she was at a constant war with herself, emotions she couldn't even fathom to place.
Her kiss with Edward had affected her in ways she refused to acknowledge. She didn't want to.
Shaking her head she ripped her eyes away to look off into the distance playing strategy over in her head; she didn't have the privilege to allow herself distraction.
They didn't have numbers or much of a sense on abilities. These nomands were still quite new, maybe even younger than her, and had somehow managed to stay off their grid. Very much despite all of their power they were still going in very much blind.
Bella had never coward at the idea of a battle, she was trained well with spectacular powers and today would not be the day she would falter to such feeble emotions, however caution was vital in every situation. A man who overestimated his own ability was sure to find themselves on their knees.
"You have broken several laws and risked exposing us to the humans at your own expense. For that you must be punished and shown no mercy." Aro addressed the vampires who appeared from the trees stopping at the foot of the mountain; Bella's eyes roamed over the group counting 100. Waving his hand in quick dismal the signal was sent as the guard scurried forward meeting with their opponents.
Their numbers were only slightly outnumbered however they had far more experience and the deadly powers of herself, Jane and Alec.
Even before they hit the ground Bella was handfuls fall either screaming in agony or at a loss with none of their senses in task.
Within minutes she had already killed 5 without the use of her powers. A few seemed to have powers on their opposing side but they were underdeveloped. They were sloppy.
Surely the fight was at a bound to be easy.
But then for a second she took her eyes away stopping to find herself watching the Cullens fight. Jasper moved in intricate focused motions she was much herself familiar with, Emmett with brunt force and Alice using her underestimated size to her ability. The others scattered too far away for her to see.
But that short second her eyes were focused elsewhere were a distraction. With her attention elsewhere a Vampire managed to catch her off guard, the force had her stumbling back the attacker landing on top of her. Fortunately the moment lasted only a second as she was able to twist her body back over his taking his head with her; with the body dismembered she set the remains on fire watching in twisted fascination.
"Bella!" Edward called out worried watching over her, "Are you-"
"I can take care of myself Edward." Her voice came out softer than she had intended.
Engaging herself into another opponent, shredding through him, she paused briefly still staying aware to look at the casualties around her. Most were dead, for a few that still remained found themselves tortured by Alec and Jane as Demetri took advantage of their weak state.
Though for those who stayed alive were the stronger of their fallen coven, they were well trained, some harnessing powers; though from her single glance she couldn't tell exactly what. Alice was struggling against the hold of someone twice her size, Rosalie just about keeping up with her opponent and Edward who appeared to be fighting against someone who harnessed electrical current throughout her body.
They couldn't help one another as they were all caught up in their own struggles.
She could help. She had never used her powers to attack more than a few objects at a time and never so close to another individual. Or, she could leave them to their own demise…
Hadn't that been she had wanted? To let the others suffer as she watched in glee?
Is that what she still wanted?
Her emotions were at a war again, she could feel the sparks a live wire across her skin.
"No." She whispered aloud only to herself. Her fury abided leaving her bitterness, scepticism and her estranged fondness exposed bare.
Despite everything the thought of them dead didn't give her what she wanted.
Overcome with the emotions she succumbed allowing the hot sensations down her arm to travel throughout her body, reviling in the feeling of ecstasy. Her body hot with flames, almost uncomfortably so, she set her focus on the remaining nomads. It was an intricate puzzle to set her flames far away from the Cullens yet to control so many at once with pure control.
Closing her eyes she unleashed with a cry, opening them to see all remaining vampires crumble into flames.
Her joy in her accomplishments could only last a brief second as her lips turned down into a frown feeling her body drain of energy. She felt dizzy.
Wanting to scream for help she looked up seeing everything is a blurry daze, that's when her world turned black.