Chapter 12: Mistaken Identity
I had no idea what was going on, or why I was being put on display after just mere moments ago we had been in the midst of treaty negotiations. I was certain that this had nothing to do with me. I didn't know any of the other vampires that were in attendance; only the members of the guard and the leaders.
And I was absolutely positive that I had never met any of the shape shifters.
"Master?" I questioned him without looking from his face to the others in question.
Demitri had placed himself in front of me before Aro had lowered my hood, so I was still partially blocked from the wolves and the other vampires, I couldn't see them, so they were unable to see me.
"My dear." Aro said to me. "The wolves and the Cullen's here believe that you are of an acquaintance to them and they are under the false assumption that you are dead." He finished saying, moving his hand that was still caressing my face and placing it on my shoulder as he moved to the side. Demitri reluctantly followed Aro's lead; revealing the scene ahead of me.
"Bella?" a simultaneous gasp and holler were heard from several different sources.
At the sound of my name I couldn't help but turn my gaze to the advent. My first reaction was shock, I had no idea how many wolves were there in front of us, but it was astonishing. They were all different shades of neutral colors, ranging in size and height, but nothing short of the stature of a horse. I had never seen anything like them in nature before, it was obvious that they belonged to the world of the supernatural.
After quickly scanning the wolves, my attention was then drawn to the two shape shifters that were in human form. It was very obvious who they were; they wore nothing but cut off shorts – a condition of shifting I assumed, but at least they wore that, and for that I was great full.
Finally, I shifted my sight to the other vampires that were in attendance. They looked like my kind, but were also very different. I immediately noticed their eyes, all of them having the same color as mine; a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. They were vegetarian like me, there was no other explanation and I was shocked and excited by the prospect. They also had a casual presence about them, so very different than any other vampires I had ever met, even the Volturi still struggled with their easy appearance at times.
The vampire that instantly caught my attention was standing just off from the rest of them, his gaze so intense I felt the need to check my shield, he could have bore a hole through me.
He was tall and lean with muscle and untidy bronze colored hair, and he was devastatingly beautiful. Our kind are always alluring and ranging in perfection, but he was different; Adonis rather than Cratus in comparison. It was hard to believe someone so beautiful could be real.
"Bella" He said to me again; his voice like melting honey. Edward. I recognized the voice as the translator, now able to put a face to the name.
"Hello." I said to him timidly, not sure of what else I was supposed to do, or what anyone was expecting.
"Do you know them?" Aro asked curiously, never taking his eyes from my face.
I didn't want to look away; Edwards gaze was captivating, but after answering I turned my attention back to Aro. "No." I said abashed.
Aro beamed at my reply, but didn't have time enough to say anything in response to my admission.
"Bella?" Jacob, the shape shifter said to me taking a few steps forward. "Is it really you?" he asked me.
"I am Bella, but I think you may have me confused with someone else." I said to him diplomatically. "I don't know any of you."
When I said this to him, his face crumbled a little, like I had crushed all his hopes and dreams. I noticed from my peripheral that Edward also let his shoulders sag at my statement.
"It's me, Jake." The shape shifter continued forward as if by his announcing it I would somehow know who he was. "Jacob Black, you have to remember me Bella..."
"I am sorry Jacob." I said to him simply, not sure of what else I could tell the man.
"She doesn't know you." Demitri said in a feral tone, placing himself in front of me as if they were a threat.
"Because you stinking leaches did something to her!" Jacob shouted at him.
"We've done nothing to Isabella that she's not asked us to do." Caius said walking around to place himself on my other side. "If Isabella is the human you once knew, then she is here before you exactly as she wished it to be."
"You lie!" Jacob said of Caius' explanation. "She doesn't remember me! She wouldn't have asked for that..."
"A side effect of her change." Caius said to him dismissively.
I knew all of what was being spoken of, but why they felt the need to explain it to these strangers was perplexing.
"Bella" A tiny pixie female with spiky hair said to me while stepping around Edward and coming forward. "Do you know any of us?" She asked hopefully.
The others she was standing with spread out to stand side by side next to each other, displaying themselves to me. I carefully looked at the other four I hadn't already examined before looking back to her "I'm sorry ..." I held out my hand indicating to her for a name.
"Alice." She said ruefully.
"I'm sorry Alice, I don't. "I told her, then repeated myself for a third time looking them all over again. "I don't know or recognize any of you."
"Aw, there, you see." Aro chimed. "She is not the Bella you seek."
"Yes, she is." Edward said through a tight jaw, venom in his words. "And you know that."
"Well, maybe she is –maybe she isn't." He continued in his carefree tone.
"Why?" Jacob asked, still coming closer to me. "Why would you do this?"
Marcus took the liberty of answering him, he had a way of sensing things; binding ties of family, friends, loyalty, lovers and devotions. He had told me of my past a few times before; in the beginning when I cared enough to ask, but that was a long time ago and of no importance now.
"She was broken when she came to us, a shell of a person; hollow and empty walking in a barren sheath. Her pain and suffering were almost tangible, drawn plainly for everyone to see on the contours of her face." He came over to me, placing a gentle touch of comfort on my back. "She was suffering."
"She was seeking death." Caius stated again, moving back over to where he came from. "She stands here before you because her request was denied."
Edward let out an audibly shaking breath, then let his head fall forward, while the rest of his party were visibly shocked, Jacob looked painfully angry.
"She was...special. It would have been such a waste to not save her, to cast her aside like everyone else in her life had." Aro told them "We took her in; gave her new life, her memory loss was a happy occurrence from her change."
After their explanations I felt the need to speak up for myself.
"Whether or not I knew any of you during the time I was human is of no consequence now." I said to all of them. The fact that this assembly had turned out this way, because of some misplaced delusion to avenge me was disturbing and embarrassing. The whole front of war; the threat of annihilation to my race? over one humans' loss of life? Unacceptable.
"I know next to nothing from my human life, and by the Elders description and perception, I would like it to stay that way." I told them decidedly, I was a Volturi guard member and they should know where I stand. "I have been with the Volturi and a vampire for over eight years, if I meant anything to any of you, I wonder why I'm only just meeting you now? I know that if it had been someone I cared about" At this point I stepped forward to look up and stand next to Demitri. "I wouldn't have waited so long for answers." I smiled at him before dropping my tenderness to turn and look coolly again at those who stood before me.
"I meant nothing to you then, and you mean nothing to me now." I said to them finally, and then turning my back I raised my hood to proceed back to my station.
I'd only taken a step when Jacob the wolf hollered at me "NO Bella! Wait!" And then, as though he meant come to me, he took off running; slamming into my shield.
The force of his impact was so much so I turned to look in his direction, while holding out my hand, silently asking for Afton's aid.
He had been assisting me with my cover since the meeting started, but when I addressed the group, I broke away from him to stand next to Demitri.
Without hesitation, he grabbed my hand again and I instantly felt his reinforcement; strengthening my protection to the point in which it could have stopped a freight train.
In the beginning I was only able to block out mental attacks, but upon further examination and practice it was discovered I could physically block as well.
Jacob had taken a stumbling step back after his initial advance, looking as confused as a deer in headlights. He composed himself a moment later and began forward again, to stop short just as he had before, the invisible wall of my shield physically barring him from coming any closer.
"You will not pass the barrier, no matter how many times you try." Aro chided him, Jacobs stubbornness was evident as he kept trying to push through with his hands. "Bella will only allow it if she chooses too." He informed him with pride.
"I believe we are done here." Aro voiced to the whole of us. I couldn't have agreed more; I knew I certainly was.
Various please and advances broke out among those who had claimed to know me, all of them coming closer just to be stopped at the threshold of my defense.
With Afton still holding my hand and Demitri protectively wrapping his arm around my other side, I began to slowly and deliberately push them back further into the thicket with the energy of my aegis.
I turned my back on them and continued to move away, hearing a finale and in unison "Bella, please..." from Edward and Jacob as we retreated back to Volterra.
(1/23/11)