There was suddenly a shrill laugh, followed by light footsteps and a wicked grin, as Aro came out from the home, causing both Jane and Alec to make way for their master.
"I knew it were not your intention Edward, did I not?" Aro said amusedly, dramatically pointing his finger towards the man on the ground before clapping his hands. "Ah, well, it turns out to work wonderfully well, doesn't it?"
Edward looked up at Aro, regaining his strength after the trauma Jane had caused. "I'll kill you."
The older man sighed, relishing in the knowledge the Cullen's did not possess. He began to retreat into the home, signaling his two most prized possessions to follow, and they did, without hesitation.
"Allow me to explain." Aro said, not bothering to raise his voice, as he knew the family outside could clearly hear him.
Alice and Edward were the first to enter the home, both listening for the sound they most desperately needed to hear. Bella's heartbeat. Aro seemed to guess, waving them off easily. "She's alive, for the time being." He explained. "She has some teachings to undergo before her change."
The ancient vampire motioned towards the couch, telling the coven to sit, as Jane and Alec never broke their gaze.
"I suppose you wonder why this works out so well." He smiled as they sat. "As you know, Bella is gifted. What you don't know, however, is just how gifted she is."
The Cullen's sat still, waiting for Aro to continue, the only one daring to interrupt was Carlisle, as words seemed to threaten to escape his throat.
"During our last visit, I intended to kill her had her transformation not taken place, but then something caused me to wonder." He allowed his eyes to reach every member of the clan, watching them slowly, and with little interest in them, but rather the human hidden just far enough. "How does she evade all of our gifts? A mere human?"
He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I remember once, decades ago, reading of a legend of a child, to be born to human parents, but not being exactly human herself." Aro made sure his words were reaching each vampire in the room before continuing, noting Edward's anguished eyes. "She would be like us. A soulless creature, who had no place in the universe." Then Aro sighed. "I assumed the legend to be just that, a legend. I did not understand how such a thing was possible."
Edward growled, causing Aro to find new excitement. "Yes! Isn't it wonderful, Edward?"
Carlisle spoke up then. "She is not soulless." He growled. "Where is she, Aro?"
Slightly disappointed, Aro looked to his friend. "She is safe, if not slightly out of sorts." He widened his eyes. "After all, how do you expect me to manage to get her all the miles to Volterra with her fighting me every step of the way?" It was like it was the most easily answered question in the world. "It's not as though I can utilize certain gifts."
Everyone knew he could have gotten her to Volterra, easily restraining her, it was just the convenience of not having to do so that appealed to him.
"So, Edward, being so afraid of damaging her soul that you refused to follow simple instructions, and yet it was useless." He smirked, digging his words as deeply as he could. "She was already a monster. Something assumed to be fiction, even to us." He gestured towards himself, along with Jane and Alec.
Aro once again looked towards Carlisle, who was allowing his annoyance to be clear. "Ah, Carlisle, I did not mean to offend you, brother."
The blonde man lifted his chin, portraying confidence he wasn't sure he felt. "I'll change her tonight." He promised. "Just please, Aro, give her back to us."
The mentioned man held his hand out in front of Jane, who clearly had been ready to unleash her own power. "It's too late. I'm afraid her gifts will be far too useful to the cause."
It was then that there was a loud screaming within the woods that surrounded the Cullen's home. Every vampire in the residence rushed towards it, preparing to fight for what they wanted, or needed.
Bella had awoken with a blinding headache. She attempted to remember what had happened when she arrived at home.
Aro. He had found her, and she wasn't changed. Their end of the bargain, and it had not been met. She remembered a smile, along with a slight touch to her cheek before it went black as he slammed her head into Charlie's front door.
She looked around at the darkness surrounding her. There was a crunch as she adjusted her body, and she realized she lay on the ground, apparently surrounded by trees and leaves.
A groan escaped her throat as the girl attempted to sit herself upright, followed by a spinning in her head. The feeling reminding her of her slightly terrifying experience when her mother drug her onto the teacups at Walt Disney World.
Then she heard a footstep come towards her, and she gasped. In a feeble attempt to defend herself, she looked around and felt the ground. A strong hand grasped hers, and she was lifted.
If she had to guess, it was Felix who held her now, judging by the way her feet dangled, unable to touch the ground.
She attempted to relax; she really did. In all seriousness, she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do about the vampire holding her hostage. Bella kicked anyway. She screamed, only to scream again as she felt her body collide with the ground. How was she not dead?
Oh right, the cat and the mouse. He knew how to play with his prey.
Within minutes, she was surrounded by vampires. Edward, Alice, Esme, and Emmett making themselves known.
She must have been bleeding, because she briefly heard Carlisle shoo Jasper away. Then she was up, and she felt hands against her head, daring her to annoy them further.
Alice screamed, and Edward growled ferociously. I had never heard him this angry, not even when James had attacked. Then they were silent, and fear overtook my body.
"Take her, Felix." Aro commanded, watching Alec as he stole everything from the Cullen's.
Alice watched on carefully through the night. Bella's head was bleeding, and she was sure she was concussed. She didn't have to study medicine like Carlisle, or Edward, or Rosalie to know that. She felt disgusted, the vision of her being a Cullen was completely gone. It wasn't even a blur for her, just a black hole of impossibility.
It was then that she noticed a new future for Bella. One that she could never imagine her living, or even existing, through. What she was doomed to endure in Volterra was something completely revolting. In all of her years, and through learning of her past at the asylum, where she had been lobotomized and hunted by James, she could never imagine something so evil.
Then there she was. Red eyes, pale skin, and plump lips. Her face seemed tortured, and she didn't seem to recognize anything of herself.
She heard Edward growl, and when she came out of her vision, she realized her sight was fading. She couldn't smell anything, and she couldn't hear anything. It was a void of blackness.
Alec.
He was using his gift to immobilize them, so they could escape with her best friend – her sister.
A sob threatened to escape her chest, but she couldn't let it. If she broke now, they could never change the future and rescue Bella.
Edward was the one who was going to break, and they all needed to put him back together as fast as they could. Before they decided to change her, or before she forgot her life.
Returning home was an interesting endeavor. Bella couldn't travel within the water, unlike her company; therefore, it was decided they would take a leisurely cruise. It would be much slower than they were used to, and far less intriguing, but it was necessary.
The girl sat within one of the rooms for the duration of the trip, not a word mumbled through her teeth.
She peeled at her lips, and they appeared red and raw – the new, immature skin, born too soon. It seemed to be a nervous habit of hers. Oh, if only she knew of the wonders she would experience.
Aro sat within a chair, watching her every move. Yes, he could have allowed Felix to keep an eye on their new pet, but where was the fun in that? No, he was glad to do it. In fact, he had been waiting for this very moment for a long while.
"Isabella…" He called. The girl cringed closer within herself, her legs crossing and her head dipping. There was a slight tremble in her hands, he noted. "I'm so glad to have you in our ranks."
She didn't move, her still posture reminding him of the creatures they were. It was surprising to see a human have such control. Then again, she wasn't truly human, was she?
"I'm speaking to you, my young friend." Aro explained, somewhat firm, the charm remaining in his voice.
There was a quick glance from Bella, and his wicked smile returned.
"I'm not." She spoke quickly.
He nodded, his long hair moving to the front of his shoulders. "You're not what, Isabella? Be clear."
A small scoff, followed by a shallow breath in, reached him. "I'm not glad to be here."
Aro couldn't help but to frown at this information, his eyes narrowing towards the girl, who shrunk even closer to herself – a task that seemed impossible.
"You will be." He explained, simply. "I suppose your lessons should begin sooner, rather than later."
This brought her out of her shell, a look of terror in her eyes. "Lessons?"
The man nodded, his lips barely moving, whispering something that Bella's ears could not hear. Then Felix entered the room, looking more menacing than she could ever remember him seeming.
"You see, I could never expect your loyalty to lie with us, not while the Cullen's exist." Aro explained. "However, that would be a waste of life and gifts." Bella cringed at the images plaguing her mind, not missing how he emphasized 'gifts'.
He stood, seeming to float towards where she sat. "And so, you must learn to forget them."
'That isn't possible.' Bella thought to herself. Aro smiled wickedly, seeming to follow the light in her eyes, the one that showed defiance.
"You'd be amazed, young one, by what can be forgotten of your old life." He nodded towards Felix, who moved to grab Bella by the arm. "All it takes is a little training before the venom takes over."
In the floors above, Jane smiled as she heard the shriek from below. She never did care for the girl, and now that she must spend eternity with her, she was glad to listen to her suffer.
Caius and Marcus looked up from their history texts as they heard approaching footfalls, along with a heartbeat.
The scent was amazingly sweet, bringing the burning in their throats to the front of their minds. Their thirst was well controlled, if not trying at times. Marcus, who was more readily embracing the end that would never come, rarely found himself drinking for anything other than necessity. The scent of Isabella Swan was one that awoke the monster within.
Doors opened widely, and Aro came in clapping his cold hands. Felix followed, still holding Bella by her now-bruised arm.
The two vampires sitting on their thrones quickly noted the blood that had dried in her hair, along with the newer blood that had been drying in her nose.
"Is this truly necessary, Aro?" Marcus asked, tiredly, receiving a small glare from Caius.
The blonde-haired man narrowed his eyes towards the human girl. "Laws were broken, and I'd say her punishment be more severe. Along with the Cullen's."
"Brothers, brothers." Aro interjected, his smile never wavering. "Let us give Bella a proper welcome."
Marcus stood then, walking slowly towards the new arrival. "Welcome, young Bella." He said, lifting her free hand towards his lips. "Forgive Caius."
The man remained on his throne, refusing to show any sort of respect. He was to be respected, not her. His cold eyes were threatening, his lips pursed.
Bella, who was having difficulty retrieving air through her swollen nasal passages, attempted to pull back from Marcus' more polite hold. She hadn't meant it out of disrespect, but more out of fear and anxiety. Felix tightened his grip on her arm in response, the bones feeling as though they'd snap at any moment. The coldness she felt running down the limb caused her to believe he was slightly cutting off her circulation.
'Great. They're going to take my arm away from me, too.' She thought, sarcastically.
Heidi entered the room then, awaiting the confirmation that she knew was coming. Aro, Jane, Alec, and Felix would be wanting a meal after their travels.
"Ah, yes, thank you, Heidi." Aro smiled, and then she was gone.
Alice sat on Esme's kitchen counter, being careful not to cross her legs, as she often did, habitually. She searched the future, hoping to find something on Bella and her current state of being.
Edward sat close by, though he wasn't being as careful to respect his surroundings – his fury was far too great. It had been days since his mate had been taken, and the pain was immense. Had his adopted parents allowed him, he would have already been in Volterra, fighting to bring her home.
Apparently, however, they needed a plan of action. It wasn't smart to just run into the Volturi's home, figurative guns blazing.
His thoughts where replaced then, not by any of his own, but by a vision from the young girl sitting near him.
Bella stood near Marcus as people were led into the throne room, her face filled with terror. There was a small boy, no older than five, skipping with excitement for the old castle-like building.
Her nose was swollen, a bruise beginning to form around the edges.
Jane stood behind the door; her eyes wild with excitement as her hiding place was exposed when the doors shut. She made brief eye contact with Bella, and then returned her attention to the child, who fell to the floor as his body contorted in inhuman ways.
The human girl screamed, her hands covering her eyes in a pathetic attempt to shield herself from the violence.
It was then that Aro made his move, attacking what could only be assumed to be the boys' mother. He sunk his teeth into her neck, and she screamed as the venom attacked every cell and nerve fiber. Then her eyes were empty and lifeless.
Alice was wracked with sobs. While it was upsetting to see things happen to humans, she was fairly desensitized. It was Bella being witness that had upset her. It could not even compare to the moment the screams could be heard as they made their escape from Volterra.
Jane was acting to traumatize the girl, not to enjoy herself; however, the enjoyment that filled her face was clear.
Edward, on the other hand, sat eerily still. Carlisle and Esme, along with Rosalie and the boys, had entered the kitchen, not knowing the terror they should all feel.
Aro was going to destroy her, leaving only a cold shell of a being in her place.