Edward shook all over from the after effects of Jane's power and probably from fear too, I didn't blame him now that he was really confronted with Aro Volturi's displeasure. Even though I didn't love Edward anymore, I still couldn't bear the thought of seeing him hurt.
"Please, don't. The Cullen's have nothing to do with this, with me. Not anymore." It hurt really, to voice that aloud to them and myself, but we all knew the truth of the statement.
Aro pinned Edward in place with a cold glare before he turned to look at me, still not having even laid a hand on the quivering mess at his feet. "I will not repeatedly let his disrespect pass unpunished, Isabella. Not even for you."
The last part of that sentence piqued my interest and I tried to hide the nervous excitement I felt as I spoke. "Let us speak on this, alone."
This made him pause, I watched as he glanced down at Edward, whatever he was thinking was clearly making Edward squirm. When he looked back to me his features were arranged to mimic the perfect poise of a gentleman as he stepped forward, away from Edward, and beckoned for me to proceed him out of the dining room.
I shot Alice a glance of warning and a shake of my head as I noticed her stand quickly, ready to watch over me. I was grateful, but didn't need her protection. For once I would protect myself.
I led Aro outside and away from the supernatural earshot of those within the house. The sky had darkened now and only the light of the moon, stars and those shining from the Cullen house lit my way. I stood just before the tree line, my arms crossed over myself to try and retain some warmth as the cool night air brushed over me. Aro was stood opposite me, the appropriate distance away for courteous conversation. I noted that his skin almost glowed, milky pale as it was in the moonlight, his red eyes seemed to have darkened somewhat with the night and he presented an attractive picture.
"You're very brave, to risk being alone with me." My god, that voice. He had the type of voice that you could listen to for hours, the type of voice that could make you do anything. It was deep and rich with the slightest accent and I knew that even before he had been a Vampire his voice had been one of his best features, the turning had only made its appeal stronger.
I cleared my throat in an attempt to also clear my fog hazed brain. "It's probably not so much bravery as stupidity." I admitted smiling wryly at the truth in my own words. "So, my choice is… Join you, or die?"
Aro tilted his sleek head at me, his gaze was so intense that I felt myself falling into its dark depths. I almost jumped when he spoke. "That sounds rather archaic, don't you think? You have said you don't wish to be made a Vampire whilst you are a teenager, but your birthday soon approaches, does it not?"
My gaze had wandered whilst he had been talking, but at this snapped rapidly back to him. "How do you know that?" I asked, already knowing the real answer but wondering what lie he would produce.
Instead he only smiled at me and spread his hands out before him in a gesture meant to show lack of intent to harm, I only felt my heartbeat speed up in fear at the illusion he was trying to present. "Soon you will be twenty and no longer a teenager. Whilst I admit it would be a shame for you to loose that… delightful scent." He stepped closer, inhaling as his eyes closed and I felt my stomach swoop rapidly at his proximity. Every muscle in my body clenched, ready for what, I wasn't sure. "It would be incredibly dangerous for you to live in Volterra whilst you're still human. But then, you've already proven yourself to be a brave little thing."
I blinked at him as the wheels turned in my head. From what he was saying it felt like he didn't want me to be a Vampire any more than I wanted to become one. His eyes held mine and there was something in their depths, something I was sure he wanted me to see. But I didn't know this man before me, I didn't know his behaviours and nuances, I didn't know what that look in his eye meant.
I let out a frustrated huff. "So my options are, die and become a Vampire now, die and become a Vampire at twenty, or come and live in Volterra as a human and risk being ripped apart every moment of the day and night. Great." I span on the spot and walked up and down, the wet grass tickled at my ankles and I could feel him watching me.
"You would be under my protection."
"Why though?!" I turned on him, frustrated. "What benefit do you get from keeping me human? You say you're interested in the power I might develop as a Vampire, but that isn't going to happen whilst i'm like this." I gestured to myself, my weak human self and stared him down with more courage than I realised I had. "What do you gain from that path?"
He was in front of me before I could blink and I jumped at the sudden proximity of him, he raised his hand to my face and his cold fingertips brushed the edge of my jawline, almost reverently. "Oh Isabella." He whispered and I felt my knees weaken just as they had the first time he had done this, back in Volterra. "Surely you have figured it out by now." His breath stirred my hair as he bent his head and I felt the tip of his nose touch my neck, felt him inhale.
I stood rooted to the spot, frozen in fear and… something else. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest and the small twitch at the corner of his perfect mouth told me that he had heard it.
"I would get to hear this, every time I passed by you in the castle." His fingers hovered in the air above my chest, above my heart. "Your scent would linger throughout my home like a fine perfume in the air, you know how your blood sings to our race, Edward Cullen more than most." He admitted and his voice was seduction and temptation, it was pure unadulterated manipulation, it was a weapon and he knew how to wield it. I forced myself to step away from him and calm my heaving breaths.
"So you intend to keep me as your human toy? To parade around as you please?" I could feel anger bubbling within me, which was good. I welcomed and embraced it, after all anger was better than the other things I had been feeling.
"Not a toy, no. But if you want to stay human and alive, this is all I can offer you. It is more than most are ever offered." I knew this to be true, but I still couldn't see this man before me as the person I had been writing to. The person who had been so concerned for my wellbeing on paper but when stood before me merely wanted to keep me around to please him. I knew though that this choice was just an illusion, this truly was my only option and he knew it.
I sighed, feeling defeated. "When will we leave?"
A glint of triumph appeared in his eyes and he extended an arm to me, offering to escort me back inside. As I took it I realised that the games truly were about to begin.
"How long will you need to spin a convincing story to your father?" He asked, pretending to be genuinely interested in Charlie's wellbeing, when I knew the only thing he was really interested in was how soon he could ship me off to Volterra.
"I don't know, 6 months maybe?" I was testing the waters, I knew from the look he gave me that I was pushing my luck.
"Perhaps not. I will give you a month. I have other issues to attend to in America and that is the time scale within which I have to do them. You have until then to be prepared to leave." He looked me over as he opened the door and led me back inside the Cullen house.
"You had this planned all along, didn't you?" I asked him, feeling somewhat like I had walked right into his trap.
He smirked at me, looking very much like the cat who had caught the canary. "And you played along so perfectly, Isabella."
"Wait." I said, stopping in the hall just before we ascended the steps up into the main house. "Before we go back, I have another question."
He stopped and turned to me, quirking one perfect, black eyebrow in an expression of interest as he gestured for me to continue.
"I thought you wanted Alice. I mean, her power? Above all others?" This had been bugging me more than I cared to admit. That perhaps I was just a means to the ultimate end; which was Alice.
"I have always been very… intrigued by Alice's power, you are correct. And yes, she would be a great addition to the Volturi. But she made it very clear to me on her previous visit that she had no wish to join our family." He looked curious at where I was heading with this.
"But so did I, yet here we are." I stood tall with my chin thrust outward in false bravado. Like a small bird trying to face off against a giant predator.
"You are worried that I am using you in order to get Alice." It was a statement, one that I didn't bother to respond to. He knew that I had been thinking exactly that. "If I truly wanted Alice, do you not think that I would just take her?" He advanced on me with an air of danger sparking around him like electricity, I backed away as if fearing I would get shocked.
"I have means to take what I want Isabella, Carlisle be damned. But I am a man of honour and of my word. I wouldn't disrespect my friend in such a way as to take away his adoptive daughter. You however… never quite made it to that rank." A pang of sorrow struck me in the chest. I was the conductor of this storm, his anger was the lightening and it seemed that I had attracted that rage.
"You will be a little bird in a cage of your own design. I gave you a choice, little bird. You disregarded that and have forced my hand. Do you not see that this is all I can do to keep you alive?" As he pinned me against the far wall with his hands at my shoulders, holding me remarkably gently, I saw desperation in his eyes. This is what he had wanted me to see, earlier. What he had been trying to show me in the depths of his gaze.
If I wasn't mistaken, Aro Volturi had been trying to save me.
AN: Thanks go to everyone that has and continues to review. They really are what keeps me writing, so please leave one behind before you go.