The Secret Beneath the Roses
Chapter 19: The battle of the Roses
A/N: And now we go back to Alice and Rosalie :) I meant to post this up sooner but stuff. Hopefully I can get the next one out on schedule.
The two vampires stood across the room, unsure what to do next or how to approach the situation. At last Rosalie made the first move. She strode across the room and Alice stood her ground, her mate bond thrumming through her chest. She still wasn't absolutely certain that this was her mate and she was going to wait and see what happened before she took a course of action.
The blonde stopped right in front of Alice, hovering a few inches from her face. Alice could smell her scent from here; roses and heavy spice. She took a deep whiff in and swiveled her questioning orbs to look directly into the blonde's face. Rosalie's face was a mismatch of emotions and she was biting her bottom lip in outward anxiety. "Alice." She said her name once more and placed a gentle hand on her cheek slowly, as if afraid the girl would tear away from it, or worse, break under it. "Is it okay- may I kiss you?" the blonde stammered at last, her thumb rubbing circles on the pixies cheek and sending soft tingles through her body. Alice nodded her head almost imperceptibly but Rosalie noticed it and brought their lips together.
Something in Alice changed during that kiss. Her head became clearer, she felt tension lift off of her shoulders and every cell in her body came alive, shouting and cheering that finally Alice had been reunited with her mate-and yes, this Rosalie was her true mate. She was certain of it.
They pulled away, foreheads remaining close as they breathed in each others essence, eyes locked on eyes. Alice could feel her old self returning back to her; the bubbly warmth and energy of her personality.
"Your eyes," Rosalie whispered. "They no longer look dead and vacant. Your usual spark has returned to them."
"Rosalie- I'm- I'm so glad that you're here. That you came," Alice let out a shaky breath, holding onto the wrists of her mate as Rosalie's hands had navigated upwards to run through her hair. Alice felt so much emotion flowing through her and Rosalie gave out a laugh. "It's okay Alice. I can feel everything you're feeling. You don't have to convey your emotions to me. I understand." She gave the girl a soft peck on the lips and Alice drew closer to the blonde, burying her face in her neck. Rosalie's arms came to encircle her and she stood there, holding the most precious thing in the world to her.
But of course this moment wouldn't last. All good things must come to an end.
Sulpicia strode into the room, slamming the doors wide open with one big push of her hand. She quickly took in the scene before her and let out a snort of disgust. So she had arrived too late. No matter. Aro- her biggest obstacle in all this- was dead and she could always trick Alice's bond if she got her hands on the little girl once more.
Rosalie and Alice immediately snapped to attention on the vampire royalties arrival and Alice felt such revulsion slide through her gut she was tempted to throw up. She couldn't believe she had been latched to the hip with that-that thing! When she had a perfectly good mate suffering somewhere half way across the world. Oh god, how was she going to explain to Rosalie all the times they kissed-Alice had to stop herself her, her head getting lightheaded and her stomach crunching up in pain. She wasn't going to think about this now, not now, not now...
"So I gather that the little spell has worn off," Sulpicia curled up her lips in disgust.
"It has," Rosalie replied rather smugly. "So you better give up and get your nasty Volturi ass out of here before I decide I do want to rip you to shreds for all you did. As it is now, leave in the next three seconds and my generosity remains and I will let you live. You should be thankful for Alice or else you would be long dead," Rosalie grabbed onto Alice's trembling hand, the pixie hiding her face into the blonde's back from shame and disgust at her own self for allowing that Volturi vampire to do such things to her. Just how weak was Alice's mind that she fell for such tricks? As Alice was trapped in her tormented inner thoughts, Rosalie pushed aside the growing urge to wrap the girl up in her arms and hug her, to focus on the monster in front of her.
"Those are such empty words, dear. It almost sounds like you don't really want to hurt me. As if you don't care enough about Alice to get revenge on the woman who tricked her and used her body."
Rosalie felt a vein throb in her neck. What had that bitch just said? "You did what?!" She screeched through gritted teeth.
Sulpicia smirked and ran a tongue over her lips, loving how easy it was to incite this girl. She just needed to push a little more to have her go out of control and then she could get past her and to Alice. "I said I used her body. Don't you know what delightful little noises it is she makes? Oh, haven't gotten that far? What a pity," Sulpicia mocked as she watched the other vampires eyes go really dark. "It's a shame I got further with her than you-"
Rosalie didn't wait to hear more. The thought of what the other woman did to her mate was enough to send her propelling across the room and at her throat in a blind rage. Sulpicia was expecting this, but she wasn't expecting how strong the blonde was. Fueled by rage she was sloppier than normal, but where her coordination and elaborate moves were lacking, she made up with the terrifying aura she gave out. Even Sulpicia had to take a moment to adjust herself to the aura and keep herself from fleeing. But she was royalty and Rosalie was nothing but common vampire filth.
As the two blondes went at it, Alice stood back, her head in her hands. She tried to keep a hold on her dark emotions to prevent them from affecting the blonde and it was taking all she had to do that. She had to find a better way to do this. She peered through the cracks in her fingers to see the two vampires were a blur as they zipped from one end of the room to the other, walls and floors breaking under their careless actions. Without another thought Alice threw herself into the fray, pinning Sulpicia down to the ground when she found an opening in the woman's defenses. The vampire was surprised by her sudden addition to the fight, and looked ready to buck Alice off of her, but it was Rosalie who did it first, grabbing the pixie by the back of her neck and throwing her back to the couches where she had first thrown Alice.
"What was that for?" the pixie squeaked out, upset that her mate wouldn't let her fight. She got off the couches, her hands curled into firsts and her eyes black with rage.
"You can't take her on. Besides I don't want her touching you or you getting close to her," Rosalie snarled, her attention diverted from Sulpicia in that moment. The Volturi scrambled back up to her legs and flung herself at the blonde, pushing her into the bookshelf on the wall with a boom. Books and shelves cascaded down on her and she crumpled through the floor as a particularly huge piece of wood stuck out from her chest.
"Rosalie!" Alice let her hands go to her mouth. Wood couldn't kill them but it hurt like hell and if it stayed there long enough it could poison their system. The blonde let out a grunt of pain and Alice rushed to her side, trying to gauge how bad the wound was.
"Little Alice, why don't you back away? I don't want to hurt you as I kill Rosalie," Sulpicia drawled, taking a step closer.
Alice whipped her head around, teeth bared. Her eyes were black. How dare this vile woman speak of harming her mate! "If you want her you'll have to kill me first to get to her!"
"Alice don't be like that," Sulpicia said as if Alice was a child who didn't understand how the world worked. "You're useful to me, she's not."
"You're not using Alice again you sick bitch!" Rosalie grunted as she stood up, one hand clutching at the wood sticking out from her skin. There weren't enough words in all of the world's languages to describe how much hatred Rosalie held for this woman for what she had done to Alice. The pixie could sense the black emotions consuming Rosalie. This wasn't good, but in this moment maybe it could help them in the fight against the vampire.
"Rosalie," Alice put a careful hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I want to fight by your side."
"Out of the question!" Rosalie snarled, her fangs flashing. Alice wasn't discouraged by this. "Rosalie, I want to. I haven't seen you in years and I don't intend to leave your side now, ever. So no matter what you face, or no matter where you go or what you do I will be there with you." Alice's sincere words, quelled some of the anger and hurt that swirled in Rosalie. Sulpicia watched the exchange and rolled her eyes. "Are you done now?" If Alice entered the fight then it would make it easier to touch her and change her bond once more.
"And besides I want to give the bitch her due! For what she did to me!" Alice's voice took on a vicious quality, her chest rumbling in anger. Rosalie took this in and then broke eye contact, glaring down Sulpicia. "Have it your way, Alice." Her pale hand came up and wretched the wood out, her expression twisting in pain. The wood clattered to the floor, the only sound in the silence of the room. Even though there was a full out war raging not far from here it seemed like the three vampires were in an entirely different world right now. They circled around the room, eyes never leaving each other, their bodies tensed, waiting who would make the first move. It was a two to one fight but the Volturi vampiress was certain she could easily take them on.
"I don't have time for this," Sulpicia snarled at last, tired of waiting for someone to make a move first. She zoomed directly at the blonde, knowing that if she injured her enough she could get her out of the way so she could change Alice's bonds. Rosalie flung a fist out at her but Sulpicia smacked it to the side, getting closer to the girl and grabbing her head between her hands, nails digging in harshly and then she brought her knee up and slammed it hard into her gut, the force of the impact breaking all her ribs. Rosalie let out a hiss of pain that sounded a lot like she all her being deflating in that breath and she crumpled in on herself, the Volturi vampire's hands the only thing holding her upright. Sulpicia clutched her head tighter and would have been able to snap it straight off if not for Alice. The little girl came up on Sulpicia's let side and Sulpicia kicked out a leg to catch her but the girl vaulted over it, using it as a sort of launch pad to propel her small body full of fury at her. Both hands slammed into her face, Sulpicia's nose breaking, her forehead cracking as she was flung backwards. Her hands opened up to grasp at Alice's own, and she caught them, taking the smaller girl down with her. Alice landed on top of her and Sulpicia smiled.
"You shouldn't be in this battle. Because it's you who I want." Alice could feel the familiar heat in Sulpicia's hands that meant she had activated her powers. Panic flared in Alice. She wouldn't allow the bitch to do this now that she had finally gotten her mate back! Alice tried to roll off the vampire but her hold was too strong so Alice head butted her, hard. Once. Twice. Sulpicia hissed in pain, her face a mess of spider cracks. Alice's own forehead was beginning to break too under the amount of power she exerted with each hit.
"Alice," Rosalie gasped from where she was on the floor behind the two. She was clutching her ribs as they reformed painfully and slowly. She wanted to move to her mate and help her, but she could barely move until her ribs finished repairing. "Alice," she called again, trying to drag herself over to help her mate anyways, broken ribs be damned.
Alice headbutted Sulpicia again. Third times the charm, Alice groaned as lights flashed in her eyes and her head swam dizzily, but she was finally free. The older vampire let go of her hands to clutch her throbbing head and Alice rolled away, coming up to her mate's side and helping her stand up. Rosalie leaned heavily on her, grateful for the assistance, hand still clutching the side that gave her most trouble. Sulpicia also got to her feet. This was so annoying! She had thought that taking them down would be easier.
"Give it up Sulpicia. Leave now and I'll forgive you for your transgressions," Alice offered. She was pissed off by what the Volturi had done to her, but she wasn't a vengeful person and screw the vampire instincts. She wasn't going to kill another vampire with her own hands if she could avoid it, no matter how evil they were. The only time she had slipped up was because she had thought Sulpicia was her mate back at that battle and the mate bond was a call that was too strong to be ignored. Alice hadn't even killed any one of the three vampires that had hunted down for Bella. It had all been Edward.
"Oh now it sounds like you really don't want to kill me. Did you enjoy being with me that much?" Sulpicia tipped her head, drawing a growl so savage out of Rosalie that she winced as her rib cage flared up in pain. "No!" Alice shot back, disgusted by what the Volturi was implying. "Never in a thousand years!"
"But it might be a thousand years, once I get you under my control again. Do you honestly think you can get away from us Alice? Your power is too much use to us to simply let you go." Sulpicia smiled. "And stop trying to distract me with talking so that you're mate can recover." Alice dodged Sulpicia's attempt to grab her, albeit she did it clumsily. It wasn't easy moving herself and Rosalie out of the way in time and Sulpicia was so damn fast. Sulpicia knew that and so she kept pressing down on them.
"Alice just drop me, I can fight her. I'm fine now," Rosalie argued but the pixie wasn't hearing any of that. She was not letting her mate fight in this condition.
"Yes, Alice, let Rosalie fight me," Sulpicia cooed, slamming her fist into the floor where Alice had stood half a second ago. It splintered and cracked. The whole room was a mess by now, completely devastated by the two girls actions.
"No!" Alice shot back as Sulpicia picked up a chunk of marble floor and hurled it as the two girl's head. Alice was left only with the option to duck. She was reduced to evasive measures while Sulpicia had free reign to be on the full offensive. And the way she was walking now, was casual, as if she didn't take them seriously. Alice's lips curled up in ire but she couldn't do anything until Rosalie was fine. She could feel the others pain through their bond and she knew despite what the girl said she was still not fully recovered.
"Why? Are you afraid that if I get my hands on her I'll change her love for you?"
Alice only growled at this. It was a different matter if someone tried to hurt her, but no one hurt Rosalie! "Have fun trying bitch," Rosalie spat, her shoulders rippling.
"Makes you mad?" Sulpicia hummed contemplatively at this, still addressing Alice. "I think this next tidbit of information might make you mad as well, but Edward is under my control."
"What?" Alice quarreled. "That's impossible."
"No, it's very possible. Even as we speak he's working under my orders to kill those I deem my enemies. Isn't that right, Eddy boy?"
"Yes, Bella." Alice and Rosalie's head snapped to the door way where a familiar bronze haired boy stood, his shirt in tatters and hands covered in dust. He wore anger on his face, his tight expression softening in relief when he saw Bella wasn't really hurt.
"Edward, no-!" Alice let out a horrified gasp, her hold on Rosalie almost slipping as shock reverberated through her body. How was this possible?
"Oh, it's very possible," Edward answered the question in Alice's mind. "It's because I love her, that's why. And if you're trying to hurt my precious Bella, then I'm sorry Alice but I'm going to have to hurt you. I know you've been with the Volturi for years. They must have meddled with your mind and made you into this monster. Hurting Bella or our child will do nothing to stop this war now. And as for you Rosalie," Edward shook his head at this. "Your mate bond blinds you, and you would give up everything for Alice, to follow her even if she is evil now."
"I am not evil!" Alice shot back the same time Rosalie said, "she's not evil!"
"It is your love that blinds you! That's not Bella, but Sulpicia!" Alice tried to reason with the boy, but knew that he was only seeing Bella, just as she had only seen Rosalie.
"I don't believe you," the boy said, slowly entering the room, his shoulders squared underneath his ruined shirt.
"Then look into my mind, please Edward and you will know I speak only the truth." Alice begged and the boy hesitated.
"Don't listen to her Edward, she was only trying to hurt me," Sulpicia cooed, coming to stand next to Edward and holding onto his arm. "Get away from him!" Rosalie yelled. "Get your disgusting hands off of him!"
Edward stared calmly at Alice and then delved into her mind. See things the way I do, please Edward. See Bella for who she really is. Edward followed Alice's advice and looked, looked to see what Alice saw through her eyes. She saw him, looking haggard and tired with a blonde haired woman clinging onto his arm. A woman that was not Bella. Edward gave a gasp as he recoiled back, but the Bella holding onto him would not let go.
"What's wrong Edward?" Bella turned her big doe eyes to him. She looked so real and so...so Bella like. But how had Alice seen Sulpicia holding onto him instead? What was going on? Were they by some chance being disillusioned to see someone else, to see Bella as an enemy? But no...if Sulpicia had affected them, then Alice would only see her mate before her, since that was Sulpicia's power. So that could only mean, that if Edward was seeing Bella...
"Bella, where's our child?" He asked, trying to seem causal to keep his fear scent from becoming stronger and attracting the attention of whoever it was that was on his arm. He only saw Bella now, but where was his daughter?
"Safe, of course. I wouldn't let anything happen to her." Bella gave a warm smile but as she did her hands tightened painfully on his limb. Something felt off.
"You're not Bella. Bella would never leave her child somewhere else. She was the safest one, with her powers."
"Powers?" Bella growled, her face darkening. "Bella has powers?"
"Edward, run!" Alice warned, but it was too late. Sulpicia's fist lashed out and caught him square across the face, his head snapping back. But before his body could move any further than an inch, she grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled down, letting it collide with her awaiting kneecap. His nose broke and his hands scrambled up to the back of his hair to free himself from her cold fingers but she jerked his head back up and then punched him in the gut with her free left hand. He let out a hiss and Alice felt every fiber in her being telling her to go stop this. Rosalie vibrated with anger next to her.
"Edward!" She leaned off of Alice, her ribs now fine. "Let him go!" She rushed at the blonde Volturi vampire but stopped midway when the other twisted Edward in her hands and now had her slim fingers around his neck. "Take a step closer and I will snap his neck. Understood?" Rosalie slowly nodded her head yes, her lips curled up in disgust at this woman's threat.
Suddenly a earth-shattering shock ran through the building, throwing all of the vampires to the floor and loosening Sulpicia's death grip on Edward.
"What's going on?" Alice squeaked, as she covered her head with her arms as dust and plaster rained down. It felt like the whole building was collapsing.
"That's because it is!" Edward voiced, rolling away from where he had fallen next to Sulpicia and coming to rest next to his sisters. Sulpicia snarled at him for getting away and rose to her feet, the tremors dying down in intensity even though they kept going on.
"What do you mean?" Rosalie said, rising to her haunches, trying to steady herself so she didn't fall down again. She glared at the woman across the room, keeping her in her sights in case she tried to attack them. But it would be foolish to do so with three talented vampires against her. Then again Sulpicia was a very foolish woman if she thought she could mess with Rosalie's Alice!
"I can hear the thoughts of the other vampires in the battle. The fight got out of hand and someone must have hit something-I think it was Emmett- and now the whole place is collapsing. We need to get out now or else we'll be crushed." Of course leave it to the huge man to fuck shit up.
"Shit. We need to get out and now!" Rosalie grabbed the pixie's hand and tugged her closer to her.
"I need to go find Bella!" Edward growled. "I'm not leaving without her!"
"Don't be absurd. She can fend for herself. She's a god damn vampire now!" Rosalie insisted but Edward only shook his head stubbornly. "No. I need to be there with her." During their mini argument they had forgotten about the Volturi vampire in the room with them.
"Shit, Sulpicia ran away! It's all your fault Edward! Now who knows where she went!"
"It's not my fault," Edward said before he blurred away to the center of the commotion, trying to find his beloved. Volturi vampires ran past him in the opposite direction as they sought to find an exit.
"We'll get her another day, Rosalie. For now let us go. I want to find Jasper, Carlisle, Emmett and Esme. We can't leave without them." Alice looked resolutely into the blonde's eyes. Rosalie felt her mate bond screaming at her to leave, to protect Alice first and foremost, but she sucked in a huge breath. Her family was important too and it was even more important to Alice. "Okay. But if we don't find them in the next minute, we have to leave."
Alice nodded her head. She would just use her gift to find them and her vampiric speed. Then she and Rosalie ran out, with their hands intertwined together, to find their missing family members before the whole building crumbled on top of them and became their new tomb.
