Dun, Dun, Dun!! Haha, don't worry folks, the story is not over! No where near actaully! Enjoy and review! I see all those story alerts but no comments! Its not so hard to type a couple words... pouty face, please?
Mmk, I am done. Enjoy!
My head was spinning as I took this all in. No, I couldn't... There had to be another way out... I just had to think...
I looked over to Edward for some comfort but his head hung limp, his body crestfallen. My decision was going to affect him as much as it would me. He would follow me in whatever path I took.
I had promised him forever, just like it was etched into the golden band glinting on his finger. I fingered the beautiful piece of diamond work adorning my left hand. I wanted eternity with him, no matter what.
I looked up into Aro's waiting face and quietly began, "I will--" However I was cut off by the sudden booming sound of someone banging on the wooden door. I looked over as the door was suddenly shattered into a million splinters.
I was stunned beyond belief at the multitude of figures that came walking through the entryway. I saw Emmett's burly figure accompanied by Rosalie's gorgeous frame. Next were Alice and Jasper, each with a grim expression on their faces. And finally came Carlisle and Esme, Carlise with a furious expression on his normally calm face, Esme looking beyond worry.
I had thought that was the end of the added company but I was wrong. More vampires walked in, ones that I did not recognize. I panicked, thinking that they were more members of the Volturi that I was unaware of. But then I saw their eyes. They were deep topaz yellow. They were all beautiful females with the exception of one tall dark haired male. They came to stand behind the Cullens. I realized that this must be Tanya's clan that lived in Denali.
For a moment, the two sides of the room glared at each other, with Edward and I still held captive in the middle. Carlisle was the first one to speak, a angry edge to his beautiful voice, "Aro, I ask that you order the release of my son and daughter. There is no reason for them to be held against their wills."
"Well this is quite another surprise. Is there no end to what this day will bring?" Aro said with a calm laugh. He waved his hand and the pressure around my arm was released. I was in such shock that I simply let my body go limp, falling towards the floor. I did not hit the stone however. Edward was suddenly there, clutching me to his chest. He stood up, cradling me in his arms, and walked over to where our family stood.
"Now, I would like to know why you were about to force two members of my family into your service Aro. I had believed that we were friends," Carlisle said through gritted teeth. I had never seen him look so menacing before.
Aro kept his easy tone, although I could sense a more serious edge to it building, "Surely you can see what Bella is Carlisle. Her power is so great that she is a danger to herself and everyone around her! I had thought that through discipline and training with the Volturi guard, it could be contained. If she denied, I saw her as a threat to our private existence, and thus the law would claim her."
"The law only claims those who have already been guilty of exposing our way of life publicly! Not those who it might happen to! How dare you! You just wanted her power for yourself. With the tricks of your little puppets here, you thought to make her just another slave to your bidding!" Carlisle shouted.
The surrounding Volturi tensed and looked as if they were about to spring. But no order came for the attack. "And you plan to fight us for her, as I can see from your numbers. I doubt you could win however. The guard is trained to maximize their abilities," Aro stated.
Bella, get really angry or emotional or something! Anything to activate your defense. We need to call their bluff. I know that Aro is lying. He clearly sees that he is outnumbered but he is trying to scare us into backing off Carlisle's voice echoed through my head.
The first thing that came to mind was the sight of Edward cringing against the stone, being tortured under Jane's laughing gaze. My fists curled into tights balls and I fought the dry tears trying to burst out. My angel was in such intense pain, I had to stop it, I had to!
It was then that I heard the sharp intakes of breath from around the room. I did not dare open my eyes, afraid that I would lose control of one of the multiple powers I most likely now possessed.
I concentrated on that horrible image of Edward as Carlisle spoke, "As you can see, the playing field is now evened. All of us have our powers stripped of us and Bella is controlling her own to keep everyone's in check. Now do you intend to try to stop us or allow us to leave peacefully?"
"Well it pains me to see us at such odds my old friend. If you wish to be the one responsible for the havoc she will inevitably wreak, then I suppose I have no choice. Just know that when the time comes and she loses control, we will not hesitate to bring her down and those who aid her," Aro stated with a hint of a threat in his voice.
"And if you ever try to force that decision on her again, we will not hesitate to act as well," Carlisle countered, his voice now composed.
"Just a few more minutes Bella. We will be out of here very soon. Just a few more minutes," my angel whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes and stared into his own concerned ones. He smiled a bit at me, but I still could not get the image out of my head. He hugged me to his chest and I just lay there, concentrating on his scent. He did not hum to me however, and I realized that I still had to keep my defense up. I allowed my eyes to close and saw the sight of him cringing against the stones once again.
"Well I suppose that this is goodbye again Carlisle. I had hoped that we would see each other again in more pleasant circumstances. Until the next time then I suppose," Aro spoke. I heard no one respond but I felt myself being carried out of the doorway.
I felt the sun beating on my skin as we stepped outside into the open air. I panicked and my eyes fluttered open. We were completely alone in the square as we stepped out of the building. Edward quickly moved into the shadows and carried me through the deserted streets, always keeping out of the sun's path.
He hummed my lullaby as we walked and I breathed in his scent, allowing it to overcome my senses. I looked into his worried gaze as he walked, and smiled up a little at him. He seemed to relax slightly at my reassuring smile and hugged me close to him.
"I had almost thought that I was going to lose you love. Seeing you hit by Alec like that, it was so painful. But we are alive, and we are free. For once, I am glad that Alice did not listen to me. And I am surprised that Tanya's family actually came. I thought that they held some animosity towards us after the Laurent incident. Oh well, it doesn't really matter right now. What matters is you," he stated and bent down to press his lips against mine.
I felt all the memories of the past hour or so wash away as I was lost in the kiss. I wrapped my arms around Edward's next and pulled him tightly against me, relishing in the kiss.
After a few moments, Edward pulled his head back and smiled his crooked smile at me. "About time the voices in my head come back," he laughed. "It was strange for it to be so quiet my mind for such a long period of time." He stopped and I realized that we were back at the Ferrari. I looked around searching for the rest of the Cullens but they were no where to be seen.
"It's alright love, they are just getting the cars they, erm, borrowed from earlier. We will meet up with them once we get away from Volterra. Wouldn't want the Volturi changing their minds while we were still in the city," he said with an air of laughter to him. Still holding me in his arms, he opened the passenger door and set me down lightly on the seat. He closed the door lightly and came over to sit in the driver's side seat.
Next thing I knew, we were racing down the hillside away from Volterra. I saw the black blur of another car leaving the city, accompanied by three more cars winding down the hillside. From the looks of the cars, they were all very expensive and very fast.
"Leave it to Alice to steal the most expensive car she could find," Edward chuckled. "She is definitely not getting that one from me!"
I looked over at him with a curious expression and asked, "And what did Alice steal this time?"
He just laughed and said, "A Mercedes. The SLR McLaren actually. Its only like the sixth most expensive car in the world or something." He just chuckled to himself some more and sped down the winding road. He reached over and threaded the fingers of his right hand through mine. I squeezed his hand and laid my head back against the headrest.
One more nightmare down. What was the universe going to throw at us next?
Ah that is the real question now isn't it Bella? Guess you have to wait till the upcoming chapters to find out! Bwahaha...