Hey everyone – really sorry about not explaining last time, but I completely forgot. So you might have realised that a certain dead person named Sofia was in the last chapter, and for the smart ones, you might have noticed that Francesca killed her. Just to clear that up a little, all you need to know about her is that she was an Aeterna who was killed by Francesca. I will give no further spoilers – enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Thirteen
Bella
Alice had brought them back to the hotel in Spokane, where April had smuggled the bodies upstairs in suspicious-looking suitcases. Bella took the elevator with Alice and Edward, the three of them in an awkward silence as Bella paced impatiently.
The moment the doors open, she rushed out and into the hallway, shoving past a few guests as she raced to the door of the hotel room. It swung open to reveal April's grim expression, but Bella didn't spend long waiting there – no, she pushed past the vampire and into the living room where Jasper sat beside Rosalie miserably. While Rose's body had been laid on a few chairs that had been shoved together, Emmett wasn't in sight.
Frantically, Bella scrambled into the bedroom, relaxing when she saw him on the bed. It wasn't long before she was panicked again by his closed eyelids. April was suddenly next to her, making her jump.
"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Bella whispered worriedly, sinking down to sit on the side of the bed beside Emmett.
"The effects of Lucifer's power aren't instantaneous. You have to be patient; he'll wake up soon enough." April explained slowly. Bella took a deep, calming breath and nodded. She turned towards Emmett again, tracing a finger across the planes of his face. His skin was cold and pale, but strangely not the inhuman whiteness that the other vampires possessed.
After a stretching silence, April sucked in a quick gasp. Bella whirled around to look around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"What? What is it?" she said quietly. April disappeared in a blur and Bella quickly stumbled after her into the other room, where she saw that Rosalie's body was gone. In its place there was a pile of ashes that stretched the length that her body had. Bella gasped in surprise, her eyebrows furrowed.
"What happened to her?" April asked, looking at Jasper. His mouth was open for a few seconds before he spoke.
"I – I don't know. There was this light and – now she's gone." He murmured, still confused. April's head snapped up to look at something across the room, but as Bella followed her gaze, she saw nothing.
Maybe she's talking to a ghost. She thought. It turned out that she was correct. As the ghost said something, April's eyes widened, and a faint smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.
"Who is it?" Alice asked, now standing from where she'd sat on the sofa. April blinked and looked at Alice, her smile growing.
"It's Emmett. He's waking up now." She said. Bella was the first to race into the bedroom, darting to Emmett's side. He's waking up now...The words rang in her ears. Finally, after what had seemed like a lifetime without him, he would come back to her.
And as foretold, Emmett stirred, his eyelids fluttering. She took his hand and squeezed it, tears of joy pooling in her eyes. As she looked at their hands, she saw that he was slightly more tanned than she was. A suspicion sparked in her. Could he be...No, it's not possible.
Raising the dead isn't possible, either. She contradicted herself sarcastically. She turned her attention back to Emmett as she waited.
And finally, he opened his blue eyes.
. . .
Marcus
Aro paced across the marble floor furiously, his heels digging into the stone as he stomped.
"How have we never come across these Aeternas, in all our time?" he demanded. "How have they never crossed our paths?" Marcus sighed in exasperation.
"Perhaps they have not wished to." He said, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his throne. Caius sat silently beside him on an identical, ornate black throne, his red eyes narrowed.
"They are supposedly the first vampires. Why have they not challenged our power? Surely they would want to rule our kind." He said sharply, glaring at Marcus.
"Peace, my brother." Aro said, holding a hand up. It was obvious that the vampire was far from peace.
"What are you planning to do, my lord?" came a voice. Marcus looked to his right to see Jane standing by one of the grand doorways, her body cloaked by the dark robes she wore. Her crimson eyes blazed in contrast to her alabaster skin. He sighed and turned away, not interested in what the small vampire had to say.
"I do not know yet, Jane. I would appreciate it if you would please let us speak alone." Aro said, grinding his teeth. The noise annoyed Marcus, but he didn't much care.
"Of course." Jane was obviously annoyed, and failed to hide it as she stormed out, closing the huge imposing doors behind her. Marcus could still hear the tap, tap of her shoes as she walked down the corridor.
"We must destroy them." Caius said surely. Aro faced him, his expression grim with traces of suppressed annoyance.
"We needn't resort to violence immediately, Caius." He scolded Caius.
"If we do not, some may reconsider their loyalties. Our power would be questioned. We need to make sure our kind know of our authority." Caius snapped back, standing. Marcus sighed again.
This should be entertaining, he thought dryly. He watched the ancient vampires bicker, not listening to what they were saying.
Why should I care? He knew he wouldn't get a say in Aro's plans.
"Do not be rash, Caius. If you really wish to dispose of these Aeternas, then you may want to take more time to gather information. I wouldn't trust the word of a few vampires. Do we even have proof that they truly exist?" Marcus said slowly, noting that Caius wasn't paying much attention.
"That's true." Aro agreed, stopping his pacing. "We need more information. I suppose I could send Jane on a little researching trip." He smiled tightly, folding his arms across his chest.
Marcus tuned out as Aro babbled on, watching Caius' impatient expression. He could tell that he was planning something. With his power, he confirmed that Caius was beginning to resent Aro. Not a lot of the Volturi's order were still completely loyal to Aro, as many believed that he was losing the wise judgment that had won him his position as a leader of vampires.
Marcus wouldn't share this information with him, however. He refused to take sides in the dispute, and avoided Aro's touch as not to ruin Caius' forming plans.
As Aro was in the middle of a sentence, the doors burst open. He stopped his pace and speech, staring at the open doorway. There appeared to be no one there, no matter how hard Marcus strained his amplified senses.
Then, there was a shadow. A blurred figure that moved too fast for even the ancient vampires' eyes, darting in circles around the room.
"Who's there?" Caius bellowed, stepping forward. The figure didn't stop it's circling, this time smothering the flames in each torch that hung high on the wall. The room was drenched in darkness, leaving no light glowing. Despite the vampires' advanced sight, it was impossible to see anything without the slightest glint of light. He heard movement, however, and stood, backing away from the sound.
"Show yourself, coward!" Caius was still screaming. "Who -" his yells were abruptly cut off, and Marcus felt his blood go cold.
"Ah, much better." An unfamiliar voice said. He turned towards the sound, but felt a light breeze as the intruder moved.
Aro and Marcus did not speak, instead they stood silently, each unaware of the other's position in the room.
The intruder laughed haughtily, his feet tapping on the marble floor as he walked.
"What's the matter?" he had a distinct English accent, Marcus noted idly. "Scared? Not so tough without your guards, eh?" He laughed again.
Marcus felt another faint rush of air and barely audible footsteps. He imagined that Aro was probably trying to get to the door. Even without light, the ancient Volturi knew the hall well. A loud crack split the air as Aro's footsteps ceased.
"I suppose you'll be next." The intruder was definitely a vampire, but faster and – if he'd been able to take down Aro and Caius – stronger than the Volturi. It seemed that he'd been able to get past the guards as well, which seemed almost impossible when Jane was involved. Marcus didn't dare move as he strained to hear the vampire's soft footsteps on the marble.
After a long silence, the vampire spoke again.
"You must want to know who I am. Who wouldn't, in your position?" he laughed. "If you must know, I shall tell." He paused again, and Marcus heard his pacing continue.
"I am of those who your fellow leaders wished to destroy." There was a smile in his voice, but he did not again laugh. Marcus was puzzled for a moment, before realising what he meant. He felt a shudder go down his spine. Aeterna. He had to be. It explained his abnormal –even for a vampire – speed. And how he'd been able to get past Jane and Alec.
"Yes, an Aeterna, as we are commonly called. It's Latin – a language I had heard too much of in my time." The Aeterna sighed. "I was turned a very long time ago, and claimed a position as the sixth Immortal to walk the Earth." Marcus finally found his voice, struggling to hide the traces of fear and shock.
"Who are you?" he demanded with an unshaken voice. The Aeterna stopped his tireless pacing, and Marcus froze as he felt breath on his neck.
"I go by the name of Tobias in these times..." he whispered, sending shivers down the Volturi Lord's spine. Marcus found that he couldn't move. He wasn't just frozen by fear, but also by an unknown force that was controlling his very movements. He was paralyzed.
"What do you want?" he said softly, not trusting his louder voice.
"What do I want?" Tobias' voice raised in a chortle as he repeated Marcus' words. "I want a lot of things. But from you...Why, I simply want you out of the way. You are misleading the Immortals of the world today, and with your plans to destroy me, I simply can't let you continue."
"Please – I'll leave. You'll never hear from me again, I swear." Marcus pleaded. He knew that Tobias was planning on killing him like he had slaughtered the other Volturi, and begged for his life.
"I could agree to that. It would be easy – you would disappear, never be heard from again." Tobias whispered, seeming to get closer to Marcus. He felt relief wash through him, and was about to thank the Aeterna before he spoke again.
"Or," his sharp voice cut through the air. "I could take the easier option. I could kill you."
"No, please, I -" Marcus was cut off by a cold hand over his mouth, cutting off his air. He felt uncomfortable not breathing, but was overall fine. He found that he was helpless under the Aeterna's power as he was lowered to the floor. Tobias did not say anything more as a light flicked into the room. Marcus noticed that he had lit a match, which he used to light a large torch that he held.
Setting down the extinguished match, he dropped the torch on Marcus' chest and stood back as flames licked at the helpless Volturi's body. He couldn't even cry out as his skin burned. The heat was unbearable but he couldn't move to smother it. He finally saw Tobias' face through the embers. He was as pale as an ordinary Aeterna, but his eyes were like a cat's. They were glowing amber, but Marcus assumed that was only a reflection of the flames. He had a shock of black hair that hung over his forehead, contrasting his skin tone. He looked like a normal teenage boy dressed in a black dress-shirt and jeans, but Marcus knew he was much more than that.
So this is how I meet my death, he thought.
Charlie
It had been about a month now, and Bella still hadn't appeared. Just when Charlie had started to think that his daughter was coping fine with her boyfriend's death, she disappeared. What was even more worrying was that the Cullen's house had been burned down, brutally killing Mr and Mrs Cullen but seemingly sparing their children. Or, so they thought. Since Rosalie and Edward had left, only Jasper and Alice Cullen remained, but they still hadn't been found. Suspicious arouse that they had been killed in the fire, too, or that they had run off with Bella.
No matter what people chose to believe, Charlie Swan still posted Missing posters everywhere, sending them to different police stations in the state and telling them to pass them on. He wouldn't give up the search for his daughter. Bella wouldn't pick up her phone, and her truck was found in a ditch off a highway.
Finally, on a rainy day, Charlie received a call. At first, he stared at the caller ID with wide eyes, not believing what it said. It rang and rang, and before it could stop he smashed his finger into the talk button.
"Bella!" he cried.
"Hey, Dad. I'm so sorry that I haven't called or anything, but -" He nearly shed a tear when he heard her voice. He had been worried sick.
"Thank God you're alright. Where were you? Do you need me to come pick you up? Oh, Bells, what were you thinking?" the questions tumbled out of him, and Bella stopped him before he could rattle on.
"I'm fine, Dad. I'm with Alice and Jasper, and everything's alright. No, you can't come get me." She whispered. Charlie knew that tone. He could tell that she was on the verge of tears.
"What do you mean? Are you on your way back?" he said, his own voice dropping.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Bella steadied her voice. "I'm not coming back."
"What's going on, Bells?" Charlie said, panicking. He heard her take a deep breath, and wished that he could be there with her.
"I'm safe, okay? I'm happy. I'm so sorry, Dad, but I'm not going to come back." She sobbed softly.
"Bella, if anyone's threatening you, just tell me, alright? I'll come get you." Charlie insisted.
"No, Dad. I am fine. I promise you, I'm safe and happy." She stopped sobbing. "I love you, Dad."
"Isabella, what are you doing?" he felt a tear run down his cheek. This can't be happening...
"I'm sorry. Goodbye, Dad." With the words, the line went dead, leaving a broken father clutching a silent phone.
Bella
"I'm sorry. Goodbye, Dad." Bella quickly hung up before he could reply. She knew that if she heard his sadness, she'd never be able to leave for good.
"I'm so sorry, Bella." Emmett said, holding her close to him. They sat on the bed in the hotel room where Emmett had woken from the dead a few days ago, arms wrapped around each other.
It had been Jasper that suggested calling Charlie, but Bella's decision never to return to Forks. She couldn't, now that Emmett was back. What would they tell everyone? He'd been dead for a year, surely the citizens of the small town would notice if he was suddenly restored his life, meaning that he couldn't return, and neither would Bella.
"Are you sure about this? Forks is your home..." Emmett said. Bella cut in quickly.
"No." She smiled. "Wherever you are is my home." She whispered. Emmett smiled and leaned in to kiss her softly. Bella still wasn't used to his warm, human lips as they pressed against hers, but they felt right.
Emmett had woken up as a human. Blue eyes, tanned skin, and a heartbeat. He was overjoyed, but Bella wasn't as ecstatic. Of course she was beyond happiness that he was back, but her dream of them being together forever was shattered.
But still, wouldn't it be nice to have a normal life with him? She thought. In the moment, she really didn't care as she tangled her hands in Emmett's short hair.
Finally, he pulled away slightly to gasp a breath, as Bella had forgotten that he needed to. She smiled lightly, pressing her forehead against his.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you, too."
Alice
Alice looked at the scribbled address on the napkin in her hand, and continued down the street. Weather-wise, it was a miserable, rainy day, but Alice was feeling great. She had met Emmett with a huge, crushing hug when he woke up, having to be pried off by Jasper.
Now, she was going to meet an old friend.
She stopped in front of the building, shoving the napkin in her coat pocket and approaching the door. It was a little abandoned-looking townhouse, which seemed unusual for her friend's tastes. She knocked once on the old wooden door with peeling paint, taking a deep breath.
"Alice!" Arina Retrova opened the door with a loud creak and threw her arms around Alice.
"Hey, Arina." She laughed, following her into the house.
"So is it true? Is Emmett really back? And a human?" Arina hurried on in an excited tone. She pulled her frizzy red hair back out of her eyes, clipping it there in a blur of movement.
"Yes," Alice grinned. She looked around. Inside there was no furniture, only a ripped up, ragged carpet above a scratched wood floor. The walls were half-covered in old, faded yellow wallpaper.
"So why did we meet here?" she asked with a slight laugh. She stopped when she saw Arina's face fall.
"Arina?" Alice said, eyes narrowing in confusion. "What is it?" Arina shook her head slowly, opening her mouth to mumble something unintelligible.
"What?"
"I'm so, sorry Alice," Arina began to sob. "I had to. She made me do it." Alice began to panic. She?
"Who made you? Arina what's going on?" she demanded. Arina froze, her eyes widening as she stared at something – or someone – behind Alice.
"You may leave now, Arina." Someone said. It was a female voice, one that she barely recognised. Without even turning around, Alice darted to the door after Arina, but the ancient vampire stepped in her way.
"I see that your little boyfriend has been quite naughty." Celeste laughed. Alice clenched her fists, holding her ground. "He, you, and a few others helped to raise the dead. That was a very bad move. Against the rules, if there were any. You ruined the balance." Alice wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but spoke anyway.
"Against the 'rules'?" she cried. "Lucifer is – was and Aeterna!" With a murderous glare Celeste cut in.
"No!" she screeched. "He was an Outcast! Hunted by his brothers!" Alice swallowed, trying not to flinch.
"How was I supposed to know? Are you going to kill me for associating with him?" she scoffed. Celeste didn't laugh, but kept her glare. She growled quietly.
"No, stupid girl. I'm not going to kill you...Yet. I need you alive for the time being." She said.
"I won't help you." Alice gritted her teeth. Celeste gave a smirk, tossing her dark hair.
"I don't need you to help me." She said, pulling something out of her jeans pocket. She was quite small, Alice noticed. She looked like she'd been turned in her twenties, but was quite short. Alice noticed the object too late, and couldn't run before the dagger was plunged into her lower stomach. She felt pain erupt through her body as she gasped for breath. She'd only felt this burning sensation when she had Turned, but that was long ago.
She knew that this was the dagger that killed vampires, and felt a very faint relief that she had not been stabbed in the heart. Perhaps Celeste really did want Alice alive. Still, the unbearable pain brought her to her knees as she cried out, her hands flailing to grab the hilt of the dagger. With blurred vision, she watched Celeste reach down and yank it out, causing Alice's chest to rise in a spasm of pain. In agony, she blacked out.
. . .
Alice was wet.
She opened her eyes to a blurry scene, and blinked several times to clear it. It didn't get any better. It was dark, but the air had a strange tint of blue. She knew it was very cold, but didn't feel it against her skin. Her head turned slowly to look at her arm, and saw that it was held down by a strange, pale stone that squeezed her wrist and dug into the sand beneath her. Sand? She thought, confused. The same was done to her legs, other arm, and her chest.
She should've been able to get out easily, as it was only stone, but found that it was stuck firmly in place. She looked around again, wondering where she was. After her eyes began to sting, she opened her mouth to take a deep breath. Instead of fresh air, her mouth was flooded with freezing, salty water. She blew it out quickly, panicking. She knew where she was, but couldn't admit it to herself. Alice struggled more against the rocks, but felt that they only scratched her as she pushed against them. With her saved air, she screamed out, but the noise was drowned in the water.
No, no, no! She finally realised what was holding her down. They were parts of a vampire. With a sick feeling, she saw fingers and toes attached to the body parts that restrained her. She knew that this stone could kill vampires, meaning that it could probably withstand a vampire's strength as well. Calming herself, she tried to remember how she got here.
Celeste! Of course. But how was she helping if she was at the bottom of the ocean? I must be in some sort of abyss...She thought. But where? Alice could be anywhere on the planet, and only Celeste knew where.
As much as she hated it, all she could do was wait – and hope.
I actually wrote this quite a while back in the holidays, sorry I didn't upload sooner but I kept putting it off. Wow, that had a lot packed in. Summary: Rosalie, Lucifer, Aro, Caius, and Marcus are all dead...:/ Tragic, right? Sorry if that was a give-away as Marcus didn't actually witness it, but the other two Volturi leaders are very much dead. Bella said goodbye to Charlie, Emmett's back, Alice is suddenly at the bottom of an ocean, and we have a new Aeterna! (Tobias)
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