Edward.
"Edward, contain yourself," Alice hissed. "He expects you to react with violence - you need a different tactic."
The look I shot in her direction was utterly uncalled for, yet I could not restrain it. How dare she lecture me at this moment? Would her actions have been entirely rational, had they stolen Jasper from her in the dead of night?
Sensing that my thoughts had strayed to this area, she replied, "I know I am being hypocritical. But trust me - we won't get her back if you don't behave."
My hands balled into fists of such tension that my skin, had it not been as hard and impermeable as it was, would have split cleanly over my knuckles. We stood in the impressively grand hall, awaiting the return of Jane.
With a high, musical giggle, she was upon us once more. She enjoyed my fear; thrived off of my pain.
"Aro has said that he will see you," she simpered at me. "He is most intrigued as to what has brought you here..."
I growled, and Alice squeezed my arm.
Stop it! she thought loudly.
We followed her. As vampires, we could have walked so much faster than this unsatisfying human pace. But Jane was content to take her time and prolong this agony. I heard her singing sweetly to herself in low, crisp Italian. She turned her head slightly, caught my shaking, furious form in her peripheral, and giggled again.
Alice closed her eyes sadly. She hated how they insulted me.
This mockery had only just begun.
The hall was long and winding. When we finally reached the door, Jane cleared her throat loudly, and Demetri and Felix descended on us. They grinned widely at each other, and then turned to me. "Well, this is a surprise," Demetri cocked his head to the left, relishing the joke.
"Yes," Felix agreed. "Such a long way to come..."
Jane turned and looked up at me curiously. She was silent, but her demon-like eyes spoke of obvious secrets, of sadistic denials, of shrill giggles.
"Aro will see you now," she said. The guard opened the doors with a gentle push.
And not even Alice was prepared for what lay before us. She gasped in fury, her golden eyes sliding to mine. "How dare they?"
Upon three thrones sat Caius, Marcus and Aro. They stared down at us; Caius with detestation; Marcus with boredom, and Aro with a wide, welcoming smile that barely veiled his arrogance. Beyond the Volturi leaders sat the entire guard and the wives - and on either side of this arena, hundreds and hundreds of vampires stood as spectators, their crimson eyes locked on me and Alice in intrigue. I could barely contain the hiss of rage that ripped from my throat, but Alice overrode it with a polite, "Hello, Aro."
My own eyes felt misty and clouded with the absolute, undiluted hatred I felt for him. If anything, my emotions made his smile grow more crooked. He stood up graciously, spreading his arms open. "What a glorious day!" He turned to his guard. "For Alice and Edward Cullen have come to visit our humble coven. To what do we owe this unexpected honour?"
"Oh, you know," I glowered, "Just in the neighbourhood."
Alice elbowed me.
Don't mock him, she warned me mentally. He has the power here. Behave, Edward.
The guard tittered gently behind him, sickly fascinated by their intruders. Alice cleared her throat and went to speak once more, but I stepped in front of her and looked Aro straight in the eye. "You know why we have come."
He blinked, in perfectly practiced innocence. "What ever do you mean?"
Alice hissed, and I shook my head. She would only amuse him by playing his mind games. There was no way I would give him that satisfaction.
Edward! she snapped. You're killing her!
Caius stood up suddenly, his face contorted in anger. "Do you dare speak to the Volturi in accusation?" He was less familiar with Aro's flawless art of manipulation. His brother sighed, and smiled back to me. "Forgive Caius," he purred. "He is easily frustrated by that which he does not know. For I do indeed know why you are here, dear boy. I have known for a long time that you would be coming..."
I bristled. "How long has this been planned?" I spat, but he waved a dismissive hand at me, and continued to speak.
Instead of talking to me and Alice, he turned to address the vampiric citizens who had been called to witness. "My friends, I was not wrong when I said this was a glorious day. I have long awaited the arrival of the Cullens to join our family, and it appears that they have finally accepted our invitation."
Alice froze. We had expected them to ask... but not to announce it like this, as if it had already been decided.
Then I realised that I was a fool. Of course it had already been decided. Aro had made up his mind a year ago, when he'd first realised my love for Bella Swan.
She was my soul. And she had been sold.
Oh no... Alice whimpered. I ground my teeth, the hatred flowing with more force through my body. Oh, the ways I would kill him...
An almighty applause broke among the citizens. Aro smiled warmly at them, before looking back at us. "Ah, yes. It is wonderful news indeed, is it not? Caius? Marcus?"
Marcus grunted, and Caius shot his brother a look of comprehension. Then he turned and sneered at me.
Before the applause could die entirely, I had already moved in an eye's blink up to Aro's throne, pinning him there by his neck. Caius roared at the guard, but Aro barked for them to remain where they were. And then, he pried my fingers from his throat and pushed me back. I did not understand how I could have let this kind of submission happen... at least, until I looked up and saw Jane and Alec simpering at me, hand in hand. Their powers were not forceful, but were enough to give their master the upperhand. My body prickled from the pain of Jane's brunt, but was numbed by the apathy brought about by her twin brother.
"And to think," Aro whispered, "You were so determined not to let me in... how easily broken your resolve is, Edward..."
I winced as I watched all my memories flickering through his mind. He smiled pleasantly, watching my hands slide down Bella's waist as she entreated me, kissing my throat. His eyebrows rose as my fingers roamed up her back, pressing into her skin with calculated caution so as not to bruise her, but just enough to make her sigh as I slid off her shirt...
"Forever?" my own voice asked her.
"Forever," the Bella of my memory agreed.
"Get out!" I spat
Alice moaned. Edward, no!
I was shaking. Jane and Alec had not relinquished their hold on me, and the agony of helplessness left me weary with horror. Caius glared at his brother in curiosity, eternally irritated that Aro's power far bested his own. I sank to my knees as Aro continued to press his hand to my face almost intimately, drawing out my every memory of Bella.
He continued to probe around the corners of my mind, snatching secrets that did not belong to him. He chuckled at my most private moments; breathed in bloodlust at my reactions to Bella...
I twisted against his hand, my will broken by the twins in my quest to regain my strength. Behind me, Alice was trying desperately to not think, as every thought that passed through her mind would belong to Aro.
And finally, when he seemed satisfied, he shoved me back delicately. With a nod to Jane and Alec, I was allowed to crawl to my feet. Vampires were not used to feeling so weak, so...human. I utterly loathed it.
The smile lessened on his face. "It would seem," he said crisply, "That Bella Swan is still human. I thought we had a deal that, when we next checked in on her, she would have been turned. Is this correct, Edward?"
"The date was set!" I protested, "You know that - "
"Aro, my vision!" Alice was shouting behind me.
But he ignored us both. He already knew the truth - but he didn't want anyone else to.
"And you have failed to hold your end of our bargain," he shrugged. "It would seem that my weakness was to be too trusting of you and your family... I won't make that mistake again, will I? This betrayal will not go unpunished, Edward and Alice Cullen..."
Alice was by my side, once again holding me back with the very last of her strength. My eyes saw flashes of red. I could not tell if it was blood, or if my eyes had truly changed colour in my thirst to destroy him - to destroy them all.
"Ah, you will kill them?" Caius demanded, eagerness flashing across his face.
Aro's eyes fluttered closed in irritation. He seemed to not enjoy his brother's inability to realise his motives. With great patience, he smiled at Caius, and then at the guard. "Why, naturally," he tossed his head... and then paused. "But...I wonder..."
I roared in fury, seeing the direction of his thoughts.
"Yes?" Marcus drawled, slackening in his chair dully. "Do hasten, brother."
Aro made a production of trying to debate something in his mind when in actuality, the decision had been already made. "Well... it does seem a waste to rid our coven of these highly gifted, controlled vampires..." he tilted his head towards us. "And I am a generous man. Perhaps just a little retribution is in order..."
"You'll let them live?" Caius spat. "Why? They have offended us for too long, Aro!"
With an uncharacteristically fast movement, Aro suddenly was gripping his brother by the shoulders. He leant in to kiss Caius on each cheek, but I heard the thought pass between them, even though his whisper was so low that none of the guard or the citizens could catch his words.
They are too valuable to dispose of. I must collect them. Do not fear... they will be dealt with. Now please, be quiet!
And then, Alice half-screamed. Her hands froze on my arm and our eyes locked in horror.
The images she saw flashed through out minds... dark, rapid scenes of a terrified human running through underground tunnels, her breath short and her feet pounding in time with a racing heart that intrigued those who followed her. I counted eight - no, nine - in pursuit of her. She was wounded, and that was making their control harder...
Aro, noting that the penny must have indeed dropped, nodded to Demetri and Felix, who disappeared out the door behind the three thrones.
He then turned to the guard.
"My friends," his voice was thick with smug pleasure, "I know how deeply thirsty you all are... it's about time you had a snack."
"No!" Alice yelled, her usually melodic voice breaking with pain. She supported me as best as she could, but I'd sagged under the weight of my lover's impending death. She didn't have much time...
But the guard had already moved swiftly out of the room, grinning at the game which they were about to play. Typically, they just lured humans and fed on them without much of a production. This... this would be fun for them. They had their orders – torment the girl as much as they could, using the full breadth of their special abilities. Aro's only rule was that it was not quick.
Then, the images flashing through Alice's frantic mind just...faded.
"What?" I said hotly. "What happened?"
She turned to me, her face blank with abject horror. "I...I don't see her anymore, Edward. As far as my sight is concerned... she no longer has a future to foresee."