Edward.

"I don't know!" Renata cried pitifully as Caius beat her brutally across the face, knocking her sideways. She clutched her skin, fear in her eyes. "The wolves surprised us - one of them took the human, while we stayed and - "

"Stayed?" Aro's brow rose smartly. "I have had quite a different account, my dear. While I understand that offense is not your talent, you have embarrassed the Volturi with your cowardice and your incompetence. And you shall be...punished accordingly. Oh, Jane?"

He turned around, looking for his three-foot monster. However, it appeared Jane had not returned from when she had stormed out earlier, and could thus not be the deliverer of torture.

Aro scowled. "Well, that was anti-climactic," he sighed. His gaze snapped back to Renata condescendingly. "I will deal with you later."

Shaking, she retreated back into the throng of the terrified guard, awaiting individual judgement from their masters. Only Demetri, Felix, Heidi and Santiago remained protected by Jane's memories of the clash. The latter two had pursued Bella and Seth before losing track of them. All others stood to be judged. Aro announced Corin to come forth. The young vampire did so, never blinking in his approach.

"You were the first to run?" Aro asked, although his voice clearly indicated that this was not a question to which he did not know the answer.

Corin nodded once. "Yes. I intended to seek help."

"For three shapeshifters?" his master said pityingly. "You doubted that my entire guard could handle three little dogs?"

"They're our genetic equals," Corin dared to argue. "They fight with the same ferocity - I was being cautious, and with good reason-"

Aro marched across the platform, staring at the distant ceiling. "The same ferocity, you say, boy?"

Corin nodded with urgency.

"And by same, you mean...no greater? Which would once again stand to reason that eighteen of my best and brightest could have slaughtered these three...genetic equals of ours?"

The boy knew his fate before Caius had plunged a ruby encrusted sword through his back - a sword forged by vampires, with melted skin and venom in its blade. Caius used it for execution, and Aro had decreed Corin a weak link in the Volturi guard. The grinding screech pierced the ears of everyone present as Corin was decimated, his shards kicked into a flaming basin.

"Miserable weather we're having," Marcus commented idly, looking out the window. Aro scorned him, turning violently back to the guard.

"Shame on you, children," he said sadly. "We have no room for cowards under our roof. If you feel like you have lost your spine, go join the Olympic coven and fast from human blood like hungry fools."

I bristled at this slur against my family, but it was not unexpected. The Cullens and the Denali clan were the secret scourge of the vampire world, even though before today, the Volturi had feigned admiration for our commitment.

Jane will find her, Aro comforted himself. He knew I knew that he was just passing time. He tried to keep his thoughts pure, but cracks formed in his flurried musings. He was desperate for Bella to be alive. With four guard members down – he needed me. He would not let me leave.

Darling Jane, he thought, You know I did not mean to offend you, my heart. Bring Bella... bring Bella so we can rebuild our family. And then, maybe Alice will come too... and I hear her mate has his own abilities... and dear Carlisle would surely follow his children?

He was deluded. Worse still, he was obsessed.

Edward!

I stared at him harder, but was surprised to find that the voice that called my name had overrode his thoughts. Concluding another required my attention, I searched harder for the voice.

Edward, we are outside. Alice, Emmett and I. And Bella. She is alive, all right? She is safe.

I almost sank to the ground from the flooding wave of relief. She hadn't been slaughtered... the cowardly guard had not been lying to save their marble skins. Bella truly was okay. I could have sung an entire musical, I was so glad. I even imagined in my mind's eye, my heart resuming its beating. It was not so, but this news was even better than the renewal of life.

I cleared my throat, and Aro turned to me, his eyes bugging slightly. The stress was shining through after a full night's bloodbath, with nothing to show for it.

"It would seem," I began solemnly, "that you cannot produce my fiancé."

Caius's nostrils flared. "You should be thanking us for saving you the humiliation, boy," he said in disgust. "Marriage to a human? It's obscene! Aro, just kill him, I tire of this!"

Aro flinched. "No, Edward, you agreed to join us..."

"Pending proof that Bella had not been killed!" I shouted. "Even then, my word was thin. You have given me no incentive to stay, short of blackmail. What kind of familial feelings could this possibly inspire, Aro? Especially while I live in fear that you may have killed my future wife?"

The strangest thing happened when I mentioned those two separate words... Killed, and wife, I mean. Aro's back straightened in an almost unnatural way, and his usually genial gaze flickered to Marcus, who stared at me listlessly.

Killed whose wife? Aro demanded hotly in his mind. He surely doesn't know such things!

And when his eyes found mine, I was grinning in the most brazen of ways. His pupils shrank.

I too allowed my eyes to wander to Marcus, and my grin deepened.

"Interesting..." I said lightly. "You certainly are a family, Aro. For what family is without their secrets?"

In my mind, I heard Alice outside, giggling in absolute glee. I could kiss you! she squealed.

Aro swallowed.

"Edward..." he said. "Be reasonable..."

"I can see why you have such a taste for blackmail," I went on casually, pacing about. "It has the most intoxicating flavour, does it not, Aro?"

Caius barked, "Brother, what is he rambling about?"

Irritated that he was the subject of constant looks from his brother and I, Marcus frowned in the slightest curiosity. "Yes...Aro, what is he speaking of?"

Drawing ever closer to Aro, I let my voice drop to the softest of whispers. "Do you really want me in your family?" I smiled. "For I can assure you, I have no desire to join a family of vampires of such arrogance - especially when a man would kill his own sister to stop his brother from running away with her..."

Again, my gaze strayed to Marcus, who blinked with full interest at my face. "He hasn't gotten over Didyme's mysterious death, has he? I always wondered why he lacked emotion... Can you just imagine the passion that would be ignited within him if I were to...accidentally slip the truth?"

He nervously repeated my name, trying to sound threatening.

I laughed him off.

"Bella's outside," I told him. "My 'spineless' brothers and sisters rescued her from the stench of your guard's incompetence. And I will be leaving with her tomorrow morning. None of us wish to stay, lest we spend so much time around Marcus that he should someday learn what truly happened to his wife, your sister, when they wanted to leave the Volturi forever..."

And finally, I'd rendered Aro utterly speechless. I look a step back and smiled cordially at him. I then turned and bowed to Marcus and Caius.

"I bid you farewell," I called. "It has been a most...enlightening visit. I have learned a great deal."

"Get out," Aro spat.

"As fast as I possibly can," I promised him.

I turned and waved to the citizens, who all sat uncomfortably in their seats, looking terribly bewildered. "Goodbye, my friends. I wish you every happiness under this corrupt, defunct and totalitarian family. May they continue to inspire fear and terror throughout the vampire world, hear hear!"

No one cheered, and I laughed.

And right on cue, Alice had kicked the doors open with an almighty crash. Emmett grinned broadly at me, and Jasper stood with his arms crossed, smiling a subtle smile of approval. "Not bad," he commended.

But best of all was when I saw the tiny hands that clung for dear life around Emmett's thick neck. With a swift movement, Emmett had masterfully swung her around his body, placing her steadily on the ground before me.

"Merry Christmas," he snickered.

And Bella had dragged me into her arms and was kissing me with such hunger, such passion, that I felt the humanity flooding back inside me.

"I thought I'd lost you," I clasped her face, memorising it all over again.

Her lips trailed down my neck with urgency. "Can't get rid of me that easily," she responded.

"Believe me, we've tried," Emmett said under his breath with a smirk.

Alice punched him.

And, uninhibited by a terrified Aro with an ancient secret, we left Volterra tower with our freedom and our power.