Chapter 7

Edella POV

Behind the three ancient Volturi leaders came Alec and Chelsea. It was seemingly an untidy and informal entrance for the usually perfectly straight, still and expressionless Volturi.

Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme chose this moment to return from their hunting trip. They were supposed to be back yesterday already, in time for "their granddaughters' birthday", but I guess something held up. Not that it mattered, anyway. Their return only made things worse. If the Volturi had come to kill, at least they wouldn't die with us. The Cullen family could continue-as we thought Alice and Jasper, seven years ago, when they had gone off in search of Nahuel but tricked us into thinking that they would be gone forever. However, Demetri still existed…

The best tracker, ever.

Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme immediately came to our side. Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett made way for them at the centre. Aro drifted to the front of the Volturi formation, Demetri and Felix on either side of him. He stretched out a thin, papery arm. "Carlisle, my old friend," he said in his whispery, flaky voice.

Carlisle's expression was grim. "Aro. What is the purpose of your visit?"

Aro's piercing eyes made it to where Jake and Nessie stood beside Uncle Jasper. "We were guessing that, by now, our dear Renesmee must have been fully-grown. It appears that we are right."

"What do you want?" Dad snarled and bristled at Mom's side.

"Of course, how pleasant!" Aro sang, appearing to be delighted and totally oblivious to Dad's words. "Renesmee has her werewolf boyfriend with her."

Jacob wrapped one arm around Nessie's waist and turned her body towards his chest protectively.

"We were just…worried," Caius floated forward. There was a menacing gleam in his milky eyes. "Worried" didn't seem to be a good word to describe the Volturi. "We need to protect the vampire species," Caius continued, his voice darkening. "And so, if the werewolf and the half-vampire were to have children together, what kind of new species would they breed? Dangerous to the vampire and human world? Very possibly so. Perhaps even enough to expose us for what we are! We have no proof what kind of child it will be like, for I do not think any other strange pair in the entire world will consist of a werewolf and a half-vampire."

Marcus scanned us with the same bored look on his face as before.

Jane hissed. "Why don't we bring this outside…?" she asked in a feathery voice that was easily charming but full of cunningness and danger.

I sensed that Mom was using her mental shield to protect everyone from Jane. Jane, in turn, would be trying to hurt every victim she got.

Bella POV

Our family followed the Volturi as they led the way, weaving through the forest. I guessed that they had chosen the place very carefully before. I really hoped that my shield would be strong enough to hold.

This time, we did not have the other covens, from all over the world. We did not know what to expect. Even Alice hadn't seen them coming. I wondered why. Maybe it was a snap decision.

Halfway through the forest, everybody felt the soft air gliding past as another being approached us. Then we all heard the heartbeat. It wasn't Jake, Renesmee or Edella's, but it sounded light and fluttery like theirs.

The being jumped through the last of the shrubs and we saw that it was Nahuel.

He reached Edella in a couple of seconds and took her hand. She tensed, but turned her head toward him and said, "The Volturi suspect that a new, dangerous species might be bred if Nessie and Jacob have children together. We don't know what will happen. If they've come to extinguish…"

Jane had obviously heard Edella, but she looked straight ahead and kept silent.

"Have you decided yet?" Nahuel asked her in a small voice.

Edella sighed and leant into his chest. Though we were all running at half-speed, we all seemed to be absolutely still and could do all the things that normal people, when they weren't running, could. The three half-vampires and Jake had to run slightly faster, though…

"Maybe," my younger daughter replied. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not using you as a spare tire just in case Jake decides to change. Although we all know he won't…"

Nahuel stroked Edella's long brown hair lovingly. "I'll be here for you, waiting. We have forever, as you said." Edella laughed and smiled.

Suddenly Jane stopped. The rest of the Volturi guard lined up in a perfectly straight line at her side, with her twin brother Alec on her left and Aro's personal bodyguard and physical shield, Renata, on her right. On Renata's other side was Aro, then Caius, then Marcus.

We were in a meadow. It was beautiful. The grass had been deliberately cropped short and there were flowers growing everywhere. Moss climbed up on a great rock to the side of the meadow and the impossibly tall trees, probably even taller than the trees in Edella and Nahuel's meadow, as she'd described, hid almost all of the sunlight. That made sure that our vampire skin didn't glitter like a million brilliant diamond facets. Our powerful vampire eyes could see as well in the darkness as in the light, and I was sure that Nahuel, Renesmee and Edella could see just fine. And Jake was…after Renesmee talked to him and described the meadow to him, he nodded and told her that he could see okay, so one problem settled.

Edward growled at my side. I guessed that it was the thoughts of one of the Volturi that made him react this way. Were they going to kill my elder daughter today?

"You," Jane snarled at me. "The one who blocked us all."

Edward half-crouched defensively in front of me, moving me behind his body. Jane smiled at him, but it was of no use. I had well covered him. Her smile only got wider, but I could see the frustration and anger at the very back of her deep crimson eyes.

"Peace, darling Jane," Aro said. Jane smoothed out her face and stopped smiling, but the frustration and anger stayed there. Felix winked at me. Edward whispered in short, clipped tones to me, that only I could hear, "Jane is thinking of killing Renesmee and Jacob. Aro is touching her hand-see, just the tiniest tips of her fingers, but he reads her mind. He agrees, and he's starting to strategize now. He knows there are many of us, and although the guard is perfectly capable of taking us all down, he's the slightest bit afraid. Demetri is thinking about Edella and Nahuel…and their possibility of another half-vampire child, a descendant from two half-vampires themselves."

I didn't know what to do. I would have gladly burned to save my daughter. Why did there have to be such a coven as the Volturi who acted like the royalty of the vampire world? Whose rules were harsh? Who didn't give second chances? Who were so ruthless and merciless and…damned?

I felt anger overwhelming me. For once, I wished that everyone present was human. No half-vampires and werewolves and vampires who caused an uproar and…

"Calm down, Bella," Jasper told me as he read my feelings. I took a deep breath as Edward slowly straightened up from his defensive crouch and stood by my side again.