Ok guys, here's my next chapter. You'll soon find out that this chapter has our first glimpse of the story from Edward's POV. I've kind of been missing him lately, he hasn't been in the story for a while, so I wanted to get back to him and show how he's taking the whole change. So here we go…
I shifted uneasily as Aro, Caius and Marcus all parted to allow a lone figure to approach me. I was surprised at how young she was, younger than Jane, and yet…she was still so strikingly beautiful. She had long, flowing red hair that reached the middle of her back and dark ruby red eyes that seemed to have streaks of chocolate brown and were mesmerizing. She looked barely old enough to be ten, and her look of childhood innocence seemed to enhance her already ethereal beauty.
"Miranda," Aro said, snapping my attention away from the young girl. "We need you to help Isabella here with that special power of yours." Miranda nodded solemnly. I blanched. They were sending a little girl after me? Through my amazing powers of deduction I reasoned that either the Volturi had finally lost their minds after their long existences , or this girl must have extraordinary power. I was betting on the latter.
"Hello, my name is Miranda." The little girl, Miranda came right up to me and introduced herself. "And your name is Isabella—"
"Bella, call me Bella." I said automatically, not even thinking. Miranda grinned.
"I like that better, Bella. It gives you more of personality, don't you think? A nickname I mean. If I could change my name, I think I'd want it to be Saida, and then people could call me Saddie…" I listened stunned at this little girl as she continued on about names, as if she wasn't about to do some unknown thing to me. I was again brought out of my thoughts, by Aro clearing his throat.
"Miranda," ahe turned toward him, having been interrupted from her ramblings, and stared at him, waiting for orders it seemed. "We need you to stay focused. If you do what we ask, soon you can talk to Bella all you want, back in Volterra. Okay my dear?" She nodded in response and turned back to me.
"I'm really sorry about what I'm gonna do, honestly. But don't worry, once we get back to Volterra, you'll forgive me. It's really nice there." She said this as if it explained everything she was about to do. Now I'm totally against child abuse, but if Miranda thought I would just go with her without a fight, she had another thing coming.
Quickly I pictured her being thrown back against the trees bordering the meadow, and she went flying. Then realizing all the vampires who were still frozen in place might get in my way, I pictures them all being pushed into another corner of the meadow. I looked back at the Volturi and shouted "Stay!" waiting to make sure they too froze, now unable to interfere. When I turned back to where Miranda had fallen, only to see her missing. I listened hard for her thoughts.
Bella, I know you can hear me. Turn around. Her voice sounded so different and foreign as she mocked me in her ten year-old voice. It was such a rich contrast from the eager little girl who had been talking only moments before.
I spun around, ready to stop her with a command, only to freeze myself. My eyes searched aroung for her, until she appeared right in front of them.
"Again, I truly am sorry for doing this. You see, you need to come with us. You'll become one of us, part of our family. So I'm going to make you feel real tired and sleepy. And once you actually go to sleep everyone here will be released from you hold and we'll take you to Volterra."
I closed my eyes and I would have cried at my own stupidity if I hadn't been feeling so physically tired. So I just sent a message in my head out to Edward or Sam or anyone who could get it, hoping and praying it would reach a friendly head. Anyone, if you can hear me please listen, and try to understand. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for my stupidity and foolishness. I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Edward, I love you, so much. Please, I beg you, all of you, don't come. Don't follow. I love you all. I'm sorry.
I opened my eyes one last time before being overtaken by exhaustion. I looked into Miranda's eyes. Just as I felt I was about to enter the black abyss of sleep, I heard soft words whispered in my head.
You have to help me. You're my—our—only chance.
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Edward's Point Of View
We—meaning my family and I, minus Bella—were all waiting back at our house, waiting for the return of Bella and the dogs. I was pacing back and forth in front of my family, all of whom were watching me from their positions on the couch. I was too worried to care about their stares. I still didn't understand why we had allowed the dogs to just take her after her…change. I t was obvious, to me at least, that she still needed a lot of protection. She had been fallin down and blacking out a lot; it was clear she had retained plenty of her human characteristics. No, I knew why she had to go with them alone, but that didn't mean I had to like it. And I was worried, very worried. Not to say that the Pack couldn't take care of her—I was certain they all cared for her and didn't want her hurt—I just didn't think they could care for her as well as I could. However, I was soon snapped out of my brooding thoughts by Alice.
"Edward, would you please stop worrying, she'll be fine."
I stared at her. How could she possibly know? It seemed to me that Bella always was getting into trouble. Especially since she'd met, well, me. If she hadn't met me whose to say she couldn't be living a perfectly normal life right now. She could be down in Jacksonville, basking her beautiful features in the sunshine, allowing it to warm her lovely skin, and living happily with her mother. Not to say I didn't love her, God, I loved her so much it felt like I was ripping my heart out just thinking about life without her. But, maybe I should have just stayed away, maybe I should still leave—
"Edward! Would you stop it already! My head is getting ready to implode from all of your indecisions. I understand how you feel, we all want her to be safe, but they'll take care of her. And you need to calm down and chill. I'm trying to focus on her, in case something does happen and they need our help. Oh, and by the way, we all know you love her too much to leave again."
Alice looked at me, and I smiled a little sheepishly before sitting down in a chair. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I could feel the stares of my family still, searching through their thoughts and learning they were all waiting for me to get up and begin to pace again.
Edward, you shouldn't worry so much. I looked up and met Carlisle's eyes, the eyes of my father. He continued to speak to me in my head. We're all here to protect her. Besides, we all know Bella doesn't need protecting so much anymore. She's become very powerful. You've seen what she can do. I nodded in agreement, comforted somewhat, but still a little uneasy. Then, three things happened almost simultaneously. First, Alice gasped and closed her eyes, shuddered and then went stock still. I didn't even have time to focus in on her vision, because then the front door burst and the entire back came in, half dressed and panting, as if they had rushed to reach us. Then, I noticed that Bella was not with them.
Before I got the chance to interrogate them though, Alice screamed a little and shook with dry sobs. I glanced at her, but saw Jasper was holding her, so I turned back to the Pack and growled, "Where the hell is Bella?" Surprisingly, the answer came from Alice. "The Volturi, the Volturi have her now." I stumbled back , away from them all, as if I could walk away from the impact of her words. I looked over at the Pack, angry, wanting to see if they knew anything about that, but they looked as clueless as I was.
I was getting ready to start asking them questions, when I heard a soft voice in my head, that I would have recognized anywhere. Anyone, if you can hear me please listen, and try to understand. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for my stupidity and foolishness. I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Edward, I love you, so much. Please, I beg you, all of you, don't come. Don't follow. I love you all. I'm sorry.
Again, I took in a sharp breath, and looked around the room. I stopped searching, my gaze on Sam. "Did you hear it?" He nodded. "Yes." I could feel the questioning looks of everyone else, but instead of explaining I turned again to Alice and said, "Explain everything you saw and then ask them what they did." Then I turned away. I heard Alice calling after me, but I ignored her and walked into the Dining Room. Whereupon I began to throw and destroy everything I could lay my hands on. Once satisfied with my work, I went to hunt.
Okay dudes, that was over 1600 words, yay me! Just to clear up a few things, one, Miranda is able to affect Bella with her powers because her power is physical, not mental like Edward or Jane. Two, the encounter between Bella and the Volturi/Miranda is all happening vampire-speed fast. And three, by hunt, I mean Edward went for food, not to follow Bella…yet. Muwahahahahahahaha! Sorry…
