Chapter Two
I was feeling like I couldn't take anything else bad in twenty four hours after Alice had finished with me. However, Jasper and Carlisle were having a discussion about whether the Volturi were coming back to get their revenge.
"If they do, they'll bring much more than forty witnesses" said Jasper grimly. "They won't want to be out-numbered by us again. And they'll be ready for Bella too."
"Why would they come back though?" asked Carlisle, looking anxious. "They saw that Renesmee was harmless and what she would become. Why would they feel the need to come back?"
"Who said they'd come back for a reason?" demanded Jasper- he seemed determined to bring out the worst in the Volturi. "They were already trying to create a reason to pay us a visit, weren't they? Why would they wait?"
"They all saw Renesmee and saw her thoughts" pointed out Carlisle quietly.
"No" I said suddenly, and both Carlisle and Jasper turned to look at me. "Only Aro saw her mind. Marcus and Caius only have Aro's word that what he said is true. Caius is probably dying for a reason to come and fight us. And Jasper is right. This time, we won't have the element of surprise." Only then when I said it did I realise how much we had been counting on it last time.
"But we can be prepared" Alice said confidently. "I'm keeping very close tabs on the Volturi, so I will see whether they are coming or not. But we might not need to worry. Even if only Aro saw Rensemee's thoughts, I think all three of the Lead Volturi have to agree if they are launching an attack on someone. And Aro is the head Leader. I think his vote will count for more than Caius's."
"Yeah, Alice is right" agreed Rosalie, who had been listening to the conversation ever since I began speaking. "Even if Caius or Marcus are going to attack us without Aro, not everyone will go with them. Without Aro they might not be able to get so many witnesses and that will make it all so much easier for us."
"Jane" said Emmett. "Alec. And they aren't the only one who'd be prepared to fight alongside anyone who was trying to do us in."
"Guys, stop being pessimists!" Alice yelled. "I'll see when the Volturi decide to come, and trust me; I'll see it as soon as they decide. We'll have plenty of time to prepare. Everyone can reunite."
"Well, yes, but will everyone want to fight after what happened to... Irina?" Jasper said, whispering the last word so quietly that even with my vampire ears I only just heard it. Of course Jasper didn't want Tanya and Kate to hear him mutter their dead sister's name. Esme was looking very grave.
"I hope it doesn't come to a fight" she said softly, staring out the window in a dreamy sort of fashion that suited Alice.
"YOU GUYS!" Alice screamed so loudly that we jumped. "STOP BEING PESSIMISTS! The Volturi aren't even coming yet! Calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen yet. It's alright. We'll be fine for about another month at the very least. That's how long it took for them to get here last time."
"And you will not be alone at the beginning" said a new voice. We all turned to see Kate standing in the doorway and I knew from the expression on her face that if she could cry her face would bear the marks of someone who had just cried for a very long time. Just looking at Kate made me feel really bad. I hadn't really done much to comfort her or Tanya. I had been celebrating while my new friends mourned their sister.
"Where's Tanya?" asked Esme gently. Clearly she had been thinking along the same lines as me.
"She's in there" Kate said, nodding towards the door she had just come through. I suddenly realised I had no idea what vampires did to their dead. Of course not many vampires were so attached to each other like the Cullens or Kate, Tanya and Irina. Of course the only thing left of Irina was a pile of ashes, but I was still sure Tanya and Kate would want to do something for her. Of course the rest of us would be fine with whatever they wanted to do. I was reminded of cremating humans and wondered it Tanya and Kate would scatter the ashes in Irina's favourite place. The thought made me very sad and I didn't realise that the other, including Kate were talking about the Volturi and if they would come back seeking revenge or not. Kate's views on the subject were quite different from ours.
"Let them come" she growled. "I didn't get Jane and Tanya and I want Caius. We want revenge." I had never seen any of the Cullen's look like Kate did then. She looked like she would murder all the humans in the world if she lost control. Even more vampire-like than ever. But then I realised something. Nobody was saying 'no, the Volturi won't come' and give a reasonable reason. We were all working on the basis that they were going to come; only Alice was certain that we would have an advance warning like last time.
"We can gather other vampires again" she was saying now. "I will see it- I'm giving all my concentration to the Volturi and separate members who might act on their own." And somehow the fact that someone could act on their own was even scarier than someone acting with everyone else, but I wasn't sure why.
