A/N: I'm back! I can't remember when my last update was. If it was sometime last week, sorry for the long break. Without further ado, please read and review!

Waiting

A year passed and Fred adapted to his new life with ease. The Volturi didn't come, didn't relieve the anxiety we felt, wondering when they would come and declare war. Our tempers were shorter now, as each day passed with no news about the Volturi. Alice and Jasper had disappeared a few weeks back; we voiced our concern, but on the whole we were glad to be rid of her depressing presence. Weeks had passed and she hadn't shown. Still, we didn't worry. Maybe she had gone to get help for the inevitable battle.

Andrew and I had grown apart, and I hated that. He said that ever since Fred had become one of us I had been different. He felt like he didn't know me anymore. Bella had told Jacob to take Nessie away, away from Forks, to somewhere safe from any threat of the Volturi. He had agreed readily and they had disappeared into the night, along with Anne Dawson, who had gone reluctantly at Bella's pleading.

"Will they come soon?" I wondered aloud. "It's been a year, and Em wasn't really discreet."

"It was bloodlust, get over it." Em replied from upstairs. I glanced at Andrew, who was sitting on the piano bench absentmindedly stroking the ivory keys to avoid looking at me. I sighed.

"I'm going out." There was no reply. "I'll be back." I picked up my jacket, not that I needed it, and headed out into the murky sunlight. I ran then, ran to the meadow that Edward and Bella frequented.

The meadow was perfectly circular and filled with all kinds of flowers. I collapsed on the grass and didn't move. I didn't notice the unfamiliar scent of another vampire, so I was startled when the vampire spoke.

"Hello, there, Melody." The voice was low, for a female vampire, and filled with polite disinterest, and tinged with a slight British accent. I looked up and recognized the vampire instantly.

Guinevere was tall and willowy with long honey-blonde hair and rosebud lips. She wore a tight-fitting black dress that flared subtly at her knees. Her face bore no emotion, only disinterest. I was struck by a sudden fear; since Guinevere had been transformed during the Dark Ages she had made her powers well known by becoming one of the Volturi. He powers were legendary and fear inspiring. Why? She could manipulate air pressure. With a flick of her wrist she could condense air and set in on fire. With a single dismissive glance, she could crush someone. Not only that, she could control what parts of the air burned.

I trembled in fear, wishing I had my iPhone with me. I really needed backup.

"Oh, scared are we?" Guinevere asked sardonically.

"No." I lied, wishing for Andrew's hand in mine.

"I won't kill you. Aro sent me. Told me to tell you that they are coming in about… oh… two weeks." She examined her nails, not looking at me once. "Emily needs to be destroyed. She's an immortal child, you know."

"She's my sister! You can't kill her!" No matter my feelings for Emily, I was always going to be her sister.

"What you were thinking, transforming her like that, I'll never know." She continued without interruption. "Anyways, I've gotta go." Despite her cool demeanor I sensed a buried excitement. Guinevere loved her battles. "Alice is waiting for me to come back, you know. She decided to join the Volturi. As did Jasper." She tossed over her shoulder.

She left me sitting in the middle of the field, with a sense of numb dread settling in my core.

~*~

"They fell for it! At least, Melody did. The others weren't with her." I was breathless with suppressed anticipation. This was what we had been waiting for: a chance to destroy the Cullen clan. No more would they get away with recruiting powerful vampires that we needed on our side. After the battle, we would recruit Edward and Alice to be on our side. We'd stake our claim to Andrew and Jasper. The rest we could dispose of. Melody was useless. We had no use of her power. The immortal child had no power, and Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme would be no help to us. Nessie and her werewolf would be destroyed, the filthy half-breeds. Victory was in the air.

"Excellent. We shall surround them in two days time." Aro said contentedly. "Good job, Gwin, dear." I smiled at him, displaying even, white teeth. Jane growled, disliking her fall from favor.

"Alice had a vision." Marcus said, looking at Aro. "Do we need to torture her to reveal its contents?"

"Bring her in!" Aro exclaimed, clapping his hands together. I watched, leaning against a pillar, as Alice was brought in, her hands bound in steel chains, her mouth gagged. She was weakened from weeks kept from blood, and her eyes were a bottomless black color. Felix removed the gag and she spat in his face.

"I'll never tell you what I saw!" She declared, glaring at me viciously.

"Yes, you will." I walked away from the pillar and stood in front of her, wiping dust of my dress. "Bring in Jasper!" I demanded. Dimitri rushed off and returned a few seconds later, Jasper struggling at his side.

Alice met his eyes for one brief second, a wordless question in her gaze. Jasper shook his head slightly. I deliberated. Aro could use his powers to see the vision, but lately he had been having problems with it. A person could easily lie now, and Aro would never know. So we resorted to torture, and then the hand to mind power Aro had.

"Do you want to tell us now? Or later?" I asked coolly, disinterestedly.

"Never." Alice replied, shooting one last long glance at Jasper. I nodded, and a second later, Jasper was being crushed by the air, a scream building in his throat.

~*~

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that! There's a major battle between Cullen and Volturi coming up sometime soon, and reviews will make it pop up faster! As for who dies, I refuse to tell you. I can only say that several major characters will die. And the outcome of the battle? Wait and see! Please review! And the Broadway audition... If Mel surivives the battle, she will go on to audition for Broadway plays/musicals. I say if because I don't know which major characters will live and who will die. Every character I decide to save leads to a different story outcome... I'll have decided by the next update. :)

~Elphie