Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything

A/N sorry it has taken my so long to post again, as I explained before I am on vacation and have had very little time to write. I am heading back home tomorrow, so I should be able to post more regularly, which will probably end up being every other day, and when school starts up again, I will be able to post every 3 or 4 days.

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XOXOXO

CHAPTER 3

It had been a long plane ride. The girl sitting across the isle in first class was staring at me the entire plane ride. She was an obvious bottle blonde and she was wearing far too much make-up. And her thoughts were far past inappropriate. I tried to zone her mental voice as best I could, but it was hard. She was practically screaming up there. Ugh. We were just landing, and they could not do it fast enough.

I was walking through the busy Rome airport. People were scrambling to catch flights and running every which way. I hate airports. To hectic for my tastes.

Since I didn't have a car, I was forced to steal one. Well- I guess I didn't really have to steal one, I could has rented one, but I wanted something quickly. Alice probably has already seen me go to the Volturi, so I need to get there without the delay of waiting for a good rental car. Filling out the forms is not to my liking right now. All I want to do is follow Bella.

I found a really fast car, a Ferrari. As a sped through the Italian countryside towards the city of Volterra, people stared at the car, which was going 140 miles per hour on a 55 MPH highway, and at me. If they looked fast enough to actually see me in the car before I sped away.

It wasn't long until I was going up the winding road to the city of Volterra. The city was surrounded in large stone walls, and the buildings showing above it were beautiful, I supposed, but to me they were foreboding and clear evidence of royalty, with the twisting turrets and towers. But even though the architecture was stunning, the black stone made them look sinister.

It was the early morning in Italy, around 3 A.M. the streets were empty, save for a figure in the corner, passed out with a bottle of liquor held slack in their hands. I didn't really know where the Volturi resided, but I had seen the building in Carlisle's head once before and I remembered it vividly. I was sure that as soon as I saw it I would know.

After just a couple of minutes, I saw the building that I had seen in Carlisle's thoughts. I walked in and saw a reception desk, which was vacant, so I just walked down the long hallway, lit with fluorescents and painted a pale beige. As I was walking, someone stopped me. From her thoughts, I could tell that her name was Jane, and that she was a member of the guard. I spoke quickly.

"I would like to speak with Marcus, Aro, and Caius, please, Jane." Her eyes widened by a almost indiscernible amount, it would have been invisible to human eyes, but I saw it, as a reaction to the fact that I knew her name, and she obviously didn't know mine.

"Who are you?" Obviously a vampire, but he has gold eyes. Not red, like us. How strange. I wonder what he wants to speak with all three of them about. Her thoughts were confused.

"I am a vampire. My name is Edward Cullen. Now I would like to speak with them please. I don't like to wait."

"This way." She began to walk down the hallway. "And don't even think about trying anything." I wasn't about to. I knew what her "power" was from reading her thoughts. She could induce the illusion of pain in your mind. By willing is to be so, she could have made even someone as strong as Emmett or as fast as me fall to the floor in agony, without lifting a finger. I followed her petite form silently, flipping through the images of Bella in my head. It didn't hurt anymore. A pleasant calm had settled over me after the initial shock of hearing the news from Rose.

We were there. Jane opened the door and standing on the far side of the room was Aro, Marcus, and Caius. And next to them were their personal guards. There were only 3, one standing at each vampire's side, ready to fight for them at a split-second's notice.

"Aro, Marcus, Caius- Edward Cullen here would like to speak with you all." She shot me a look that I did not fail to notice.

"Thanks you very much Jane," The one named Aro said. "You can leave now."

Jane shot me one more suspicious look before walking gracefully out the door and shutting in her wake.

"So- Edward Cullen. Are you related to dear Carlisle. And I see you have the same eyes. Fascinating, the life he- and you- has chosen." Aro spoke again. I could tell from his thoughts that he had a talent not too much unlike mine. With the introduction of physical contact, he could hear every single thought you had ever thought. I knew what he wanted.

"You want to read my thoughts, fine." I really wanted to get to the point. Better to be straightforward. I walked forward, my hand outstretched slightly. His guard stepped in front of him protectively, but he waved him off, and the guard moved, watching me warily. One false move, I knew, would set them off.

Once I was close enough, he took a step forward and touched my hand lightly. He only took a second before he stepped away again, and looked at me with surprise.

"You wish for me to kill you?" Everyone around him looked at me in surprise as well after that. "I'm sorry about Bella, but I cannot just grant your request. Let us confer for a few moments." I could tell he wanted to ask me one more thing. Why is Bella the exception?

"I truly have no idea. It is as if she has some natural mental protection." Aro smiled.

"Fascinating. Well, Edward, why don't you go wait outside in the lobby. Someone will come retrieve you when we are finished talking.

I was ushered out by the one named Felix, and led back down the dark hallway to the lobby, where he pointed to a couch, turned, and left.

And I waited.