Edward Cullen
Pancrazio had called a family meeting at the Volturi mansion. The entire family and Volturi guard lined the walls of the throne room before Zio entered. When Anelie and Tony followed with their children in their arms, Bella was over in a heartbeat. Taking baby Eva from Anelie to cuddle. Rosalie took Ana, who whilst was the size of a three year old adored her aunt very much.
Bella and Rose returned to us in the centre with my most recent grandchildren in their arms. Anthony was my daughter Renesmee's son. He and his wife Anelie had only just decided to have children and their daughters brought much needed light to the Volturi household.
The leaders each took their place on their thrones as the guard fell silent. Zio began by standing up.
"I have called you all here today to discuss the plans to infiltrate Liana and rescue a witch she has in her possession. This girl is extremely powerful and may be used to our advantage. Chantelle, Esther and I have discussed what we believe is the appropriate way to achieve this rescue and I wish to tell you all our plan. We have decided for this to be a stealth mission rather than a violent one. Only the few will rescue the girl as I believe revealing our full strengths and weaknesses this early when Liana hasn't made a real move against us would be unwise. Our biggest weapons, Anelie and Lidiya are staying here to protect the children. Eva and Ana are the weakest part of our family. I am also sending Ezra, Ariella and Carlos to England to protect the children there." Zio said eyeing me. I nodded, thanking him for sending protection to Eddie and his new grandchildren in England. Avia, my granddaughter had just had her third child and her eldest two were only children. If Liana wanted to target our weakest links, I doubt a flight to England would stop her from taking our family. I knew Eddie would be able to protect his family over there but I was grateful Zio was sending a few extra hands to help out should anything occur. "Clara, Sophie and Madeleine are to remain here during the rescue, " Zio announced.
"Woah no!" Clara shouted out.
"Yes Clara, you are human. There is no discussion over this. Its a suicide mission for you, however it was very Bella of you to protest." Zio told her with a smile at my wife. Clara sighed and Axton grabbed her hand before kissing it.
"Lidiya will surely be needed on this mission? What if something happens?" Lizzy, one of the Volturi's highest guards mentioned.
"No absolutely not," Matthew said immediately. I saw Lidiya roll her eyes.
"Lidiya Cullen is with child and should not be in any circumstances in combat or under stress. This is why my son and I have decided to keep her out of it. " Zio announced. Immediate whispers circulated the room. Noticeably Rosalie was glaring at Chantelle and screaming in her head why her own daughter didn't tell her she should be expecting a new grandchild. I hardly thought it was important at this precise moment.
As the guard surrounding us began to chatter about their newest edition Zio was becoming impatient. They thought it was a big deal after what happened to Lidiya's other daughter. No one ever expected her to have more children.
"Silence!" he shouted through the room and the room fell quiet. "Most of you are to remain here to protect those weakest. I am sorry to keep you out of the battle you all desperately wanted to fight but stay calm and prepare for the ultimate one coming for us. I have suggested that only Esther and Axton attend the rescue mission," Zio announced.
"That's exactly what she wants!" I called to him. "Esther is who she wants," I reminded him.
"I know, which is why she wont expect her at all," Zio said. I looked over to Esther standing with her daughters by the thrones and she looked back.
I have already agree to it Edward. I am the best to do this. You know I am.
My son is going to kill me for letting you do this. I reminded her. She smiled at me from across the room.
Eddie will deal with it. Nothing bad is going to happen to me.
"Axton you know Liana best, and it is your sister after all. I thought you'd want to go," Zio said softly to the boy. Axton nodded.
"Definitely."
"Very well, everyone else will remain here, myself included. We will be linked to Esther and Axton through Edward, Lidiya and Anelie, if for any reason they need help we will be on standby but I have briefed Esther in what I believe would be the best way to extract Alena and she and Axton will do it to the best of their abilities. We will protect the vulnerable and wait for their return tonight. Lizzy will brief you on your tasks and positions for the night, proceed to the drawing room." Zio announced before dismissing the guard. The family stayed in the room. Some cooing over Ana and Eva, others heading straight to congratulate Lidiya, and then others ready to protest to Zio about sending our most powerful person and a child into battle.
"Pancrazio are you sure this is the right way to go?" Carlisle asked.
"I am grandpa. We cant use brute force until absolutely necessary. She will be prepared for that," Zio answered.
"Very well. You seem to have thought this through."
"There is one problem though," I said eyeing Aleksander talking to his pregnant daughter. "No way will he let her go alone."
"Esther has already said she will handle her husband. I have faith she will stick to the plan."
"I hope so because not one of us will be able to hold back a 800 year old Moon Pool Child from getting to his wife if things go wrong," I warned him.
"They wont go wrong," Zio said strongly. "I am going to go and contact Chloe," he added but before I could protest myself, Esther was over by us in an instant.
"No," she said immediately. "Chloe isn't coming," she said to Zio.
"Why not?" Pancrazio said, "We need her."
"No we don't."
"Esther..." Zio said looking at his friend sympathetically.
"We do not bring Chloe or Eddie into this. They are not needed, we will get through this without them," she glared at him.
"I know you're trying to protect them but we might need them, especially Chloe." Zio answered and turned to Chantelle, he mumbled something to her I didn't quite hear and Esther exploded on him.
"No. You will not bring my best friend into this danger! We will do it without her!" she glared at him.
"OK Esther, okay," Zio sighed with his hand raised. "Axton can you find Liana and Alena?"
"I can," he nodded as Zio turned to look to his wife.
"Eddie and Chloe are needed in England." I intervened. "They are not to be summoned under any circumstances. We keep our English family out of this. Christian and Holly included." I told Zio. I could see that bothered him, after all Christian's ability to replicate an ability could be useful but he nodded, agreeing with me.
"Very well. We will keep them out of it as long as necessary," he said. I noticed his last word and I knew it wasn't completely off the table for him.
By the time Esther and Axton left the entire family and guard were in the Volturi Mansion doing their own thing. I was permanently in the main office with Esther's family, my family and Zio with his family. I was surprised we all fit. Eva and Ana were continuously passed through family members and they loved it but I knew Ana was onto something was wrong. I felt a little hand on my leg and looked down to see the brunette little girl at my leg.
"Grandpa?" she whispered. I bent down and picked her up.
"Yes sweetie," I smiled at my great-granddaughter.
"Why is everyone here? Why are people so sad?" she asked me.
"They're not, we're all waiting for your grandmother to come back," I told her.
"Where is nonna Esther?" she asked.
"Gone out for a minute. We're waiting so we can surprise her when she's back."
"Oh okay," Ana said but rested her head on my shoulder. I took her over to a very nervous Clara.
"Clara, this is Anastasiya Lidiya Holly Balev-Black. Ana this is Clara," I smiled as I sat next to her, it forced Ana to adjust her position and look at Clara.
"Hi!" Clara said, smiling at the little girl. "You have a very long name don't you?" she asked.
"I'm Anastasiya," she said and I laughed at her own pronunciation of her name. It was definitely a hard one, her and her sisters.
"She's Renesmee son, Anthony's, daughter, and Esther's daughter Anelie's."
"Right," Clara said, with a smile.
"Have you played with my little sister Sophie yet?" she asked. Ana shook her head.
"My mama said I had to be careful because Sophie is a human and im very strong," Ana said.
"Oh I see," Clara said softly.
As Clara and Ana continued their conversation I caught onto Esther as she and Axton walked through the city. I wasn't sure how Axton knew where she was but apparently she did. I had a horrible gut feeling that we shouldn't have sent Esther on this mission but I watched Esther's mind like a hawk.
They got to a really run down area and I watched Lidiya and Anelie sitting by each other, both clearly following their mother as much as I was. The alley was dark and damp and Axton opened a door to lead Esther in.
Anelie and Lidiya suddenly gasped and stood up. Tears were starting to run down Lidiya's face and Anelie started panicking. I copied.
"What what's going on?" Zio asked me immediately.
"She's gone."
"What?" Aleksander roared.
"She went into a building and our connection broke. I cant see her and by the distress of her daughters neither can they."
"DÅshterya," Aleksander called 'daughter' in Bulgarian. "Lidiya, Anelie what's going on?" he asked still in Bulgarian.
"I don't know papa, she must have stepped into a spelled building our connection with her is gone."
Everyone immediately started to panic, the room roared into discussion and I looked over to Ana who was looking frantically from her upset mother to her pacing grandfather, and the rest of the family arguing. She was seconds away from crying and Tony noticed. He was over to her and picked her up trying to comfort her.
"Hey!" I shouted. "Quiet!" I called. "You're scaring the children," I said looking over to Ana being cradled by her father. Anelie shot up and ran over to her, she began kissing her face saying sorry.
"Calm down, just because our link with Esther has disappeared doesn't mean she's in danger. It just means she went into a place that abilities don't work in," I said and regretted it immediately.
"That means she's defenceless!" Aleksander shouted and the conversations started again in the room.
"Stop!" Carlisle shouted and everyone instantly stopped talking. "Tony take the children out of the room," he said softly. Tony obeyed immediately and left the room.
"We will not panic. We will give Esther and Axton the agreed time to return to us. If she's not back by then we will formulate another plan. For now we need to give them the benefit of the doubt."
Not many liked that but they obeyed. Lidiya and Anelie sat back down and everyone remained silent until the two hours were up.
"Rght that's it," Aleksander called and headed for the door.
"Stop papa no. I can see her," Lidiya said to her father her eyes were closed on the couch. I tried to tune into her mind but she must have been connected to her siblings because I couldn't see.
"she's... she's..."
"Lidiya!" Aleks said in a panic.
"I don't know where she is. I think it was a trap," she said just as I heard the door open.
"Please help!" Axton called out. We were all down the stairs and at the front of the house in seconds. He had a limp Alena in his arms, she was pale, thin and unconscious.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Axton was crying.
"Where is Esther?" I asked him. He was still sobbing.
"Where is Esther?" Zio asked lifting the boy up from the floor.
"It was a trap. The second we stepped inside the house. Liana knew we were coming. I had to. She said I wouldn't get her back. I'm so sorry," he wasn't making sense.
"Where is my wife?" Aleksander shouted at him in English.
"With Liana," Axton sobbed. "I'm sorry. It was her or my sister. I had to."
The betrayal became evident within seconds. And this was a very brave boy to come back here with a room full angry vampires.
"But something is wrong with Alena. I need your help," he said.
"You think we're going to help you when you gave Esther to our enemy?!" Zio shouted. "You are a foolish boy to go against us!"
"I know I'm sorry but please if Alena gets better we can get Esther back."
"Get out of this house. Out of respect for my granddaughter your life is protected," I told him just as Clara made it into the hall
"What's going on?" Clara asked.
"Out!" I roared. Clara flinched and Axton bent down to pick Alena up.
"No." Anelie said. "We keep her. We will take care of her and you will get her back when you get my mother back," she said eerily calm. She nodded to her father who picked Alena up in his arms.
Axton nodded and I frowned at his sudden willingness to let us take his sister he worked so hard to get back.
"Thank you," he said. I understood then. He couldn't fix her. That's why he came here in the first place. He needed us to save her. She was exactly where he wanted her to be.
"Now get out," I told him and pointed to the door. He left with a last lingering look at the very confused Clara.
The second he left, the entire room erupted again.
"Take her upstairs," Carlisle instructed Aleksander and I followed them up.
"Edward," Clara said grabbing my wrist.
"I'm so sorry Clara," I said to her, my other hand putting her hair behind her ear.
"What happened?"
"He didn't tell us much but from what we gathered he handed Esther over for his sister." I said choking on the words. The most powerful immortal being was now in the hands of our worst enemy.
"What? No he didn't," Clara was in pure denial. I kissed her forehead as her mother stepped up behind her and disappeared to find Carlisle with Alena. I knew Clara would be okay with her mother and her mother had already been caught up by Zac. This was something for her to do, not me. I found Carlisle working around Alena. She was lying unconscious on the bed. He was checking her vitals as Aleksander stood with Anelie.
When Carlisle was done Anelie walked over to her and rested her hands on her forehead.
"She's so weak," Anelie said.
"Her heartbeat is slow, she doesn't have the energy to wake up." Anelie said.
"Can't you spark her?" I asked. Wondering if Anelie could use her ability of life to wake her up.
"Not without damaging her in some way. I'd rather not. I've never met immortal witches before."
"She'll wake up though?" I asked.
"Eventually." She said watching Carlisle setting up a drip and preparing to keep a comatose patient.
"What do we do now?" I asked Carlisle. He eyed Aleksander who was clearly in so much distress. He nodded and Aleksander left the room and I heard him leave the house. I eyed my father questioningly
"I promised him I'd let him go. If it was Esme i'd have done the same thing."
"That's a suicide mission," Anelie sobbed. "I just lost both my parents... again."
I pulled her into a hug but I knew I wasn't enough.
"Lidiya!" I heard Matthew call. Anelie and I were in the other room within a second and saw Chantelle using her ability to stop her. Lidiya had tears running down her face.
"Lidy, Lidy listen to me sweetheart," Chantelle said coaxing her. "I'm so sorry I used my ability to stop you but think of your baby, think of your family. You need to stay here. Your father will bring your mother back. Your mother can't die and thanks to you neither can your father. They'll be okay. Don't make a mistake by risking your own life." Chantelle said. Lidiya fell into Chantelle and the pair hugged. Anelie went to sit down next to her and hugged her other side. I hated the look of pain on their faces but was glad it was short lived as the door swung open and Aleksander had an unconscious Esther cradled in his arms looking panicked.
"Help her."
And so it starts.
Sorry its small but I will be updating Friday to make up for it. You will find out exactly what happened with Esther and Axton dont worry.
