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Chapter 15: these abodes full of terror
The Cullens walked across the town square as dusk fell. The paving stones—already damp with dew—reflected the street lamps creating a mirror of the stars under their feet. Sidewalk cafes bustled with business as the dinner crowds settled in, and couples shopped from the cart vendors. The square was filled with the scent of tomato sauces, breads and blood, depending on the particular tastes of those who wished to dine for the evening.
Bella clutched Edward's hand as her memories of this place crowded her mind. Though she had been human then, sleep-deprived and distraught, her memories of this place, that time, those events, were crystal clear. She had never experienced fear that intense ever before. Even the memory of it made her feel sick. Edward gathered her to his side and pressed his lips to her brow. Bella turned her face into his shoulder letting everything tangible about him—his smell, his firm arm around her, his lips on her skin—keep the memories at bay. As much as she had lived in dread those seventy-two hours, there was no denying it had been the turning point in their relationship.
She smiled weakly back at him. "I would have been okay never coming back here."
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
She shook her head and squeezed her arm around his waist to let him know she was all right, that it was in the past. Though she and Edward had already talked about those fateful months years ago in the privacy within her shield, she still found her eyes drawn to the fountain that she had run through, felt her eyes raise to the clock tower beyond... and the alley where Edward had waited for noon to strike.
Being back made those memories real all over again. She had only been a girl then and though her body was now fixed in time, she had the experiences of a woman and a wife. Because of this dark place and those awful events so long ago, she and Edward had taken the first real steps into their future... together. It was because of the Volturi and their laws that Bella took control of her fate and demanded a vote of Edward's family. It was because of his fear from the results of that vote that Edward wrested her fate out of the hands of destiny. It was because of Bella's stubborn nature that he bartered with her over the inevitable, and it was because of his love for her that he proposed for the first time.
The last ten years as Edward's wife had been more than she ever dreamed possible. Each moment they spent together only wove them tighter into a single entity, a single body. Not only did she have a loving family for all eternity, but the love of a man who adored and worshiped her; a man she would do anything for. She could not imagine a life without him. Edward was the reason she could be brave and take risks trying new things. Nothing was real for her until Edward knew about it. If they spent an hour apart, they spent two hours talking about it. Nothing held her attention if he was not there. He was the first thing she looked for when she entered a room. She could separate the sound of his voice from any din. Without him, she was incomplete in ways so profound only the void of space could compare. Edward was her reason, her resolve, and her motivation.
She understood Rolle.
Overcome as she was with these memories, it took her a moment to realize they had stopped. As she looked around, both Edward and Carlisle were staring at Esme. She, too, was staring at the clock tower. The understanding of where they were registered slowly on her face as she looked around the piazza with shock.
"This is the place?" It wasn't a question. It wasn't an accusation. It was pure emotion. It was reaction and response, wrapped in every fear she had that day when Rose called Edward, topped with every fear she had now for Carlisle. This was the place where she almost lost her son, brother, friend, and everything else Edward represented to her.
Esme couldn't hide the pain and fear in her eyes as she looked at Edward, recalling with perfect clarity those horrible months climaxing in the most frightening twenty-two hours she had ever experienced. The tightness around Edward's eyes told her that he was listening to her mind as she remembered. She looked at Bella tucked close to Edward's side, realizing she was Bella's mirror herself, tucked close as she was into Carlisle.
Esme took a deep breath, straightened, and took a step away from Carlisle's arms, turning to face all three of them. Her mettle had been tempered and tested decades ago by her first husband, a man who no longer existed. Charles Evenson may have left no mark upon the earth, but the lessons learned under his cruel hands had made a mark upon Esme, both physically and mentally. It had taken all her courage to leave him, and that strength was with her still as she looked at each member of her family. Volterra was only a place, and the Volturi were only bullies like Charles. She would not cower in fear like that again. Just as she had escaped with her son so long ago, she would escape with her family again.
"We have family, scared and waiting for us back home," she said. "Do you understand? We are all leaving here together." The thought of Alice, Rose, Jasper and Emmett wondering, worrying even now about their safety, was another bitter memory as she recalled waiting for news about Edward knowing he could have perished in this very place.
Bella felt a swell of love for Esme for saying exactly the words she needed to hear. She fell against Esme and held her tight. "Yes, we are," she agreed.
Wrapped together as they were, they felt Edward's arms encircle them both with a soft "Yes" and Carlisle's "Of course" pressed with a kiss to the top of their heads.
Edward saw a reflection of their family moment and curious glances from passersby, through the eyes of another before he heard the mental rolling of eyes followed by an audible and tiresome sigh.
"If you're trying to blend in, I'll have you know that tourists don't normally participate in group hugs," a voice said, dripping disdain.
The Cullens released one another to face the speaker. Red eyes were tilted over high cheekbones framing a sharp face. The effect gave the speaker a distinctly fox-like appearance. His sandy hair was so fine that the slightest breeze shifted it on his head.
"Who are you?" the stranger asked.
Carlisle stepped forward. "My name is Carlisle-"
"Cullen," the stranger finished and nodded as he scrutinized Carlisle. "You are known here."
"Yes," Carlisle replied, pursing his lips. He clasped his hands at his waist. "This is my family," he introduced. "My wife, Esme. My son, Edward and his wife, Bella. I'm here to speak with Aro."
"Edward and Bella," the stranger repeated with an unnerving smile. "I've heard those names before as well." The stranger regarded each of them with such intensity that it made their welcome feel undesirable. It was surprising when he amicably introduced himself. "I am Afton. If your family time is over, then follow me," he said dryly.
~•~
It was a long walk through Volterra to the castle located on the edge of the city. They had followed Afton in silence, barely able to take in the surroundings until their guide pointed out a large three-story building with imperial windows.
"Your fingerprints still linger in the city," he said to Carlisle.
"I'm sorry?" Carlisle asked nonplussed.
Afton laughed mirthlessly and pointed to a discreet bronze plaque next to the main door of the structure. It read simply in capital letters: ETRUSCAN GUARNACCI MUSEUM. Below was printed, Stab. 1761.
Shaking his head as if finding the notion foolish, he said, "Mario Guarnacci," as if the name explained everything.
"Mario?" Carlisle repeated, surprised.
Edward snorted softly through his nose and smiled, hearing Carlisle's memories of the then-rebellious youth.
"Who was he?" Esme asked.
"He was a boy I knew when I lived here," Carlisle answered, recalling the quiet youth he'd befriended. "The eldest son of a wealthy family."
As Carlisle rifled through his memories, Edward listened quietly seeing glimpses of key events of Carlisle's relationship and recollection of that time. Mario had been a serene, intelligent boy. As the oldest son, the youth was treated as a prince, privately educated and kept ignorant of the daily sufferings of the town's people. He stumbled, quite literally, into Carlisle when he slipped out of his family home one night. Mario was fascinated by Carlisle whose kindness and compassion were unlike anything he had experienced. Carlisle saw remarkable strength and potential in everything, and spoke of the untapped power in mankind to accomplish things greater than any one individual. Until he had met Carlisle, Mario had only been taught to view the world as business opportunities to be exploited for profit. Carlisle had taught him that compassion was not weakness. One night, Carlisle had told the young man that he had the potential to become a great man who men would fear, or to become a great man who men would follow. No one had ever spoken so plainly to Mario, treating him as an equal.
"He became an abbot and turned over his family's antiquities and archeological collection in order to create this museum," Afton supplied. "For the citizens of the city," he added.
Carlisle gaped at this. "The-the books?" he asked.
"Fifty thousand of them."
Carlisle ran his hand over his forehead. "Why do you think I had something to do with it?" he had to know.
"A private letter from the abbot to Aro," Afton said without turning or slowing his step. "As a sign of respect and thanks, for the benefits of the sorcerer."
"Benefits of the sorcerer?" Bella repeated. "What does that mean? Did he think you were a wizard?"
"When I knew him, people still remembered the Inquisition in Venice. Fear and superstition was rampant," Carlisle explained, adding, "and not always without warrant. People believed a lot of things in those days, in the absence of science to prove otherwise." He shook his head in wonder, still stunned at the news of Mario's generosity to the city. "Even so, believing I was a wizard was far more palatable than the truth."
Afton laughed at this, his first sign of true humor. "Interesting choice of words."
He took them to the closest tower, directly into the center of the seat of Volturi power: Rocca Nuova. Though they had only moved from the stone walls and cobblestone sidewalks of the city to the stone walls and cobbles of the castle, it felt as if the warmth and life of Volterra stopped and waited just outside the threshold. The air was still. The yellows and golds of the city were dark with age here. The stone here felt as stagnant as a tomb's, not vibrant with industry as it was only steps behind them.
Thinking of the stone-like creatures within, Bella suppressed a shudder at the comparison. Her life with Edward was bright and alive compared to the Volturi, who fed on death and power. To add to the illusion, they passed several vampires wearing robes of gray or black. None of the Volturi spoke to them. They only watched the visitors with curiosity glowing in their red eyes.
Afton did not address his fellows, but walked with steady purpose, bringing the Cullens to the large ornate doors of the audience chamber. He stood aside to let the Cullens enter. The audience chamber revealed itself, and its occupants, as they moved into the hall. Three tall chairs sat upon a raised marble platform, the seat of the Volturi triumvirate. Caius, featured prominently on the dais, sat in one such chair giving the impression of one upon a throne. Marcus' and Aro's chair stood empty.
Edward recognized a few of vampires in the room from his first audience with the Volturi. Alec and Felix rose from a stone bench along the wall. The Cullens arrival appeared to have interrupted their conversation. Bella would remember them as well, but the others had only been present when Edward made his formal request to be destroyed. Chelsea, Thomas and Corin were clustered together. Edward studied them and picked up clear images of Rolle from their minds, as well as an overwhelming unease. Chelsea's mind was strangely occupied with some small tune that she was humming to herself. Intent on following protocol, Afton strode across the room and bowed before his masters.
Several of the Guard who had witnessed the Cullens' passage through the castle crept behind in their wake. The Cullen name was no longer a mere ghost within the halls. They had manifested themselves—four of them—just as Caius forecasted. Edward did not recognize these members of the Guard , but easily pulled their names from the minds in the room. The Guard lined the walls more out of curiosity than duty; eager to learn more of the very vampires they had heard so much about. They watched expectantly as Caius rose slowly from his chair as Carlisle and the others entered.
"Well, well, well," he voice drawled knowingly. "Speak the devil's name and the devil shall appear."
Marcus came forward from lingering in the shadows, mildly surprised to see the very people he had just rescued standing in the middle of the room. His milky red eyes were flat and questioning as he appraised them. Edward listened intently as Marcus studied the feelings that bond the Cullens together shimmering in blue-white that coiled around and encapsulated them. These were not mere filaments of thread connecting one to the other—weaker in color and artificially maintained by Chelsea—that he saw between the Guard. They were knotted skeins crocheted together in a tight weave, from each one of the Cullens to all the rest in their family. Only the signs of the mated pairs—mercurial gold and white spheres—overpowered any of the others.
"Carlisle," he greeted, hollowly.
"Marcus," Carlisle said with a bow of his head. "Caius, it's good to see you again."
Caius crossed his arms over his chest and scowled as he eyed Edward and Bella.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Marcus said in a tone that did, in fact, sound surprised. "Was our business at your home not concluded to your satisfaction?"
"Where is the rest of your coven?" Caius asked, cutting across Marcus. "Here in Italy?"
Edward heard Caius formulate his plan of attack instantly, hoping to use this situation to garner more support from the Guard.
Carlisle arranged a carefully neutral expression on his face, remembering that Caius was at the root of all this. "They stayed behind in Canada."
"Caius-" Marcus tried to break in.
"I must say," Caius continued, ignoring Marcus entirely, "we were very pleased to hear that you did not push our stipulations concerning Edward's mate. By all accounts, Bella has become an exceptional vampire."
Marcus drifted back to his place behind their chairs, unwilling to challenge Caius' single-mindedness. Caius did not even consider Marcus, knowing his associate had lost his will for life long ago.
Edward tensed, knowing that Caius was intentionally goading him. He fought the protective urge to pick Bella up and run her out of Italy. Caius' cold appraisal of her was already threatening his composure.
"Yes," Carlisle said, glancing at Bella as he spoke, "she is a much-loved addition to our family."
Edward focused on the elder's thoughts as Caius sneered at the word 'family' and made a mental count of the Guard in the room, calculating the odds, before coming close. Three to one was apparently good enough to put him at ease. He stepped down from the platform, crossing directly over to Bella. Getting closer than necessary to provoke Edward, he inspected her, leaning from side to side to see her from different angles.
"I must give you credit, Carlisle, for your choices," Caius said snidely. "You choose to be a doctor. You choose to only give our gift to those dying. You choose when to break your own standards when you conveniently find a human who will clearly be outstanding in our world. I wonder how many dying humans you have really changed?"
Carlilse spun to face him, horrified that anyone could even think like that. He and Caius had never had any sort of friendship beyond polite acquaintances, but they had at least had respectful regard toward one another. He had never realized the true depth of Caius' ruthlessness.
"You know I would never do anything like that," Carlisle said trying to keep the sharpness from his tone.
"Do I? Hmm." Caius continued to needle him in a blatant attempt to prove to the Guard once and for all the real dangers the Cullens represented. "Did you choose to become a teacher to evaluate the young humans to swell your ranks then? Find more of those who would be gifted? Indoctrinate their minds early into your way of thinking?"
Carlisle gaped at him now understanding the depth of the paranoia within Caius that Rolle had warned them about. He saw now how easily Caius' rumormongering could have pushed Aro into action and created these suspicions within the Volturi guards that would encourage them to act on their own. Had Caius always harbored these ill-feelings toward him? Had Carlisle's lifestyle sewed this mistrust? Was it a reflection of jealousy that Carlisle had enjoyed a deeper friendship with Aro? Was it merely cold and calculating strategy on the elder's part to influence the Guard?
Caius moved onto his next target while Carlisle spluttered and stood behind Bella. He was so close she felt the material of her blouse shift before she realized he was leaning over her shoulder as if to speak into her ear. She shivered at his breath near her ear, struggling not to move away.
"Tell me," he directed to Edward in a deceptively soft voice, "is it true that you still cannot read her mind, despite her change? Even after being well and truly mated to one another? You were the one to change her, were you not?"
Bella felt Edward's building reaction. Her mouth filled with the bitter taste of panic and static raced over her skin as her shield instinctively expanded to encompass Edward's mind. Edward, don't! her mind said and she clamped down on his hand as she found the strength to smile and look at Caius over her shoulder. Her movement precipitated his withdrawal as he was forced to give her space or let her lips touch his skin. Empowered by his small retreat, Bella laughed lightly sounding carefree and easy.
"It's for the best, isn't it?" she asked, casually amused. Even as she spoke, she soothed her husband's anxiety with her mind, assuring him that she was all right and urging him to stay calm as her thumb caressed the back of his hand. "Can you imagine any marriage where the husband could read his wife's mind twenty-four seven? We never sleep, so when would he get any silence? Besides, my mind is always going a million miles an hour and half the time, I'm not even paying attention to it myself!"
Several of the male guard in the room chuckled softly, reducing the enmity that Caius had been manipulating. His oily smirk belied his irritation at Bella's disarming influence on the Guard.
"I'm sure," he muttered as he walked back to the dais before addressing Carlisle again. "I can't say I'm surprised to see you," he said sardonically, sitting in his chair and leaning back comfortably. "Why are you here?"
Carlisle knew now not to say anything to Caius. Any truth offered to him would only be twisted and manipulated for the elder's own gain. Instead, he slid one hand into Esme's, raising the other to his waist with the palm up before letting it fall again "When I left, Aro assured me that I would always be welcome in Volterra."
"I'm sure he meant you would be welcome if you intentions were friendly," Caius challenged.
"But we've done nothing to make you think our intentions are otherwise," Carlisle pointed out.
"Oh?" Caius questioned, casually glancing at his fingernails as if the conversation held no merit. "Is it out of friendship then that you expand your coven? Is it friendship that compels you to collect the powerful allies that you euphemize as family?"
There was a murmur of accord from the Guard, several of whom had shifted forward from the wall. Despite Bella's efforts, the tension in the room returned as Caius had reminded everyone of the inherent threat the Cullen's coven represented. Years of Ciaus' whisper campaign would not be easily diffused.
"I don't understand your meaning," Carlisle replied. "My family has not changed with the exceptions of Bella."
Caius stared hard at him without a word.
Carlisle smiled and shook his head in surprise. "I didn't realize that to find a mate was such a threat to your comfort and laws."
"Our laws," Caius corrected sharply.
"There is nothing in our laws that prohibits us from seeking out a mate," Carlisle pointed out, and quickly added, "Nor is there any precedent against the establishment of covens. It's been quite the opposite."
"Convenient then that these mates hold such unique gifts," Caius replied in an accusing tone.
Carlisle shrugged again hoping that pointing out the obvious would have some effect. "Esme holds no such power, but she is my mate. Neither my daughter, Rosalie, nor her mate have any unique power. I assume then that you only refer to Bella."
Caius glared, but did not want to appear to be singling her out.
Edward ground his teeth together. It did not make him feel better to listen as Caius reevaluated his approach, knowing it would weaken his position if he appeared wary of a single vampire, especially a woman who was little more than a newborn. As much as Edward hated being here, hated Bella being subjected to this, he tried to take comfort in the fact that they were dealing with this situation preemptively. He did not want to think about what might have come to pass if Rolle had not warned them this situation was brewing. It was already so much worse than they dared believe! He let his eyes close briefly, shutting out the sight of this horrible place, and let Bella's gentle voice in his mind calm him as Carlisle continued to defend them.
"Edward was my first son," Carlisle added in a conversational tone, "and he was the last of us to find his mate."
"And such a convenient choice she was," Caius said waspishly.
"Do you believe there is a choice in who we bond to?" Carlisle tone was casually curious as if he were merely searching for an opinion on the matter. "Surely, you can't imagine it was convenient for him to fall in love with his singer—a human—to hunger for her blood as he had hungered for no other?"
"What, then, of Alice and her mate?" Caius attacked from a new angle.
Carlisle sighed patiently through his nose. "I don't understand. I've done nothing but what is in our natures—or that you, yourselves, have encouraged me to do," he stressed. "When I left your company, Aro, himself, urged me to seek out others who would freely choose my lifestyle."
"Perhaps Aro did not fully understand the implications of his leniency," Caius snapped.
The words were no sooner past his lips, than a gasp of shock whispered through the room. For a split second, Caius' pride got the better of him and he took delight that his boldness had won this reaction. As every pair of eyes darted sharply to a side door and went wide with surprise, Caius' jerked his chin over his shoulder to see what everyone was looking at. He had been so wrapped up in the Cullens he hadn't heard anything.
Aro had entered the chamber.
It was as if the air had been sucked from the hall when Aro entered. Every undead being in the room shamed the statues of marble that looked down on them from their pedestals with their sudden stillness. The quiet that enveloped the room hushed the low roar of the earth as it boiled deep in the belly of the bedrock.
Time itself paused to watch the tension, forgetting its duties of moving life forward for never in all their history had one of the Volturi brothers publicly questioned another.
Aro's face was smooth and calm, but his eyes burned into Caius who had not moved since his brother entered. Marcus alone was close enough to see the slight bob of Caius' throat when he swallowed. The Guard along the wall discreetly lowered their eyes in the hopes to claim ignorance by lack of directly watching.
Though the Aro's face was as smooth and young as it had been the day he was changed over a millennia ago, Edward alone knew the elder's thoughts in that moment and they were not smooth nor calm nor contemplative. In that moment, Edward realized how deeply divided the brothers had become. Aro, however, did not think about the specifics of his annoyance with Caius. Edward could only hear his anger with Caius for his behavior and got the sense that this was simply one more event in a long and growing list.
After what felt like a vampire's lifetime, Aro glanced around the room, noting which guards were present to witness this breach of conduct. Edward gleaned the names of the other Volturi in the room whom he did not know. Aro considered the first: Donato. He had the ability to create physical urges in humans and vampires. Torgor had come from Norway and could erase the memories of humans. Aro was particularly upset to see him here, as well as the next Guard, Mirek. His gift was the ability to put images into the minds of others. Nabhiha, my Persian beauty, Edward heard Aro think as he felt a pang of loss. Nabhiha could create visual illusions in others. As Aro's mind began to calculate how to deal with the loss of these people, Edward realized Aro was already writing them off, wondering if there was any way to save Chelsea from the situation. With a shock, Edward wondered exactly how deep the division ran, though he had no way of knowing exactly why Aro seemed to write these particular guards off as collateral damage. Apart from his brothers and the Cullens, ten other guards had bore witness to Caius' aspersions.
Bella felt a cold chill in the air much like she had the first time she stood in this room, only she wasn't soaking wet this time and she wasn't mortal. As she glanced at the guards, she wasn't the only one who felt it and that gave her a small sense of peace. Whatever had just happened, it affected everyone. She dared not turn her head to look, but through her peripheral vision she could see that even Carlisle felt the electrified tension in the room.
Aro drew his eyes back to Carlisle and a small smile marred his overly-controlled expression. He took another step into the room and glanced at the person nearest the door. Aro reached out a hand and touched the arm of the guard as he walked toward the Cullens. The gesture could have been meant to be friendly and reassuring in the tense situation, but Edward listened as Aro catalogued the entire welcome that Caius had given them from the guard's memory.
As Aro passed over the door's threshold, Renata and Jane came in behind him. It was Esme's mental voice of heartache that interrupted Edward's attention when she spotted Rolle following in their wake dressed in black robes. He was flanked by two more Guard.
Edward tried to get a sense of his frame of mind, when Jane's malevolent glare fell on Bella. With twenty voices in Edward's head from everyone in the room—all of them agitated by the dissension they had witnessed—only one mattered to him and it had fallen silent to him again. Bella's control of her shield had faltered. He squeezed her hand when it tightened on his own. He fought his own growl of frustration, battling every cell in his body that wanted to get her out of this place. His chest ached when Bella moved closer to comfort him, ignoring her own fear and sadness when she spotted Rolle.
"Carlisle! You've accepted my invitation to visit at long last. Our own prodigal son!" The tension abated with the tone of Aro's greeting.
At the mention of Carlisle's name, Rolle's head snapped up. Edward heard the cry of despair in his mind when he saw them.
"Thank you, Aro," Carlisle answered. "You've always been a very gracious host. I'd like you to meet my wife, Esme," he introduced.
"Wife?" Aro repeated, surprised by the human title. He glanced and Esme and back at his old companion. "I am glad for you," he said in earnest. "There is no greater comfort through the years as one's own mate.
"But I must say, Carlisle..." Aro regarded him with a shake of his head. "Look at you! You've succeeded in finding your own path as I always hoped you would. I admit I had my doubts when you left here just as dissatisfied and directionless as when you arrived. I worried about your tolerance for immortality. You were always so singularly melancholy and deliberate, yet brimming with keen observation and incredible circumspection. I feared we would never see you again, and yet, here you are surrounded by your own coven."
"My family," Carlisle corrected, and Aro's smile grew wider still.
"Family, of course. Forgive me." Aro's gaze now moved to Esme and he swept a shallow bow to her. "I'm delighted to make your acquaintance."
Esme nodded, too intimidated by the powerful creatures around them to speak. She forced herself to watch Aro; anything to keep herself from staring at Rolle whose face was stoney and cold, but his eyes burned bright within the hood of his robes. It sent a chill through her, reminding her of his madness when he attacked them. Was it barely a week ago?
"And the new Mrs. Edward Cullen!" Aro went on, practically jubilant upon seeing her. "Bella, my dear, you are simply stunning. Your beauty alone surpasses all my wildest imaginings!"
Edward failed miserably in the attempt to hide his feelings about Aro imagining his wife in any capacity.
"Tell me, is your shield just as remarkable as we suspected it would be?" he asked her. "May I?" he asked, extending his hand to her.
Bella gaze skirted around to the guards at Aro's back, but she bravely took the step forward and slid her hand into Aro's, her other hand still firmly locked in Edward's who was unwilling to let it go. As he clasped both of his hands around hers, she noted the difference of the smooth texture. Though the skin still looked papery, the marble-like quality was different from her own skin or even Edward's—like a high-grade polish. The texture appeared to be a patina acquired through his incredibly long life.
Aro stared at Bella, simultaneously delighted and unnerved by his inability to hear her mind. His milky red eyes lowered to stare at her hand in his as he caressed her fingers. His fascination was deep and very obvious.
Edward struggled to not rip Bella from Aro's grasp when he heard the elder muse about having Bella at his side, cloaked in black. Aro coveted her and it did not matter that he wanted Edward just as badly, if not more so. Even the idea of Aro wanting to steal her away tilted Edward's world, and he found himself momentarily hating Rolle for putting them in this situation. The longer Aro held Bella's hand, the more tenuous was Edward's grasp on reason.
A hiss filled the room and the jealous protective haze lifted from Edward's mind. The sound had not come from Jane, though her murderous thoughts were also flaming with jealousy. The hiss had come from Renata.
Aro did not scold her for her action. He only smiled at her indulgently then turned to question Edward. "As your mate, are you now privy to her thoughts?"
Knowing they couldn't be caught in a lie, Bella answered, "He can only read my thoughts if I bring him into my shield, but it's very difficult for me to keep it pushed out around him for any length of time" She cast a quick scowl at Caius after she answered, wanting Caius to remember that they did not answer his taunting way of bringing up the particulars of her shield.
Aro's smile grew. "Interesting," he murmured, though Edward heard him take note of the way she described pushing the shield out. "In time, my dear, in time!" he encouraged. "All of our unique traits have matured over time, as does our control of them. But speaking of control..."
Edward tensed violently. Despite his concentration on the thoughts of every vampire in the room, the content of Aro's thoughts suddenly flamed in Edward's mind well before the words left Aro's lips.
"You wouldn't perhaps be inclined to indulge me in a small experiment?" Aro asked, motioning Jane forward.
Bella could not control the shudder that raced through her.
~•~
Rolle stared at them from under his black hood, the sleeves of his robes quivering from the tremors in his hands. His foot began to bounce impatiently the longer Aro spoke and the closer he moved toward Bella and Edward.
The low and distant rumble of the earth beneath their feet returned as Aro spoke to the Cullens.
Rolle dropped his eyes, praying that his anxiety wouldn't give them away, but he could not stop himself from rocking on his feet.
Marcus slowly descended the dais watching the room and the reactions, as his confusion began to bloom. Where was the distrust? Where were the indictments and anger? He glanced around the room, verifying the relationships he knew would be familiar.
He saw the familiar pale bonds that tied the Guard to one another, some were faint blues, others were orange. The bonds between the twins, Alec and Jane, were not manipulated by Chelsea. The ribbon between the twins was a deep purple, similar to the color he had seen between Edward and Alice long ago. The bright yellow bonds between Aro and Jane were expected. The petite vampire did not need to be coaxed into feeling affection and loyalty toward Aro, for it had been Aro that had saved her and her brother from the flames of a mob, damning them for consorting with the devil.
As Marcus moved around Caius, he saw again the ties between Aro and Carlisle as a myriad of greens, from the pale green of new leaves to the deeper hues of evergreen. The bonds of their friendship had not changed since Carlisle had left. There was no animosity from Carlisle at all.
Marcus circled the edges of the room as the discussion continued. He and Aro were in agreement that Carlisle was not the threat that Caius claimed. Aro had decided it was simply easier to quiet Caius' rants with proof, which was why he had sent Marcus to talk to Carlisle. Aro had effectively argued with Caius that Marcus was the right person to go because of his gift. If the Cullens did harbor ambitions for power, Marcus would have been able to see this animosity reflected toward him when he arrived at their home. Caius had fought to have someone go with Marcus, if only for his protection. Aro had appealed to Caius' strategic nature by implying that they could maintain their surprise advantage if it looked more like a social call and less like reconnaissance.
Marcus turned his head to glance at Caius. The color of the bonds between the two brothers had begun changing long ago, growing thinner as time wore on. After Caius' blunder when Aro came into the hall, the bond between the two of them was arching sharply between oranges and reds.
Marcus moved again, stepping behind Chelsea and Corin to get a better view. He could instantly see that Jane still harbored a peevishness toward Bella for being able to thwart her abilities. Simply by connection, that feeling extended to Edward. Instead of cinnabar ribbons, they looked more like javelins. The spears vibrated as Aro called for Jane. She had rarely been happier to obey her master.
That was when he saw it. Rolle's maddening fidgeting abruptly stopped. Marcus took two quick steps to see around Jane's influence and lined up the Cullens. The ties between them now extended to Rolle. Not only did they extend to the boy, they were brilliantly reciprocated.
Rolle threw back his hood, his eyes flashing to Marcus... as he realized their bonds... as Aro called Jane forward... as Jane's disturbing excitement peaked at the opportunity... as Bella shivered in anticipation.
Edward's head snapped up as if someone had suddenly screamed.
Marcus knew.
Rolle knew that Marcus had figured it out.
Marcus saw a sphere of blinding bright white erupt from the boy before he had to raise his arm to protect his eyes.
The room roared.
Time froze.
§∞•••∞§
A/N: As always, I send my deepest gratitude and a healthy dash of love to Irishgirl, Songster, LolaShoes and Emmanuelle Nathan. Not for nuthin', but google docs ROCK for providing flexibility and feedback between a writer and their review team. It has helped all of us communicate, and this chapter would not be as fleshed out as it is now without this tool, and without these wonderful women. Thanks to Nikki Pattinson over at Twilighted for always being on top of her game. She's my Speed Racer over there and validates my chapters for posting.
MUSIC: Uprising, by Muse
http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=w8KQmps-Sog
These abodes full of terror
The Myth of Orpheus
http://www(dot)renaissanceastrology(dot)com/orpheushymns(dot)html
ETRUSCAN GUARNACCI MUSEUM
http://www(dot)comune(dot)volterra(dot)pi(dot)it/english/museiit/metru(dot)html
(fanon) CARLISLE IN ITALY
1720 - (1760?)
Carlisle meets 19-yr old Mario Guarnacci
Rocca Vecchia
http://www(dot)castellitoscani(dot)com/volterra(dot)htm
Volterra is one of the most important historical Tuscan town, first great Etruscan 'metropolis' (or as the ancient said 'lucumonia') then Roman settlement.
Stregoni Benefici
Sorcerer Benefits (literal translation)
http://nicetranslator(dot)com/
http://www(dot)stregheria(dot)com/what(dot)htm