Title: Solstice
Author: marjorie16
Fandom: Twilight
Summary: This is a story mid New Moon. Edward leaves Bella. Bella befriends Jacob. The werewolves kill Laurent BUT Victoria gets passed the werewolves and bites Bella.

Laurent: "...but if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella..."

Well, what if you did?

* Third Person POV

CHAPTER 7

It felt like turning into stone. Only much, much worse.

At least, when as a dying human, one just dropped dead and that would be the end of it. The end of suffering and the beginning of something else. Maybe of peace. Hopefully of peace.

But now, as a starving vampire, it was worse because one was literally turning into stone. There were no 'maybes' or new beginnings. There is just you: hard, cold and unmoving because there was no energy or strength or will to move anymore. But that wasn't the end of it.

There was no end.

And so, one simply becomes stone: hard, cold and unmoving but completely aware of everything going on around oneself.

Bella felt the world move around her but she could no longer move with it. Her body was lying on the ground. Her face leaned on the moist soil. She was vaguely aware of the violence surrounding her. She heard it, smelled it, saw it. But, she couldn't do anything. They did not pay attention to her, though. But when, eventually, one side wins, what would she do? She didn't even know which side to take.

Would she favor the over-sized wolves who opted to neglect the fact that she was thirsty for blood but who, for some unfathomable reason, kept her alive? Even as a beast, that russet-brown wolf seemed more like a friend. Bella didn't know why that wolf protected her before. She was sure that the russet-brown wolf tried to talk the others out of killing her. She owed him.

Or would she take the side of her own kind?

She noticed several figures when they came to where she was about to be killed helplessly. She knew by their smell that they were like her. But was that enough to assume that they did not mean any harm?

The battle stopped.

She couldn't look up to the man walking towards her.

So the vampires won, then.

His dark leather shoes treaded forward with a surreal grace. His long pitch-black robe cascaded at his heals. Then, he slowly crouched over her.

"Move her." He ordered. His voice was just a soft sighing. Like the struggle that had just taken place was an ordinary thing.

A hand touched her left arm and set her upright in a sitting position. The hand carefully leaned her against a huge tree root. Bella could now see the light of a new day as it played across the sleeping forest.

But the beautiful scenery paled against the perfect features of the vampire looking intently at her. His skin was translucently white, like onionskin, and it looked just as delicate. It stood in shocking contrast to the long black hair that framed his face. His gleaming red eyes burned with curiosity.

"Is she one of them?" another man asked.

"No, Caius." The vampire who stared at her was smiling. "This one's the cause of it."

"Interesting. Are you sure?"

"Let's check." His right hand confidently reached for her hand. His soft touch would have made her shiver, but she stayed frozen. A long while passed. The vampire's perfect face scowled in confusion.

"Hmm.."

"What is it, Aro?" the man called Caius asked.

"This one's gifted."

"What's wrong with her?" Caius demanded. He was wearing the same thing the man called Aro was. He also had a long dark robe that brushed the ground too. His hair was white and his tone, harsh. And then, he turned to look down on her. "What's your name, newborn? Speak."

Though Bella knew what to say, she could not say it. She could not move or do anything else.

"I said, speak!" Caius was about to hit the motionless vampire.

"Patience, brother." Aro stopped him before he could hit her. Bella heard a loud growl coming from her left side. The wolf? "I suspect this one hasn't eaten for a long time. Look at her eyes."

Caius reluctantly relaxed his stance, his eyes fixed on hers. "What will we do with her?"

"That depends. Jane?"

A little girl walked over to Aro. "Yes, Master?"

Her high, reedy voice pierced the silence.

"See if you can 'awake' our thirsty friend."

The little girl smiled at Bella pleasantly, sweetly.

Too sweet.

What did Aro mean when he commanded Jane to 'awake' her? She was not asleep. She couldn't sleep. Could that girl feed her somehow? Bella doubted it. All she could do now is wait for whatever it was that little girl would do to her.

But nothing happened.

Aro started to laugh when he saw the beatific eyes of the little girl turn into intense glaring. "Don't be put out, dear one. She confounds us all."

The little girl was probably about to pounce on the unmoving vampire but Aro stared at her meaningfully.

"What is this about, Aro?" Caius asked.

"This vampire is immune to my power." Aro answered as if the fact pleased him. He was now looking at the frozen vampire."And to Jane's as well."

"She's a shield, then." Caius placed his pale hand on Aro's arm. The movement bridged their thoughts together.

Moments later, Aro smiled at Caius as he pulled back his hand and placed it on his right pocket.

"Bring the human." Cauis ordered.

At that moment, a huge muscular vampire came towards them. He was carrying an unconscious body. Bella immediately recognized him.

Harry Clearwater.

A wolf's loud growl resounded in the forest. It echoed in unmistakable fierceness.

Seconds later, Bella's onyx eyes turned bright crimson.

* * *

"Victoria," Riley's anxious voice called to her. "Bree's group hasn't come back yet."

The puppet master was sitting casually on her worn-out couch. She was enjoying the sunrise. Victoria knew from Riley's announcement that it was time to move.

The Volturi have come.

She knew it. She could feel it. They were here. And there was no time left. She had to leave now. With her talent, the Volturi could never find her. They couldn't, couldn't they?

No. She was sure of it. Her talent was powerful.

"Is that so?" she answered, feigning concern. "Well then, we'd better get moving, my love. I fear there is danger to come."

"Danger?" Riley asked. He came toward her and knelt. "But, who can stand against us, my sweet? With this army we've created, we're invincible."

Oh, this is almost too easy.

Victoria smiled at her puppet. "As long as I'm with you, Riley, I know I'm safe."

When Riley saw the love gleam in her eyes, he was instantly dazed. No woman has ever looked at him this way. Like he was the most powerful person in the world. He would protect this girl at all costs. He would do anything for this girl. Anything.

He slowly came up to her and caged her face with both his hands. "Together, we will be unconquerable. We already are. Don't be scared."

"I'm not." She vowed with vehemence. "We need to strategize, Riley. This coven we're up against isn't weak."

"What do you suggest, my love?"

"First, we're going to need another base camp. I'll go out right now and look for a suitable place for the army. Somewhere big and convenient for battle."

"Brilliant! I'll come with you."

"No, my love. I must do this. You alone can control the army while I'm gone."

Riley's face fell. He very much wanted to be with his mate, never to part from her. But, logic and reason got in the way. Of course he must stay and lead the army while his partner looked for another base to camp.

"Okay. I understand."

"I'll leave now so that I could get back faster. Stay here and wait for me."

"As long as it takes."

Victoria pushed Riley's embracing hands away with relief. No one could touch her like James could. No one.

She lithely stood up and almost danced out in the window all the while knowing she would never come back.

As Riley stared at his beautiful mate disappearing in the forest, he wondered idly why she had to use the window. Come to think of it, why doesn't she want the army to know who she is? Why did she leave all the talking to him? Why doesn't she allow any of the others to look at her?

Riley smiled by himself.

She must want the power to be given solely to him. He was the only one worthy to gaze upon her. He was the one she loved.

* * *

"Dead vampires stink!" Emmet declared.

As the Cullens ran through the lightening forest, they came across three burnt bodies of immortals piled neatly near a cave.

"What do you think it is, Carlisle?" Edward asked. Emmett and Rosalie busied themselves with the pile of corpses.

"This could mean a lot of things, Edward. There may be quarreling covens in the vicinity. Or---"

"The Volturi are here." Jasper finished. He was studying the pile intently. "It's a good thing you're acquainted with them, Carlisle. If we're caught, I doubt they'll stop and think first."

"Gah!" Alice exasperated. "I can't see them either! What's wrong with me?"

Alice's visions were becoming unreliable: the future started disappearing. Clearly, someone was playing with the holes of her visions. Therefore, someone knew how they worked. If so, someone knew how to hide. Very, very well.

"This is not good." Edward voiced.

"I'm so sorry Edward." Alice pleaded. She was disappointing everyone. Esme put her hand over Alice's shoulder. Her eyes full of concern.

Jasper came to comfort her immediately. "Don't think about it, Alice. You're not losing your gift."

"He's right" Edward agreed. "Somebody knows how they work. Somebody's playing with your visions, Alice."

"What? Who's playing with my visions? The only people who know about me are my family." She said. "Just you guys and the Denali."

"Then, who could have possibly known?" Carlisle asked.

All three searched for an answer.

Edward's voice snapped up.

"Laurent!"

Alice's beautiful face was painted with shock. "If he knew, then Victoria knows too."

"That's right." Japer agreed. "And if they do, then we can conclude that they're behind this thing: Bella getting kidnapped, people getting killed."

Emmett and Rosalie materialized in the discussion.

"If that's the case, why is Bella still alive?" Emmet added. His arms were wrapped protectively around Rosalie.

"He's right." Rosalie agreed. "What is she waiting for?"

A million possibilities raced through Edward's mind. None of these possibilities were about what Victoria was waiting for. He already knew it. The images that crossed his mind were the infinite possibilities of what Victoria was doing to Bella for almost three months. The possibilities!

Though Rosalie directed the question to Jasper, Edward was the one who answered.

"She's waiting for me."

He suddenly remembered a memory:

"I don' want you to come with me."

"You… don't… want me?"

"No."

Edward felt like he was turning into stone: cold, hard and unmoving.

The sun shone on the glittering skin of the immortals.

A loud growl shook the forest.

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Okay, here's a long one again. I hope you guys like long ones. I personally don't because the reader usually gets caught up in the ending and forgets what happens in the beginning.

Anyway, the story is unfolding beautifully. I didn't end it with the infamous cliffhanger but I believe this chapter was sufficiently interesting to keep you guys reading. Please review!