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A/N: This story is rated M for "Massimo." Yes, again. You'll see why. As usual, if you're not over 18, please don't read. Thanks!
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Chapter 16: Take No Prisoners
Jane stood stock-still in the hallway just outside Aro's chambers. No one was around and her master was so engrossed in ensuring that his little pet didn't jump off the deep end again that he didn't appear to have noticed Jane's whisper soft steps as she approached his chambers. She knew she had no purpose to be in this part of the castle, but as part of the elite she was free to wander as she pleased. She passed down this restricted hallway from time to time, partly reveling in the knowledge that she could go where others could not, partly enjoying any excuse to gain closer physical proximity to her master. She was aware that it was a little desperate; she knew Aro saw straight through to her baser motivations, still she couldn't deny the compulsion.
Today was no different. She had felt vulnerable ever since the golden-eyed abomination had come to Volterra and she needed the reassurance only Aro could give her, even if it was the silent communion with her idol through the wall of his room. Listening to Aro as he soothed the ravaged soul of her rival, however, was not what she wanted or needed at the moment. The trip that she had hoped would settle her anxious mind had instead set it whirling. She was the one who was right outside his door, she craved the warmth of his love as much as any vampire did and yet who was he lavishing it on? Bella. Always, always Bella.
He will never care for me as he does for that kiss-ass bitch, she fumed. In that instant she felt the last part of her allegiance to the Volturi shrivel up and die.
Silently Jane turned, making her way back to the main part of the castle and to her chambers beyond. Upon entering them, she removed her cloak and hung it in the wardrobe that sat unused on the far end of the room. Since she had joined the Volturi over four centuries ago, she had worn their cloak as a sign of her allegiance. She had never had any reason to set it aside, not even to exchange it for street-ware, as her talents elevated her above the menial tasks that called for their kind to mingle with humans. Now the dark grey fabric was gathered on a hanger and shut away in the wooden closet. She felt uncomfortably bare without it. As she glanced in the mirror that hung on the wall nearby, she was almost blinded by the stark whiteness of her peasant blouse. Unsettled but still determined, Jane shifted her eyes away from her reflection and set about preparing for her departure.
She moved swiftly about her room, collecting the few things she couldn't bear to part with, leaving everything else untouched. As Jane's hand closed around the tiny miniature of her brother, she closed her ruby eyes and sighed. Her face, always so carefully blank, cracked for a moment, revealing the heartbreak and frustration of a constantly thwarted girl. For an instant she appeared as what she had once been: no more than a child, overwhelmed by the world and so very powerless in the face of those around her. A quiet, tearless sob leaked out of her mouth and she clutched the image of her brother against her, holding onto it as if it were a talisman against her grief. A moment passed and her face calmed; the tightening of her jaw the only indication that any emotions had just passed over her visage. She tucked the miniature inside her shirt, just below where her heart had once beaten, then turned and calmly walked out the door.
If she was lucky, her absence wouldn't be missed right away. It's not as if many there sought out her company. Alec was the only person in Volterra who ever wanted to spend time with her. Everyone else feared or hated her as much as she loathed and disdained them. It was the loss of Alec, the one being who had always loved her, which cut her most now. He was the final sacrifice she must make to avenge herself on those who had mistreated her all these years. Killing Bella and knowing how that would torture Aro for eternity would be her reward.
"It will be enough," she murmured. "It will have to be."
Alec would know better than to trumpet her absence. He might discretely look about her room, but when he saw that the miniature of him was gone, he would know that she had left. And she was sure he would guess where she would go. Other than Aro, he was the only one who knew the true depths of her hatred for Bella. He knew how she had been humiliated in the throne room, chagrined at her implied incompetence. He knew how she had been horrified to learn that she hadn't killed Bella's mate as she had always believed. He knew that for Jane it always came back to Bella. Bella turned the vampire that made her a fool. Bella became the daughter Aro hadn't known he wanted, despite the fact that Jane had been at his side for decades before that. Bella killed her mate, taking from Jane that which was rightfully hers. Bella. Bella. Bella.
Yes, Alec would know immediately where his sister was headed and what she intended to do. How long he might be able to keep that information from their masters was uncertain, but he was clever and he loved her without question. Jane was certain that, with just a little bit of luck, she would be able to reach her destination and complete her task in time. That was all she could ask. Beyond that she not only expected death, she welcomed it.
Running all the way from Volterra to Milan wasn't an option. Now that she had left the Volturi, without request or permission, she needed to move faster than her feet could carry her. It was the work of a moment to take the car she wanted once she found it. She selected the fastest one on the street and was fortunate to find the Ferrari among her options. Once inside, Jane sped out of Volterra and into the countryside beyond, making a beeline for Milan and its airport. She had plenty of money and identification but she also seemed to have luck on her side: she made it to the airport with just enough time to catch the red-eye directly to Chicago. Ensconced in a plush, leather seat in the half-empty first-class section of the plane, she settled down to spend the next eight hours plotting her revenge.
Believing that she had killed Edward, however unintentionally, had been one of the few things that had brought her back to sanity after Bella had destroyed Massimo. As Chelsea had inundated her with waves of unctuous loyalty, Alec had applied the balm he knew her soul truly needed.
"At least you know that you have already killed her mate," he murmured soothingly. "She's softer than you are, Libelle, she needs the love of a mate to complete her. You have survived for so long, never dreaming you could want another until you met Massimo. You will feel that way again. I promise you."
He stroked her hair and despite her utter despair she managed a weak smile when he used their childhood nickname for her. He had called her Dragonfly in their native tongue ever since they had been able to speak, and he had always been Kullerauge, her googly-eyed pet. And he was right in that she had never felt alone before she had found Massimo. Knowing that if she must live without her mate, then at least Bella would do so as well did finally start the healing process in her heart. She vowed to ensure that her rival never found love again, never missing an opportunity to twist the knife in Bella's heart, despite Aro's disapproval.
When Edward came to Volterra, Jane had been incensed that Bella's lover still walked the earth. She had wanted nothing more than to burn him to dust as he stood in the throne room, a physical representation of her failure. But knowing that he was aligned with the perverse Cullen coven reassured her. No true vampire ever joined that band of freaks. Even Aro couldn't stomach their way of life, no matter how much he called Carlisle his 'dear friend.' Jane was certain Aro would simply keep the knowledge from Bella, for her own good as he must have all these years so far, and send the golden-eyed pervert along with no more knowledge of Bella's whereabouts than he had when he arrived in Italy.
But hearing her master not only condone Bella's love for that freak but encourage it, hearing him apologize for keeping them apart, broke something inside of Jane. In that hallway she realized what she had refused to believe for so long: Aro loved Bella as his child, he always had, and he would never, ever see Jane as anything more than a useful weapon.
As the plane moved steadily across pitch black sky, Jane forced her mind to focus her rage and jealousy into a plan. She would never have what she wanted: Aro's fatherly affection or her own, beloved Massimo back. But she would have revenge before she left this world. Knowing that Bella's shield would thwart her desire to see her enemy reduced to a pile of ashes, Jane turned her attention to Bella's well proven weak spot: her love for Edward. Jane knew from Aro's side of the conversation that Bella had asked him to destroy her again. If she was anything like she had been the last time she thought she had lost Edward, Jane knew she would be able to get Bella to drop her shield again. And if, by some stroke of bad luck, Bella had escaped her torpor and was reunited with her love, then Jane would simply leverage Edward's pain to get what she wanted.
Edward wasn't immune to Jane's powers and she was actually hoping to use them on him again. In fact, she decided as the plane began its descent, Bella's current status mattered little right now. Jane would proceed directly to finding Edward. She could find out all she needed from him while he writhed under her tender ministrations. One way or another, she would get Bella to drop her shield. She would ensure that Bella paid for the sins she committed against her. Then Jane would wait for her punishment in peace.
Jane breezed her way through the terminal and past the customs officers, no more than a blur and an unusual gust of wind in an otherwise airless environment. She could see out the windows that the day was just beginning to dawn, cloudy and grey, and was pleased that she wouldn't have to take any extra measures to ensure her anonymity.
She knew that the Cullens were living on the north side of the city. Their address had been one of the first pieces of information she had looked for after Edward had left Volterra, knowing she would want to pay that little liar a visit one day soon. She headed into the city, toward the lake that formed its eastern border, and eventually made her way north to the wooded area that enclosed the Cullen mansion. She could smell Bella's scent in the woods and followed it rather than the fainter scents of the other vampires in the vicinity. By its strength, she noted that her adversary had been there earlier and with another vampire, probably the Protector she had turned. They were now gone, though by no more than a few hours. Finding the spot where their scents were strongest, Jane walked around the area before picking a tree to use for her vantage point. She leapt up and settled in to watch the house, waiting to see or hear anything that would aid her in her quest for revenge.
She didn't have to wait long before her prey emerged; all tousled bronze hair and unsettling amber eyes. Jane could see he was upset about something, although she could care less what it was. What piqued Jane's interest was the fact that he was distracted. He didn't even seem to notice that there were the scents of not one, not two but now three outsiders on his property. If he had been paying attention he surely would have noted it, she thought with glee. Or perhaps it was their diet. Was it possible that it dulled their senses in some way? No, she decided as she looked again at the harsh planes of his face, he was definitely preoccupied with something else and that was going to work out for her perfectly.
He went straight to the silver Volvo in the nearby garage and streaked down the driveway and south toward the city. Jane wasn't worried she would lose him, soon enough he was forced to drive along with the other cattle on the roadways. He went to a parking lot on some university's campus and emerged looking like any other student. Well, she thought sardonically, any other student without a pulse.
Once he merged with the throng of deliciously-scented, beating hearts, Jane fell back. She needed to find a place to work, someplace where the tortured screams of another being wouldn't be heard or at the very least noticed, and she needed to find it fast. She left the school and continued heading south, past the bustling downtown and then on along the river that once upon a time was the lifeblood of the city's many industrial districts. Following a tiny tributary into what had been the heart of the stockyards, she left the creek where it dried up at a chemical manufacturing plant and headed across the vast lots filled with salt piles and stacked box cars until she came upon a wooded area that seemed completely out of place. Curious about the green enclave within the dingy grey area, Jane detoured into it and found her prize: a boarded-up fire house.
Jane leapt up through one of the second-floor windows on the side of the house, kicking through the plywood and glass as she went. Landing in a crouch amid the dust and debris, she gave the large open space a quick, once-over before straightening up and walking around for a more thorough inspection. The plaster on the ceiling was splotchy and moldy in most places and even missing in others, showing the lath boards that ran below the sturdier, weight-bearing beams. Running her fingers along the exposed brick of the walls, Jane could see they were constructed of the same red brick as the outside but coated with layer upon layer of dust and dirt. Slightly irritated by the blemish it left on her perfect, white skin, she wiped her fingertips off on the thin black sleeve of her leather jacket before continuing with her survey.
The floor, much like the ceiling, was in poor shape. When she gave it a sharp kick with the toe of her boot a section of the floor erupted, spilling shards of plaster and wood into the room below. Jane grimaced as she determined that it wouldn't withstand a serious struggle but still she decided to check out the lower level, hoping it might prove to have a concrete floor. The iconic fire pole was missing but the hole where it once stood was wide open and Jane simply dropped through it.
Jane's lucky streak continued. The ground was indeed poured concrete and the walls were the same solid brick as everywhere else. Just like the room above, it was a little grimy from decades of disuse, but ultimately the little firehouse had everything she needed: space, a sturdy main floor, and above all, privacy. Jane was definitely pleased with her find.
Now that she had procured the space for her project, all Jane had left to do was to catch up with her soon-to-be guest. Secure in the knowledge that the boards on the first floor windows and doors would be enough to ensure that the building would remain uninhabited until she returned; she left through the same window she had entered. Following the river back to the lakefront, Jane then hugged the shoreline until she was once again back on the Cullens' land and perched in the same vantage point she had used earlier in the day. Night was falling and she could smell that her prey had not returned since she left, although three other vampires were definitely in the house, engaged in their solitary pursuits.
It struck Jane as odd that they could seem so normal from afar. Their residence might be more permanent that that of other covens, their hobbies more subdued, but still, little stood out in the behavior Jane could hear from the house that would mark them as followers of such a warped version of vampirism. Intrigued by the idea that something of their bizarre philosophy must show in their everyday habits, Jane crept closer, careful to remain downwind and to tread lightly so as to leave as little of her scent along her path as possible. She was able to quietly perch in another tree, much closer to the mansion, but this time with a view inside to what looked very much like Aro's personal study.
Jane surmised that it must be Carlisle's domain, remembering that he, like Aro, had a great love of books. The walls were certainly covered with enough of them. Without a sound, the man himself appeared, nose buried in a thick, manila folder, oblivious to everything around him. He drifted slowly to the ornate desk at the far end of the room and sat down behind it, settling into the leather wingback chair without ever looking at anything but the papers in his hands. With his face obscured by the file, he looked so much like Jane's former master that her chest ached. Part of her wondered if she was being foolish. Yes, Aro loved Bella like a daughter, but that didn't mean he couldn't love Jane as one too, did it? But as she thought back on all the years of watching her master as he looked with pleasure and pride on the one he claimed as his own, she knew he had never once regarded her in the same way. Even before Bella came along, he had never loved her. She had been nothing more than a convenience and the knowledge of that burned the ache away, leaving nothing in her but steely resolve.
Jane flitted away from the window, one shadow among the many lengthening ones that surrounded the grand home, until she was back to her original post. From there she could watch the driveway and would know when Edward returned. Closing her eyelids, Jane let her mind go blank, a trick she had learned during her time with the guard that allowed her to rest her mind despite the inability to sleep. In this near trancelike state, she would be able to focus on her prey without letting the other thoughts that cluttered her brain have sway, pulling her down into troublesome memories or weakening her resolve. When she heard the faint purr of the Volvo's engine return an hour or so later, her eyes snapped open, dark black and ready for mayhem.
A/N: I have a few special thanks to add to this chapter.
First off, a million thanks to my beta, uhyesplease, who edited this chapter, on short notice, on the weekend of her son's birthday. I am continually grateful that I have found you. You are far too nice to me but I will take it!
Secondly, many thanks to Betti of Betti. Music. Twilight. for her help with German in general, Walser German in specific and overall wonderment. Thank you for ensuring Jane's nickname wasn't Fungus!
Finally, to my DH, who I'm almost positive doesn't know how to find this story online, but just in case. Thanks for putting up with all the angst and drama, baby!