Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, they belong to Steph Meyer!

A/N: Not very long, but again, it's from Edward's POV and he and I don't get along very well. I think he might be pissed at me for the liberties I've taken with Bella-LOL! Let me know what you think. I'm in desperate need of some feedback where Edward is concerned. I struggle so much with all of his posts.

If there are grammaticle mistakes, let me know. I posted this quickly as I'm leaving for our football game and didn't have time for a second proofing. Thanks!

Chapter 28 Circles of Hell

We'd just finished what seemed to be the hundredth training session, but was really only the fifth. Alice and I were in charge of all those gathered here with special powers because we were more familiar with the Volturi's tactics than the Romanians; unfortunately our group of trainees was not nearly enough. There were only seven pair of eyes following our every move. Seven was not enough against the full might of the Volturi, but what other option was there?

A week without my love. It had been the longest week of my existence. Alice had been blocking me from her mind. I hadn't caught the slightest hint of her true thoughts or a vision since we left Forks. The only reason she would go to such lengths to keep me out was if she was seeing Bella do something that I wouldn't like.

Had she slept with Christian? Was that why Alice was reciting the Divine Comedy in Latin? Every time I tuned into her mind it was in the background. An oddly ironic choice as I felt I was walking one of the inner circles of hell. Or maybe Bella had been manipulated into being with Marcus. Somehow that was preferable to me. If she was with Marcus it was due to his power over her, but if she was with Christian it was of her own free will.

I shook my head sharply and focused on those seated around us. Eleazor, Carmen, Maggie, Siobhan, and the Romanian family were watching me closely, all of them curious about my behavior. "We're done," I muttered. I didn't have the patience to deal with them anymore. I was thankful that Eleazor was around to shield their thoughts from me. I tired of listening to them hypothesize about me. So, why was Alice reciting Dante when Eleazor could keep her thoughts from me? Because I requested that he not employ his power against her. I wanted to breach her shields and discover the truth, to see with my own eyes what my Bella was doing all those miles away.

I went back to the castle, Alice bounding close behind. I joined Jasper and Maria in the dungeon where they were training the newborn army that Vladimir and Stefan had created. Peter and Charlotte were also assisting whenever needed. There were twenty-one new vampires, twenty-one souls lost just so we could fight the Volturi, twenty-one expendable soldiers. If there was any doubt in my mind whether we were all monsters or not, it had since been extinguished. We absolutely were monsters. Looking at those shiny new vamps, I knew without a doubt that I'd sacrifice a hundred more just to get my Bella out of Volterra.

I stood along the far wall deep within the shadows like the fiend that I was, watching as Jasper used his power to incite the newborns into a frenzy while Maria and Peter taught them to fight amidst such chaos.

Alice crept up beside me silently, cautiously. "Why won't you tell me anything?" I demanded of her, never taking my eyes off the pandemonium taking place in front of me. Jasper shifted his focus and directed his power toward me and Alice, who seemed just as agitated as I was.

She sighed softly and leaned her dark head against my arm. "She has already stolen several formidable powers."

The sound of fighting filled the room. A female went hurtling across the room and hit the wall beside me with a crushing force. She grunted as she fell heavily to at my feet before flinging herself back into the mass of bodies.

"I don't care about any of that," I finally replied. "What have you seen regarding her time with Christian and Marcus? How is she? Is she as shattered as I am to be separated? Does she have a hard time finding the will to face each new day? Is she missing me the way I'm missing her?" My voice broke as I was overwhelmed with grief. I slid down the wall to the cold, damp stone of the dungeon floor with my face in my hands and knees drawn up against me.

Gone were all the sounds of the training session. When I glanced up all that remained were the concerned faces of Alice and Jasper, who was now sitting across from me coating me with feelings of calm. No, not even calm. I wasn't feeling anything. It was almost as though Jasper's powers had grown and that he'd somehow removed all emotion from me, leaving me utterly numb.

"Edward, if you were the one that had to spy amongst the Volturi, and pretend to be the lover of another, would you want me to share that information with Bella?" Alice asked slowly, as though she was talking to a child and explaining a very simple concept.

"So, you have seen something…She has done something that I…" I couldn't get the words past the lump forming in my throat.

"You told her to do whatever was necessary," Jasper's quiet voice reminded me. "You cannot hold any of these deeds against her."

My eyes narrowed as I focused on my brother. "You know something? What has Alice told you?" I spat out angrily, my body shaking as I freed myself from the grip of his power.

He shook his head slowly, a tight smile on his face. Was it pity? But it was Alice who answered. "I would never share any of this with anyone, Edward. Not you, not Jasper. I feel wretched enough that I've invaded Bella's privacy to such a degree."

Jaspers hand darted out and rested on my shoulder as he crouched in front of me. "You need to do your part, Edward." Jasper chided. "Quit dwelling on what may or may not be happening in Volterra, and focus on the task at hand."

I knew he was right, but being separated from Bella was debilitating. Breathing, thinking - hell - just existing was next to impossible without her. I pushed him off of me and grasped Alice's hand like a drowning man. "Just share one vision with me," I pleaded. "Let me see my sole reason for living. Something innocuous to get me through the day," I begged as I leaned my forehead against her tiny hand.

She ran her other hand soothingly through my hair not acknowledging my pleas. I thought she was going to refuse me, but suddenly she relented and I saw her. My Bella in a barren stone room void of any furnishing save two gilded chairs. It was lit by torches and had a drain embedded in the center of the room. The better to wash all evidence of murder away.There were about twenty guards positioned in a circle with Bella and Renata facing off against each other. Aro and Marcus were seated in the two elaborate chairs with a look of pride in their ancient eyes.

Bella looked…she was beyond words. Her dark hair flowed behind her as she glided through the air, her face drawn in concentration while Felix and Santiago threw out suggestions. She was dressed in black from head to toe, her make up making her almost unrecognizable, her eyes burned with the light of the sun through the most perfect ruby. She shifted minutely, her leg lashing out with a speed I'd never witnessed of her and caught Renata along her left jaw with the point of her boot. Renata barely moved with the force of the blow and was suddenly on top of Bella.

"Bella!" I screamed. It echoed off the walls of the dungeon then silence engulfed us again. Bella tensed, but Renata was no longer on top of her. She looked around disoriented and allowed Renata to help her to her feet. Alice cut off the vision abruptly.

"They are simply training, Edward. She was not hurt. In fact, they are giving her access to everyone's powers during these little exercises," Alice explained.

"When did this happen? How long ago?"

"Five days, I believe." She rose to her feet in one quick movement and held her hand out to me and Jasper helping us both to our feet. "You've seen her, now let's get back to work. There are many preparations-"

She gazed past me, no longer seeing my face. She couldn't keep me out when I was aware that she was overcome with a vision. When she searched on purpose, she showed no signs, but this she could not hide, could not thwart me.

To my chagrin, it was not about Bella. It was Virat following Demetri to us. Coming to bind us. "How long?"

"I can't tell," she replied distantly.

"We need to leave this place. We can't lead Virat here," I pointed out.