Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters. They belong to Steph Meyer.

A/N: Thanks for all the fab reviews, much appreciate them. This is not the post I meant to write, but here it is all the same. After this one we should be getting into battle mode. Sorry for making you wait so long. I try to make sure I post once a week, but I've been sick and bogged down with school. I'll try to make it up to you with two posts this week.

Chapter 36 Bloodlust

I paced outside Justin's door. I knew he'd be awakening shortly, but I seemed unable to walk through the door. Would he blame me for his new life? Would he be crazed by bloodlust? Would he live off the blood of humans? So many questions…Aro seemed quite certain that it would be difficult for them to survive on animal blood for the first month or so, but Rosalie had done it, so why couldn't they?

I turned on my heels and walked the length of the dark hallway yet again, my feet making no sound on the hard marble. Everything was a mess. I tried to ignore all thoughts about the approaching Romanian army, about my very angry husband and his estranged family, but my vampire mind processed things differently and I was able to focus on many things all at once. It seems like such a wonderful gift, but when you want to forget things it was not a blessing. I could easily worry over the way Edward left and try to find ways to make myself fall out of love with Christian. I could ponder what life with Alyria would be like while debating if I could ever forgive Carlisle. I could imagine what my life would be like if I remained here, at Volterra, where I could be what I was meant to be.

What was pissing me off most was that everywhere I saw myself I saw both Edward and Christian with me.

So far I'd managed to avoid any serious talks with Christian and Kattra. Christian and I were walking on eggshells around each other, barely saying more than a handful of words to one another over the last three days. Having Kattra around made things both easier and harder at the same time. Distancing myself from Christian was clearly a smart idea and with her around I had plenty of incentive to stay out of his way, but I missed spending each night firmly planted against his chest while we watched old movies, I missed his infectious laugh, and that amused sparkle in his eyes. That sparkle had faded away the day we had the heart to heart in the car. Neither Kattra nor Alyria had been able to bring it back.

Demetri spent much of his time with the guards that he'd been close with, but he always made certain to check on me several times throughout the days. Our friendship was as solid now as it had ever been. Leah imprinting on him had changed it into a more sibling-like relationship. Except I still found him extremely attractive, and as Alyria so enjoyed pointing out, he still desired me in some way. Or, she could just be screwing with us. Wouldn't be the first time. She'd been inciting lust in us for the last three days and feeding to her hearts content, but she was only manipulating the emotion, not making us have a big orgy or anything, so we were all playing along.

The door cracked open and Felix peered out, an amused smile on his face. "Are you planning on staying out here all day?"

"How are they doing?" I asked hesitantly.

He pushed the door the rest of the way open and moved to one side giving me ample room to pass through. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Making my feet move those few steps into that silver room was like trying to move through a swamp. I did not want to see his face constricted in pain, hear his heart-wrenching pleas to make it stop, to give him death. I kept saying him, but his mother and sister were in there, as well. But I hadn't personally inflicted this hell on them.

I stood at the edge of his bed looking over his already phenomenal form. Vampirism certainly agreed with him and once he got his newborn instincts under control he was going to have his work cut out for him where women were concerned. He was quite possibly the Rosalie of male vampires. I'd never seen bone structure more perfect, cheek bones so chiseled, a face so perfectly proportioned. His skin, which had been tanned golden, was only slightly paler and seemed to glow with a dark light beneath his skin. His hair lost all hints of red and glistened with light shades of brown in a short spiky mess that suited him completely. Pain rippled through him, but no sound escaped. His breathing was haggard and his heart beat out a rapid song in my ears making my venom flow as all that blood pulsed through his body. The syrupy taste of it gliding down my throat three days ago hit me with such a force that it caused me to stagger back a few steps from the bed.

I'd been so lost in the brilliant sight that was Justin that I hadn't noticed Felix sideling up to me, his arm on my shoulder half restraining me. Restraining me from what, I wasn't sure. From bolting out of the room? Or from climbing on that bed and piercing that skin? It shouldn't call to me so strongly, his transformation was minutes from completion, but I'd tasted him twice now, and his blood was like some drug, and it was time for another fix.

The sound oh his mother's last breath sighing out of her drew my attention and brought me back to myself. I'd been so blinded by him that I hadn't noticed Seline and Brent tending to the other two, hadn't noticed their frantic pulse, or their small sounds of pain. Made me wonder if Justin had acquired a special power. I so did not need a male Alyria running around here, especially one that had no control. I was praying with everything in me that it was nothing more than I'd been his maker.

His body convulsed and his heart sounded as though it was trying to escape from his chest as the venom waged its final assault. It gave a few more feeble pulses and then remained utterly still. Silence roared through the room as there were no occupants in it with a pulse.

Justin leapt off the bed and landed at the far side of the room. Brent kept Laura restrained but she struggled like some wounded animal, snarling at her lover, venom dripping from her lips.

I sent my power licking over them and quieted them while Seline and Felix spoke to them the way you would to small children.

"Go to him," Felix urged. "He will respond to you better. Take them to dining room; we already have some guests awaiting their arrival."

So, he would kill his first human today. He would know the ecstasy that was human blood and oh how I envied him that. I wanted it more than anything else… I approached him cautiously. His red eyes flashed ferociously at me, then recognition slid into them and he stood gracefully from his crouch. "It's okay Justin," I said in a soft tone. "I'm going to take you downstairs to feed." When I stood less than a foot from him he launched himself at me, his hands reaching for my throat, his white teeth bared. I had a split second the react, but everything slowed down as though I had all the time in the world to get out his way. I rolled to the left abruptly and hit the wall cracking it from floor to ceiling. He roared at us and attacked Felix who had barred his path through the door.

I moved cautiously behind him while Felix tried to restrain without truly harming him. My powers over emotions were utterly useless against him. He did not feel like a shield the way Christian and Kattra did, but he was proof against my power. I slid my arm around his throat and pulled his body tight against mine while Felix dealt with his hands that were tearing at me.

"Get them out of here!" I bit out between clenched teeth. I was still a newborn myself and as such was stronger than Felix, but Justin's strength surpassed even mine. The other four scampered past us. They seemed much less affected by the bloodlust.

An electric charge flashed over his skin and bit into us. Felix instantly released him, but I retained my hold despite the lightening coursing through my body. The lamps in the room all blew and brought the room into darkness. He flung me aside carelessly.

When I got to my feet I was met with silence. I knew that he'd escaped this room and was running rampant through the castle and Felix must be searching for him. I hadn't hit anything hard, how had they got past me without noticing? It was like I'd lost time.

I launched myself out the door and back into the hallway. It had seemed dim earlier, but compared to the black hole that the room had become, it was as bright as a clear day at the beach. Christian, Kattra, and Alyria were running down the hall and almost crashed into me. "This way," he called over his shoulder as her shifted his body slightly and slipped past me.

The screams coming from the room below chilled me to the bone. I slowed my pace not wanting to see what he'd done. I caught up to the trio who stood frozen like some intricate sculpture near the closed door. I could smell the blood before I noticed it seeping under the door. Shit! I pushed past them and damn near ripped the door off its hinges. The bodies…so many bodies. Aro had probably meant to serve them to all the guards, but Justin had decided he was at an all you can eat buffet and he clearly wasn't sharing.

There had to be over twenty guards standing around uselessly, not to mention Aro and Marcus, but no one had done a damn thing to stop him. The seventh, no eighth body hit the floor and his head snapped up in my direction. I watched the man that had been Justin spill back into his eyes as the horror of what he was and what he'd done tore through him. He collapsed to the floor and threw up a stream of blood which trickled slowly towards my black boots. I stepped through it and knelt, the knees of my pants soaked through, but there wasn't a piece of floor near him that wasn't painted red. I lifted him into my arms and comforted him while shooting a look of complete contempt at Aro.

I was again in the aquarium room with Aro, Marcus, Renata, and Seline. Justin was docile now and was being kept in a private room with many guards. For all intents and purposes it was a cell, but it was a very comfortable cell as cells go. We'd been discussing his peculiar power for some time. Well, it wasn't just his power now. He'd accidentally used it on me, so it was mine and there was a learning curve. Lamps kept exploding when I came near, like I was still holding a charge from his shock that he'd bestowed on me. We were now using candles to illuminate the castle. Oddly, I did not seem to posses the ability to manipulate time. We'd discovered that he could make a person lose track of time, so it wasn't really manipulating time, but mind games. So far I'd been unable to duplicate it. I knew it wasn't a fluke. That when he threw me across the room upstairs and escaped out of the room without me noticing I hadn't simply been knocked out, he'd done something to my perception. It was also how he was able to kill all those people without anyone in the room reacting. Aro had only noticed the bodies when I'd entered the room. I'd have to talk to him about it once he was more himself. Though, he probably wouldn't have a clue how he'd done it.

I was cursing the fact that he had a special power, let alone one so rare. The Volturi were not going to let him go. So far neither his mother nor his sister possessed any such power. Not like they would want to leave Justin behind. Maybe Laura would, but since Brent was technically under house arrest here for breaking vampire law, that was a moot point.

"You must learn how to use this power before the war, Bella," Aro warned me yet again. I'd been getting this lecture for the last few minutes.

"I'm tired of being everyone's favorite weapon," I snapped.

Marcus shifted a little and drew my attention to his translucent face. "Who would everyone be?"

Oh. Perhaps that hadn't been such a smart remark. "First I was the Cullens' weapon when we discovered you were attacking the wolves and now apparently I'm yours. I don't like killing people, Aro."

"They are not people, Bella, they are vampires and they will not hesitate to kill you." He strode to Seline's side and took her hand into his. "Go to the training room. I will send some guards for you to spar with. I want complete control of this power by this time tomorrow. The Romanians will be here in a few short days."

There was no point in arguing with him, so I floated up out of my chair and left the room without another word.

Nearly twelve hours since Aro had sent me to the training room and I'd only just started to get the damned power under control, but it wasn't a very useful power really. It's not like I could shoot lightening out of my hands or anything from a nice safe distance, but if I found myself being physically attacked then I could electrocute them. It certainly wasn't going to be much use as an offensive power, but Aro didn't seem to care about that, only that I could use it at will, that I followed his order and learned perfect control.

I lowered myself next to Justin. "How are you feeling?" I asked and even to me my voice sounded tired. I was incredibly hungry and had had no time to feed. The struggle with him and the training had taken much out of me, but I had to check on him before I did anything else.

"Better now," he whispered. "I am most sorry for hurting you."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. He was sorry for hurting me? I was the one who killed him. It was my venom flowing through his veins that snuffed out his human life and dragged him into the darkness of this hell. I had turned him into a raving murdering fiend. He'd killed more humans in minutes than I had in all my life. How does one get over that? I guess the same way I got over Tyler's pointless death. By burying it deep within and ignoring it. It's the best one can do. "You have nothing to apologize for. Do you feel up to leaving the room? Are you thirsty?"

He shook his head. "I'm not thirsty. I hope I'm never thirsty again," he murmured and a fine tremble ran through him. "But I would love to get the hell out of here."

"Come up to my wing. Demetri and Christian are there and I can send for your family, as well."

As I escorted him through the main room that led to my staircase Felix trotted up to me an odd smile on his lips. "Edward's here."

I froze in mid-step. "Is he alone?"

"No, he's brought the whole family and then some."

I sighed. "I'll be down in a minute. I'm taking Justin up to my room. Can you send his family up there?" I asked as I started moving us up the elaborate stairs.

"Of course." He winked and saluted me before gliding in the other direction.

"Who's Edward? I vaguely remember you talking about him…where were we when you mentioned him?" He asked, his face screwed up in concentration.

"In the car on the drive over here a few days ago," I reminded him gently. He seemed to be losing his memories of his human life at an alarming rate. That did not comfort me. What helped me to be a vegetarian vamp was my link to humanity. If he possessed no such link would the monster within him consume him? Would he be like all the other vampires?

They were all lounging in our main room with the TV blaring. Kattra set her book down and everyone else turned their gaze towards us. I introduced everyone and explained that he was going to be spending some time with us as he didn't seem to be comfortable near anyone but me. Hopefully that would disappear.

"Edward has arrived. I'm going down there now. Who wants to come and give me moral support?" I asked with a teasing tone to mask my fear of my own husband. No, it was more than that. It would be the first time I was with Carlisle since I'd learned of his betrayal. How was I supposed to act around him? Not to mention, while I was under Aro's watchful eyes I had to behave myself. It would not do to let him see the animosity brewing between us.

Demetri and Alyria stood. "Is Leah with them?" He asked hopefully.

I shrugged. "I'd assume so, but I didn't ask, sorry."

"I'm coming," Alyria simpered. "I want to see the show." She chortled softly, her chest bouncing with each shake. "Do you think your Edward's temper has cooled or has time only stoked the fire?"

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," I said, my voice full of desolation.

She sauntered up to me clasping our hands together. I glanced at Justin as Felix walked Brent, Laura, and their mother through the door. "Are you going to be alright up here with Christian and Kattra?"

"I am fine, Bella. I swear on all that is holy that I will not harm anyone and that I am not at all thirsty," he stated solemnly.

A/N: I'd love to hear what you think should happen between Bella and Carlisle. I'm a fairly negative person, so you can kinda guess where I'll take it. But, I'm open to suggestions. I haven't given them much thought. Thanks.

Sabrina