Chapter 42 A Fate Worse than Death
We were quite the sight all clad in our dark Volturi robes as we leapt gracefully from the manhole and sprinted into the deep covering of the forest. Aro was just tickled to death that he finally had the Cullens in their signature robes. He looked like a proud parent as he gazed on Edward and Alice, the two that he coveted most, aside from me.
Edward stopped and allowed the others to continue past us, Seline shooting me a look of warning as she pushed by to catch up with Aro, who, along with Felix and Jasper, were directing everyone to their rightful positions.
"Don't do anything foolish, love," Edward murmured as his hands roamed up and down my back soothingly. "I've only just got you back…"
I glanced behind me where Seline and Blain were effortlessly drifting up the ragged side of the large boulders. "I'm going to be way up there out of harms way, Edward," I reminded him softly. I pressed my lips against the hollow of his neck and inhaled his sweet scent. "You're the one that's going to be in the middle of danger. It's me that should be warning you not to do anything foolish," I reminded him playfully, as I poked him in the chest.
His laughter bubbled up as he shook his head at my warning. I might have said it with a smile, but we both knew that I was very serious. "As you wish, love. Absolutely no foolishness." I rose up a little on my toes to bring my mouth closer to his as he bent towards me. His hot lips pressed against mine urgently and our hands tried to take in every inch of our bodies, like we were unsure whether we'd ever have this opportunity again.
Too soon he pulled away. "I love you, Bella."
I whispered softly, "And I, you." I raced to the boulders casting one worried glance back. My eyes met Alice's and she forced a smile past her nervous lips and nodded at me. Jasper just winked and wrapped an arm around her protectively. At the front of the clearing, where all the newborns were gathered, stood Brent and Laura looking visibly wary. Brent met my gaze over her head and tipped his hat at me in a small salute.
I let out a steadying breath and climbed the jagged boulder. Justin's hand reached down and pulled me up to the top. "How are you holding up?" I asked.
He faced the direction of the approaching Romanian army. All that could be seen were rows and rows of trees, the black veil of darkness, and our vampires. The clouds were thick, no stars shone through, and the moon was new tonight. "I'd be better if we could just get started. This waiting is worse than anything that we will face."
I bit my lip nervously. I wasn't sure about that. The Romanians had had enough time to seek out more help. The kind of help that could pose a real threat. We did not have some of the more impressive covens like the Amazons and the Egyptians. Would they dare fight against the Volturi? Amun was worried that Aro would learn about his most prized possession. No, not his wife, but Benjamin. He would be a force to be reckoned with and I prayed with every fiber of my being that the Egyptians declined that invitation.
"Bella, Justin…"Aro spoke softly. "It is time." He held his hands out towards us and we joined him, Marcus, Blain, Renata, and Seline.
I could hear their newborns now. Ours were oddly quiet. Jasper and Peter had spent every spare second working with them. Of course, they had also spent two weeks training the Romanians' newborn army.
"Blain, weave your illusion," Aro prompted. Renata moved behind him and rested her hand gently against his shoulder. I watched Blain's face screwed up in concentration and opened my mind so that I could see what kind of hell he was creating for them, and so that I could listen in on their thoughts. Already I was employing Virat's power, which was so much more than Jasper's, and sending doubt, fear, and lethargy towards them as Justin began manipulating their perception of time.
When Blain's vision enveloped them, it was easy to notice because the older vampires hissed and gasped and the newborns began shrieking, which was precisely the kind of pandemonium we wanted. I began shoving their auras back into them with such force that they exploded.
Fires began raging around the perimeter, but no enemy vampires had made it even close to our army.
I saw Christian, Kattra, and Eleazor fan out among our people to protect them from any surprise special powers. I returned my attention to the approaching army. They had hung back during our first assault and had since proceeded far more cautiously. Mostly because they were stuck in a world of Blain's choosing, but me blowing up their vamps was a pretty big deterrent too. I decided to see if I could use my power on more than one vampire at a time. I felt it flow outward and grazed a vampire so softly, tickling over its pulsing aura, but instead of forcing its aura into the vampire I allowed my power to spread out more so that it met another shimmery aura and then I shoved my power back into them. I knew that they hadn't exploded like the first round, but I'd certainly caused great damage to them. Still, it was easier and more effective to do one at a time. Always good to know these things.
Time seemed meaningless as I continuously pressed others' auras into them and was serenaded by the multiple shrieks of pain and death, but at some point their army penetrated ours and our ground forces had now entered the fray.
I heard the low howl of wolves. What sounded like many wolves. We only had four with us. Had the Romanians somehow convinced wolves to join their cause?
My power was utterly useless against the wolves. From here I could manipulate their feelings, but I could not use their aura, could not steal their life's essence, could not electrocute them. Since I was of no help, I turned my attention to the second wave of approaching vampires. They'd been trained by our people, so they were probably arranged like ours, as well. Those approaching now would be the real deal, heavy hitters. Those with years and years of experience fighting and those with additional powers.
Marcus' voice cut through the night. "We must join them below, Aro. We can not, in good conscience, remain up here while they fight for us down there."
"No!" Seline cried out. "You two must not physically fight. We cannot risk you." She turned to me with pleading eyes, willing me to speak up.
"She's right," I agreed. "Justin and I will go down. We both have offensive and defensive powers. Renata and Seline will be protection enough."
"I will go with you, as well," Blain's deep voice slid down my spine.
I grabbed Seline. "Remember that you sent me from his side," I hissed. "Their lives are in your hands now, and you cannot blame me if you fail." Something told me that I would be blamed one way or the other, but I did want it on the record for those up here listening.
Her eyes narrowed and she brought her chin up defiantly. "I do not fail."
As I began walking to the edge I saw a trail of flame enclose Edward in a wide circle. With him was a vampire wielding a whip of fire. The ground began to tremble and split open at odd points, and it was now our vampires that were screaming and pulsing with fear. Benjamin…The Egyptian coven had aligned with them, and my husband, who had no defensive power, was fighting him. A feral snarl fell from my mouth and was answered by Blain and Justin as we flung ourselves from the cliff gracefully. While we were soaring to the ground, I watched that whip lick across Edward's chest, his shirt singed off of him, his pale flesh marred in a black line from one shoulder across his hip. Every vampire that stood between us began exploding in a shower of heavy bits of flesh. A giant wolf blocked my path and let out a rumbling growl that reverberated through my whole body. I did not stop my frantic pace, I simply braced for the forceful impact, my teeth barred. We twisted and turned as we rolled along the ground. I tore at the wolf with my steel like fingers causing it to yelp in pain, which was then silenced by my teeth tearing open its throat. I did not pause to drink; I just wiped some of it away as its body fell heavily to the blood coated ground. To my left, Carlisle was fighting Amun and sweet Esme had her teeth sunk deep into Kebi's throat as her hand wrenched her arm out of its socket and cast it away. They were not my problem, and didn't look like they needed help anyway.
I was to the flames that soared nearly fifty feet high and burned with such intensity that I had to take a few steps back. The power was used near me, which meant I could steal it if I could learn how to work it. The ground lurched below and sent me spiraling towards the flame. I summoned the water that flowed under the city. It may not smell good, but I was out of options as there was no body of water near me to draw upon.
Just as I would have crashed into that wall of flame, the foul water rushed past me and hit the towering inferno. It was smothered by the water and I was within reach of my angel. He flicked his whip at me and Edward flew at him, his teeth tearing at his shoulder as Benjamin pivoted at the last second which put him in touching distance of my hand. I used Seline's power to suck his life away. His screams tore through me. I'd sworn after using it on Virat that I would never do this to another being, but he'd nearly destroyed my reason for living.
In my head I heard his pleading voice. "I surrender. Please. My mate, Tia, too. No more, I beg of you."
I swiftly glanced at my husband because clearly he could hear him too, and he shrugged. "It's up to you. But he would be a great asset."
I sighed. I hoped this didn't come back to bite me on the ass. I reached down and returned his essence and watched as his body refilled itself back into his lovely form. He knelt in front of me, his head hanging down as he tried to regain some strength. Tia was instantly by his side, and he whispered to her as she wrapped her arm lovingly around him and drew him to his feet. "I have surrendered, honey. Both of us." She nodded, but said nothing. He finally raised his eyes to me. "Vincent is coming. He will render your powers useless."
"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew something bad was coming, something that was going to strip everything from me. I'd trained in physical combat, but not nearly as much as I'd practiced using my special abilities. After all, the Volturi possessed many vampires that were trained for nothing other than physical fighting. That was not what I'd been coveted for.
"He has the ability to hinder all of your extra powers. You will be nothing more than a common variety vampire. He didn't need to explain because I felt my powers disappear. Edward looked sharply at me. "He's here then. I can no longer hear anyone's thoughts."
Demetri, Leah, and Felix were suddenly by my side. "What's happening?" Demetri asked and I briefly explained.
"Fuck," Leah muttered. I couldn't have said it better myself. I looked back to the boulder where Aro was and wondered if he was aware of what had transpired. Surely Marcus would realize that he couldn't feel anyone's relationship and that Aro could not hear Renata's thoughts as she clutched at his shoulder.
No, I was needed here. They would just have to fend for themselves.
To my right Emmett was locked in a ferocious battle with Garrett, and Jasper had Randall. Further back Alice weaved to and fro, but she could no longer rely on her visions to tell her what Mary's next move would be. Not that she'd had much luck with them. Every time the wolves intervened it blanked out her second sight.
My only excuse for leaving Edward's side was that Alice was seconds away from having her flawless throat torn out. Mary dug her fingers into her throat and wound her legs around her waist. Jasper screamed as he dismembered Randall, furiously trying to get to Alice's side.
Not Alice. So many others could have died and though I'd be saddened, it would not hurt like this. Her small frail body convulsed furiously while Mary slashed at her viciously. She was on the ground, her head barely attached when I wrapped my hands around Mary's head, wrenched it off, and tossed it into the pyre. Jasper joined me and we ripped the rest of her into pieces. He fell to his knees and cradled her still form in his lap while I picked up the little pieces to burn. "Alice, baby," he croaked as she stared sightlessly at him, her mouth opening closing, but no sound could come out. "Just hold on. You're going to be alright." He brought his lips to her face while muttering repeatedly, "You can't leave me. You can't leave me."
I fell beside them running my useless hands through her short spiky hair. Hands, that a few minutes ago, could have healed this wound so easily. I couldn't make myself move. People that I loved were still in danger, still needed me to keep my shit together, but I couldn't let go of Alice. My head fell against hers and I laid one last kiss against her perfect forehead and glanced up where Edward had been fighting.
Edward, Demetri, Felix, and Leah were now swarmed by vampires and wolves.
I heard Leah's small whimper as her body crashed against the boulders, sending a spray of rocks flying everywhere.
Demetri heaved himself towards the two vampires that had their mouths locked around her, but I tore my eyes away and fought my way back to Edward. I would not lose both of them.
No sooner had we destroyed those surrounding us when I heard Seline's scream rip through the sounds of the raging battle. The Romanian brothers were up there with Aro and Marcus.
"Oh my god," I gasped. I started to move towards them.
"No, Bella." Edward jerked me back. "You must find this Vincent." He eyes were wide as he took in the scene around us. His sister lying in Jaspers lap dying… Marcus' body falling from sight above us. "We need our powers back. You need to heal her," he roared.
Justin made his way to me. "Come on," I yelled, and I grabbed his hand and went in search of their most powerful and effective weapon.
I left all that I loved to fend for themselves. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, but Edward was right. If Alice had any chance of surviving, I needed my healing powers.
As I passed Alyria, Christian, and Kattra, who compared to Alice, looked positively spry, I yelled for them to go aid Aro and Marcus,
We slunk through the forest quietly. I could smell him now. A light almost pine-like scent mixed with rain water. He was off to our left. Brent crept up behind me, but I recognized his scent and did not give away our position as we tried to flank him on three sides.
As I rounded a huge tree I saw him. He was as black as the night with his hair falling in corn rolls all the way to his hips, and clad in black leather from head to toe, a cigarette hanging from his lip.
"And who might you be, mate?" His low hypnotic voice glided over me curiously.
"Isabella," I replied in a breathy voice that sounded nothing like me.
My next step faltered as he focused his full attention on me. He took a deep drag of his cigarette, the flame casting an eerie light on his frighteningly beautiful face. "Ah, I have heard much about you." He cocked his head to one side appraising me. "I do not wish to be rude, but you disappoint me. I was told horror stories about you." He smiled a wining smile and took another hit of his cigarette. "So, you've come to take me on without your so fearsome powers. I think perhaps you have bitten off more than you can chew, darlin'."
As he flicked the butt to the ground I gathered my senses and struck out at him just as Brent and Justin leapt at him from behind and from the right.
His fist collided with me and sent me a flying a hundred feet through the air against a thick tree that now tottered haphazardly, before it crashed to the forest floor making the woods tremble.
Justin's mouth bit at his neck and Brent tore one arm off by the time I got back there. I took his other arm, and as we fought him, he lost control of his power and our returned. I shoved at his aura and watched has he erupted into hundreds of pieces then, I used Benjamin's power to call flame and burn his rock-like flesh.
I rested against the tree for a moment gathering my strength. I glanced at my two companions who were as exhausted as me. "Thanks. If I'd been here on my own, I think he would have seriously kicked my ass."
Brent gave a weary smile. "No problem, senora. I was running out of vampires to fight anyway. Wouldn't want to get bored or anything."
"Where's Laura?" Justin asked after a few moments of silence.
Brent lowered his gaze. "We got separated," he whispered.
"Don't go thinking bad things, you two. We don't have the luxury of wallowing in worse case scenarios." I stood abruptly. "Come on. We need to get back."
We ran through the forest easily avoiding trees and rocks, rushing to get back to the mayhem. To get back to our loved ones. Alice. I had little time left to heal her. Hopefully the couple minutes we'd just wasted wouldn't cost Alice her life.
The sounds were winding down some. Somehow I got separated from Brent and Justin and found myself face to face with Seline.
"He's dead," she mumbled. She looked at me wildly. "Dead!" She screeched. Her hand lashed out at me, but I wrapped my shield around me and her touch did not harm me.
She roared in frustration. "You just let him die," she spat. "He's been in love with you all this time and you did nothing. Nothing!" She yanked a tree from the ground and threw at me. I easily evaded it. The sound of it crashing against the boulder behind me was thunderous.
"Seline, you told me to leave… that you could keep Aro safe," I added reasonably. Not like one can ever really reason with someone who'd snapped, but it never hurt to try.
"Not Aro, you fool." She drew herself up. "Aro is hurt, but he will survive. No thanks to you," she spat out. "I saved him. Me and Renata."
"Marcus," I gasped softly in horror. No, not him.
"Yes Marcus." She crouched low and moved lithely towards me, her face a mask of rage and all of it was focused on me. She would have attacked me one way or the other, but she actually had a good reason. Marcus, who I'd been in love with at one time, though not of my own free will, had died. I had failed him. All the plotting…all that I risked and endured was for nothing.
I caught Blain's scent a second before darkness took me. Around me my family lay in pieces as Stefan smiled at me while tossing their precious bits into the flame.
I had no power here. Here I was human. Weak. Unable to withstand against such creatures. There was nothing to be done for my best friend. Alice was dead. Edward-dead. Esme-dead. Marcus- dead. I was walking on the ground covered in their body parts.
I felt my body shrinking away as something seemed to be consuming me, my flesh turning into a leathery like substance and I screamed as a pain worse than that of my transformation burned through me. My lungs began to shrink and my breath faltered effectively silencing my verbal screams, but internally they still rang out, would always ring out.
Blain's illusion disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared, but unfortunately the last part had not been a dream…a nightmare. No, it was a reality. Seline towered over me, her hand wrapped around my throat, my life's essence flowing into her. Blain was being torn piece by piece by Justin and Christian.
I tried to force my pain aside and silence the horror-filled noises ricocheting off my brain long enough to push at her aura, but I was so weak, it barely scratched her. The electricity licked over me and into her and she screamed and reflexively let go.
Each time she tried to come closer; I shoved her aura into her. It wasn't causing enough damage, but it had been enough to keep her from finishing me.
Kattra and Eleazor appeared, and Christian, as shields, subdued her.
Justin picked up my decomposed body reverently, while the shields marched Seline back to the clearing.
Aro, Renata, Felix and the Cullens looked on in horror as we emerged from the trees.
"What have you done, Seline?" Aro croaked, his tone said clearly that he was shocked and disgusted.
"She has failed us. Marcus is dead, you are badly hurt. She's a traitor. Never on our side. It was all a lie."
Esme growled and moved forward. "Liar!" She screamed. Aww, who knew she still felt that way? The pain was making me delirious as I tried to take in my surroundings. Trying to locate all those most important to me.
Demetri and Leah were no where near me. Jasper was still on the ground with his wife, still sobbing uncontrollable. The absence of physical tears did not make it less of a sob.
Jacob, Seth, and Quil…no they weren't in my line of sight either. All I knew for certain was that my angel lived. That should have been enough, but it wasn't. I wanted Alice to be up and dancing around, Marcus to look on me with complete adoration. Not because I got off on him adoring me, but rather, because it would mean he was alive and back to normal.
"You will return her essence to her, Seline," Aro's furious voice brought me out of my pain filled reverie.
"Or what?" She taunted. "If you kill me, then Isabella is trapped like this for all eternity
It will be a fate worse than death, Aro." She brought her nail to her mouth and nibbled on it thoughtfully. "I suppose one could take pity on her and bring her the sweet peace of death." She looked at Edward with a wicked smile on her lips. "Could you destroy her to end her suffering, Edward?" He could not bring himself to answer. "I thought not."
She smiled an evil smile. "Only I can return what was taken."
Aro looked around wildly, his gaze settling on Alice's form. "We need her to heal our injured vampires, my Raven Goddess." He moved forward slowly. "Please, Seline. You do this and I will make you my queen. You will rule the Volturi by my side."
I could see how this offer appealed to her, but still she hesitated. Probably wondering if she hadn't gone too far this time. Would he really do as he said, or would he destroy her once she relented? I knew what my vote would be. In fact, if I had the energy after she returned me to my former glory, then I'd do it with or without Aro's approval.
Edward had fallen to his knees and Emmett and Rose were restraining him as he fought to get to me, his body shaking with grief and fury. Vicious growls poured from his mouth, which was pulled back over his too white teeth.
My eyes were locked to his. I fought with everything in me not to let them fall shut, to not take his gorgeous, yet livid, face from me. My own screams exploded from wherever I'd hidden them and I could no longer hear anything he was saying. All the voices had dimmed and my eyes slowly lost focus.
Aro's form was the last thing I saw before I felt her cold hand touch my cheek. But she wasn't returning my energy. No, she as going to try and destroy me this way. She'd said it couldn't be done, but I couldn't see how I could continue to exist in such a weak state.