So…chapter 35 and 36 might be slightly reminiscent of the 'fight scene' in Breaking Dawn. But the outcome will be HUGELY different. Oh and Maria, the vamp from the south that Jasper knows, is friendly.
I decided to make this extra long, since it's been awhile since I've updated. Oh and I don't have internet until Wednesday so updating may be a bit difficult. I'm really pleased with how this chapter turned out and I hope you are just as much if not more, and I hope you show me how pleased you are through your reviews.
Chapter 35
Everyone was coupled up. All it did was highlight the fact that I am alone. It hurt to think that Bella wasn't what she showed herself to be. Almost unfathomable. Carlisle was trying to shoot words of hope throughout the room, but I couldn't see it ending. Bella was always commenting on my lack of optimism. Everything had been painted black until Bella entered my life. She alone was my optimism.
"So how are we going to get Bella back. There's no way we can do this alone." I voiced.
"Over the years I have accumulated a lot of vampire contacts and I'm sure most of them would be more than helpful in getting Bella back. The Volturi aren't exactly on everyone's top 10 list." Carlisle injected hope into the impossible. He did know many vampires over his 300 years of existence, and I could now see Bella coming back as a reality. I was still anxious and wary of it, but not as despairing as before.
"You just ought to, as old as you are!" Emmett boomed with a roaring laughter. Rosalie wasted no time in slapping the back of his head.
"I also have some contacts left in the South that will help. All they do is look for a fight usually." Jasper added. It seems everyone was gearing up for a fight and as much as I wanted to keep things civil, I don't think that would happen. It's not like we could just walk into Volterra and ask the Volturi to be so kind as to give my Bella back to us. They would all share a good laugh over that one. With fighting against the Volturi, it wasn't certain that we all would come away unscathed or that the right ones would walk away scotch free.
"Well, the more help the merrier, I know a few covens in Africa and Europe as well. If memory serves me correct, they owe me a few favors and this would definitely make us even I'd say." Eleazer got up, whipping out his phone. Carlisle and Jasper wordlessly stood to do the same.
"So this is it huh? Very soon it's going to be either us or The Volturi left standing. I'm not sure it's possible to fight against the Volturi and win. No one has ever challenged their authority and lived to speak of it. I can't speak for everyone else, but I've had a genuine chance and experience in love and you deserve to have that as well Edward." Carmen spoke passionately and everyone nodded in agreement. I was truly blessed and honored to have such a compassionate and kind family. And all I needed to make everything complete, to make myself whole, was Bella.
"Thank you Carmen. Everyone could easily just forget Bella and we could move on with our lives and iit perhaps would be the wiser, safer choice but you're not and I appreciate it so much." It was times like these that I realized how lucky I was to have such wonderful creatures in my life.
At least a couple of hours had passed and nothing new had developed. Jasper, Carlisle and Eleaser were all still talking to their contacts and the rest of us just huddled around the living room. Emmett was getting restless, and honestly I was as well. Emmett was looking forward to finally being able to 'act like a vampire' as he put it. In some way he always fancied how we were portrayed in films. Hollywood made us out to be dangerous, mysterious and desired creatures of the night that basked in the belief that they were above all others. It was glamorized and mostly fabricated but at one time or another I believe every vampire wonders what life would be like if we were out in the open, at the top of the pyramid so to speak. But it was a fleeting and wasted fantasy.
Eventually, the whole family regrouped. We waited with baited breath, well we would have if we breathed actually.
"Great news! I was able to reach some covens in the west and east as well as a few in Canada. They agreed to help and said they would try and bring others. So far we have 5 covens and whoever they bring. They have 3 vampires in each of their covens so that's at least 15." Carlisle smiled, content with his success.
"I have similar news. Everyone appears to be ready to be done with the Volturi once and for all, as well as looking for any form of scuffle. Maria knows many nomadic vampires that still hold loyalties to her. She promised around 13 vampires would come to our aid at least." Jasper finished. We all turned our attention to Eleazer, completely pleased at the news thus far. It wasn't certain how large the Volturi guard and army was, but this was still brightening the outcome quite a bit.
"There are 3 Egyptian vampires and 4 Transylvanian vampires that have been waiting for such an opportunity to arise. They also know of others, but they aren't completely sure if we can count on their help yet." Carmen walked over to Eleazer and the two entwined their arms. Alice and Esme did the same with their mates.
"So when are we going to try and get Bella back?" I ask, anxious and rightfully so. I had no way of knowing what was going on with her or if she was even okay.
"Two weeks from yesterday, we will all meet in Egypt." Carlisle started off, but I couldn't help interrupting.
"Two weeks! Who knows what will become of Bella by then!" I spoke frantically.
"Edward, we are all worried about Bella of course, but this is the best we can do. If the Volturi were planning on killing or harming Bella, they would have done so out in the forest. During this two weeks, Jasper would you show everyone different fighting strategies?"
Jasper nodded.
"Alright, let's get started."
BPOV
We ran almost nonstop across the States, we only stopped once to hunt. Only we didn't stop in any forests but the Volturi's preferred hunting ground, a densely populated city. It wasn't until we were in the middle of a crowd until my thirst made it self known. I wasn't about to go against Carlisle's belief now, even when it seemed as if I had betrayed him and his family.
Cauis wasn't about to let me go without participating in the soon to be executed slaughter. Grabbing hold of my arm, he stalks behind an unsuspecting man. Easily snatching them into an alley, Cauis let's go of me tossing me to the ground.
"Wha- what do you want? Money, take it!" the man begs for both his life and the woman's. I've never witnessed anything so terrifying. I felt horrible for them, as if their deaths were mine.
"Money? I don't want that. I want your blood!" Cauis sneers cold and maliciously. He holds both man and woman against the wall, cutting a superficial slice into the woman's neck with his bare finger nail before throwing her to me. I catch her and whisper meaningless reassurances in her ear. I know her death is forthcoming and I am powerless to save her.
"May as well get used to your new lifestyle Isabella, I'm afraid the wildlife in Italy is a bit…scarce." Cauis laughs and ruthless tears into the man's neck, feeding off both the dying man's blood and fear. He finished and tossed the murdered man's body aside like trash and took the woman out of my hand. "Feed, or your precious human will receive a far worst death."
I knew that this wasn't an empty threat. Taking the woman back, I whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry, may you find peace."
She closes her eyes as if to accept her fate, and I unfortunately give it to her. Drinking human blood for the first time, well the first time since that FedEx incident, ignites the beast within me that hasn't been buried for long. The bloodlust takes over, and I sink my teeth into the poor soul's neck.
"One shouldn't fight their nature Isabella. Sooner or later, it always is who we are and you cannot run from it. At least not any longer. Now get up, I'd like to get back to Volterra before sunrise." He reached for my wrist again, but this time I wrenched free.
"I can move on my own accord. It's not like I'm gonna run away." We ran out of the city meeting Aro and Marcus on the way out. Without further interruption, we leave America and my life behind.
Volturi Castle, Volterra City
Walking into the castle, it was unlike anything I have ever seen. The grandiose columns and extravagantly decorated walls were done to perfection, stopping before the point of gaudy and excessive. It was something one would expect to see out of a fairytale. Only this was a fairytale from hell. We ended up in what I assumed was the throne room where Aro, Marcus and Cauis each took their seats, leaving me in the center in front of them.
"Turns out Isabella, that you are much more valuable than anyone would have believed. It really is such a blessing for us to have acquired such a gift." Aro began, gallantly and cheerful about the whole ordeal. I guess I would have been too had roles been reversed.
"Yeah, yeah. Great job. Now can we just cut to the chase and tell me what you're going to do with me?"
"Patience my dear. Seeing as how I have Jane, and Marcus has Alec, you will serve as a guard for Cauis. Now if you would be so kind as to demonstrate your ability." Aro commands. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on doing just so. Jane came into the room and a smile graced my face. Feeling myself shorten and my features grow more childlike I open my eyes at its completion. Looking at a shocked Jane, my smile increases and I harness her ability and use it on her, laughing a little sadistically seeing her convulse in a pain all too familiar to her. Guilt sets in almost immediately and I realized that I had stooped to their level.
"Very good Isabella, that's enough. What do you say Cauis, you think she will make an adequate guard for you?" Marcus added.
"More than adequate I'd say."
And with that, my sentence had begun.
EPOV
2 weeks later
We had all been training as much as possible. It felt like this moment took years to arrive. These two weeks were torturous. Bella was my sun, and everything was dark without her. And the moment had finally come where I would either be reunited with my love or dead. She set my dead heart in motion, and I really saw no reason for living without her. I was in love for the first and last time, and I was terrified of it ending. And nothing is worse than knowing I had so much more to give Bella, every word she spoke felt like a shooting star.
Everyone had decided that it would be best if we left for Egypt in small groups rather than all at once. Whatever way would keep a low profile was preferred. The Denali clan had just left and we were the last to go.
"Let's go kick some ancient ass!" Emmett bellowed. Before Esme had a chance to berate him over his choice language, Emmett ran out the door and headed for the eastern border.
"Come on sweetheart, there's little we can do to restrain Emmett the wild child." Carlisle kissed Esme's temple before they too flew out the door. I took a sweeping glance at our house one last time before I joined them. Who knows, maybe this would be the end of us all. But if we did die, then we would die with Bella knowing my devotion and our love would live on.
((AN: Woo, 2016 words and 4 pages. Longest chapter ever! Usually I'll write one day and whatever I finish writing I'll just post. But I actually wrote 1 ½ full days. That's what happens when you have no tv and no internet. Well hopefully you're reading this. If you are that means I can update through my blackberry internet. So….review and tell me what you did or did not like please!))
