The Prince of Lies
We had barely finished the outline of our plan when voices in the doorway halted our voices mid-word. The huge wooden door swung open to reveal two blonde figures, a girl and a boy, who looked no more than fourteen. They could have been middle-schoolers in a church choir, except that their magenta eyes matched their dark robes. I had hoped it would be someone I recognized from Carlisle's paintings, but these two didn't match any of the descriptions I'd given Edward. He would just have to wing it. Hopefully he really didn't know them back when he was a vampire, and they would have no reason to question his memory. The key was to remind the Volturi that Edward had been a powerful mind-reader, and hope that they had enough secrets built up over thousands of years of family intrigue to give us some leverage. I had no illusions about leaving here alive, but I thought that the vampires might feel differently about one of their own. Perhaps they would just turn him back. He could be one of Dr. Seusse's Sneetches, going around and around on a mad vampire/human wheel of reincarnation.
As planned, I kept quiet and let Edward do all of the talking. He stood gracefully to greet our visitors, his confident stride betraying no fear.
"Hello Jane," he said smoothly, nodding his head and gesturing me to proceed him while he held the door. I stared at him open-mouthed. How did he know her name?
He returned my gaze calmly, and guided me through the doorway with his hand gently pressing on my lower back. "Edward Cullen," the pale girl replied with a cruel smirk as we walked quickly to a stone tunnel, "What have you gotten yourself into this time? You look terrible." I shivered in the damp hallway. Who are you, Edward Cullen?
All too quickly we reached our destination. Three marble white figures sat enthroned on a platform, while a dozen other vampires stood with casual force in front of them. The vampire seated in the center spoke first, the hideous hue of his reddened eyes belied by the warm timbre of his lilting voice.
"Bella, how wonderful of you to come, mi bel gattina,*" he trilled, motioning one of the large guards to grab me and pull me closer. Edward stiffened beside me, but made no movement to interfere. "I feel as though we have known each other for simply years, but of course, you don't even know my name," he continued. "My name is Aro."
"No need for introductions, we're not staying," Edward interrupted coolly, setting the guards muttering at his insolence.
Aro, however, didn't look angry at all. He seemed entertained. "Really, Edward, if you wanted to rebel against me you should have done it before you ruined yourself with some tragic little spell." Spell? I glanced back at Edward. Was that how he had been changed? "Just because I have traded certain physical and mental characteristics in return for my humanity, doesn't mean that you have nothing to about which to be concerned." He was walking a razor thin line between threatening Aro with a pretense of knowledge that he did not have, while not irritating him to the point of violence. Aro needed to believe the Edward remembered everything he had learned as a mind reader, and that at least one of those secrets was either very dangerous, or very attractive. The Volturi were not strong on restraint, but I was counting on our novelty extending our lifespan.
Aro paused. "If you are referring to your erstwhile gift, I could stop you long before you muttered a single syllable." He raced across the room in demonstration, easily reaching Edward in the infinitesimally small moment between 'syll' and 'able'. Seemingly unfazed, Edward returned Aro's red-hazed stare coolly, "Won't that cause your family to wonder what you are so eager to keep secret?" Aro narrowed his eyes and reached forward to take Edward's hand, to read his mind. One touch and the gag was up, he would see Edward's amnesia in an instant and we would be revealed as utter liars.
"Edward couldn't read my mind," I blurted out, desperate to distract him. From what little Edward had told me of the Volturi, I knew that Aro could read anyone's mind, and the idea of a possible gap in his prescience would disturb him. Aro paused. He smiled condescendingly. "Is that what he told you, to make you feel safe? Come here, I want to see how you uncovered his nature. Edward was once one of my best staff, truly an asset in the field. He is a most talented liar, and quite adverse to recklessness." As he spoke he gestured minutely to the guard holding my arm to bring me closer. Aro clasped one of my hands between his cold palms and I shivered involuntarily. He focused his ruby gaze upon me, then closed his eyes in concentration. After a moment, he tightened his grip on my hand and I winced involuntarily. Edward strode towards us a few steps only to be brought up short by a pair of vampires. Apparently they had forgotten that he was a mere human. "Stop it, Aro, you're hurting her," he demanded, his forearms flexing as he his hands tightened into fists by his side.
Aro opened his eyes and released his hold. Anger flickered briefly across his features before being replaced with a detached curiosity. "I believe it is time to get to the bottom of this entire pathetic little soap opera," he announced. "Bring in the witch!"
HEA guaranteed.