Chapter 40
I knew this wasn't going to be a real vacation, but I hadn't expected to spend so much time in the Volturi's throne room, fighting for the lives and freedoms of Fred, and now Felka. I wished we could just see the Sistine Chapel like normal tourists.
Of course, Charlie was under the impression that's exactly what we were doing, and having the best time of our young lives to boot. Esme had photoshopped some pictures for me to e-mail him. They were so realistic, I started to wonder if I'd actually been to the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben with Edward and just couldn't remember it.
I was having much more fun in the fake pictures than I was in real life, that's for sure. I envied the girl in the photo as she and her boyfriend took the cheesy, albeit obligatory holding-up-the-Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa shot. She was smiling from ear to ear and appeared not to have a care in the world.
The real me, however, was once again facing the mammoth doors to the Great Hall. I was getting sick of all the back and forth, but Felka's chances seemed to be improving, so back and forth we went.
Aro seemed to once again be in good spirits, at least outwardly. That alone was worth the break. Caius was still sneering, or else that's just how he looked all the time. The important thing was that he was sitting down and not yelling or trying to throw fireballs at unsuspecting vampires. Marcus was the same, which I suppose was neither here nor there.
"Welcome once again," Aro announced grandiosely. "And Jasper, to what do we owe the honor of your presence?"
"Just here to help," he answered politely.
"I see…" Aro sounded suspicious. "Very well. I believe when we adjourned so abruptly, Felka was going to give us her definition of 'life insurance.'"
A much more timid Felka answered. "If it's alright with you, I would like Jasper to respond on my behalf."
"Ah, yes. That would explain his presence then. Yes, by all means, let us hear what young Jasper has to say."
Jasper spoke eloquently as he laid out the plan for Felka's return to Poland, including the interview, Idzi's role, and of course, no plan would be complete without Bob the Vampire. Felix and Chelsea even chuckled about it until Caius gave them an exceptionally dirty look.
"Won't Felka need to come here if she's supposedly giving blood?" Aro asked, obviously puzzled because she had be so vehemently opposed to being in Volterra.
"I consider it a small price to pay for my freedom," Felka answered for herself. "I can just tell my fiancé I need follow-up treatments so I don't relapse."
"But what of your brother?" Caius asked in a way that gave me shivers. "He has been with the Romanians since he first woke to this life. How do you know he'll agree?"
"I know Idzi. He'll want to help me and I know he wants revenge on the ones who killed our family. Right now, he thinks that's you, but when he learns the truth, he will be ready to do whatever it takes."
"It sounds like a reasonable plan," Aro said to his brother. "She'll do the interview, which will completely legitimize our operations. We'll also have a man-on-the-inside who can give us intelligence about the Romanians, as well as provide misinformation to them. In exchange, Felka goes back to Poland where she gets to live out her life as a human."
"A salaried human," Jasper reiterated.
"Of course. A small detail, really. Whatever you think is adequate…" Aro commented offhandedly.
"So, we have a deal then?" Jasper asked.
Aro was about to answer in the affirmative when Caius started to interrupt him.
I'd never wished that another sentient being would be instantly sucked into hell like I did at that moment. Well, except for Jane, when she was torturing Edward… and James, when he was trying to kill me just for sport… and Victoria with her newborn army who tried to kill all of us. I suppose Laurent right before the wolves got him. I didn't have any fondness for Aro, for that matter, nor Demetri and Felix. Or Alec. And Tanya, but that was just jealousy. OK, so I'd wished MANY sentient beings sucked into hell, but right then, Caius was at the top of my list.
We were so close to a deal I could already taste it.
"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Caius inquired.
"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.
"What I mean is, how do we know this Idzi would be working for our side? For all I know, you've already arranged for him to take credible information to the Romanians and feed us nothing but lies."
"That's ridiculous!" Edward exclaimed.
"Is it?" Caius raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall the Cullens being particularly loyal to the Volturi. And your coven has grown quite large. Perhaps you are playing the Romanians against us with the hope of toppling both our regimes and taking control for yourselves!"
"Caius, you know me," Carlisle interjected. "You know I have no ambition for political power."
"You may not, but what of your coven-mates? Jasper is a military man. Once Bella is turned, you'll have five talented vampires. And isn't it interesting that Fred has chosen to dote on Amanda? She's only the most important talent we've found decades. A coven of ten with six strong gifts could easily take over once the Volturi and Romanians destroyed each other."
"I have never met anyone with a mind so full of paranoia, Caius," Edward shook his head in disbelief. "If it wasn't so damned annoying, it would be fascinating!"
"Yes, of course that must be it. I'm paranoid. That's exactly what you would try to convince me to keep me from uncovering the truth."
Edward looked to Carlisle, giving an exasperated sigh. "Please tell me there are antipsychotics that work on vampires."
"Mock me if you will, but it's all starting to make sense now," Caius replied slowly.
"None of us has any desire for this," Edward gestured to the thrones, "and you know it."
"I do have to admit, I had not considered this possibility," Aro mused. "Yes, that would be rather clever. And while I know Carlisle speaks the truth that he has no interest in power and conquest, I can't necessarily say the same for the other Cullens. Why, even Bella has proven herself to be quite the little strategist. And your newest acquisition, Fred, does have a bit of a chip on his shoulder over the misfortune of his former coven-mate. I could see where he might also be seeking revenge."
"Aro, you can't be serious," Carlisle scoffed, but I'm sure he knew, as all of us did, that Aro was as serious as a heart attack. Or in his case, a pit of molten lava.
"Oh, but I am, my dear friend. And you must understand, I am in no way accusing you or your coven of these mutinous actions. It's simply that anyone who could gain the loyalty of this Idzi fellow could undermine the two major powers in our world. I simply cannot leave the Volturi vulnerable to that type of attack for the sake of one human."
"But what about the interview? What about Alice's vision?" I blurted out.
"We all know Alice's visions aren't set in stone," Aro said patronizingly. "We'll just have to take it as it goes. Unless…"
His tone turned ominous. Edward stiffened, meaning not only was another shoe about to drop, but trainloads of sneakers and loafers and stilettos were about to rain down on us. I braced myself.
"Unless…?" Carlisle asked with trepidation.
"Unless perhaps young Jasper would shake hands with me…" Aro smiled wickedly. "That's the only way I would know your true intentions."
Needless to say, I started to panic. I knew Jasper spent and inordinate amount of time thinking about military strategy. What little he'd told us was enough to know he'd given quite a bit of thought as to how he would overthrow the Volturi. I knew these thoughts would never come to fruition, and likely Aro would know that as well, but it would certainly be enough to give him all the confirmation he needed to deny Felka's request.
I'm sure we were all thinking the same thing. Was there a way to get Aro to be content with touching someone else? Jasper was the last one in our family I would choose for the job.
Edward's finger moved to my palm. I'm sure I winced before opening my mouth to put voice to the dreaded words. "I'm sorry, everyone, but I really need to use the bathroom. I was trying to wait…"
Chelsea and Felix snickered to each other. She was added to the suck-into-hell list.
"Actually, this is good timing," Carlisle smoothly covered for me. "We need to discuss this as a family."
"Whether or not Bella uses the bathroom?" Felix guffawed, earning him dirty looks from most everyone in the room. As much as Emmett hated Felix, he would have appreciated that comment.
"You've got fifteen minutes," Aro huffed impatiently. "There is a bathroom in the reception area."
I'm sure Carlisle had hoped to go back to our rooms because the reception area was always quite busy, being a hub for both vampires and humans alike. But Aro had been explicit, so reception it was.
"I'm sorry, Bella and Felka, but we need to talk quietly, fast, and in code. There are too many ears around here," Edward said, looking around for those who might already be trying to listen in.
"Well, I suppose we should just use the facilities then," I gestured toward Felka. "Women always go in pairs anyway, right?"
Of course, Edward moved the entire group so they were standing directly outside the door to the bathroom. He assured us the coast was clear inside, and he guarded the door to make sure it stayed that way.
"Edward certainly is protective," Felka giggled from inside her stall.
"Yes, maybe a little too much so," I answered from mine.
The door cracked open. "I heard that," Edward called in.
"I know," I sing-songed back to him.
"He means well, but sometimes he goes a little overboard. Granted, he has saved my life a few times, so I can't really begrudge him," I chuckled.
"You know, the only vampire I'd ever met that I truly liked was Amanda. I thought she was one-of-a-kind, but it's really nice to know there are other good ones out there."
"Yes, the Cullens really are the best. What you're seeing right now is how they are all the time."
Felka laughed. "Never a dull moment, that's for sure!"
I had to join her. "You don't even know the half of it."
We both finished our human business and went to wash our hands. As Felka handed me a towel, it looked like she wanted to say something.
"What…?" I asked hesitantly.
"I thought Edward was the mind reader," she snickered before her face became serious. "Bella, I just wanted to thank you for standing up for me today. I'll admit I was pretty angry when I figured out that you helped bring me back to life. I know it was only a few hours ago, but I learned something today: I really don't want to die. I'm willing to as a last resort, but I want to fight for my life, not forfeit it. You, Carlisle, and Amanda fought for me when everything looked impossible. And maybe it still is impossible, but I don't want to give up."
Tears flooded my eyes as I hugged her close to me. She started crying, too. I don't know how long we stood there, but eventually Alice came in to tell us it was time to go back. She joined the hug for another minute, and I knew if she could cry, she would.
"I think it's going to be alright," Alice whispered.
"Is that the psychic talking, or my sister with the positive outlook on everything?" I asked with a sniffle.
"A little from Column A, a little from Column B," she murmured and smiled. "Besides, we have a surprise for you."
"For who? Me or Felka?"
"A little from Column A, a little from Column B," was her enigmatic answer.
I narrowed my eyes at her, which just made her giggle. Not my intended effect, although it was highly unlikely that she would cower in fear and tell me what I wanted to know.
"Ready?" I asked Felka as she dried her eyes.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Out in the lobby, the family was waiting for us and pulled Felka into the middle of a group hug.
"I'm glad you want to live, and as long as that's true, we'll fight for you," Carlisle said firmly.
"My mother told me never to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have to ask… why?"
Carlisle laughed. "I don't know… why not?"
"I guess so," Felka answered with a half-hearted chuckle.
"In all honesty," Carlisle became somber, "you needed some help. We all liked you from the start and once we understood what was going on here, we all wanted to do something for you. It was Bella who led the charge, but there was never a moment when anyone in my family hesitated. Also, you should know that you have a good friend in Amanda."
Felka was in tears again. "Yes, I know. And thank you… all of you… for putting yourselves out there for me. I can't even tell you…"
"Vampires took away your life," Edward interjected. "Maybe vampires can help you get a new one back again."
I wanted to kiss him passionately in that moment, but this was neither the time nor place. The elevator opened on a rather put-out looking Felix. He tapped at an invisible watch on his wrist, and the doors closed again.
"I guess that's our cue," Alice sighed. We took the elevator back to the entrance of the Great Hall.
I still didn't know how we were going to deal with Aro wanting to shake hands with Jasper, but all the Cullens in attendance seemed unworried, so I had to assume they had some kind of plan. I didn't like not knowing what it was, of course, but it was necessary for the circumstances.
When we walked in, Aro was standing wringing his hands, almost in anticipation of something like a good meal. And truth be told, reading Jasper's entire life would probably be more satisfying to him than any meal could be.
Aro took a few steps forward, reaching his hand towards Jasper, but rather than offering the same, Jasper clasped his hands behind his back.
Gasps were heard around the room, mine included. I knew my family wasn't giving up, but what was actually going on was a mystery to me.
"So, my friends, it appears you've decided the human isn't worth Jasper's thoughts?" Aro inquired, sounding both disappointed and self-satisfied at the same time.
"No," Jasper answered, "we've decided that what's in my head won't give you the answers you want."
"So, you're refusing?"
Jasper smiled. "Actually, we're offering something better."
He gestured to the door, which opened to Emmett and Rosalie flanking a vampire I'd never seen before.
"Idzi!" Felka yelped. "What are you doing here? How…" she trailed off as one hand flew to cover her mouth.
I became aware that Carlisle had moved closer to me as Idzi bared his teeth and snarled. That's when I remembered he was still a relative newborn. Rose and Emmett each grabbed one of his arms, just for insurance, while Alice stood in front of Jasper, who was now blocking Idzi's view of Felka.
Idzi took two deep breaths. "I'm OK now… I must speak to my sister."
Edward, Alice, and Jasper all confirmed that he was under control. Emmett and Rosalie let go of his arms, but stayed at his side as he slowly approached Felka. Before he reached her, Alice took a step forward.
"I'm Alice, the one you spoke to on the phone. As you've seen for yourself, your sister is very much alive and still human. We're her friends." She gestured to each of us as she introduced us to him. "You're going to be OK, but you need to take this slowly. Right now, I don't see you attacking Felka. Let's just keep it that way."
"How...?" Idzi asked, clearly confused by Alice's words.
"I told you, I can see what's going to happen. Right now, you've decided you don't want to drain your sister, but if you change your mind, we'll know."
"You'll help me? Sometimes it's difficult…" Idzi trailed off.
"We've all been there, my man," Emmett answered. "We won't let you hurt her."
Idzi took another breath before nodding that he was ready. Alice and Jasper stepped out of his way.
"Felka! I thought I'd never see you again!" he cried out. "You're alive!"
"Idzi!" she answered in like manner. She started to reach for him, but he backed away quicker than I could see it happen.
"I'm sorry. I'm not ready to be that close yet. I'm afraid of what I might do, especially if you're not covered in milk."
I swear every vampire in the room looked equally repulsed.
"It's OK. I'm just glad you're here," Felka sighed.
"I'm glad YOU'RE here!" Idzi exclaimed. "I'm sorry I couldn't rescue you from their ritual torture…" he gestured to the Brothers. "I wanted to, but Vladimir said if they captured me, they would use us against each other…"
"What are you talking about?" Felka interrupted him.
"You know… where they open your chest and drink straight from your heart?" Idzi answered to Felka's surprise. Seeing the look on her face, he seemed to panic a bit. "Please don't tell me they did worse things to you. I couldn't bear it."
"Idzi, no. There hasn't been any torture, ritual or otherwise," Felka almost scoffed in disbelief.
"Tell me they didn't use you for their perverse sexual pleasure. I'll kill anyone who laid a hand on you!"
Felka almost choked. "Idzi! Where did you get such ideas? Nothing like that has happened here. That doesn't happen to anyone here."
"But Vladimir said…"
"He lied to you! Just like he lied about killing our family," Felka explained.
"How do you know that? Alice told me it was the Romanians, but that just can't be…"
"I know because of Edward. He can read minds, and Jasper can sense emotions. They would know if the Volturi were lying about it. It's a lot to take in, and I'll explain everything to you later, but right now, I really need you to do something for me," Felka entreated him.
"I know. They told me. I have to shake hands with that one," he glowered as he pointed at Aro.
"If you would… it's the only way they'll believe that you're trustworthy."
"But how do I know they're trustworthy? Stephan himself told me they were hot on the trail of the Italians when they found me," Idzi explained.
"Was he implying that we ran away from the Romanians?" Caius scowled. "That is the most ludicrous thing I've heard in a century!"
"Come here, lad," Aro coaxed. "Take my hand and then let Edward tell you if what I'm saying is the truth or not."
Idzi looked to Felka, who nodded encouragingly. He cautiously approached the platform as Aro descended from his throne. Aro held out his hand, but didn't touch Idzi. Instead, he waited until the young vampire reached out to him.
It wasn't long before the silent interaction was complete. "Yes, I see now how they tricked you," Aro said. "You recognized one of them, and they told you he was one of your rescuers. You never quite believed it because you had a memory of him biting you, but it was all so chaotic, you weren't sure what was real. That memory is what actually happened."
"I knew it!" Idzi exclaimed. "I knew what I saw was real! They told me I was confused. Everything was so mixed up… and the pain… and they came to help me. Why would they do that if they were the ones who tried to kill me in the first place?"
"The law requires it. If they had left a newborn to roam free, we would have come to investigate. Once we discovered who sired you, we would have cause to punish the offenders," Caius answered. "They wouldn't risk something like that."
"OK… but then wouldn't it make more sense to just kill me?" Idzi asked.
"Not if they thought you might be useful. A newborn vampire with a grudge is a very powerful thing," Jasper responded. And he would know better than anyone.
"All they had to do was get you to believe we were your enemy, even though the Volturi had no involvement in the attack on your family," Aro answered.
"He's telling the truth," Edward confirmed.
"I can't sense any deception, either," Jasper concurred.
"All this time!" Idzi fumed. "I've helped them and listened to them, and all of it was lies? Stephan told me stories of all these the terrible atrocities committed by the Italians, and none of it was true…?"
"No offense to the Volturi in the room or anything," Jasper mumbled, "but some of it was probably true."
"Truth is in the eye of the beholder," Aro answered the accusation. "For example, he told you we killed an immortal child and his sire for no reason. But what he didn't tell you is that creating an immortal child is strictly forbidden, punishable by death to both the child and its creator. That may seem harsh, but these children cannot learn self-control nor can they be controlled. They would expose us to the world in no time."
Idzi nodded, seeming to understand. "The things they told me you would be doing to my sister… unspeakable things…"
"All lies," Aro answered, shaking his head.
"Yes, we've become quite 'human-friendly' around here, actually," Caius said sarcastically, punctuating his statement with air quotes.
"I am convinced of one thing," Aro's smile returned, "and that is that our young friend, Idzi, does not have an agenda of his own. He has been an unwitting puppet in yet another Romanian plot to overthrow us. And if I ever see Vladimir again, I'll have a few choice words for him. First and foremost, I do not smell like a goat."
All of us tried not to chuckle. A few succeeded. Most did not. Aro wasn't nearly as amused as the rest of us.
"Brothers!" he directed.
A begrudging Marcus rose to his feet to join Aro and an eager Caius to make a final decision. I hoped the wait wasn't long this time.
Surprisingly, only a few minutes passed before the Brothers broke up their little triad. Aro clasped his hands together, plastering the smile on his face again. No conclusions could be drawn from that smile – it was the same whether he was granting favors or about to torture someone to death.
"We have come to a decision. Idzi is to stay here for a few days, see our operations for himself, ask questions, and learn about us firsthand. He will also be schooled in the law, as clearly the Romanians have not prepared him properly. After that time, he will touch my hand again. If his attitudes toward us have genuinely changed, we will allow him to leave with his sister, accompanied by Alice, Jasper, and Felix. However, we still have one condition."
I felt the panic start to set in, but Edward didn't seem alarmed.
"Idzi and Felka must return to Volterra every six months and allow me to read their thoughts," Aro continued. "As long as they are loyal to us, we will allow them to live as they choose. If I find they are working for the Romanians, they will be dealt with accordingly."
"That seems fair…" Carlisle said, looking between Felka and Idzi. They both nodded their assent. "And the interview?"
"Yes, she will tell the reporter what we want her to say, and she will be available for the press if needed in the future. Idzi, assuming you are our friend, we have a role for you in this as well. All will be explained in due time."
"I appreciated this, Aro," Carlisle said warily, "but I must ask why you changed your mind so abruptly."
"My dear, dear friend, the information I already gleaned from Idzi will benefit the Volturi immensely. If he can be trusted, we would be fools not to avail ourselves to his position with our mutual enemy."
"So, we're done here?" Carlisle hoped out loud.
"Yes. We will write a formal contract for you to read and Felka and Idzi to sign, assuming they are agreeable to it. Until then, this hearing is adjourned."
I felt dizzy and leaned into Edward. Was it really over? His face was a mask of concern for my wellbeing until I gave him a little smile. He seemed to realize this was a good type of dizzy.
Nobody celebrated as we left the Great Hall. It was a hard-fought battle and I wasn't sure any of us believed it was genuinely over, let alone that we'd come to a win-win conclusion. Carlisle perhaps looked more baffled than the rest of us.
Once we were back in Esme's parlor, we all sat, pulling up another chair for Idzi. We explained the entire proceedings to Fred, Amanda, and Esme.
"So, are you saying you won?" Esme aked cautiously.
"I guess we are…" her husband answered.
"And you're sitting here with morbid looks on your faces because…?"
"That's a good question," Emmett hollered before letting out a huge 'whoop' and high-fiving Fred.
Their sudden reverie spread like wildfire as it dawned on the rest of us that there were no more shoes to drop. Felka and I hugged each other fiercely. I knew in that moment we would be life-long friends. I had a moment of sadness as I realized I would live far beyond her lifespan, but I would enjoy the time I had with her, and that was now.
**-…-**
AN: Ahh, a happy ending for a character I never intended to develop. LOL Seriously, she wasn't even going to have a name. But I'm happy she gets to go back to her life, not TOO much worse for the wear.
Speaking of endings, I think the next chapter will be the last. And I'm pretty sure there will be an epilogue.
Please review! I love hearing your thoughts. Thanks for reading!