Chapter Nineteen

Aro

We all knew something had happened in our world, a ripple that's effects were felt even here in Volterra. When Elektra came to us with her premonition we eyed her warily. Although she'd never been proved wrong not all her premonitions were in our best interests, she seemed to be a neutral which made us a little reserved.

"There is a new entity coming into our world brothers, a slowly changing human who will have strange and powerful powers, a hybrid being."

"Is that all you can tell us Elektra? Can't you be more specific?"

She turned blind eyes on Caius as if she could see him perfectly well although we all knew of her disability. Eyes that had never seen the outside world were not healed by venom but she had an uncanny ability to know who was in a room and where they were in relation to her.

"If I knew everything I would be too powerful for the Volturi to allow to exist Caius. It's up to you to find this human before the change is complete. If not they will be beyond your reach."

"Is it male or female? Where in the world? Do you have anything that might help us Elektra? Please."

Marcus spoke to her softly and always got the best from her as a result.

She put her hand out and he took it in his,

"Marcus, it's so good to hear your voice. I miss the conversations we had with Didyme. I can tell you that the person, and I incline towards female although I could be wrong on that, is in the United States. I see the person has had contact with a fighter."

"A nomad?"

"Possibly, but a great fighter. If she, or he, reaches this fighter then the Volturi will not be powerful enough to stop the transformation and the power that comes with it."

"Thank you Elektra, we appreciate your information."

Marcus led her to the door and waited as her escort appeared to take her back to her quarters outside the city. She had a villa a few miles from Volterra. we found her proximity unsettling and she in turn hated being within the city walls.

Once she had gone I turned to Caius,

"Well do you believe her?"

"We can't afford to to ignore her warning can we Aro? As for a great fighter there are several in the United States. Garrett, Peter Whitlock, Darius, Xenon, and of course Major Whitlock. It could be any of them."

"True, I think we need to send an expedition to watch them all, see if any humans are keeping close contact".

"I think it might be as well to watch the Cullens too"

I turned to Marcus,

"Really brother, why?"

"Well they live in close proximity to the humans and The Major was one of them although I hear he is no longer."

"True. I might speak to Carlisle myself. Very well, Caius send guards out to watch the fighters."

"Very well, it's not possible to do that with Darius though."

"Why not?"

"Because dear brother he is too well hidden, unless you know where he happens to be? I very much doubt it will be him, he has nothing to do with his own race let alone the human world."

"Never the less I want him located if possible. Having him invisible unsettles me."

"He's no danger to us Aro, as long as his sister is our guest."

"That I think is a mistake as I have mentioned before. It's like putting a target on our chests. One day he will come for her."

"Yes, yes, Marcus, we know how you feel about Jenny's presence here but both Caius and I feel it is a safe guard and she stays".

Marcus shrugged and went out followed by a scowling Caius. He hated it when Marcus mentioned Darius sister, I think he was nervous too but Darius wouldn't dare attack us while his precious sister was in our hands.

Elektra

As soon as I reached my villa I locked myself in my meditation room which just happened to be soundproofed too, which was convenient at times like this. I took out my cell phone and rang my friend to give her an update.

"Alice, I've just been to see the Volturi. They were very interested in my news."

"Did you tell them exactly what I told you to?"

"Of course."

"Are they going to act on it?"

"They can't afford to ignore it can they?"

"Well done Elektra, I'll send you some silk scarves, all bright colours of course and textured so you can tell them apart."

She knew my weakness and my usual charges and I was content.

Felix

It was good to get away from Volterra for a while, sometimes I enjoyed travelling, especially as we were going to check on some of my favourite vampires. I admired good fighters and the ones we were going to check on were the cream of the cream, the very best in our world. It had been many years since I had seen Garrett or The Major and his idiot side kick Peter Whitlock. .As for Darius, while I knew our orders were to find him I seriously doubted we would have any luck unless he wanted us to. Since losing a leg to Caius he had simply vanished and although we knew he still existed we had no idea where. We weren't even sure he was in he United Sates. I split our group into three, sending Alec with two guards to check on Peter Whitlock,

"And if you can, stay out of sight because if he sees you the alarm will go round and he might just be stupid enough to chance an attack."

I knew with Alec around there was no chance of him succeeding but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Demetri, you and two others take Garrett, last we heard he was up north, New England somewhere but I'm sure you'll find him. If he's behaving put your powers to work on Darius but don't approach him."

That left Jane and myself to find The Major. He was no longer with the Cullens so I doubted he was involved, putting him anywhere near a human was a recipe for death. If Alice, his mate had left him then there might be a chance to capture him for Aro and Caius. I knew Caius would dance with joy at the thought of The Major in the Volturi guard. It was a thought at the very least.

It didn't take too long to track him down, not with the resources available to us. The small ranch he was living on was some distance from the nearest city and he seemed to be living alone so the rumour that he and Alice Cullen had parted were true. This could be very good for us, a mate abandoned by their partner was easy pickings, even the great Major could be brought to his knees by that. We went in on foot and found the horses stabled. They were close to the house so it could be awkward, they could give the alarm. We watched from a distance but saw no movement then after noon a figure came from the house and for a moment I didn't recognise him. Was this shambling wreck the famous Major Whitlock? As we watched he let the horses out into the paddock and filled up their trough and threw hay in but it was quite obviously an effort for him and I smiled, he would be easy to overpower like this.

"Don't you think you should clear this with Aro first?"

I looked down on Jane who stood scowling beside me.

"Aro and Caius sent me for this, you're just insurance. If I say we tale him back then that's what we do. Have you got a problem with that Jane?"

I knew she would have liked to say yes and use her gift on me but I was right, this was my assignment not hers and that stuck in her craw.

"Very well but I hope you're right."

"Look at him Jane, his mate leaves and he's a wreck. It will be a walk in the park."

Jane

I didn't like Felix attitude and I really didn't want the bother of transporting The Major back to Volterra much as Caius would love to get his hands on his enemy. Aro was nervous and the state of The Major wouldn't make him feel any easier. Besides there was another way to dispose of Caius greatest adversary and one I thought he might like so I rang him with my suggestion. As I expected he loved it, the idea of his enemy suffering eternal torture appealed to him and as I asked he rang Felix with my suggestion. I have to admit Felix didn't like the idea at all but then he had a thing about honour and a clean death but it was a direct order from our superiors so he had no choice but to go along. There was nothing to worry about, I hardly needed to use my gift on him. Whatever was happening, pain from losing his mate we all assumed, it had really finished him as a man. When we left I was pleased, it had appealed to my rather strange sense of humour but I felt glad I had no mate, if this was what it could reduce a vampire to.