Chapter Twenty Four

Bella

I took a few deep breaths to clear my head and suddenly I felt drawn to the stables. Although I'd looked in there when I arrived at the ranch I hadn't been right inside but now something was telling me I needed to go into the stables now. I heard Luke calling my name but all I could think about was that I needed to get into the stables quickly. My feet went faster and faster until I was running full speed and I crashed through the stables main doors not even feeling the pain as my arm caught on a rusty nail protruding from the wood. It was gloomy in the stables and I found myself looking around as if I knew there was something in here I had to find. I looked in the first two stalls but all I found was fresh straw on the floor. When I opened the third stall I saw something on the straw and when my brain made sense of what I was seeing I screamed and threw myself onto the straw beside it sobbing and calling his name, my mates name, but knowing he wasn't here, he was gone.

Garrett

As I pulled up I heard a piercing scream from the stables and ran in to see Luke standing at the door of one of the stalls shaking his head and muttering. He turned hearing me arrive and took my arm to holds me back, pulling me from the building out into the yard.

"What the hell was that?"

"Bella. She suddenly started running for the stables and then she found it...one of The Major's arms left on the straw. The Volturi either took him or dismembered him and hid the bits around the ranch for us to find."

I shook my head,

"No, they may have left something for us to find but they didn't kill him here, Caius would never agree to that. He'd want the pleasure personally. The Major must be in Volterra so I guess that's our next port of call."

"You're going to Italy to find him? How the hell do you intend getting the Volturi to hand him over if he is there?"

"You aren't. I am."

We both turned to see the young woman Bella standing there holding in her arms one of The Majors, unmistakable due to the terrible scarring.

I held out my hand and smiled reassuringly.

"Bella I presume. I'm Garrett."

Her eyes were almost black with rage as she looked from the severed limb to my face,

"Garrett, what have they done with Jasper? Have they killed him? Is this a message to say he's dead?"

"I doubt it Bella, its more likely a message to say they have him. They know a human may be looking for him and they'll wait to see what happens next. It's a lure Bella, a lure you can't afford to bite on."

She looked into my eyes and I felt a frisson of fear run through me, there was something innately dangerous about this semi human.

"So he's not dead?"

"Not yet no, but if you follow him he will be and you too or a prisoner in Italy for the rest of your life."

Darius

Garrett rang to warn me that The Major had been taken and to let me know that Bella wanted to speak to me,

"What the fuck for?"

"I don't know Darius but would it hurt to give her a few minutes of your oh so precious time?"

I sighed heavily, I didn't like humans any more than I liked my own kind but I was interested to hear what she had to say.

"OK I'll talk to her. Are Peter and Charlotte there yet?"

"No, they'll be here soon although what we can do...well you know what will happen if we try to get him back"

"Yeah, there'll be a few less warriors in our world, you'd be crazy to try taking on the Volturi and make sure you count me very firmly out. My sister will die too if I'm caught up in any trouble."

He didn't answer me although he knew I was right, he just called Bella over.

"Darius I need some answers."

"Really? And what makes you think I have any? And just supposing I did what makes you think I'd share them with you? I don't know you girl and I don't give help to my enemies."

"I'm not an enemy. As you said yourself you don't even know me"

"That makes you an enemy in my book."

"Never the less I'm going to ask you a simple question and I hope you have a simple answer for me."

"There are no such things as simple questions or simple answers besides why don't you ask Garrett? He's standing right beside you, or wait until Peter arrives. Mind you with his intelligence anything more difficult than his name will be sure to stump him."

"Garrett and Luke both told me you're the expert on the Volturi."

"I guess you could say that."

"What would it take to get them to free Jasper?"

"A fucking miracle Bella."

"Well I'm all out of those but there must be something Aro wants."

"There's a lot Aro wants but nothing you can give him to make any difference."

"Try me on a few"

"World domination"

"Strike one"

"An unbeatable gift"

"Strike two"

"Then you are as I said, out of luck. Besides you are looking at the wrong brother. It's not Aro but Caius Volturi who aches to get revenge on The Major."

"So, what would it take to persuade him to let Jasper go?"

"Even more of a miracle."

"There must be something that he wants more."

"You think so?

"Yes, you're the one with the answers so go on, give me one"

I thought about this, Bella had guts and determination I had to give her that but...

"OK, the Cullens on a plate."

"What? Why?"

"It's a long story but none of the brothers are comfortable with Carlisle's coven. It's too large and too powerful, he has Edward and Alice don't forget and Aro would love to have them in the palm of his hand. Caius hates Carlisle even more because he gave The Major shelter. When Carlisle spoke up for him, giving him a sanctuary and guaranteeing his behaviour, Aro refused Caius permission to continue the pursuit. So I guess that's your third strike, you're out Bella."

"Just a minute. Why doesn't Aro just take Edward and Alice if he wants them?"

"Ah, now that is an interesting question."

Damn it this girl was drawing me in further than I had intended!

"Most vampires are nomads or live with their mates, they don't form covens like Carlisle. The only other one that's anywhere near as large is the Denali coven and they are related to the Cullens in all the ways that matter. The nomads are happy to go their own way but they know and watch Carlisle, he's very well respected if not understood by the rest of our kind. Aro and Carlisle have been friends for an extremely long time and Aro would like him back but he needs an excuse or he might cause ripples in our world."

"He needs an excuse to take the Cullens back to Italy? If he gets one then he has Carlisle, Edward and Alice and Caius has Jasper. Would Aro consider another deal?"

"With you? My dear naïve little Bella. Aro would chew you up and spit out the carcass. No one wins with Aro Volturi."

"Never mind that for a minute. What would be a good enough excuse?"

"That's the problem. Carlisle is very careful not to give Aro an excuse. He would have to break a law and that's highly unlikely. All the humans he's brought into our world are changed and as per the law looked after. If you change a human you are responsible for their behaviour and you pay the price if they break any of our laws. So you see, strike three."

"I guess so, thank you for that though Darius."

"I'm almost sorry I couldn't help you, but only almost. The best thing you can do is to wait out the transformation and find yourself a mate."

"I have a mate, according to Garrett and Luke."

"No I'm afraid you don't. They are mistaken Bella. You see to complete the bond you need to be sexual partners too, or have you had sex with The Major?"

He waited but he didn't need my spoken answer."

"I didn't think so somehow."

I thanked him and rang off, thinking furiously of all he had said, there must be something I could use.