Chapter Twenty Nine
Bella
As usual I only had an hours sleep but I woke feeling refreshed but worried. How long would it be before the guard returned with Jasper? I wanted to get this over with, give my statement and fly back home with him. He could answer my questions and then I wanted to see Carlisle and Edward board the plane for Italy so I could laugh at them, so they would know who had done this to them. It still left the others but they could wait, the main culprit would be suffering. Carlisle had told me he left Volterra because he could no longer stomach the death around him, the humans that they fed on, well I would ask Aro to force both Carlisle and Edward to live on humans. Whether he would I didn't know but it was worth a try, I would screw Carlisle as much as I possibly could.
I wished Garrett or Luke were here with me because I knew it was a very dangerous place to be yet I wanted them for their company not to help me. I thought about it and suddenly realised I felt stronger and more empowered than I had ever done which was great. At the same time I had a terrible ache in my chest which cradling poor Jasper's arm only partially allayed. What I really needed was to see him whole once more and at my side. Little did I know the truth behind those words!
It was the next evening before I was summoned to the audience chamber again, escorted by Jane and another vampire I had never seen before but who introduced himself as Santiago. He reminded me of Emmett he was so huge but unlike Emmett he was intimidating and I had to remind myself that I had the upper hand as we walked into the chamber which was full of people, Aro's witnesses I assumed. We didn't stop in there to my surprise but went through into the smaller room at the back of the three "thrones".
Inside it was crowded, Aro, Caius and Marcus were joined by Felix and two vampires I hadn't met before, Jane and Alec coming in too and shutting the door behind them. I stood looking round but there was no sign of Jasper so I looked at Aro waiting for an explanation. He glanced at Caius and then tried a smile but it looked weak even to me,
"Bella, The Major is now in Volterra but I'm not sure he is well enough for visitors yet. Would you take my word for the veracity of this statement?"
"Of course Aro."
"Really?"
He looked relieved,
"Of course, as soon as pigs learn to fly and puppies squawk like chickens. Where is he?"
"I told you she would demand to see him Aro."
I looked at Marcus and smiled coldly,
"Well at least one of you has a brain!"
Aro
This was extremely awkward, I knew when Bella saw The Major she would be horrified and angry but would she now refuse to give me what I wanted? If only I had insisted Caius bring The Major to Volterra sooner as Marcus had tried to insisted.
"Very well. Felix would you escort Bella to The Majors room?"
Felix looked unhappy but of course he obeyed as always and they left the room. As soon as they were out of earshot I turned on Caius angrily,
"You fool. If there is any power in her threat she may well pull the citadel down around our ears."
He laughed,
"I sincerely doubt that brother, besides she still has to get out of Volterra alive and with him."
"We gave our word Caius."
"You may have meant it Marcus but I'm not letting him go. As soon as Aro gets what he wants he goes straight back where he came from"
I knew they were setting up for a real fight so I intervened.
"Let's wait and see what she has for us before we start making threats or promises shall we brothers?"
Bella
I walked at Felix side down the corridor,
"Is it far?"
"No"
"Did you bring him back?"
"Yes"
"What did you do to him?"
He refused to answer and that scared me, after all what could one do to a vampire that was so terrible they refused to talk of it? We stopped outside a thick wooden door and he hesitated, one huge hand on the knob,
"I don't excuse what I did but it was under orders, orders which I questioned first"
I swallowed and steeled myself for whatever horror I might encounter and as he pushed the door open I slipped in hearing it shut behind me. I was alone with Jasper but the room was dark with just a solid shelf running along the back wall deep in the gloom. I walked forward calling his name softly and then I saw him and what little human blood remained in my body ran cold as a glacier. He lay on the shelf and I could see where all the different parts of his body were slowly fusing back together. He had been mutilated, chopped to pieces, and by the condition of them, buried alive!
I fell to my knees beside him and his eyes opened slowly as he heard my sobs,
"Oh Jasper. What did they do to you?"
I watched as he tried to make words but seemed unable to do more than move his mouth. I could tell he was trying to say my name so I took his hand very carefully, aware it hadn't completely fused back on and not wanting to injure him further. I stroked his face with my free hand then leaned in and kissed his forehead ignoring the earth still clinging to his skin.
"I'll be back very soon Jasper and I promise I wont leave you again."
I hated the thought of leaving him now but my rage was building to such a degree I knew that soon I would no longer be able to control it. When I opened the door Felix stood there stepping back as he saw my face.
"You stay right here. No one goes in that room. Do you understand?"
He didn't even try to argue merely nodded and as I strode away he leaned his bulk against the door blocking it.
I was almost running by the time I reached the audience chamber again and threw the doors open startling everyone as they crashed against the stone walls. All eyes watched me as I strode to the centre of the room and shouted Caius name. It echoed around the stone walls of the chamber and the door opened, the three brothers appearing together. I pointed a finger at Caius,
"You bastard"
Then I flew at him and we went backwards together crashing to the floor. He may have had the skills of a fighter but I had the strength and rage of a newborn behind me and I used every ounce of it ripping into his flesh with my teeth and spitting out chunks of his flesh as my nails ripped gouges in his face and ripped his clothes. I expected someone to try stopping me but the room was silent, everyone watching aghast. Not until he was in the same kind of condition that he'd buried Jasper did I stop, and suddenly my rage was spent. I stood up sporting only a couple of bite wounds myself and turned to Aro,
"You knew what he'd done and you are responsible as their leader. If you even think about double-crossing me Aro Volturi I will do exactly the same to you."
I turned to the closest guard and held out my hand,
"Lighter?"
He looked at Aro but it was Marcus who threw me one and I set light to Caius heaped body parts watching until he was only ashes before walking out of the room leaving a stunned silence behind me.