Chapter Thirty Four

Carlisle

Esme and I stood on the porch to meet the Volturi as the car pulled to a halt and four of the guard got out, Felix, Jane, Alec and Santiago, so they meant business. Jane stepped forward and smiled,

"Carlisle, Esme, we have an invitation from Aro to visit Volterra. He's very eager to speak with you"

She looked around me then motioned for Felix and Alec to go round the back,

"Edward too, where is he?"

"Not here at the moment and while I would love to accept Aro's invitation I have commitments, work at the hospital. Can you tell me what this is about?"

"No, I think Aro would like to do this personally and I have my orders to turn the invitation into an order if necessary. Are Rosalie and Emmett also away?"

"Yes they went hunting with Edward."

"Then if you come with me I'm sure Felix and Alec will be perfectly content to wait for the others"

"We are all invited?"

"Or commanded as you prefer."

Esme looked at me with concern but I smiled reassuringly and we slipped into the back of the black car with its tinted windows and Jane joined Santiago who had already started the engine.

Felix

Carlisle was lying, I knew that, to cover for the others. They had been here but run when they sensed us coming. Not that it mattered, Demetri would be joining us shortly and would soon hunt them down. I was looking forward to confronting Edward Cullen, I wanted to see the look on his face when he heard he was going to live in Volterra with the others. Alec came out of the house,

"Something was going on in there. It looks like a fight."

"Really? The Cullens fighting among themselves? It doesn't seem likely."

"I didn't smell anyone else inside. What do we do now? Go looking for them?"

"No, we'll wait for Demetri to join us, let him do the work. I'm in no rush to get back, are you?"

Alec smiled, I knew he liked the freedom of being in the human world as I did.

"Let's go inside, make ourselves at home. See if we can find anything interesting in the doctors study or Edwards room. We let ourselves in and started snooping.

Carlisle

Neither Jane nor Santiago spoke on the trip to Seattle or when we were escorted to the sleek black jet that waited engines running. It seemed Aro was indeed eager to see us but I had no idea why, none of us had broken any laws and I'd heard nothing from any of my friends with connections in Italy to warn of trouble. Esme sat holding my hand, looking at Santiago fearfully. He was huge, bigger even than Emmett and much more menacing, only second to Felix in my opinion.

"Carlisle what's going on?"

"I have no idea but I'm sure we will be able to clear up any misunderstanding when we reach Volterra. In the mean time try to relax."

Jane who was ostentatiously reading a novel sneered while the giant stared out the window at the blue sky above the clouds. I couldn't think of a single thing, we had lived quietly among the humans and I hadn't changed another since Emmett. I wondered briefly if Alice or Jasper had been picked up too but of course my daughter would have seen the Volturi coming which begged the question why hadn't she warned us? The more I thought about it the more odd that fact seemed. Alice had always been our early warning system but this time she had failed us, was it chance or purpose? Well I guess I'd soon find that out too.

Felix

We found nothing of interest but then I hadn't really expected too and left the house as we'd found it. Let the good doctors employers wonder what had happened. Alec switched the TV on and watched some cartoons as we waited while I took out a book to read. A history of the American Civil War written by none other than Major Jasper Whitlock. It was very interesting, he had been quite the warrior in his day, nothing like the wreck we had brought back to Volterra but then I'd expected him to be mad by that time, he had more psychological strength than any other man I knew. The punishment hadn't been used much but every time it broke the prisoner in days. I was glad Caius was dead, I hadn't enjoyed my work for him, he was an animal pure and simple. What would happen to his concubine Jenny now he was dead? Would she finally be allowed to leaveb34 Volterra and rejoin her brother or would Aro continue Chelsea's hold over her? It would be interesting to see. Myself I veered towards letting her go, after all we were breaking our own laws if we didn't but then Aro was more interested in enforcing than in following his laws. Marcus felt the same way I did, we had talked about it before but he had never felt strong enough to confront Caius, until very recently that was. Bella Swan had an effect on everyone she came in contact with, for good or ill. Personally I was glad I wasn't in her sights because she was totally ruthless and amazingly powerful.

Carlisle

When we reached Volterra we were taken to a suite of rooms by Corin,

"Aro has made this apartment available for your use but please do not attempt to leave."

"Can you tell us when we will be seeing Aro?"

"I'm afraid not but I'm sure he will contact you as soon as he is ready."

She went out shutting the door firmly behind her.

"Carlisle we're prisoners here aren't we? What's happened?"

"Esme calm yourself. I'm sure it will all be made clear when we meet with Aro. There is obviously some misunderstanding. Aro is a friend, he wouldn't dream of leaving us in limbo for long."

I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt, something was very wrong and I had no idea what or why. The very fact Aro didn't greet us was designed to show we had earned his displeasure and he was quite capable of keeping us here without a word for days or even weeks.

I was mistaken if I thought we would be left wondering because within a few hours Jane was back along with Santiago.

"The Volturi will see you now. Please follow me"

Esme took my hand holding it tightly as we followed Jane along the stone corridor Santiago a huge presence at our backs. When she stopped outside the huge audience chamber I knew this was more serious than I had thought and when the doors opened and I saw a crowd of people standing waiting for us I understood this was no friendly meeting but a trial. We followed Jane until she stopped before the brothers who sat in their chairs raised above the ground but one was missing, Caius wasn't present and I looked around but couldn't see him anywhere in the room.

"Carlisle, Esme Cullen, you are charged with breaking our laws and as such these witnesses will try your case."

A trial!