Chapter Forty
Bella
When the plane landed Garrett went to rent a car while the rest of us stood talking just outside the terminal in a quiet corner. Peter was ready to kill all the Cullens for what they had done to Jasper, no matter how many times I told him that I suspected Alice had manipulated everyone else.
"So what are you saying Bella? That the rest of the Cullens are fucking puppets and Alice has her hands up all their asses? It's probably close to what they really are but that stupid? Even I never saw them as that brain-dead."
"Peter, the last original thought you had was decades ago. It's always the same shit you spout."
I turned crouching,with my teeth barred, looking at the stranger who had spoken warningly.
"Well fuck me, look what the cat dragged in. I thought you were well into your dotage by now Darius. It must be something big for you to stick your head over the parapet. Make sure you duck if you hear boo."
The stranger raised one eyebrow and shook his head wearily,
"Major you need a new fool, this one has outlived his usefulness."
"Fuck you Darius."
"Again? One has to wonder what you do when I'm not available Whitlock! Don't you have any inclinations towards females?"
I half expected Peter to take a swing at the newcomer but he just threw his head back and laughed,
"It's good to see you too Darius."
Darius smiled just a little then looked at me,
"So you're the girl who has the whole vampire world in an uproar. You don't look as if you could cause much trouble but I know looks can be deceptive, one look at Peter proves that, he looks almost intelligent from a distance. I take it you and The Major are a little closer than just good friends?"
It was then I noticed just how close we were standing, our bodies were almost one, and Jaspers arm was around me tightly as if he thought I might try to run away. How wrong he was if he thought that.
"Darius, you didn't come here just for a chat I assume?"
"True Major. I actually came because I heard a few rumours and I thought you might be going back to Volterra if they were true."
"Really and what exactly do you think might do that?"
"Have you ever heard of the Players?"
"Players? No, never. You Peter?"
He shook his head looking puzzled,
"No."
"I'm not surprised, they are quite secretive about their activities but in essence they are a select group of vampires with certain gifts. There are some who hang around the periphery and pretend they are Players but the core of the group consists of about ten or twelve vampires who compete with each other."
"At what?"
"Ah, now that's the really sick part. They are what humans would call psychopaths whose kink is to manipulate, usually humans, into certain actions. Often its a way of bringing their food source to them, the thrill of the hunt inverted but a few, only very few, have actually played the game with other vampires. Manipulating the way they behave or the situations they find themselves in. One game is in progress at the moment and every other Player is following it eagerly, wondering if the Player involved will be able to bring it to a successful conclusion. The bets are piling up now, a lot of money and prestige is riding on the outcome."
Jasper
My mind was still foggy and I wasn't sure exactly what Darius was getting at but Bella had stiffened at my side and Darius recognised the change in her.
"I think Bella has an idea who I'm referring to."
Her voice was so soft even I almost missed it,
"Alice."
He nodded and grimaced,
"You got it in one Bella. Everything that's happened since you met Edward, and a lot before then I wouldn't mind guessing, is a direct result of Alice's intervention. She's played every one of you."
"OK but why? What does she get out of it?"
"Nothing tangible really some money but mainly for kicks, accolades from the others. Alice does it because she can."
Peter swore loudly as I tried to make sense of everything I'd just heard.
"Are you telling me that Bella losing the respect of her friends and family, my suffering at the ranch and at the hands of the Volturi, everything, all of it, is so Alice could have some fun?"
"Basically yes."
"Why didn't you fucking warn him then Darius?"
"Because Peter, I've been watching the Players for about a year now but they are extremely clever and secretive. At first I wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Then it took some time to crack their code and discover who they really were. I only found out that Domino is Alice Cullen's alias after Garrett rang me about The Major here."
"So you figured if you told us this, The Major and Bella might decide to take pity on the other Cullens and go back to save them? They deserve to die for their blind fucking stupidity if nothing else."
Bella
I was missing something here because I couldn't work out why Darius would want us to go back to Volterra. He watched my face for a few seconds then sighed,
"You are curious Bella, I can see it. Let me tell you why I'd like some back up to invade the Volturi. Many years ago my mate went to Volterra to see a friend in the guard. Caius Volturi took a liking to her and she disappeared. The Volturi swore she had left the town but her friend Bethany got word to me that Caius had kidnapped her and later killed her, just before the same friend was killed. Then I found out my sister Jenny, was missing, we had been turned together but didn't stay together. She found her mate in one of the Volturi seekers but when he outlive his usefulness he too died but she was kept in Volterra, again by Caius, as a hostage for my good behaviour. She's still there and I stand no chance alone against the Volturi."
He banged his right leg and it made a dull thud.
"Lost the leg to Caius too, so you see I owe that bastard big time and its way past time I paid him back."
"Caius kidnapped your mate and then killed her? But that's against their own laws."
"Are you really naïve enough to think they feel they are subject to the same laws as the rest of us Bella?"
Thinking back to Aro's actions while I was there I couldn't honestly say I would trust Aro Volturi at all.
"No. But if you are right then I think we might be taking another trip to Volterra. I wonder where your sister is now."
"Still with Caius I guess"
"No, Caius is dead. I killed him."
"You did? Well, well, first impressions are certainly wrong where you are concerned. I feel better knowing she's not with that animal any longer but whose protection is she under now if not free to return to me?"
Jasper stiffened but I turned to kiss him
"Don't worry Jasper, you know the Volturi can't hurt us, not any longer and if Alice is a Player then the Volturi knew and took advantage of lies to serve their own ends. That is unfair and illegal and I hate both. Lets get to the ranch and see what the others have to say before making any decisions."
Garrett appeared then and didn't seem unduly surprised to see Darius waiting with us. Peter and he slid in the front with Garrett while Jasper and I had the back seat to ourselves. He lay down again and closed his eyes.
"How do you feel?"
"Better for being with you Bella. I'm sorry about this, I hate being weak but my body isn't healing as fast as I'd like. There was so much damage its taking every ounce of strength I have., Not exactly the great warrior you've heard about."
"Hey, after what you've been through I'm amazed you are sane let alone healing. You will always be my warrior Jasper."
Ignoring the sniggers from the front seat I leaned down to kiss him and it lasted longer than I expected. I didn't need to breath any longer. It was only the ribald comments from the front that made me finally break contact but only so I could tell Peter where to shove it. His vocabulary was rubbing off on me!