Chapter Forty Five

Garrett

I'd been standing on the porch as the conversation started so I was in a good position to see that we were too late to move,

"Too late Bella, Demetri is already here and he isn't alone."

"Right, you three get in the house and keep quiet."

Edward looked as if he might argue but Peter grabbed him by the arm and threw him to me on the porch. As I pushed him inside I whispered a warning in his ear,

"You make a sound and I'll kill you myself or hand you straight over to Demetri. Would you rather be here or in Volterra?"

He subsided and Emmett and Rose pulled him in and shut the door leaving us to greet our "guests"

Darius and The Major stood up between Demetri with his four Volturi guards and the ranch house while Bella dialled Volterra and asked to speak to Aro.

"Major"

"Demetri, can we help you?"

He looked round them at me and the ranch.

"I think you are protecting the Cullen runaways. I've come to take them to Volterra."

"I don't think so Demetri, things have changed."

"Really? I haven't heard anything so I carry on with my mission"

"You'll have to go through us first."

"That would be a pity Major but if it has to be that way then so be it"

He started forward as Bella called his name and held out the phone,

"Its Aro for you Demetri. I've just explained the situation to him and he is happy for them to remain in my "care" for now."

Jasper

I heaved a sigh of relief when Demetri handed the phone back to Bella nodding solemnly,

"Very well Bella. They are your prisoners...for now at least but tell them not to worry. I wont be far away and things could change at any time"

Once he had left I relaxed and we all sat down again,

"Well, that was intense, what did you tell Aro?"

"I merely pointed out that I was the injured party so I had first call on the prisoners. I also promised that they would return to Volterra eventually. We already decided we have to go back so it wasn't a lie."

"That's gonna please Eddy the Ass hole, serves the little fucker right."

Bella winked at Peter as he beamed at her,

"This is getting more fun by the hour."

Darius

So Bella had Aro under her thumb for now and she was using the advantage well. The door opened slowly and Rose and Emmett came out hand in hand to thank Bella for intervening on their behalf. She nodded and they sat down again as Edward slunk out looking annoyed.

"Well, at least we know where we stand now Bella. You sold us out to Aro without a second's thought."

"Edward, she just saved you from being dragged bodily to Italy. Don't you think you should be saying thank you?"

Edward scowled darkly at Charlotte but didn't say anything and I could see Bella wasn't the only one close to losing her temper. I didn't blame her and if it had been me I'd have called Demetri back and handed Edward over ready gift wrapped!

Bella

What I really wanted to do was kill Edward myself but I held back, so far even as more vampire than human I hadn't killed anyone except Caius and I had no regrets about that. Ignoring him everyone tried to speak at once and I got the message that Alice was responsible or at least behind it all so we sat on the porch as the sun went down and I listened to first Emmett, then Rose and Edward as they told me what Alice had said to them. I could hardly believe it but all the stories had the same message, this had all been a game to Alice and she had enjoyed it immensely. The ruination of my life, the torture Jasper had endured and not only at the Volturi's hands, the family divisions with Emmett and Jasper on one side and the rest on the other. It could all be laid at Alice's feet.

"All this just because she could? It was a sick game played by a few whacko vampires bored out of their minds? OK I accept that but I still think there's something more behind it, someone else if not pulling the strings then tugging at them gently from time to time."

Darius nodded,

"I know what you mean Bella, you get the feeling there's a ghostly presence behind her. I've done all I could, hacked as far in to the Players system as I can but I got almost nothing."

"Nothing? Then why bother telling us Darius? Surely we need to know what exactly is going on? Perhaps I should try to catch up with Alice and read her mind."

"Great fucking idea Cullen, shame its about two years too late now shut up before I ram my fist down your throat and give you an anal examination. You just don't fucking listen do you? Darius said almost nothing"

"Thank you Peter. Yes I got one clue and its nebulous. There is another Player but I don't think this person is an active one. I think he gives that ghostly nudge you were talking about Bella."

"Who? Do you have a name or is this just more hot air?"

That was it, Peter lunged for Edward the same time Darius did while the rest of us sat and watched. If he'd been human Edward would have died that day but as a vampire he was just badly mangled. When Peter and Darius sat back down after shaking hands Edward lay on the ground his arms twisted in a knot over his head effectively gagging himself while his legs lay a few feet away slowly edging back to his body.

"Edward, take some friendly advice and keep it shut from now on"

Rose tossed her silvery mane as she said this then turned back to Darius,

"Do go on. I apologise for my brother's lack of social graces."

"Accepted Rose. This shadow player has a name, The Lord of Mischief, but don't be fooled, he's not after a little light relief, this mischief is extremely dangerous."

"Do you have any idea who it might be Darius?"

He shook his head in answer to my question,

"Not really. I did wonder if it might be Caius at first but he's dead so that effectively rules him out. Of course it could be an unknown but I doubt it. Someone had a reason for nudging Alice so we need to look at what she's achieved. She's split the Cullen coven, ruined Bella's life, almost got The Major killed and set us up against the Volturi or for them depending on your point of view. So, anyone have any ideas?"

"I can't see it being about Bella. She was a human when this started and although she got dragged in I think its more likely to be the repercussions of her ill-treatment that are the desired effect."

Jasper

I hadn't said anything because I was slowly working through everything, it was all news to me except for the things Bella had told me and even they took some time to register. There was one thread running through the whole thing though and I wondered if anyone else had seen it yet. Peter looked at me suspiciously and I gripped Bella's hand more tightly, still terrified I would look round and she would be gone, even worse was the thought that I might turn to find Alice sitting in her place, her talon holding on tightly to me.

"Come on Major spit it out. You're too quiet and I know that look of old, you've thought of something."

I was about to answer when Darius phone rang and he took it from his pocket absently gazing at the screen. Whatever he saw on there had an immediate effect, he got to his feet and walked away quickly talking very low as he did so. We all looked after him but no one spoke except Edward who had freed himself and sat watching his legs fuse back on.

"What's he got het up about?"

Peter pointed a finger in his direction,

"One more fucking word from you and I'll rip your tongue out and burn it. Ask The Major what its like without one if you doubt it matters."

Edward subsided looking at Emmett and Rose for support but getting precisely zip.

When Darius came back he had a strangely triumphant look on his face and I knew he'd heard something useful.

"Sorry about that, go on Major, you were saying."

"The one person who has won so far isn't Alice but Aro Volturi. He got his hands on Carlisle and will get Edward eventually"

"I'll fucking gift wrap him for the bastard."

I smiled at Peters comment but Jasper just carried on as if Peter hadn't spoken,

"He's broken up the largest coven there was and as you just pointed out he almost got me killed."

"That was Caius, you said so yourself"

Darius got up again cursing,

"What exactly does it take to shut you up Cullen?"

Edward shrank back and I turned to him,

"Don't let Darius frighten you. Or Peter for that matter Edward..."

"Thank you Bella, its nice to have someone on my side.."

"No, you misunderstand. If you speak again you wont need to worry about either of them because I'll rip your tongue out myself"

"So you think this Lord of Mischief is Aro Volturi? It sounds like the kind of thing he'd delight in, working behind the scenes but how do we prove it?"

"We don't need to Garrett, we have a whistle-blower in the Volturi camp, none other than Athenadora, Caius widow."

"Now forgive me for appearing a little sceptical here but why the fuck would she be willing to dish the dirt on Aro? It was Bella who killed her mate."

"Not mate Peter, husband. No mate would take other women like he did."

"Like Sara and your sister?"

He nodded then waved his phone about,

"That was her on the phone. Athenadora got her released and she's on her way back to me. Athenadora also told her that Domino's master was Aro although I don't know if Alice knows that or not. So you see Major you called it right."