Previously: Bella had a very interesting doctor's appointment with Carlisle and was almost eaten by
Felix. Aro wants to see them...
Chapter 16 (EPOV)
"You done yet?"
"Maybe," my bear of a brother responds heartily, dropping his second brown bear, "They're just so fun this time of year. Just coming out of hibernation, you know?"
"And you know they're on the verge of extinction here, right?" I taunt him.
Emmett laughs his boisterous laugh. "Speaking of which, how is your our little Belly-boo?"
I sigh in exasperation. "Not funny, Emmett," I chastise him.
"Oh, come on," he defends himself, "We all know that's all you can think about. I don't think you even noticed the tiger we passed a few miles ago."
"Really, Emmett? A tiger in Italy?" I raise my eyebrows questioningly.
"I'm not the one that's out of it. Ever wonder what happened in the zoos? Well," he stage whispers, "Jasper and I might have had a little fun last weekend with a prison break." I smile and shake my head at the comical memories running through his head.
Jasper jumps out of a nearby tree, landing swiftly next to us. "I liked the gorillas," he adds.
Emmett smirks mischievously. "You're not the only one not having any fun around here, Eddie. Poor Jasper here is being neglected too, what with Alice's rejuvenated passion for fashion," he teases me. If I were human, I would blush. If only Emmett knew . . . He nudges Jasper playfully, and Jasper shoves him over in response.
"Alice will be Alice," I chuckle at the antics of my favorite sister. She has been running around like crazy these last few days trying to put together as many outfits as possible.
"And I wouldn't want it any other way," Jasper says softly, a splash of his southern accent coloring his tone. We can all feel the love radiating from him.
Emmett, his pride wounded from his earlier fall, challenges Jasper, "That's no fair! I wasn't ready! C'mon, rematch!" Jasper smirks and gets into a hunting crouch. Emmett returns the gesture, and they are soon fighting again.
"My money is on Jasper!" I call as they continue their brotherly scuffle. I sigh and gaze fondly at my brothers before turning away to head for the castle.
"Where do you think you're going?" Emmett shouts, not looking up from his battle, "You'd better not-" Jasper cuts him off with a swift tackle. I linger as they wrestle on the ground before Jasper stands victoriously once again.
"Why don't you go work on that dent you're putting in Italy's bear population, Emmett? I want to talk to Edward," Jasper suggests coolly as he wipes the dirt off of his designer jeans.
Emmett eyes us suspiciously before conceding. "I guess Yogi is calling my name." I don't want to get in the middle of this emotional crap. I get enough of this from Rose's rants. I am unable to smile at his discomfort as he runs off; I'm too anxious.
"What's bothering you so much, Edward?" Jasper asks empathetically once Emmett is out of earshot. Besides the usual, I mean.
"It's just-" I pause, struggling for the right words to describe this feeling. "Time. Aro hasn't collected as many humans as he had wanted to, and the others are getting increasingly restless. I worry how much we can go on like this. We can't avoid touching Aro's hand forever, and though Aro probably doesn't have much regard for unity in the eyes of God, he won't what we've done. Not at all. And even if that hadn't happened-"
"We'll find a way, brother," Jasper assures me, placing a hand on my shoulder, "We've been in bad situations before." Not exactly of this magnitude, but... Sorry, Edward.
"You're starting to sound like Esme," I tell him.
Jasper smiles, taking this comparison to our gentle mother as a compliment. "We'd better be getting home now," he says quietly. I nod in agreement and we sprint inevitably toward our beloveds.
The moment we get to the castle, I know something is wrong. Even from outside the looming stone walls of the place that has become our prison, I can make out the heartbreaking sound of the love of my life crying. Alice's frantic thoughts invade my mind.
Edward, hurry up and get in here! Bella is a mess, and Aro... Well, see for yourself. A blurry vision of a stony faced Aro ordering his guards to take Bella away seeps into my mind, courtesy of my psychic sister.
Jasper and I waste no time. We sprint through the halls we have come to memorize like the specters we are, blurs. Despite our greatly enhanced abilities, we can't seem to run fast enough. Luckily there is no need for us to feign being human; I would go mad if I had to go slowly. A quick look into Jasper's mind reveals my love's pain.
"Going somewhere, Edward? Jasper?" a bell like voice inquires apathetically. A small yet imposing figure materializes in front of us. My dead heart sinks. Jane.
"Our rooms," I respond coldly, moving to pass her.
Apparently she has no such thing in mind. Pain not unlike what I felt in my months without Bella overtakes me. I feel as if my insides are being torn out, stomped on, beaten, burned, and mixed together while remaining inside my cold shell of a body. Meanwhile, it feels as if a trillion needles are piercing ever square millimeter of my rock hard skin. And the burning, oh the terrible, terrible burning... I try in vain not to scream.
Then I am released. My crystallized muscles unclench and I am left panting on the ground from exertion. But my mind is not at rest, because Bella is still hurt. "Bella..." I breathe, springing unsteadily to my feet.
"Bring the human to the throne room. Immediately," Jane commands before disappearing. Human loving aberration... Aro will give them what they deserve.
Jasper and I exchange a millisecond long glance of anxious urgency before continuing to our destination. We waste no time and arrive in our hallway within seconds. I shove the door open, barely noticing the crack that resounds as it snaps against the wall. Bella looks more fragile than ever as she curls in on herself in Alice's arms. A small part of my mind catalog Alice's panic, but the dominant part of me is focused on Bella. I take her from Alice and clutch her to my chest protectively and stroke her hair soothingly. I subtly search for any physical injuries, but I find none at first glance.
"What happened?" Jasper asks his mate too quietly for human ears.
Alice shakes her head sadly. "I'm not sure exactly," she responds quickly, "But Felix's scent is on her when it most definitely should not be, and Jane's scent mingles with hers outside the door." A quick sniff confirms these things.
"What did they do?!" I snarl under my breath, not wanting to alarm the still crying Bella.
Alice gives me an exaggerated shrug, I don't need to be Jasper to see the guilt in her eyes. I can't see the past, Edward.
"But shouldn't you have seen this, of all things, before it happened?" I hiss, my lips barely moving.
Whatever it was, it was not premeditated. I was watching you guys, because it's gotten so dangerous out there with all of the thirsty nomads everywhere. But I should have seen this.
A confused Jasper, sensing Alice's distress, places a comforting hand on her shoulder. Alice's eyes communicate what she wants, and Jasper sends a wave of calm over both her and Bella.
I return my full attention to Bella. She slowly calms down in my arms, her shaking lessening before she wipes tears away and turns to look at me. Her red eyes and tear-streaked face nearly break my heart. Awareness seems to dawn on her, and her eyes widen in horror. "Oh, I'm so sorry Edward!" She cringes in shame, leaving me completely bewildered.
"Whatever for, love?" I ask, astounded. What could she have to be sorry for?
"I-I shouldn't react like this," she states sullenly, "I mean, it's not even... but then Felix, and..." Tears brim at the edges of her eyes, and she takes a deep breath to compose herself.
"It's okay, Bella. You're okay. I'm here now, and I won't leave again for a long time," I promise painfully. I hate that I am unable to promise that I will never leave again. Unfortunately, I cannot escape my nature; I have to hunt sometimes.
"N-no, it's not..." She looks around the room frantically, as if we were surrounded by enemies, before burying her face in my chest. "I'm sorry," she whispers.
I am about to explain that she has absolutely nothing to be sorry for when I hear Jasper's thoughs. We should go now, Edward. They don't want to be kept waiting. Ah, the Volturi. This, surely the pivotal moment I've been dreading, will not go well at all, but it would be worse to keep them waiting.
"Bella," I whisper to her soothingly, "We have to go somewhere now, okay? Can you walk?"
"Of course I can walk," Bella mutters bitterly, "I'm not crippled." She moves unsteadily to her feet and strides indolently toward the door before turning back to me. "Where are we going, exactly?"
"Aro wants to see us," I reply gravely.
"Oh," she breathes, her eyes widening again and her bravado failing, "Why?"
"We have our theories," I sigh, "But we have to hurry. Jane said that we had to go to the throne room immediately. May I carry you?" She nods in consent, and we are off within seconds.
The rest of our family joins us as we run; only Emmett, busy with the bear population, is missing. Don't worry, son. We won't let them take Bella. Carlisle, ever the protector.
Those no good, sons of bi- At least Rosalie is on our side now.
Esme moves to run beside Bella and me. Oh, the poor dear. She looks so shaken...
They are waiting for us in the throne room. Aro, Caius, and Marcus glare down at us from their thrones. Their expressions offer no reprieve to my distress. They sit, these three vampires who are, after all, only really men, like the omnipotent beings they pretend they are. The judges and the jury, cloaked in black, with a hoard of executioners waiting for orders.
"Friends," Aro addresses us gravely, "I'm afraid I have come across a terrible rumor. Is it true that you, Carlisle, wed your son to our human? I will know if you lie." I clench my teeth at his claim. Bella does not belong to them! She is her own person, not some animal to be confiscated.
"I performed the marriage ceremony, yes," my father responds graciously, "Edward and Bella are very much in love, and a wedding seemed appropriate. Surely, Marcus, you of all people can see that."
"Yes," the ancient vampire states lowly, "The bond between the human and that vampire is extraordinary. It is not unlike a bond between mates."
Aro reaches out to touch his "brother"'s hand. His bewilderment and disappointment are clear in his thoughts. "I see. But this still does not justify the clear violation of our mandate."
"Bella is still human. We have broken no law here," Carlisle responds cordially.
"Ah, but, Carlisle, surely you understand how this would make me feel. We are in such a tight position as of late, and we need all of the humans we can get, I'm afraid. You seem to think that this human will get to stay with you, but this is not the case. It has been only a matter of time before we decided that this camaraderie you seem to feel with her came to an end." He sighs, gazing at us with fake sadness. "I'm afraid that time has come, my old friend." A feeling reminiscent of Jane's stare bubbles in my throat. No!
I feel Bella, soft and warm in my arms, and know that being separated from her would be unbearable. The thought of never seeing her deep brown eyes or hear her laugh again is unthinkable. I hold her more closely to me reflexively, and she holds more tightly to my neck. Her heart speeds up to a rate that is certainly not healthy and her breathing quickens.
"No harm has been done here, Aro. Please, I beg of you. My son has at last found his mate; surely you can understand that of all things! Think of Sulcipa! Cauis, think of Anthendora! Marcus, don't you remember how you felt when Didyme passed? Please, do not inflict this on my son!" Carlisle pleads.
"I'm sorry, Carlisle," Aro apologizes, though is thoughts reveal no guilt, "But in desperate times such as these one must think beyond the needs of a single individual. We have the entire vampire populace to be thinking about right now! We need blood, and we need more humans to get it. Without all hands on deck, as some say, we will not be able to ensure the continuation of our food source. There are so few available that we cannot waste any."
"We are not even sure if Bella can have children, Aro. She is not in the best physical state right now, and it is possible she will not be able to recover. There is a significant chance she is unfit to bear healthy children, if she could at all. Not to mention the stress of being away from her mate would guarantee complications. Surely you know enough about this process to see that!" Carlisle argues. This cannot happen. I will not allow this to happen to my daughter!
"Excuses, Carlisle. You must accept what is. We simply must try. Even if she were useless in carrying on the race, we will need every ounce of blood she can give us until her dying day in a good seventy years," Caius spits.
"But..."
"Speak no more, Carlisle," Aro demands, "We have been gracious in allowing you this time. Now you shall be silent."
A tense silence ensues for everyone else in the room. For me, frantic thoughts are buzzing on top of my own. I cannot concentrate through the clamor of desperation, and all of their panic is too much to bear alone. Jasper's thoughts are especially torturous, since he can feel everyone's pain.
As several guards in ashy gray cloaks approach, an almost animalistic instinct takes over me. I sling Bella back on my back to free my hands and growl menacingly at the attackers. If a fight is how this must happen, so be it.
Then an unlikely person cries out in our defense. "Wait!" Rosalie shouts, seeing the upcoming fight, "What if... What if we knew where you could find more people capable of doing what you want? If we could produce replacements for Bella, could this be stopped?"
This piques Aro's interest. He raises his hand in a signal for his guards to wait. "How could this be done?" he demands suspiciously, his red eyes alight with hunger.
"I said that I might know where we could find some people to trade for Bella. If we could produce not just one, but several more beings capable of producing human offspring, would you let Bella go?" she reiterates, stepping forward. Because there's no way in Hell I'm letting you do this to Bella.
"We're listening," Aro prompts her, leaning forward in his throne.
"No," Rosalie demands icily, "I want your word."
"Don't push it, child," Aro snaps, "Do not forget I could hear every thought you ever had with one touch. But . . . If what you say is true, I will consider what you have to say."
Rosalie sighs, seeing that this is the best she can get. "But you'll need Bella's help to get them. Otherwise things might get . . . messy."
Aro laughs sardonically. "I can't imagine how a mere human could help us accomplish anything."
"I'm sure you saw in Carlisle's thoughts about the Quileute legends."
A small gasp escapes from Bella's mouth, and a dozen emotions cross her face at once.
"Jacob," she breathes.
Author's note: Sorry that took so long. My computer got a virus...argh. I had to write this on my mom's computer. Thanks for reading! Let's try to get to 130 reviews this time, okay? Please, just a word or two (or twenty) is enough to make me a very happy author.
Review prompt: What do you think of the wolves coming back?