Chapter Sixty Two

Bella

When I came to I was on a plane and I felt really sick. The last thing I remembered was walking into the rest room, then everything went black. My head was thumping and my limbs ached so I tried opening my eyes, which was a really bad idea because the bright lights overhead made them water so I shut them again quickly. I tried moving experimentally and all my limbs were working and free, they were just stiff from being in one position too long. I listened and I could hear voices speaking too low\ to make out but by the voices there were at least three of them. Who were they? And where were they taking me? Had Jake organised this kidnap? Was it the wolves taking me back to La Push? I didn't think so, this seemed a more elaborate kidnap than they would organise. Had I been drugged? With the thumping head ache I thought it probable but I couldn't feel a sore spot anywhere.

After a while my stomach lurched and I knew we were coming in to land somewhere, was I still in the USA? I really hoped so because I knew Jasper would be frantically trying to trace me. I opened my eyes again and they looked up into a pair of bright crimson ones. I sat up suddenly and my head thumped, as I clasped it between my hands I heard a voice,

"Oh good, the human's awake. We won't have to carry her"

So I was with vampires which could only mean one thing, the Volturi had tracked me down and I was on my way to Volterra and quite possibly my death. I didn't know why I wasn't already dead as a human with knowledge of their world. I'd keep quiet and see if I could learn anything that might help me. I had to try and stay alive because I knew Jasper would be coming, he wouldn't leave me to my fate, he'd die trying to save me.

I was pulled to my feet by a huge man with a feral grin on his face,

"Walk."

I put one foot in front of the other but they were too numb to take my weight and I almost fell. He caught me by the arm and I squealed as he pinched the skin.

"Shut up and walk. Any more noise from you.."

He didn't finish his threat because a beautiful blonde haired girl came up and took my arm from him

Bella walk please"

I took small steps until the feeling came back then we moved faster towards a long black shiny car idling outside the terminal building. As we got in I tried to look round but she pushed my head down and me into the back seat where the big guy was already sitting, glaring at me. The windows were darkly tinted so I couldn't see much, but we drove out into the Italian countryside and I closed my eyes as my head thumped mercilessly.

When the car stopped I opened my eyes again, we were in a square with a huge fountain in the centre and a clock tower to one side. The door opened and my arm was taken once more by the girl. She hauled me out into the hot sun and I blinked as my eyes watered.

"Follow me"

she instructed moving ahead.

I looked around for help but the square was deserted except for our party and the big guy fell in behind me, shepherding me forward. We went in through the clock tower entrance into an air conditioned corridor, passing a reception desk where a beautiful young woman was busy typing. As she looked up to welcome us I saw with a shock that she was human like me. I was ushered past her to a lift which ascended for what seemed a long time, closed in with two vampires as I was.

"Where are we going" I forced out of my parched throat.

"You'll soon see" the big guy rumbled but the girl who I saw was smaller than me turned her crimson eyes to stare at me,

"You are going to meet the Volturi brothers so I suggest you remember your manners Bella Swan."

When the lift stopped I was pushed out roughly by the big guy but the girl snapped at him,

"Leave her Felix. She's not yours to play with".

"Yet" he leered at me, and I cringed away which made him laugh.

"So little girl. What does the Major see in you I wonder. I thought he had better taste"

I kept silent but I thought the fact they knew I was the Majors was encouraging. We walked down another corridor to the very end where two ornate doors barred us. The girl glanced at Felix who swung the doors open for her then returned to his position at my back. The room we entered was huge and very high ceilinged. Sunlight flooded the centre from huge windows high up on the walls but the room appeared empty as I glanced around. Then I heard quiet footsteps and three cloaked figures appeared out of the darkness. They moved to stand in front of my little party and removed their cloaks. They were three men, one almost as big as Felix to the right, a slightly smaller blond to the left but it was the one in the centre who commanded my attention. He looked at me with an insincere smile,

"Well Jane I see you found Bella and persuaded her to visit us here in our humble home. Well done"

The girl smiled then went to stand to my left while Felix stood silent and huge at my right.

"Bella I am so pleased to meet you. I have of course heard about you. It seems you have become involved in our world. Such a pity."

I swallowed nervously, unsure whether to speak

"How remiss of me not to introduce us. This is my brother Caius" he gestured to his left "and this is my other brother Marcus. I my dear, am Aro. We three make up the Volturi who govern our world and I'm afraid that you have broken the rules of that world."

He sighed,

"Do you have anything to say my dear"

I shook my head and he stepped forward holding out his hand to me. I hesitated and Jane pushed me forward so he could take my hand in his. He leaned over it and closed his eyes while the others waited expectantly.

After a few moments he opened his eyes and looked at me puzzled,

"So Bella, you are something of an enigma"

He turned to Felix,

"Take her to a guest room I need to talk to my brothers for a moment or two."

The other two looked at him confused and the blond one scowled but allowed himself to be lead away by the other two. Felix took my arm and hustled me through another door into another long blank corridor

"What's happening?" I asked more scared to be alone with him than I was of the three brothers.

He smiled,

"It seems you intrigue Aro."

He opened a door part way down the corridor and pushed me inside slamming and locking it behind me. I went to the huge window and looked out onto a sun drenched courtyard. There were people moving about and as they did so their skin sparkled like diamonds. One looked up and I saw they had the same red eyes as the brothers and the Major. So I was in a tiny city of Vampires awaiting my fate. Was it good that I was still alive? Did it mean there was hope for me? Or was it just delaying the inevitable? Would I ever see Jasper again? We'd come so close to our happy ever after, were we to be cheated out of it now?