Chapter Fifty Seven
Bella
I joined Jazz and Jamie but once more I couldn't get too close, it hurt but if it gave Carlisle an avenue to explore I could live with the hurt. Looking at my sons face, peaceful in sleep, I noticed the dark rings around his eyes had faded somewhat, could it be that he was fighting and winning the battle with his own body? I pointed it out to Jazz but he couldn't see it for himself, Jamie's head was turned away on his shoulder and if he tried to move him or put him down our son became distressed.
"Do you think Stefan and Alice will make trouble for us?"
"If he can yes. He's not a fan of mine"
"Oh, why?"
"Many years ago when I was with Maria he joined our ranks. She took a liking to him and insisted I train him as a commander, she couldn't see he was a loose cannon and would get men killed. I sent him on a mission to grab some new recruits but he brought back the entire population of a school, all little kids, no good to us and dangerous if the Volturi heard about it. When I called him out about it he tried to attack me and I won, made him look like an amateur in front of Maria who then cut him loose. I'd heard he tried to get in with another army further south but they'd heard what happened and no one wanted him so he became a nomad.
"And now he's here with Alice and using what you did against you, do you think he knew about the history Alice has with you?"
"Maybe, probably, I don't know, but he's going to be a problem and I can't do anything as long as Jamie needs me"
Peter
Felix told me where I could find Alice and Stefan so I decided to join the discussion, knocking on the door I entered and sure enough there he stood, the same perpetual sneer on his face. Caius looked round and Alice's eyes widened at the sight of me
"Well hello there Alice, you didn't expect to see me again now did you? And Stefan, as big an ass hole as ever. Don't let me stop you, please go on"
I leaned against the wall by the door and folded my arms expectantly and although he scowled at Caius and Carlisle they ignored my presence.
"As I was saying" he snapped.
"Oh yes, something about laws being broken I think?"
"Yes, we have heard disturbing rumours that the Volturi is preparing to create an Immortal Child"
"Good heavens! Where did you hear such a thing? It is a crime punishable by death I'm sure you are aware of that Stefan?"
"Yes, but I understood maybe the Volturi needed reminding"
"Such arrogance. We have no plans to do such a thing do we Carlisle? Perhaps we should ask Marcus to join us as he is being accused too. Peter would you be so kind?"
I smiled at Stefan and went out, this was going to be fun and the longer it took the more time we won for Jamie. Carlisle may be tied up here with Caius but Rose was still working on his theory.
Alice
Peter was here which meant the others were too most probably, although I was interested to see the boy in the flesh I'd rather be a distance from the Whitlocks and my old family. I still thought Stefan was acting too hastily and without enough proof but he had insisted, this felt wrong but I didn't know how to alter things. We waited in silence for Marcus to join us and I saw Carlisle looking at me disappointed and shake his head. I knew Caius was biased against me so we were at a disadvantage before we started. As the door opened Caius looked up from some papers he had been reading,
"Brother, I thought you might be interested to hear the charge Stefan is making against you, well all of us."
"Charge? Of what exactly?"
"Of creating an Immortal Child."
Marcus looked stunned,
"A what? But you must know that is against the law."
"Yes but Stefan thought that we may have overlooked that. Didn't you Stefan?"
"I hear that The Major's son is ill and you are contemplating turning him to save his life"
Marcus turned to Carlisle,
"And are we? I haven't heard anything about an Immortal Child. Besides isn't Jamie already part vampire? His father as you pointed out is is Major Whitlock and to my knowledge he is one of us."
"His mother was human though, so he is part human and he is a child."
"I see, and you think we are going to do what exactly?"
"Turn him"
Carlisle
I wanted to know where he got his information but for now I played it cagey,
"Do you have any idea how to do that Stefan? We'd like to hear if you have, because I don't have that knowledge."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we have no way of changing Jamie Whitlock at present. He is not a human child therefore he cannot just be bitten. I thought perhaps whoever told you the information may have furnished you with the way it was going to be achieved. Alice perhaps?"
She shook her head at me,
"I didn't say anything about an Immortal Child Carlisle."
"So what exactly did you say Alice?"
Peter had stepped forward to stand close behind her and made her jumpy,
"Nothing, I didn't say anything, I didn't even know Jamie was ill until Tanya..."
"Ah, so it came from Denali! I wonder where they heard it? Any idea Alice?"
"No Carlisle"
"How did they know about Jamie in the first place?"
She hung her head and I knew she had told them about the baby, had they heard a rumour from Volterra that he was ill and put two and two together? If so we had a leak that would need fixing, but not now. For now this problem needed to be addressed.
Alice
This wasn't going the way Stefan had planned it and I saw his glare toward me when I slipped up and mentioned Tanya Denali. I had told them about the baby but I didn't know Jamie was ill, she found that out for herself and her bitterness at her own mothers death made her suspect the Volturi of enacting the same crime. I knew Carlisle wanted to know the name of the mole in Volterra but what could I get in return for the information? I needed a Get Out of Jail card I could use against Jazz or Bella if or when they came looking for me. Pete had come to stand behind me again, breathing down my neck and I shuddered,
"Back off Whitlock"
"Make me"
Stefan turned but Peter was faster and had his teeth at Stefan's throat, his hands holding Stefan's down,
"You were always a stupid fucker and today is no different."
"Peter please, one problem at a time."
Peter let go and Stefan rubbed his neck where Peters teeth had grazed the skin.
"Is the Volturi the puppet of the Whitlocks now?"
I cringed as Caius and Marcus both stood, chairs scraping across the flagstones,
"I would be very careful about making that kind of accusation Stefan. Very careful indeed."