~ Chapter Twenty-Six — Prepared to Fight ~

Jasper POV

Demetri worked fast. Soon the castle was crowded with vampires prepared to fight alongside the Volturi. I offered my services as a teacher and, for once, Isabella accepted.

There was nowhere within the castle that gave us enough space to train such number so we went out into the hills west of the city and worked there.

I enjoyed being out in the open air again. The emotional climate of the castle was taxing for me. The open space didn't offer much in the way of reprieve, but I was at least able to distance myself when it became too much.

Unexpectedly – for me at least – Isabella was as eager for instruction as anyone. I taught them all I knew of Maria and her training technique, hoping that forewarned would be forearmed. We only had days to work, as I was needed home again soon, but we made them count. Not needing to rest, we worked night and day. I wished I had more time with Isabella alone, but I comforted myself with the fact each hour spent training with others was an advantage for her when it came to the fight.

I made sure to call home regularly to ease their minds. The meeting with the wolves had been postponed until I returned with Isabella. I was looking forward to taking her home with me. It would be a test to see whether she really could live among my coven.

The plan was for her to return with me and to stay for a few weeks while the guard continued their preparations. It would allow time for the Romanians to be lulled into a false sense of security before the fight. Isabella did not much like the idea, she believed it would allow time for the story of the Romanians' triumph to spread, but she was outvoted by her brothers.

Emmett, Esme and Carlisle were looking forward to her arrival, too. They wanted the chance to get to know her better and to see me with my mate, having been denied the opportunity since the mating had been sealed. Alice, Edward and Rosalie were not so keen. Rosalie for her usual selfish reasons and Edward because he knew Alice would not be happy. I was disappointed by Alice's attitude. I accepted that it would be an adjustment for her to see me with my mate and to not be the most important person in my life anymore, but I had hoped she would put aside that for my benefit. It had been hard for me to see her and Edward together at first, but I had overcome that for her; she should make the same effort for me.

When she was not training with me, Isabella was with her brothers or Tomas—a newborn that Santiago had captured during the Volturi's retreat. He was a young man, not yet out of his teens when he was changed. Isabella had taken to sitting with him and questioning him about the Romanians and their army. She did not glean much satisfaction from him. He was a mere foot soldier and knew little, but still she went to him.

On my very last day in the castle, she took me to meet him. He was being held in a chamber off of the main hall. The thick, stone walls were not enough to hold him, but Jane's position as his guard did. She did not use her gift on him, but the threat was there.

"You may leave us," Isabella said to Jane as we approached the chamber.

Jane looked disappointed, but did as she was bidden and left. Her relationship with Isabella was a strange one. There did not seem to be any love lost between the pair, but Jane was deferential to Isabella, and she obeyed her every word without question.

Isabella opened the heavy door. "Tomas, it is Isabella," she said in a soft tone. I had never heard her speak like this before. She could have been speaking to a fretful child. When the door opened, I tested the emotional climate and immediately understood the soft tone. The poor boy was desperately sad. He sat huddled in the corner of the room, gripping a scrap of fabric to his chest. It looked like a woman's blouse.

"Jasper, I would like you to meet Tomas," Isabella said. "Tomas, this is Jasper, my mate."

His eyes widened as he looked at me. I thought it was because of my heavy scarring, a sign of my prowess as a fighter. When he spoke, I realized my mistake.

"Your mate? Like Lucy?"

"Just like Lucy," she said then turned to me. "Tomas and Lucy were backpacking through Romania when Maria found them. They both made it through the change and their human courtship became complete mating. Tomas was captured, but Lucy is still with Maria."

I immediately understood her kindness towards him. Tomas was living through what Isabella had always feared of mating. Losing your mate. Lucy was likely still alive, but for all the good it did Tomas she may as well have been dead, since they were apart anyway.

"Why can't I be with Lucy, if you can be with him?" Tomas asked.

"I'm sorry," she said, and there was no mistaking the sincerity in her tone. "I know it is unfair, but if you were to go back to Romania they would use you for information. We cannot risk it."

A wave of grief that was not my own washed over me. The boy was devastated.

I couldn't see what information Tomas would be able to deliver that would make him such a liability. What could he possibly know that would help the Romanians? As far as I knew, he had been held here since his arrival. All the planning had happened between Isabella and her brothers alone. No one else had been privy to their discussions. Not even me. However, that was because I was otherwise occupied with the guards rather than because of distrust.

"They could be hurting Lucy," he said desperately.

Isabella looked to me and I rallied to find the words to reassure him. Maria might well be hurting Lucy, she was known for her cruelty, and did not like having mated pairs in her army because she knew mates would protect each other before anyone else. Peter and Charlotte hid their relationship so well, even I didn't know about them until the moment I brought Charlotte forth for her destruction.

Unable to use the truth to reassure him, I lied. "Maria won't hurt Lucy. I doubt she even knew you were mated. She does not take notice of her troops other than to assess their skills as fighters."

"Lucy is a good fighter," he said. "She does well."

"There, see," Isabella said encouragingly. "She'll be fine."

"Until you go back there and kill her," he said accusingly. "I've heard them talking; I know that's what you are going to do."

Isabella looked saddened, for a moment and then smiled. "You can come with us," she offered.

Tomas frowned. "You want me to fight for you?"

"No, you don't have to fight. Come with us and you can find your Lucy and get her away before the fight starts. If you take her and run, I promise we won't hurt you. You have to run, though. If you attack any of us I can't protect you."

In a movement so unexpected I growled, he flung his arms around Isabella and clung to her. "I'll run. I promise," he said hurriedly. "Thank you, thank you so much."

She patted him gently on the back and smiled. "You're very welcome."

We left Tomas shortly after our discussion and wandered out to the solarium for some time alone.

"You have made him so happy," I said.

"Tomas?" she asked and I nodded. "He deserves some happiness. He and Lucy were just going about their life, not hurting anyone, when Maria intervened. Just like she did with you."

"And Aro with you," I said.

She shook her head. "No, my life was over the moment my father was defeated. Aro saved me from a fate worse than death; I would have been savaged and then killed. I am grateful he found me when he did."

"You are so different to the woman I met all those months ago," I said. "Every moment I spend with you I learn a little more."

"I don't understand it," she said thoughtfully. "I know to be mated means you will change, but I never expected it to change me in this way."

I understood what she meant. Isabella had not taken on my trait for the human charade as I had considered, but she had taken on a part of my gift. She could not feel or alter emotions the way I could, but her emotional reactions were different. Her enhanced fury at the denied battle, and her compassion for Tomas were the affects of my gift.

She smiled impishly. "You realize you are to blame for it all. I was perfectly happy with my scorn for the humans and caring only for myself. You have left me a doomed woman."

I laughed, knowing she was not serious. "I disagree, you never cared only for yourself, you have always had a huge heart, it is just now you are unafraid to show it. I do apologize for changing your view on the humans. It must be tiresome for you to recognize them as people rather than annoyances."

She shoved away my hand from her knee and tried to look angry. She failed spectacularly.

"I have been changed too," I said consolingly. "I thirst for action now in a way I never have before. When I was faced with that wolf, I wanted nothing more than to fight it. It was only my need to protect Alice that stopped me."

"Which is a terrible shame. It would have been a terrific thrill fighting one of those wolves. I should know, I once fought their Child of the Moon fellows, and it was the greatest challenge I have ever faced. Perhaps when we are in Forks again we can put Alice in a nice safe place and you and I can seek them out and have a little fun."

"As tempting as that is I don't think Carlisle would be pleased," I said. "We have a treaty to maintain. Or at least I think we do. We were supposed to meet with the tribal elders but I was called away before we were able."

"That's wonderful," she said clapping her hands together. "I can come with you."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. They are very volatile"

"So am I," she said with a smile. "Besides, they will be much more amenable to you and your treaty once they meet me."

I imagined Isabella facing the pack. The thought was amusing. They would hardly be able to flaunt their power when we explained the power she commanded.

"We could even bring a few of the guard along for good measure," she said. "I'm sure they would appreciate the opportunity."

"How about we just take you and call on the guard if necessary?" I suggested, amused at the direction our conversation had taken.

"As you wish," she said, pressing a kiss to my cheek and then getting to her feet again. "I need to see my brothers once more before we leave."

I checked my watch and saw it was almost time for our departure. Hours seemed to lurch past when I was with her.

"Are you really sure you want to come back with me?" I asked. "I know there are preparations to be made here."

"They can survive without me for a while. Besides, I can't wait to see Rosalie's face when I arrive."