Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

All plotlines, characterizations, and details in Eternally Intertwined 2.0: Blood Ties belong to the author: Bronzehyperion. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without the author's authorization. ©2011-2013 Bronzehyperion. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is the sequel to Eternally Intertwined. I advise you to read/skim over it before you read this because otherwise most won't make sense.

This story wouldn't be the same without my BETA Litmom.

What happened previously:

"Bella?" I whispered.

My phone rang, the sound shrill in contrast to the silence in the parking lot.

Alice. I didn't even have to check.

She already knew.

Bella was gone.

CHAPTER 8: TAKEN

Bella was gone.

My love, my life. Gone.

And it was my fault.

I paced back and forth, and back again, desperate and guilt-ridden.

What had I done? Why had I not protected her better? I was a fucking vampire; I had all the means to protect Bella, a fragile human. And I had let her down.

And now, she might be hurt because of me.

Or worse.

It was all my fucking fault.

As if she could read my mind, Alice shook her head. "Stop beating yourself up," she said. "You couldn't have known."

I should have, her mind revealed to me.

"We need to find her," I said for the billionth time.

"We will, Edward. I promise you we will," my sister said.

Why was it so hard to believe her?

APOV

Bella was gone. My best friend. The sister I never had. I tried to wrack my brain, literally, to provoke a vision, to trigger something that could give us some clues. A lead. But all I kept seeing was that deserted parking lot of Forks High.

We had searched and searched. The whole family, minus Carlisle and Rosalie. They had stayed behind to watch Garrett.

Jacob and his pack had trailed the town border. But Bella was nowhere to be found. All that lingered around the school parking lot was the heavy smell of chloroform.

Twilight was near and soon Charlie Swan would be home, expecting his daughter to be there.

And here I was, promising Edward that we would find her.

I just wasn't sure if I believed my own words.

BPOV

"Should we wake her up?"

"...or maybe take a nibble..."

"No! Stop! You know what Master said."

"You're no fun."

I frowned. There were two voices, but I had never heard them before. And my head hurt too much to try and decipher what these people were talking about.

Where was I? Had I passed out in school? Did someone hit me with a ball again?

That had happened before.

I tried rubbing my forehead, wanting to sooth the throbbing pain that was pounding in the spot right above my right eye.

But I couldn't. Because my hands were tied. Literally.

And that's when it all came back to me.

Someone had taken me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, trying to adjust to my surroundings. The light was too bright however so I closed my eyes again.

For a moment, I hoped this was all a terrible nightmare. That I was at home, in my bed, with a worried Edward hovering because I had done something stupid to endanger myself

But reality was bitter.

I was tied to chair with thick, cutting ropes. I tried to move a little but the knots were wrapped tightly around my ankles and wrists. There was a kink in my neck that I couldn't get rid of.

I looked around. The walls were concrete. Grey and cold. Heavy, like they were closing in on me. I was trapped in a stone prison with no one to call out to. No one to help me. No Edward.

I was lost. I didn't know where I was, why I was here, and how long I'd been gone.

It could have been hours, or possibly days. The last thing I remembered was someone grabbing me.

My throat felt dry and my body ached. I bowed my head a little, trying to roll my neck to loosen my muscles. It didn't help much, though.

I needed to think. I needed to find a way to get out of here.

Good luck with that, Bella, I chided myself, while the ropes cut into my flesh.

It was a reminder that I wouldn't be able to escape.

I considered screaming, but the sound got stuck in my throat. Besides, it would be pointless. I was certain that whoever took me brought me to a place where I wouldn't be found easily.

I sighed and closed my eyes again. That was the only escape I had.

EPOV

Time. Time was running out. I wanted to smash every clock in my vicinity; I wanted to destroy every piece of proof that told me that I wasn't going to find Bella in time.

I was failing her.

"I can't see a thing," Alice muttered. "I should be able to pick up on something, but I am literally drawing a blank," she sighed in frustration.

"Well, we can't wait any longer," I spat. Bella had been gone for more than eight hours now and it was dark outside.

We'd searched every inch of Forks but never picked up on her scent. Whoever took her, took her out of town.

Meanwhile, Charlie kept calling his daughter's cellphone and while Alice had tried to come up with an excuse – she and Bella were having a girl's night, it would only buy us a little time. Come tomorrow, Charlie would want to talk to his daughter.

When Alice had talked to Charlie, she had tried to explain – quite convincingly - that Bella had one of those facial mask things on and that if she moved it would crack and ruin the beautifying effect.

Yes, I don't know why the Chief bought it, but he had.

For now.

But time was fucking running out. Fast.

And telling him: "Hey Charlie, we think your daughter was abducted. By whom? We have no idea. But it could be a bunch of vampires. Vampires? Yes, they are real."

That would not go over well.

My eyes caught Bella's backpack and her phone on the coffee table.

"Her father needs to know," Esme said, pacing around. Her face was etched with worry, like only a mother's could be. She loved Bella like a daughter. "Come tomorrow, we can no longer lie. He will want to talk to her, see her."

"We gave him a terrible excuse," Rosalie pointed out. "If we tell him she is gone, he will suspect us because we lied before. And we can't risk that. There is only one option; we leave Forks immediately," she said determinedly

Her words enraged me. Rosalie was always so eager to do what was best and most convenient for her.

"You can leave, if you are a coward," I warned her angrily, "but I am not going anywhere. Not until Bella is found!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Like she is really worth it," she muttered.

Before I could respond, Emmett jumped between us.

"Rose," he warned. "Don't start. This is Bella. Ed can't just leave her to get killed."

"She is not going to die!" I hissed, ignoring the weird twinge in my gut, a feeling I tried to push back.

Bella was not going to die, it was that simple. We would find her and everything was going to be fine.

"Well, whatever. I am not going to sit and wait for people to find out about us," Rosalie shrugged

Not for her, she thought.

That set me off.

"Not for her?! NOT FOR HER?!"I bellowed, flying towards Rosalie.

"She is my life. My mate. I don't care if you don't like this, or if it's inconvenient for you. If you want to leave Forks, by all means. GO! You usually think about yourself anyway!" I yelled.

Rosalie wasn't impressed and pushed me back. "Whatever Edward. I am not going to play into your little whiny act."

"Rose," Emmett tried. "Don't be cruel."

"I am not cruel; we know it's the truth. How many times did we have to move, because of Edward? I was fine living in Alaska, but Edward couldn't stand to be around Tanya...

I enjoyed Chicago...but it reminded Edward of his human life. London, Paris, Milan. We couldn't stay, because Edward killed people there," Rosalie summed up, her voice bitter. "And now Forks. A nice, quaint place.

Now he ruined this home."

For a moment, no one said a word. Not even me. I knew she had a point. My family had always been very accommodating to my needs, so I couldn't blame her for being sick of that.

But then Esme spoke up. "Rosalie, if you want to leave, then go. But we are a family. We support each other. I seem to recall Carlisle was quite accommodating himself when he turned a blind eye so that you could have your revenge on Royce King.

Now, if you want to abandon your family now, by all means do so. But we will stay...

Because Bella is family too."

BPOV

"Well, well...look who's awake," a voice sneered.

Huh? Had I passed out again? I had only closed my eyes for a moment.

I blinked and looked up, straight into the blood red eyes of a girl with blond hair and chalky white skin.

Great, a vampire.

"Hi?" I spoke softly, as if to calm a crazed dog that was about to launch an attack.

The girl, frozen forever in the body of a preteen, flashed me her pearly razor sharp whites.
Like kindness would prevent this vampire tween from killing me.

Maybe it would be a blessing, if she did. At least it would end my splitting headache.

"Hello," she spoke, her voice deceptively soft. "I was just about to wake you," she grinned deviously.

"Where am I?" I asked the most obvious question. The girl looked at me oddly, her smirk momentarily forgotten.

"Does it matter?" she wondered casually. "It's not like you'll ever get out of this big grey tomb." she mused. "You'll die here."

I gulped and tried to maintain my composure.

"Jane," a boy who approached behind her called out. "Don't tease the girl. Aro doesn't like that."

The boy had the same complexion as the girl and almost the same height. His hair was darker, though and cropped short. Both were wearing black. Pitch black.

The girl named Jane frowned. "You're the one who wanted to take a nibble."

Nibble. They wanted to nibble on me. I shook my head and tried not to get stuck on that image.

"Let's not argue, sister. Aro will be here soon."

That caught my attention. Aro...I remembered that name from somewhere. I was certain I had heard it before...

Then it hit me.

Aro had to be Aro Volturi. Vampire royalty, Edward had told me. The Volturi made the rules. And if you broke them…

I gasped.

The boy, as creepy as his sister, smiled.

"Look sister, I see the family's reputation has preceded us."

"The Cullens," the girl named Jane muttered. "They can never seem to keep their mouths shut."

"Well, at least they told her to be afraid," the boy mused. "Look at her. She is shivering. And listen to her heartbeat. It's going to pound out of her chest," he grinned.

Was my heart really beating that fast? I hadn't even noticed. But indeed, it was hammering against my ribcage.

"Let's hope she doesn't just die on us yet," Jane muttered. "Master certainly wouldn't like that."

"What will you do with me?" my voice cracked. I was clearly asking the stupidest questions, because both vampires rolled their eyes now.

"Can't you just be quiet?" the boy, whose name I had yet to find out, muttered. "I really can't stand humans who talk too much."

Jane chuckled and stepped closer to me. "Maybe she shouldn't be quiet. Maybe we should make her scream," she said, her voice almost excited.

Her eyes held a wicked gleam and her lips curled into a smirk. She was going to hurt me. And enjoy it... Very, very much.

"Jane," the boy smiled, equally sinister. "Do it."

He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, pleased with the prospect of me getting hurt. "Let's make her scream."

"Shut up, Alec. Be quiet."

Alec. So that was his name.

"I want to savor the moment. You know what we do with traitors. And those who are too fragile to be a worthy opponent."

"We torture them," Alec grinned, his sharp teeth a reminder of what he could do to me.

"And we love it."

Okay, so these two were sadists. That didn't really surprise me.

I gulped as I watched how Jane held my gaze, her eyes swimming with blood, her stare blank.

"This might hurt just a little," she warned me, as her eyes pierced into mine.
It felt like she was looking straight through me. Maybe she was.

"Pain," she suddenly spoke, her voice almost otherworldly, like she was in some kind of trance.

Nothing happened though. If she was trying to stare me into torment, she was clearly not doing a great job.

"PAIN!" She hissed, her voice louder now. She kept staring, but the blankness, the cold serenity on her face, was slowly replaced by anguish, frustration. Her brows creased so deeply, it made me wonder if that would leave a permanent mark.

"Jane, what's happening?" Alec wondered as he inched closer.

"It's not working!" she practically screamed. "For some reason, it's not working! She should be thrashing, screaming, but nothing is happening!"

"That's impossible," Alec frowned. "No one is immune to your power. This girl is a human. She should be crippled with pain."

Power? Pain? Jane could actually stare people into torment? That was…different. But apparently, I was immune.

Small win for me.

"The girl must have some trick up her sleeve. And we don't like people who trick us," he hissed, his face now inches from mine.

"I will end you, human."

"Enough, Alec!" a new voice ordered. "The girl will come to no harm."

I looked past Jane and Alec, the creepy Wonder twins, who seemed to be afraid of this new person. Alec left my side blindingly fast, followed by Jane, until they reached the cloaked figure that was slowly moving closer to me.

I couldn't see a face; all I saw was a cloak. A velvet red cloak that almost seemed to be floating in the air.

"Master," Jane and Alec bowed slightly but he seemed to ignore them. Instead he flitted closer, until I could finally see his face.

"Isabella Swan," he smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I gasped when he revealed himself to me. This man was old. Old as in 'about to break in two' old. Fragile. His skin reminded me of onion peels, slightly translucent but dirty at the same time.

Underneath the cape there was jet black hair. His eyes were the most frightening, a glowing red, that burned into your soul.

"My name is Aro Volturi and I am afraid you have caused somewhat of a problem for us."

I kept quiet and remained unmoved as Aro Volturi slid closer. He looked me over from head to toe, nodding in approval.

"You will make a fine vampire," he hummed.

Vampire? He wanted me to be a vampire? That was…unexpected.

"You're going to…?" I didn't finish the question.

"Of course, your possible transformation depends on whether or not the Cullens have betrayed me," he mused, ignoring me.

The Cullens. He was after the Cullens? Dread washed over me. Edward and his family were in terrible danger.

I had heard a little about how this man and his family dealt with traitors. And I was certain that it would not end well for those who did not abide to his rules.

"And if they don't?" I whispered. "If they don't do as you say?"

Aro chuckled, the sound shrill, echoing off the concrete walls. He leaned in close, touching my cheek with his icy fingers. I wanted to recoil but Aro grabbed my chin.

"If the Cullens feel the need to push me, then I am afraid, you will become a liability as well as them. Surely you understand that it is very dangerous for a human to know about our experience and I can't risk that you expose us."

"I would never do that," I murmured.

"Of course not, my dear. But rules are rules. Sadly, I have had to kill many because they couldn't abide by the rules. It would not be fair to spare you or the Cullens unless they show to be very accommodating to my needs."

I nodded. If Aro would kill me, I could live with that. Well...I wouldn't live with that, but you get the point.

But a world without Edward? Alice, Esme? The others? That was unimaginable. It was something that I had to prevent at all cost.

"So, if they don't oblige with whatever you expect of them, you kill me."

Aro frowned. "You sure ask a lot of questions. But yes. I need the Cullens to show their alliance with me. With our rules. If they won't, they will be punished...

...and unfortunately, that puts an end to your life as well."

"What if I offered you my life?" I asked. "If I let you kill me, will that keep them safe?"

His blood red eyes went wide and for a moment he seemed to contemplate my offer. "You would risk your life; sacrifice your humanity, for someone like us. A monster?" he asked, in awe.

"For the Cullens, yes. If you want to make the deal," I said. "I am the liability, not them. They have never exposed themselves. That was all on me," I rambled. "Your beef should be with me."

"Hmm, this is fascinating. A trade," he sounded...giddy.

"My life for the Cullens safety," I said...holding out my hand with the intention to shake on it. "I am the liability, the chance of exposure. If I am eliminated, they will move on and everything will be…okay."

His fingers crept closer to mine and for a moment I expected him to back down. But then, almost out of the blue, his skin touched mine and both of us gasped.

For me, it was pure fear. That sandpapery feeling of his fingers touching my hand, his closeness, it was almost too much. I truly expected him to lean in and sink his teeth into my skin.

But then, this Aro seemed unnerved by something. Suddenly, he was the one he recoiled.

He dropped my hand and stepped back. This surprised me a little.

"You," he whispered. "I can't see..."

I frowned, not understanding what he was talking about. He could not see…what?

"So, do we have a deal?" I tried again. "You kill me and spare the Cullens?"

But Aro no longer listened to me. Instead, he was murmuring to himself in undecipherable syllables and half sentences.

"The girl...defensive powers...guard. I need her..."

I didn't understand any of it.

"Mr. Volturi," I asked timidly. It felt strange to be this formal, like this was a normal man and not a monster. I was probably foolish to try and reason with him, to even dare and speak to him, but I had to try.

My humanity was all I had to negotiate with. To save the Cullens.

I held out my hand again. "Do we have a deal?"

Yes, if only it had been that simple. We would have shaken hands; he would've given me his word. Then he would kill me fast and leave Forks. Or wherever we were. He would not touch the Cullens.

But things weren't going to be like that.

"I have a new deal for you," he spoke, his eyes bright with excitement. It was so creepy.

"A new deal?" I croaked.

I had a feeling I was not going to like this new deal.

"I will spare the Cullens," he told me. I felt instant relief at his promise. The Cullens would be safe.

"But I won't kill you," he said.

"You won't?"

"No. I'll give you immortality."

"You'll make me a vampire?" I asked and my voice was filled with disbelief. He would spare the Cullens and change me. There had to be a catch.

"I'll do even better," Aro smiled sinisterly, as he glided closer to me again. "I will make you part of my guard."

"Your guard?" I asked, feeling dread wash over me.

"Yes, Isabella," he hissed. "If you want the Cullens to live, you will join my guard. As a vampire. You will serve and protect me...

And never see them again."

EPOV

"Angela is staying at the rez for now."

"Jacob, I thank you for…"

"Don't," Jacob warned my father. "Look, Carlisle, I have always respected you, despite being a…vampire, but I have serious issues with the fact you are allowing Garrett" – he spat the name like it was something filthy, "to stay here."

Garrett was in the attic. Or something. I didn't really care. I just wanted Bella back. But the searches had been fruitless and I didn't even know if she was still alive.

I had never felt so powerless. So useless.

"Still, I thank you, Jacob. Angela is important to us. She is family."

Jacob shrugged and then turned to me. "Charlie called me. Well, my dad. I think that he wanted to talk about some old Quileute legends."

I frowned. For one, I didn't like the distraction. I wanted to focus on Bella and finding her. Alice kept trying to convince me that she believed Bella was safe, but with time passing, that became harder and harder to believe.

But Jacob's words also sparked a new concern. Why would Charlie, of all people, want to know about Quileute legends?

Maybe Rosalie was right. Maybe it was time to leave.

Though not without Bella. Or at least knowing that she was safe.

"Did he say why?" Carlisle asked.

Jacob shook his head. "No, but it might have something to do with the investigation into Angie's disappearance. And the other stuff."

Mike's injuries. Jessica's death.

Soon, we'd have to add Bella to that list.

I shuddered. It wouldn't come that far. We would find her.

Everything would be fine.

It had to be.

Suddenly Alice gasped. And then the images came.

APOV

Eyes. Swimming with blood. Skin? A shimmering ivory, transformed into marble. I wasn't surprised by this image, as I had seen visions of Bella being like this before. It made sense because she was going to spend the rest of her life with my brother.

Bella would become a vampire. And I would have a real sister. I mean, I cared for Rose, but a sister she was not.

The vision played out like it usually did. Bella's eyes would gradually change color, from red to gold, evidence of how she would take to our diet without a problem.
I smiled and watched the images, like a familiar slide show that ran through my head. This was good. This meant she would be alright.

Edward noticed it too. I could feel his relief as he watched the images with me.

This meant Bella was going to be alright.

And then it all came crashing down.

The vision shifted and the setting changed. Bella's eyes were brown again, and she was bound to a wooden chair in a room with large concrete walls.

I watched in horror as a hooded figure leaned in, his lips and teeth dangerously close to the pulsing point under Bella's ear.

The intent was clear. This person was going to bite Bella.

We weren't going to be on time.

I shivered and felt like I was going to faint, but then two strong arms locked around me.
"Alice, calm down," Jasper soothed. "Just concentrate. We need you, baby."

The figure looked up and that's when I could see who it was who wanted to harm Bella.

Aro Volturi.

"Fuck, NO!" I heard my brother growl. He'd seen everything with me.

"Alice, what's happening?" Jasper asked. "What did you see?"

I couldn't answer though because the vision wasn't finished. There was more.

The grey walls transformed into something lavish. Exuberant. Baroque statues. Velvet linings. Thick carpets and high ceilings. Mosaic windows.

One of Aro's palaces in Volterra.

There were three large thrones. One was occupied by Aro Volturi. And two other vampires sat beside him, looking just as powerful. One with black hair, the other blonde. Marcus and Caius, I presumed.

I could see the Volturi Guard. Two tall and strong looking vampires. Male. And two teens.

And there, in their midst, stood Bella. Clad in a tight black jeans and a leather jacket. Her eyes were fierce and burning. Her lips blood red.

She looked strong and powerful. Completely out of place but also like she belonged.

"Alice!" Edward hissed. "What does this mean?"

Jasper held me as the images faded, like a light that dimmed. When there was nothing left to see, I collapsed against him, wishing I could cry.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked.

"Bella. If my vision is right, then the Volturi have her."

...and they want her to join their guard!" Edward said and his voice sounded frantic. "Alice. You have to find out where she is. We have to stop this before it happens."

"Edward, you know it doesn't work like that. I don't get a GPS location with my visions. Just the horrible images," I said, feeling defeated.

"Okay, what did you see?" Jasper tried to help. "Where did you see Bella?"

"Volterra," I told him.

Jasper shook his head. "No, before that."

"There were walls, concrete walls. But it seemed like the room was spacious. So not a cell of some kind."

"Maybe a warehouse," Emmett suggested. He had been quiet so far. My bulky brother usually wore his heart and his thoughts on his sleeve. But so far, he had only played mediator between Rosalie and Edward.

"A warehouse...could be." I agreed.

"Okay, a warehouse. We know Bella left Forks, because her scent wasn't tracked anywhere in town. So excluding Forks, where do we find warehouses?" Jasper mused. He was still holding me, and I welcomed the effect of his calm demeanor spreading through my body.

"Maybe Port Angeles," Emmett suggested.

"Bella has been gone for hours, she could be anywhere," Edward said. He was extremely agitated and his nerves were raw. "There's no way we'll be on time."

He grabbed a chair, one of Esme's most valued objects from her antique collection, threatening to break it.

"Edward, please," Carlisle tried to sooth him. Esme tried to reach for my brother's shoulder, but he shook her off. He did put the chair back down, but his emotions were still running high.

"No! This is your fault. You had to go and help Garrett. And he led the Volturi here!" Edward yelled.

Carlisle took the accusation with grace. He knew better than to argue with Edward right now.

"Edward, calm down," Jasper said. He released me and moved towards my brother, his hands held up as if not to startle him. "We'll find her."

"But not in time. Look, I can't stand here and wait. I am losing my fucking mind." Edward and his profanities. It didn't happen often, but when it did, you knew he meant business.

"It'll be okay," Esme said.

"I have to do something. If we're talking warehouses, she has to be in Port Angeles or Seattle," Edward told us. "If the Volturi want to take her without any problem, they will probably be close to an airport, so Seattle then."

"If you're going, I am coming with," Emmett said. "Jazz, we kinda need you too, man."

I could feel Jasper's hesitation. He wanted to help his brothers, but he didn't want to leave me alone.

"Go," I pointed before he could protest. "They are right, if you find her, the muscle is needed. In my vision, I only saw Aro but I doubt he is alone. I'll try to narrow down a location. Esme and Rosalie can help me."

I watched as they left and tried to focus on the horror of the lingering vision. I saw Bella tied to a chair. The grey walls. A warehouse. But no way to determine where this warehouse would be.

There was only small relief in the idea that the Volturi didn't want to kill Bella, because the alternative was equally horrific.

"Why would they want her in their guard?" I wondered aloud. "It doesn't make any sense. It would be so much easier for them to kill her."

"Leverage," Rosalie spoke up. "There has to be something they want with her."

Both Esme and I must have looked at her strangely because she shrugged. "What? I don't want the girl to die. What else do you see?"

"We can't let them succeed," I said. "We have to find her before they can do anything."

And so I went back to pushing my mind, hoping to see the vision again to get more information, but it only intensified a looming headache.

"Alice," Esme asked, taking my hands. "What do you see, dear?"

I never tried to rewind a vision. Once the images were gone, I still remembered them, but I couldn't play them back. And I couldn't alter what I'd seen to my liking to get more information. All I could do was try and concentrate and hope that the images my mind had already captured before, would give me something new.

"It does look like a warehouse. But it's empty, except for Bella. And Aro."

"Okay, so if there's nothing stocked there, it means it doesn't belong to a company, or isn't rented out currently," Rosalie said.

"Or maybe they killed the owners," I muttered. There were too many options and we were all flying blind.

I focused again, replaying the images. Bella leaned back, Aro leaned in, tempted to taste her. But then he stopped and reached for her hand instead. When they touched, he was taken aback.

I had missed that before. "That's weird."

"What is?" Carlisle wondered.

"Aro can read people's mind right? Kind of like Edward can?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, but Aro can see every thought, every memory you have ever had."

"Hmm…"

"What is it, Alice?" He asked.

"I see him taking her hand. Almost like shaking it. I assume he is reading her mind. But he almost seems….surprised."

"Bella is immune to Edward's power. Maybe that makes her immune to Aro's as well." Esme pointed out.

"But that should make him angry," Rosalie offered. "I mean, that has to be disrespectful or whatever, in his eyes."

"Not unless he can use it to his advantage," Carlisle said.

I nodded. "I don't know how it's connected, but Aro doesn't seem to want to kill Bella. Otherwise I wouldn't still be seeing her as a vampire as well."

BPOV

I had lost my mind. I had agreed to become a part of the Volturi Guard.

I didn't even know what that meant. All I knew was that I was going to exchange my human life for immortality, and I would sign away my soul to protect the Cullens.

Now, that was a small price to pay, really. But I had a feeling that by agreeing to Aro Volturi's terms, I was going to pay in different ways as well.

"Time to move, human", Alec hissed. He grabbed the ropes around my ankles and ripped them apart without any effort. The same with the ones around my wrists.

Once I was free, he pulled me up. His grip was tight, possibly even tighter than the ropes.

"Come on," he muttered.

Jane appeared behind him and held out a black velvet cloak.

"Put this on," she said.

I frowned but did what she asked, wondering why I was supposed to wear this. It was too long and I practically drowned in it.

Once I was covered, Jane took my arm and led me away. I could feel Alec moving behind us.

When we stepped outside I could see it was nighttime. The moon was out, putting an eerie glow on everything, including the vampires walking beside me.

Their skin was luminescent in the moonlight. It would've been enchanting if they hadn't been monsters.

I was dragged to a spacious black car with tinted windows. The Volturi obviously liked to travel in style.

The door opened and there he sat. Aro Volturi. He smiled like a Cheshire cat, beaming at me.

"Isabella," he grinned, his sharp teeth visible, "How wonderful of you to join us."

He grabbed my hand and then I was sitting beside him. In a way I was grateful for the creepy cloak now, because it was freezing inside the car.

Once Alec and Jane were seated opposite us, the car took off.

I watched through the windows as the warehouse disappeared. In the distance I spotted skyscrapers. We were definitely not in Forks.

"Now, you must be curious where we are going?" Aro said, his voice amused.

I remained quiet and wondered how many bones I would break if I would let myself roll out of the car.

Probably all of them. And then a bunch of vampires would undoubtedly hunt me and kill me. Assuming I would survive an escape to begin with.

I kept staring outside, until someone grabbed my arm with force.

It was Jane.

"Answer your Master," she hissed, digging her claws into my skin.

"Where are we going?" I asked. My voice sounded flat as I pushed down any emotion.

"Well, I must say, this is very exciting. We are on our way home. You will enjoy Volterra, Isabella. The climate is more pleasant and the food is to die for."

Yes, he said that. And then he chuckled at his own sinister humor.

I was going to Volterra. I didn't even know where that was.

I didn't really care either. All I kept thinking about was that I was going to a place where I would never see Edward again. That was the deal. Their existence would be secure, as long as I did what Aro said.

You have no idea what you are getting yourself into, my sub-conscious pointed out.

And I didn't, obviously. I was just a kid. Barely eighteen. A year ago I hadn't even known about the existence of vampires and werewolves and now I was in love with one and had agreed to serve another. The reality of it was hard to grasp. I would never see my dad again. Or my weird-ass but loving mom.

The Cullens. Quirky and lovable Alice. Cool and calm Jasper. Funny Emmett. Bitchy Rosalie. Carlisle and Esme, who were like a second set of parents.

Edward. My love, my life. I would never see him again. I gulped and tried to push down the onslaught of emotions that threatened to bubble up to the surface. I could not let Aro see.

My weakness was what got the Cullens in trouble in the first place.

"But, before we go home, I have to make one stop. We're going to see an old friend of mine," Aro babbled on.

It caught my attention.

"Old friend?" I croaked.

"Oh yes, dear. It's time to visit the Cullens."

APOV

"Alice?"

There was nothing. Just a mega headache that I couldn't shake. I was lying on the sofa, poking around the edges of my mind to see if anything would give, if there was something – anything that could help Edward, Jasper, and Emmett in their quest to find Bella before the Volturi took her away, but there was nothing.

Nothing that they didn't already know. And without anything distinct, anything that could pinpoint a location, there was no way they'd be able to find her in time.
And that would be my fault, because I was so utterly useless.

"I see nothing, Esme," I choked. "My head just hurts."

"It's alright, dear. Jacob called. He and his pack are helping Edward, Jasper, and Emmett. They are headed to Seattle. And Carlisle is upstairs, trying to talk to Garrett again, to see if maybe he knows more about the Volturi."

"It won't be enough though, Esme," I murmured. "The vision doesn't change. If they find her in time, it should change back."

Back to the vision I had a long time ago. Bella in gauzy white. Edward in a shiny suit with a ridiculous bowtie. Their skins and eyes matching. Marble and butterscotch. Shimmering and gold.

But it didn't. Instead there was a dark sinister future for Bella. One she voluntarily chose. "But it doesn't," I murmured sadly.

And then it did...

If I'd had a splitting headache before, now it felt like my brain was going to explode. The images came fast and it was almost impossible to keep up.

I saw Aro, and the two younger looking guards. I believed Carlisle had once told me their names were Alec and Jane and they'd been part of the Volturi Guard for quite some time. They were with Bella, who at first glance looked human. Her eyes were still a golden brown and she was slightly limping.

Yup, still human. It was a strange relief.

"Alice? Alice, what do you see?" Esme pleaded.

"Call Edward," I managed to choke out. "I think they no longer need to look for Bella. I think she is being brought here."

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