Chapter Forty Seven
Alice
"Lets hear your fee for this information Alice"
I turned to Marcus who addressed the question to me. I had to be careful here, Renee held more sway than I'd realized and that meant I had to be doubly persuasive.
"I know Jasper feels he has good reason for wanting me imprisoned or harmed but I do have important news that I'm willing to give the Volturi in exchange for a guarantee of my safety. I know about the fight during which Carlisle was killed and that Jasper and Bella know he was a member of the Volturi himself, Aro's greatest friend and one who procured gifted vampires and humans for him. Bella's kidnap was one of those procurements, one I did see but I also took that information to Carlisle not knowing what he was at he time and asked his advice which I followed. Bella became a vampire and she and Jasper are mated so there was no harm done really."
I turned as Jasper snarled and Bella laughed sarcastically but neither said anything so I went on.
"I know someone who is willing to take Carlisle's place as talent spotter and is willing to share such information, for a price. However this person is happy to deal with the highest bidder, not necessarily the Volturi."
"Are you acting as middle man for this person?"
Caius sounded suspicious.
"I guess so, I was approached because I was part of Carlisles family, this person thought I might be able to negotiate on their behalf for a possible deal with the Volturi but if you aren't interested then he is quite willing to deal with someone else., Someone who has their sights set on the destruction of the Volturi, a coup you could say.
"Why you Alice?"
I arched one eyebrow at this impertinent question, Renee really should polish her manners!
"Why not? I see the future so I know what the outcome if such a coup might be. I can't think of anyone better."
"What were you offered in return for your help Alice? If you wouldn't mind telling us"
Marcus tone was much more to my liking,
"Money, a place on any new ruling body, a safe haven from the Volturi"
"So why are you here? If your contact is offering you all that you ever wanted, money, power and security, why have you come to the Volturi?"
I sighed at Caius question.
"Because she knows that in the end this person, or the people he decides to deal with can't offer her these things. She's seen their fall and is making sure she's on the right side."
I glared at Jasper's answer,
"I have always been loyal to Carlisle and in turn to the Volturi. I gave him information to pass on too you know."
"So why is this time any different? Why are you bartering your information instead of giving it freely?"
Bella laughed as she answered for me,
"Because this time she knows she's burned her boats with Jasper and that he is coming for her. She's seen she can't escape him or me and this is a desperate way of trying to get someone else to save her from us. That's right isn't it Alice? You know your life is over, you've seen your death and you are struggling to change the future."
"If that's right I give her ten out of ten for her courage in coming here."
I looked at Renee,
"You have no idea how much Alice believes in her own invincibility. She really believes she can persuade you to save her from whatever fate she's seen for herself, don't you Alice?"
Caius had leaned forward to hear my reply but I merely smiled and shook my head.
"Whatever Bella says makes no difference to my price, you have to decide whether to pay it."
He looked at the others round the table but it was Renee who spoke,
"Alice, just why should we care about someone feeding new gifts to a rival? It took Aro centuries to build up the Volturi guard, we have gifts at our disposal that make almost every other that could come along useless. Are you telling us that we have a rival capable of taking on the might of the Volturi now? Because if you are and you are not willing to help us freely then I would see that as a betrayal of your kind which carries a death sentence anyway."
I was startled by her words, this was not the way the game was played, I offered Aro something and he offered me something in return, I was valuable, my gift coveted, but not by her it would seem. I looked at Caius, he knew how things worked in Volterra, he would explain to this newcomer. He looked at me and shrugged ruefully. He wasn't going to help me and I felt the future shifting, this wasn't going the way I had seen and I was in trouble, serious trouble.
"Well no, not straight away but he could soon be strong enough to stage an attempted coup"
"But he doesn't win does he Alice? You are telling us there is someone we should be watching more closely, not that there is someone who could make a serious take over bid for control of our world. It was a good ploy but you just couldn't pull it off could you? Not without Aro's paranoia and greed."
Why did Jasper have to ruin everything! I hated him so much at the moment I could reach across the table and scratch his eyes out but I knew I didn't stand a chance, he was just too quick and too powerful. I looked round the table at the others but I could see nothing to raise my spirits in any of their faces, I would have to offer my trump card after all.
Renee stood up and looked round at the others,
"I think perhaps we should give Alice's revelation serious thought before deciding what to do. If you wouldn't mind waiting outside for a little while Alice. I promise you we wont keep you waiting long and thank you for coming here with such important information. Its good to see you are still with the Volturi and not working against us, that would be a tragedy...for you"
Felix came up behind my chair at a glance from her and escorted me out of the chamber into a small room before shutting the door. I heard his bulk lean against the oak door making it creak, so I wasn't free to move around, did that mean I had lost? I didn't believe that although when I tried to see my future there was a blank. In panic I tried to see Bella's but that was a blank too and Jasper so it wasn't my future that had disappeared, merely something here interfering with it.