A/N: When I started this, I never imagined it would go beyond ten chapters, let alone twenty. I'm so thankful for all of you who have stayed with me this far!

My everlasting gratitude to Katmom and to sherryola, for their invaluable advice and suggestions! This story is SOOOOO much better for their efforts. Thank you, ladies!

So the EPOV outtake from Cygnus that I donated to Fandom for Oklahoma takes place in the space before this chapter. If you were able to help support this great cause, I thank you very much. You can find more information here: "h_t_t_p : / / Oklahoma . fandomcause . info" (delete the spaces and underscores).

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer, the great and powerful, owns Twilight and all the characters; I'm just playing dress-up. No copyright infringement is intended.


Chapter 27 – Endgame

I adjusted my vision and instantly locked onto Edward. His face was drawn and radiated despair. Our eyes met with an almost audible snap and a little of the worry seeped out of him as he saw me. My hair felt matted and several locks had escaped my ponytail and hung across my face. Inside I was still seething over Jane destroying Edward's necklace, but I was uninjured. Edward gave me a quick inspection and when he saw the chains on my wrists his lips curled back from his teeth.

Only four wolves stood on the river bank. I could see the huge black bulk of Sam, the dark-silver coat of Paul, but the other two I didn't know well enough to recognize in their wolf forms. Where was the rest of the pack? The whole point of the alliance with them was for strength in numbers. Where was Jacob? Had Alec and Demetri killed him after all, instead of letting him go to carry their message?

I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down. They had to have let him go to give the warning message to Carlisle. That was the only way to pressure them, to keep them from trying anything. That made sense and I held on to that thought to keep from freaking out. At the same time, ice splinters of dread began to fill my stomach. They had come walking into danger, and my efforts to warn them were for nothing.

Aro, Caius and Marcus moved toward the river and the bodyguards shadowed them. I looked back to see that the older vampire women had settled onto several large rocks to watch. None of them seemed overly concerned over the prospect of watching a battle unfold.

"Carlisle! Eleazar!" Aro called across the river. "How good to see you both! It has been such a very long time! Where is the rest of your coven?"

Carlisle replied and I could easily hear his voice carry over the water. "I sent them away. We've come as you requested Aro. You claim to come to discuss our misdeeds. Yet you've abducted my daughter-in-law."

"A misunderstanding," Aro began smoothly. "Jane was aware that I was curious about Bella's gift and was only too eager to please me."

"Misunderstanding? Why is she in chains?" Edward interjected, white fury sparking from him. He proceeded to quote, "'Bella will be our guest for the foreseeable future. Do not attempt to find her or there will be consequences.' What is there to misunderstand? You're holding Bella hostage!" His fists were clenched, the cords of his neck muscles stood taut, and flecks of venom flew from his lips as he spoke.

"Let Bella go and we'll talk, Aro," Carlisle said.

I expected Aro to deflect Edward's accusation but Caius spoke first. "I think we'll talk this way. You've allied yourselves with werewolves. We're only prudent to establish insurance for your good behavior!"

"We only allied with them because Jane attacked them first," Carlisle answered. "We met Jane and her group off tribal lands. If they had gone straight back to Volterra, none of the wolf pack would have encountered them. You had no quarrel with them and are the aggressors in this case."

"They're werewolves, you fool!" Caius shouted. "Whether here, or in the mother country, they must be eradicated!"

"Is that a new law, Caius?" Eleazar spoke calmly. "I wasn't aware that we were bound to maintain secrecy, as well as aid your personal vendetta against werewolves."

Caius sputtered for a second and Aro stepped in. "You, of all people, should know the transgressions committed here, Eleazar. The secret has been revealed to this tribe of werewolves for the last eighty years. We are here to right that wrong. When I agreed to release you from service, I never thought to see you in the company of law-breakers."

"I found a more peaceful existence." Eleazar shrugged. "And I'm here to prevent an injustice."

"They have not exposed our secret," Carlisle insisted. "That was one of the terms of the treaty we made with them."

"Treaty!" Caius spat. "The law is plain and simple. For the secret to be maintained, it must be kept amongst immortals! Do you not understand what a secret is?

"We allowed Edward to leave Volterra with his human. Why? He swore he would grant her immortality and he has. These –" Caius pointed at the wolves. "You cannot give them immortality, and you do not intend to kill them!" Caius quickly reached to the side for Aro's hand, and Aro gave a slight nod. I saw Edward's frown darken in response.

"In fact," Caius continued expansively with a wicked smile, "I offer you a chance to redeem yourselves. Join us now and help us perform the duty you should have accomplished before. Kill the wolves and all will be forgiven!"

Carlisle didn't even consider Caius' draconian offer for a second. "I don't believe you, Caius, and I disagree. Your accusations are based on a technicality of your own choosing. We are not the ones who exposed the secret to the werewolves. Their legends pre-date our arrival on this peninsula, and speak of marauding vampires killing their people back then. Those immortals exposed the secret in the past, not us.

"Furthermore, the secret is quite safe, as they don't even tell members of their own tribe that there are werewolves, let alone vampires. And we've proven that we don't need to be enemies. We couldn't stand on the same river bank if they were."

"But you consume animals!" Caius said as if speaking about leprosy. "Only if you deny your nature can you maintain this peace. The moment you return to your true self, they will fall on you again!"

"How is that relevant to whether or not the secret is safe?" Edward asked, his voice harsh and contemptuous. "You're grasping at threadbare excuses, Caius. Or are your prejudices pushing aside your judgment?"

"There are no excuses where traitors are involved!" Caius seemed on the verge of apoplexy. If he were like Charlie, the veins in his temples would be about ready to burst. "You stand there, with our enemies! No more need be said!"

"You have no authority to judge us," Eleazar quietly objected. "The moment you began to abuse your power, you relinquished your right to judge. If anybody is guilty, it's you. Guilty of corruption."

"This isn't the first time Volterra has acted against us without provocation," Edward growled. "Last June, you sent Jane and her cohorts to quell a newborn uprising in Seattle. But instead of stopping them, she sent them on their way, hoping we would be destroyed in the process."

"Interesting." Aro looked amused. "How did you learn of this?"

"The last surviving member of the newborn army told me."

"And where is this witness?" Caius' sneer grew more pronounced.

"Felix...killed her," Edward admitted darkly.

"Then you have no proof." Caius smirked.

"Be that as it may, allowing you to commit genocide, even of those you consider enemies, would be wrong," Carlisle countered. "Most of the tribe is completely unaware of our world, but you don't intend to spare them. How do you plan to keep a mass killing like that a secret? You'll expose us yourselves."

Caius threw his head back and laughed contemptuously. "You're still so naïve, Carlisle! The sadistic grin widened on his face. "The key is not to leave any witnesses or evidence. Fire can be quite effective. And you're a doctor; you know we don't leave fingerprints."

"And you wonder why I denied myself the pleasure of your company." Carlisle shook his head sadly. "Whether or not you believe God exists for creatures like us, I'm still a man of peace. In killing these people, you would be committing a crime against God and humanity." Carlisle folded his arms across his chest.

"If God didn't intend for vampires or werewolves to exist, He would not have allowed it," Carlisle continued. "You claim to have a sacred duty to annihilate these beings? Even if you condemn us, I have a far more sacred duty to defend them!"

Aro spoke as quietly as if he were seated in a parlor. "Is that your final word, Carlisle?"

"It is."

"Do you not care for your daughter-in-law?" Caius gloated.

"I care for her very much," Carlisle retorted. "But if I know Bella, she would prefer for us to stand up for our ideals, and defend the wolves you've slated for execution."

I nodded, trying to catch Carlisle's eye. He noticed my movement, and a faint, grim smile touched one corner of his mouth.

"Very well. We will deliberate." Aro straightened and held his arms out wide. "But while we discuss, think among yourselves. No matter the verdict today, we are not without mercy. If any of you were to join us today, your transgressions will be forgiven." A snort of laughter that sounded like Emmett came from the other side of the river. The Volturi didn't seem to notice.

"You also, Eleazar," Aro added. "If you wish to resume your previous duties with us, there would be no repercussions."

Eleazar stood silently, a tight smile on his face. He shook his head slowly.

Aro sighed and turned away. As the ancients withdrew, I didn't think they would actually deliberate anything. This was all show and they were just going through the motions. Caius' mind was made up before he got here. Aro wanted what he wanted. Marcus still didn't seem to care one way or the other.

All the attention was on the royal trio, so I took my chance. Breathing out, I pulled my dampening field in. I whispered as quietly in my mind as I could so as not to startle Edward.

Edward? He flinched as if Kate had shocked him, and looked at me. So much for subtlety. Did you hear me earlier when I called to you? Blink once for yes, twice for no.

I watched closely as Edward slowly blinked once. Frustration rose in my throat. Why didn't you take the family and run?

Edward quickly blinked no.

I sighed. What are we going to do? Do we have a plan?

Yes.

I felt a bubble of hope and had to control my excitement. Can I help?

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he still blinked 'yes.'

How?

After a moment's hesitation, Edward surreptitiously lowered his head. I was usually pretty good at charades but had to think about this one.

Look down?

No. He straightened up, then bobbed his head down again and hunched his shoulders. I glanced around quickly, worried if anybody else had noticed his movements.

Duck?

Yes.

I stared into his eyes. What in the world were they planning? He gazed at me with a more intense expression and a slight lift to his eyebrows, questioning me. I realized he was waiting for an answer. All right, I thought. But be careful. You have to live. I love you. Even under all this stress, he gave a hint of a smile and blinked yes.

Aro, Caius and Marcus stepped forward, having concluded their 'deliberation.' But I noticed they didn't move as close to the riverbank as before. I could feel the agitation building in me as we neared the moment that they had been scheming toward all along. Up and down the riverbank, the Guard members pushed back their hoods. Some removed their cloaks completely and set them aside.

"The charge is treason!" Caius shouted. "Consorting with the natural enemies of immortals! There has been no evidence presented to refute these charges. I vote they are guilty!" My palms itched with the urge to smack the satisfied smirk off his face.

"Marcus? What say you?" prompted Aro.

Marcus stirred only slightly. "I abstain," he said finally.

"I am afraid I agree with Caius," Aro stated, his face a study in regret I was sure he didn't feel. "You have not disproved the accusations, in fact, you've embraced them. I have no choice but to vote that you are guilty." He quickly raised one hand. "But before we pronounce sentence, who among you have considered our offer?" No one moved on the other side of the river.

Aro continued. "Because of the unusual circumstances, I'm willing to make an offer we've never made before. If Alice and Edward were to come live with us, we would be willing to consider clemency for the rest of the family." Caius turned blazing eyes on Aro, but I heard Aro shush him under his breath. Caius held his tongue but did not look happy. "Also, Bella will not be harmed. I think that is the best I can offer."

"What about the wolves?" asked Carlisle.

Aro looked at Caius before responding. "I can't guarantee that. But I can offer a temporary reprieve while we consider a longer term solution. I can offer no more than that. The alternative…"

"There is only one punishment for breaking the law," Caius intoned.

At these words, Felix moved right behind me, a movement not lost on Edward. I was right. Neither of us would be safe if we chose to live in Volterra. Edward glared at Felix, then sighed and looked down at Alice. I don't know what passed between the two of them, but Alice turned to Carlisle and embraced him. Edward shook Carlisle's hand, then Emmett's. Then he and Alice turned toward the river. I couldn't believe it when they walked into the water. They shouldn't let the threat to me force them to cave in.

"I'm not worth it! Stay on the other side!" I shouted.

"Silence!" Caius commanded.

Felix placed a heavy hand on the back of my neck, and Edward's glower darkened even further. I was doubly surprised when Jasper and Eleazar stepped forward and joined Alice and Edward in crossing the river. Aro and Caius murmured in discussion as they watched this new development. All four started wading across the river, and I couldn't help thinking how lonely and forlorn Carlisle and Emmett looked standing there with the wolves. Aro glanced over at Chelsea, who stood with rapt focus on them.

With a flash of insight, I suddenly realized that they really were up to something and this was part of it. The only family members in sight were bonded life mates. Chelsea wouldn't be able to affect them. But they were walking directly into Alec and Jane's hands. I had to do something.

I was sitting directly behind the twins, and I might be able to extend my field out to engage them. If I could just neutralize them, our family would have a fighting chance. I quickly exhaled and centered myself. Raising my hands slightly, I pushed my field out. One, two, four feet, it reached out. But when I touched five feet, it slowed and stopped. Alec was just out of my reach, and my field petered out seemingly inches away from them.

I couldn't believe it. So close and yet they might as well be on the other side of the river. I had to succeed, but I needed to get closer somehow. Glancing around me, I saw all eyes were focused on the four figures crossing the river.

Slowly, I pushed myself up on my hands, then began getting my feet under me. With another shove, Felix pushed me back down again. "Stay down," he muttered. I sprawled to the rocky beach again, but used his push to fall forward. Again, I sat up, exhaled and extended. One, two, four feet. This time I felt the faint edge of my field make contact with Alec and then Jane. It wasn't strong, only the tenuous nebula where the field ended, but I had contact. I held it there with all the intention I could muster, and hoped it would be enough. I remembered how, during our experiment with the whole family, I was only able to partially cover Alice. We hadn't checked if I blocked her sight, so I wasn't sure how much of Jane's gift I would stop.

Edward, Alice, Jasper and Eleazar were passed the river's midway point. The men were chest deep in the water, and Alice was swimming. Closer and closer they drew to us. I kept my focus on Alec and Jane with all my strength.

Alec began to lean forward slightly, then he hunched his head, as if increasing his effort. Suddenly he looked back at the patriarchs. "Master, they're not stopping!" he cried in panic.

"Master! I can't touch them, either!" Jane's cry was equally as hysterical as her brother's.

Exclamations of surprise rose from the ranks of the Volturi. It was working! I hid my jubilation with effort; apparently Alec and Jane had never failed before. I knew better than to risk a glance backward, and prayed that none would notice my outstretched hands. I would have lowered them but feared I would lose what little contact I had. Unfortunately my fears of discovery were correct.

"It's the girl!" shouted Caius. "Somehow, it's the girl! Kill her!"

At that moment, everybody in the river ducked under water. The sound of several boulders crashing together rang out, followed closely by the crack of small explosions rumbling across the river valley. To my surprise, Jane and Alec fell backward as if pole-axed. More Guards fell, and more explosions echoed into the night. It sounded like cannon fire, but there were no flashes or puffs of smoke. Yet every time a dark figure fell, it was followed by a burst of sound.

"Attack!" Caius roared. "Kill them all!"

I saw Demetri lean over and pick up something that had rolled to his feet. He tapped Santiago on the shoulder and waved at two other guardsmen. They all leaped far out into the river and began to swim, heading upriver slightly.

A heavy arm snaked around my head and when I realized what was happening, I tucked my chin as Eleazar had taught me.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Felix's deep voice muttered in my ear, and I felt a hard wrench on my neck. Only my tensed muscles saved me from the initial shock, but the iron hand continued to pull with untold power. The chains kept me from getting a purchase on Felix's arm, and I could feel my chin beginning to turn. It was only a matter of time before Felix would tear off my head. Desperate, I swung my chained wrists backward like an axe and smashed him once, twice, three times in the face.

Suddenly, I felt weightless and the air whistled by, then a crash knocked the wind out of me and I lay momentarily stunned. Felix had thrown me against one of the rock faces that overlooked the beach. I opened my eyes with my back against the cliff to see Felix bearing down on me.

I scrambled to my feet and Felix waded in swinging. I managed to use my bound wrists to deflect a left-right-left combination, and ducked below a kick to the head. Unfortunately, I realized now how much Eleazar's style relied on maintaining contact through the hands and forearms. In addition to hampering my movement, the chains kept me from fully sensing the energy coming from Felix's blows, and I was forced to rely more on reflexes and hand-eye coordination — something we hadn't practiced as much. Unwilling to trust myself at close range, I tried to back away and was stopped by the rock.

Felix attacked again and I blocked as well as I could. Several times I dodged and he struck rock, spraying us with dust and fragments of stone. I didn't catch all of one blow and it clipped my temple. Stars filled my vision, and I had to fight to stay on my feet. I lashed out blindly with a heel kick and managed to connect enough to send him flying back.

Felix wasn't grinning anymore and jumped back in. I struck him across the face with both hands, but he grabbed the front of my shirt and began raining monstrous blows on me with his other fist. I kept my arms up, deflecting the massive pounding, the chains acting like armor plate, but the power of his punches kept coming through. I was able to keep him from landing a solid blow, but I ached about my head, neck and shoulders where he grazed me. Each strike rang out like a hammer on an anvil.

A sudden metallic crack resounded and I felt the chains around my wrists begin to loosen. Felix raised his fist again, and I responded — but it was a feint. Grabbing my shoulder instead, he pulled me forward and buried his knee in my belly. I doubled over, gasping like a fish, unable to move. Through the pain I felt Felix's hands settle around my neck and prayed Edward wouldn't see. My only regret was that I didn't have time to tell him goodbye. Then a sudden roar filled my ears and a wall of russet fur crashed into Felix from the side. I was knocked to the ground and felt Felix's hands slip away.

As my head cleared, I became aware of an environment of absolute mayhem. Vampires and werewolves were fighting and struggling up and down the rocky river bank. Here and there gouts of flame lanced into the night from some kind of flame-throwing device held by a Volturi guardsman. Jane and Alec were still down, but Jane was beginning to stir, holding her hands to her face.

Jacob and Felix dueled in a dance of death; Jacob lunging, ripping and tearing with his fangs, not stopping for an instant. Jacob had torn off one forearm at the initial impact before Felix had pushed him off. Felix tried to land a solid blow or catch hold of Jacob but wasn't as fast as the raging werewolf.

I took advantage of the moment's respite to unwind the rest of the chains from my wrists. Even titanium alloy couldn't take the amount of punishment Felix could deliver. I wondered if I should help Jacob or take care of Alec and Jane. Then I saw Jane raise herself on an elbow, one hand covering her right eye. Suddenly, every werewolf on the beach collapsed, writhing, onto the sand.

Felix raised his remaining fist high, his feet planted wide like a lumberjack.

"NO!" I screamed.

The gigantic fist swung down like a pendulum of doom and landed with a sickening crunch on Jacob's back. He gave a horrifying yelp and collapsed onto the rocky ground, not moving at all, eyes closed with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

Only part of me dimly registered that fact. Grief and fury exploded in my chest and my head felt like it burst out to three times its normal size. The air was filled with screams of rage that rang in my ears as I leaped and landed on the monster's back.

Striking, tearing, gouging, clawing, I ripped at it in any way I could to destroy it. It had to die. Its clothing was torn, some hair was ripped from its head, but it still stood. Then it reached up, grabbed my arm and threw me against the rock.

The impact seemed to jar my awareness loose from my body as I leaned against the rock, dazed. I felt like I was looking down from above as Felix advanced on my helpless body. I urged it to move and the all-consuming fireball of anger expanded and reached out to pull me back into it. But I couldn't let the rage win, either. Part of me realized that only by staying in control had I survived the first encounter with Felix. If I lost control again, he would finish me. Yet I needed to move my body and soon; Felix was closing in.

Calling on all that I had learned in the past months, I expanded my senses to their fullest extent, embracing all that I could see, hear, feel, smell, and taste, including the rage. Part of me noted the roaring sensation as I rose up over it all. I saw various knots of conflict taking place in the water and on the beach – vampires trying to finish the werewolves, vampires fighting with vampires. The bank on the other side of the river was empty. On the Volturi's left flank, a number of wolves and dark-cloaked vampires stood about motionless, not attacking even though they were right in front of each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a slim, grey wolf pouncing on Jane as she tried to stagger to her feet. Her focus broken, all across the battlefield werewolves shook off the agony and resumed the attack with relish.

Jane cried out and fell. The grey wolf tossed an arm aside with a contemptuous flick of her head, and closed in again. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, then a shriek rang out — the top of Jane's head had been torn away, but she continued to scream, her remaining hand outstretched and searching blindly. Jane's screams of agony continued long and loud until they were finally cut off with a gurgle and a racking, tearing sound.

I didn't have time to celebrate Jane's demise; Felix was still coming. I gave into the rage and my body began to move. But as the incandescent flames of anger licked at my consciousness, I raised myself out of it and rode the crest of fury, surfing the waves of a supernova. Now, not just my head, but my entire body seemed to explode with power and I barely held on to the edge of control. I expanded my field and it burst out to ten-feet across with no effort. When Felix came within striking distance, I could still recognize him this time.

He came in low for a tackle, trying to crush me against the rock. I intercepted his shoulders and pushed down, dropped his energy into the ground and absorbed the rest. His power was no match for newborn rage and he looked up in surprise. Looked up long enough for my knee to smash his head back hard, sending his body flying with it. But I wasn't done with him. I caught his wrist before he flew out of my reach and jerked him down to meet a forearm in the throat. His eyes bulged and his mouth gaped open. Recovering quickly, he knocked my arm aside and struck back with a tremendous combination of blows and kicks from several angles, compensating for the loss of his arm with more kicks. But now that I could use my hands, they were so heavy, I would have to be blind and deaf not to feel them coming.

I slipped his fist aside, stepped inside a kick and drove my foot into the inside of his knee. The grisly crunch of a breaking vampire limb was drowned out by Felix's scream of agony. My hand found the back of his neck, and I slammed the heel of my palm under his chin, focusing all the hate I could feel into that one point. The scream cut off with a gurgle. I sent a surge of anger down my arms and felt the screech of tearing stone.

Felix's body fell to the ground but continued to reach out with grasping fingers, so I kicked it away and hurled his head across the beach. I thought I heard someone scream "kill her she's only a girl!" But that didn't sound right. I didn't feel like a girl at all. I felt like one of the avenging Furies as I stepped over to where Jacob lay helpless. Fortunately, Jacob had fallen near the cliff face so we had solid rock to our backs.

I sensed, rather than saw, the approach of many bodies and erupted into a whirling, striking, kicking, grasping tornado. I had no time for anything fancy; I could only deal with whatever came close and move on to the next. Keep them at bay, keep them from landing anything solid, keep them away from Jacob, keep myself alive for Edward. Pushing, shoving, using the energy of their charge to throw them into other opponents or let them fly past. Several came simultaneously and one managed to grab hold of my leg. Harsh blows landed before I could fend them off and deal with the one clinging to me. I smashed left blindly, kicked the one coming from the right away from me, then reached down and resorted to brute force. I pulled the clinging one off and heaved it into the crowd with enough impact to send several bodies flying out of the circle of foes surrounding me.

I lost track of time in that endless sea of violence, lost count of the enemies, only knowing that I couldn't stop. Edward was counting on me to stay alive. Jacob was counting on me to keep him alive. My field only gave me enough warning to react, not plan. Fend them away but not finish. Somewhere I thought I heard someone calling my name. One dropped down on me from above. I fumbled at it and kept it from getting a neck hold. Cloth ripped as I sent it flying into the crowd.

It seemed like forever before the tide of grey began to thin. I heard my name called again. Fewer and fewer came at me as they were pulled away or sent flying, but I didn't have time to do anything but deal with my immediate threats. Then, as suddenly as they had descended, they were gone.

Five more figures approached me but stopped. I turned to deal with them, if necessary. The fires of rage filled me, but I still had control over them. I heard a voice in my head, reaching out to me, soft and velvet smooth, calm and reassuring. My angel had come back. What was it doing here in the middle of a war? It shouldn't be here. Then, not of my doing, the scorching anger dulled, and subsided. I kept my guard up but felt my head and body return to normal as the howling fury eased. In the absence of the madness, I felt almost weak and deflated.

Then I blinked and saw the most glorious sight: Edward was alive. His hair was wet and messy. He had a number of welts on his face, his clothes were wet and torn, and he was limping slightly, but he was alive. Jasper, Alice, Kate and Eleazar were at his side, also wet and showing signs of battle. That surprised me because I hadn't seen Kate on the other side before the fighting started. Alice was also unharmed, and all of them looked at me in concern. A number of werewolves were down and the remainder still fought with dark cloaked vampires. Edward stepped forward quickly but there was no time for a reunion. Leah ran up in wolf form and sniffed at Jacob, who lay on his side, still not moving. She looked up at us and whined.

"Only one way to end this," Jasper growled, and pointed up the beach.

The Volturi patriarchs had retreated with their bodyguards to stand with the wives and their guards. Their faces held various expressions of shock and fear. Except for Marcus, who stood regarding us as if we were about to sit down for tea. My eyes narrowed in a frown and my lips curled back into a snarl. Here were the architects of our troubles and of untold pain and suffering.

"Keep an eye on Jake, Leah," I said, as we turned. "Let's go!" I hissed through clenched teeth. We swept up the beach and I extended my field, but it was back to its normal size. Edward and Jasper ran at either side of me, and I sensed Alice, Kate and Eleazar close behind as I swept up toward the Volturi royal guard.

"Guard!" Caius screamed. "To me!" Suddenly the entire field of battle shifted up the beach as vampires and werewolves alike began to converge on our location. We were going to be hip deep in combatants in a hurry.

The bodyguard Felix had called Renata stepped in front of the others with her hands extended as if to ward me off, a look of concentration on her face. As I charged right up to her the look changed from concentration to surprise. When she frowned and stood her ground, the rest of the guards moved up.

In the first flurry of strikes she threw at me I could tell she wasn't skilled at all. Perhaps she had relied on her talent for too long, but I almost felt sorry for her as I grasped a wrist, stepped back, jerked her off balance and guided her flight with another hand at her armpit. She landed at the feet of Sam, who was advancing at the head of a squad of werewolves. I spun back to face the Guard and heard the snapping and snarling behind me.

The one called Afton was attacking Jasper and Eleazar, who for some reason were starting to fall back. He landed a kick that Jasper should have seen in his sleep, and turned on Eleazar, who closed his eyes and extended his hands. They engaged and suddenly it was even, as Eleazar let his hands and intention listen for him. Afton was a frenzied blur of hands and feet, but he could make no progress. Now I understood. He somehow had the ability to make himself invisible. But even an invisible hand had weight and motion. I could see him, and Alice could see him too, with her unique sight. She dodged in and after one quick movement, caught hold of him from behind. Eleazar closed in and another squeal of tearing metal rang out.

Several wolves cannoned into the two dark cloaks and the patriarchs cowered back in fear. Kate felled the last guard, who went down twitching before she finished him. The rest of us turned on the royal party.

Caius raised his arm, a small, silver metal object in his hand.

"Look out!" I yelled, and we all dove to the sides. I could feel the heat from the blast of flame that licked out of that deceptively small container. A yelp rang out as the torch connected with a werewolf downslope from us. Then the inferno began to move as Caius adjusted his aim. We needed to do something to stop him.

A sudden crash resounded, followed by a shout of pain, and the flame shut off. Something rebounded and rolled to a stop against my hand. It was Afton's head. Someone had hurled it at Caius, knocking the flamethrower from his hand.

"Come on!" Jasper roared.

We surged up as one. I tackled Marcus to the ground. He fought me a little but it seemed that he didn't really care enough to defend himself, and I was able to work my way to a rear choke-hold. When I looked up, Jasper had Caius in a brutal arm lock and Eleazar had Aro by the throat. Edward and Alice each had one of the wives, who looked too frightened to resist.

"STOP!" Carlisle's voice thundered from the water's edge. Where had he come from? He must have crossed after Edward and the others, but I was a little too busy at the time to notice. He held his left wrist with his right hand, so he had not come through unscathed either. "Your leaders are our prisoners!" he shouted up and down the beach. "Surrender now! Step back and put your hands on your head!"

Most of the remaining Guards moved to comply, stepping back with their hands in the air. But for others the wolves still pressed the attack, and the Volturi engaged with them continued to fight out of self-defense. "Jacob? Call off the pack, please?" Carlisle's polite request sounded very out of place amidst the violence.

Down the beach, Jacob had regained consciousness while we had attacked the Volturi vanguard. He still lay on his side but picked his head off the ground and growled, low in his throat. The wolves stopped lunging and snapping, but stayed close, growling with teeth bared, hackles bristling. Slowly, all the remaining guards stepped back and raised their hands to their heads. I counted ten in all, not counting our prisoners. And with a growing sense of relief, I realized that Alec and Chelsea were not among those standing. I scanned the beach until I spotted the dark cloak on Jane's juvenile body; it moved aimlessly where it lay on the ground. I felt an odd mix of disappointment and satisfaction in my mouth like hot metal. She would never torment anybody again, but I wanted to be the one to put her down.

Carlisle came closer and stopped in front of Aro and Eleazar. "I'm disappointed, Aro," Carlisle said, his face grim with sadness. "I had great respect for you and your mission, but you let your ambitions come before your quest."

"It's you who are guilty!" Caius snarled from Jasper's imprisoning arms. "The werewolves are our natural enemies, so for you to join them and attack us is treason!"

Carlisle scoffed. "This is getting old, Caius. I don't believe in natural enemies, and we're proof that we can live peacefully alongside both wolves and humans."

"But at the cost of your identity," said Aro. "You give up who we are. That alone tells you that it's unnatural. For the rest of us, it's kill or be killed by werewolves. We only seek to make the world safe for our kind."

"I appreciate that," Carlisle admitted. "But to survive at the cost of another sentient being is wrong. Why do you think I chose this way in the first place? If I won't survive by consuming a thinking being, how could I ensure my survival by condoning the extermination of an entire race of beings? There's always a way that doesn't involve violence. You simply have to find it."

"We had found it," grated Caius. "Europe is relatively safe for vampires now. If you know what's good for you, you'll let us continue our work."

"Think about how this world was before us," Aro said earnestly. "A thousand years ago, in the place that is now Romania, the immortals ruled over the humans. Humans knew about us and we were feared and hated. The Romanians had to fight off many mobs that tried to overthrow them. We changed all that. Now we are the stuff of myth and legend. Any human who truly believes in us is ridiculed or considered mad. As long as we are invisible, we can live in peace.

"The current generation of immortals have all been indoctrinated in the law to remain circumspect, and have been commanded to teach their creations, as well. So for now, the secret is safe. That is what our mission means! To end that mission is to plunge our world into darkness again!

"Do you truly want to return to a time when humans hate us and try to hunt us down? You were a vampire hunter once, Carlisle. You know how that is. But in the days of axe and sword, humans were a mere inconvenience. Now the destructive capabilities of man have grown exponentially. If we return to the days of vampire hunters, do you think humans would be as helpless as before? We created this world you live in. You have the luxury to choose how you live because of the work we have done."

"Does obligation require us to die at your behest or to be enslaved?" Eleazar asked, gazing down at Aro. "Does obligation remove from us the right to true justice?"

"You are obliged to obey the law that we established and maintained," Caius growled.

Edward spoke up, his voice icy. "If that was all that you did, then well and good. But this was all an excuse to capture or kill Alice and myself. I've seen how much Aro wants us in his mind. What business do you have forcing us to join your coven?"

"I thought the cloak of Volterra suited you, Edward," Aro insisted. "It was the same invitation I extended to you the first time you came to see us, nothing more."

"If this was an invitation you didn't need to capture Bella to force our behavior."

"A mistake of Jane's that I apologize for," Aro said, smoothly. "Either way, I thought you might want to be re-united with her."

"Sure. That's why you had Felix try to kill her." Edward's scowl deepened even further. "Give it up, Aro! You have no legitimate claim here, nor have we broken any laws. You, on the other hand, are guilty of corruption and abuse of power. The minute you took Bella hostage, the second Jane let the newborn army go to kill us, you lost your claim to moral purity."

Carlisle's voice was calm again, in the face of their agitation. "You protected our way of life at one time, and that was a worthy cause. But you began using your position to acquire more power. You perverted the mission to further your ambition. The price of our way of life should not be to fall victim to corruption. We have a right to be protected from false accusations and assassination. Our lives, all lives, are sacred and not subject to the whims of any authority without just cause.

"Let me ask you something: what will you do if we spare your lives and the lives of your remaining Guard?"

"Why continue our mission, of course!" Aro answered promptly.

"Would you come against us again?"

"If you obey the law, we have no reason to come against you." Aro tried another tack. "Think of what would happen if we are not the law. You would leave a void for the Romanians to step in again. Think of the upheaval that would cause!"

"That's what it's about, isn't it? How far will you go for power, Aro?" Edward asked suddenly, boring into Aro with his eyes. "Is there no limit to what you would do?" Aro looked startled for a second, then quickly controlled his expression, but not before Edward nodded. "You'll never tell Marcus, will you?"

A spark of animation suddenly showed in Marcus, and he raised his head. "What will he never tell me?" he asked in a reedy voice.

"No! You can't!" Aro cried and struggled against Eleazar.

Edward clenched his jaw. "Marcus, do you want to know?"

"Know about what?" Marcus asked.

"No! No!" shouted Aro. Eleazar smoothly twisted Aro's arm behind his back and the patriarch cried out and stopped struggling.

"You were planning to leave Volterra with your wife, Didyme, weren't you Marcus?" Edward asked.

Marcus nodded and his voice gained a little strength. "We had grown tired of the fighting, the conquests. I only wanted to spend my life with her. Then she was killed in that senseless battle..." Marcus turned his face away and I could see it, twisted with his internal agony, still fresh after all these millennia.

"Do you remember the last time you saw her?"

"Yes, it was one of the first encounters with the Romanians. I had no interest in a prolonged campaign, so we were going to leave shortly after."

"But you got separated, didn't you? It was very chaotic that night."

"Aro came and found me. He brought me to see…" Marcus choked to a stop.

"Her body, already engulfed in flames." Relentless as Death pronouncing sentence, Edward spoke the words. "Aro killed her, Marcus. I saw an image of him holding the bracelet you gave her. Then when you would have destroyed yourself, he had Chelsea keep you loyal."

"He lies, Marcus! They'll say anything to destroy us, you must see that!" Aro strained against Eleazar in his desperation. "You've always been a brother to me. Why would I kill my own sister and jeopardize that?"

"You know it's true, Marcus," Edward intoned. "If someone else had done it, the bracelet would have been burned with Didyme's body. It was of beaten gold, studded with rough cut rubies. He pulled it off before burning the body so he could prove the body was hers."

Marcus scrutinized Aro's face, then he turned his head back toward me. "Let me see him! I have to know!" That surprised me, but I pulled my field back in as he bid. Then Marcus glared at Aro, who tried to turn away. Eleazar tightened his grip, forcing Aro to face Marcus.

Impassive no longer, Marcus began to struggle in my arms. An insane light came to his face and his papery skin seeming to glow with fury. "YOU! You bastard! How could you kill your own sister?!"

"It's his word against mine, Marcus," Aro pleaded. "How can you doubt me?"

"We were alone, Aro. And I was too distraught to think clearly." Marcus snarled, low and deadly and he stopped fighting me as he confronted Aro. "How could he know this detail unless he pulled it from your mind? And did you forget my gift?"

"What?" Aro was startled by the sudden shift.

"I don't only see the relationships of others; I see my own as well. You have no loyalty for me. You only want my talent. I'm no more than a horse or a dog to you. You swore to me that you would find her killer, but you lied. You may as well be dead to me, because I am to you." Marcus looked at Eleazar, then Carlisle. "Give him to me, Carlisle! In the name of my poor Didyme, give him to me!"

We looked at Edward, who questioned Carlisle with raised eyebrow. "Let Aro and Marcus go," Carlisle said quietly. I looked at him in surprise, then relaxed my hold, staying wary for any tricks.

It was unnecessary.

With a savage roar, Marcus leaped at Aro. It was a short, brutal fight. There was no finesse, no technique. Powered by rage and thousands of years of grief, Marcus knocked Aro to the ground, sat on his chest and pounded on him with fists and elbows until I thought I would see fragments flying off. Aro tried to respond but Marcus did not let up. It was shocking for what looked to be two old men brawling in the dirt.

Finally Marcus bent down and grabbed Aro's head. The screech of tearing metal rang out as Marcus wrenched himself backwards. Marcus stared at the head in his arms for a moment, then dropped it and tumbled to the side, falling off Aro's body and kicking it away.

"Burn him," Marcus cried in a broken voice. Then he lay there with his head buried in his arms, and began to sob.

I stood still, momentarily stunned by the ferocity of what I had just seen. A high-keening scream drew my attention to my left, where Alice and Edward were holding the wives. One of the wives was screaming in some language I had never heard and straining to escape Alice's clutches. She suddenly broke free, but it seemed to me that Alice just let go. I tensed for her attack, but she swooped on Marcus where he lay on the ground. She struck at him and clawed his face over and over until, ignoring the beating, he grasped her by the arm and a fistful of clothes, stood and hurled her toward the waiting wolves. The high screaming was cut off by a chorus of snarling and growling. Marcus collapsed to the ground again, and covered his face with his hands.

"What about you, Caius?" asked Carlisle. "Will you find a way to come at us again?"

Caius did not hesitate before he answered, "No! Of course not!" But Carlisle glanced at Edward who gave a slight shake of his head.

"Marcus, what say you?" Carlisle asked.

Marcus took his hands away from his face and looked up, his face still dark with his agony. "Kill us!" he spoke through clenched teeth. "We've become an abomination! A corruption of the original ideal!" He rose to his feet and addressed the Guard. "Hear me, Guardsmen of Volterra! The mission has been perverted to evil purposes! We do not deserve to live. The Volturi must perish here!"

"What are you saying?" Caius cried, his rheumy eyes wide. "Who will enforce the law if we are gone?"

"I don't care! Better to have nothing, than the evil that we've become," Marcus said, glaring at Caius. Eleazar had moved to stand close to Marcus, but it wasn't necessary.

"What will you do?" Caius' situation finally seemed to dawn on him, and he lost some of his bluster. "What happened to the compassion you always talked about?"

"You've caused much needless death and suffering, not just to my family, but to all the covens you destroyed and the werewolves you killed," Carlisle said slowly. "If anybody can judge you, they can." He indicated the wolves with a wave of his hand and stepped back. "Here is your compassion. I release you and your guard."

Jasper gave Carlisle a rebellious look, and was about to object vehemently, but Carlisle thrust his hand out abruptly. "Let him up," he said in a voice that brooked no disagreement. Caius' eyes brightened for a second as Jasper let go and he began to straighten his clothing.

Carlisle's eyes glittered briefly in his normally serene face. "Caius, you lost your claim to my compassion when you caused the deaths of my daughter and my son. You are vampires who kill humans, and you're on Quileute land. Jacob?"

The great russet wolf tried to rise, to push himself up with his forepaws, but couldn't. He lifted his giant head and one deathly snarl issued between his fangs. The beach was suddenly covered by a multicolored tsunami of fur and fangs that surged forward to wash over the Volturi Guard. The air resounded with snarls, metallic screeches and cries of pain as a couple of the Guard tried to fight and some tried to run. Caius grabbed the hand of the remaining female and dashed off in the direction of the forest, followed by no less than four wolves, Jasper and Eleazar. But amazingly, the rest of the Guard stayed loyal to the death. True to Marcus' last command, they did not raise a hand as the wolves cut them down. Before long, the river valley was quiet once again.

= = CR = = CR = = CR = =


To be continued...

A/N: Took a while, but we're finally here. As always, love to hear your thoughts.