Seventy Nine: Testimony

Carlisle:

Irina stopped a few yards away from Caius, eyes still on her sisters. Impatient, Caius swiftly closed the remaining distance and gave Irina a resounding slap on the cheek. It would not have hurt her, but I winced inwardly; it was like watching someone thrash an injured carthorse. Irina's eyes finally focused on Caius, and he pointed one hand - or perhaps a more accurate description would be claw - at Renesmee. Not for the first time, I swallowed my growl.

"This is the child you saw?" Caius demanded of Irina. "The one that was obviously more than human?"

Irina followed Caius' gesture, and confusion crossed her features as she looked on the very different Renesmee.

"Well?" Caius snarled.

"I...I'm not sure," she stammered. Caius stared in disbelief and rage. His hand twitched with the urge to hit Irina again.

"What do you mean?" he hissed.

"She's not the same, but I think it's the same child...What I mean is, she's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw-"

Caius bared his teeth and roared at Irina, who winced and immediately fell silent. Luckily, Aro flew to her rescue, putting a restraining hand on the other ancient's shoulder.

"Be composed, brother," he instructed. "We have time to sort this out. No need to be hasty."

Caius stubbornly turned his back on Irina, and Aro took over with a much more gentle approach. He was a strange man; ruthless yet polite to a fault.

"Now, sweetling," he murmured. "Show me what you're trying to say." He offered his hand, and the bewildered Irina put hers into it. When he was satisfied, Aro let his hand drop.

"You see, Caius? It is a simple matter to get what we need." Caius refused to react. Aro glanced towards his audience, and then returned his attention to me.

"And so we have a mystery on our hands, it seems," he remarked, intrigued. "It would appear the child has grown. Yet Irina's first memory was clearly that of an Immortal Child. Curious."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to explain," I confirmed, relieved that Aro seemed to be willing to hear an explanation. Thanks to Aro's curiosity, our momentous goal might just be achieved. Perhaps no one needed to die today. I offered my hand again, but Aro hesitated.

"I would rather have the explanation from someone more central to the story, my friend," he explained. "Am I wrong to assume that this breach was not of your making?"

"There was no breach," I insisted.

"Be that as it may, I will have every facet of the truth." Aro's light tone hardened, matching my determination. "And the best way to get that is to have the evidence from your talented son. As the child clings to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward is involved."

I gritted my teeth, and Aro smiled slightly; he knew he had me trapped. Endanger Edward, or label us all liars. I didn't have to make that decision for myself: before I knew it, Edward was walking boldly towards me.

.o.o.o.

Esme:

A whimper escaped my throat before I could stop it; every moment, this was becoming more and more like a nightmare. One by one, my family was walking into the firing line, and my hands were as good as tied.

Beside me, Bella let a hiss of air run out of her tightly clenched jaw; she as obviously calling on a lot of strength for her shield. A moment later, she released a startled laugh. I tried not to react obviously, but it was undoubtedly bizarre. Perhaps the pressure was getting to her? No matter: in an instant, her humour vaporised and she stared intently at her mate.

Edward took on an arrogant persona; lifting his chin high and offering his hand as though bestowing an enormous blessing. With an easy smile, perhaps amused by Edward's theatrics, Aro took my son's hand. Instantly, his eyes flew shut and he hunched over at the rapid onslaught of information. Several of the redcoats – and several of us, no doubt – shifted with discomfort at the sudden grotesqueness, a flash of the reality of the situation. Rationally, it was not surprising: every thought from every mind on our side, for every moment of the last month, was being transferred from Edward's mind to Aro's

Then Edward too bent his head, struggling as all that information was now being transferred back, complete with Aro's reactions to everything. Bella hissed again, this time in frustration, and Zafrina warily calmed her. I ground my teeth together, feeling Bella's rage and agony as Edward's discomfort appeared to increase. I tried to think calm thoughts – Edward was still receiving all of our current thoughts too – but as the straining mental conversation between them dragged on and on, I couldn't help but flex my tense muscles, so that I could leap as far as was necessary the moment anything went wrong.

.o.o.o.

Carlisle:

Tension only eased slightly as Aro straightened and opened his eyes; awed but wary.

"You see?" Edward asked, his tone smooth although his posture was not entirely at ease. Aro had not let go of his hand.

"Yes, I see, indeed," Aro agreed. "I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so clearly. You have given me much to ponder, my young friend. Much more than I had expected." Aro still did not release Edward's hand, and Edward still seemed strained: no doubt he was examining each of Aro's thoughts as thoroughly as possible to avoid a trap.

"May I meet her?" Aro suddenly asked, his tone and expression switching instantly from pensive to thrilled. "I never dreamed of the existence of such a thing in all my centuries. What an addition to our histories!"

"What is this about, Aro?" Caius demanded. I took a deep breath and let it out steadily; Edward knew what he was doing. None of my uneasiness faded.

"Something you've never dreamed of, my practical friend," Aro murmured. His tone put me on edge. There was something strange about it, some undertone I had never detected before. Or perhaps I had, and had chosen to ignore it. "Take a moment to ponder, for the justice we intended to deliver no longer applies."

Caius hissed indignantly. Aro cautioned him once again, and between them, a silent message passed that sent a chill right through me. I was more certain than ever that Edward and Garrett, amongst others, had been correct. The Volturi were going to dig deep to start a fight: ponder what we had already said, already given away, that could be used instead of the intended trigger. We were being made to think we were in the clear, so that our barriers would come down and someone would reveal something the Volturi could twist into a crime.

I'm not fooled, I warned Edward - and Aro, who was still holding his hand. Edward's back muscles tightened, but Aro's confidence did not waver. I could not speak aloud without causing a disruption, and both of us knew it.

"Will you introduce me to your daughter?" Aro asked again.