Chapter 22
Once the racket of laughter and conversation that followed Maggie's delighted quip had died down Aro turned to Alice. She shrank away from him practically sitting on her hands in an attempt to prevent him reading her thoughts. Shaking her head, her eyes huge, begging him to take pity on her and spare her.
"Now, Now Alice we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It is of course your choice but I will have your hand."
He held his hand out toward her again but this time Jane and Felix stepped forward. Jasper began to growl but Demetri immediately restrained him. He struggled more and Felix grabbed him too.
Alice watched in panic, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Please .." she whispered, imploring the assembled vampires not to force this on her.
"Your hand Alice now" Aro demanded "or your mate will be punished."
She shook her head again and Jane stepped forward causing Jasper to drop to the floor screaming in pain.
Alice shook her head tears in her eyes as she slowly raised her hand. Jane ceased her attack on Jasper and he shakily raised himself to his knees breathing heavily. Felix and Demetri kept him down with a hand on each shoulder; he tried half-heartedly to shake them off but at a growl from Jane stopped. He bowed his head and slumped his shoulders.
Aro concentrated for a while over Alice's hand then bent and raised Jaspers. Jasper raised his head and for a split second they locked eyes before he looked away. After a moment Aro dropped his hand as well and stepped back. Alice was sobbing as she fell to her knees beside her mate and wormed her way into his arms. He held her quietly staring blankly ahead.
"Jasper and Alice met several years before meeting the Cullens. She has no memory of her human life and woke up from the transformation alone and afraid. She began to have visions almost immediately and they helped her gain control and survive. They led her to Jasper here and then to the Cullen clan. It is remarkable that she was able to survive alone so well. She is however selfish, arrogant and completely convinced of her own self-importance. By virtue of her gift Alice feels that the world should be her playground, the futures of others her playthings. She believes she deserves to be worshipped and adored by all and will do anything to get what she wants. Even though Jasper is her mate she treats him with scant respect, expecting him to fawn over her and give in to her tiniest, most ridicules whims. She enjoys the control she has over such a formidable warrior." Aro paused and smiled almost fondly at her.
"We have all heard the stories surrounding Jasper's early life no doubt. Turned and raised for war by Maria. He was brutalized as all in the south were. His gift of empathy making it torture and easy in equal measure. He could feel the pain and terror of all around him but soon found he could control what others felt allowing him make opponents fear him before he even had to fight."
Aro turned and sat back down in his throne. He thought briefly for a moment before continuing.
"Jasper was truly a creature of war. Strong, fearless and capable he found himself relishing the power he had, becoming arrogant and filled with his own self-importance. He began to see himself as the true leader in the south and tried to oust Maria. Maria however was too wily and experienced to be pushed aside and began to tire of his attitude she replaced him as her second and in her bed. Slighted, humiliated and knowing that she would kill him if he stayed, he left. Wandering as a nomad for a time before meeting Alice." Aro shook his head sadly. "Meeting Alice was in Jaspers opinion a god send. Her gift would prove invaluable to him if he was to re-gain the power he so desperately craved in the south. However meeting the Cullens gave him a whole new set of ambitions. Not only could he get his revenge on Maria for replacing him but could get more power than he had ever thought possible. The idea consumed him until he became determined that he alone was the one destined to rule the vampire world."
Aro turned back towards Jasper.
"Jasper and Alice pretended to support Carlisle with his ambitions and plans; they did everything they could to put themselves in a prime position once the revolution started. As soon as Carlisle had taken control and was in power they planned to dispose of Edward, viewing him as too influential over Carlisle and therefore a rival for power. Using their gifts to control Carlisle they would be the power behind the throne, until such time as they could take it openly for themselves. They would not however have insisted that all vampires change diet nor would they have revealed themselves to the humans and murdered almost the entire population. Things would have continued on very much as they are now but with them in charge. At least at first. Alice has seen them demanding more and more recognition and honour from the vampire world. She has been trying to find a way around the inevitable wars that would follow their need to be worshipped. As it stands at present they would have drawn the attention of the human authorities within a few decades. Humans would have declared war on vampires and our race would be all but exterminated." Aro rose from his seat and as Maggie was about to pass a verdict on his statement he held up his hand. "Just one moment more please Maggie dear."
"It should be pointed out to you all that Alice's visions are subject to change. Decisions affect the outcome; we can have no way of knowing how this trial will affect their futures if they are allowed to survive. If they would try to rebel and have the same results or if this experience will serve as a lesson." He bowed his head and nodded towards Maggie who glanced at Charles for confirmation before declaring that Aro had spoken the truth.
"We can have no way of knowing how this trial will affect any of us Aro" Vladimir said calmly. "It could incite others to rebel or quash all such ideas completely. We must simply judge on what we know, what they have done. The future must as always be left to chance."
"Wisely put Vladimir" Aro commented before re-taking his seat.
"Why do you believe you are more worthy to rule than those who have proven their ability?" Robert asked Jasper.
Jasper considered his answer but before he could give it Alice gasped loudly as she slipped into a vision. Coming out of it she began to sob, repeating the word "no" over and over. The look she gave Jasper when he reached out in an attempt to comfort her was of devastation. She appeared to be heartbroken and in complete anguish. Jasper realised sadly what that meant.
"Well if I am going down I am going down fighting." He mused while steeling himself to attack.
Summoning all the strongest negative emotions he could find, and with a furious roar he sent out the most powerful 'blast' of his gift he ever had in his entire existence. The initial force was sufficient to knock those close to him completely off their feet and leave almost all in the room cowering in terror. Standing swiftly he launched himself toward Aro with a vicious snarl and at a speed that caught many unawares. Almost everyone in the room that could register his actions were horrified at his apparent suicide attempt.
Felix had been felled with the initial wave of emotions was struggling to regain his feet. Those nearest the Cullen clan as well as the clan themselves were sprawled out trying to regain their composure. Others were wide eyed, shrinking away from him, some visibly shaking and a few sobbing in terror. Only a tiny few were left standing. Alistair, Garrett and Yin Zhi.
The three left unaffected launched themselves toward Jasper but were to slow to stop him grabbing Aro by the arm and swiftly detaching it. Sulpicia realised what was happening and also launched herself at Jasper. All four converged on the desperate combatant. He grabbed Sulpicia and threw her away from Aro, detaching her arm as well in the action. She crashed into the wall above Robert's head and he caught her easily.
Yin Zhi beat Alistair and Garrett to Jasper by a fraction of a second but that was more time than she needed. In a move that was almost impossible to see, even for vampire eyes. She dropped down and kicked hard at the back of his knees. This made him stagger then fall forward onto his knees. She jumped up and grabbed both of his arms in alternate hands, crossing them behind his back and placing her foot between Jasper's shoulder blades pulled. The metallic like screech of vampire limbs being cleaved from their attached body resonated around the room for a third time but this time it caused a deafening silence in response.
"No" Alice screamed. "Why did you do this? This is what I saw you doing? Not you being killed, your fate wasn't determined."
"You stupid fucking bitch" Rosalie shrieked at Alice. "Why did you not keep your fucking mouth shut if that was what you saw? Your "No. No. No." made us all think you had seen your deaths. He probably thought he would take someone down with him." Rose stalked toward Alice with furious steps.
"You caused this you idiot, because as usual you didn't fucking think before you opened you stupid mouth." Rosalie slapped Alice, hard across the face making her scream in indignation, they were separated quickly.
Alice met Jaspers eyes. She saw none of the love she had always been shown; now they were filled with pain, disgust and hatred. She realised that Rose had spoken the truth, that she has caused this. She also knew she would never get the chance to make it up to him. Alice was filled with guilt for the first time in her existence, it was unbearable. Sobbing uncontrollably she watched in horror as Yin Zhi swiftly removed Jasper's head from his body and Aro moved carefully toward them with a lighted torch.
The body of the blond warrior was swiftly consumed in flames.
"Please .." Alice whispered again sobbing and shaking her head. But her cries were cut short by Alistair removing her head and tossing her quickly onto her husband's pyre.
The vampires in the room began to recover from their shock. Aro and Sulpicia gingerly re-attached their limbs as a low hiss of whispered voices could be heard.
Garrett was watching Yin Zhi with an awestruck expression. Her response to Jasper's attack had been ferocious and extremely fast. He had been very impressed and could see she was deserving of her reputation as a formidable fighter. He took half a step forward toward her as she stood staring into the flames lost in her own thoughts. He was stopped from moving by Felix who nodded his head to the side. Glancing over they saw Marcus making his way toward her with an impressed look on his face. The two spoke briefly before she took his arm and allowed Marcus to lead her back to her seat. He bowed low over her hand kissing it gently and returned to his seat. Felix and Garrett watched as small smiles appeared on the faces of both.
The Cullens were in what appeared to be a state of shock. That two of their number could be so summarily executed had rocked them to the foundations of their beings. Edward was practically quaking with fear now, while Carlisle looked apoplectic in his rage. That they had dared to destroy two of his family made him absolutely furious. How could they show him such scant respect?
Rosalie was devastated at the death of her brother, but knew Alice had brought it on them. She was filled with a bitter resentment, if Alice wasn't already dead she would have killed her herself. Glancing around the room she began to give up hope of surviving this. Her bitterness grew, Carlisle had lied to them, misled them and now she was sure they would die because of it. Reaching for Emmett's hand she smiled sadly at him while squeezing his fingers gently. Emmett returned her smile with a sorrowful one of his own. He understood, they were saying goodbye.
Eventually the conversations died down and all eyes turned toward Aro again.
"I apologise friends for that interruption and the way punishment was carried out. I trust no-one objected to the sentence."
There were murmurs of agreement and no one spoke against it. Everyone present knew Jasper had to die for attacking Aro, he hurt Aro's mate and that gave Aro the right to seek revenge in the eyes of many. They also knew that leaving Alice alive would have been a grave error; she would have caused endless trouble.
"Very well." Aro said solely "Let us continue."
He looked at Rosalie and Emmett's joined hands and smiled. Taking Emmett's hand first he concentrated for a few moments before taking Rosalie's. Again he bowed his head over her pale, well-manicured hand and concentrated. Letting go he smiled at her with what she thought was a thoughtful expression, certainly not a dark one like the one he had had on his face when he had read Carlisle, Edward and Alice. She tried not to let herself hope, she dared not. Looking back over her behaviour she knew she had been difficult, selfish and self-absorbed. She had demanded attention and adoration because she was beautiful, well she knew her beauty wouldn't save her now. Filled with regret Rose knew she had treated Emmett shamefully and he had loved her completely. Her one hope now was that he survive and possibly find happiness elsewhere. If by some miracle she did manage to survive she was determined to be a better person. In a flash of desperation she reached out and brushed her fingers over Aro's hand again. He glanced up at her and nodded slowly. Would her sudden moment of insight and regret be enough to save her mate? She bowed her head and prayed it would.
Turning away from the sorrowful pair Aro again composed his thoughts before speaking.
"Rosalie was created initially to be Edwards's companion, Carlisle felt that her beauty had to mean she would have a gift of some kind. He was sure that she would draw followers toward her and therefore himself. She does not however have a gift at all and not having been able to take the time to bind her to Edward she rejected him out of hand. She resented Carlisle for changing her and preventing her from having a family, she allowed that resentment to turn her into a bitter, unhappy woman. When however she met Emmett Carlisle agreed to change him believing his size would give him strength and an advantage in battle. Also that he would bind Rosalie to him in gratitude for him giving her a mate. Although he frowned on the "vulgar lack of control" they displayed by giving in to their instincts. He felt cementing their loyalty outweighed any disadvantages. When Emmett possessed no gift either Carlisle began to question his ideas on what would make a gifted vampire." Shaking his head sadly at Carlisle, Aro turned to sit in his chair. Sulpicia was now seated beside him and he reached for her hand.
"Carlisle told them of his 'feud' with us, the Volturi. He told them that he was a wanted man and would eventually be killed by us. Over the years he persuaded them we were evil and corrupt and that the only way to save themselves and their family was to rebel against us. To this end they agreed with the attempted 'enslavement' of Bella as a necessary evil in the fight for their way of life." Aro smiled at Rose. She could not help the flare of hope that surged within her.
"Rosalie and Emmett knew nothing of Carlisle's plan to reveal himself to humans and to destroy the majority of the human race. Rosalie in particular would not have supported those plans. She is not happy with what she is and would never want others to know; in addition she could never condone what would be the murder of millions of children."
Again he smiled at her, could he be going to save her? No Rosalie was suddenly sure he was playing with her, trying to lull her into a false sense of security in order for her to condemn Carlisle. But as soon as the thought entered her head Rose knew she would condemn them all if it would save Emmett.
Charles announced that this was the truth. Carlisle glared at them both with disgust in his eyes. Emmett realised in that moment he would have killed them himself in the end.
When Aro asked for questions Emmett raised his hand. Shocked Amun quickly gave permission to him to question Carlisle.
"I want to know what Carlisle would have done to us when we opposed his plan, which we would have in the end when we realised what it entailed. Rose would never agree to kill children and neither would I."
All eyes turned to Carlisle, he was silent for a long time trying to stare them all down. Eventually Aro stood to answer for him but that was the moment Carlisle chose to speak. His tone was vitriolic and full of the resentment and hatred he felt. His entire expression had changed. In that moment Carlisle looked every inch the evil twisted monster he truly was.
"I would have killed them" He answered with pride in his voice. "I would kill any and all who opposed me. I wish I had killed them when I realised they were not gifted. They are not worthy of the Cullen name."
"Well that's ok." Emmett answered quickly "My name is McCarty and I would like that noted. And please don't burn me on the same pyre as that sick fuck."
Zafrina then stood. She was thoughtful for a moment before quietly asking her question.
"Do you regret your association with Carlisle because you were misled or because you want to live?"
"I do want to live." Rosalie answered quietly. "But I want Emmett to survive more. I realise now what an obnoxious person I have been, and I am ashamed of it. But in answer to your question I regret that I ever knew him, that I was so blind and self-obsessed to not see what was in front of me. I would never have agreed to the cold blooded murder of children even if I had supported his plans to overthrow the Volturi. I only had what he told me to go on and I looked down on any who fed from humans so I never considered their opinion's worth my time. Yes I have been misled, but I have allowed myself to be. I closed my eyes to all but my own wants. It may be too late to open my eyes but I have. Like Emmett said, I don't want to be a Cullen and I don't want my ashes mixed with his." Rosalie reached form Emmett's hand again and smiled at him. If this was the end she wanted the last thing she saw to be his face.
"That is the absolute truth." Both Maggie and Charles declared in unison.
"If there are no further questions I suggest we discuss this and decide our verdicts." Amun announced.
There was a hiss around the room as the vampire quietly discussed the verdicts they wanted to deliver. Bella and Esme looked at each other but didn't speak, their decisions were theirs and theirs alone.
Eventually Amun stood.
"How do you find Emmett and Rosalie McCarty, guilty or not?"
All of the jurors stood and said in clear voices.
"Not guilty."
Bella stood, glancing at Esme who nodded smiling and spoke clearly.
"We find them not guilty as well."
Rosalie sagged into Emmett's arms, relief evident on both of their faces, they were going to live. She was getting a second chance and was determined not to waste it.
Amun spoke again.
"While you are found not guilty, I do believe you are in need of .." He paused for a moment as though trying to find the right words. "Re-education. I propose you remain in Volterra for at least fifty years. It will be for Aro to decide if you may keep to your current diet."
Aro nodded.
"They may."
"Good" Amun agreed nodding.
"Edward Cullen do you find him guilty or not?"
Again all stood Esme and Bella included this time.
"Guilty."
"Sentence of death to be carried out at once." Amun declared seriously.
"What! NO!" Edward screamed.
Alistair, who had been behind the Cullen's since Jasper's attack stepped forward and before Edward could register the movement tore his head from his shoulders silencing the impassioned outburst and threw his body down onto the smouldering ashes of Alice and Jasper. The body immediately burst into flames.
"Good riddance you stupid boy." Alistair muttered, but it was loud enough to be heard by most. He turned and walked back to Bella wrapping his arms around her and kissing her fiercely.
When the noise died down again all eyes turned to Carlisle. Even now his arrogance shone through. He didn't cower or plead in the face of what seemed like certain death, but stood head high a disdainful expression on his face. Never once even glancing at the burning remains of his first born son.
"How do you find Carlisle Cullen, guilty or not?"
"Guilty" it was shouted loudly from every corner of the room.
"You are fools if yo.."
His what was sure to be riveting declaration of his own superiority was cut short be Esme shooting forward from her seat and removing his head in a swift move similar to that which she had used on Edward in the plane.
"Goodbye Carlisle" she said softly before turning and throwing his head onto the pyre. Felix quickly picked up the rest of him and threw that on as well. Then he wrapped Esme in his arms,
"It's over darling, you are free."
Silence descended in the room as everyone watched the flames consume the bodies. Most were locked in their own thoughts. None were sad or angry, what had been done was justice pure and simple. A dangerous threat had been eradicated, there was comfort in that thought.
Rose and Emmett stood apart from the rest holding each other tightly, she was sobbing quietly but not in sadness or fear, with relief. Selfish as it was she was glad it wasn't her and Emmett on that pyre and she was determined to make the life she had been gifted. Emmett could sense the change in him mate, he was sad it had taken these events to make her see life for its possibilities. He couldn't help smiling at the thought of the future they would have, staying in Volterra was no hardship in his mind.
Alistair held Bella tight as they watched the bodies turn to ash. Bella was surprised to find herself feeling regretful, not that they were dead, but that their lives had been so wasted by revenge and greed. She was glad she had escaped, that she could breathe free and live her life the way she wanted. Looking around the room, surrounded by family and friends she was suddenly happy. It really was over and her life could truly start.
Garrett stood next to them smiling too until a thought struck him and he swore loudly.
"Fuck Bella you won the book." He announced to the laughter of all while handing her the money. "You said Esme would get sick of the sanctimonious bastard and kill him in the end."