"Move over," said Felix. I realized I was blocking the door. When I still didn't move out of the car, he sighed.

"You can't do anything about it. You can't save him. Just save yourself, Alice. Listen to orders...or it'll be much worse than seeing a human die."

I stared at him a for a long moment before sliding out. Felix, holding the boy, exited after.

We entered the castle through some secret passageway away from curious human stares. I was still wearing the cloak I'd been given, but now, it felt heavy on my shoulders.

"Take him to the throne room," demanded Aro.

Felix dipped his head in acknowledgement and proceeded to head there.

Heidi suddenly appeared next to me. "Come on," she said.

"Where?"

"Your room."

I didn't see why I needed a room- I didn't have many belongings and I had no need to sleep. Still, I followed Heidi through long hallways until she pushed open a mahogany door.

I couldn't help but gasp. Patterned tiles covered the floor. A plush bed with golden covers took up a large amount of space. A tasteful chest was at its feet, and surrounding it were two massive wooden wardrobes, the same color as the door.

Heidi walked over to the bed and took a seat. "Welcome to our room."

"Our room?" I asked.

She nodded. "Aro doesn't trust you yet. I'm your temporary babysitter."

"What about Bella?"

"She's with Chelsea. Aro distrusts her even more."

"I figured," I muttered.

She stood up. "That wardrobe is yours. The other is mine. Don't even dare touch my things, or I'll invite Jane for a visit," she said, smiling innocently. "The bathroom is connected through that door. Tell me before you go."

I rolled my eyes. "What is this, elementary school?"

"No," she said. Her eyes dropped down. "But it is like a prison," she said quietly.

I was taken aback. A guard member, comparing the castle to a prison? It was unheard of. That was like me calling the Cullens my enemies.

Heidi's head snapped back up. "I'm going to talk to Aro. Stay here," she warned before heading out.

I didn't hesitate to take action. As soon as the coast was clear, I was sneaking off towards the throne room.

The three vampire kings were there, along with a few close trusted members of the guard. Felix held the boy upright. He was starting to regain consciousness.

I suddenly backed away from the doorway. I didn't want to see this.

"Alec?" said Aro, presumably asking him to use his talent on the boy. At least it wouldn't be painful.

I suddenly turned and ran, gasping heavily. I couldn't save him. I didn't even have the courage to watch what I had caused. As someone was enjoying a tasty meal in the throne room, I ran back to my room.

Heidi found me laying in the bed silently a few hours later. "What's up with you?" she asked, going through her wardrobe.

I burrowed my face deeper into the pillow. "He's dead," I said. It came out muffled, but Heidi understood.

"So?" she said. "You didn't know him, did you?"

"No, but-"

"Then it doesn't matter," she said. "People die every day. This one just happened to be here when it happened."

She wouldn't understand that I knew people died every day, but this was the first time it was because of me.

I missed Jasper horribly. He would know what to do. The only thing that made our separation seem better was that I knew he was safe. And, in the end, that was what I cared most about.

Heidi sighed. "Great. I had to be stuck with the whiny roommate. I told Chelsea we should rock-paper-scissors for it, but…" she shook her head. "I'm going shopping. Don't leave the castle." She pranced out of the room, pulling on a dark burgundy sweater.

As soon as she left, Bella walked in. "Get up," she said, pulling my legs off the bed.

"No," I moaned into the pillow. Why couldn't anyone leave me alone?

"Stop sulking. Do you want to see Jasper again or not?" she hissed quietly, so anyone listening wouldn't be able to hear.

I looked up at her. "What kind of a question is that? Of course I do."

"Then get up. We need a plan. I refuse to stay away from my husband and daughter because you want to mourn someone you hardly knew."

Unwillingly, I rolled over. "Fine. What's the plan?"

She sighed in frustration. "With this roommate situation, it's going to be much harder to escape. Not to mention the guard lurking around. I say our best chance is when we get an opportunity to leave the castle."

"And when will that be? We aren't trusted here. And even if Aro does somehow let us leave temporarily, it most definitely wouldn't be together."

Bella sighed again. "I know. That's the problem."

"The only thing we can do is gain their trust," I said. "But who knows how long that will take? It could be anywhere from weeks to centuries."

"I'll wait," said Bella fiercely. "I'll wait as long as we need to, but I swear, I will not die without seeing my family again."

I sighed heavily. She was right. We both had people that were worth fighting for, even if our "fighting" was waiting, even if it meant years. So I took a deep breath and replied. "We have to make bonds with them," I whispered. "Form friendships, alliances."

I could tell it repulsed Bella. "I'm not sure," she said. "It's hard, Alice. Just a few years ago, these creatures were going to kill Edward, they were going to hurt my family. And now I have to become best friends with them?"

"You don't have to," I pointed out. "You just have to pretend to."

Bella winced. "That's just as bad."

"Come on, Bells," I said. "What about that year you took Drama? That has to pay off, right?"

She laughed as she recalled freshman year, when she'd decided to take the Drama elective at school. Her acting skills were horrible, and she knew it. "I'll try," she promised.

"Think about Edward and Nessie. They need you, Bella."

"I know," she said. "And Jasper needs you. So we will get out of here, no matter what."

"No matter what," I echoed. Determination was clear in my tone. We'd get back to Buffalo...no matter what.

A/N: I'm not one to usually complain about review counts, but the last few chapters haven't been getting as many as the rest of the story. I really love hearing from you guys, so if you could spare a few seconds to give me some feedback, I'd really appreciate it :D