A/N: Sorry for the wait! Hopefully I can bride your forgiveness with this chapter! and maybe another a lot sooner, like…hopefully next week? xx

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Bella

I had a feeling that this visit was not going to end well.

For a county that was meant to scream romance and love it felt as if we were all going to our final death, which I knew unfortunately wasn't out of the question. If the Volturi weren't happy with us, then we were dead, it was as simple as that.

Deciding not to dwell on such an outcome I focused on listening to the classical music Edward had turned on low in the Volvo. Carlisle had offered that we all rented a large car so we could go together, but Edward had refused on the basis that if this was how it ended then he wanted to spend as much personal time with me as possible.

I thought it was adorably sweet.

It was just a shame about the circumstances.

"What do you thinks going to happen?" I stared out the window. "When we get there?"

Edward took a few minutes to word his answer before sighing, his cool hand pressing lightly against my bare knee. While I wasn't one for wearing shorts, it was hot enough in the centre of town that jeans would have probably caused me to have heat stroke, and that was the last thing we needed. So, shorts it was.

"I do not know for sure, Love" his thumb brushed my pale skin. "I personally believe this is just an excuse for Aro to check up on us, that he is simply using the situation to his advantage. But I will protect you, Love."

And I believed him.

I knew if he could help it he would do everything possible to protect me, as I would him. I may not physically be able to keep him safe, I was but a mere human in comparison, but if there was something I could do to make sure we all came out un scarred then I would do so without remorse.

I sighed, looking out at the scenery. I felt a twinge of regret that the first time I was visiting such a beauty country was under such bad circumstances. I hoped it didn't sour it for me if I ever decid to come back.

"We're here."

As Edward helped me out of the car I winced at the blazing heat, it being a stark contrast to Forks. Looking around I saw we were in some sort of underground car park, expected really due to the fact they couldn't be seen in the sun unless they wanted to give themselves away.

The Cullen's circled around each other as Carlisle led us towards an entrance staircase, leading us towards the entrance of the large castle. I jumped when we suddenly came face to face with two clocked figures.

"You showed up then," a female voice clipped out.

It looked as if Emmett was about to make a clever retaught until Rosaline put him in his place, clearly not wanting him to make a sound which could result in their death. At least the ice queen cared for someone, I thought.

"We are here as requested," Carlisle nodded respectfully.

I almost gasped when I caught sight of who was under the hooded figures, the vampires looking as young as children leaving me momentarily speechless with shock.

I thought children weren't allowed to be changed?

Ignoring the other clocked figures surrounding the dark halls I didn't protest as Edward pulled me closer against him, a growl rumbling from his chest as he narrowed his eyes at a bulky vampire in particular. Whatever he had thought clearly had Edward on edge, giving me the impression that it was either concerning me or his family.

It made me even more nervous.

Entering the large hall I immediately took note of the three vampires sitting on the expensively designed thrones, looking exactly like the painting in Carlisle's study. The similarities between what I was seeing was intimidating to say the least, not a single detail out of place.

"Ah," the eldest vampire smiled brightly. It gave me the creeps. "You have all arrived, how lovely."

Yep, definitely creepy.

"Perfect!" he clapped his hands. "Demetri, why don't you go and collect our other guests from the dungeons."

Dungeons?

It was mere minutes when all of a sudden two familiar vampires strode into view, both Victoria and James hissing in our direction while we all remained perfectly still. I wasn't a religious person by far, but right at that moment I was praying to god that this worked out in our favour.

I didn't want to die.

"Now that we are all here, how are you Carlisle?" Aro grinned widely.

Carlisle's lips curved just slightly at the corners in a half smile. "I have been well, old friend. I just wish we had reconnected on better terms."

Yea, terms which didn't have all of our lives on the line.

Aro's smile didn't relent. "Well, according to my other two guests," he waved to a smug Victoria and James. "You have broken one of our rules, and since that warm blooded beauty is standing right in front of me I can see that they were indeed correct."

I shivered in disgust when he turned his smile onto me, both pleased and relieved when Edward hurriedly pushed me behind him. I went willingly, not about to refuse the added protection.

"Bella is Edward's mate," Carlisle spoke calmly. "You know it is practically impossible for her not to discover what we are."

Aro leaned back in his throne. "It was something these two idiots failed to mention, but rules are rules Carlisle. There are no special exceptions, not even for you, old friend."

"She is going to be one of us though!" Alice exclaimed. "I've seen it."

"Ah!" Aros eyes went wide with excitement. "Alice, my dear. Have you given it any more thought of joining us?"

She shook her head, a smile on her lips in what I guessed was an attempt to lessen the negative blow. "I am afraid I am happy where I am at the moment, Aro. Bella has become part of the family, it would be upsetting if we had to lose that."

"Maybe so, dear. Did you say you had seen this?" he held out his hand.

I was confused at the gesture until I remembered that Aro's gift was to read someone's mind completely with one touch, something which to be honest scared the crap out of me. It just seemed so violating.

But Alice didn't refuse, gracefully walking towards him before holding out her hand much to Jaspers discomfort. Still, he didn't say a word, rather keeping an eye on his mate.

The moment they touched I watched as Aro's eyes clouded over before he seemed to smile, his eyes flickering over to me with renewed interest. I swallowed.

"Gifted and still human, fascinating" he purred.

Shit.

Both vampires either side of him seemed to perk up at the new piece of information. I doubted it was a good thing that it had been brought to their attention, their interest clearly peaked.

"Edward, why don't you show me what's been on your mind" Aro suggested, but I gathered it was more of a nicely worded demand over anything.

Turning around Edward cupped my cheeks, his thumbs brushing against my lips. "Stay here, ok?"

I nodded.

Sighing, he made his way over to an intrigued Aro before holding out his hand as well. He got a similar reaction than with Alice as Aro laughed out in delight.

"Silent to all gifts it seems, though I wonder whether it works with mine."

I hoped fuck not!

Edward stiffened, but I was relieved when he remained where he was as he gestured for me to approach. I trusted him, if he thought it was a good idea then I would go along with it.

Aro's hand was chillier than Edward's was by far, one of my hands gently placed in his while the other gripped Edward's tightly.

"Incredible," he looked towards his brothers. "Can you believe this? I get nothing!"

"What about Jane?" the one I guessed was Caius scowled out.

"No!" Edward had me pulled behind him in an instant.

"Felix."

The next thing I knew Edward was slammed against the floor of the hall, a hand wrapped firmly around his neck. A scream left my lips as I saw his cheek momentarily crack before it healed right before my eye, though it did nothing to dissolve my concern or panic.

"What are you doing?" I panicked, watching as the Cullen's tensed but didn't get involved. What the fuck was wrong with them? "Stop it! Please, stop it!"

As Edward's yells of pain suddenly hit my hearing I felt my heart clench at the sound, watching as he withered and flinched at a pain that wasn't there.

Jane?

"Kill me!" I screamed. "Kill me, not him!"

My words seemed to have an effect over everyone, Aro waving his hand at Jane to signal for her to stop and I sighed out in relief. Even if it was only momentary, Edward's screams had stopped as he laid their too stunned to react.

I was half way to tears as Aro walked towards me slowly, my breathing uneven but I knew I was feeling nothing in comparison to Edward.

"Extraordinary. You would give up your life, for someone like us?" he gestured to himself. "A vampire, a soulless monster?"

My eyes narrowed. I knew Edward's views of his dammed soul, something we had crossed heads at many times, but for this vampire to further cement them only seemed to fill me with rage which had been bubbling just below the surface.

"You, don't know, a thing!" I gritted out through clenched teeth. "About his soul."

Aro stared at me silently for a few moments, the silence deafening until he was back in his throne in an instant. I swallowed, keeping my gaze trained on his own before screaming out when his eyes flickered towards Jane and he gave her a barely visible nod.

NO!

I acted on instinct, running towards Edward and ignoring Carlisle's shouts of me to stay still. Fuck that, they may be staying the fuck away but that was my man withering in pain in front of me! I was not about to just sit back and take it!

Throwing myself onto my knees I hesitated only for a second before I gripped his forearm, both relieved and worried that he didn't seem to even notice my presence.

Did he even know what was happening to him?

What I did not expect was for the wind to be knocked out of me as I was all of a suddenly flooded with a strange sensation which made my head feel like it was filled with cotton wool.

I was vaguely away of the room going utterly silent, Edward's screams stopping as I acted on instinct and straddled his waist, cupping his cheeks as I tried to make sense of what was happening to me.

Was this the reaction of Jane's gift? Because if so, it was exactly pain I was feeling but it then again it wasn't exactly a pleasant sensation either.

"Bella?"

"Incredible!" Aro's shout brought me back to the present, the sensation leaving me before I slumped against Edward feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Fuck," I muttered, resting my heated forehead against his chest. "What the fuck was that?"

"What were you playing at, Bella?" Edward's voice I guessed was meant to be scolding, but it was the worry which took away the harshness which should have been in his tone. "Why did you do that? Put yourself at risk?"

I shrugged. Nothing I said was about to make him happy so why bother?

I jumped when I was all of a sudden pulled gently to my feet, my head spinning as it took me a few moments before realising Aro was standing in front of me. I yelped.

"Absolutely fascinating. Had I not seen it I would have refused to believe it!"

What was he going on about?

"What about you killing them?" James suddenly snarled out. To be honest I had actually forgotten he was even present. "That's what I came here for!"

"Watch your tone!" Caius snarled. "Piece of shit!"

"Hey, we brought them to your attention," Victoria protested.

Aro rolled his eyes, lazily looking over towards the irritated pair. "Did you forget about you previous plan of creating a newborn army? That would have been enough to sign your death warrant."

Newborn army? What the fuck?

"You two will not be leaving this castle alive," he said simply.

James and Victoria must have realised that their plan had backfired, and for whatever reason Aro had decided he wanted them dead they clearly knew they weren't going to be able to argue their way out of it. The fact they ran, however, even had me questioning just how stupid they were.

They were in a castle full of vampire guards, and they try and run?

Aro sighed, shaking his head in amusement. "They never do learn," he looked directly at me as Edward held me in his arms. "Though not much of a waste," he signalled for both Jane and Alec to go after him.

They nodded, and it wasn't even ten seconds later that both Victoria's and James screams hit all of our hearing before they abruptly cut off. I couldn't bring it in myself to care; they had wanted me dead after all.

"Lovely, now that's over how are we going to deal with this little predicament?"

"Keep her here?" Caius suggested in a gruff tone. "Turn her, see what happens?"

"NO!" Edward had me behind his back, snarling furiously. "The law works in my favour. She is mine, and I say no."

I really needed to learn all these laws I thought, especially since they would have helped tons in this situation.

Aro laughed. "Yes, but we created those laws remember."

Surprisingly, Jasper was the one to step forward next. "However, you did not create the instincts that come with being a mated pair. If you forcefully take Bella, you know Edward will react. If you kill Edward, from Bella's reaction to you hurting simply him, do you really think she will be cooperative?"

Fuck no, I thought.

Aro seemed to consider this before turning to Marcus, the only vampire who hadn't said a word since we had turned up.

"Their mating bond is too strong for what you have planned," he replied simply.

Well, at least one of them is on our side I thought dryly. Kind of.

Aro's lips curled briefly in irritation before his features relaxed back into that creepy smile of his, his eyes flashing with an unknown emotions as he clasped his hands in front of him. Had I not known he was a vampire, a king among vampires, I would have thought it was almost amusing how he was portraying himself.

"In that case I believe it would be in everyone's best efforts if I allow you to leave, however" of course there was some catch. "You will keep in touch, and Bella will be changed, soon."

knowing we didn't have any other options both me and Edward reluctantly agreed, my hand still curled around his tightly. I could really use the comfort right now.

With that we were thankful lead back outside of the castle, my hand still tightly clenched in Edward's as I fought the urge to literally sprint away from the dreaded castle.

"What's going on?" I whispered in confusion when we all seemed to pass what I gathered to be a tourist group as what was clearly a female vampire led them around. "I thought humans weren't allowed to know about you?"

I looked up just as Edward's lips seemed to purse, the two of us behind the rest of the Cullen's as they led the way.

"Do you really wish to know the answer to that, Love?"

He didn't need to tell me anymore then that, not when it was as clear as day that the likelihood of any of them actually leaving the castle was zero to none. I fought against the urge to cry out for them to run, to get away before it was too late. It was only due to the fact that we had barely gotten out alive, that the Volturi were still out for our necks and the changes of any of them either getting away or listening to me were slim to nothing that kept my mouth shut.

I felt like shit for doing so, but what other choice did I have?

"On the bright side, Love" Edward caught my attention with a smile as we slipped into the car. "I plan to make the most of the final day of our weekend, especially because I still have you all to myself."

He was right, that thought did make everything seem that little bit better.

Review?

Maybe? Please?

xxx